The Houston Texans have a decision to make with defensive tackle D.J. Reader, who is set to hit free agency when the new league year begins at 3:00 p.m. Central Time on March 18.
Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle wrote about how the Denver Broncos and several other teams are interested in Reader if he hits the open market. According to material from Wilson’s article, here is how Reader would end up departing from the Texans.
1. Interim GM Chris Olsen and Reader’s agent couldn’t strike a deal.
Reader’s agent Joby Branion and Texans senior vice president of football administration Chris Olsen, who was serving as the interim general manager and also had been the club’s resident capologist, could not come to an agreement on a contract extension in 2019. Keep in mind that the club reached extensions with center Nick Martin and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus before Olsen was fired in January of 2020.
2. Houston won’t tag Reader
As Wilson explains, the cost to use the franchise tag on a defensive tackle in 2020 is $15.5 million. The Texans could use the transition tag, but that would cost them $12.3 of 2020 salary cap space. Houston more than likely will not use their tags on Reader.
3. Reader’s salary is higher than the Texans would like to pay
According to Wilson, the floor for a Reader contract is $10.5 million, which is what Chicago Bears defensive tackle Eddie Goldman and Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Brandon Williams currently make.
Reader is looking for an annual salary north of Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers’ $11.1 million and Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph’s $12.5 million. Consider that Joseph has made the Pro Bowl in 2016 and 2017. The closest Reader has gotten is a Pro Bowl alternate in 2019, a designation that is unofficial in terms of career merits.
4. The Texans are prioritizing other positions
Even though the Texans don’t have to get in the trenches to sign left tackle Laremy Tunsil and quarterback Deshaun Watson until the 2021 offseason, they have to structure their 2020 contracts with those extensions in mind. Tunsil could command upwards of $20 million annually, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the game. Watson will be in the same contract class as quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and that is not even factoring in how Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s $40 million asking price could affect the quarterback market.
5. The Denver Broncos are among several teams interested
Wilson says the Broncos are among several teams who are interested in Reader’s services. In the title of Wilson’s article, the Titans were also listed, but they were not mentioned in the body of the article, only the Broncos.
Nonetheless, the former 2016 fifth-round pick from Clemson is going to find utility along someone’s interior defensive line. If the Texans don’t have a plan to address Reader’s exit, whether in free agency or the NFL Draft, then the defensive line could be another weak spot for Houston in 2020. As of now, Brandon Dunn is the only defensive tackle locked up with a three-year, $12 million contract.
