It’s hard to tell which is worse: getting your elbow dislocated in a preseason game, or suffering such an injury against your former team. For Will Demps, both happened on Aug. 19. Having joined the New York Giants last season after three years with the Baltimore Ravens, the safety officially left the East Coast when his club released him on Sept. 1.

The G-Men had inked Demps to a five-year deal just 18 months earlier, but after reaching an injury settlement with the club on Sept. 6, the San Diego State product was back on the free agent market. Just five days later, Demps, 27, signed a one-year contract with the Houston Texans, a franchise experiencing its own rash of injuries and sorely in need of depth at the safety position.

His initial role with the team will be as the squad’s reserve free safety behind starter Von Hutchins. “The biggest thing he brings right now is he’s played in the NFL,” Texans defensive backs coach Jon Hoke said of Demps on the Texans Web site. “He’s an experienced player. He started, obviously, in Baltimore and in New York, so he has excellent game experience that I think is a plus for us right now.”