Houston Texans Agree to Terms with Johnathan Joseph
It’s not quite Nnamdi Asomugha, but the Houston Texans got something they sorely needed.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Texans and former Bengals cornerback Johnathan Joseph have agreed on a five-year contract. The Houston Chronicle’s John McClain reports that the deal is worth up to $48.75 million, with $23.5 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $12.5 million.
The 27-year-old Joseph spent the first five seasons of his NFL career in Cincinnati after being drafted in the first round of the 2005 draft out of South Carolina.
Joseph will be joining a defense sorely in need of a player of his caliber. Houston ranked 30th in defense in 2010, including 32nd (last) against the pass. The Texans have been active and vocal about their need to add help in the secondary through free agency, and were reportedly hot on the trail for Asomugha, as well.
According to McClain, Asomugha was still weighing all options at the time Joseph notified the Texans that he was ready to sign. Rather than wait on Asomugha and possibly lose out on him, Houston had to jump at the chance to land Joseph, considered to be the second-best corner on the market.
Signing Joseph will take Houston of of the Nnamdi sweepstakes, but they’re still expected to seek help in other areas, most notably at safety.
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