Houston Texans rookies and veterans will open training camp on July 22, and it might be in their best interest to bring cornerback Rasul Douglas in for the session.
Douglas was a third-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, winning the Super Bowl with the club that season. He has also spent time with the Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, and Green Bay Packers.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz urged the Texans to consider the eight-year veteran.
“The Texans lost some of their depth at the cornerback position when Ronald Darby retired in early June, so let’s give them another veteran to play behind Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter,” Schatz wrote on June 26. “Douglas, 29, didn’t have a great season for Buffalo in 2024, but two seasons ago he ranked third in the NFL in my coverage DVOA metric. He can play both inside and outside, which gives coach DeMeco Ryans some more flexibility.”
The Texans led the league in opponent completion percentage at 58.3% last season.
Douglas, who turns 30 one week into Texans training camp, allowed 72.9% completion with the Bills in 2024, the worst mark of his career, per Pro Football Reference.
Rasul Douglas Can Bring Length, Playmaking to Texans
GettyRasul Douglas #31 of the Buffalo Bills takes the field before playing the Denver Broncos during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.
He also earned the second-lowest grade of his career from Pro Football Focus. However, Douglas is one year removed from posting his highest graded season while splitting the campaign between the Bills and Packers.
The Athletic ranked Douglas as CB5 and the No. 41 overall free agent on the market this offseason.
“Douglas has been on seven rosters in eight seasons, and all seven teams knew what they were getting: a gritty player with a nose for the ball who gets beaten for big plays every now and then,” The Athletic’s David DeChant, Jourdan Rodrigue, and Vic Tafur wrote in February. “That was more often with the Bills in 2024 than it was for the Packers and Bills in 2023. He had at least four interceptions per season from 2021 to 2023, so another team will surely buckle up.”
Douglas would also be the tallest corner on the Texans’ roster at 6-foot-2.
He is coming off a three-year, $21 million contract and has earned $24 million in his career, though it is unclear how that would impact his thinking on where he signs. Per Over The Cap, the Texans have $15.2 million in space, which could be enough to land Douglas.
Texans Signed Former Raiders 1st-Round Pick
GettyDamon Arnette #20 of the Las Vegas Raiders warms up before a game against the Miami Dolphins.
The Texans are not in dire straits in their defensive backfield without Douglas. Stingley and Lassiter return on the perimeter with Jalen Pitre, a safety by trade, back to man the nickel position.
The Texans also spent a third-round pick on USC’s Jaylin Smith.
Moreover, Houston signed former Las Vegas Raiders first-round pick Damon Arnette off a successful stint with the Roughnecks in the UFL.
The Texans list eight players as cornerbacks on their roster, which does not include Pitre. It could take an injury to one or even several of the Texans’ current players during training camp for Douglas to be in consideration for a roster spot.
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