Move pays off for Bouye
Ex-Texans cornerback went to Jaguars as a free agent, giving himself path to Pro Bowl and shot at Super Bowl
Mirroring receivers’ routes, matching their speed while anticipating quarterbacks’ throws, A.J. Bouye has become an expert at shadowing the most explosive players in the game.
The job requirements for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Pro Bowl cornerback involves plenty of game-impacting decisions made on the fly.
Another more contemplative choice Bouye made nearly a year ago has had a major impact on his life, bank account and the fortunes of two NFL franchises.
By choosing the Jaguars as a free agent in March when he signed a five-year, $67.5 million contract that included $26 million guaranteed and a $10 million signing bonus, Bouye became a multimillionaire as the Texans were outbid for his services.
The former undrafted free agent from Central Florida helped transform the Jaguars into one of the NFL’s top defenses. Without Bouye in their secondary and depleted by injuries to J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus, the Texans plummeted from first in total defense the previous season to last in the NFL in points allowed per game.
Bouye had a career-high six interceptions and was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time as the Jaguars won the AFC South Division title. They take on the New England Patriots and star quarterback Tom Brady on Sunday in the AFC championship game at Gillette Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Texans finished 4-12 overall, falling from first to worst in the AFC South as they were swept by the Jaguars and still haven’t adequately replaced Bouye’s ball-hawking presence.
No regrets over decision
Instead of using the franchise tag to retain Bouye, the Texans let the Georgia native walk as he strengthened a suddenly formidable division rival that features arguably the top cornerback tandem in the NFL in Bouye and Jalen Ramsey.
Bouye didn’t want to leave the Texans, but ahe has no regrets about his decision to choose the Jaguars over competing offers from them, the Chicago Bears and Tennessee Titans. He emphasized he has no hard feelings.
“Oh yeah, I definitely 100 percent wanted to come back to Houston,” Bouye said this week during a telephone interview from the Jaguars’ training facility. “Things didn’t work out. My agent told me what they said as far as being told I was looked at as their fourth-best corner. It was like, ‘Why give him that money?’
“I could see how the organization and the coaches looked at me. It was nothing personal, but I knew they would count me out. Jacksonville didn’t even offer the most money. Chicago offered the most. Something told me to go with Jacksonville. I like their talent. It was closer to home, and it’s in the division. I’m happy here.”
The Jaguars are extremely pleased with their investment in Bouye, paying him an average of $13.5 million per year.
Besides recording 56 tackles and ranking third in the NFL with 17 passes defended, Bouye yielded opposing quarterbacks to generate a combined 36.1 passer rating while throwing in his direction. That ranked a recordfirst among all cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
Throughout his journey from obscurity, Bouye hasn’t lost his motivational fuel despite the validation of being named to the Pro Bowl.
“When I talk to a lot of players around the league after games, they tell me, ‘You don’t get a lot of credit, people sleep on you,’ ” Bouye said. “I don’t pay attention to that, but it shows the ones who are playing and coaching in the games have a lot of respect.
“I keep that chip on my shoulder. It keeps motivating you. At the end of the day, this game is about respect. I’ve been looking for that for a long time.”
Like Bouye, the Jaguars tend to be overlooked. The Pittsburgh Steelers made that mistake in the AFC divisional round. So have other teams that have doubted a resurgent franchise.
“I think it’s because we’re winning this year and people are used to looking to the past and not looking to now and to the future,” Bouye said. “People from the outside looking in consider us the old Jaguars. All we can do is keep fighting. We know the work we put in as a team and individually.
“You can say it’s swagger, but we just have confidence, and we love to make plays. We don’t get the respect we deserve. I guess you could say we have a chip on our shoulder.”
Bouye didn’t allow a touchdown pass until giving up one to Antonio Brown in the win over the Steelers. He led the NFL in Pro Bowl fan balloting among cornerbacks with 319,638 votes.
It was a testament to his work ethic as Bouye has made major strides in terms of upper body strength and flexibility.
“Bouye coming over here, he’s a little bit different,” Jaguars coach Doug Marrone told reporters this week. “His path was different than Jalen’s. His was a path of outworking and making himself into the player he is, which is an outstanding player.”
Another chance at Brady
In the playoffs a year ago with the Texans, Bouye and the defense fell short while giving Brady trouble as he intercepted him once.
Now, Brady is nursing a hand injury suffered in practice. Although listed as questionable, Brady is expected to play. Bouye is looking forward to another shot at the former Super Bowl and NFL Most Valuable Player.
“It’s a very important game because it’s the next game,” Bouye said. “Houston last year, we didn’t capitalize on the opportunity. I know how tough it is to win in New England. We’re one step closer to our goals, and New England is in our way. If you don’t believe you’re going to win, why are you even playing? We know what we’re capable of.
“With Brady, we definitely know how he attacks individual players, and we have to adapt our scheme and play 60 minutes allout. With him, you can’t get take your foot off the gas pedal. We have to capitalize on every play. To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.”
Bouye has grown in his comfort level since leaving the Texans. He challenges receivers aggressively.
He’s enjoying the financial security that he can now provide for his family, especially his daughter, a fixture on his social media.
“It’s definitely a lot easier when you feel like the coaches trust you more and you don’t have to look over your shoulder,” Bouye said. “This year, was more about focusing on what I can do to help the team and not worry about this or that.
“I’ve learned the scheme, and that’s why the plays are starting to come. I got much better from a technique standpoint and physically. My ceiling is still high.”