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Top 3 Offseason Needs: Houston Texans

By Dallas Robinson | at January 31, 2018 7:27 pm

In advance of March 14, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll continue this year’s series with the Houston Texans, who finished 4-12 after posting a 9-7 record for three consecutive seasons.

Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)

Pending Free Agents:

Angelo Blackson, DE (RFA)
Alfred Blue, RB
Chris Clark, T
Andre Ellington, RB
Bruce Ellington, WR
Breno Giacomini, T
Marcus Gilchrist, S
Ben Heeney, LB (RFA)
Jelani Jenkins, LB
Josh Johnson, QB
Johnathan Joseph, CB
Ufomba Kamalu, LB (ERFA)
Shane Lechler, P
Greg Mancz, C (RFA)
Corey Moore, S (ERFA)
Brian Peters, LB (RFA)
Eddie Pleasant, S
Tom Savage, QB
Xavier Su’a-Filo, G
Jordan Todman, RB
Marcus Williams, CB
T.J. Yates, QB

Top 10 Cap Hits for 2018:

J.J. Watt, DE: $15,000,000
DeAndre Hopkins, WR: $14,000,000
Jadeveon Clowney, DE: $13,846,000
Kareem Jackson, CB: $9,000,000
Brian Cushing, LB: $8,840,625
Jeff Allen, G: $7,375,000
Lamar Miller, RB: $6,750,000
Whitney Mercilus, LB: $5,956,250
C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE: $5,156,250
Andre Hal, S: $3,750,000

Other:

Projected cap space (via Over the Cap): $56,665,767
No first-round pick
Must exercise or decline 2019 fifth-year option for CB Kevin Johnson

Three Needs:

1) Rebuild the offensive line: The Texans’ porous offensive line didn’t play a role in rookie sensation Deshaun Watson‘s torn ACL, as the first-year quarterback suffered the non-contact injury during a practice session. However, if Houston wants to protect its investment under center for the long-term, the club needs to do something about its front five, which ranked among the league’s worst and traded away its best player — left tackle Duane Brown — at midseason.

Nearly every individual and team metric was down on the Texans’ offensive line in 2017. Football Outsiders ranked the unit 20th in adjusted line yards and 30th in adjusted sack rate, while Houston finished dead last in pressure rate allowed. The club allowed 54 sacks (second-most in the NFL), while no Texans offensive lineman received a grade greater than 45 (on a 100-point scale) from Pro Football Focus. Players such as Breno Giacomini, Xavier Su’a-Filo, Greg Mancz, Jeff Allen, and Chris Clark — none of which are household names — garnered at least 45% playtime in what became a lost Houston season.

As such, the Texans are looking at a complete offseason revamp of their front five: Giacomini, Su’a-Filo, and Clark are all free agents and don’t figure to attract much interest, while Mancz is a restricted free agent and Allen is a candidate for his release. However, Houston will have to do nearly all of its offensive line rebuilding through free agency, as the 2018 draft lacks impact lineman (and the Texans don’t own a first- or second-round pick, anyway).

The free agent tackle class doesn’t offer many special options, either, but Texans head coach Bill O’Brien‘s Patriots connections could make Houston a player for Nate Solder, Cameron Fleming, or LaAdrian Waddle. Solder is clearly the prize among that group, and given that he’s far and away the best blindside protector on the open market, Houston would have to outbid several other clubs in order to land him. With nearly $60MM in cap space, the Texans have the ability to do just that, but Fleming and/or Waddle could also be viable solutions at cheaper cost.

The only other free agent tackles worth considering are the Giants’ Justin Pugh and the Steelers’ Chris Hubbard, but each come with concerns. Pugh has generally played guard and right tackle at the NFL level, so he could be stretched if asked to play on the left side full-time, while Hubbard had never started more than four games before last season. Other free agents at the tackle position include Greg Robinson, Donald Stephenson, Garry Gilliam, and Andre Smith, none of which would represent significant upgrades over the Texans’ current line.

Unrestricted free agency isn’t flush with left tackles, but the Texans could take an unorthodox approach and pursue Redskins restricted free agent Ty Nsekhe. Nsekhe isn’t a conventional pickup, as he’ll turn 33 years old during the 2018 season and has started only 11 games during the course of his career. But Nsekhe was incredibly successful as a fill-in for Trent Williams in 2016, and Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus told me last spring that Nsekhe has the “kind of power and athletic mix that makes him a fit for any scheme.” Andy Benoit of TheMMQB.com, meanwhile, called Nsekhe a “good North/South run-blocker” who is “athletic enough to contribute in an outside zone game.”

One other tackle who could potentially help Houston is already on the club’s roster: Derek Newton tore both patella tendons in October 2016 and hasn’t been on the field since, and while there’s been no recent update on his health, Newton was reportedly optimistic at this time last year that he’d be able to play again at some point. Medical professionals have called Newton’s injury a “once-every five year” outcome, so there’s no guarantee Newton will ever return, let alone play at the same level. The Texans have more information than the general public on Newton’s status, and their offseason moves at right tackle should reflect their opinion of his health.

While Houston may not be able to use free agency to pick up a starting tackle, the team should make hay in the free agent guard market, which offers more serviceable options. Andrew Norwell figures to land the largest contract among the group, and the Texans should be interested, as signing the former Panther would allow the club to correct its mistake in signing Allen two years ago. Weston Richburg could be another interesting addition, although his presence would force Houston to move either him or incumbent center Nick Martin to guard.

Other guard/centers that could require multi-year contracts include Josh Kline (Titans), Jack Mewhort (Colts), and Ryan Jensen (Ravens), but the Texans could also ink a few older players to one-year pacts in an effort to solidify their front five. Given Watson’s cheap contract and the overall weakness of the AFC South, Houston should try to compete immediately, so signing veterans for a single-season run isn’t the worst idea. Among the candidates for such a deal could be Brandon Fusco, Matt Slauson, Alex Boone, or Jahri Evans.

2) Bolster the secondary: The Texans were still in the mix for cornerback A.J. Bouye in the spring of 2017, but eventually lost him to the division-rival Jaguars after not using the franchise tender. Granted, Houston entered last offseason with only $25MM in cap space, so the club didn’t have unlimited funds to use on re-signing Bouye, but his absence was felt last year. None of Kareem Jackson, Johnathan Joseph, nor Kevin Johnson played well, and the Texans ranked 24th, 30th, and 24th in DVOA against No. 1, No. 2, and slot receivers, respectively. Overall, Houston surrendered the second-most passing touchdowns and yards per attempt in the NFL in 2017.

Joseph (33) and Jackson (29) aren’t part of the Texans’ long-term plans, and neither may be on the team’s roster next season. Joseph is a free agent, and given his recent lack of production, it probably doesn’t make sense for Houston to re-sign him. According to the 2018 Pro Football Focus Free Agent Guide, Joseph ranked 88th among 126 qualified corners with a 99.1 passer rating last year, and finished 105th in yards allowed per coverage snap (1.45). Jackson also struggled in 2017, and given that the Texans can save $6.75MM by cutting him in the coming weeks, he could be a cap casualty.Read more

Without a first- or second-round pick, Houston is unlikely to find a rookie cornerback who can contribute on day one — but that doesn’t mean the club shouldn’t take a defensive back swing in the middle rounds. While the Texans won’t be able to land any top-end cornerbacks such as Josh Jackson (Iowa) or Denzel Ward (Ohio State), they could target Colorado’s Isaiah Oliver, Florida State’s Tarvarus McFadden, or Wisconsin’s Nick Nelson, the latter of whom Matt Miller of Bleacher Report calls the biggest sleeper among the 2018 cornerback class. Dane Brugler and Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com call Nelson a probable fourth-rounder, meaning he should be on the table for Houston.

More likely, the Texans will be forced to turn to the free agent market to land a cornerback, so after the team (hopefully) spends on an offensive tackle, it should use its remaining funds on a secondary upgrade. The most obvious candidate for Houston will be Patriots’ corner Malcolm Butler: not only do O’Brien’s New England connections once again come into play, but there was at least some indication the Texans pursued Butler via trade in 2017. Butler will surely be expensive, and will likely be looking for at least $14MM in annual salary and $25-30MM in full guarantees. But he’s capable of shadowing opposing No. 1 wide receivers and would instantly become Houston’s best corner, so the Texans should seriously consider Butler as a free agent addition.

Butler and the Rams’ Trumaine Johnson are the clear top options on the open market, but the free agent corner class is also well-stocked with mid-tier defenders. E.J. Gaines played well after being dealt to Buffalo a season ago and would become a sensible, medium-cost defensive back on the Texans’ roster. Rashaan Melvin (Colts), Bashaud Breeland (Redskins), Vontae Davis (Colts), Morris Claiborne (Jets), and Kyle Fuller (Bears) could all make varying levels of sense for Houston at varying levels of price — Fuller, a former first-round pick, could be a solid addition for the Texans given his age and recent production, but there could be a concern that he reverts to his pre-2017 level of play.

If the Texans (unwisely) believe they can get by with Jackson and Johnson as their starting outside cornerbacks in 2018, they could target a shutdown slot corner to further augment their defensive backfield. If Houston chooses that route, it will have plenty of options on the free agent market. Patrick Robinson was one of the best one-year signings in the NFL last season, and he’ll complete an excellent campaign by playing in the Super Bowl with the Eagles on Sunday. Aaron Colvin, T.J. Carrie, and Nickell Robey-Coleman are among the other corners who could help the Texans when they’re in sub packages.

One other cornerback who could be of interest to Houston is Aqib Talib, whom the Broncos will reportedly attempt to trade this offseason. It probably doesn’t make sense for the Texans to try and swing a deal with Denver, as Houston has already given up enough of its draft picks in recent years. However, some general mangers believe Talib will be released in the coming weeks, at which point, the Texans should make a strong effort to sign him. Despite the Broncos’ willingness to part ways, Talib is still a shutdown cornerback, as he ranked third in yards allowed per pass attempt, 15th in PFF’s CB grades, and 18th in success rate.

3) Add depth on the edge: Watson’s torn ACL effectively ended the Texans’ season in early November, but a month earlier, Houston had lost two of its top three three edge defenders — J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus — to season-ending injuries. The Texans ranked sixth in defensive DVOA through Week 5 (the week Watt and Mercilus went down), but finished the year as the No. 23 defense by the same metric. Without Watt and Mercilus around, no Houston edge defender besides Jadeveon Clowney played more than 30% of the club’s snaps, as the Texans were forced to use a rotation that included Brennan Scarlett, Ufomba Kamalu, and Gimel President.

There’s no doubt Watt is a superstar and possibly the best defender in the league when healthy, but he’s now missed the majority of the past two seasons. Another injury to Watt, Mercilus, or even Clowney won’t be tenable for the Texans if they run out the same cast of backups in 2018, so the club should seek to bring in competent front seven depth this offseason. Houston ranked eighth in adjusted line yards allowed but just 21st in adjusted sack rate a year ago, so new general manager Brian Gaine should focus on free agent options that have the ability to get after opposing quarterbacks.

With a reminder that we’re looking for depth options (not starters), the Texans could focus on free agents such as Adrian Clayborn, Kony Ealy, Courtney Upshaw, or Sam Acho, but Junior Galette could make the most sense for Houston. Although he dealt with several Achilles injuries from 2015-16, Galette was able to manage a 11.9 pass rush productivity mark from PFF, good for No. 15 in the NFL. He wasn’t used all that much in Washington last season (just 407 snaps), but that’s a sign Galette can be productive even when deployed sparingly. The 29-year-old Galette shouldn’t require more than a one-year deal, and could make for a perfect reserve behind Watt & Co.

The 49ers’ Aaron Lynch could be on several teams’ radars this offseason, but the Texans could make him a priority given his natural edge talent. Lynch hasn’t been able to fully break out over the past few years in the Bay Area, but working with Houston defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel as a sub package pass rusher could be just what the doctor ordered. Looking at veterans, the Texans could allow Erik Walden to continue his tour of the AFC South by inking him to a cheap deal. Although he’s now 32 years old, Walden managed 21 pressures on only 332 pass rushing snaps with Tennessee in 2017.

Adding a rookie edge rusher (and thus, reaping the benefits of a four-year rookie contract) should be another focal point for the Texans, and there are several players who could be in play for Houston in the middle rounds. Florida State’s Josh Sweat managed 12.5 sacks over the past two seasons, and Luke Easterling of USA Today says Sweat has “natural athletic ability” and room to grow. Dorance Armstrong Jr. (Kansas), meanwhile, only posted two sacks after securing 10 in 2016, but he offers versatility that could be intriguing to the Texans in Round 4 or 5.

4 comments Houston Texans Newsstand PFR Originals Top 3 Offseason Needs

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/31/18

By Dallas Robinson | at January 31, 2018 5:44 pm

Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:

Cleveland Browns

TE Devon Cajuste
DB Denzel Rice
OL Christian Schneider

Houston Texans

DL Darius Kilgo

Texans In Need Of O-Line Help?

By Sam Robinson | at January 29, 2018 2:45 pm

The Panthers‘ interview with Raye will take place on Thursday and they’ll meet with Dawson on Friday for the GM job, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The Texans’ assistant GM, Raye interviewed for the top jobs in Houston, Indianapolis and San Francisco only to be passed over. The Bills’ assistant college scouting director, Dawson interviewed with the Panthers after they fired Hurney the first time. But Carolina chose Dave Gettleman.
If the Texans want to become a 2018 contender, they need to address their offensive line, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com posits. Houston traded Duane Brown and has three starters eligible for free agency. And the team’s Jeff Allen contract has not worked out especially well. Derek Newton remains without a timetable, and the Texans — thanks to multiple trades with the Browns — do not have a pick in the first two rounds come April. So, some of the team’s free agency budget will need to be allocated here.

0 comments Carolina Panthers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jimmy Raye III Lake Dawson Marty Hurney

Johnathan Joseph Wants To Stay In Houston

By Sam Robinson | at January 28, 2018 9:53 pm

Johnathan Joseph played the past seven seasons of his career in Houston, and the soon-to-be 34-year-old cornerback would prefer to remain with the Texans. The UFA returning in 2018 would mark a 13th NFL season, but he’s not ready to retire. It doesn’t sound like Joseph certain he’ll be back in Houston, though. But Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle notes (on Twitter) he would like to be. “I’m just chilling. We’ll see how it goes,” Joseph said. “Obviously, I want to be here. That’s my first choice. We’ll see how it goes.” The Texans still have Kareem Jackson and Kevin Johnson under contract for 2018, the former on a $9MM cap number in the final year of his deal, and lost A.J. Bouye in free agency last year. Whether or not Joseph returns, the Texans will probably need to make another investment at this position in the near future.

0 comments Cincinnati Bengals Houston Texans Los Angeles Chargers Tennessee Titans Cedric Ogbuehi Eric Henderson Jake Fisher Johnathan Joseph Rob Moore

Texans Hire John Pagano

By Dallas Robinson | at January 26, 2018 9:55 pm

New Giants head coach Pat Shurmur will call his own offensive plays in New York but still plans to hire an offensive coordinator, and Vikings quarterbacks coach Kevin Stefanski is a “strong candidate” for the position, sources tell Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. Stefanski, of course, worked under Shurmur in Minnesota, and is now a candidate to take over Shurmur’s old role with the Vikings (where he’d presumably get the opportunity to call games). Minnesota, however, is also considering former Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell and Texans quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan for its coordinator job, so if Stefanski isn’t promoted, he could conceivably bolt for New York. Meanwhile, Eagles running backs coach Duce Staley is a “name to watch” for the Giants’ OC position, while ex-Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin could also “be in the mix,” per Vacchiano.

Former Raiders and Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano will join the Texans as a linebackers coach, reports Alex Marvez of the Sporting News. Specifically, Pagano is now a senior defensive assistant who will coach outside linebackers, while Bobby King — already on Houston’s staff — will coach inside ‘backers, per Mark Berman of FOX 26 (Twitter link). Pagano, the brother of former Colts head coach Chuck Pagano, spent five years as the Chargers’ DC before landing with the Raiders in 2017. When Oakland fired Ken Norton Jr. midway through last season, Pagano stepped in as the club’s defensive coordinator.
The Titans also have a new quarterbacks coach: former Texans offensive assistant Pat O’Hara, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who adds ex-Texans defensive assistant Shane Bowen is now Tennessee’s outside linebackers coach. O’Hara interviewed for the Bears’ quarterbacks coach job earlier this year, but Chicago ended up retaining Dave Ragone for the role. Meanwhile, new Titans assistant coach Kerry Coombs will indeed lead defensive backs in Tennessee, meaning he’ll coach the same position group that he did at Ohio State, tweets Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel offered incumbent secondary coach Deshea Townsend a job as Coombs’ assistant (read: a demotion), but Townsend will instead leave the club.

4 comments Carolina Panthers Houston Texans Kansas City Chiefs New York Giants Tennessee Titans Deshea Townsend Duce Staley Harold Goodwin Heath Farwell John Pagano Kerry Coombs Kevin Stefanski Mike Kafka Pat O'Hara Shane Bowen Steve Russ

Vikings To Interview Sean Ryan

By Zachary Links | at January 25, 2018 9:46 am

Texans quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan is set to interview for the Vikings’ offensive coordinator job on Monday, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). The Vikings are considering a few other candidates for the role but it sounds like a hire won’t be made until next week, at the earliest.

Ryan is the third candidate known to have an interview scheduled and the fifth coach connected to the job. The others in the mix are:

Darrell Bevell, former offensive coordinator (Seahawks): To be interviewed on Friday
Ben McAdoo, former head coach (Giants): Mentioned as candidate
Mike McCoy, former offensive coordinator (Broncos): Mentioned as candidate
Kevin Stefanski, quarterbacks coach (Vikings): To be interviewed this weekend

The Browns interviewed Ryan for their OC job earlier this month, but that job ultimately went to Todd Haley. Last year, rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson was phenomenal under Ryan’s tutelage, and the league has taken notice.

On the flipside, his lack of play calling experience could be a barrier. The Browns were reportedly waffling on giving Ryan that responsibility, but it was something that the 45-year-old was insistent on. Despite his many years of coaching experience, Ryan has never been an OC at any level.

0 comments Houston Texans Minnesota Vikings Sean Ryan

Titans Notes: Moore, McKenzie, Coombs

By Dallas Robinson | at January 24, 2018 9:18 pm

New Titans head coach Mike Vrabel swung and missed on each of his first two tries at hiring a coordinator, as Ohio State’s Ryan Day opted to stay in the collegiate ranks rather than become Tennessee’s offensive play-caller, while former Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher chose the Giants over the Titans. Vrabel still needs to fill out a staff, however, and he’s been busy making potential additions today.

Here’s the latest from Tennessee:

Former Raiders wide receivers coach Rob Moore interviewed for the same position with the Titans, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Moore, who got his start in NFL coaching with the Bills in 2013, had been with Oakland since 2015 but wasn’t retained by new head coach Jon Gruden. 2016 was a banner year for Moore, as both Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree topped 1,000 yards, but both wideouts took a large step backwards in 2017.
Rams assistant special teams coach Tyrone McKenzie interviewed for an unidentified role on the Titans’ staff, per Pelissero. Like Vrabel, McKenzie is a former Patriots linebacker, although the two never overlapped in New England, as Vrabel was traded prior to 2009, the season McKenzie joined the club. McKenzie, also a former Buccaneer and Viking, has only one season of coaching experience.
Vrabel is dipping into his Ohio State ties — he played in Columbus before coaching there from 2011-13 — as he formulates his Titans coaching staff, and OSU defensive backs/special teams coach Kerry Coombs will be joining Tennessee, tweets Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports. There’s no word yet as to what Coombs’ role will be, but given that he’s never coached in the NFL before, he’s likely to keep leading the Titans’ secondary. Coombs began his collegiate coaching career with Cincinnati in 2006, and joined Ohio State in 2011.
Texans defensive assistant Shane Bowen is another candidate to join Vrabel with the Titans, reports Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com. Bowen not only worked under Vrabel in Houston during the past two seasons, but also spent the 2012 campaign coaching alongside the new Tennessee head coach at Ohio State. A Georgia Tech alum, Bowen coached linebackers at Kennesaw State University from 2013-15.

0 comments Houston Texans Tennessee Titans Kerry Coombs Rob Moore Shane Bowen Tyrone McKenzie

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/23/18

By Dallas Robinson | at January 23, 2018 5:48 pm

Today’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

Claimed off waivers: WR Montay Crockett

New York Giants

Claimed off waivers: TE Kyle Carter

0 comments Houston Texans New York Giants Transactions Kyle Carter Montay Crockett

Updated 2018 NFL Draft Order

By Zachary Links | at January 21, 2018 9:16 pm

With the conference championship games in the books, we now know the draft order for 30 of the first round’s 32 picks. Here’s the rundown:

1. Cleveland Browns (0-16)

2. New York Giants (3-13)

3. Indianapolis Colts (4-12)

4. Cleveland Browns (via the 4-12 Houston Texans)

5. Denver Broncos (5-11)

6. New York Jets (5-11)

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)

8. Chicago Bears (5-11)

T-9. Oakland Raiders (6-10)

T-9. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) (Note: The Raiders and 49ers have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broken by a coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 9 and the other club receiving the No. 10 pick.)

11. Miami Dolphins (6-10)

12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)

13. Washington Redskins (7-9)

14. Green Bay Packers (7-9)

15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)

16. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)

17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)

18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)

19. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)

20. Detroit Lions (9-7)

21. Buffalo Bills (9-7)

22. Buffalo Bills (via the 10-6 Kansas City Chiefs)

23. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)

24. Carolina Panthers (11-5)

25. Tennessee Titans (9-7)

26. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)

27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)

28. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)

30. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)

31. (New England Patriots (13-3) or Philadelphia Eagles (13-3))

32. (New England Patriots (13-3) or Philadelphia Eagles (13-3))

20 comments 2018 NFL Draft Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets Newsstand Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

Texans Make Crennel Defensive Coordinator

By Micah Powell | at January 20, 2018 5:53 pm

The Texans didn’t have to look far to replace defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel, who left to become the Titans’ head coach on Saturday. The team will make assistant coach Romeo Crennel the new leader of the defense, a source tells The MMQB’s Albert Breer (Twitter link).

A longtime coach in the NFL, Crennel has spent the last four seasons in Houston as the team’s defensive coordinator (2014-16) and transitioned to an assistant head coach role in 2017 after the team moved Vrabel to defensive coordinator. In his final season as the team’s defensive coordinator, Houston allowed the fewest yards in the league.

Crennel rose to fame in New England and helped the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title in his first season as the team’s defensive coordinator (2001). He remained with the team through 2004, boasting three top-10 finishes in scoring defense, before joining the Browns as head coach. He spent four seasons at the helm in Cleveland and delivered the team’s last 10-win campaign (2007) before joining the Chiefs as defensive coordinator. The following season, he ascended to head coach and remained with Kansas City for two more seasons.

The transition back to defensive coordinator will be a smooth one for Crennel, who was still heavily involved with the defense in 2017, FOX 26’s Mark Berman reports (Twitter link).

Crennel should benefit from the return of J.J. Watt, who was sidelined for much of the 2017 campaign with an injury.

6 comments Houston Texans Newsstand Romeo Crennel

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