Houston Texans & Tampa Bay Buccaneers Complete Trade


The Houston Texans have acquired offensive guard Shaq Mason and a seventh-round pick from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a sixth-round pick, according to sources.

Mason, a former New England Patriot who spent his first seven seasons in the NFL with them, was traded to the Bucs in 2022. In his first year with Tampa, Mason started all 17 games and didn't miss a single one.

However, his $9.6 million cap hit in 2023 made him a potential salary cap casualty for the Bucs.

Before the trade, the Bucs were exploring trade possibilities for Mason on Monday and, if they could not find a trade partner, were going to release him. 

The 29-year-old guard was a fourth-round pick by the Patriots in 2015 and has played in 120 NFL games, starting 115 of them. In 2022, he was graded by Pro Football Focus as the 26th-best pass-blocking guard and the 33rd best run-blocking guard.

The move clears about $5 million in cap space for the Bucs.

The Texans' acquisition of Mason is yet another move that has ties to Houston general manager Nick Caserio's time with the Patriots. He is already a strong candidate for an extension, according to Texans beat writer Aaron Wilson.

The Texans have been active in the offseason, making several moves to improve their roster. 
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