With all 32 teams and every agent descending upon Indianapolis, the next few days are going to be filled with a lot of talk about meeting between teams and the representatives for their impending free agents.
One such meeting will involve the Texans and the agents for linebacker Connor Barwin. Tania Ganguli of the Houston Chronicle reports that the two sides will meet for the first time this offseason to discuss a new contract for the 2009 second-round pick. Ganguli writes that she expects Barwin to reach the open market, but characterizes both sides as wanting to get a deal done to keep Barwin in Houston.
Barwin dropped from 11.5 sacks in 2011 to three sacks in 2012. Sacks aren’t the only way to measure the success of an outside linebacker, but that drop probably makes it easier for the Texans to hold onto Barwin since another double-digit sack season would have likely priced him off a team without a lot of money to spend this offseason. In a league that prizes pass rushers, Barwin’s past success is still going to have suitors looking to land him for their defense.
Should Barwin leave, 2012 first-round pick Whitney Mercilus would likely join Brooks Reed in the starting lineup.