The Texans have begun formulating a plan to replace safety Andre Hal. Houston expected to have one of the top safety tandems in the NFL after signing Tyrann Mathieu to start opposite Hal this season.
But Hal, who started all 16 games at free safety last season, recently was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He still is being evaluated at MD Anderson Cancer Center to determine his course of treatment.
While he vows to play again, Hal won’t start the season on the field with the Texans.
The Texans will have only five healthy safeties at their minicamp this week, with Mathieu, Justin Reid, Kurtis Drummond, Treston Decoud and Ibraheim Campbell getting reps there. Corey Moore continues to rehab an injury that will keep him out until training camp.
Kenny Vaccaro, Tre Boston and Eric Reid -- the older brother of Texans’ rookie Justin -- remain available on the free agent market.
The Texans also could consider playing cornerback Kareem Jackson (pictured) more at safety, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Houston has nine cornerbacks on its roster.
Jackson has played safety in practice and in games, with his versatility an asset for defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel.
The best-case scenario for the Texans would be for Justin Reid, a third-round pick out of Stanford, to win the starting job in training camp.