But now, the clouds are breaking, things are moving back in a positive direction in this town. Soon, the Astros will have a new manager. The Rockets are, at least, showing signs of life. As for the Texans, we got great news on the injury front last last week, as safety Justin Reid announced from his hospital bed that his injured shoulder is repaired and will be good to go, very soon!
Quick thoughts on this Reid video...
Reid is a man's man.
I haven't heard confirmation as to EXACTLY when Reid tore the labrum in his shoulder, but he tweeted last week that it happened before the season. I do remember a preseason practice with the Detroit Lions where Reid left the practice field for an extended period of time, and was clearly favoring a shoulder. Whatever the case, we know that (a) Reid had to leave the field several times during games this past season with shoulder pain (he always returned to the game), and (b) two of the biggest plays of the season — Reid's stop of Leonard Fournette on a two point conversion to save a win in Week 2, Reid's pass break up that turned into a Whitney Mercilus pick in Week 15 — involved Reid using his injured shoulder to make a play.
Reid is a foundational piece for the Texans.
And it's factoids like the one in the previous paragraph, along with a scintillating combination of smarts and skill, that make Reid one of the most important players on the Texans, especially considering that he still has two years left on his rookie deal at a salary of a third round draft pick. Truth be told, it will probably be just one more year on that deal, with a big extension coming after the 2020 season, barring any truly debilitating injuries in the 2020 season. Reid is absolutely a foundational piece for the Texans, and possible future Pro Bowler.
Man, nice hospital room!
That is a killer suite they've got Reid in. Hell, it's so nice, it almost makes you WANT to tear your labrum, just to get the presidential suite, with the flat screen TV and room service! In all seriousness, my radio cohost Seth Payne, a ten year NFL veteran and a veteran of about a dozen surgeries in the very same hospital Reid was in, said that this was the only good thing about getting injured — the Texans' first class treatment of players while they're being repaired. Payne joked that some of his nicest vacations were his knee surgeries! (At last, I THINK he was joking.)
Reid has company on the convalescence list.
One other update on the injury front for the Texans — cornerback Garion Conley, for whom the Texans traded a third round pick to the Raiders before the trade deadline, had a screw removed from his right ankle, and should be ready for offseason activities. Conley is an underrated x-factor for next season, as he started to look more comfortable as the season wore on. He's a former first round pick with two more seasons still remaining on his rookie deal.
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