The New Orleans Saints will consider pending free agents from every team around the league, so we’re surveying the potential free agent class in a daily series that will run up to the beginning of the signing period. Today’s entry focuses on the Houston Texans, who offer the Saints some interesting options at a few key positions:
- CB Bradley Roby
- CB Johnathan Joseph
- CB Phillip Gaines
- CB Vernon Hargreaves
- DT Brandon Dunn
- DT D.J. Reader
- FS Mike Adams
- ILB Dylan Cole (RFA)
- K Ka’imi Fairbairn
- LS Jon Weeks
- LT Chris Clark
- OLB Barkevious Mingo
- OLB Tyrell Adams
- QB A.J. McCarron
- QB Joe Webb
- RB Carlos Hyde
- RB Lamar Miller
- RB Taiwan Jones
- SS Jahleel Addae
- TE Darren Fells
- T Roderick Johnson (ERFA)
- WR Deandre Carter (ERFA)
The Saints should be in on all of the Texans cornerbacks, though Bradley Roby and Johnathan Joseph figure to be the most expensive. With just three corners under contract right now, it’s important that the Saints start adding warm bodies to the depth chart, and Vernon Hargreaves would make sense as a backup with starter’s upside. He led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in snaps played last year before he was cut (following a bad game against Michael Thomas), and the Saints should be familiar with him given their past clashes in the NFC South.
A reunion with Chris Clark might make sense. The backup left tackle spent the 2019 offseason with the Saints before landing on injured reserve, leaving a few days later with an injury settlement. He joined the Texans in midseason and played frequently at right tackle, appearing on 342 snaps during seven games. It might be wise for the Saints to bring him back into the fold as a backup plan for oft-injured left tackle Terron Armstead.
Don’t sleep on backup quarterbacks Joe Webb and A.J. McCarron. The Saints are likely to lose Teddy Bridgewater in free agency, and might not match a contract offer for Taysom Hill if other teams set a high price. Even if their job is just to hold a clipboard on the sidelines, the Saints should look for an experienced backup to Drew Brees after his five-game absence last year.
