This is the conundrum when you're favorite team emerges from being an after thought to a title contender. Your team has talent all across the board, and you ride that wave of talent as long as possible. The issue with riding that wave of talent is the inevitability of having to pay said talent. Mario Williams and Arian Foster are both at the top of class of their respective positions, and now its time to get paid.
So Texans fans, what do you do?
ESPN's Jeffri Chadiha laid out the Houston Texans conundrum quite nicely, and its apparent that the Texans don't have a ton of money available in the coffers. Williams is a top player at a position that is quite expensive. Franchising Williams would mean Houston putting approximately a $23 million down for one player and one season. Oh, and Arian Foster hasn't been dealt with yet. The Texans are on the brink of a title run, and how they manage this situation will be key.
The best-case scenario here for the Texans is that Williams loves Houston so much that he takes less money to stay put. That also would be the dumbest decision of his career. Despite losing half of last season to injury, Williams is just 27 years old and has proved that he's versatile enough to play as a 3-4 outside linebacker or a 4-3 defensive end. Williams is likely to become the highest paid defensive player in league history and a major asset for somebody's pass rush. Unfortunately for the Texans, they probably won't be writing his checks.
The free agent signing period begins on March 13.
For more on the Houston Texans offseason, keep up with Battle Red Blog.