NFL Free Agency: Denzel Perryman joining Houston Texans on one-year deal

Following a two-year stint with the Las Vegas Raiders, linebacker Denzel Perryman is headed to the Houston Texans. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the former Miami linebacker is joining the Texans on a one-year deal after hitting the free agency market this week.

Perryman is an eight-year pro who has spent the last two years with the Raiders after playing for the Los Angeles Chargers for his first six seasons in the league. The Texans will be the linebacker’s fourth team over the eight-year stretch.

In 2021, he signed a two-year, $6 million deal with Carolina before going to L.A. in a trade with a seventh-round pick for a sixth-round pick.

Perryman’s been highly productive through his first eight seasons. He racked up 549 tackles, six sacks, five interceptions and 11 passes broken up in his career. His high-water mark came in 2021, when he recorded a whopping 146 tackles. He made the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career in 2021 after that performance.

In 2022, the former Hurricanes standout 83 tackles in 12 games, including one sack and 9.5 tackles for loss.

Perryman was a second-round draft pick in 2015, going No. 48 overall to the Chargers.

He joins several other new additions for the Houston Texans for 2023. Former Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz, former Titans wide receiver Robert Woods, former Bucs right guard Shaq Mason, former Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and former Bills running back Devin Singletary are all joining DeMeco Ryans in Houston for year one of the new head coach’s his tenure.

More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2023 calendar year began at 4 p.m. ET on March 15. At that time, contracts running through 2022 officially ran out, making those players free agents.

Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams had a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7.

The legal negotiation period spanned from March 13 through March 15. The new year marked the beginning of all trades going official per the league office.

April 21 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 26, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hits. There were 722 players due to hit free agency in 2023.

On3’s Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this report.