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Texans Player Transaction DISCUSSION Thread

I think he’s a very similar player to Zach Cunningham although i’d say Speed is better in coverage than Cunningham was… by no means elite in coverage but Cunningham was consistently bad at that throughout his career.

The missed tackles I think are partially because he’s got such good length and he is instinctive so gets to the ball quickly. He gets in tackling position when some players wouldn’t even be able to be in a position to make the play (like Cunningham).

Can he improve? Absolutely. And I think this is as good a spot as any to do so with two of the best LB coaches in the league in Bill Davis and DeMeco Ryans. To’o To’o made significant improvement in this area last season for example.

Speed was much better in coverage in 2023. I hope the 2024 numbers were more a product of the entire Colts defense taking a step back and he’ll improve with a much better supporting cast in Houston.
I'll trust Ryan's on this one.
 
Speed wanted to be here. He knows what DeMeco can do for his career. Look at Zach Baun in Philly last year. They put him in the best position to succeed, and boy did he as an all-pro. I seriously doubt we are looking at an all-pro, but DeMeco can get the best that he’s got…and that’s good enough for me.
 
His missed tackle percentage last year was 10.7%, 130th highest. The year before, 12.1%, 95th highest. Compare that to Pitre who had a 17.1% missed tackle rate last year, which was 15th highest
So now we have two poor tacklers? I remember Sharper and Foreman were always among the league leaders in tackles on the early Texans teams. But they were making tackles 5 yards or more down the field. Speed is making tackles (when he's not missing them), but where? The Colts were 29th in defense last year, and didn't ask Speed back. Maybe he plays a lot better in Houston. But I'm going to remain concerned until Speed does.
 
So now we have two poor tacklers? I remember Sharper and Foreman were always among the league leaders in tackles on the early Texans teams. But they were making tackles 5 yards or more down the field. Speed is making tackles (when he's not missing them), but where? The Colts were 29th in defense last year, and didn't ask Speed back. Maybe he plays a lot better in Houston. But I'm going to remain concerned until Speed does.
He's a good backup LB that is a ST's contributor. I see Speed and Too Too in the same light.
 
So now we have two poor tacklers? I remember Sharper and Foreman were always among the league leaders in tackles on the early Texans teams. But they were making tackles 5 yards or more down the field. Speed is making tackles (when he's not missing them), but where? The Colts were 29th in defense last year, and didn't ask Speed back. Maybe he plays a lot better in Houston. But I'm going to remain concerned until Speed does.

Sure, high tackle numbers doesn't always equate to getting the job done, especially if you are making those tackles 5, 8, 10 yards downfield. What it usually means is you're playing a position with the most opportunities to make tackles. And where Speed makes those tackles, I don't know. I don't know of a place that has that info, nor do I watch enough Colts games to see with my eyes. But his missed tackles were brought up and again, 1 per game for as many opportunities as he gets, doesn't seem like a lot.

And we both know player movement isn't always about performance. Ballard lets him go and Nick picks him up. What does that mean?
 
Any thoughts @CloakNNNdagger?
Pitre had tore his pec Nov. 20 last season. His MRI demonstrated a partial tear. The Texans sat on the injury for 3 weeks hoping that he could avoid surgery..............which he couldn't. In an elite athlete, especially one that raises his arms regularly to defend a pass and tackling, both maneuvers usually against significant resistance, places the pectoralis routinely under great stress........................these athletes have no business ever being considered for the non surgical route, as this typically results in high rate of re-tear. The delay in surgery probably has extended his recovery. Studies have shown that ~85% of NFL players with this type of injury will return to play in ~4-6 months. Pitre is 4 months out, but it sounds like he will not return before at least preseason (~7 months post op). Studies further show that defensive players have a greater decrease in performance post repair. In particular, DB's as a group demonstrated only a 33% return to play............at ~50% decrease in performance compared to pre-injury.

I'm wishing Pitre a full recovery and a recovery of higher performance than seen in previous NFL studies. And as I have posted in the past, if he intends to stay on the field, he better drop his arm tackles unless he wants to end up even worse than before.
 
Did Pitre have a pectoral injury in the 2023 season opener vs the Ravens? Maybe a deep bruise? Wondering if this was the same pec and if it could have led to last year's injury?
Pitre sustained a bruised lung vs. the Ravens in Week 1 of the 2023 season. He was checked out afterward and returned to play in Week 4. That injury was due to a direct blow to the chest............not an overstretching of the pec, which is required for a pre pec tear. Furthermore, Pitre's tear was of the proximal pectoral tendon..............not the muscle. So even if the pec muscle was also bruised at the time of the lung bruise in 2023, It is extremely unlikely that this injury had any effect on his subsequent pectoral tear.
 
Pitre sustained a bruised lung vs. the Ravens in Week 1 of the 2023 season. He was checked out afterward and returned to play in Week 4. That injury was due to a direct blow to the chest............not an overstretching of the pec, which is required for a pre pec tear. Furthermore, Pitre's tear was of the proximal pectoral tendon..............not the muscle. So even if the pec muscle was also bruised at the time of the lung bruise in 2023, It is extremely unlikely that this injury had any effect on his subsequent pectoral tear.
IIRC when Pitre went down, announcers reminded of Damar Hamlin.
 
Yep and allow me to add to this great signing
  • Texans signed CB/S Jalen Pitre to a three-year, $39 million extension.
    NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports the deal has $29.156 million in guarantees. Pitre missed the back half of last season with a pectoral tear, but excelled in his new role as Texans nickel corner with a career-best 71.3 PFF coverage grade. This isn’t a needle-moving re-signing, but clearly Houston valued their slot corner highly to get this done ahead of the draft. Pitre was set to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2025.
    Transaction
    5h ago
    Source: Ian Rapoport
 
Yep and allow me to add to this great signing
  • Texans signed CB/S Jalen Pitre to a three-year, $39 million extension.
    NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports the deal has $29.156 million in guarantees. Pitre missed the back half of last season with a pectoral tear, but excelled in his new role as Texans nickel corner with a career-best 71.3 PFF coverage grade. This isn’t a needle-moving re-signing, but clearly Houston valued their slot corner highly to get this done ahead of the draft. Pitre was set to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2025.
    Transaction
    5h ago
    Source: Ian Rapoport
The secondary is set. Could see a depth choice in the draft day 3 but they’ve got the starters locked in this season. Maybe next season as well, I believe CJGJ has two years remaining on his contract.

CB Stingley
FS Bullock
SS CJGJ
CB Lassiter
Nickel: Pitre

Reserves: Ward, Darby

Don’t think there are many teams that can match this DB room. Especially when you factor in the league’s best edge rusher rotation.
 
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Wow. Highest paid nickelback in the NFL We’re not going to have any money left over for WAjr or Stroud at this rate.
 
All in all, Nick has done a reasonably good job with the cap. I’d like to get Howard and especially Schultz off the books. But no GM is perfect. I think the general idea is lock in your core guys early before the market sets the rate even higher. This is a pretty good strategy overall, but I do have some concern over Pitre and his long term health.
 
All in all, Nick has done a reasonably good job with the cap. I’d like to get Howard and especially Schultz off the books. But no GM is perfect. I think the general idea is lock in your core guys early before the market sets the rate even higher. This is a pretty good strategy overall, but I do have some concern over Pitre and his long term health.
Whelp, the Texans must be fine with it - they just extended him for 3 years and $39m
 
He has been really good in the NFL the last 2 or 3 years especially in 2024.
Are we talking about the same player?????

He can't block, he hasn't ever been able to gain separation and he is well known for dropping passes when crucial.

None of this will improve after having undergone a knee meniscus repair in 2021 where he essentially missed the season. Last season where he essentially spent all but the last few games on the PS, he didn't accumulate any stats except for 1 reception for 2yd in the playoffs. His performance after his meniscus repair in 2021 to say the least has been lackluster.
 
Are we talking about the same player?????

He can't block, he hasn't ever been able to gain separation and he is well known for dropping passes when crucial.

None of this will improve after having undergone a knee meniscus repair in 2021 where he essentially missed the season. Last season where he essentially spent all but the last few games on the PS, he didn't accumulate any stats except for 1 reception for 2yd in the playoffs. His performance after his meniscus repair in 2021 to say the least has been lackluster.
For some reason my 😉 didn't stick.
He is a camp body if that and I think most people said "who" when they read his name.
 
Andrews never suited up this season and was placed on the active/PUP list after training camp began, then moved to IR in August. The Troy product was expected to be New England's starting center this season, but it sounds like he'll have the opportunity to take back that role in 2025.
They got Jared Wilson from Georgia in the 3rd which made Andrews expendable
 
Andrews never suited up this season and was placed on the active/PUP list after training camp began, then moved to IR in August. The Troy product was expected to be New England's starting center this season, but it sounds like he'll have the opportunity to take back that role in 2025.
Sounds like New England chose to go a different direction. This certainly wasn't a cap casualty.
 
Houston Chronicle April 29 2025 today

This made some sense of possibilities after the draft so I'm with the staff writer
View attachment 15504
Here he has Houston Texans 53-man roster projection: How the depth chart shakes out after NFL draft
I would not be surprised if Tank does not make it through his contract with the Texans............trade to a wishful naive team or outright release.
 
Houston Chronicle April 29 2025 today

This made some sense of possibilities after the draft so I'm with the staff writer
View attachment 15504
Here he has Houston Texans 53-man roster projection: How the depth chart shakes out after NFL draft

Good overview of the roster post draft. Defense is stacked. The depth on this year’s unit would be significant starters on half the teams in the league.

Feel good about CJ’s weapons going into the year. The elephant in the room is the OL of course… We sure could use some of those young OL developing and making a big leap this season.
 
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