Tag: Texans safety

Jimmie Ward gives boost to ascending Texans secondary

The addition of safety Jimmie Ward was a boon for a Houston Texans secondary that was already on the upswing.

The Houston Texans already had a promising secondary heading into the new league year.

Second-round safety Jalen Pitre led the defense with 147 combined tackles and five interceptions. The Baylor product managed to win the starting job and relegated Eric Murray to a reserve role as Pitre started all 17 games.

Throw in first-round cornerback Derek Stingley, who had his season limited to nine games due to a hamstring injury, and the Texans have two young pieces to make their backend formidable in the coming seasons.

However, the signing of Jimmie Ward in free agency was a move that made Houston better on the backend in the present.

According to Dalton Wasserman from Pro Football Focus, the former San Francisco 49ers defensive back ranks as the 14th-best safety in the NFL.

One of the most versatile players on this list, Ward moved almost exclusively to the slot in 2022 after several years of acting as a more movable chess piece. Ward figures to go back to his old role in Houston with DeMeco Ryans running the show, and even if he doesn’t, he will likely be very productive. Ward’s 91.4 run-defense grade last season should immensely help the Texans’ league-worst run defense.

Ryans particularly appreciates Ward’s ability to stay versatile, a key in today’s NFL that features offenses attacking a variety of ways.

“With the secondary, with the way the game is going, it’s more pass-heavy all throughout the NFL,” Ryans said on June 6 after organized team activities. “So, the more versatility that you can have in your back end, whether you’re playing a nickel or a dime defense, the more defensive backs you can have to cover and do multiple things, the better off you can be when you’re trying to strategize against these different opponents that run more RPO game, more passing threats.”

Houston having a top-15 talent in the secondary to go along with their young talent creates an opportunity to have a stingy defense at some level in 2023.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1365]

Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke deliberate in describing S Jalen Pitre as ‘great’

Houston Texans defensive coordinator used his words carefully when he described safety Jalen Pitre as “great.”

Matt Burke could have used whatever superlative he wanted to describe Houston Texans safety Jalen Pitre, but he picked a monosyllabic word that encompassed what he has seen from the second-year safety throughout the offseason program.

“Great — literally, I’m saying he’s great,” Burke told reporters May 31 after organized team activities.

Where the Texans’ defensive coordinator started in his determination that Pitre is great is in the meeting rooms, where the Texans’ offseason program started for the first two weeks in Phase 1 and starts each day, even with on-field work now available.

“Doesn’t say much in the meeting rooms and stuff from that point of view, but, man, is super communicative on the field,” Burke said. “I would just say [coach] DeMeco (Ryans) has a team meeting pretty much every morning, kind of recapping some of the stuff that happened from the day before, and I would say Jalen sort of finishing and effort shows up on that tape probably as much as anybody. I’m not going to discount anybody else, but just the way he approaches finishing every play in practice, being in good football position.”

Even though practicing with pads and hitting is not permitted until training camp, Burke is still able to tell when Pitre plays deep safety that he is taking the proper angles to limit the yards after the catch.

Said Burke: “We want our offensive guys finishing downfield, but Jalen is always there like getting to a hip, finishing in good position. So, just to see him train those habits consistently like that is just really cool. I think that’s what you guys saw obviously on the field last year, just like the fruits of those labors. Like he practices with intent and he’s very deliberate in everything he does, so I think that’s what kind of translates.”

Pitre led the Texans with 147 combined tackles and five interceptions as a rookie, starting 17 games.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1365]

Texans S Jalen Pitre wants to play with patience in 2023

Houston Texans safety Jalen Pitre would like to play with patience as a follow up to his stellar rookie campaign.

Jalen Pitre was one of the few good things the Houston Texans had going in 2022.

The second-round safety led the team with five interceptions. Pitre was also prolific as a tackler, leading the team with 147.

As long as the Texans get that same level of production out of the former Baylor product, even with new coach DeMeco Ryans deploying a defense that emphasizing disruption from the down linemen, Houston should be able to elevate their defense.

In the NFL, if a player is not growing, they are atrophying, which means an early exit for an otherwise promising career. Pitre told reporters during organized team activities May 23 at Houston Methodist Training Center just what he has in mind to improve heading into his second season.

“The biggest thing I would say is my patience,” Pitre said. “I feel like I developed good patience throughout the year. It’s also one of those things that you could never perfect. So I’m trying to build on that and trying to just slow my eyes down, and that will allow me to play faster and make those plays that need to be made.”

Patience is a virtue that former San Francisco 49ers safety Jimmie Ward had to learn playing in Ryans’ scheme, and defensive passing game coordinator Cory Undlin was instrumental in that application.

If Pitre is able to master his patience playing on the backend of Houston’s defense, then the rewards should be plentiful.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1365]

Texans S Jimmie Ward lands on ‘top-30 over 30’ list

Houston Texans safety Jimmie Ward has made Pro Football Focus’ “top-30 over 30” list.

The Houston Texans needed Jimmie Ward.

New coach DeMeco Ryans needed a former lieutenant from his San Francisco 49ers defenses to show the way to the younger Texans. The former 2014 first-round safety could demonstrate technical aspects of the defense to second-year Jalen Pitre while also clarifying in the locker room the expectations and demeanor one needs to play in Ryans’ system.

In Houston, Ward is aware his experience playing for Ryans will be called upon just as much as his skills on the field.

“Just try to bring the younger guys along because I’ve been through a lot going on my 10th year in this league,” Ward told reporters May 4. “Really just try to explain to them my experience and tell them in this defense that you’ve got to work as a string. If somebody is off on this defense, we can give up an explosive.”

According to John Kosko from Pro Football Focus, Ward ranks No. 27 on the analytics site’s top-30 list of players 30 years old or older.

Ward has been a consistently good piece for the 49ers’ defense for several years and follows his defensive coordinator to Houston. While he struggled in coverage early in his career, he has been excellent in both coverage and run defense since 2019.

Ward started in five of his 12 games played last season for San Francisco, but was still effective. The former Northern Illinois product collected 50 combined tackles, a tackle for loss, two quarterback hits, an interception, a pass breakup, and three forced fumbles.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1416]

Texans sign seventh-round safety Brandon Hill to rookie contract

The Houston Texans have signed seventh-round safety Brandon Hill to a standard rookie contract.

The Houston Texans have added another member of their nine-player draft class to their payroll.

The Texans announced Friday they have signed seventh-round safety Brandon Hill to a standard four-year rookie contract.

General manager Nick Caserio told reporters on April 29 after the draft that Hill “fits the profile” for what new coach DeMeco Ryans wants to install on defense.

“Fast, tough, explosive, urgent, 5-10, 195,” Caserio said. “Got a good playing style, tough. Things that DeMeco wants to emphasize on defense, he sort of fits the profile. Probably a little better closer to the line of scrimmage. We’ll see where he fits in some other spots.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1365]

Jimmie Ward embracing mentor role with young Texans secondary

Former San Francisco 49ers safety Jimmie Ward is relishing the chance to be a mentor for the Houston Texans’ relatively youthful secondary.

Houston Texans safety Jimmie Ward had been away from the South for so long that he had forgotten the one basic necessity that will help you navigate through any state, city, or small town that runs along the “Bible Belt,” and that is speaking to everyone that crosses your path.

“In California, it’s okay to be rude,” Ward said as he addressed the media on Thursday. “People walk past you, look, don’t say anything. It’s normal. You walk past somebody here (Houston), ‘Hey, how you are doing, sir?’ I was like, ‘Hey, my bad. I forgot.’ It’s just the culture. How y’all are excited, y’all are smiling. It’s something I’m not used to.”

Ward had spent the last nine years in the defensive backfield for the San Francisco 49ers and decided that it was time for a change when DeMeco Ryans, his former defensive coordinator for the last two seasons, was hired this offseason to coach the Texans. He signed a two-year, $13 million contract to compete for a starting spot opposite second-year safety Jalen Pitre.

“I’ve been breaking down the film now,” Ward said when asked about Pitre. “We’ve been talking about it, talking a lot about it. One thing that I’ve seen is that he (Pitre) has great ball skills. He can really move. He has some great feet. He told me a little about his background story and how he played nickel in college, and that’s similar to what I did.

“I’m excited because it can be interchangeable where I don’t always have to cover, he doesn’t always have to blitz, or he don’t always have to be in the post. We can switch it up, and that’s great for a defense because we can disguise better.”

Pitre isn’t the only defensive teammate that caught Ward’s attention from last season. Cornerback Derek Stingley stood out in his limited time on the field, playing in only nine games before being placed on the injured reserve list for the rest of the season due to a strained hamstring.

“He’s good,” said Ward when assessing the play of Stingley. “I seen how he moves around. He’s like 6-1, 6-0, but he moves like he’s 5-9, 5-8. Dude’s a stud. He’s going to be a stud. Then his confidence is already there. When you’re playing in the SEC, the level doesn’t just jump up too much because a lot of guys that he locked down at LSU are in the league. Didn’t they just break a record of SEC guys drafted this year? Okay, this guy Stingley covered the majority of the top wide receivers coming out or tight ends.

“That’s the reason his confidence is so high. It’s going to keep clicking for him. The game is going to slow down and slow down, and sooner or later, I’m not looking at his side. I’m going to go steal some on the other side. You aren’t going to catch the ball on Stingley.”

Ward is coming from a Ryans-led defense in San Francisco that was ranked No. 1 last season, barely allowing 300 yards per game (222.9 passing and 77.7 rushing) to its opponent.

Much of that was predicated on players being in the correct position and staying within the defensive scheme. Failing to do that will get you an up-close conversation with Ryans, who is not afraid to be a stern but fair coach.

“He’ll call you out,” Ward elaborated when asked about Ryans coaching style. “I feel like no matter the age, no matter how good a guy is, All-Pro/Pro Bowl, you’ve got to be able to take criticism. You’ve got to be able to be coachable. That’s one guy who played this game and played it for a long time, and he knows what you’ve been through, and that’s one guy that a lot of guys look up to.”

Ryans hired Cory Undlin and Bobby Slowik, two former co-workers during his time with the 49ers, as part of his staff. With those additions, it appears that the Texans have shed the unwanted moniker of “Patriot South,” a nickname given to them by the fans after the organization hired and signed so many former New England Patriots front office staff and players.

Even though Ward is being reunited with his former coaches, who were part of a franchise that went to multiple NFC Championship Games, he does not want his new team to be called anything else but the Texans.

“We’ve got to find our own culture,” Ward said. “We’ve got to create our own identity. We’re not San Fran. We’re Houston. So that’s who we’re going to be.”

[lawrence-related id=82882,82880]

[mm-video type=video id=01gz2mxmz0h2yp10cbcw playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gz2mxmz0h2yp10cbcw/01gz2mxmz0h2yp10cbcw-b41eda0c330ec8960f519f4fbacb608a.jpg]

WATCH: Texans S Bandon Hill showcases explosiveness in Pittsburgh highlights

Check out new Houston Texans safety Brandon Hill and his explosiveness in some of his best Pittsburgh highlights.

Brandon Hill is a low-risk high-reward pick by the Houston Texans in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL draft and will make the bottom end of the team’s depth chart better when training camp starts in July.

A hard-nosed tackler with a nose for the ball and ability to cover, what Hill lacks in polish he makes up for with effort. Seventh-round picks face an uphill battle to get playing time as rookies, but Hill will look to push veteran talent for snaps when he gets on the field in the preseason.

Check out his best plays from his time at Pittsburgh below to see how he might fit in the Texans’ defense next season:

 

Houston Texans pick Pittsburgh S Brandon Hill No. 248 overall in Round 7 of 2023 NFL draft

The Houston Texans took Pittsburgh safety Brandon Hill with the 248th overall pick in Round 7 of the 2023 NFL draft.

The Houston Texans have added another defensive back to new coach DeMeco Ryans’ defense.

The Texans used the 248th overall pick in Round 7 of the 2023 NFL draft to take Pittsburgh safety Brandon Hill.

The 5-11, 195-pounder generated 67 combined tackles, a half-tackle for loss, two pass breakups, and returned a 30-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown through his 12 games with the Panthers last season.

The redshirt junior from Apopka, Florida, earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2021.

Hill joins a Texans secondary that features young and veteran talent ranging from second-year Jalen Pitre to free agent Jimmie Ward, who is entering his 10th season in the NFL.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1365]

DeMeco Ryans says S Jimmie Ward can mentor young Texans

New coach DeMeco Ryans is confident that safety Jimmie Ward will be a great example for the youngsters on the Houston Texans defense.

DeMeco Ryans didn’t need the right amount of guys from the San Francisco 49ers to join him with the Houston Texans; he only needed the right guy.

Ryans, who was the 49ers’ defensive coordinator from 2021-22, understands that a roster can’t be replete with players who were with him in San Francisco. If Ryans is to turn around the Texans, he will need younger players or current players on the roster to buy in themselves.

“Initially you want to bring guys in who know exactly how I want things done, how our culture will be set,” said Ryans. “You want to bring those guys in but also knowing it doesn’t just work that day.”

The big get for Ryans during the first wave of free agency was former 49ers safety Jimmie Ward. Not only did Ward play for Ryans while he was defensive coordinator, but the former 2014 first-round pick was with San Francisco during Ryans’ entire assistant coaching tenure starting in 2017. At that time, Robert Saleh was the defensive coordinator, and the scheme remained unchanged when Ryans took over after Saleh’s departure for the New York Jets.

Said Ryans: “To be able to get a guy like Jimmie Ward is very vital for our defense. Jimmie is a guy, I feel — he plays safety in our scheme. He’s played nickel. Jimmie is a veteran guy who’s played a lot of football. With the younger guys that we have, we have a very young group, young nucleus of players who are talented. I feel like Jimmie can come in and just help those guys, aside from the football aspect but also just off the field, just how to be a true pro.”

Ward also has some utility in his own right. The 5-11, 195-pound defensive back collected 50 combined tackles, a tackle for loss, two quarterback hits, a forced fumble, five pass breakups, and three interceptions through 12 games, five of which he started.

“To add a safety who can make dynamic plays for us was very vital,” Ryans said.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1416]

S Jimmie Ward is still a nickel option for the Texans

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says new safety Jimmie Ward is a nickel option on defense.

DeMeco Ryans had a conversation with Jimmie Ward last season.

Ryans, who was the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator, was explaining to his 31-year-old safety that it would be beneficial if he could also play the nickel on passing downs.

Ryans’ definitive vision for Ward has continued as the two have landed with the Houston Texans.

“Of course, everyone knows Jimmie wants to play safety, but in talking to Jimmie last year, I always told him, when you play the nickel position and you can play the safety position, it just opens up a lot more avenues for you, and that’s what it’s done for Jimmie,” Ryans said.

Ward generated 50 combined tackles, a tackle for loss, two quarterback hits, five pass breakups, a forced fumble, and three interceptions through 12 games, five of which he started for San Francisco.

As Ryans turns the Texans around from a chronic double-digit loss team into a more competitive product, the new coach will need his most veteran defensive back to continue being willing and versatile.

“Jimmie has been very fun to work with because he’s jumped into that nickel role, and he thrived in the role, made probably more plays than he’s made playing safety,” Ryans said. “So, Jimmie can play anywhere, but I’m going to play him at safety.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=601916344]