Much has been made about the Houston Texans’ offensive line carrying continuity from last year into 2020. However, the offensive line isn’t the only unit to benefit from the same faces returning from a year ago.
The Texans’ secondary is returning cornerbacks Bradley Roby, Gareon Conley, Lonnie Johnson, Keion Crossen, Vernon Hargreaves, and Phillip Gaines along with safeties Justin Reid and A.J. Moore.
Reid described the continuity as “huge” when speaking with reporters Thursday.
“Because now it’s not a whole bunch of new faces,” Reid explained.
The Texans do have newcomers in safeties Eric Murray, Michael Thomas, and Jaylen Watkins, but the majority of the secondary is comprised of players who were consistent starters and contributors for Houston last season.
“We already know that camaraderie, that chemistry with each other, the matchups that we’re going to be looking for,” Reid said. “The communication is probably the biggest thing in the sense that we already know those trigger terms that we use with each other communicating in the backfield whenever we work together. Just that veteran presence that you feel in the defense and the secondary.”
Reid is one of the veteran presences in the secondary, even though he is entering his third season in the league. However, Reid has played 31 games for Houston in the defensive backfield. Only Moore can boast more games played among Houston’s safeties, but Reid’s 1,823 defensive snaps to Moore’s 20 bring much more seniority to the secondary.
“We have a lot of guys that have played a lot of ball and bring a lot of different experiences and we’re able to feed off each other with that and really grow,” said Reid. “The backfield has been really strong. The communication has been good and it’s just exciting just to bring all the experience into one room.”
The Texans have a new secondary coach in D’Anton Lynn and a new defensive coordinator in Anthony Weaver, and both will benefit from coaching a group that has played so many games together.
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