D.J. Reader was one of J.J. Watt’s closest friends in the locker room.
“It’s no secret I love D.J.,” Watt told reporters on May 27. “He’s one of my best friends, he’s a great guy. I’m certainly going to miss him both in the d-line room, on the field, and off the field just as a friend.”
Reader signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals during free agency after the Texans couldn’t negotiate a contract extension with their former 2016 fifth-round pick from Clemson.
“But I also at the same time, I can’t be mad at him,” said Watt. “There’s a whole bunch of reasons that he’s in Cincinnati now.”
Who remains to pick up the slack at defensive tackle include Brandon Dunn, Eddie Vanderdoes, and undrafted rookie Auzoyah Alufohai. Free agent Timmy Jernigan and the Texans have agreed to terms, but the former Philadelphia Eagle is not yet listed on the official roster.
Dunn is one of the teammates Watt enjoys as much as he did Reader.
“He’s a guy who always keeps it light, fun,” said Watt. “He’s got great energy, he works extremely hard on the field, he plays well.”
The Texans also have help at defensive end that can crash inside, including Angelo Blackson.
Said Watt: “He plays his butt off on the field, a great guy in the room. I love our room. I love the guys we have in our room. I love these Zoom meetings every day.”
According to Watt, the defensive line spends the first 10 minutes of their Zoom meetings “shooting the breeze and talking to each other,” as if it were a FaceTime call with friends.
“We really enjoy being around each other and I think that makes the work that much better and that much more effective,” Watt said.
The Texans seek to fortify their defensive line in 2020 after finishing the year with 31 sacks, tied with the Bengals for the sixth-fewest in the league.
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