Houston Texans outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus is one of the key figures for the Texans’ locker room.
The 29-year-old is coming off of a strong preseason and, with Jadeveon Clowney now in Seattle, Mercilus can go back to being a productive pass rusher like he was between 2015-2016 when he tallied 19.5 sacks.
Finishing the regular season 11-5 in 2018, there was a great deal of optimism surrounding this team, but it all came crashing down in the playoffs. A wildcard blowout at the hands of divisional rivals the Indianapolis Colts and the Texans were brought back down to earth. On the plus side, this seems to have given this Texans team yet more motivation heading into 2019.
“No doubt when you’re around that environment, you really want to be there,” said Mercilus on Feb. 12 to the Houston Chronicle. “We’ve got even more motivation. We’re definitely close.”
Are the Texans any closer after free agency, the draft, and their final cut to 53 men?
Over free agency, they let defensive back Kareem Jackson walk and safety Tyrann Mathieu signed a multi-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. In their place, Houston signed safety Tashaun Gipson from Jacksonville and cornerback Bradley Roby from Denver.
In free agency, Houston signed left tackle Matt Kalil, but he was ultimately cut by the finalization of the 53-man roster, and the team traded for Laremy Tunsil with Miami. The Texans also bolstered their offensive line with drafting tackle Tytus Howard in the first round and Max Scharping in the second.
In the draft, the Texans selected cornerback Lonnie Johnson in the second round and added defensive end Charles Omenihu in the fifth.
In February, Mercilus was warming up to the idea of playing a multiple role as an outside linebacker. Would he rush the passer or would he drop back into coverage? Mercilus had collected 4.0 sacks in 2018, and there were questions as to his effectiveness as a pass rusher after coming off of a season-ending pectoral injury.
“It’s pretty cool to display that I can do more things than rush the passer,” said Mercilus. “You never know what I’m going to do, or where I’m going to be. I actually like it.”
Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel liked it more to have Mercilus come off of the edge, and that is what the former 2012 first-round pick from Illinois’ role will be now that the club shipped Clowney to the Pacific Northwest.
During the days of Clowney, the Texans never really got the best out of the fearsome threesome that should have been Clowney, Mercilus, and J.J. Watt. The now-Seahawk tended to take up the rushing DE/OLB spot where Mercilus is best suited, meaning he has been somewhat underutilized when healthy this past couple of years.
If this Texans defense is going to pick up where they left off last season and make a serious push for the playoffs, something Mercilus clearly believes they can achieve, he must take up the slack opposite Watt. He’ll need to rack up the sacks that Clowney never quite managed to record, and also take the pressure off of the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
With the way the AFC South has been shaken up with Andrew Luck retired and Nick Foles out indefinitely with a broken collarbone, the division seems shaken up. The Texans are back in the hunt, good contenders to keep the division. They are definitely close as Mercilus said back in February, but the goal is to get closer.
