Texans expected to land coveted defender in free agency
Head coach Demeco Ryans is reportedly bringing an old friend to Houston.
The Houston Texans have been active during the NFL's legal tampering period.
While deals cannot be officially signed until Wednesday, March 15th, teams are free to negotiate and agree to terms with players as of today.
The Texans have clearly prioritized defense thus far. The team has reportedly agreed to deals with Chase Winovich and Hassan Ridgeway, and have also re-signed safety MJ Stewart.
The team continued that trend on Monday night. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Texans are expected to land safety Jimmie Ward.
Ward spent the first nine seasons of his career patrolling the secondary in San Francisco. Ryans was in San Francisco with Ward for six of those nine seasons, so the two are very familiar.
Ward finished the 2022 season with three interceptions, which was good for third-most on the team. The veteran also had 50 tackles, five passes defended, and two QB hits.
Ward will, at the very least, provide veteran leadership and versatility to the Texans' DB room. Ward will join the aforementioned Stewart, along with rising star Jalen Pitre and Eric Murray.
Ryans is hoping to improve a Texans' defense that finished 30th in opponent yards per game in 2022. The activity of the tampering period shows that the Texans' brass are prioritizing defensive additions.
