Houston Texans still revamping secondary with Jahleel Addae signing

The reigning AFC South champions have a lot of new faces in the defensive backfield. And now the Houston Texans are adding safety Jahleel Addae.

There’s little doubt that the Houston Texans had two major priorities this offseason when it came to improving their team. The defending AFC South champions managed an 11-5 record (after a 0-3 start), despite the fact that quarterback Deshaun Watson was sacked 62 times. And only four teams in the league allowed more passing yards per game than Bill O’Brien’s club.

In terms of the latter, the club has already undergone massive changes in terms of personnel. Former first-round cornerback Kevin Johnson was released this offseason and wound up latching on with the Buffalo Bills. Another former first-round selection, Kareem Jackson, left via free agency and signed with the Denver Broncos.

Meanwhile, after one season in Houston, talented safety Tyrann Mathieu took his talents to Kansas City. And comeback story Andre Hal opted for retirement.

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Enter the replacements. Free safety Tashaun Gipson, but loose by the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this year, is now a member of the Texans. General manager Brian Gaine also dipped into the free-agent twice when it came to cornerback, adding Bradley Roby (Denver Broncos) and Briean Boddy-Calhoun (Cleveland Browns). During last week’s draft, the club added two more corners in Lonnie Johnson (2-Kentucky) and Xavier Crawford (6-Central Michigan).

Now comes word that Gaine and the organization have secured the services of veteran strong safety Jahleel Addae, who was cut loose by the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason. The 29-year old pro was a 16-game starter each of the past two seasons for the Bolts.

He adds depth to Houston’s defensive backfield behind Gipson and Justin Reid. He’ll actually be more of an asset when it comes to run support. And he offers the Texans six years of NFL experience, a plus considering the team has its share of young performers in this area.

With a front seven that includes defensive end J.J. Watt and linebackers Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus and Benardrick McKinney, the Texans need to get a lot more out of their secondary. Coordinator Romeo Crennel needs to put all of these new pieces together and find the right combination if the team is to not only progress from a year ago but hold off the surging Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South.