The Houston Texans might be planning yet another defensive back signing, although this one would come with some major controversy. Former Detroit Lions first-round pick Terrion Arnold, who is facing a maximum of life in prison due to being charges with felonies that include kidnapping and armed robbery, is on DeMeco Ryans' radar.
In a court hearing on Friday morning, Nicole Lynn, Arnold's agent, said that the Texans are one of four teams (including the Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, and Seattle Seahawks) that have shown interest in Arnold. Lynn said that Arnold, who she expects to be signed in the next 45 days, has worked out with the Texans, implying they have more interest in him than anyone else.
It seems hard to believe that a Houston franchise that has completely changed the culture in recent seasons would be willing to invite a tsunami of controversy by brining in someone not worth all the extra noise in Arnold.
Texans need to stay away from Terrion Arnold amid reported interest
The Texans' secondary ranks among the best in the league, and Arnold has allowed seven touchdowns in his 23 professional games while grading out poorly in the eyes of Pro Football Focus. His play on the field is not even a top-10 reason Houston should stay away, but it goes to show that Nick Caserio can't even use his performance as a justification.
Houston is fresh off dealing with the off-field noise CJ Gardner-Johnson brings to the table, and Jimmie Ward has had some legal problems of his own. The off-field hullabaloo would be cranked up to the max if they sign Arnold, which makes this signing even more unnecessary than it would have been even if Arnold were not facing such a lengthy prison stint.
After an offseason that was spent remaking CJ Stroud's offensive line for the better and reinforcing their status as the best defense in the AFC, would it really be prudent to immediately attract controversy by signing someone who is facing such a scary legal situation? The front office would be called into question.
Arnold wouldn't start on the Texans defense, carries a damoclean legal situation that could bring an end of his football career and would serve as a momentum-killer who would dominate discussion after a very productive offseason. It's hard to see a situation where turns out to be anything other than a colossal error for the Texans.
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