Tag: Bradley Roby trade

Former Texans CB Bradley Roby says Saints ‘are playing for something here’

Former Houston Texans cornerback Bradley Roby considers it a blessing to play for the New Orleans Saints, who have better 2021 prognosis.

HOUSTON — Bradley Roby will make his return to the field on Sunday after serving a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. But instead of suiting up for the Houston Texans at FirstEnergy Stadium, Roby will make his return as a member of the New Orleans Saints during a road game against the Carolina Panthers.

Roby’s debut for the Saints will come nearly two weeks after the Texans traded the 29-year-old defensive back to New Orleans in exchange for a 2022 3rd-round pick and a conditional pick in 2023.

“I was happy,” Roby said during his media availability on Thursday. “As soon as I heard the Saints, I started to think about all the guys that I know here. As soon as I heard New Orleans, I was like ‘man what a blessing — we are playing for something here.’ It’s not that Houston isn’t playing for anything. But it’s just a different level right now.”

Roby said his excitement to join the Saints is more about having another opportunity to play for a Super Bowl contending team. Roby won his lone Super Bowl ring in 2015 as a member of the Denver Broncos and said he has been trying to get another one ever since.

Roby described his first trade experience in the NFL as weird, but acknowledged that life is all about change.

“I know it’s a part of the game, and I know it helps both teams,” he said. “I kinda just go with the flow. Like Bruce Lee — flow like water. And that’s how I am taking it.”

Before his departure to New Orleans, Roby spoke on the positive culture the Texans created during training camp — which had him thrilled about the upcoming season in Houston.

After beginning his career with the Broncos in 2014, Roby signed with Houston on a one-year deal in 2019. A successful first year with the Texans awarded him a three-year contract in 2020 worth $36 million. Due to the trade, the Texans will save close to $19 million in cap space over the next two seasons.

As a member of the Texans, Roby recorded 15 pass deflections and three interceptions while allowing 62.3 percent of passes thrown into his coverage to be completed.

Texans CB Vernon Hargreaves ready for new opportunity with Bradley Roby gone

Houston Texans cornerback Vernon Hargreaves says he looks forward to stepping up, taking on new opportunities with Bradley Roby traded.

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans already had Vernon Hargreaves set to be one of two starting cornerbacks for their season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Hargreaves was the aid filling in for Bradley Roby as Houston’s top cornerback, who will be serving the final of his six-game suspension during Week 1 of the regular season.

But what was deemed temporarily became permanent for Hargreaves when the Texans dealt Roby to the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday. In exchange, Houston received a 2022 third-round pick and a conditional sixth-round pick in 2023.

The trade caught players by surprise, including Hargreaves, who stated Roby’s departure as the “business” of the NFL.

“I’m always ready, always staying ready,” Hargreaves said. “I’ve been in the league long enough to know that anything can happen and you got to stay ready. It wasn’t no different of a year for me, after the trade, as far as me handling my business.”

Hargreaves isn’t foreign to the business of the league. He arrived in Houston amid the 2019 season when the Texans claimed Hargreaves off waivers. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waived Hargreaves that same year after he produced four subpar seasons. The Buccaneers selected Hargreaves with the No. 11 pick during the 2016 NFL Draft.

Hargreaves has had a jarring start to his career in Houston. But as he enters his third season with the Texans, Hargreaves has an improved understanding of the mental aspect of the game.

In 22 career games with the Texans, Hargreaves has recorded 72 tackles and nine pass deflections while allowing 68.6% of completed passes thrown his coverage.

“It’s kind of hard to explain, but you go through things, and you have to be mentally tough or that can run you out of here,” he said. “Just understanding how the game works, understanding how the business side of this whole football thing works, and understanding that you got to handle your business every day, one day at a time.”

Durability is the only attribute Hargreaves would like to carry over from the previous season. For the first time since his rookie year, Hargreaves played all 16 games.

Hargreaves’ first task as Houston’s primary cornerback will be against Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence. The NFL’s top draft prospect will make his debut inside NRG Stadium, and as a rookie quarterback, Hargreaves says there are “a lot of unknowns” when preparing for Lawrence.

But one way the Texans’ secondary are preparing for Lawrence is by executing Lovie Smith’s defensive scheme. In addition to Hargreaves, Smith announced on Thursday that Terrance Mitchell will start alongside the Florida prodigy.

“A lot of zone coverages, a lot of eyes on the QB,” Hargreaves said. “Read and react type defenses. Not so much man-to-man where you’re back is turned and you can’t really see the ball all that much. It gives everybody a chance to break on the ball, react on the quarterback, get to the ball and cause turnovers. It’s a whole defensive thing. It’s going to help everybody. Everybody is going to be able to read and react, play fast and get to the ball.”

Since the start of OTA’s during the summer, new cornerbacks coach Dino Vasso says the Texans value Hargreaves’ versatility on defense.

The trade of Roby to New Orleans opened the door of a new opportunity for Hargreaves. And with the help of the Texans’ defensive coaching staff, the 23-year-old defensive back could be in line for a breakout season. A career year could award Hargreaves a new contract with a pay raise — given him the chance to experience the good side of the NFL’s business.

Texans secondary was surprised to see CB Bradley Roby traded to the Saints

S Justin Reid and CB Vernon Hargreaves say they were surprised when they heard the Houston Texans traded CB Bradley Roby to the New Orleans Saints.

The Houston Texans trading cornerback Bradley Roby to the New Orleans Saints was one of the more surprising moves of the first week of the 2021 regular season — and the games haven’t even been played yet.

The Texans sent the former 2014 first-round pick to the Saints for a 2022 third-round pick and a conditional 2023 sixth-round selection.

Safety Justin Reid was bewildered when he heard the news.

“Honestly, it caught me off guard,” Reid said. “But that kind of is not my job to even think about. My job is to think about what we are going to do this week. He wasn’t really even playing in this game to begin with, so it doesn’t change our scheme per se on what we are planning on going forward.”

Roby would have missed the Week 1 showdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at NRG Stadium. The cornerback was serving the final game of a six-game suspension that was handed down with five games to go in the 2020 regular season. Roby was suspended by the NFL for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

Just as if Roby would have stayed, the Texans are banking on their “next man up” philosophy.

Said Reid: “We got who we got, next guys up are fully capable, and they are going to step up and we are going to ride with them.”

Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves was similarly stunned when he found out.

“I was surprised,” said Hargreaves. “I was surprised a little bit, but that’s the business. I’ve been playing long enough to know that things like that happen. I mean, it was surprising at first, but you got to keep going, continue on. We’ve got a season to play.”

Roby signed a three-year, $36 million contract in the 2020 offseason. The Texans will pick up the $7 million on his cap hit while the Saints will take the remaining $1.8 million-plus.

Texans get 2 draft picks, other details of CB Bradley Roby trade revealed

The Houston Texans are getting two draft picks back as part of their trading of CB Bradley Roby to the New Orleans Saints.

If Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio’s process is to gather as many draft picks as possible to execute a rebuild, Clutch City sports fans may be happy with the results.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Texans will get a 2022 third-round pick and a 2023 conditional pick. On top of that, the Texans pick up the tab by paying $7 million on Roby’s base salary and New Orleans paying the remaining $1.8 million-plus.

After signing a one-year contract with Houston in the 2019 offseason, the Texans brought back Roby on a three-year, $36 million contract in the 2020 offseason.

Roby won’t be available for Week 1 as he serves the final game of his six-game suspension that was handed down with five games to go in the 2020 season. The former Denver Broncos 2014 first-round pick was suspended for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

Are the Texans going to surrender the most passing yards in the NFL?

After the trade of CB Bradley Roby, the question now becomes whether or not the Houston Texans will give up the most passing yards in the NFL in 2021.

The Houston Texans and new general Nick Caserio dealt away Bradley Roby to the New Orleans Saints. The return for the Roby, an above-average man-to-man corner, is yet to be announced however it certainly indicates a look towards the future from the Texans’ front office.

Roby was considered the best perimeter corner in Houston and there is certainly an argument to be made that he was the best player in the secondary. He was signed to a three-year extension in April of 2020 under the Bill O’Brien regime and was having a strong season during the Texans’ dreadful 4-12 campaign before being suspended six games for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

The secondary in Houston is somehow looking like an even bigger question mark than before as they prepare for Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and a full 17-game season. Roby was to serve the last of his six-game suspension during that game, but would have greatly solidified the perimeter defense moving forward.

Safety Justin Reid and new arrival Desmond King, a slot corner, are probably the only “sure things” left in the Texans’ secondary that would universally be considered above average at their position. Opposite of Reid, Eric Murray and Lonnie Johnson are expected to share time in the second safety position. Terrance Mitchell would appear to be the new No. 1 corner on the roster while old depth charts would project Vernon Hargreaves to play the other boundary corner.

It should go without saying: this is a concerning starting group in today’s NFL which frequently features three-wide receiver sets and offenses that run pass-heavy schemes. Not to mention more talent at the wide receiver position than at any time previously in NFL history.

This raises the question: Could the Texans surrender the most passing yards in NFL history?

Currently, the 2011 Green Bay Packers hold the NFL record for the most passing yards allowed in a single season, surrendering 4,796. Last season, the Atlanta Falcons led in this category with 4,697 yards. These numbers all happened in a 16-game season, with the 2021 season now set to have 17 games moving forward it seems very likely some poor defense will break this record in 2021.

Houston looks suddenly like a prime candidate. They have poor boundary corner play and a huge question mark at safety beyond Reid. The schedule features a bevy of different quarterbacks they’ll have to prepare for. On the young side, rookie phenoms in Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Trey Lance. Established stars such as Kyler Murray, Matthew Stafford, Russell Wilson, and Justin Herbert. Even the question marks, like Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Carson Wentz, are on teams with elite receiving threats like Odell Beckham, D.J Moore, and notorious Texans’ killer T.Y. Hilton.

Things could get ugly in Houston this season. One hope for Houston is their young pass rush that flashed in the preseason. Perhaps they can provide some help for the secondary. Otherwise, Tyrod Taylor and the offense may have an insurmountable challenge on their hands.