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Photo: Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 23 Caption Close Image 2 of 23 <strong>WR Bryant Johnson: </strong>It’ll be a surprise if they bring back the fourth receiver. <strong>WR Bryant Johnson: </strong>It’ll be a surprise if they bring back the fourth receiver. Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle Image 3 of 23 <strong>C Chris Myers:</strong> They want to re-sign him after his best season. <strong>C Chris Myers:</strong> They want to re-sign him after his best season. Photo: Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle Image 4 of 23 <strong>RB Derrick Ward:</strong> A leader in the backfield who’s better than third-string. <strong>RB Derrick Ward:</strong> A leader in the backfield who’s better than third-string. Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle Image 5 of 23 Image 6 of 23 <strong>SS Dominique Barber: </strong>Backup who spent most of the season on injured reserve. <strong>SS Dominique Barber: </strong>Backup who spent most of the season on injured reserve. Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle Image 7 of 23 <strong>QB Jake Delhomme: </strong>Provided leadership and experience but won’t be back. <strong>QB Jake Delhomme: </strong>Provided leadership and experience but won’t be back. Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle Image 8 of 23 <strong>CB Jason Allen:</strong> Had four interceptions rotating with Kareem Jackson. <strong>CB Jason Allen:</strong> Had four interceptions rotating with Kareem Jackson. Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle Image 9 of 23 <strong>QB Jeff Garcia:</strong> Provided leadership and experience but won’t be back. <strong>QB Jeff Garcia:</strong> Provided leadership and experience but won’t be back. Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle Image 10 of 23 Image 11 of 23 <strong>TE Joel Dreessen:</strong> The team’s most underrated player is expected back. <strong>TE Joel Dreessen:</strong> The team’s most underrated player is expected back. Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle Image 12 of 23 <strong>G Kasey Studdard:</strong> Spent season on injured reserve. <strong>G Kasey Studdard:</strong> Spent season on injured reserve. Photo: Brett Coomer / Chronicle Image 13 of 23 <strong>P Matt Turk (1):</strong> Not expected back after replacing the injured Brett Hartmann. <strong>P Matt Turk (1):</strong> Not expected back after replacing the injured Brett Hartmann. Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle Image 14 of 23 <strong>RG Mike Brisiel:</strong> He plays hurt, and he plays hard, and he won’t break the bank. <strong>RG Mike Brisiel:</strong> He plays hurt, and he plays hard, and he won’t break the bank. Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle Image 15 of 23 Image 16 of 23 <strong>K Neil Rackers: </strong>They want him back after he set a team record with 135 points. <strong>K Neil Rackers: </strong>They want him back after he set a team record with 135 points. Photo: Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle Image 17 of 23 <strong>DE Tim Bulman: </strong>He gives everything he’s got and is valuable off the bench. <strong>DE Tim Bulman: </strong>He gives everything he’s got and is valuable off the bench. Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle Image 18 of 23 <strong>ILB Tim Dobbins:</strong> Signed during the season, he made some big plays off the bench. <strong>ILB Tim Dobbins:</strong> Signed during the season, he made some big plays off the bench. Photo: Nick de la Torre / Houston Chronicle Image 19 of 23 <strong>Restricted free agents</strong><br> <strong>RB Arian Foster: </strong>They’d like to sign him to a long-term contract. <strong>Restricted free agents</strong><br> <strong>RB Arian Foster: </strong>They’d like to sign him to a long-term contract. Photo: Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle Image 20 of 23 Image 21 of 23 <strong>S Quintin Demps: </strong>Valuable backup who’s expected to be tendered. <strong>S Quintin Demps: </strong>Valuable backup who’s expected to be tendered. Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle Image 22 of 23 <strong>Exclusive rights free agent</strong><br> <strong>C Jonathan Weeks:</strong> They’re bringing back the deep snapper for a third season. <strong>Exclusive rights free agent</strong><br> <strong>C Jonathan Weeks:</strong> They’re bringing back the deep snapper for a third season. Photo: James Nielsen / Chronicle Image 23 of 23 McClain: Without discount, Mario is unaffordable 1 / 23 Back to Gallery

The Texans have a lot of business to take care of in free agency and the draft, but it all starts with Mario Williams.

Not Peyton Manning. They have no interviews lined up with free-agent cornerback Stanford Routt, either.

The Texans want to keep their players — players who played roles in the best season in team history.

Williams is potentially the most expensive piece in a free-agent puzzle.

Ideally, they would re-sign him before he becomes an unrestricted free agent on March 13, but there’s only so much they can offer him. They’re cap-strapped after spending so much last season on players such as cornerback Johnathan Joseph and free safety Danieal Manning.

Williams has told teammates and coaches he wants to stay with the Texans. If he really does, he should tell agent Ben Dogra to make it happen.

General manager Rick Smith and vice president of football administration Chris Olsen will have to clear up enough cap space to make Williams a great offer — so great that he’s willing to give them a hometown discount.

In his six seasons with the Texans, Williams has made $54 million, including $18 million last season. His franchise designation will be 120 percent of last year’s salary, about $22.9 million. If the Texans were to franchise him, they’d be paralyzed with the remainder of their roster.

Not the only free agent

The Texans would like to have enough cap room to re-sign center Chris Myers, right guard Mike Brisiel, tight end Joel Dreessen and kicker Neil Rackers, among others.

They also want to sign running back Arian Foster to an extension. He’s a restricted free agent. They’ll tender him the maximum. If he signs an offer sheet with another team and the Texans don’t match, they’d receive a first-round pick as compensation. They have every intention of keeping Foster.

The Texans also would like to sign some players to extensions before their contracts expire after the 2012 season. Left tackle Duane Brown and outside linebacker Connor Barwin, both of whom had outstanding seasons, could be the most likely candidates to be extended.

Back to Williams. In a perfect world, the Texans would sign him before free agency begins. Then they’d have a better idea about their cap situation, which would help them in negotiations with players like Foster, Myers, Brisiel, Dreessen and Rackers.

Dogra knows — and so do the Texans — if Williams hits the open market, there’s a good chance he’ll become the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. Is he worth it? He is if somebody will pay him that much money.

Big bonus elsewhere?



Considering the obscene amounts some teams — mostly bad ones — have under the cap, several could guarantee Williams $50 million as a signing bonus. The Texans aren’t in position to offer that.

Some ask why the Texans are willing to spend so much on Williams when the defense proved last season it could excel without him. They believe the Texans should let Williams walk and use the money saved to re-sign their other players and go after one of the veteran free-agent receivers expected to be available.

Smith, owner Bob McNair, coach Gary Kubiak and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips want Williams back. Phillips wants to have Williams, Barwin and Brooks Reed on the field in passing situations. Imagine what kind of mismatches Phillips could create with that kind of pass-rush talent.

Possibilities tantalize

Williams bought into Phillips’ system right away. He recorded five sacks in five games. Phillips was so excited about Williams he thought he could have finished with 16 to 20. Think about what Williams might be able to accomplish with an offseason under Phillips.

Before Williams suffered his season-ending pectoral injury, he helped make Antonio Smith a better pass rusher. Playing next to each other, Williams had five sacks and Smith 4½ before Williams was injured. Smith didn’t record another sack until near the end of the season and finished with a career-high 6½.

If Williams leaves, the Texans will have to replace him with a first- or second-round draft choice. As Phillips says, a 3-4 defense can never have too many outside linebackers.

If Williams leaves, who can blame him for wanting to become the highest-paid defensive player in history?

A lot can happen before March 13, but one thing is certain: If the Texans can’t keep him, they don’t want to see him in the AFC South and have to play against him twice a year.

john.mcclain@chron.com