Texans Transactions
Texans pick up Kevin Johnson's fifth-year option
Just two days after the completion of the NFL Draft, the Texans opted to exercise cornerback Kevin Johnson's fifth-year option. This move makes a lot of sense after Houston waited until the seventh round to select their first corner, San Jose State's Jermaine Kelly. With Johnathan Joseph now thirty-four years old, Houston can't realistically expect him to play much longer.
Health has been the main issue with Johnson so far in his career. He was drafted 16th overall in the 2015 draft and will earn a little over $9 million in 2019. Johnson has dealt with foot and knee injuries the last several years, so staying healthy has been difficult for him. He's missed fourteen games the last two seasons, which is certainly a concern moving forward. Johnson has one career interception and one fumble recovery in three years.
If Johnson can bounce back and play as well as he did before his injuries, the Texans will really be in a good spot with their secondary. They already added corner Aaron Colvin, and safety Tyrann Mathieu in free agency. They were also able to "steal" Stanford safety Justin Reid in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.