According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, former Indianapolis Colts starting nose tackle Josh Chapman worked out for the Houston Texans on Tuesday:
"“The Texans tried out four nose tackles Tuesday, including Josh Chapman, Lavon Hooks, Ishmaa’ily Kitchen and Jerrell Powe,” writes Wilson."
Of course, it would be familiar territory for Chapman, who played the last two seasons in the AFC South with the Colts. Last season, Chapman started 15 games for the Colts, recording 21 tackles.
Sep 28, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts nose tackle Josh Chapman (96) against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Originally a 5th round pick of the Colts in 2012, Chapman was expected to be the team’s run-stuffer in the middle at starting nose tackle for the foreseeable future. However, while he showed glimpses, he could never consistently put it all together and was released after being outplayed in preseason primarily by rookie 5th round nose tackle David Parry.
Still, at 6’0, 340 pounds, Chapman figures to have the size to help a team in need of some interior defensive line depth. While he was a starter for the Colts, he would be a backup on the Texans to longtime veteran nose tackle Vince Wilfork among others, which is a role he’s ideally much better suited for.
Given their run-stopping woes and his sheer size, it was a bit surprising that Chapman was one of the Colts final 53-man roster cuts. However, the team simply hadn’t seen enough improvement, and there were other nose tackles on the team who clearly outperformed him.
The team simply felt more comfortable going forward with Parry at nose tackle, as well as recently claimed defensive tackle T.Y. McGill.
That being said, Chapman has enough size and ability in a league where teams are starved for quality nose tackles that he should be able to latch on somewhere else as a rotational defensive lineman as the season progresses.
More from Horseshoe Heroes
- Colts explored hiring former quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky
- When is the NFL Combine 2023? NFL Combine schedule, events, how to stream
- Latest NFL mock draft has Colts trading up to No. 1 for star QB
- Eagles offensive free agents that could follow Shane Steichen to Colts
- Here’s why Colts linebacker Shaq Leonard is going to love Shane Steichen