Safeties are in good position
Reid, Gipson, Addae and Moore provide good combination of youth, experience to position
Reid, Gipson, Addae and Moore have things covered.
Let’s save coach Bill O’Brien and his personnel department some time when they are trying to figure out the Texans’ 53-man roster. Barring injury, safety is already solidified. His top four are set.
Starters Justin Reid and Tashaun Gipson Sr. and backups Jahleel Addae and A.J. Moore — an impressive combination of youth and experience, and, most important, talent.
“I like our safeties,” O’Brien said after practice Saturday.
“Reid is one of the better safeties in the league. Gipson has been a great addition. He’s an impressive guy that’s good in man coverage. Addae’s doing well, another good addition. Moore’s been excellent on special teams. He’s smart, tough and dependable guy, and that’s what the Texans are looking for.”
Reid (22) and Moore (23) provide the youth, Addae (29) and Gipson (28) the experience.
Reid and Moore arrived last year as rookies. Gipson and Addae, who have a combined 15 years of experience, were signed as free agents in the offseason.
Gipson knows the Texans well. After leaving Cleveland for Jacksonville, he started every game against the Texans the last two years.
“Top to bottom, this is one of, if not the, best group of safeties I’ve been a part of,” Gipson said. “When we’ve got three safeties on the field, I think we can match up with anybody in the league.
“Our skill sets match up so well. Not many safeties are as interchangeable as we are. We have a chance to do something really special.”
Last season, Reid was a thirdround pick who played like a first-round draft choice. He should be even better this season.
As a rookie, his partner at safety was Tyrann Mathieu, who signed with Kansas City in the offseason. Gipson replaced Mathieu.
Reid was asked about playing with Gipson compared with Mathieu.
“Mathieu is more finesse,” he said. “Me (6-1, 203 pounds) and Gip (6-1, 212) have more similar body types. We’re both bigger guys. We both stack up well against tight ends.
“Tyrann also had the ability to play the nickel, so we used to send him on a lot of blitzes. We used to send him on a lot of rushes. He even played our dime position. Me and Gip are more interchangeable. We’re almost a bit of the same person in a way.”
As good as the safeties have been, they’ve still got a long way to go in practice and preseason to develop the communication and cohesion they’ll need as the last line of defense.
They spend a lot of time listening to Crennel and defensive backs coach Anthony Midget.
“We’re starting to jell,” Reid said. “The preseason games are going to help a lot because we’ll actually see what guys are like (with) live bullets. We’re able to have some game experience, guys talking together.
“We’re starting to build chemistry (and) become closer, especially in the DB room. We have our own individual handshakes with one another. We’re starting to become more like brothers. We keep spending more time together and getting closer as a group.”
Addae, who played his first six years with the Los Angeles Chargers, started every game the last two seasons. He’s replaced the retired Andre Hal as the first safety off the bench.
Addae (5-10, 195) is built like a cornerback but hits like a safety. He can play deep or around the line of scrimmage. He’ll take on whatever responsibilities the coaches have for him.
“Gipson and Reid are phenomenal players,” Addae said. “I’ll stick my nose in there and do whatever they need for me to do. We have a lot of depth in the secondary. If we keep working hard and jelling, we can be where we need to be.”
Where the safeties need to be is at the back end of a refurbished secondary that’ll revitalize pass coverage that disintegrated at the end of last season.