When the Houston Texans put together their roster last offseason, they were thrifty, avoiding splashy signings with an eye to the future. The strategy worked well on defense, and consequently, the Texans enter this offseason with about half their starting defense headed for free agency. They've also got a decision to make at quarterback with Ryan Mallett headed for free agency and a right tackle in Derek Newton, who made impressive strides in his fourth season, is also in that position. The new league year opens at 4 p.m. ET on March 10. At that point, unrestricted free agents can sign with any team. Right now, the Texans have 15 pending free agents.

Here’s a list of the Texans' unrestricted and restricted free agents:

Unrestricted:

Akeem Dent, inside linebacker

Kareem Jackson, cornerback

Tim Jamison, defensive end

Kendrick Lewis, safety

Ryan Mallett, quarterback

Danieal Manning, safety

Derek Newton, offensive tackle

Ryan Pickett, nose tackle

Brooks Reed, outside linebacker

Restricted:

Damaris Johnson, receiver

Case Keenum (exclusive rights), quarterback

Eddie Pleasant (exclusive rights), safety

Jerrell Powe, nose tackle

Jeff Tarpinian, inside linebacker

Cody White, offensive line