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Report: DeMeco Ryans has made a decision on Houston Texans defensive coordinator position
Feb 10, 2023, 11:34 am
It's a done deal. Photo by Getty Images.
Now that the Houston Texans have their head coach DeMeco Ryans secured, it's time for his staff to start taking shape. According to multiple reports, the team is hiring Matt Burke as defensive coordinator.
Once dubbed the most interesting man in the NFL, Burke spends his offseason climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, hanging out in Rwanda with gorillas or skydiving. Now, he’ll call Houston his home. https://t.co/QH3fyFVhgi
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 10, 2023
In 2022, Burke was the defensive line coach for JJ Watt and the Arizona Cardinals. In 2021, he was the game management coach for the Jets under head coach Robert Saleh. Saleh was the 49ers DC before DeMeco Ryans was promoted to the position in 2021.
Burke has previous experience as a defensive coordinator, as he was the Dolphins DC in 2017 and 2018. His team finished 16th and 29th in total defense those years respectively.
The Texans are also hiring Nick Kray as chief of staff, according to Aaron Wilson. Kray held the same position with San Francisco and was an administrative assistant to Kyle Shanahan.
#Texans new chief of staff is Nick Kray, per league sources. Previously 49ers' chief of staff for Kyle Shanahan and administrative assistant to the head coach, with prior stints at North Carolina State, Yale. Played defensive end at Eastern Illinois
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) February 10, 2023
Now the big question needs to be answered. Who's going to run this offense?
Houston has interviewed 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik, Bengals WRs coach Troy Walters, and Vikings assistant QBs coach Jerrod Johnson.
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Isaac Paredes has been a steady force in the middle of the Astros’ order, but a tweaked hamstring suffered during Thursday’s win over the White Sox may force Houston to recalibrate, again.
If Paredes misses time, the most logical shuffle would see Jose Altuve sliding back to second base, with Mauricio Dubón stepping in at third. It’s a reasonable patch. But internally, there’s also some intrigue around whether Cam Smith—currently thriving in right field—could slide back to his original position on the infield. The idea isn’t without merit; Smith is the club’s best offensive option at third in Paredes’ absence. But defensively, it’s hard to justify moving him right now. Smith made several standout plays in the Chicago series, reinforcing just how important his glove has become to the Astros’ outfield defense. One thing is for sure, the Astros can't afford to play both Dubon and Brendon Rodgers in the infield regularly. The offense would take a huge hit.
Timing, however, might be on Houston’s side. The next stretch of games features the Twins, Athletics, and Angels—three teams the Astros can beat even while navigating lineup instability. It helps that Yainer Diaz and Christian Walker are showing signs of life at the plate. Diaz, in particular, has been red-hot, posting an OPS north of 1.200 over the past week. Walker is batting over .300 during that same span, giving the Astros enough firepower to survive short-term turbulence.
Elsewhere, the outfield presents its own set of choices. Jacob Melton has shown enough in the field to warrant a serious look as Chas McCormick’s replacement when he returns from injury. He’s still searching for consistency at the plate, batting under .200 in his first 10 big league games. But his arm and left-handed bat give manager Joe Espada a little more lineup flexibility—especially with Yordan Alvarez still out and the offense skewing right-handed.
For now, the Astros have room to adjust. But if Paredes ends up missing significant time, they’ll need more than just a few temporary solutions to keep their momentum going.
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