NFL Rumors: Houston Texans likely to sign Earl Thomas
The 0-3 Houston Texans are bringing in All-Pro safety Earl Thomas for a workout this week, with the likely chance of the team signing him to a contract according to Adam Schefter.
Earl Thomas was released by the Baltimore Ravens late in August, after an altercation occured during team practice. He reportedly punched Ravens' safety Chuck Clark, which was severe enough for the Ravens to release him two days later. Thomas had signed a four-year, $55 million contract with the Ravens in March of 2019 after playing 9 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
In his single season as a Raven, Earl Thomas racked up 32 tackles, his first 2 sacks since coming into the league in 2010, 1 forced fumble, and 2 interceptions. It was certainly a comeback season for him, as Thomas suffered a broken leg in Week 4 of the 2018 season and was forced out for the rest of the season.
NFL Rumours: Is this move good for Earl Thomas?
Earl Thomas has not seen much interest from teams since his release back in August. A few teams that reportedly had interest were the Dallas Cowboys and the New England Patriots. But outside of that, no team brought Thomas in for a workout.
With that being said, Earl Thomas must be eager to get onto the field and show his previous team why releasing him was a bad idea. Houston Texans could be the team which benefits the most from this
The Baltimore Ravens, however, are doing just fine defensively without Thomas, being ranked 4th in the league for total yards allowed.
NFL Rumors: Is this a good move for the Houston Texans?
The Houston Texans are deseparate for a win. The defense is certainly lackluster and not helping the Texans' case for getting into the playoffs. Both offensively and defensively, the team is struggling. Star quarterback Deshaun Watson no longer has his top receiver in DeAndre Hopkins anymore and continues to deal with a horrible offensive line.
Defensively, the Houston Texans do not have any big name players aside from defensive end J.J. Watt, who himself has expressed his frustration about the team's inability to perform on both sides of the ball.
While Earl Thomas is 31 years old, here you can see what kind of impact he can bring to a defense just by positioning the other players around on a snap.
While Earl Thomas won't help the Houston Texans' run defense, it will help solidify the secondary that consists of safeties Eric Murray, Justin Reid, and cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, who have allowed 199.3 yards per game and are ranked 3rd overall through Week 3.
Houston Texans fans are calling for head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien to be fired, which they certainly have the right to say considering the potential and talent being wasted. Could it be possible that the team trades for some defensive help before the trade deadline? Knowing how O'Brien is, it could be the opposite and the league instead sees Watt being traded instead by the Houston Texans.