Houston Texans Urged to Sign Intriguing Veteran Free Agent

The Houston Texans seem positioned to field one of the top defenses in the NFL this season, but there might be one more upgrade in store in the defensive backfield.

The Texans don’t have a definitive answer to replace the recently retired Ronald Darby, which has had the franchise linked to several veteran free agent options. ESPN’s Aaron Schatz recently suggested that the Texans should pursue former Buffalo Bill Rasul Douglas to fill out the depth at cornerback.

Douglas, 29, struggled last season with the Bills allowing 72.9% of passes against his receivers to be completed for 518 and four touchdowns through 15 games. His struggles seemed to exist everywhere but Green Bay, where in three seasons he only allowed 59% of passes to be completed.

Schatz said just two seasons ago, Douglas ranked third in the league in his own coverage metrics and suggested that DeMeco Ryans and his staff can bring out the best in Douglas.

Of course, the Texans already possess one of the NFL’s best cornerback duos with Derek Stingley, Jr., and Kamari Lassiter. Jalen Pitre will likely fit as the nickel back while C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Calen Bullock man the backend at safety. The starting defensive back group is rock solid, so a player like Douglas would simply provide veteran insurance.

The Texans recently signed former first-round pick Damon Arnette, who flamed out of the league with off-the-field troubles. He rebuilt his career in the UFL, but he’s not a lock to make the final 53-man roster after training camp. 

Houston’s other reserves at cornerback are Tremon Smith and Myles Bryant. Smith spent last season on the practice squad and has only seen 37 targets in his seven-year career, and is mostly a special teams hand. Bryant saw over 200 targets in four seasons with New England, but just eight in Houston last season.

Douglas might not be the flashiest signing at this stage of the offseason with guys like Jaire Alexander and (likely) Jalen Ramsey moving around the league, but the Texans don’t necessarily need that kind of guy. Douglas is, at the very least, a guy who could step in on a short-term basis if Stingley, Lassiter, or Pitre on the inside deal with any sort of health-related setback during the season.