The Houston Texans wasted no time in acquiring the services of Jimmie Ward in free agency to shore up their ailing secondary.
The hopes are high in Clutch City that the former San Francisco 49ers 2014 first-round safety will live up to the hype surrounding his signing.
Houston needed defensive help in the worst way heading into the offseason, and their commitment to sign Ward was a clear indication of their intention to improve on that side of the ball in 2023.
The 5-11, 195-pound defensive back is a lesser known talent outside of the Bay Area, which is why Niners Wire managing editor Kyle Madson stopped by to present valuable insight into Ward.
What was Ward's biggest strength last season?
When the Texans took stock of their roster after Week 18, it quickly became clear that they weren’t satisfied with how their team was constructed. Houston needed veterans to fill gaps at multiple spots defensively, and Ward should help in that capacity. When asked about what set Ward apart in 2022, Madson made it clear that the safety’s ability to play as a Swiss army knife played a major factor in his rise.
“His versatility,” Madson said. “He’s rangy enough to play a single-high free safety role. He [can] climb down into the box and play in the slot as an outstanding man-to-man cover corner. He’s an excellent tackler. There’s just not a ton Ward can’t do on a football field.”
Though he is a lesser-known presence, Ward made a significant impression on the 49ers’ vaunted defense last season, and he won’t be easy for San Francisco to replace. Their loss is the Texans’ gain, and their secondary is sure to benefit from his ability to cover multiple spots.
What role did Ward play for San Francisco?
Versatility is a great asset in theory, but in the NFL players also need to specialize in certain areas to set themselves apart. However, the position flex is actually one of Ward’s successful attributes.
“In 2021 he was a sensational free safety who worked as a do-everything chess piece for defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans,” Madson said. “Last year he started the year hurt, but came back and played nickel corner all year for the 49ers with free safety Tashaun Gipson playing well enough to hold the starting job there. It wasn’t an ideal usage of Ward’s skill set, but it’s hard to argue with the results.”
Houston has needs all over in their secondary, so their usage of Ward in training camp and through the preseason should give fans an idea of where they might look to place him in the safety and cornerback rotations. The Texans have the benefit of the aforementioned Ryans having experience with Ward playing multiple positions, so they won’t be starting from scratch in their game plan for him.
Projecting Ward's development in 2023
While Madson seemed pleased with what he has seen from Ward over the years, the ceiling of any 31-year-old football player will only get so much higher in a new system. Madson explained that despite his development’s plateau, Ward is still a force to be reckoned with on the gridiron.
“Ward is who he is at this point,” Madson said. “He’s been really, really good for a few years now and he’s probably reached his ceiling. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, there just aren’t a ton of levels above the one he already plays at, and the levels that are above him are reserved for All-Pros, Hall of Famers and players of that ilk.”
Houston fans will surely hold out hope that Ward can achieve All-Pro status with the Texans, though at this point in his career, it seems unlikely that he will be able to achieve such a lofty goal. Nonetheless, the team needed established talent and they have found just that in their newest defensive back.
