Nick Caserio will stick with one of the players he helped identify back in his Patriots days. Myles Bryant, a former Pats UDFA, is re-signing with the Texans, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports.
Added on a one-year, $1.75MM deal in 2024, Bryant played in 11 Texans games last season. While the former New England contributor’s Houston workload paled in comparison to his usage in Foxborough, the Washington alum has held a key role at points during his five-year NFL run.
Obtained during Caserio’s final Patriots offseason (2020), Bryant played 75% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps in Bill Belichick‘s final slate (which produced a No. 7-ranked defense). Prior to that, he logged 55% (2021) and 61% (’22) usage rates under Belichick. The Pats turned to Bryant initially after a Jonathan Jones season-ending injury in 2021. New England, however, shifted Jones — its longtime slot corner — to more of an outside role to accommodate Bryant once the veteran returned to full strength. The Pats used both Jones and Bryant regularly over the next two seasons.
Signing with the Texans in late March last year, Bryant did not enjoy a comparable role under DeMeco Ryans. The Texans used the 5-foot-9 defender on just 10% of their defensive snaps last season. He also logged a career-high 121 special teams snaps. Bryant, 27, came to Houston after a 77-tackle season that featured seven TFLs. He will attempt to carve out a bigger role in 2025.
The Texans have a primary slot corner already, having shifted safety Jalen Pitre to that post last year. Pitre recently signed a three-year, $39MM extension that briefly (before Kyler Gordon‘s Bears payday) made him the NFL’s highest-paid pure slot CB. Bryant stands to compete for a job behind Pitre, who saw a pectoral injury end his 2024 season early.
This has proven to be a busy offseason for the Texans at corner. They also used a third-round pick on Jaylin Smith, a cornerback out of USC; that move came after Houston chose boundary starter/Derek Stingley Jr. sidekick Kamari Lassiter in last year’s second round. Prior to paying Pitre, Houston authorized a market-resetting three-year, $90MM extension for Stingley. Highlighting a commitment to the position, the Texans also took a flier on Ronald Darby this offseason.
When contract talks initially began the two sides were…………
MYLES apart !!