It Sounds Like Eric Reid Could End Up Signing With the Houston Texans

After the departure of Johnathan Joseph in free agency, the Houston Texans have a missing veteran role in the heart of its secondary to fill. Joseph was the franchise leader in interceptions and commands respect in any NFL locker room. Now, Texans head coach Bill O'Brien must find a way to replace that voice, and one option that has recently surfaced is worth a long look: Eric Reid.

Eric's brother, Justin Reid, has been with the Texans for the last two seasons, and has been a solid defensive asset for Houston.Justin is now suggesting that Eric, a seven-year NFL veteran, would be willing to join the Texans and provide help in the secondary.

Texans safety Justin Reid said he has spoken to Bill O'Brien about his brother, free agent Eric Reid, potentially joining him as a teammate. Said O'Brien was very positive about his brother. Whether something will develop remains unclear, though
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 2, 2020

With Bill O'Brien not initially resistant to the idea, this would be a smart pick-up in an otherwise disastrous offseason for the head coach and de facto GM of the Texans. Eric Reid, who was released in March after spending his last two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, still has some quality years left in him. He recorded his best tackling season to date in 2019, recording a career-high 130 combined tackles with 97 solo.

While his pass coverage isn't his strongest attribute on defense, his ability to be sure-handed when wrapping up a ball carrier would permit Houston to be flexible with him when scheming against the run. That will be music to the ears of the Houston front office, as the Texans defense was ranked 25th in the NFL in rush yards allowed per game.

PFF also ranks Eric Reid 2nd amongst ALL NFL safeties in solo tackles. He led Panthers is solo tackles. It seems clear other formulas for safeties undervalue tackling. For safeties, a missed tackle is more likely to result in a TD, as if we don’t see that all the time. https://t.co/2Tz6kmkvcg
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) March 18, 2020

After his high-profile trade that stunningly sent DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona, Bill O'Brien could use a nice rebound with a solid addition in free agency. Signing Eric Reid could help the Texans address an area of need and calm down a bit of fan anxiety, so it's something they need to consider.