We are in the second week of a series looking at the Houston Texans' pending free agents. Read the whole series here.
Defensive end Jared Crick
2015 numbers: 48 tackles, two sacks, two batted passes, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries
How he became a Texan: Fourth-round draft pick in 2012
Why he might be back: Crick's impact on the Texans defense is not easily quantifiable. He is a cog in the machine of the Texans' front, which allows, most notably, J.J. Watt a lot of freedom to freelance. Watt and Crick have been starters together for the past two seasons, and during that time, they've developed a chemistry that allows them to see things the same way. They can communicate without words or hand signals. Often when Watt sees a soft spot in the opponent's front, Crick will cover for him to make sure that freelancing doesn't leave the defense vulnerable. This is an important role. While the Texans' defense reined in Watt's freedom a little bit toward the end of the season, he'll always have some leeway because of his elite ability, and the Texans need to pair him with someone who can adjust to that. Crick has experience with it and does it well.
Why he might not be back: The Texans should have quite a bit of cap space this offseason, especially if they release running back Arian Foster with his $9.3 million cap figure, which could position them to lure a defensive end in free agency. That could squeeze Crick out.
