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Houston Texans: Quick thoughts on Mike Vrabel out, Crennel in

By Chris Nalls

ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 03: Assistant coach, Mike Vrabel of the Houston Texans during a preseason game on September 3, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 03: Assistant coach, Mike Vrabel of the Houston Texans during a preseason game on September 3, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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The Houston Texans found out that they will be without Mike Vrabel as he’s been named the Tennessee Titans’ head coach.  Romeo Crennel will return as defensive coordinator.  Here’s some quick thoughts I have on the news.

Houston Texans fans — it was crazy, it was this past Saturday night and I was preparing to watch the Houston Rockets take on the Golden State Warriors.  Then all of a sudden, the news broke about Vrabel accepting the Titans’ job, slightly surprising me.

Here’s the news that sent a few shock waves in Texans’ nation:

Most Houston Texans fans expected this move to eventually happen but it was just a matter of time.

I think the Titans will be pleased with their investment in Vrabel in due time as he was just getting his feet wet with being a defensive coordinator before being the linebacker’s coach dating all the way back to 2014.

Titans’ fans should keep in mind that Vrabel has gone through the coaching ranks relatively fast and should not expect a whole bunch this year out of Vrabel.  His success will certainly be predicated on how talented his new staff will be in addition to his ability to delegate duties.

But it’s important to mention that the defense took a step back this season.  Their defensive ranking had tumbled to 19th — yielding 346.6 yards per game — after finishing 2016 in the top slot, yielding 301.3 yards per game.  That’s a huge drop off and Titans’ fans shouldn’t ignore that fact.

Shortly thereafter, Rapoport had the scoop on Crennel moving back to DC, a post he held from 2014-16:

A healthy defensive roster, the upcoming free agency, and the 2018 draft should provide Crennel

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with enough options to get this defense back into the upper echelon of the NFL. The Texans will have to address some holes on defense but I feel Crennel has the football IQ to identify the problem areas.

The Texans do need an upgrade on the defensive backs area and names to keep an eye out for are these guys:

I would prefer any of the mentioned three above as they each are equally more talented than what the Houston Texans had this past season.  I think they can help the secondary unit in which Johnathan Joseph is a free agent this year.

The Texans will have between $30 to $60 million in cap money to spend and will need to since they do not possess a 1st or 2nd-round pick.

Next: Evaluating the 2017 defense with a 2018 outlook

As you know, those were used to get rid of the Brock Osweiler mistake to absolve it with a Deshaun Watson correction.

I think the Texans will improve in 2018 and their defense will be as ferocious as it was in 2016, barring any injuries.

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