The NFL Draft is over, and teams are setting their sights on the upcoming season. While some rosters have solidified with draft picks, others still have openings. The Texans, meanwhile, find themselves in a strong position with significant salary cap space remaining to use as they want before the season starts.
Houston has the 10th-most remaining salary cap space, according to Over The Cap, at $23.67 million. The Texans also have $21.8 million available in the effective cap, which accounts for the rookie class.
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How Texans can use salary cap space following 2024 NFL Draft
The Texans' cap space surplus presents several strategic opportunities for the team. Here are three.
Free agency
While free agency filled most of the Texans' needs and the draft complemented those moves, there's always room for a valuable veteran addition. Pre-draft speculation focused on specific positions that could be addressed through either the draft or free agency. Thankfully, free agency tackled most of those needs.
However, two areas could still benefit from additional depth: Interior defensive line/nose tackle and interior offensive line. Players like Fletcher Cox, Bryan Mone, and Calais Campbell are still available on the defensive line, while options like Dalton Risner and Greg Van Roten are on the open market for the offensive line.
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Save for mid-season acquisitions.
Building an emergency fund for unforeseen injuries can be crucial. This strategy worked for the Texans in 2023, as players like Derek Barnett, Deandre Houston-Carson and Desmond King III provided valuable contributions after being acquired mid-season. Having sufficient cap space allows for acquiring such players when necessary.
Carrying over cap space for 2025
Unallocated cap space doesn't have to be spent entirely in one year. Teams can carry over 100% of their remaining cap space to the following year (adjusted for league-wide salary cap changes).
This strategy requires a minimum cash payout of 90% of the salary cap for both years, which the Texans have already met. A prudent approach involves spending wisely and "rolling over" unused funds for next season. This can prove valuable as the Texans have several expiring contracts at the end of 2024, including star wide receiver Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs. Savings from this year's cap could contribute to year one of a new extension for Collins or other free agents.
Texans salary cap post-2024 NFL Draft
Here's were the Texans rank among the rest of the NFL in salary cap space.
| Team | Cap Space | Effective Cap Space |
|---|---|---|
| Patriots | $50,781,659 | $43,100,745 |
| Commanders | $43,437,115 | $34,534,877 |
| Jaguars | $34,231,736 | $30,866,651 |
| Titans | $30,836,098 | $25,566,201 |
| Chargers | $30,661,002 | $23,608,259 |
| Cardinals | $29,322,545 | $19,586,636 |
| Colts | $28,412,296 | $24,784,954 |
| Eagles | $28,176,857 | $24,651,262 |
| Lions | $26,008,308 | $23,416,428 |
| Texans | $23,670,426 | $21,811,555 |
| Bengals | $23,362,449 | $19,824,748 |
| Bears | $22,814,788 | $12,539,188 |
| Raiders | $22,566,943 | $18,612,800 |
| Packers | $21,699,437 | $17,821,402 |
| Chiefs | $20,157,377 | $17,635,078 |
| Steelers | $18,345,353 | $15,062,351 |
| Vikings | $16,672,244 | $11,062,173 |
| Broncos | $15,174,810 | $11,881,339 |
| Browns | $13,583,574 | $12,673,713 |
| Rams | $11,476,513 | $7,876,454 |
| Jets | $9,190,213 | $5,080,415 |
| Panthers | $8,082,458 | $5,528,084 |
| Saints | $7,780,455 | $4,270,748 |
| Ravens | $7,231,042 | $4,558,494 |
| 49ers | $6,391,025 | $3,753,942 |
| Cowboys | $6,296,988 | $3,581,386 |
| Falcons | $5,709,099 | $617,103 |
| Giants | $5,447,378 | -$384,645) |
| Dolphins | $2,916,052 | $138,778 |
| Bills | $2,898,830 | $723,481 |
| Seahawks | $1,616,170 | -$1,390,018 |
| Buccaneers | $390,599 | -$2,281,553 |
Texans dead money cap hits for 2024
Here's all the dead cap money the Texans owe in 2024.
| Name | Cap Number |
|---|---|
| Maliek Collins | $10,000,000 |
| Sheldon Rankins | $5,250,000 |
| Dalton Schultz | $3,375,000 |
| Jerry Hughes | $2,142,000 |
| Shaquill Griffin | $1,200,000 |
| Steven Nelson | $1,134,000 |
| Thomas Booker | $168,204 |
| Mike Boone | $150,000 |
| TOTAL | $23,787,319 |
