Derek Newton, Texans Agree on New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

The Houston Texans have reportedly reached a contract agreement with offensive tackle Derek Newton to prevent him from hitting the open market.

Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 reports it's a five-year deal:

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network provided the financial details:

Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle provided comments from Newton's agent:

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We’re extraordinarily happy to have Derek returning to Houston,” said Drew Smith, Newton’s agent. “It’s where he made his name in the NFL.”

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“To go from a seventh-rounder, to work your way into the starting lineup, to have the knee surgery (and) to be standing on top of the mountain … I’ve never heard him so happy,” Smith said.

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The Texans have received terrific value from Newton. He was a seventh-round pick in 2011 and has steadily developed into a reliable starting lineman. The Arkansas State product has started all 16 regular-season games in each of the past two years.

Playing on the right side, he's flashed top-end form in terms of run blocking and is also a solid pass protector. Pro Football Focus noted he graded out as their top run-blocker at the position in 2014 and inside the top 10 overall:

Ultimately, while it's not the type of signing that's going to fire up the fanbase, it was important for Houston to bring him back. The demand for quality tackles around the league far outweighs the supply. Replacing him would have been difficult.

Now Newton is locked in for a handful more years and the Texans can head into the free-agent period with an eye to fill other voids.