The Texans continue to add talent to the roster this off-season. 

The defense looks especially different, with several impactful veterans including Jimmie Ward and Sheldon Rankins being brought into the fold. 

On Tuesday, the Texans added another notable piece to the defense.

Aaron Wilson of NPRC 2 Houston is reporting that the team has agreed to a deal with veteran linebacker Cory Littleton. 

Cory Littleton Texans one-year $2.7 million deal includes $500,000 in incentives and a $1.3 million salary and has a base value of $2.2 million for the former Las Vegas Rams Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro, according to a league source. https://t.co/seJVKF3bNe

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 21, 2023

As Wilson points out, the deal is for one year, and up to $2.7M. Included are incentives worth $500K and a base value of $2.2M. 

This is a solid deal for a player that could potentially play a pivotal role on the defense. Littleton has played at a high level in the past, earning second-team All-Pro honors as a member of the Raiders in 2018. 

In that 2018 season, Littleton finished with 90 tackles, four sacks, and three interceptions. Littleton parlayed that strong performance with another solid campaign in 2019, which led to a three-year, $36M contract with the Raiders. 

Unfortunately, Littleton would be released after two seasons and signed on with the Panthers. 

Littleton spent 2022 with the Panthers and did not have a great year, which explains why the veteran settled for a one-year deal. The former All-Pro finished the season with 47 tackles and 0.5 sacks. 

Littleton will at the very least add depth to a thin Texans' linebacker group. 

Christian Kirksey is currently penciled in as the starting middle linebacker, with Christian Harris and presumably Littleton being the other starters. Behind that trio, the team currently has Blake Cashman, Jake Hansen, and Garrett Wallow. I would expect the team to address this position group once again in the 2023 NFL Draft.