Texans sign veteran DL to one-year deal

Edwards has seen time with six teams during his NFL career, including a one-year stint in Tennessee in 2022. After a single campaign in Seattle, the 30-year-old will join a Houston front which has made a number of changes during the early portions of free agency.

Houston has seen the departures of D-linemen Maliek Collins (traded to the 49ers) and Sheldon Rankins (signed with the Bengals) in recent days. Coupled with the departure of Jonathan Greenard on the edge, those absences – along with those of Jerry Hughes, Teair Tart and Derek Barnett, presuming no member of that trio is re-signed – have left several vacancies for the Texans.

The team worked out two-year deals with Denico Autry and Tim Settle, and Danielle Hunter was added as Greenard’s replacement. The latter will give Houston a high-profile edge tandem opposite 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson. Edwards could fill in as a rotational pass-rusher behind that pair, as he has for much of his career. The former second-rounder has seen a defensive snap share above 50% only three times (and once since 2017).

Edwards (who attended high school in Denton, Texas) has demonstrated an ability to chip in as a pass-rusher in a number of stops, though. The Florida State alum has posted between two and four sacks in each of the past seven seasons, and a repeat of that production should be expected in 2024. The Texans ranked 17th in sacks last year, and Edwards’ addition will of course not impact that figure next season to the degree Hunter’s will. Still, the former will be counted on as an experienced depth option as head coach DeMeco Ryans aims to guide the team’s defense to an improvement from 2023’s showing.