3 critical ways Commanders must follow Texans' rebuilding blueprint
Commanders must continue their roster turnover
The biggest impact a general manager can make is putting their fingerprints all over the roster. With the Houston Texans, Nick Caserio signed 20-plus free agents in the first month after the league year kicked off once taking charge.
He has continued to make major moves in free agency throughout his tenure, with the Texans being in the top three in terms of free-agent signings every year that Caserio has been their front-office leader. This offseason, the team added Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs via trade. They signed Danielle Hunter, Denico Autry, Foley Fatukasi, Jeff Okudah, and Azeez Al-Shaair, among their major moves. Houston also extended key contributors - Dalton Schultz and Ka'imi Fairbairn.
Per NFL Research, the Texans became the first team in history to add players who respectively had 10-plus sacks (Hunter), 1,000-plus rushing yards (Mixon), and 100-plus receptions (Diggs) in one offseason.
On the current depth chart heading into the 2024 season, the Texans only have three starters who were on the roster before Caserio took over - Laremy Tunsil, Tutus Howard, and Fairbairn. All three of those players were extended during his tenure, showing just how much of an impact he has had on the current look of the franchise.
The Texans have also executed the most trades of any NFL team, including eight during the 2023 NFL Draft. One of the biggest moves that Caserio pulled off was trading Deshaun Watson and getting a major haul, despite the quarterback choosing his destination.
Houston was able to receive first-round picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024, along with a 2023 third-round pick and 2024 fourth-round selection in exchange for Watson and a 2024 fifth-rounder. With some maneuvering in the draft, Caserio was able to net additional value out of those picks.
Now with all those draft picks, you have to ensure some gems are found. The Texans have been able to do just that. Thus far, those picks have resulted in multiple starters including Kenyon Green, Will Anderson Jr., Tank Dell, Dameon Pierce, and Christian Harris.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns have seen Watson play in only 12 games, pass for under 185 yards per game, and complete less than 60 percent of his passes while getting a guaranteed $230 million. This is on track for being one of the worst trades in NFL history.
Adam Peters has already begun making his mark on the Washington Commanders roster with underrated additions such as Nick Allegretti, who played in the Super Bowl with a torn ligament, and Tyler Biadasz, to shore up the offensive line.
He also added some potential weapons for the new quarterback by re-signing Jamison Crowder. Peters signed Zach Ertz, Austin Ekeler, and Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency. On the defensive side, the team added Bobby Wagner, who will provide a leadership presence, along with new starters on the defensive line.
Now, the Commanders don't have a player that would recoup a return similar to Watson. However, the return on the Sam Howell trade was praised by pundits. Don't be surprised to see the Commanders continue to be active with trading during the draft.