The presence of veteran defensive end Jared Crick became a fixture on the right side of the Texans' defensive line as a gritty run-stopper operating in tandem with celebrated left end J.J. Watt.
The Texans are expected to try to hold onto Crick, a pending unrestricted free agent whose four-year, $3.39 million rookie contract is expiring. Crick also will draw interest from other NFL teams as the legal tampering period starts Monday in advance of the new league year and free agency signing period that launches Wednesday afternoon.
Like all free agent situations, it will come back to price and determining the market value for a steady defender who has 146 career tackles and 5 1/2 sacks.