Houston Texans add depth at LB with Jalen Reeves-Maybin signing

The Houston Texans made a signing at linebacker on Thursday.

Thursday saw the Houston Texans make a signing at linebacker, as they added the services of Jalen Reeves-Maybin with a two-year contract, according to NFL.com.

Tom Pelissero of NFL.com says the signing for two years is for $7.5 million, as this depth signing will help the Houston Texans stay ahead of the curve for their linebacker depth chart as Reeves-Maybin has five seasons of NFL experience, all with the Detroit Lions.

In those five seasons, Reeves-Maybin has 14 career starts, with 11 of those starts this past season.

He’s totaled 0.5 sacks in his career, along with having six career passes defensed, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, eight tackles for loss, three QB hits and 123 solo tackles in his five seasons with the Lions.

In the NFL.com free agency report for Thursday, it says the following about the former Detroit linebacker concerning his new contract with the Texans:

"“Reeves-Maybin makes $5 million fully guaranteed at signing and can earn up to $9 million with incentives.”"

Houston Texans: Reeves-Maybin will be entering his sixth NFL season

Reeves-Maybin is a former fourth-round pick in 2017, and this past season was the first real chance he had at being a starter in the NFL, finishing with a career-high 53 solo tackles in 2021, as his previous career-high was 28 in 2019.

This signing comes on the same day that former Houston Texans linebacker Jacob Martin signed with the New York Jets in free agency.

What will be interesting to watch for is how Reeves-Maybin fits into the 4-3 Tampa 2 defense of head coach Lovie Smith, as he’s also calling the shots on defense. In ’21, Reeves-Maybin was targeted in pass coverage 38 times, allowing 26 receptions (68.4 percent), which equaled 7.2 yards per completion and 4.9 yards per target.

He also allowed two touchdown passes in coverage a season ago. In his pass rush abilities, he blitzed the quarterback 46 times in ’21, and he had two QB hurries, with one QB knockdown and three QB pressures.

General manager Nick Caserio continues to let players brought in by former regimes leave the franchise as he and the decision makers keep bringing in the players they want. Was this a signing like last season when Caserio brought in Christian Kirksey and he had maybe his best season to date?

If that happens with Reeves-Maybin, that will be exciting, but who knows how much of an opportunity he’ll get with the Houston Texans in 2022 because they are still figuring out the players who they believe will take them to the top of the mountain in the ensuing seasons.