A.J. Moore has played 32 games for the Houston Texans, but the phrase “special teamer” fits his role better than what is listed on the roster, safety.
However, the former 2018 undrafted free agent from Ole Miss has been getting coaches and commentators to think differently about his role. In 2020, Moore could play a bigger part on the team’s back end as a safety.
“This is going on my third year now, and of course I made my role on special teams first, but I’ve just been trying to continue to get better and better at safety, and that’s what I’ve done,” Moore said.
Moore, who initially was with the New England Patriots for his rookie offseason, training camp, and preseason, came to the Texans after cut day that season. The Bassfield, Miss., product latched on as a special teamer and cultivated his value with the team by excelling in that transition phase of the game.
With a paltry 20 defensive snaps under his belt, Moore hopes he can contribute more on defense.
Said Moore: “I’ve learned a lot over the years, and I’ve been able to make a couple plays for the team, and that’s what I’m here for. That’s what I want to do.”
If Moore isn’t able to get in the game, he doesn’t spend his time wishing he were on the field. Rather, Moore takes mental reps and goes through the scenarios of what he would do if he were on the field.
“When I’m on the sideline, I’m just able to learn and I can still get a feel for the game just looking, but I’ve been able to grow in the playbook and continue to watch the speed of the game, and, so, now when I’m in there I can execute at a high level,” Moore said.
The Texans have experience on the back end with Eric Murray, Jaylen Watkins, Michael Thomas, and Justin Reid, who has played one less game than Moore but hundreds of more defensive snaps. If Moore can provide Houston with another quality defensive back in the secondary, it could help them with their AFC South title defense.