Houston Texans Safety Returning to Nickel Position; 'Jalen is Very Versatile, Disruptive'

The Houston Texans are making a smart move to maximize versatility in the secondary.

Dec 17, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Houston Texans safety Jalen Pitre (5) celebrates with Texans CEO Cal McNair after an overtime win against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Texans are returning Jalen Pitre to familiar territory during training camp. With the 2024 NFL season inching closer and closer, teams are using training camp to get a good look at each position group, finding ways to maximize them in terms of the depth chart. For the Texans, one area that could look a bit different heading into the new season is the secondary.

In order to create some versatility and flexibility in the secondary, the team is returning Pitre to the nickel position.

He'll be in a hybrid role, as the safety will now line up closer to the line of scrimmage to maximize his ability in every facet of the game -- whether it be a blitz, run defense or pass coverage.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans broke down the training camp move and the reasoning behind it.

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“It’s not what I have seen on film with Jalen,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It’s just who Jalen is as a person and as a player. Jalen is very versatile. You talk about a guy who is disruptive when he’s blitzing. Disruptive in the pass game, in the running game, so Jalen is moving all around from different places and that’s something that I think will help us defensively.”

An aggressive player by nature, having Pitre closer to the ball makes sense and could ultimately pay dividends. Rookie Calen Bullock and Eric Murray will battle things out for the second starting safety job alongside Jimmie Ward.

Pitre had a shaky second season in the NFL, and the move could benefit himself just as much as the team. He'll be able to play within his instinct, something he's proven capable of doing after a strong rookie campaign in 2021.

This will be Pitre's second season under Ryans' leadership as the head coach has now had time to familiarize himself with the team and make appropriate adjustments this season.

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