There were flashes of potential with the Houston Texans during the 2024-25 NFL season. They finished 10-7 for the second consecutive year, earned a Wild Card victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, and had their window to stymie the Kansas City Chiefs from another Super Bowl appearance.
CJ Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans were the pieces holding the team together, especially during the middle stretch of the campaign where the results became inconsistent. While Stroud’s down production in the 2024-25 season was a main focal point, he still took another huge step in his NFL career.
The numbers from his rookie campaign were far better. Some may consider last season a sophomore slump. In reality, the 23-year-old quarterback showed strides, performing up to par despite dealing with roster adversity. He appeared in 17 games and totaled 282 passing yards in Houston’s impressive Wild Card victory. Stroud goes into the offseason with back-to-back winning records and AFC South titles for the Texans, so continuing to build around him is the wise course of action.
Houston finished strong, and showed resiliency when other teams around the NFL decidedly packed it in. Ryans’ leadership was even more impressive than the year before. Experiencing significant hurdles throughout the season: Losing Stefon Diggs after the All-Pro wide receiver tore his ACL in Week 8, Nico Collins missing time because of a hamstring issue, and Tank Dell enduring a severe injury that will likely keep him sidelined until at least 2026.
It’s difficult to see a world where Diggs returns to the franchise next season. That being the case, Collins is firmly entrenched as the offense’s WR1, and Stroud’s primary weapon of the future. Now begs the question of what the Texans will do in order to help Stroud return to form ahead of Year 3.
With the adjusted NFL salary cap, the Texans are in a bit of a financial quandary this offseason. General manager Nick Caserio has been making his presence known thus far at the NFL combine, trying to make the best use of their six draft picks in April.
“We think we have a pretty good team,” Caserio said per Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. “We have some players who are going to be free agents, 24, 25 players. We’re probably going to lose some players. Maybe there’s a chance to re-sign some of those players.
“And if we don’t re-sign some of our players, maybe there is an opportunity out there that makes sense. We’ll be opportunistic.”
But this offseason, Houston’s resources are limited, as the organization is projected to have around $4-8 million in cap space, per Alexander.
The front office will likely be looking at offense during the NFL Draft, bolstering the O-line to enhance the protection for Stroud – another weakness in the Divisional Round loss to Kansas City.
Texans trade for star No. 2 wide receiver in Cooper Kupp
The Texans won’t have much to work with in free agency, and the free agency doesn’t offer a ton of promise at wideout. That’ll potentially lead to Caserio considering a colossal trade for Los Angeles Rams’ Cooper Kupp.
Texans receive:
Cooper Kupp
Rams receive:
2025 fourth-round pick
Kupp would be a supreme addition next to Collins in the offense, as the franchise awaits the return of Dell. The former Offensive Player of the Year possesses the experience and upside needed to keep Houston in the playoff hunt.
The 31-year-old’s value has taken a major hit, after putting up paltry numbers in 12 appearances for the Rams last season. However, the Texans have a better opportunity for Kupp, as Collins is an exceptional route runner who could draw most of the attention away from Kupp. He is set to hit free agency in 2027, so the Rams may be open to moving him for an additional asset in the upcoming draft.
The post Perfect trade Texans must complete in 2025 NFL offseason appeared first on ClutchPoints.
