Houston Texans Acquire Defensive Star In Blockbuster Trade Idea

The Houston Texans were extremely aggressive this offseason upgrading their roster. After shocking everyone in the football world during the 2023 campaign, they want to build upon that success and prove that it wasn’t a fluke.

On the offensive side of the ball, the skill position groups around star quarterback C.J. Stroud were improved. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs was acquired from the Buffalo Bills and running back Joe Mixon was acquired from the Cincinnati Bengals .

Defensively, Houston made a huge splash in free agency, signing edge rusher Danielle Hunter away from the Minnesota Vikings . He will combine with Will Anderson Jr. as one of the better tandems off the edge in the NFL.

All of those moves were great, as the Texans are taking advantage of the salary cap situation they are in. As long as Stroud is on his rookie deal, they should be looking to make upgrades elsewhere before his salary booms.

With that salary cap flexibility, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report has suggested they look to make another deal. This time, the target would be defensive tackle Jonathan Allen of the Washington Commanders .

“Allen would instantly upgrade a weak area for the Texans. With Will Anderson Jr. and Hunter coming off the edge, Allen would bring a little more punch to the interior than the current combination of Folorunso Fatukasi and Mario Edwards Jr.

Allen’s 5.5 sacks was more than Fatukasi and Edwards had combined last season,” Ballentine wrote.

The Commanders have shown they are willing to trade away established veterans for future assets. Edge rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat were both traded away last season, as wide receiver Jahan Dotson was dealt during training camp.

Allen looks like he could be next based on the moves the team made in recent months. In free agency, Daron Payne was retained on a long-term deal and a second-round pick was used on Jer’Zhan Newton in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

With an eye toward putting as good of a supporting cast around No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels as possible, an Allen trade is possible. The Houston Texans would be a willing participant as they have benefitted in recent years from trading their own veterans for premium draft capital.

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