HEADLINES

Houston Texans News & Rumors

Texans Seeking Second-Round Pick For Brandin Cooks, Discussing Extension

April 4th, 2022 at 6:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brandin Cooks‘ contract expires at season’s end, and the oft-traded wide receiver looks to be back on familiar terrain. The Texans wide receiver is generating trade interest again, but the team is not prepared to part with its top pass catcher just to shed salary.

The Texans are receiving calls on Cooks, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Bleacher Report), noting the rebuilding team has taken multiple inquiries on the eight-year veteran. Houston acquired Cooks in 2020, and despite the team being early in a rebuild, the AFC South squad has hung onto the former Saints, Patriots and Rams weapon.

Houston, however, has discussed an extension with Cooks, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets, and is not viewed as likely to move him at this time. While Cooks appears ill-fitting on this Texans team, the franchise is developing a young quarterback in Davis Mills and lacks other proven wideouts. If the Texans do become serious about a Cooks trade, Wilson notes the team wants at least a second-round pick.

The former first-round wideout was traded in 2017, 2018 and 2020. He fetched first-round picks from the Patriots and Rams, and the Texans acquired the nomadic receiver for a second-rounder. After the ’20 season, Cooks even came out against a possible fourth trade. With the Texans having gone through back-to-back four-win seasons, the 28-year-old pass catcher may be more amenable to another move. Cooks, who was in New England during GM Nick Caserio and executive VP Jack Easterby‘s time with the AFC East franchise, is due to make $12.5MM in base salary this season.

Cooks is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Texans; he has now posted four-digit receiving slates for four teams. The speedster bounced back from a scary 2019, when he suffered multiple concussions. A concussion also forced Cooks out of Super Bowl LII. Although his history of head injuries is certainly a cause for concern, the Oregon State alum has produced everywhere he’s been. His history of production on contending teams will likely continue to generate trade rumors.

Cowboys, Falcons, Packers, Texans Pursued DeVante Parker

April 4th, 2022 at 4:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots’ latest wide receiver trade sent DeVante Parker from one AFC East team to another, but at least four teams from outside the division discussed acquiring the former first-round pick.

The Packers, Falcons and Texans engaged in talks with either the Dolphins or Parker’s agent about the veteran wide receiver, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes, while ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds the Cowboys resided in the mix as well (Twitter links).

Parker went to the Pats in a deal that sent the Dolphins a third-round pick, with Fowler adding talks between the rivals heated up on the pro-day circuit. The career-long Dolphin wanted to be dealt to the Patriots, per Fowler and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link).

Dallas’ receiver room changed in March, when the team dealt Amari Cooper to Cleveland for little compensation — at least compared to what the Cowboys parted with to acquire Cooper — and let Cedrick Wilson Jr. defect to Miami. The Dolphins’ Wilson move and their Tyreek Hill blockbuster left Parker without a certain role in Mike McDaniel‘s offense. This led to the seven-year vet going on the trade block.

Green Bay joined Dallas in dealing its No. 1 wideout in March, sending Davante Adams to Las Vegas. Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s Chiefs commitment leaves the Packers with little at receiver. The Falcons have seen their receiving corps gutted over the past 10 months, to the point they do not have a No. 1- or No. 2-caliber receiver on their roster. The Texans do not have much beyond Brandin Cooks at the position. And the oft-traded wideout is going into the final year of his Rams-constructed contract.

Parker is signed through the 2023 season and is on the Patriots’ books at $5.65MM and $5.7MM for the next two years. While the 29-year-old target has not been especially consistent, he has a 1,200-yard season on his resume (2019) and carried a contract that looks quite reasonable considering where Adams and Hill took the market last month.

Texans To Sign Marlon Mack

April 1st, 2022 at 6:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

After meeting with the team last week, Marlon Mack is set to join the Texans. Houston is signing the veteran tailback, per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop (Twitter link). 

[RELATED: Texans Host Mack]

Mack, 26, was a fourth round pick of the Colts in 2017. While he didn’t start any of the 14 games he played in during his rookie season, he totalled 583 scrimmage yards, setting him up for much larger workloads in the two years to follow. Between 2018 and 2019, Mack received 442 carries, posting 1,999 rushing yards and 18 total touchdowns.

His tenure in Indianapolis went downhill from there, however. After just one game, his 2020 season was ended by a torn Achilles. That – coupled with the emergence of second-round rookie Jonathan Taylor – led many to feel he would be seeking a new home in free agency. However, he stayed put, signing a one-year deal to try and prove he had recovered from the injury.

That plan didn’t come to fruition, however. The South Florida alum played in only six games, rushing for 101 yards. Again, many felt he would be on the move – this time via a trade – but he didn’t generate much of a market for an in-season move. Not surprisingly, the Colts are now moving forward with Taylor as one of the league’s preeminent workhouse backs.

In Houston, Mack will remain in the AFC South while joining a Texans team which should provide him with plenty of touches. After spending most of the season with the likes of David Johnson and Mark Ingram in 2021, those two veterans have hit free agency and been traded, respectively. Alongside Rex Burkhead, Mack should be in line to command a healthy workload on the rebuilding squad.

Texans Sign WR DaeSean Hamilton

March 28th, 2022 at 7:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

An auxiliary wide receiver for three seasons in Denver, DaeSean Hamilton is attempting to come back after an offseason injury nixed his 2021 season. The Texans will give him that chance.

Houston signed the former fourth-round pick Monday, announcing a transaction that adds another potential contributor to the team’s Brandin Cooks-led receiver troops. The Texans are giving Hamilton a one-year deal. Despite the Penn State product coming off an injury, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes the deal does include guaranteed money (Twitter links). Hamilton visited the Texans earlier this month.

The Broncos selected Hamilton in 2018, adding the slot receiver two rounds after drafting Courtland Sutton. While the latter became Demaryius Thomas‘ heir apparent, seeing his role increase after the Texans traded for the perennial Pro Bowler at the 2018 deadline, Hamilton did not catch on. He churned out consistent work in Denver, catching between 23 and 30 passes in each season, with the yardage totals all between 240 and 295. The Broncos’ Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler selections in 2020 moved Hamilton further to the periphery, and the team cut him following an offseason ACL tear.

Hamilton, 27, did draw trade interest before that injury. The Broncos and 49ers had a deal in place, but the May 2021 injury scuttled the swap. Cooks leads a Texans receiving corps that also houses Chris Conley and 2021 third-round pick Nico Collins. Armed with three extra picks in the first four rounds — from the Bradley Roby and Deshaun Watson trades — the Texans figure to be in the market for more talent here.

Texans Re-Sign LB Neville Hewitt

March 26th, 2022 at 6:24pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans are bringing back a key contributor from Lovie Smith‘s defense from last year. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Houston is bringing back linebacker Neville Hewitt on a one-year deal. 

Hewitt performed admirably in a single season try out for the Texans last year. The seventh-year undrafted player out of Marshall played the third-most snaps for Houston’s linebackers behind starters Christian Kirksey and Kamu Grugier-Hill, racking up five starts along the way.

Hewitt did enough coming out of college in 2015 to sign on as a free agent with the Dolphins as a rookie. After increasing his role in Year Two, the Dolphins waived Hewitt, stashing him on the practice squad for most of the 2017 season.

In 2018, Hewitt signed a one-year contract with the Jets, starting four games in his first season in New York. Hewitt broke out a bit over the next two years, stepping in to start all 28 games he appeared in with injuries to players like C.J. Mosley providing the opportunity for him to show what he could do. In 2020, Hewitt led the Jets in tackles with a career-high 134, adding 2.0 sacks, four passes defensed, and one interception to the stat sheet, as well.

The productive year in New York earned him a one-year contract with Houston in May of last year. With Kirksey and Grugier-Hill both set to return, as well, the Texans bring back their top three linebackers, providing a nice bit of defensive familiarity for Lovie Smith to start his head coaching tenure in Houston.

Jets Notes: Jones, Draft, Cashman

March 26th, 2022 at 9:34am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets could still use an edge rusher, and many assume they’ll look to the draft for pass-rush help. However, ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes that the team flirted with the idea of adding veteran defensive end Chandler Jones.

Jets fans are plenty familiar with Jones thanks to his time with the Patriots, but it’s been a while since he was in the AFC East. The defensive end compiled a whopping 60 sacks through his first four seasons in Arizona, and after being limited to only one sack in five games in 2020, he returned with a 10.5-sack campaign in 2021. So, naturally, he was a popular name in free agency, and while the Jets considered a pursuit, the veteran defender ended up landing in Las Vegas on a three-year, $51MM deal.

At the moment, the Jets have Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers slotted in at defensive end. While they’re a fine duo, Cimini notes that Lawson is coming off a major injury and Franklin-Myers may be better suited for defensive tackle.

Ultimately, Cimini opines that the Jets will take a pass rusher with either the No. 4 or No. 10 pick, suggesting Travon Walker, Jermaine Johnson II, and Kayvon Thibodeaux could all be options.

More notes out of New Jersey…

  • As Cimini writes, the Jets are one of only four teams without a former 1,000-yard receiver (or tight end) on their roster, but the only significant move they’ve made at the position is re-signing receiver Braxton Berrios. The writer believes that the front office will ultimately add a “midlevel free agent” wideout while considering using one of their first-round picks on the draft’s top receiver, perhaps USC’s Drake London or Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson. Cimini also notes that the team was monitoring the Robert Woods situation, but the front office ultimately thought his age was a “turnoff.”
  • The Texans acquired linebacker Blake Cashman from the Jets last week, and we’re now learning what the Gang Green got in return. According to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter), the Jets acquired a 2023 sixth-round pick. The sixth-rounder originally belonged to the 49ers.
  • Jets offensive line coach John Benton was arrested and charged with DUI last Thursday in New Jersey, according to Cimini (on Twitter). A New York Jets spokesperson said “We are aware of the situation and have no further comment” (via NFL.com).

Texans Sign CB Isaac Yiadom

March 24th, 2022 at 4:12pm CST by Ben Levine

After visiting the team almost two weeks ago, Isaac Yiadom has finally inked a contract with Houston. The Texans have signed the cornerback, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter).

The Boston College product was a third-round pick by the Broncos in 2018. He lasted two seasons in Denver before he was shipped to the Giants for a future seventh-round pick in 2020. He spent one season in New York before he was traded again, this time to the Packers for cornerback Josh Jackson. Ultimately, his tenure in Green Bay only lasted one season, but at least this time, Yiadom had some say in where he landed next.

During his four seasons in the NFL, Yiadom has only missed four games. He got some extended run on defense with the Broncos and Giants in 2019 and 2020, but he reverted back to a special teams role with the Packers this past season. The 26-year-old saw time in 75 percent of Green Bay’s special teams snaps vs. only nine percent of their defensive snaps in 2021.

Yiadom has seen time in 61 career games (20 starts). That includes a 2021 campaign where he collected 10 tackles in 16 games (one start).

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/23/22

March 23rd, 2022 at 7:54pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Latest On Browns’ Baker Mayfield Trade Talks, Deshaun Watson Deal

March 23rd, 2022 at 6:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The flurry of quarterback moves has left the Browns with few options regarding their previous starter. The team is not planning to hold onto Baker Mayfield in hopes of an injury changing the marketplace, preferring to give him a fresh start immediately.

Cleveland hopes to unload Mayfield soon, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes in an expansive piece, but the team should not be expected to receive a great return. In addition to the reduced market, the Browns are not interested in paying part of Mayfield’s fifth-year option salary ($18.9MM) to facilitate a trade, Cabot adds. Mayfield requested a trade shortly before the Browns made their historic offer to Deshaun Watson.

Despite Sam Darnold fetching three draft choices — including a 2022 second-rounder — from the Panthers last year, the Browns have limited options for their more proven starter. Darnold’s disappointing season notwithstanding, the Panthers are not believed to be interested in Mayfield. The Seahawks do still appear on the radar, with Cabot indicating they have inquired on the disgruntled QB and may become more open to a deal at a certain price point. The Browns are not expecting a first-round pick here; they would need to explore another avenue to recoup one of the first-rounders they lost by trading for Watson.

While this saga is not at the point where the Browns are considering releasing Mayfield, Cabot adds if that were to happen the Steelers would be interested (video link). Pittsburgh gave Mitchell Trubisky a two-year contract, but his barely $7MM-per-year salary leaves the team open to exploring other options or drafting a passer early.

Although the Watson-to-Cleveland buzz picked up after the Combine, Cabot reports the Browns informed Mayfield’s camp in Indianapolis they would only attempt to replace him with an elite QB like Watson or Russell Wilson. After the Browns informed him they would aim to accommodate Mayfield in a trade, the QB did not list the Lions, Panthers or Texans as desirable spots and was instead intrigued by the Colts. Indy discussed Mayfield with Cleveland but made a deal to acquire Matt Ryan.

Additionally, Cabot reports Mayfield’s trade request did not spur the Browns to make their monster offer for Watson, who is now signed to a $230MM fully guaranteed contract. Watson did narrow his list to the Falcons and Saints, but his camp is believed to have brought the Browns back into the mix. Cleveland’s fully guaranteed proposal partially surfaced to convince Watson to play in a cold-weather city.

That process — and the subsequent QB decisions from Indy, Atlanta and New Orleans — has left Mayfield and with few options. Jimmy Garoppolo‘s status further complicates the Mayfield matter, as does the surgery Mayfield underwent on his non-throwing shoulder. The coming days could determine how much the Seahawks truly like Drew Lock, as they have indicated at every turn since acquiring him, or if they are willing to part with modest draft capital for a more experienced option.

Texans Sign FB Andy Janovich

March 23rd, 2022 at 4:49pm CST by Ben Levine

Andy Janovich is off to Houston. The Texans are signing the veteran fullback, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Janovich is inking a one-year deal.

Janovich has appeared in 77 career games for the Broncos and Browns over the last six years. This year, he just missed the cut as a Pro Bowler, winding up as an alternate for the game. With his 29th birthday just around the bend in May, Janovich is regarded as one of the league’s best fullbacks.

However, in an attempt to save some extra cash, the Browns declined the 28-year-old’s option. The move made Janovich a free agent. This is the first known interest in Janovich, but it can be assumed that multiple teams reached out on the fullback.

With some NFL teams shying away from utilizing traditional fullbacks, it will be interesting to see what kind of deal Janovich commands. The fullback inked a three-year, $5.7MM extension with the Broncos in 2019 before getting traded to Cleveland five months later.

Load More Posts