The Houston Texans are staring down the NFL trade deadline with the clock winding fast and their plans still very much up in the air.
Houston has until 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday to make any moves, and right now there’s no clear sign which direction the front office will choose.
After a Week 9 win that pushed the Texans to 3-5, the team has reason to keep pushing for help if it wants to strengthen the roster for the second half. But there’s also a real possibility the Texans decide to stay quiet unless a deal comes along that they truly like.
That would not be out of character for a team that has already been active on the trade front in recent months. This deadline could end up being more restrained than some expected, especially if Houston doesn’t see the right value.
Around the AFC South, though, the market has been anything but calm.
Jacksonville made two defensive additions Monday in Jessie Bates III and Davon Godchaux. Tennessee dealt away All-Pro Jeffery Simmons last week.
Indianapolis, meanwhile, could still be headed toward a larger sell-off after moving Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, with Jonathan Taylor also mentioned as a possible outgoing piece. That kind of division-wide movement could nudge Houston toward making a response of its own.
And if the Texans do jump in, the most likely path looks like buying, not selling. They’re coming off a win and sit just two games back from .500, which makes a deadline addition feel more plausible than a roster teardown.
The last reported areas of interest for Houston came from SI insider Albert Breer, who linked the Texans to running back and safety. Those are two spots that make sense on paper.
The run game has shown improvement lately since David Montgomery has been out with a groin injury, but it could still use more depth and more juice for the stretch run. At safety, Houston has been dealing with both inconsistency and injuries, with Reed Blankenship’s concussion and hand injury the latest concern.
If the Texans decide they need help at either position, the deadline gives them a chance to act.
One player who has been the subject of trade chatter is veteran edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that teams had shown interest in him during Houston’s bye week.
But despite the rumors, moving Clowney would not make much sense for the Texans. He fills a need on the defense, his one-year contract is flexible and affordable, and he just turned in what may have been his best game of the season against the LA Chargers, finishing as one of three players with two sacks.
For now, all eyes are on Houston and what it decides to do before the deadline hits.
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