All the talk this summer was about how the Houston Texans needed to add Xavien Howard and bolster their secondary. However that didn’t happen, and the Texans put their trust in the acquisitions of Kamari Lassiter, Jeff Okudah, and C.J. Henderson.
Unfortunately, neither Okudah nor Henderson made the roster, and it was just reported that Lassiter would miss the next few games with a shoulder injury, as Aaron Wilson reported on Saturday. The Texans’ cornerback depth is being tested right now, and there’s nobody on this roster to trust next to Derek Stingley Jr.
The Texans could go multiple different ways to fix the issue, either signing a veteran in free agency, or adding via trade. Let’s take a look at three corners they could add to get them through these few games.
Patrick Peterson
Patrick Peterson is 34 years old and is in his 14th NFL season. Having played for three different teams over that span, Peterson isn’t ready to hang up the cleats just yet. His production may have fallen off from what we saw in Arizona, but he’s still a good enough player to get Houston through the games that Lassiter misses.
Once he returns from his injury, Peterson will be able to stick around as a good veteran voice in a young secondary, and will provide good depth over the guys Houston is currently putting their trust in.
Kaiir Elam
Not a free agent, but the Buffalo Bills could make their former first-round pick available this year. All off-season, Bills fans heard about how Kaiir Elam was having a great summer, and this was his year to make an impact in the secondary. Well, he’s currently the fourth boundary corner, behind third-year UDFA Ja’Marcus Ingram, and Elam is playing on special teams. The Bills may finally decide to cut ties with the 23-year-old and give both sides a fresh start.
Elam is still on his rookie deal and could be a great addition for the Texans, even after Lassiter comes back. Houston needs some good depth in the secondary, and Elam could provide that. This would be a win-win for both sides, as it gives Elam a new opportunity to succeed, and it gives the Texans a cheap young corner with starting experience until they get Lassiter back.
JC Jackson
We mentioned JC Jackson as one of the top 20 best available free agents before training camp and the Texans may be at the point now where they’re going to come calling. Out of these three options, Jackson isn’t the most appealing.
However, he’s still going to give you enough to get through the month or so without Lassiter, and at the very least, he’ll knock one of the current Texans corners down on the depth chart afterward.