The Texans have a new defensive coordinator in Wade Phillips and a new defensive backs coach in Vance Joseph, but they have an old problem - trouble at safety.
Last year's starters, Bernard Pollard and Eugene Wilson, won't be back. The Texans told both they didn't fit in Phillips' plans.
Pollard, who played strong safety for the last two seasons, was the team's leading tackler and hardest hitter. He set the tone for the defense with his hitting ability, but the Texans still ranked 30th in defense, including 32nd against the pass.
In 2009, when he was signed off the street after being waived by Kansas City, Pollard played extremely well. He allowed only three touchdown passes compared to eight last season.
Pollard fits best as a box safety because he's a hard hitter, a sure tackler and a good pass rusher. Phillips wants his safeties to be able to run and cover - almost interchangeable.
The Texans have two safeties on their roster with playing experience. Dominique Barber, younger brother of Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber, spent most of last season on injured reserve. He's a backup, at best.
Troy Nolan, who spent his rookie season on injured reserve, got a lot of playing time. He tied for the team lead with three interceptions. If the Texans had to play today, he would be the free safety and Barber the strong safety.
Fortunately, the Texans don't have to play today.
Nolan is best suited to play strong safety, but he might also be most valuable as a backup who excels on special teams - just like Barber.
Nolan seems to have more upside than Barber and can play around the line of scrimmage just as well. At 206 pounds, he's got room to grow.
Ideally, the Texans want to sign or draft a starting cornerback and move Glover Quin to free safety. If they're able to do that, they can focus on a strong safety in a middle round of the draft or sign a free agent.
The Texans have lacked a big-play safety since their inception. They believe Quin can become a Pro-Bowl free safety. Now they'd like to find that type of player to play strong safety, too.
One of the most difficult things to find are safeties who can hit, run and cover. It's rare when a team employs two with those strengths, but that's what the Texans are looking for in Phillips' first season.
If the Texans use a high draft choice on a cornerback and elect to move Quin to safety, they might take a strong safety as high as the fourth round. It's not a strong position in the first two rounds. It's not out of the question they'd go for one in the third round, but it's doubtful.
The feeling is that no matter who the Texans draft at cornerback, they won't know enough about him to move Quin before deep into training camp. That means they'll need to find a strong safety and a free safety in the draft and free agency.
—In their nine years of existence, the Texans have never had a big-time free safety. They believe they have a chance to have one this season, but odds are he won't be drafted or signed as a free agent.
Coach Gary Kubiak and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips would love to move third-year cornerback Glover Quin to free safety to fill a glaring need.
The coaches want a starting free safety who can run, has range, hits hard, is smart and doesn't make mental mistakes.
Last year's starter, Eugene Wilson, had a terrible season. He wasn't invited back. Now they have a hole at the last line of defense that must be filled.
If the Texans had to play today, they would have Troy Nolan at free safety and Dominique Barber at strong safety. Nolan is better suited for strong safety, though.
Phillips, who will use a 3-4, likes his safeties to hit and cover. When he was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, safety always seemed to be an issue. They don't want it to be an issue with the Texans, and they don't believe it will be if Quin is their man.
The coaches say Quin is their best cornerback. Kubiak says he thinks Quin has everything it takes to be a Pro-Bowl free safety. He has decent size (6-0, 205) and good speed (4.4s). He's smart. He hits hard, and he's got terrific instincts.
But Kubiak also says he won't move Quin unless they have another cornerback who can play as well or better. And they don't have one on the roster who appears to be able to replace Quin.
That's not to say under new secondary coach Vance Joseph that a current corner won't emerge to replace Quin. He would come from a group of Jason Allen, Brice McCain, Sherrick McManis and Antwaun Molden.
Before the labor unrest, the plan was to sign a veteran free agent to start opposite Kareem Jackson, last year's first-round pick. If the veteran played as well as the coaches expected, Quin would move to free safety.
Now, with free agency nowhere in sight, the Texans will try to get another corner in the draft, probably in the first two rounds. If they do, and he proves he's capable of starting, Quin can move.
It's going to be interesting in the draft if the Texans have a chance to select one of the top free safeties. It's a weak position at the top. No true free safety is projected as a first-round pick.
The top prospects are UCLA's Rahim Moore and Texas' Aaron Williams, who some project as a cornerback.
The Texans' primary need is a weak-side outside linebacker who can rush the quarterback. If they solve that need in the first round, they could be in position to draft Moore or Williams - or a cornerback—in the second.
If they went for Moore or Williams—and viewed Williams as a free safety - it would mean Quin could remain at corner.
—Ideally, the Texans would have solved their second-biggest need by signing a cornerback in free agency to start opposite Kareem Jackson, last year's first-round pick.
It looks as if the draft will come before free agency, so the Texans are planning to select a cornerback in one of the first two rounds.
Their most pressing need is an outside linebacker that can rush the quarterback in coordinator Wade Phillips' new 3-4 system. But they must get another cornerback to help avoid another disaster like last season when they were 30th in defense, including 32nd against the pass.
Their problems in the secondary happened after they allowed Dunta Robinson to leave as a free agent rather than using the franchise tag on him for a second consecutive season. Nobody was able to do a reasonable impersonation of Robinson, who helped Atlanta make the playoffs.
Phillips and coach Gary Kubiak would like to avoid a situation similar to last season when they were too young at corner. None of the top four, including starters Jackson and Glover Quin, had more than one year of experience.
Quin, who started the last 13 games of his rookie year in 2009, didn't allow a touchdown pass. He was the team's best corner last season, but he was beaten six times for touchdowns.
Jackson started every game and was second in the league behind Washington's DeAngelo Hall in yards allowed.
At one point, Brice McCain, playing in his second season, and fifth-round pick Sherrick McManis, were the nickel and dime corners. McCain had shown a lot of promise as a rookie but played so bad he was inactive down the stretch.
Jason Allen, signed early in the season when Miami waived him, earned a spot as the third corner.
The Texans went from a 9-7 record and allowing 19 touchdown passes to 6-10 and surrendering 33.
Like every team, the Texans would love to have Louisiana State cornerback Patrick Peterson, but they won't sacrifice the future by trading up high enough to get him. More than likely, if they select a cornerback, it'll be Nebraska's Prince Amukamara, who would be an instant starter with Jackson.
If general manager Rick Smith stays in the 11th spot, he won't reach on another corner. He could trade down or wait until the second round and try for Miami's Brandon Harris, Texas' Aaron Williams or New Mexico State's Davon House.
If Smith, Kubiak and Phillips get a corner they believe can start opposite Jackson, it would allow them to move Quin to free safety. Kubiak has said he believes Quin is good enough to become a Pro-Bowl free safety, but because he's still the team's best corner, they won't move him until they're certain a new corner is in place.
A projected starting secondary right now would have Jackson and a new corner as the starters with Quin at free safety and Troy Nolan or Dominique Barber at strong safety. Allen, McCain and McManus would be backup corners.
—After the 2009 season, Texans coach Gary Kubiak said they had to improve the running game and red-zone offense if they wanted to elevate their 9-7 record in 2010. The Texans had finished 30th in rushing, 12th in red-zone touchdowns and 25th in red-zone points.
Last season, the Texans were seventh in rushing because Arian Foster led the NFL with 1,626 yards. They improved to fifth in red-zone touchdowns and second in red-zone points. But their record dropped to 6-10, including a 2-8 finish, because the defense was horrendous - 30th overall, including 32nd against the run.
Kubiak vowed to improve the defense as he did the running game and red-zone offense a year ago. He fired defensive coordinator Frank Bush and replaced him with Wade Phillips, who is switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4. The Texans have glaring needs to fill in the draft and free agency.
"We have to improve our defense," Kubiak said. "You have no chance to be successful if you can only win one way. We can win a game 34-31, but we've got to get our team in position to win 10-7 if we have to."
Along those lines, the Texans must get an outside linebacker for the new 3-4 defense.
With Connor Barwin at one outside spot and DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing inside, the top priority going into the draft is finding the right player for a position that's crucial to make a 3-4 work.
Von Miller of Texas A&M would be ideal for what the Texans need, a weak-side linebacker who can rush the quarterback. Miller is so highly rated the Texans would have to trade up from the 11th spot to get him.
Robert Quinn of North Carolina and Aldon Smith of Missouri are other candidates for the Texans. Coming up strong after his Pro Day is Justin Houston of Georgia. Like Quinn and Smith, Houston could play end in a 4-3 or outside linebacker in a 3-4.
If the Texans were to fill a different need in the first round, they'd have to look seriously in the second round at Nevada's Dontay Moch or Texas' Sam Acho.
