Texans yet to add a player in free agency

The Houston Texans have taken a unique approach to talent acquisition in the new league year.

After posting a 9-7 record and winning the AFC South and the right to host a playoff game last season, the Texans have been quiet in free agency. Houston has yet to make a roster addition. In fact, as Garret Heinrich of CBSHouston notes, the team has yet to even visit with a free agent.

To be fair, the Texans produced the biggest and most shocking transaction of the offseason when they traded their starting quarterback of a year ago, Brock Osweiler, to the Cleveland Browns in what equated to a salary dump. What they received in return was a fourth-round draft pick and a crater at the top of their depth chart at the QB position.

Aside from that, the Texans re-signed punter Shane Lechler and kicker Nick Novak and inked backup tight end Ryan Griffin to an extension. That's it. That's all.

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Ah, yes. Why, oh, why would the Texans trade their No. 1 quarterback without a suitable replacement in-house? Popular belief is that the Texans are working on acquiring Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. The Cowboys have yet to release Romo and are said to only be interested in trading the veteran. Such a deal is likely what has occupied all of the Texans' attention.

There are a number of factors at play, but the Texans enticed the Browns to take on Osweiler's exorbitant contract presumably so they could afford to pay the hefty price tag on Romo. Houston represents an obvious suitor, however, and that allows Dallas to play the waiting game in an effort to squeeze every available resource out of the Texans. Add to the mix the belief that it would kill Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to see his beloved Romo playing in the same state with the Texans and it's understandable why a trade has yet to be consummated.

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That all explains why the Texans have been silent and why they still own a vacancy at the most important position in the game, but even though they were a playoff team a season ago, Houston has other needs to be addressed.

They produced the No. 1 defense last year and did so without J.J. Watt for 14 total games, however, they have lost top corner A.J. Bouye and starting strong safety Quintin Demps to free agency. Losses are to be expected by every team, but during the Texans' inactivity, most of the desirable replacements have already been scooped up.

So when does the team plan on addressing the new holes in their defense, including the impending departure of nose tackle Vince Wilfork? They could sink their draft capital into such positions, but it's an unlikely stance for a team with legitimate playoff and championship aspirations. Corner Kevin Johnson spent 11 weeks on IR last season. His pending return to a corps that has Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson also buys Houston some time.

Expect all other roster moves to wait until the Romo situation is resolved.

The most pressing issue - Osweiler's contract - has been attended to and with management, the coaching staff, and the majority of the roster in place, the Texans can afford to wait.