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Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus said early in the offseason that he enjoyed showing he can play a wider variety of roles than simply rushing the passer during the 2018 season.

Dropping into coverage rather than constantly moving forward required some adjustment for Mercilus and he thinks he’ll be more comfortable when he gets back into the defense this time around. It’s a good time for Mercilus to hit the ground running as the 2019 campaign is the final one of his current contract, although he said that’s not on his mind right now.

“Of course,” Mercilus said, via the Houston Chronicle. “Once we cross that road, we will. Right now, I’m just focusing on having the most stellar season that I can.”

The nice thing for Mercilus is that having a stellar season should help sort things out on the contract front.