Tag: Texans safety

S Jalen Pitre elaborates on what is the ‘Texans way’

Second-round rookie safety Jalen Pitre explained what comprises the Houston Texans’ way of conducting business.

The Houston Texans are establishing a new culture under the first year of Lovie Smith as coach.

Smith previously spent a year inside NRG Stadium as the team’s defensive coordinator under coach David Culley. When Smith was promoted to coach after a month-long search that started at the end of the season, Houston began to do things differently.

The coaching staff’s job during rookie minicamp has been to acclimate the incoming rookies to the “Texans way.”

“It’s all about being a professional and doing things the right way, making sure you are being respectful to all of those around you and just of your space,” Pitre explained to reporters on May 13. “I think when you do that you end up being successful in wherever you are and whatever you are doing. That’s kind of the main things that Coach [Smith] is preaching right now.”

Houston selected Pitre with the No. 37 overall pick in Round 2 of the 2022 NFL draft. The former Baylor product is expected to infuse talent, youth, and versatility into the Texans’ secondary.

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Texans should consider Auburn S Smoke Monday if all else fails

If the Houston Texans can’t get their day one and two safeties they like, Auburn’s Smoke Monday would be a decent option.

While it may seem the Houston Texans have all the time and assets in the world to address roster needs throughout the entire three days of the 2022 NFL draft, the weekend could get away from them.

Perhaps Kyle Hamilton is not available to them in Round 1, and day two safeties Jaquan Brisker, Jalen Pitre, and Lewis Cine slip through their grasp.

If day three rolls around and the Texans still have not added a solid defensive back for the backend to play Lovie Smith’s Tampa 2 scheme, they may be able to still salvage their pursuit with Auburn safety Smoke Monday.

According to Pete Prisco from CBS Sports, Monday is one of his 20 prospects that he likes more than scouts do.

He is a tall, leaner safety who is more than willing to throw his body around. There are a lot of plays on tape where he can chase down a run play from the deep middle to the sideline. That shows awareness and speed. He is a willing tackler, even if he needs to get bigger. He is also a solid coverage player who can turn and run when need be, even if he is sometimes too aggressive. He is fluid and had some big picks for the Tigers. A team that takes him in the fourth round will be getting a starter down the road.

Don’t sleep on Prisco’s picks. After all, former Stanford quarterback Davis Mills was one of his 20 such selections ahead of the 2021 NFL draft.

Safety may be too big of a priority for the Texans to use a selection on Monday. Nevertheless if the draft starts to get away from them and they have yet to shore up the backend, Monday would be a decent pick to use to provide depth at safety.

Texans to sign former Browns safety M.J. Stewart

The Houston Texans have bolstered their secondary with the addition of former Cleveland Browns safety M.J. Stewart.

The Houston Texans will have to say goodbye to Justin Reid as he continues his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, which means the AFC South club is finding new faces to say hello to as they fix the secondary.

According to John McClain from the Houston Chronicle, the Texans are signing former Cleveland Browns safety M.J. Stewart with Aaron Wilson of the Pro Football Network adding that the contract is a two-year deal.

Stewart played 29 games with the Browns from 2020-21, tallying 69 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, a quarterback hit, 1.0 sack, two interceptions, seven pass breakups, and a forced fumble.

Prior to playing for the Browns, Stewart was a former 2018 second-round pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While with the Bucs for 21 career games, the former North Carolina Tar Heel collected 68 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and five pass breakups.

Texans re-sign safety Terrence Brooks to 1-year contract

The Houston Texans have brought back safety Terrence Brooks on a one-year contract.

The Houston Texans are keeping some continuity on the backend.

According to Aaron Wilson from the Pro Football Network, the Texans have re-signed safety Terrence Brooks to a one-year contract worth $2 million.

Brooks played 11 games for the Texans in 2021, starting in three games. The 5-11, 205-pound defensive back produced 21 combined tackles and a pass breakup.

The former Baltimore Raven, Philadelphia Eagle, New York Jet, and New England Patriot sustained a lung contusion on Oct. 17 in the 31-3 loss at the Indianapolis Colts. Brooks stayed overnight in an Indianapolis area hospital for observation.

Brooks played 179 snaps on defense for Houston along with 183 snaps on special teams.

Texans hire Jaguars assistant Joe Danna to coach safeties

The Houston Texans have hired Jacksonville Jaguars secondary coach Joe Danna to coach their safeties.

The Houston Texans have made another hire to Lovie Smith’s coaching staff.

General manager Nick Caserio alluded to it on “The Jim Rome Show” on Feb. 15, but reports have confirmed that the Texans have hired Jacksonville Jaguars nickels coach Joe Danna as their new safeties coach.

Danna was a defensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons under coach Mike Smith from 2008-09. From 2010-11 Danna was the assistant secondary coach with the Miami Dolphins under Tony Sparano.

From 2012-14, Danna went back to the Falcons as their defensive backs coach. When Smith was fired, Danna landed with the New York Jets as the defensive backs coach under Todd Bowles.

Since 2017, Danna has been in Jacksonville coaching the secondary in various capacities; from 2017-18 as the assistant defensive backs coach, from 2019-20 as the safeties coach, and in 2021 as the nickels coach.

How Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton could help the Texans secondary excel

Kyle Hamilton has been mocked to the Houston Texans yet again. What would the Notre Dame safety bring to the secondary?

One consensus that is forming among draftniks is that the Houston Texans will miss out on Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. With the Jacksonville Jaguars picking No. 1 overall in the 2022 NFL draft and the Detroit Lions going immediately thereafter, either one of those pass rushers will be off the board by the time the Texans pick No. 3 overall.

Some mock drafts have Houston taking Derek Stingley from LSU. Others have Houston picking safety Kyle Hamilton from Notre Dame.

According to Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus, the Texans go with Hamilton in his latest mock draft, but Sikkema lays out the case for how Hamilton will be able to help the secondary with his versatility.

The Texans are a wild card. The situation involving quarterback Deshaun Watson remains unclear, and even if Watson has played his last down for Houston, Davis Mills didn’t look too shabby down the stretch. Perhaps the Texans believe in Mills for 2022.

Then there’s the unpredictable element of those in power in Houston. Executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby and general manager Nick Caserio have already made a handful of decisions against the grain in the last year and a half. With secondary a major need for the Texans, and with Hamilton getting the label of this draft’s “unicorn player,” this feels like a match. 

Kyle Hamilton: Snaps by alignment, 2019-2021
Alignment 2021 2020 2019
Slot 227 111 99
Corner 6 6 3
Box 87 139 87
Deep 114 321 209

 

The Texans are possibly going to lose safety Justin Reid in free agency, which will compel Houston to shore up the backend. Taking Hamilton not only gives them a safety who can play deep, but also line up where needed.

Taking Hamilton should also help with Lonnie Johnson, who has been yo-yoed between cornerback and safety throughout his first three seasons. Having Hamilton should compel the Texans to leave Johnson at cornerback.

WATCH: Texans S Jonathan Owens intercepts Chargers QB Justin Herbert

Houston Texans safety Jonathan Owens came up with a key interception against Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert in Week 16.

Houston Texans safety Jonathan Owens got his first career interception as he picked off Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert in the second quarter of their Week 16 matchup Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium.

Owens was dropping back in deep coverage near the goal line. Herbert was looking for receiver Josh Palmer, but Owens came up with the takeaway at the 1-yard line and returned it five yards.

On Dec. 22, coach David Culley mentioned Owens as part of the crop of young players that have developed in the latter part of the season.

“We’ve got a couple of rookies and Jonathan who have come in and done a great job for us with some of our key guys being out that have played for us all year,” said Culley. “That’s how we approach it and not let it be a distraction and a disruption.”

S Justin Reid back at Texans practice following one-game suspension

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid has returned to practice following a one-game suspension for disciplinary reasons.

HOUSTON — Houston Texans’ four-year starting safety Justin Reid made his return to practice on Thursday following a one-game suspension. The Texans’ decision to bench Reid took place two days prior to Houston’s Week 12 loss to the New York Jets — due to an in-house dispute with coach David Culley.

Wednesday morning, Culley announced it’s “back to business” as usual for the two parties, with Reid expected to return for the Texans’ Week 13 match against the 6-6 Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

“We talked to all of our players every day — we try not to live in the past too much,” defensive coordinator Lovie Smith said on Thursday. “I’m sure all of that has gone over. I won’t go over that anymore. Justin will be out at practice today, and I expect him to play and play well this week.”

A one-game suspension is the only stain on Reid through the first dozen games of the 2021 season. Amid a contract season, Reid has been a vital piece to the Texans’ revamp defense by recording 42 tackles (27 solo hits), four pass deflections, two interceptions and a forced fumble.

Reid became the third Texan to serve an in-season suspension, joining linebacker Zach Cunningham and cornerback Desmond King.

David Culley to meet with Texans S Justin Reid about reinstatement

Houston Texans coach David Culley says he will meet safety Justin Reid about reinstatement after being sat in Week 12 for disciplinary reasons.

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans were without starting safety Justin Reid during their 21-14 loss to the New York Jets, Sunday afternoon, at NRG Stadium. Reid was serving a one-game suspension following a dispute with coach David Culley during a team meeting days leading up to the Texans’ Week 12 match against the Jets.

Monday morning, Culley declined to go into any specifics regarding the benching of Reid. But Culley stated that he plans to meet with the disgruntled safety about the possibility to be reinstated ahead of Houston’s next game against the 6-6 Indianapolis Colts.

“We’ll talk about the situation later today,” Culley said. “I just want to make sure that he understands that he is all in with everything that we are doing. I am not saying that he wasn’t all in before — but we have rules and standards here. I just felt last week that he did not meet those standards”

Reid said he was “shocked” about Culley’s decision but still rooted for the team’s success during the loss.

Reid joins linebacker Zach Cunningham and cornerback Desmond King as the three defensive players the Texans sat out for disciplinary reasons in 2021.

Texans S Justin Reid ‘shocked’ he was benched for Week 12 against the Jets

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid was completely surprised he was benched for Week 12 against the New York Jets.

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The Houston Texans made a surprising decision for Week 12 when they decided to bench safety Justin Reid ahead of their encounter with the New York Jets at NRG Stadium.

Mark Berman from Fox 26 [KRIV-TV] shared a statement from Reid shortly after kickoff of the 21-14 loss that sent Houston to 2-9 on the season. Reid alluded to a team meeting and also that coach David Culley called him into his office after Friday’s practice.

“I thought the team meeting went amicably and then I came to practice Friday and after practice was done he called me into his office and said he benched me for disciplinary reasons,” Reid wrote. “It is what it is. I’m shocked that it happened and I’m just gonna root for the guys out there and just keep cheering my teammates on. It’s always tough when you’re not playing. The best I can do is be there in spirit and root my guys on.”

 

After the loss, Culley would not elaborate on what caused him to bench Reid.

“It was a disciplinary reason and coach’s decision,” Culley said. “We’ll keep that internal.”

The Texans have now notched two consecutive losing seasons. The last time the Texans had consecutive losing seasons was in their beginnings as a franchise from 2002-06.