The Texans have agreed to trade veteran cornerback Bradley Roby to the New Orleans Saints, according to league sources not authorized to speak publicly.
Roby is suspended for the season opener for a violation last season of the performance enhancing drug policy.
Roby served five games out of a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy, ending his season last year.
The Texans haven't finalized the trade terms with the Saints, but are working through the details, according to sources.
"Talks are still going on right now and it's not official," Texans coach David Culley said Wednesday after the pending trade was reported. "Bradley was not going to play in this game anyway. Basically, the guys that we're playing with right now are the guys that we're playing with and we're going with those guys."
Meanwhile, the Texans are expected to start Vernon Hargreaves and Terrance Mitchell as outside cornerbacks and have Desmond King operate as the primary nickel corner Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
What does the pending move, which will save the Texans $9.2 million in salary cap space, say to the locker room in terms of the big picture?
"Well, players don't ever look at it like that," Culley said. "Players always look at it as if everything is now. Every time we go out to play a game we're going out to win and we feel like the guys we're playing with right now are good enough to do that with. That's how they see it. They don't look at it from the big picture as sometimes maybe you do from an administrative standpoint. They look at it as they're going out to win the game."
Roby and former Texans wide receiver Will Fuller and former Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye all tested positive for a banned substance given to them by a Houston area medical professional, according to league sources. Roby said at the time in a statement that he didn't know the supplement he took contained the banned substance.
Signed to a three-year, $36 million contract before last season, Roby lost $1.511 million in pay for the remainder of the season as the discipline from the league cost him five game checks and a weekly $31,250 per-game active roster bonus. Suspended for the first game of this season against the Jacksonville Jaguars against his former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, Roby loses $590,074 in total pay this season from his $8.941 million base salary.
Roby was the Texans' top corner and is regularly assigned to cover opponents' most dangerous wide receivers.
Roby intercepted one pass last season and was usually assigned to opponents’ top receivers. He defended seven passes.
Two seasons ago, Roby was limited to 10 starts last season because of a Grade 1 strained hamstring that sidelined him for six games. Roby still finished with 38 tackles and two interceptions, one sack and one forced fumble. He picked off former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in a December victory.
Not having Roby in the starting lineup does take away the Texans' most talented and accomplished cornerback. He has 4.39 speed in the 40-yard dash and plays with an aggressive style. Roby has 301 career tackles, 10 interceptions, four sacks, eight forced fumbles, 75 passes defensed and three defensive touchdowns.
"Well, we only think one way is every time we're going to play we're trying to win," Culley said. "It's never brought up. It's never even an issue."
We make those decisions about what's best for the football team."
Aaron Wilson has covered the NFL for 20 years and has previously written for The Houston Chronicle and The Baltimore Sun. He’s on Twitter: @AaronWilson_NFL and Instagram: @aaronwilson7128
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