We get to the last of our series on possible free agency additions prior to training camp. Just as a reminder, I am not advocating for any specific position to be added. In point of fact, the Texans probably can add only one significant player and that has to come at the right price. We have already looked at defensive ends, running backs, and wide receivers. So, before we look at the names we should probably look at the whys and what fors for cornerback.
In short, a general managers job is to minimize
risk. They are supposed to pool as many resources as they possibly can to get as many good players as they can on the roster. The Texans starting defense is pretty well set. There will be some competition inside on the defensive line, but even then there isn’t much drama. They will have a rotation between three or four guys at the defensive tackle position.
The Texans might have the best cornerback duo in football. Both Derek Stingley and Kamari Lassiter played at a Pro Bowl level last season. The question remains though, what happens if one of them goes down to injury? The backups are currently young and unproven, so bringing in a veteran to serve as a backup in those situations makes some sense. Of course, that always depends on who is available and at what price. So, let me give you the three nominees and you can decide if corner is a position the Texans should target.
Marshon Lattimore
Key Stats: 1 interception, 7 passes defended
PFF: 53.2 overall, 52.6 coverage
There is a reason why trades don’t happen nearly as often in the NFL as they do in baseball and basketball. The Commanders traded for Lattimore in 2024 and he almost immediately got hurt. Prior to the trade, he was one of the top corners in the league. So, the trade was not unlike the Indianapolis Colts getting Sauce Gardner last season. The Saints ended up fleecing the Commanders and now Lattimore is looking for a new job.
There are numeous reasons not to sign Lattimore and one good reason to sign him. When players are returning from major injury, it usually takes them more than one season to get back to where they were. 2026 would be the second season back and so it could be a calculated risk to sign him. No one that is waiting into June really has much a leg to stand on in terms of demanding a lot of money. Houston might be a perfect situation for a reboot. He won’t be expected to start, so they can limit his exposure and manage his opportunities.
Trevon Diggs
Key Stats: 0 interceptions, 0 passes defended
PFF: 58.7 overall, 64.6 coverage
Like his brother, Diggs comes with some baggage and it always depends on whether he takes the baggage with him and if you want to deal with that baggage. He was cut from the Cowboys because of a personal situation they would not let him address. He went to Green Bay, but that didn’t work either. As you can see by the numbers, he was a little better than Lattimore in terms of performance according to PFF. For those unfamiliar, those numbers would correspond to a fringe roster player or good rotational player (if looking at the coverage grade).
So, if you managed his snaps and put him in favorable situations then he could be a good backup corner. I must admit that I have never been much of a Diggs fan. He seems to take way too many chances and sometimes that results in an interception (20 career interceptions) and sometimes that results in getting burned. If Lattimore is a physical question then Diggs is a psychological one. Where is his head at? Is hewilling to come in and compete for a spot behind Stingley and Lassiter?
L’Jarius Sneed
Key Stats: o interceptions, 3 passes defended
PFF: 50.4 overall, 49.5 coverage
Speaking of bad trades, everyone point at the Tennessee Titans and laugh. That’s usually a favorite past time around these parts anyway. Snead was supposed to give the Titans a boost on defense, but fell completely on his face away from the Chiefs. I suppose if there is any good news, 2025 represents a bit of a rebound for Sneed compared to his 2024 scores. If he wasn’t the worst corner in the league then he was definitely among them.
Obviously, this is not an effective sales pitch. The sales pitch would begin with the fact that when Sneed was in Kansas City, he was producing back to back seasons with PFF scores above 72.5. Professional athletes aren’t robots. Maybe there are just some situations where they can’t perform up to their capabilities. Maybe it just the overwhelming sadness of living in Nashville. Maybe it is an organization that continually lives in dysfunction. Clearly, he was a good football player in Kansas City and a lousy one in Nashville. Maybe it is just as simple as getting him into a good defense and a good locker room and letting him flourish.
Final Thoughts
Like I said in the beginning, the Texans can probably buttress one position and I have given you four over the last month. There is definitely a need for a corner that can start in a pinch. Whether any of these guys is that guy is certainly up for debate. Personally, I think there are better opportunities at other positions, but I could see Nick Caserio looking at one of these guys and thinking they may have something that could help the team. What do you think? Would you roll the dice on any of these guys?
