If there was a weakness in the Houston Texans ' defense last season, one could point to the "other safety" opposite of Calen Bullock.
It's not as if the Texans ignored finding a replacement for Eric Murray in the offseason. They traded for Philadelphia Eagles starter C.J. Garnder-Johnson with the intent of making him a stable option in an already elite unit.
Gardner-Johnson has his own plans and playstyle, factoring into the Texans' 0-3 start and eventual release following a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. M.J. Stewart and rookie Jayden Reed filled in for spurts, but both suffered long-standing injuires, most notably Stewart on the season-ending injured reserve.
For the second straight offseason, the Texans went after an Eagle to serve as a running mate to Bullock on the back end. This time? Reed Blankenship, who signed a three-year deal this offseason after earning a captain title during his time with Philadelphia.
Veteran nickel defender Jalen Pitre has seen Blankenship work from afar and only believes his addition will be welcomed to the bunch.
"He's obviously won a Super Bowl, so he knows what it takes to get there," Pitre said. "That's really going to help us."
An undrafted defensive back out of Middle Tennessee State in 2022, Blankenship worked his way up from a practice-squad player to a special-teams standout and, by the end of his second season, an eventual full-time starter. He remained a starter until leaving for the Texans this offseason, totaling nine interceptions and 23 pass breakups while helping Philadelphia reach the Super Bowl twice.
Consistency has been key for Blankenship's growth out of a small Conference USA background. He's had 78 tackles in each of the past three seasons, along with six pass breakups. He has also been known for playing the strong safety position, thus allowing his rangy counterpart to survey the field and be more attentive in coverage.
"He's a versatile safety that can play in the back or at the line of scrimmage," Pitre said. "He's going to make tackles for loss, a hard hitter. He can really do it all, whatever the coaches ask of him. Our coaches are going to give him a set thing that he's going to do and he's going to own it like a pro, like he has in these last four years."
The Texans return to training camp practice on Saturday morning.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans newcomer Reed Blankenship fitting in well with DB culture
