Tag: safety

Safety Justin Reid is one of the Texans’ most important players

Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien calls second-year safety Justin Reid one of his team’s best players.

Safety Justin Reid is exactly who the Houston Texans thought he was when they took him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

A rangy Stanford product with a penchant of making big hits, Reid found himself suddenly slipping to the third round of the draft despite earning hype pre-draft as a first-round caliber player.

Now, “Justin’s one of our best players,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien explained on Monday.

Despite dealing with shoulder injuries throughout the season and a concussion (he missed a game for), the 22-year-old Reid is a leader and building block in the Texans’ secondary. On the season, he has 76 combined tackles, five pass deflections and a pair of interceptions.

“Justin is a leader, very smart player and he’s got good ball skills,” O’Brien said. “He’s a good tackler, he’s tough. I mean, he is tough. He is a tough guy that wants to be out there every snap for his teammates. He is a very important part of our team.”

The Texans named Reid their Ed Block Courage Award winner before their Week 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game that he got an interception and fumble recovery in. The award is given to the player that best epitomizes toughness and bravery both on-and-off the field.

Reid’s ability to play through injuries and stand out while doing so earned him the award.

“Everybody play a little bit banged up,” Reid said on Dec. 17. “Shoot, if your team is healthy all the way though you’re having one hell of a lucky year. So, it’s just all about being tough and dependable. Sometimes you’ve got to play through stuff and that’s just what I’ve been doing.”

If Reid’s first two years in the NFL indicate anything, it’s that he is a leader in play and mindset in a young defense.

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WATCH: Texans safety Jahleel Addae gets fourth interception of Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston

Houston Texans safety Jahleel Addae produced the fourth interception of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston in a 23-20 win Saturday.

The Houston Texans had a field day with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, intercepting him four times on the afternoon.

Safety Jahleel Addae abruptly ended the Bucs’ penultimate drive of the game with an interception with 1:31 to go on a third-and-1 from the Tampa Bay 38-yard line.

The interception was the fourth career pick for Addae, who also added an interception in Week 9 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. For the 29-year-old, who signed with the Texans in free agency, the takeaway was another example of how impactful he has been in a safety group headlined by Justin Reid and Tashaun Gipson.

S Justin Reid stresses Texans must figure out how to play for a full 60 minutes

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid is pleased with the 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the club has to figure how to play a complete game.

The Houston Texans are 10-5. By beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 on Saturday, they are the winners of the AFC South for the fourth time in five seasons.

In the win, the Texans got out to a hot start, scoring 10 points in a jiffy via two Jameis Winston interceptions. On the first, cornerback Bradley Roby took it 27 yards to the house. Safety Justin Reid made the housecall two pass attempts later; however, it was called back due to an illegal chop block from rookie defensive end Charles Omenihu

“We started off fast,” Reid told reporters after the win. “We had a great scheme. DB coaches, defensive coach, RAC (defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel), Pags (senior defensive assistant John Pagano), all of them did a fantastic job preparing us.”

Following the win, Reid would not undersell how valuable the Texans’ hot defensive start was.

“(It was) huge! Huge. I mean, the NFL is a game of momentum,” Reid said. “We started off real fast. That’s what we want to do.”

Though they started quickly, the Texans didn’t hold their lead for long. They squandered a 17-3 lead in the last few minutes of the first half time, in turn, going into halftime tied at 17. Though a playoff team, Houston has struggled to play a full-game all season long.

“The key is we got to be a team that plays 60 minutes,” Reid said. “The whole way through and be dominant and keep that mentality going forward.”

The Texans are no stranger to close games. Seven of their 10 wins have come in one-possession fashion. Often, those close games are a result of not starting fast enough, slowing down in the end or something in the middle that does not resemble a full game.

If Houston wants to be a Super Bowl team as they aspire, learning how to play a full game is a must. There are no rebounds from playoff losses.

2020 NFL Draft: Brandon Jones Scouting Profile

Brandon Jones of the Texas Longhorns looks to add yet another defensive back to the NFL.

Brandon Jones | Safety

Height | 6-0

Weight | 205

College Bio

Career Stats

Brandon Jones made the decision to return to Austin after his junior season when he could have made the jump to the NFL. Jones was the enforcer in the middle and he was hoping to build on a strong junior season to increase his standing on many team’s draft boards. Jones will be part of the Senior Bowl week with teammates Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson.

Strengths

The best part of Brandon Jones’ game is the physicality that he plays with. He often had to lineup over wide receivers in spread looks so disengaging blocks from pass catchers wasn’t an issue for him. He was able to stand his ground and get to ball carriers with little problems. Another valuable skillset that Jones possesses is his ability to close on ball carriers coming downhill from his secondary position.

For Jones, speed is the name of his game. It shows on the field that he has track speed. He shows ability to get from sideline to sideline to clean up tackles. He definitely has range in the defensive backfield and with the high flying offenses in the NFL, that will be needed no matter where he ends up. Jones also returned a few punts during his time in Austin to show he some ability if needed.

Weaknesses

No question that the biggest concern for Brandon Jones is his lack of ball skills. He has secured four interceptions during his Longhorns career but he left many more opportunities on the table. He will need to work at the next level to become a better playmaker on the backend of the defense. Most NFL teams need both safeties on the field to have some ball skills in order to put pressure on offenses to be perfect in their execution.

Jones needs to work on tracking the ball in the air a little better as well. At times it seems as though Jones is looking for the big hit over creating turnovers for the defense. Working with NFL coaches at the Senior Bowl should do wonders for Jones as mostly these issues are coachable and could make him a better playmaker for defenses.

Bottom Line

Brandon Jones is solid in stopping the run near the line of scrimmage, can rush off the edge in blitzing opportunities and punish receivers with his powerful hits. He is ideal for a box safety role at the next level. He will need to work on the ball skills to stay on the field in the NFL which is known mostly as a passing league these days.

Projection: Top 100 (3rd-4th round)

WATCH: Texans S Justin Reid picks up Buccaneers fumble

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid picked up a fumble from Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Peyton Barber that ILB Tyrell Adams forced.

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid is having a whale of a game.

After picking off Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, the second-year safety from Stanford scooped up a Peyton Barber fumble forced by linebacker Tyrell Adams at the 42-yard line to give the Texans’ their fourth turnover of the game.

On the season, Reid entered the game with an interception, four pass breakups, and 72 tackles.

Broncos select LB Isaiah Simmons in 2020 NFL mock draft

The Broncos land Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons in the first round of this 2020 NFL mock draft.

In his latest three-round 2020 NFL mock draft for Draft Wire, Luke Easterling has the Denver Broncos selecting Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons with the 10th overall pick in the first round. Here is Easterling’s commentary with the selection:

This defense needs a three-down playmaker at the second level, and this pick would be the perfect fit. Simmons is a rare athlete and a versatile defender who can matchup with the best player on any offense, making him the kind of guy opposing offenses have to scheme for on a weekly basis.

Simmons (6-4, 230 pounds) is a linebacker/safety who has totaled 93 tackles (including 14.5 tackles for losses) and seven sacks this season. He has also intercepted two passes, broken up six passes, recovered one fumble and forced two fumbles.

Denver has been lacking a linebacker who can cover tight ends for years so Simmons seems like an ideal fit for Vic Fangio’s defensive unit.

To view Easterling’s complete three-round mock draft, click here.

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Todd McShay NFL mock draft 1.0: Broncos select DB Grant Delpit

In his 2020 NFL mock draft 1.0, ESPN’s Todd McShay predicts the Broncos will select LSU safety Grant Delpit in the first round.

Todd McShay’s 2020 NFL mock draft 1.0 for ESPN has the Denver Broncos selecting LSU safety Grant Delpit in the first round (subscription required for link). In McShay’s mock, Georiga offensive tackle Andrew Thomas goes off the board to the New York Jets at No. 7 before Denver picks at No. 12.

One could argue that offensive tackle is one of the Broncos’ biggest needs this offseason but McShay noted that safety Justin Simmons and cornerback Chris Harris are both set to become free agents in 2020. McShay apparently hasn’t taken into consideration that the team has been hinting that Simmons will get a contract extension.

McShay did acknowledge that safety is just a “moderate need” before pointing out that there isn’t an offensive tackle who fits at No. 12. Of course, Denver’s draft order could change between now and the end of the season.

McShay’s first mock draft last year had the Broncos selecting Oklahoma wide receiver Marquise Brown late in the first round. His final mock draft of 2019 had Denver selecting Missouri quarterback Drew Lock. The Broncos did select Lock, but it was in the second round, not the first.

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Broncos will have Trey Marshall fill in for Kareem Jackson at safety

The Broncos will start Trey Marshall in the place of suspended safety Kareem Jackson to close out the season.

With starting strong safety Kareem Jackson suspended, the Denver Broncos plan to start first-year defensive back Trey Marshall across from free safety Justin Simmons in the final two games of the season, coach Vic Fangio said Wednesday.

“We haven’t seen Trey play a lot of defense since preseason, but he gets reps in practice and we’re confident he can go out there and do his job,” Fangio said.

Marshall has played primarily on special teams this season but he has gotten some rotational reps on defense and has totaled nine tackles.

There had been some speculation that Will Parks might fill in for Jackson but Denver plans to keep Parks at nickelback. Parks has been playing through a hand injury and still performing well.

“He’s overall giving us good play for the most part and he’s playing with an injured hand where he has to wear a cast,” Fangio said. “That hinders him somewhat, but overall he’s done a good job.”

With Marshall at safety and Parks at nickelback, cornerback Duke Dawson will be called on in dime situations to serve as a sixth defensive back.

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Texans S Justin Reid learned to play through pain at a young age

The Houston Texans named Justin Reid their Ed Block Courage Award winning for playing through the pain. That’s nothing new to him.

Missing one game is an impressive feat for Houston Texans safety Justin Reid.

The 22-year-old has suffered through his fair share of wear-and-tear throughout 2019, sustaining a concussion, wrist and shoulder injuries.

Often on Sundays, Reid is pulled off the field, grasping his shoulder, only to get back on the field minutes later. In the eyes of many, he turns a season-ending injury, or at least a game-ending one, into a simple stinger.

On Tuesday, Texans players recognized Reid’s toughness, giving him the Ed Block Courage Award, given to the player who overcomes adversity, either on or off the field.

As far as his family is concerned, Reid’s toughness is expected. He grew into the role of a defender willing to play through the pain.

“My mom, you want to talk about toughness — my mom was probably the biggest contributing factor to toughness for me and my brothers because she’s a nurse, so she knows what a real injury is and everything like that,” Reid said on Tuesday.

“So, every time we would go down on the field and she could tell it wasn’t really anything serious, I’d hear her voice cut through the crowd. She’d be the first one telling us to get back up, ‘Get up! Get up!’ So I learned from an early age, if it’s not something that’s actually serious and it’s something I can play through, you’re going to play through it.”

Reid roams the field with a “thumper” mindset, a trait his brother, Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid, shares. Despite injuries, the Prairieville, La., native has missed just one career game. In 29 games, the Stanford product has four interceptions, 14 pass deflections and 160 combined tackles.

Reid knows when he can play and can’t. Unless it is a concussion that the league has strict rules about players returning to action, no other material force can keep him off the gridiron.

“I always think I’m going to go back in,” Reid said. “That’s just my competitive spirit, that I’m going to be out there on the field with my brothers and I’m going to play and help my team win a football game in any way that I can. If I ever did get to that point, then at that point I’ll pull the plug, but it’s not there yet, and I know I can play.”

It’s going to take a lot more than a few shoulder and wrist injuries to take out 2019’s Ed Block Courage Award winner.

Broncos safety Kareem Jackson suspended 2 games after DWAI arrest

Broncos safety Kareem Jackson has been suspended for the final two games of the 2019 NFL season.

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Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson has been suspended two games by the NFL for violating the league’s Policy and Program on Substances of Abuse, the team announced Tuesday. Jackson will miss the team’s final two games of the season, both at home against the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders.

“Kareem Jackson was arrested for driving under the influence on Thursday, Sept. 19,” the Broncos said in a statement. “He immediately informed our team of the incident, which we promptly reported to the NFL and thoroughly reviewed as an organization. There are high standards for the personal conduct of all members of our organization, and we have expressed our extreme disappointment to Kareem for his poor judgment.”

Jackson pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired on Monday, according to The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala. The safety posted an apology on his Twitter page on Tuesday.

Jackson, 31, signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Broncos in March after spending the first nine years of his career with the Houston Texans. Jackson totaled 71 tackles and two interceptions in 13 games this season. He also forced a fumble and returned a fumble for a touchdown.

With Jackson suspended, Denver will likely start Will Parks across from Justin Simmons to close out the year. That would leave Trey Marshall as the only backup on the roster so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Broncos add another safety this week. One option for Denver would be to promote third-year safety Tyvis Powell from the practice squad.

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