The Matthew Judon saga is taking some turns in New England. The multi-time Pro Bowler is holding out for a modified contract, and things are getting testy. It seems the coaches are unhappy with him, as we saw with head coach Jared Mayo's conversation with Judon recently, and Judon seems to be nonplussed about the whole situation as well. The New England Patriots have offered him a revised deal but Judon doesn't appear to be interested, at least not yet.
It has caused some rampant speculation that Judon could be traded sooner rather than later. If so, the Houston Texans would be wise to try and land the pass rusher, as he'd be able to play linebacker for the club. Coupled that with the likes of Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, and you'd have a Cerberus of sack artists out there ripping and tearing apart offenses until it was over.
Yet, Bleacher Report doesn't think the Texans make sense for a hypnotical landing spot for Judon.
Admittedly, they aren't wrong. While they don't mention the Texans at all, the fact that they excluded them says all one needs to say. The Texans don't run a 3-4 defense that would utilize Judon as a pass-rusher. Usually, those are the defenses that key in on guys like Judon. They're hybrid players, not as big as some defensive ends, but not as fast as some linebackers. Yet it is still big enough and fast enough to cause problems.
The Texans don't blitz linebackers that often, relying more on the front four to cause issues. That doesn't mean the Texans couldn't adapt to a guy like Judon. Considering how poor the linebacking corp is currently and what Judon could bring to it as a hybrid player, would be a huge improvement. He's got the size, the speed, the skillset.
Plus, he'd be able to help carry the Texans a bit until Denico Autry gets back from suspension. He was going to play a major part in the Texans pass-rushing attack. Without him, there's no one to attack up the middle. If Judon is brought in, he could. He could blitz down the A and B gaps, giving Anderson and Hunter a few fewer guys to worry about.
It's an odd fit at first, but if you realize how adaptable he is and how much the Texans need a force at the second level, it becomes far more obvious the apparent fit could be.