The Houston Texans news is they and Timmy Jernigan have no deal, so who is next?
It could have been very exciting Houston Texans news to have had Timmy Jernigan on the roster for the 2020 NFL season. All seemed to have been set for the nose tackle to join a defensive line that included future Hall of Fame selection J.J. Watt and others, but it is not happening now.
On Twitter Tuesday night, Jernigan said wrote about not joining the Texans franchise now, as there is now no deal between the two parties. Earlier this offseason, the Texans news was that Jernigan and Houston had in principal for a one-year contract worth $3.25 million.
Now a couple months later and time to reflect, the Texans news for Jernigan and the franchise is they won’t be a unit; rather, Jernigan will be a free agent once again.
Grant Gordon of NFL.com reported in a recent article that Jernigan hadn’t had a physical with the Texans this offseason but had been cleared by a medical professional:
"“Having played in only 13 games over the previous two seasons due to neck and foot injuries, Jernigan was previously cleared by spinal specialist Robert Watkins.”"
Now what should be next for the Texans and their defensive tackle depth chart? Currently on the roster for the Texans are Eddie Vanderdoes, Ross Blacklock and Auzoyah Alufohai, according to OurLads.com.
Houston Texans News: Ross Blacklock is the future of the defensive line
The player whom the Texans news headlines need to be the star and standout from the pack is rookie second-round pick Ross Blacklock. The TCU product was a highly touted draft prospect in April. Blacklock could start for the Texans as a rookie, or if nothing else, be a big part of the Texans defensive game plan each and every week.
But the question is: do the Texans need to add a veteran player to take over the role they seemingly wanted Jernigan to have? The question has to be yes for the short-term, because the Texans need to make sure they have depth in the lineup this season, especially since D.J. Reader won’t be returning either after going to the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency.
The good thing for the Texans if they do decide to find a veteran nose tackle in free agency is there are still some quality players who are available most likely for a one-year deal.
Houston has the option to stay pat where they are with their current players on the roster, or they can look at the next three veterans and see if they could provide the play needed for this defense to recover after not signing Jernigan and losing Reader all in the same offseason.