HOUSTON (AP) -Rosevelt Colvin is fine with whatever position the Houston Texans play him at – that is as long as he’s “going forward.”
The former New England Patriot, in his first year with Houston, has played linebacker most of his career. But he will be used more as a situational pass rusher at defensive end in Houston.
“I would love to be going forward,” he said. “A lot of the guys up there in New England used to say all the time when I’d drop back in coverage, ‘Keep that guy going forward.”’
The Texans can probably oblige his preference this season. They’re looking to improve their pass rush and take some pressure off the double teams Mario Williams will likely draw after getting 14 sacks last season.
Colvin has 52 1/2 sacks in nine seasons in Chicago and New England, but was released by the Patriots in February after missing the last five regular-season games and the playoffs with a foot injury.
He’s healthy now and coach Gary Kubiak is looking forward to seeing how quickly Colvin learns Houston’s 4-3 scheme. At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, Colvin’s quite a bit smaller than the rest of the defensive line.
“We’ll have to see how he fits in what we’re doing and how we’re using him,” Kubiak said. “We have to be smart. He’s not a big enough guy, endwise, to play down in and down out. We’ll have to pick our spots, so I think it’s up to us coaches to find his niche.”
Colvin says his performance is a “work in progress.”
“It’s a different situation as far as how I line up and learning different techniques,” he said.
As a linebacker in a 3-4 defense in New England, Colvin was often in on the rush. He thinks that experience should aid in his move to Houston.
“I hope it’s not as big of a transition as some people are expecting,” he said. “It’s been mixed in here and there. It shouldn’t be that big a deal, but I got a lot of work to do.”
Colvin was a member of two of New England’s Super Bowl championships. For a team still looking for its first playoff berth, that experience could be invaluable.
“You want them around guys that have great work ethic, take care of themselves and love the game. If they’re looking up to those type people, they’re probably going to end up like that,” Kubiak said. “The fact that he comes from championship teams gives him a lot of credibility with our guys, and he’s doing a good job.”
Colvin isn’t quite ready to anoint himself as a leader of this team yet. That’s understandable, considering he’s only been a part of it for about a month.
“It’s different coming from where I’ve been and coming to this camp,” he said. “I have to get adjusted to the way they do things here. As soon as I can get comfortable in knowing what to do and lining up and adjustments, I can do all the other things. I try to hold telling people what to do to a minimum right now because I don’t even know what to do myself.”
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