Houston Texans safety Justin Reid has had an up close view of fellow safety A.J. Moore for his entire time with the AFC South club, and expects the former undrafted free agent to take another step in his development in year three.
Reid spoke with reporters after the club’s annual kickoff luncheon, albeit in a virtual setting, and presented his expectations for Moore.
“I expect a lot from him because I know he can handle it,” Reid said. “He’s a workhorse. He’s one of our special teams leaders and I’ve seen him continue to grow.”
Reid and Moore are akin to the “Prince and the Pauper” in the Texans’ secondary. The Texans selected Reid in Round 3 of the 2018 NFL Draft from Stanford. Moore fell through the draft and landed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent, who was cut at the end of preseason. Though Moore has played more games than Reid, 32 to 31, the Ole Miss product has a dearth of defensive snaps with just 20 to his career.
In training camp, Reid has been side by side witnessing Moore’s growth in the secondary, and looks forward to seeing the gains manifest in the regular season.
Said Reid: “I’ve seen him grow a lot and he’s excited about it. He’s going to bring a lot of energy to the table. He’s a guy that never gets tired and as long as he keeps making plays and starts doing it on Sundays, I can’t be more excited to watch him go do his thing.”
The Texans have veteran safeties on the back end with Eric Murray, Michael Thomas, and Jaylen Watkins. Though Reid and Moore are the younger guys, they still bring considerable experience to the position. Reid and the rest of the Texans are hopeful Moore will gain even more valuable experience in Houston’s defense.
