HOUSTON – The Texans are bolstering their linebacking corps with the addition of veteran former Indianapolis Colts starter E.J. Speed on a one-year, $5 million contract that includes a $1.75 million signing bonus and a $1.5 million fully guaranteed base salary for skill, injury and salary cap, per a league source.
The deal includes a $500,000 Pro Bowl escalator and $1 million in playtime incentives, $500,000 for 88 percent and another $500,000 for 90 percent of the defensive snaps.
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He can make up to $250,000 in per game active roster bonuses.
Speed, 29, recorded a career-high 142 tackles last season for the Colts as he started 15 games and recorded seven tackles for losses with one interception. He played 98 percent of the Colts’ defensive snaps.
Speed’s addition gives the Texans a starting candidate opposite team captain Azeez Al-Shaair.
Speed chose the Texans over the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers, per sources.
A former Tarleton State standout and Colts fifth-round draft pick, Speed is a rangy, tall linebacker at 6-foot-4, 227 pounds. He became a full-time starter two seasons ago and finished with 102 tackles, 12 for losses, one sack and three forced fumbles.
For his career, Speed has 354 tackles, two sacks, 27 tackles for losses and four quarterback hits.
He allowed 49 catches on 62 targets for 454 yards and one score last season.
He has significant special-teams experience, too.
At Tarleton, he moved from quarterback and wide receiver to linebacker. He was a two-time All-Lone Star Conference selection who finished his career with 231 tackles, 36 for losses, 11 1/2 sacks and eight forced fumbles.
Speed has run the 40-yard dash in 4.60 seconds with a 34-inch vertical leap, a 10-0 broad jump and 24 bench reps
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
