The Houston Texans got a head start on their offseason work, specifically regarding their roster, with their loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional Playoffs.
There will be a lot for general manager Nick Caserio to sort through, including potential contract extensions for quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson Jr., as well as potential changes to head coach DeMeco Ryans’ staff.
Having quality personnel will always be paramount to success in the NFL, though.
4 Recent Draft Picks Among Texans Roster Additions
GettySolomon Byrd #50 of the Houston Texans looks to make a play against the Carolina Panthers.
KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported on X on January 20, the Texans signed edge defenders Solomon Byrd and Xavier Thomas, defensive tackle Junior Tafuna, offensive linemen Eli Cox and Sidy Sow, safety Brandon Hill, and receivers Jared Wayne and Josh Kelly to “reserve-futures deals.”
Wilson later added two more players– safety Kaevon Merriweather and tight end Layne Pryor–among the Texans’ roster moves before the offseason. The team announced the moves soon after.
Byrd and Thomas were drafted in 2024, while Hill and Sow were members of the 2023 class.
Moreover, Byrd and Hill were both drafted by the Texans. Byrd has appeared in one game in 2024, logging 2 total tackles and 1 pass deflection. Hill has played in two games, both as a rookie.
He has seen all but one of his 26 snaps on defense and not special teams, per Pro Football Reference.
Sow was a fourth-round pick by the Patriots.
He played in two games for the Texans this season, starting one contest. Thomas was selected in the fifth round by the Arizona Cardinals. He logged five appearances during the 2025 campaign, but those were all with the Cardinals, not the Texans.
Former Bucs UDFA Headlines Texans’ Futures Signings
GettyKaevon Merriweather #26 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reacts against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Cox, Kelly, Pryor, and Tafuna are all rookies, but none of them saw action during the 2025 season despite being on the Texans’ roster.
Merriweather has started 13 regular-season games in his career, all with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, playing in 43 total. That includes 12 outings in 2025, one of which was with the Texans. That was in the regular-season finale.
Wayne has played in four games, starting one, all with the Texans.
The Texans are far from finished with what figures to be an offseason of significant changes, even if Houston is not looking to make sweeping adjustments.
Texans’ Offseason Outlook
GettyEd Ingram #69 of the Houston Texans speaks with Tennessee Titans players after a game.
The Texans’ roster will look different in 2026, with Houston facing a $10.8 million deficit, per Over The Cap. They have 22 players heading into free agency this offseason, per Spotrac, 21 of whom will be unrestricted.
Three of their pending free agents–O-linemen Ed Ingram and Trent Brown, and DT Sheldon Rankins–are starters.
That is in addition to decisions on Anderson and Stroud.
Some of the Texans’ decisions about their roster will free up cap space for their offseason, but they figure to spend again after the 2025 campaign exposed some holes. The Texans needed help in the trenches even before suffering injuries on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
With eight selections in the 2026 draft, including the No. 28 overall pick, the Texans can reshape their roster in a very meaningful way this coming offseason.
Texans Add Multiple Recent Draft Picks in Roster Shuffle Before Offseason