After finishing with the league’s second-worst record at 3-13-1 in 2022, the Houston Texans are a popular pick to be one of the most-improved teams in the NFL in 2023. DeMeco Ryans has taken over for Lovie Smith, and the hope is the team’s 27th-ranked defense takes a big leap, both thanks to the regime change in addition to the several new potentially impact players coming on board, such as edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.
Yet, even after the Texans made a big splash on draft weekend, the front office isn’t done shaping the roster for the upcoming season. General manager Nick Caserio’s latest addition even includes a Pro Bowl cornerback.
According to Jordan Schultz, the Texans have agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with former Seattle and Jacksonville cornerback Shaquill Griffin, who did make the Pro Bowl with the Seahawks back in 2019. Griffin receives $3 million guaranteed and is likely to play a big role in a cornerback group that also features Derek Stingley Jr., Desmond King II, and Steven Nelson.
Griffin, 6-foot 198-pounds, will turn 28 in July and will be entering his seventh season since becoming the 90th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. After suffering a back injury, Griffin was limited to just five games with the Jaguars in 2022. He was made a cap casualty back in March, saving the team $13.1 million in cap space.
Now Griffin will look to bounce back on a Texans team full of athletes looking to prove themselves. In 2021 he had a respectable coverage grade of 71.1 per Pro Football Focus, allowing just 11.6 yards per reception. If Griffin can come close to similar production levels in Houston, everyone should be pretty happy with the results.
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