The Houston Texans finished 4-12 in 2020. Along the way, coach and general manager Bill O’Brien was canned after an 0-4 start. Even during the offseason, the roster saw significant changes as three-time All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins was traded to the Arizona Cardinals for running back David Johnson and a second-round pick.
The crash at the end of the 2020 campaign, which saw Houston lose its final five games, prompted a change from chairman and CEO Cal McNair, who hired new general manager Nick Caserio and through that hire new coach David Culley.
Through Caserio’s nearly four full months in the general manager’s seat, the Texans have made over 70 roster transactions.
“We’ve had a hell of a turnover this past year,” safety Justin Reid told reporters on a Zoom call April 23. “There’s only, I think, two or three guys left from when I first got here in 2018 on the starting 22. The turnover has been wild, but we’ve brought in a lot of talent.”
On defense, the Texans traded for defensive end Shaq Lawason. The linebacking corps added new enforcers in Jordan Jenkins and Christian Kirksey. The secondary includes two starters in cornerbacks Desmond King and Terrance Mitchell.
The secondary also includes a new figure in coach Greg Jackson, who has familiarity with the Reid family in the NFL. From 2011-14, he was a defensive assistant on the San Francisco 49ers staff under coach Jim Harbaugh. Jackson coached Justin’s older brother, Eric, in his rookie season in 2014.
“I have a little bit of a prior relationship with him and I like him a lot,” Reid said. “I’m just excited. It’s an opportunity for us to turn the chapter and move forward.”
The Texans are also moving forward with a new scheme. Under new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith, Houston will be deploying a Tampa-2 scheme with a 3-4 front.