The Houston Texans had four different players who recorded four interceptions last season, including both of their starting safeties - Calen Bullock and Jalen Pitre.
Even though Bullock and Pitre are still with the Texans , they decided to increase their safety depth by signing Philadelphia Eagles starter Reed Blankenship in the offseason.
After spending four seasons with the Eagles, including the 2024 season when the Eagles won the Super Bowl. While he has not recorded an interception in the postseason, he does have nine career interceptions, including four in 2024.
Cornerback Kamari Lassiter said Blankenship has been a good addition to the team and has meshed well with the other players.
"Any time you can add a really good football player to your team, it's great," Lassiter said. "Reed is a good football player. He came in and he meshes really well with us. He plays with confidence. He plays fast. He plays physical. He's just like one of us. We get along really well. We communicate really well. It's going to be real fun this year."
Houston will be looking for Blankenship to get back to his 2024 demeanor now in DeMeco Ryans' system. During Philadelphia's Super Bowl run, he was a key part of their defense.
Last season, Blankenship had one of the lowest PFF scores among safeties, largely due to his performance in coverage, as he performed decently against the run last season.
Last season in coverage, Blankenship allowed 68.4 percent of passes thrown his way to be completed as well as allowing two touchdowns. When facing the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the playoffs, San Francisco's quarterback, Brock Purdy, picked Blankenship apart, as Purdy had a 132.9 quarterback rating when throwing in Blankenship's direction.
Between learning from Texans ' talented secondary and having a change of scenery, he could easily get back on track and make some plays for Houston this year.
"Reed came in, smart guy, just picked up, he was just rolling," Bullock said Saturday. "So just hitting the field with him. Him going out there showing and communicating with me. We're on the same page. It makes both our jobs easier."
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans newcomer Reed Blankenship bringing speed, physicality and confidence to Texans D
