Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: WR Malik Williams
Houston Texans
- Waived: OL Carson Green
Minnesota Vikings
- Reverted to IR (after going unclaimed on waivers): DE Kenny Willekes
The Texans wrapped up their nine-man draft class today when they were able to reach an agreement with third-round pick Christian Harris. The Power Five-heavy class includes a plethora of Day 1 and 2 picks and brings home three Houston-natives in guard Kenyon Green, safety Jalen Pitre, and offensive lineman Austin Deculus. 
The Texans started their haul with four selections in the 2022 NFL Draft’s first 44 picks. Their first addition was cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., who will immediately improve a group that currently includes Steven Nelson, Lonnie Johnson Jr., and Desmond King II. The Texans’ secondary struggled greatly at times last year, and defensive-coordinator-turned-head-coach Lovie Smith decided that addressing that weakness was a top priority. Their addition of Pitre in the second round further addresses that need. While listed as a safety, Pitre spent the majority of his career with the Bears in the slot. Whether at safety or slot cornerback, Pitre is a strong addition alongside Stingley to a struggling defense.
Green was the next selection, midway through the first round, and his ability to play on the inside of the line should allow Houston to establish Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard at the tackle positions. The later addition of the swing tackle, Deculus, continued the Texans’ efforts at improving the protection in front of second-year quarterback Davis Mills.
In terms of weapons for Mills, after extending leading receiver Brandin Cooks, Houston added another weapon in slot receiver John Metchie III. The Alabama alum tore his ACL in December, but is assumed to be ready to return to the field sometime this summer.
From there, Houston added linebacker Christian Harris, who is a menace in opposing teams’ backfields. They followed that by addressing a league-worst 3.4 yards per rush and 8 rushing touchdowns by bringing in Gator running back Dameon Pierce. Thomas Booker adds some depth to the defensive line. Teagan Quitoriano will compete to back up second-year tight end Brevin Jordan with Pharaoh Brown and Antony Auclair.
Here are the draft picks the Texans will take into camps this summer:
Round 1: No. 3 Derek Stingley Jr., CB (LSU) (signed)
Round 1: No. 15 Kenyon Green, G (Texas A&M) (signed)
Round 2: No. 37 Jalen Pitre, S (Baylor) (signed)
Round 2: No. 44 John Metchie III, WR (Alabama) (signed)
Round 3: No. 75 Christian Harris, LB (Alabama) (signed)
Round 4: No. 107 Dameon Pierce, RB (Florida) (signed)
Round 5: No. 150 Thomas Booker, DT (Stanford) (signed)
Round 5: No. 170 Teagan Quitoriano, TE (Oregon State) (signed)
Round 6: No. 205 Austin Deculus, OL (LSU) (signed)
After 17 seasons, Ryan Fitzpatrick looks set to retire. The veteran quarterback texted former teammates, including ex-Bills running back Fred Jackson, who shared Fitz’s intentions via Twitter.
Amazon is negotiating a deal with the exiting QB, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Fitzpatrick’s 17th season only featured a handful of snaps in Washington’s Week 1 game, which included a season-ending hip injury. But the Harvard grad left an imprint on the game.
He is the only quarterback in NFL history to have started for nine different teams. No other QB has started for more than seven. The 39-year-old passer, despite being a seventh-round pick, will exit the NFL having started for the Rams, Bengals, Bills, Titans, Texans, Jets, Buccaneers, Dolphins and Washington. Stretches as a backup ensued, and an earned rollercoaster reputation followed Fitzpatrick, but the former 250th overall pick continued to deliver NFL relevance into his late 30s.
What looks like the NFL’s final Fitzmagic dose occurred late in the Dolphins’ 2020 season, when the bearded vet pulled off a game-winning drive in relief of Tua Tagovailoa in Las Vegas. During the second of his two Bucs seasons (2018), Fitz averaged 9.6 yards per attempt. That remains tied for eighth-best in a season in NFL history — behind only Kurt Warner among post-merger QBs. While that figure formed during a seven-start season, that form helped the popular passer stay a viable option to take snaps into the twilight of his career.
Financially, Fitz did quite well for himself. Even after the Bills bailed on his most notable contract — a six-year, $59MM extension in 2011 — in 2013, he collected a few other nice checks on short-term deals. After Fitzpatrick broke Vinny Testaverde‘s 17-year-old Jets record for single-season touchdown passes, tossing 31 in 2015, Gang Green gave him a one-year, $12MM deal after an offseason impasse. The Dolphins signed Fitz to a two-year, $11MM pact in 2019, and Washington upped that price by inking the then-38-year-old QB to a one-year accord worth $10MM. Despite only playing 16 snaps last season, Fitz collected every penny.
After backing up Marc Bulger and Carson Palmer in St. Louis and Cincinnati, respectively, Fitzpatrick broke through in Buffalo. Taking over for a Bills team that had tried J.P. Losman and Trent Edwards for a fairly lengthy stretch, Fitz started 53 games for the Bills from 2009-12. None of those seasons produced a winning record, however, during the Bills’ near-two-decade-long playoff drought. The Titans and Texans then bolted on two-year contracts after one season apiece.
The Jets brought in Fitz in 2015, after Geno Smith had started two seasons. Backup linebacker I.K. Enemkpali punching Smith in the locker room likely altered his backup’s career trajectory. Fitzpatrick stepped in for a team rostering Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker and tallied a career-high 3,905 passing yards to go with the 31 TD throws. This produced the Jets’ most successful season of the past decade, a 10-6 campaign. While Fitz struggled in a crucial season finale, he re-established himself as a starter option.
Following his surprisingly explosive Jameis Winston fill-in season, which featured some memorable press conference attire, Fitzpatrick led a woeful 2019 Dolphins roster to five wins — something that produced a major NFL controversy years later — and concluded that season with a stunning upset in New England. That result game gave the Chiefs a first-round bye, catalyzing the eventual champions’ Super Bowl LIV push.
For his career, Fitz finishes with 34,990 passing yards (32nd all time), 223 touchdown passes (36th) and 169 INTs. This somewhat amazingly never translated to a single playoff appearance in 17 years, with his starter record 59-87-1. But this sub-.500, regular-season-only run certainly generated considerable attention and delivered a host of memorable moments.
Here are some details on deals recently signed around the NFL:
- David Njoku, TE (Browns): Four-year, $54.75MM. The contract, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, has an amount guaranteed at signing of $17MM consisting of a signing bonus of $11.47MM, the 2022 base salary of $1.04MM, and the 2023 base salary of $4.5MM. Unless the Browns release Njoku by the third league day in March of 2023, Njoku will receive an additional guaranteed bonus of $11MM consisting of an $8MM 2023 option bonus and $3MM of the 2024 base salary. The additional $11MM is only dependent on roster status, being guaranteed for injury at signing. The full amount of the 2024 base salary, including the guaranteed amount of $3MM, is $13MM. The 2025 base salary is worth $14.25MM. There are two automatically voided years built in for 2026 and 2027 meant to spread around the bonuses and cap hits. In 2024, Njoku will receive a per game active bonus of $88,235 for a potential total of $1.5MM. In 2025, Njoku will receive a per game active bonus of $58,823 for a potential season total of $1MM. The deal also includes annual incentives of $250,000 if Njoku is named first- or second-team All-Pro and $500,000 if he’s named All-Pro and the Browns make the playoffs.
- Mario Addison, DE (Texans): Two-year, $7.7MM. The deal, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, has a total guaranteed amount of $4.6MM consisting of a signing bonus of $2MM, the 2022 base salary of $1.5MM, and $1.1MM of the 2023 base salary. The 2023 base salary, including the guaranteed amount, is worth $3MM in total. Wilson reports an annual per game active bonus of $35,294 for a potential per season total of $600,000.
- Kyle Fuller, CB (Ravens): One-year, $2.5MM. The contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN, is fully guaranteed with a signing bonus of $1.38MM and a base salary of $1.12MM.
Tytus Howard has split his time between the tackle and guard positions in three Texans seasons. With the team picking up the 2019 first-rounder’s fifth-year option, despite that selection coming two GMs ago, Howard remains in the organization’s beyond-2022 plans.
Despite this Houston coaching staff praising the former first-rounder’s versatility earlier this offseason, new HC Lovie Smith said during an appearance on the Cris Collinsworth Podcast (via Sports Radio 610’s Brandon Scott) that Howard will be back at tackle in 2022.
The Texans used Howard as a 10-game guard starter to start the 2021 season, but he fared better replacing Laremy Tunsil at left tackle. In Howard’s four blindside starts during the season’s second half, Pro Football Focus gave him an 89.9 pass-blocking grade. He allowed just two pressures during that four-start span, one that likely contributed to Houston’s decision to pick up his fully guaranteed $13.2MM option for 2022. PFF viewed Howard as a below-average guard, where he spent much of the season during David Culley‘s year in charge.
Howard looks set to return to right tackle, with Tunsil going into his fourth year as the Texans’ left-side starter. Howard spent most of his rookie season at right tackle and was a full-timer at that post in 2020. Smith confirmed, not that there was much doubt here, first-rounder Kenyon Green will play guard as a rookie.
The then-Brian Gaine-led Texans chose Howard 23rd overall out of Alabama State in 2019. The Division I-FCS product still has some time to mold himself into a quality starter. The Texans ensured that by picking up his option. It will be interesting to see how he fares, if given a full season at tackle, on a line that has another building block in Green. Tunsil, Howard and Green represent the three Texans cornerstones up front, though Tunsil was loosely mentioned as a trade candidate before his March restructure. The team re-signed center Justin Britt and added longtime Jaguars starting guard A.J. Cann this offseason.
The Falcons no longer viewed John Cominsky as a fit, waiving him after three seasons Friday. But a fourth of the NFL remains at least somewhat intrigued by the young defensive lineman’s potential. Eight teams made waiver claims for the fourth-year veteran, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Cominsky is now with the Lions, who hold the No. 2 spot in the offseason waiver order. While the Jaguars (No. 1 on the waiver list) did not try to claim him, the Commanders, Colts, Browns, Texans, Cardinals, Vikings and Bengals did.
A 6-foot-5 defensive lineman out of Division II Charleston (West Virginia), Cominsky only factored in prominently on defense for the 2020 Falcons, who used him on 398 defensive snaps as mostly a backup. Otherwise, the Cleveland-area native has played just 113 non-special teams plays as a pro. The Falcons took Cominsky in the 2019 fourth round (135th overall); Tuesday’s claim volume makes it fairly clear other teams believe some of the potential that led the former Mountain East Conference Defensive Player of the Year to the Senior Bowl and 2019 Combine remains.
As a senior at Charleston, Cominsky totaled 16.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. This potential has not yet translated to the pro level, with the ex-Falcon finishing the 2020 season with a sack and 10 pressures. The Falcons used him on 13 defensive plays last season. But the 285-pound defender offers some versatility, as a defensive end and D-tackle.
The Lions will aim to see if the small-school product can carve out a role under second-year defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. If he cannot, Tuesday’s waiver summary points to a third chance for the contract-year defender.
Today’s minor moves around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: RB Jaylen Samuels
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: OT Aron Johnson
Houston Texans
- Released: WR Damon Hazelton
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Joe Fortson (ERFA tender)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: DT Trevon Mason
Although Derek Stingley Jr. will be the biggest name the Texans deploy at cornerback next season, the rebuilding team will rely on a few experienced veterans at the position. Another agreed to join the the Texans on Tuesday.
Former Washington and Atlanta corner Fabian Moreau agreed to terms with Houston, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. He will join Steven Nelson as veteran corners to have committed to the Texans this offseason.
A Washington third-round draftee in 2017, Moreau played out his rookie contract in D.C. and caught on with the Falcons in March of last year. He fetched just a one-year deal worth $1.2MM with Atlanta. Moreau started 16 games with the Falcons, playing opposite blossoming talent A.J. Terrell. The Texans figure to try him opposite Stingley, this year’s No. 3 overall pick, though Nelson stands to have considerable say in whom the team uses as its No. 2 corner.
Moreau, 28, gives the Texans some options; he has played outside and in the slot as a pro. He did not tally any interceptions last season but finished with a career-best 11 passes defensed. Moreau’s yards-per-target figure went down from 2020 to ’21, but the UCLA product’s completion percentage allowed and passer rating while the closest defender marks skyrocketed. The 6-foot defender also allowed eight touchdown receptions as the closest player in coverage, by far a career-high total.
As a result, a tepid market awaited the five-year contributor. Still, Moreau provided durability (career-high 1,037 defensive snaps) with the Falcons — after seeing his defensive snap rate plummet to 15% in Jack Del Rio‘s first DC season in Washington — and had some nice coverage stretches in the years prior.
The Texans continue to stockpile midlevel veterans under Nick Caserio, whose first offseason featured a host of deals with this sort of player. Houston added Nelson in mid-April. Despite the ex-Chiefs and Steelers starter coming off a down season with the Eagles, Nelson also worked as a full-timer last season (982 defensive snaps). The Texans have created a bit of depth at a position in which they also have returning slot defender Desmond King, whom they re-signed this offseason. The team also returns regular Tavierre Thomas, a fifth-year veteran who signed a two-year, $4MM contract in 2021.
Since signing a deal that gave him the highest average salary of any running back in the NFL, Christian McCaffrey has missed 23 of 33 games. From a high ankle sprain to a shoulder injury to a hamstring injury and back around to his ankle again, McCaffrey has seen more than his fair share of the injured reserve. According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, McCaffrey reached out for some help this offseason.
Among a few others, one of the players McCaffrey sought help from was Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, one of two players who share with McCaffrey the distinction of recording at least 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season, the other being Roger Craig. Faulk was especially healthy later in his career despite having a tendency for a higher amount of total touches as a receiving back, his late health being a trait that McCaffrey would love to emulate.
Person reports that Panthers head coach Matt Rhule indicated McCaffrey would again be held out of the preseason and that the team is also looking into how they use their star during practice. McCaffrey, himself, has been tweaking his own offseason routine, in hopes of reversing his string of bad luck.
Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL, starting with two out of the Lone Star State:
- From an interview with Texans head coach Lovie Smith, Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reports that pass rusher Jonathan Greenard and safety Eric Murray will be ready to return to the field by the time training camp rolls around. Greenard, who led the team in sacks last season with 8.0, underwent foot surgery over the offseason. Murray had shoulder surgery after starting 11 games for Houston last year.
- The Commanders are expecting former Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young to rejoin the team in the next couple of weeks, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. The young defensive end is coming off an ACL tear he suffered in a Week 10 game against the Buccaneers. Young was having a bit of a sophomore slump last year, only recording 1.5 sacks in nine games of action, but Washington will nonetheless be happy to reunite him with Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat, and Daron Payne in what may be the NFL’s best all-around pass rushing defensive line.
- Although not a recent injury, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady talked about the condition of his left knee in a call with Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times this week. Last offseason saw Brady limited a bit due to surgery he underwent to repair the MCL tear he suffered during his last season in New England. With the injury far in the rearview mirror, Brady has reportedly been doing much more to prepare for the upcoming season this summer, “including some sprint work to help with his mobility.”
- Cam Inman of the East Bay Times reported an assertion from 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan that San Francisco will likely play it safe and hold out tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner until training camp. About two of his stars, the sixth-year head coach claimed the team was “being smart” by using a little extra time to allow the two to get over their “lower half” issues.
The Texans hired D.J. Debick away from the Patriots this weekend, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Debick served in New England as a Midwest area scout, but, in Houston, he’ll have a bit more responsibility in the role of assistant director of pro scouting.
Debick is likely a replacement for former co-assistant of director of player personnel Matt Bazirgan, who departed earlier this month to join the Bills as a senior personnel executive.
Here are a few other staff moves from around the NFL, starting with a promotion up in Charm City:
- The Ravens recently announced the promotion of David Blackburn, according to Wilson. Blackburn joined the Ravens in 2007 as an area scout, getting promoted to national scout in 2020. Blackburn’s most recent promotion places him in the position of director of college scouting, a huge move from where he started 15 years ago with Baltimore.
- ESPN’s Seth Walder reports that John Taormina is no longer with the Falcons. Taormina joined Atlanta back in 2015 as a football analyst, working his way through a few promotions to his most recent position of director of football data & analytics. Taormina had served in the position for 11 months before parting ways with the team earlier this week.
- The Panthers made an interesting staff move this week, according to Joseph Person of The Athletic, moving former-communications assistant Jordan Trgovac into a role in the team’s scouting department. Her role will assist with both college and pro scouting. Jordan is the daughter of former Panthers defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac, who has been a senior defensive assistant with the Raiders for the last three years.