Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard could leave the Houston Texans due to free agency, despite the fact that left tackle Laremy Tunsil and head coach DeMeco Ryans appear to want him back.
The Houston Texans have a ton of options in the offseason to strengthen their roster through free agency. They will, however, have the chance to keep some of their own first.
In 2023, none of the prospective free agents performed as well in Houston as Jonathan Greenard, an edge rusher. He led the club in sacks during his breakout season, which allowed him to earn a generous raise.
Greenard’s departure would create even another void that general manager Nick Caserio would need to fill because of his critical role in the pass rush.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans commended his veteran edge rusher at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“JG performed admirably for us this year. Ryans stated, “He did the things we asked him to do, plays physically, and is very productive.” “It’s up to us how free agency works out, but I really appreciate what JG accomplished for us this year.”
Not long after Ryans’ remarks, DJ Bien-Aime retweeted, stating that an NFC official had speculated that Greenard may fetch “22-24 million” in free agency.
That may indicate that edge rushers are becoming more and more abundant in free agency. Protecting and stymieing the passer are often more important in a passing league. Because talented pass rushers are rarely available, a team can avoid using valuable draft capital on a rookie edge rusher by throwing money at a veteran.
If Greenard were to earn more than $20 million a season, that would be significantly more than his Pro Football Focus prediction of three years and $16 million annually.
It’s safe to say that Greenard enjoys some level of backing. In response to Bien-Aime’s tweet, Houston left tackle Laremy Tunsil wrote, “Pay him!”
With 12.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and 22 quarterback hits, Greenard’s 2023 campaign was successful. Those were all career highs, and he will be playing next year at the age of 27. While no free agent signing is guaranteed, having a performance history like that and plenty of years ahead of him should only benefit his value.
This offseason, Houston has been linked to a number of interior defensive linemen; however, if they are unable to keep Greenard, they will have to look into the edge rusher market. Both parties appear interested, which raises hopes that a deal will be reached before the start of free agency.
