Texans general manager Nick Caserio characterized his team team building strategy for 2021 as trying to hit singles and doubles, rather than home runs with big ticket free agents.
Every NFL team is dealing with a lower salary cap, and the Texans spent more money than other last season, only to finish 4-12 and have to completely reimagine the team.
And that's what brought Caserio here. Already, the former Patriots executive has made moves to earn the Texans some cap flexibility, first by agreeing to release J.J. Watt, then later releasing center Nick Martin. The Texans have also restructured expensive contracts with veterans Brandin Cooks and David Johnson.
The Cooks restructure gave the Texans $23.4 million to work with under the cap.
Caserio acknowledged in an exclusive interview with Payne and Pendergast that players at the top of the market are going to get paid commensurate with that level, but then there's that next pool of players the Texans are targeting.
Players who have been released from their existing contracts, or who have not played football as recently. Caserio specifically pointed to center Justin Britt, who did not play football in 2020 but is likely replacing Martin as starting center.
Britt signed a one-year, $3.2 million deal with $500,000 guaranteed.
The Texans have also signed veteran running back Mark Ingram II to a one-year, $3 million deal, which includes a $1.5 million base salary and $500,000 signing bonus.
They also signed linebacker Christian Kirksey to a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million.
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"There's going to be different situations and different scenarios, so you're really just going to have to try to make sound decisions," Caserio told Payne and Pendergast. "Not to oversimplify it, but if we can just meat and potatoes, hit some singles and doubles, try to improve the depth of our team, try to create as much competition as possible, really that's probably the most rational strategy.
"It doesn't mean if we see at player that we think is at a point he really can help us and have an impact, we'll always look at that. But just understand that if you do that, it's going to come at the expense of three or four other players."