Account
Ex-Broncos CB Bradley Roby, Texans Reportedly Agree to 1-Year, $10 Million Deal
March 12, 2019
After spending the past five seasons with the Denver Broncos, cornerback Bradley Roby will play for the Houston Texans in 2019.
Per NFL Network's James Palmer, the 26-year-old agreed to a one-year deal with the Texans worth $10 million.
Houston needed to add depth at cornerback this offseason, especially with anticipated losses in free agency.
Kareem Jackson agreed to a three-year, $33 million deal with the Broncos, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Buffalo Bills signed Kevin Johnson to a one-year deal after he was released by Houston last week.
Roby was a first-round draft pick by the Broncos in 2014. He quickly established himself as a key piece of the secondary, primarily playing in their nickel defense before moving into the starting lineup last season.
It seemed like the Broncos were going to make him a staple of their pass defense after trading Aqib Talib to the Los Angeles Rams last offseason. His increased role didn't necessarily lead to a better performance on the field, however.
Per Pro Football Focus' Michael Renner, Roby allowed a 65.9 percent catch rate, 117.3 passer rating and 807 yards when targeted by opposing quarterbacks in 2018.
Per ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold, former Broncos head coach Vance Joseph emphasized he wanted the Ohio State product to stop "chasing the ball" by going for turnovers.
There was also an issue following Denver's 34-16 loss to the New York Jets in Week 5 when Roby didn't show up to the team's facility the following day.
Despite some possible red flags, he is still a player with upside who can make an impact for the Texans next season as long as he's used in the right way. He was one of the NFL's best cornerbacks at forcing incompletions in 2017:
Even if the Texans want to use Roby in a more substantial role than just in nickel packages, he was able to gain valuable experience as a starter last season. He will have to work with the coaching staff throughout training camp to determine what his best path to success in 2019 will be.