What will Bradley Roby bring back to the Texans’ cornerback unit?

Houston Texans cornerback Bradley Roby is returning on a three-year contract. What will he give back to the secondary?

With the re-signing of Bradley Roby, the Houston Texans will get consistency among their cornerback group.

So says Doug Farrar of the Touchdown Wire. Even though the former Denver Broncos 2014 first-round pick played in 10 games for the Texans in 2019, limited mostly to a hamstring injury sustained in Week 6, Roby demonstrated a playmaking ability that new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver will need as he takes over for Romeo Crennel.

This 27-yard pick-six of Jameis Winston in Week 16 is an excellent example of what Roby does well. He’s aligned against receiver Justin Watson at the top of the screen, and watch how he jumps Watson’s route to take the ball away. You could argue that Winston should have read that, but Roby did a nice job of breaking late, and it’s not as if Winston is ever cautious about throws like that.

A first-round pick of the Broncos in the 2014 draft out of Ohio State, Roby has allowed 297 receptions in 492 targets with a 60.4% catch rate for 3,635 yards, 25 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 91.6 in his NFL career.

Roby signed a three-year contract worth $36 million on Sunday. Bringing back the former Ohio State Buckeye gives the Texans stability as he is the only starting cornerback to return now that two-time Pro Bowler Johnathan Joseph will hit free agency on March 18.