After Losing Glover Quin, Houston Texans Have A Hole at Safety

The Houston Texans can add safety to their positions of need after free agent safety Glover Quin signed a five year deal with the Detroit Lions on Wednesday. His departure leaves a huge void in the Texans secondary, as they now have only three safeties under contract for 2013.

The void is also huge because Quin had developed into one of Houston’s best players on defense. Drafted as a corner in 2009, Quin was moved to safety when Wade Phillips became defensive coordinator and flourished in Phillips’ 3-4 defense. He played 97 percent of the defensive snaps last season and led the team with 84 total tackles. He has posted a team high 247 tackles since 2010.

He played strong safety in 2011 and switched to free safety in 2012. The versatility that Quin showed with the Texans made him an attractive free agent, and the Lions wasted no time in signing him. It was widely thought that he was the Texans No. 1 free agent priority, but according to his agent, Houston did not even make an offer to retain him.

If that is indeed the case, Quin wasn’t in the Texans long term plans for some reason. Regardless, they now have a hole at safety that they have to address. The position was already thin before the loss of Quin. Houston will now need to sign a safety in free agency and draft one as well. With Quin gone and Quintin Demps also likely to not be re-signed, the current safeties on the roster are Danieal Manning, Eddie Pleasant and Shiloh Keo.

There are still several veteran safeties available in the free agent market. Going into the free agency period, the Texans had no known plans to acquire a big name safety, but that may need to change now. Among safeties available are big name veterans such as Ed Reed and Charles Woodson, and solid starters such as Kenny Phillips, Louis Delmas and Michael Huff. Whichever direction they decide to go in, Houston needs to plug what is now a gaping hole.