HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610) -- Expect Texans safety A.J. Moore to play a larger role on defense than in his previous two seasons.
Moore is considered a dominant player on special teams, having started every game with the unit since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018.
Moore played exclusively on special teams as a rookie, but saw just 19 snaps on defense last season.
Moore is largely unproven as a defensive back.
First-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver praises Moore for his work on special teams, but also sees a role for him with the DB.
“A.J. Moore will absolutely have a role,” Weaver said Wednesday during a Zoom call. “He is a major contributor for us on special teams, but on defense there is absolutely a place for him. He’s made plays throughout this entire camp and he made plays last year in camp as well. Sometimes it’s just difficult finding ways to get him on the field, but we will absolutely find a way to do that because he brings juice to the defense. He’s an energy giver and when he’s out there, you can’t help but feed off that and he makes the defense better.
“He’s going to contribute to us in multiple ways. He’s a lot like Lonnie (Johnson Jr.) ... You can play him at multiple spots and we’re going to utilize his skill set to do that.”
As Sean Pendergast noted from Thursday’s scrimmage, Moore ended the scrimmage playing quality snaps with the first unit. He also at one point grabbed a one-handed interception thrown by backup quarterback A.J. McCarron.
The Texans staff seems inclined to shuffle around Lonnie Johnson and A.J. Moore. But it seems Moore is firmly in the mix for some time at safety.
Head coach Bill O’Brien spoke after Thursday’s scrimmage about Moore showing improvement on defense, but focused on his energy and personality.
“He just plays with a lot of passion, a lot of energy,” O’Brien said. “He's a smart player. He loves football. He's got really good personality. You know, he's got a personality that people are drawn to and he just has a lot of fun playing. He's just a guy that he's in heaven when he's playing football. He's made a lot of plays and the guys enjoy playing with him and he enjoys playing on this team.”