Houston Texans' free agent target defensive tackle Justin Madubuike just got taken off the market

The Houston Texans will now have to devise a new plan if they intend to give free agent defensive tackle from the Baltimore Ravens Justin Madubuike.At the NFL combine on Tuesday, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta was asked if he would give Madubuike the franchise tag if the two sides couldn't agree on an extension. […]

Justin Churchill College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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The Houston Texans will now have to devise a new plan if they intend to give free agent defensive tackle from the Baltimore Ravens Justin Madubuike.

At the NFL combine on Tuesday, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta was asked if he would give Madubuike the franchise tag if the two sides couldn't agree on an extension. He replied, "I probably will."

So, that pretty much says that he won't be available in free agency. This means the Ravens want him there no matter what, which is fair because he is a great player and one the Texans likely would have pursued.

According to A to Z Sports' Free Agency Rankings and Projections, Madubuike was the second-best defensive tackle in this class behind Chris Jones. He is the sixth-ranked overall free agent in the class. Here is what a deal could look like if the Texans were to submit an offer: 4 yrs, $97M, $24.25M APY, $62.5M GTD

The Texans will now have to look towards either free agency, where they could go after some lower-level free agents at the defensive tackle spot, or draft one like Byron Murphy.