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The Houston Texans may have inconspicuously upgraded their safety position in the offseason.
First-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver told reporters on a video conference on May 13 that he is pleased with the free agent acquisitions of Eric Murray and Michael Thomas.
“We’re extremely excited about Eric Murray and Michael Thomas,” said Weaver. “They’re both proven veterans, phenomenal human beings that know how to play the game and how to win.”
Murray comes over from a one-season stint with the Cleveland Browns, where he recorded 24 tackles, 1.0 sack, three tackles for loss, and had a pass breakup in nine games.
Thomas spent the last two seasons with the New York Giants, earning his first career Pro Bowl in 2018 for collecting 59 tackles, 1.0 sack, two interceptions, six pass breakups, and forcing a fumble in 16 games.
While the Texans are hopeful to get that level of production out of either Thomas or Murray, Weaver knows they still have a young weapon on the back end: Justin Reid.
“I think Justin Reid is a heck of a football player, and now that he’s going into year three, it was amazing to see some of the things that he did last year particularly when he was nursing really two shoulder injuries the entire year,” Weaver said. “So, when he comes back this year and he’s healthy, 100 percent healthy, I could see him taking a huge jump as well.”
Reid has been a fixture for the Texans secondary since the club took him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft from Stanford. The mature 23-year-old is losing the label of being Pro Bowler Eric Reid’s little brother and becoming one of the more complete safeties in the league.
“I have the utmost confidence in our safety position with just the professionalism we have in there and obviously the ability as well,” Weaver said.
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