Texans audition veteran CB Dre Kirkpatrick

The Texans will work out cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick Friday (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). If signed, Kirkpatrick will help to fortify Houston’s secondary following the Bradley Roby trade.

Kirkpatrick was a longtime Bengals starter, but he has yet to find work this year. He spent 2020 with the Cardinals, appearing in 14 games with 11 starts. He finished out with 56 tackles, seven passes defended, three interceptions and a much softer market than anticipated. He’s since worked out for the Niners, Saints and Patriots, but left all of those visits without a deal.

Now 31, Kirkpatrick has totaled 358 tackles, three sacks, 72 passes defensed and 13 interceptions across nine NFL seasons. The Texans could certainly use his help, and it stands to reason that the Buccaneers could also give him a call. On Thursday, the Bucs watched starter Sean Murphy-Bunting suffer a gruesome elbow injury that will sideline him for a good chunk of the year.