The Houston Texans have been one of the better teams in the NFL over the last several seasons, but the franchise has had some trouble getting over the hump that is the Divisional round of the postseason. Houston’s seasons have come to a crashing end in this round in each of the last three years, and the front office needs to make some moves during the 2026 offseason to help the team improve in certain areas.
One of the bigger storylines involving the Texans in recent years has been the regression of C.J. Stroud. He looked like a star after his rookie season in 2023, but his play has regressed since then. The young quarterback could benefit from some better protection from his offensive line, and General Manager Nick Caserio seems to have his sights set on one free agent in particular to remedy some problems.
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Cade Mays is an interior offensive lineman who has played both center and guard for the Carolina Panthers over the last four seasons. He is scheduled to hit free agency in March, and it doesn’t seem like he will be returning to Carolina.
Tony Pauline of EssentiallySports is fairly tapped into the NFL and typically knows what is going on between teams. He is at the Shrine Bowl, where every team in the league has some representatives. Pauline has met with sources at the event that state the Texans will be going after Mays in free agency, “Sources here at the Shrine Bowl expect the Texans to make a run at Mayes once free agency opens to fill the hole they have at center. Mayes, a sixth-round pick by Carolina in 2022, has started 27 games for the Panthers, including 20 over the past two seasons.”
Jake Andrews was Houston’s starting center for the majority of the 2025 season. He is under contract for the 2026 season, but he can be cut with no dead cap charge, which the organization might consider.
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Houston would have to invest in Mays, as his current market value is roughly $12 million per season, and Spotrac expects the center to receive a contract in the neighborhood of three years and $36 million. Those numbers can change a lot based on his market in free agency, but that is where the Texans seem to be looking when it comes to solving their offensive line woes.
A move like this would solidify the offensive line in the running game and, hopefully, make Stroud feel more comfortable under center and when dropping back in the pocket.