Houston Texans: Evaluating 2017 defense, 2018 outlook by position
By T.A. Mock
Cornerbacks
With key playmakers Watt and Mercilus hurt, the weaknesses and deficiencies of the secondary were exposed. This was especially true with the cornerbacks. The franchise has invested a lot of capital in this position over the last 5 or so years. However, the performance and results have not matched the investment.
Cornerbacks for 2018: Kareem Jackson, Kevin Johnson, Treston Decoud, Bryce Jones (F/R), Dee Virgin (F/R), Josh Thornton (F/R)
Free Agents: Johnathan Joseph, Marcus Williams
Turns out, not paying A.J. Bouye the money he earned and deserved was a huge mistake. Bouye went to division rival Jacksonville to pair up with Jalen Ramsey to form the best corner duo in the NFL. Bouye was severely missed this past year.
Joseph has been a stalwart for the Houston Texans since 2011. 2017 was his last year under contract for the Houston Texans. This year should also be his last season in a Houston Texans uniform. I will forever remember all of the good things Joseph did for the Houston Texans, but when it’s time it’s time. If the price to retain him is low enough, I could be talked into the deal. However, the open market will likely inflate his price tag to be higher than what the Houston Texans should pay for. PFF graded him at 75.7 which isn’t terrible, but when it is 67th out of 121 and your best cornerback grade on the team, it starts to look worse.
Jackson and Johnson, however, were even worse. Jackson graded 95th out of 121 qualified cornerbacks. Johnson graded at 32.0 which brought him in at dead last, 121/121 qualified corners. Jackson has one year left on his current contract. At this rate, I would not expect the team to try to retain him after next year. That is, unless he has a drastic turn around in 2018. The Houston Texans have until May to decide whether or not to exercise Johnson’s fifth year option. The team should probably choose to not exercise it, making 2018 a “prove it” year for Johnson. He has been a disappointment with flashes of brilliance since getting drafted out of Wake Forrest. Granted, injuries have played a part in that, but a former first round pick shouldn’t expect a big contract while grading out as one of the worst players in his position group.
The Rest of the Bunch
The rest of this crew of corners will leave you wanting. Williams and Decoud graded out middle of the pack when they got the chance to play. Neither would be terrible guys to return, but neither should be expected to be major contributors next year. A guy I like out of this group is former undrafted free agent, Dee Virgin. I liked what I saw from Virgin in the 2017 preseason and had hoped he would make the roster. Who knows, maybe Virgin will develop into a Bouye 2.0 for the Houston Texans.
External Options
The 2018 free agent class is deep. Albeit, a decent chunk of this group has been marred by inconsistencies throughout their careers. There may be a guy or two out there that the Houston Texans should take a gamble on.
Malcolm Butler is the best of the group. Let me tell you, Butler is about to get PAID. A reunion with the Patriots seems unlikely at this point, so some other team will have to pony up. The Texans might need to be that team. Butler will demand an exuberant contract, but in order to shore up a shaky secondary he might be worth it. Most people think of Butler as a guy still riding a heroic Super Bowl moment years ago, however he has developed into a premier corner. He graded significantly better than anyone currently on the roster.
E.J. Gaines from Buffalo, Rashaan Melvin from Indianapolis, Patrick Robinson from Philadelphia and Trumaine Johnson from the L.A. Rams are all also potential options. They all have, at some point, been plagued by injuries or inconsistencies. However, all would be upgrades for the team. Gaines has a lengthy injury history but Gaine will be familiar with him from their days in Buffalo together. There are plenty of other options for the team to examine too.
2018 Outlook Grade: F This group performance was poor. Losing Joseph won’t help by itself, but neither would bringing him back. The front office will have some work to do to shore up this unit.