Ed Reed texted NFL.com's Albert Breer on Wednesday to say that barring a last-second change, he will sign with the Houston Texans.
Not long afterward, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport caught up with Texans owner Bob McNair after the NFL Annual Meeting closed in Phoenix and discussed the probable Hall of Fame safety's future in Houston.
Free-agent tracker
NFL free agency is underway. Follow all of the latest player rumors and signings in our free-agent tracker. More...
"Ed Reed is a terrific fit for us because we've got some DBs who are really good at playing the run, good at covering," McNair said. "We don't have the ball skills that I'd like for us to have. We play all of the top quarterbacks in the league, and we needed a free safety back there that had some outstanding ball skills.
"Obviously, he does, so I think it complements what we've already got. I think he'll offer some great leadership. That's extremely important."
Reed leads all active players with 61 career interceptions. Truthfully, Reed became more of a priority after the Detroit Lions signed Glover Quin, so the Texans needed to replace that talent on the back end. We'll see if Reed can manage more than the three-year, $12 million contract he initially declined, according to The Baltimore Sun.
So much for Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti's gut feeling that Reed would be back in Baltimore.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.