The Houston Texans opened the preseason on Saturday with a dismal 20-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Though wins and losses don't matter in the preseason, Houston's performance showed the struggles of their backups. Offensively, the Texans' backup quarterbacks beyond Davis Mills aren't ready to play in the NFL.
On the defensive side of the ball, the game proved Houston's backup secondary is an issue. While the Texans have a stacked starting group with Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Jalen Pitre, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Calen Bullock, this game showed that if any injuries were to happen, the group would be in trouble.
Despite trying to make improvements at the backup positions in the defensive backfield, Houston seems to be in the same position they were in last year. That said, one former Texans defensive back just signed with another AFC contender.
Former Texan Gregory Junior Signs With Broncos
According to NFL Trade Rumors, the Denver Broncos signed former Texans DB Gregory Junior on Sunday.
If you are scratching your head right now, wondering who Gregory Junior is, don't worry, his tenure with the team wasn't exactly notable. Last season, Houston signed the 26-year-old to their practice squad and was given a reserve/future contract after the season. However, he was cut on May 13.
Prior to spending last season on the Texans' practice squad, Junior was on the Jacksonville Jaguars. In Jacksonville, the 26-year-old played in ten games, recording 17 tackles and one pass defensed.
Given he wasn't even provided a chance to attend Texans OTAs, it's hard to see him cracking the Broncos roster. Currently, Denver's starting three cornerbacks are Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, and Ja'Quan McMillian, with rookie Jahdae Barron presumably in line to earn the fourth spot.
Even so, if Junior finds his way onto the Broncos' practice squad, he would join a team Houston could be battling with in the playoffs. If Junior somehow saw the field if the two teams played each other, you can bet he'd be playing his heart out.