Michigan Football 2007 Jonas Mouton

NFL Capsules - AFC South and West: AP source says Texans agree to terms with ...

FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2010, file photo, Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Johnathan Joseph (22) celebrates after returning an interception for a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Cincinnati. A person with knowledge of the deal says the Houston Texans have agreed to terms with Joseph. The person spoke Thursday night, July 28, 2011, on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. (AP Photo/David Kohl, File)

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans have agreed to terms with cornerback Johnathan Joseph, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke Thursday night on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.

Houston went 6-10 last season and was desperate to land a top-tier cornerback. It reportedly was a front-runner to land Nnamdi Asomugha, a four-time Pro Bowler.

The 27-year-old Joseph is three years younger than Asomugha, and intercepted nine passes in his last two seasons in Cincinnati. The Bengals drafted Joseph out of South Carolina with the 24th overall pick in 2006.

A second person with knowledge of Joseph's deal said it was for five years and worth $48.75 million, with $23.5 million guaranteed. The agreement was first reported by ESPN.

The Texans open training camp on Sunday, and will get to work on shoring up the league's worst pass defense from 2010.

Houston allowed an average of 268 yards passing per game and 33 touchdown passes overall. Defensive coordinator Frank Bush was fired and Houston brought in Wade Phillips to install a 3-4 alignment.

The team used six of its eight draft picks on defensive players — three on defensive backs. Phillips has said he plans to move 2010 sacks leader Mario Williams to outside linebacker and Glover Quin to safety.

But the Texans also needed an effective cornerback to shore up a secondary that gave up a league-high 18 receptions covering 40 yards or more. While Asomugha was considered the best free-agent cornerback available, Joseph has more interceptions (14) over the past five seasons than Asomugha (11).

Also Thursday, the Texans announced the signings of 15 undrafted free agents — linebacker Mister Alexander (Florida State), guard Howard Barbieri (Rutgers), fullback Justin Bartlett (Carroll-Montana), linebacker Bryan Braman (West Texas A&M), linebacker Steven Friday (Virginia Tech), defensive end John Graves (Virginia Tech), punter Brett Hartmann (Central Michigan), offensive tackle Peter Hendrickson (Tulane), receiver Lestar Jean (Florida Atlantic), receiver Jeff Maehl (Oregon), defensive end Zane Parr (Virginia), fullback Zach Pauga (Colorado State), safety Maurice Rolle (Louisiana-Lafayette), cornerback Jason Teague (TCU) and receiver Terence Toliver (LSU).

No. 29: Michigan - Pre-Snap Read: A College Football Blog

Last year’s prediction

This is by far the deepest team of the Rodriguez era, the first that nears the 85-scholarship limit. Team speed is improved. Altogether, the defense should be improved; still, we’ve entered a phase where the defense must prove itself on the field before earning our trust. It will all come down to consistency for these Wolverines. Put together extended periods of stellar play, as it did last September, and this is an eight-win team. Don’t, and U.M. is staring at another difficult season. When all is said and done, I’m intrigued by this team’s potential, confident in its ability to turn things around, and excited — yes, still excited — about what the program is capable of achieving when Rodriguez has the tools to run this ship at full bore.

2010 recap

In a nutshell I suppose everything that follows the above paragraph projecting Michigan in 2010 should be taken with a grain of salt, as I did think the Wolverines would hit their stride in Rodriguez’s third season.My only consolation is that I was not alone, as countless others have joined me in professing the belief that two years of buffoonery UM lead in the search for a national ranking. I do not get much comfort that the fact that I have to admit. Where some had wandered by projecting firepower wolverine: the offense has not failed in this regard, scoring 426 points - the ninth in the history of most programs and the third largest since 1977. Score points no matter if your defense can not do the little things, such as address, for example. Constantly out of position, consistently humiliating, the defense was Rodriguez’s downfall. Onwards and upwards go the Wolverines. You can’t erase three years from the record books — though U.S.C., and perhaps Ohio State, gave it a good shot — but you can turn the page and look ahead, which is what U.M. is doing with Hoke and the new staff.

High point A 5-0 start, highlighted by a 28-24 win at Notre Dame. That game probably would not have gone Michigan’s way in November. But it was Michigan’s finest win on the year, ahead of a 30-10 win over Connecticut to open the season and the overtime after overtime after overtime affair with Illinois. I don’t want to continue to rain on Rodriguez, particularly after I showed myself full onboard heading into 2010, but the day he was relieved of his duties is probably the high point of the year.