Latest On Deshaun Watson Settlement Talks
Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing the 22 women who have filed lawsuits against Texans QB Deshaun Watson, said back in May that his clients would not agree to a settlement with Watson. Shortly thereafter, Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, said that Buzbee had indeed approached him about a settlement, but that settlement is not an option unless “the terms are made public and all participants are allowed to speak in their own defense at all times.”
Several days ago, Buzbee once again took to Instagram to discuss the matter. He said, “there will not be a settlement, at least anytime soon. I have my best people on the case. That should tell you a lot about our intentions. … our team is doing what it takes in discovery and prep to try these cases to a jury. The press folks say we’ve gone ‘quiet,’ but the truth is we made clear early on that we wouldn’t try these cases in the press and now are doing the important work required for our clients to try these cases to a jury.”
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Hardin and Buzbee have privately discussed a settlement, but those talks broke down due to Buzbee’s unwillingness to waive confidentiality and make the terms of a settlement public. Florio believes that Buzbee is prepared to settle and that the general parameters of an agreement — including the amount of money Watson is willing to pay out — are in place, but that Buzbee still wants to keep the settlement confidential and is insisting he is prepared to try the case in an effort to get Hardin to change his stance. For his part, Hardin says there are no active settlement talks at the moment (via Courtney Zubowski of KPRC-TV).
For most observers, the football side of this matter is still on the backburner, but for the Texans, Watson, and any teams that might want to trade for the three-time Pro Bowler, it is very much a pressing issue. The NFL’s investigation is ongoing, but Florio believes the league must make a decision as to whether it will place Watson on the Commissioner’s Exempt list as soon as possible to be fair to all parties involved. Despite everything else that has happened since his trade demand earlier this year, Watson still wants to be traded and remains interested in the Broncos, though Denver reportedly would prefer to swing a deal for Packers QB Aaron Rodgers.
However, it’s unclear when the NFL might make a decision with respect to Watson’s playing eligibility. According to Hardin, the league has not even spoken to his client yet.
The criminal investigation into Watson is also ongoing.
This Date In Transactions History: Texans Trade QB T.J. Yates To Falcons
Seven years ago today, we had a rare June NFL trade. In a notable move (at the time), the Texans sent quarterback T.J. Yates to the Falcons for linebacker Akeem Dent. 
Houston had actually planned on releasing Yates, their 2011 fifth-round pick. The North Carolina product had failed to show much during his first three years in the NFL, throwing three touchdowns and six interceptions in 13 games. With coach Bill O’Brien deciding to roll with the trio of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, and Tom Savage, Yates was set to be released and hit free agency. However, once word of Yates’ impending release got around the NFL, teams started calling in on the young signal-caller.
Houston ended up landing on a deal with the Falcons, receiving the intriguing Dent in return. The 2011 third-round pick had looked solid during his stint in Atlanta, starting 10 games and compiling 136 tackles in three years. While the Georgia product failed to progress during his time in Houston, the trade still appears to be a win for the Texans. Dent collected 38 tackles and one sacks in 15 games (seven starts) during his first season in Houston, earning himself a two-year extension. However, over the next two seasons, Dent only managed to compile a combined 29 tackles and zero sacks and hasn’t appeared in the NFL since 2016.
Yates’ tenure with the Falcons was short-lived. The quarterback appeared in only a single game for the franchise, completing three of four passes for 64 yards and one interception. He was released by Atlanta prior to the 2015 season, and he ended up catching on again with… the Texans. Yates looked a bit better during his second (and third) stint in Houston, and he earned a chance to play in 2017 due to injuries. He finished the campaign having completed 48.5-percent of his passes for 523 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions.
In an interesting twist, the two ex-players signed on to join the Texans’ coaching staff on the same day in February of 2019. Neither player stayed on for the David Culley administration, but Yates now serves as a passing game specialist for the Falcons.
Surgery For Texans’ Marcus Cannon
Texans tackle Marcus Cannon underwent minor knee surgery following the team’s OTAs (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Fortunately, Cannon’s already on the mend and he’s expected to be ready in time for training camp.
[RELATED: Watson Still Interested In Broncos]
New Texans GM Nick Caserio traded for Cannon in March, bringing a familiar face to Houston. The deal saw the Texans and Patriots swap draft positions in the fourth round, fifth round, and sixth round, a reasonable sacrifice for an experienced starter.
Cannon has appeared in 115 games over the course of his career, including 69 starts, mostly at right tackle. The Texans are planning to slot him at right guard with Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard manning the outside. Tackles are typically pricier than guards, but Cannon is owed just $4.7MM over the next two seasons, so his salary isn’t prohibitive for an interior lineman.
Cannon opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, but the Texans believe that the 33-year-old is in game shape, or close enough to it. But, if his health proves to be an issue, they have recently-signed ex-Packer Lane Taylor as insurance.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/14/21
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Reverted to IR: CB Stephen Guidry
Houston Texans
- Signed: LS Mitchell Fraboni
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: OL Wyatt Miller
San Francisco 49ers
- Reverted to IR: OL Justin Skule
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Will Sunderland
49ers, Texans Cancel Minicamps
Two more teams are opting against holding minicamps this year. The Texans and 49ers decided to wrap their offseason programs early this week. Both teams’ minicamps were scheduled to take place next week.
Kyle Shanahan said he was leaning toward nixing the extra week of offseason work — the only mandatory pre-training camp component on the NFL’s spring/summer agenda — due to strong OTA attendance. However, the fifth-year HC added recent injuries were a factor. The 49ers lost part-time starters Justin Skule and Tarvarius Moore for the season, and running back Jeff Wilson will miss regular-season time after suffering an injury during OTAs.
“My plan was to get eight (OTAs in), then I was gonna surprise them on Thursday and take everyone bowling,” Shanahan said, via Kyle Madson of Niners Wire. “But after our seventh practice with those two injuries and just the aura it gave to it, I wasn’t gonna come back and do one more just to do one more. … I kinda decided earlier in this if we could get our OTAs in I wasn’t gonna keep them for minicamp because (this year’s offseason schedule is) a week longer than usual.”
The 49ers return many of their starters from 2020, though they did make a notable addition to their quarterback room via the Trey Lance trade. The Texans brought in numerous free agents on short-term deals and changed their coaching staff. Nevertheless, David Culley opted to pull the plug on the three-day mandatory minicamp, Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 notes. The Texans were facing the likelihood of Deshaun Watson beginning a holdout by skipping minicamp, but they postponed that drama for the time being.
These cancelations follow the Eagles and Colts making the same moves and come after the NFLPA encouraged a sizable number of veterans to stay away from voluntary offseason work. While this has led to hiccups — notably in Denver, when Ja’Wuan James and DaeSean Hamilton suffered season-ending injuries away from the team’s facility — it also prompted several teams to rearrange their offseason schedules. It remains to be seen if any developmental impact will emerge from these changes, but the union will likely continue its quest to alter the NFL offseason in 2022.
CB Johnathan Joseph Announces Retirement
Johnathan Joseph enjoyed one of the longest careers among modern cornerbacks, lasting 15 seasons. The accomplished cover man announced (via Twitter) Thursday he will not attempt to play a 16th NFL campaign, choosing retirement instead.
A former Bengals first-round pick, Joseph spent most of his career in Cincinnati and Houston. However, he spent time in Tennessee and Arizona in his final season. Overall, Joseph played in 211 games and logged 192 starts during a career that included two Pro Bowls.
The South Carolina alum displayed a knack for finding the end zone during his career, intercepting 32 passes and taking seven back for touchdowns. Joseph, 37, will leave the game tied for seventh all time in pick-sixes — alongside Hall of Famers Ed Reed, Ty Law, Lem Barney and Herb Adderley. Joseph added a fumble return for a score in 2008. While Joseph will not end up in the Hall of Fame like his pick-six contemporaries, he was regarded as one of the NFL’s best corners for several seasons during his prime.
Joseph added two postseason interceptions, both coming in Texans wild-card wins over the Bengals. He played a key role in elevating Houston to those early-2010s January games, which doubled as the franchise’s initial playoff appearances. The 5-foot-11 defender made the Pro Bowl in those seasons. The Texans gave Joseph a five-year, $48.75MM contract in 2011. He performed well enough that the team extended him — on a three-year, $22MM deal — in the summer of 2015. Joseph ended up outlasting both A.J. Bouye and first-round pick Kevin Johnson in Houston; Johnson opted to retire this month as well.
With the Bengals in 2009, Joseph notched a career-high six INTs to help the franchise to the AFC North championship. Joseph signed with the Titans last year but could not help an overmatched defense much, though he did add one more INT to his career total. The Titans released him in November, but he caught on soon after with a familiar face. Johnathan Joseph concluded his career with the Cardinals, playing for former Texans secondary coach Vance Joseph.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/9/21
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: RB Mike Weber
Houston Texans
- Waived/failed physical: LB Duke Ejiofor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Michael Walker
Deshaun Watson Still Interested In Broncos
The Broncos have become the most rumored Aaron Rodgers trade destination. No close second has emerged. Prior to Rodgers-Broncos connections, Deshaun Watson loomed on the team’s radar. The younger of these Pro Bowl quarterbacks remains interested in a trade to the AFC West.
Ex-Watson Texans teammate Kareem Jackson said, during an appearance on Aqib Talib‘s Catchin’ Fades podcast (audio link), Denver is where Watson wants to end up. This might be a slight exaggeration, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport noting Watson remains open to being traded to the Broncos but does not necessarily have them as his unquestioned No. 1 destination (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Texans’ Deshaun Watson Still Wants Trade]
Jackson said earlier this offseason Watson was interested in the Broncos, and a subsequent report indicated the Texans quarterback was intrigued by Denver’s situation. In speaking to Watson in recent weeks, Jackson said the three-time Pro Bowl QB expressed interest in Denver in March and that Colorado remains where he wants to play. Per Jackson, Watson inquired about Jackson’s free agency plans — between the Broncos cutting him and re-signing him in March — and after Jackson re-signed asked the safety to communicate to the Broncos his own interest in the team. Watson has a no-trade clause, once this matter again becomes relevant.
Prospective Watson trades, of course, have been on the backburner for several weeks. Twenty-two women have accused Watson of sexual misconduct, with some alleging sexual assault took place during massage sessions. Watson has been linked to nearly 50 masseuses, with some coming out in his defense. The 25-year-old standout is a candidate for the Commissioner’s Exempt List and a suspension, which certainly stands to reduce his trade appeal.
The Houston Police Department is investigating Watson. So is the NFL. It is highly unlikely a team trades for Watson until more clarity emerges about his status for the 2021 season. Depositions in Watson’s civil case are slated to begin in September, though the quarterback is not set to be deposed until after the 2021 NFL season.
While the Broncos expressed interest when Watson was merely a disgruntled NFLer and not at the center of multiple investigations, it is unclear if they remain one of his suitors. The Panthers also appeared prepared to be more aggressive than the Broncos on the Watson front. Carolina ended up trading 2020 starter Teddy Bridgewater to Denver but did so after acquiring Sam Darnold. Although the Panthers picked up Darnold’s fifth-year option, Watson could still be on the team’s radar. The other teams most closely linked to Watson this offseason — the Dolphins, Jets and 49ers — have top-five picks invested at quarterback.
Watson and Rodgers are each represented by the Athletes First agency, CBS Sports’ Joel Corry notes (via Twitter). Rodgers placed the Broncos as an acceptable destination in April and remains interested in the Packers trading him to Denver. Watson is 12 years younger, but the Broncos prefer Rodgers as a trade target. Considering Rodgers’ accomplishments and Watson’s off-field issues, this makes sense. Neither the Packers nor Texans have relented, though Houston’s moves — signing Tyrod Taylor, drafting Davis Mills in Round 3 — point to the franchise preparing not to have him this season.
Texans Wanted Kellen Mond At No. 67?
The Texans just drafted Davis Mills in the third-round, giving them some quarterback insurance as they wait for the Deshaun Watson saga to play out.
Tyrod Taylor is also on the roster, but if Watson ends up traded or suspended it seems like there’s a good chance the rookie from Stanford makes some starts. New head coach David Culley recently raved about Mills, but as it turns out it sounds like the Texans originally had their eye on a different signal-caller. Houston was planning to take Texas A&M passer Kellen Mond at 67 before the Vikings nabbed him at 66, Mond’s father Kevin told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
“(There was a) phone call from his agent, text message, and the agent said, ‘Hey, the Houston Texans are getting ready to select (Mond) at pick 67,’” the elder Mond said. “It wasn’t supposed to be Mills,” he added. “It was going to be Kellen.”
Getting drafted by the Texans would’ve meant staying in his home state, but Kevin said that Kellen is happy to be headed to Minnesota.
Mond might’ve had a better path to immediate playing time in Houston, but going to the Vikings might prove to be better long-term. He’ll start his pro career behind Kirk Cousins, but if the Vikings elect to move on from Cousins after this season he’ll definitely be in the mix as a potential successor.
CFL WR/TE Jevon Cottoy To Work Out For 49ers, Others Interested
A CFL player is starting to build some serious NFL buzz. WR/TE Jevon Cottoy will work out for the 49ers this coming week, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets.
Pelissero reports that Cottoy has already worked out for the Texans, Raiders, Patriots, and Saints, adding that there’s “significant interest” in him. As Pelissero points out, he’s got good size at 6’5 and 230 pounds. Unlike many players who attempt to make the jump from the CFL to the NFL, Cottoy isn’t a former American player who wasn’t able to make it in the pros right out of college.
Cottoy grew up in Calgary and rose through the football ranks entirely in Canada. He’s still only 24 and has just one year of CFL experience under his belt, in 2019. The 2020 CFL season was canceled due to COVID-19.
Kyle Shanahan loves to get creative on offense, and the team has brought in other hybrid players before like RB/WR Jalen Hurd and versatile fullback Kyle Juszczyk, so San Francisco’s interest isn’t too surprising. It sounds like the odds are better than not that Cottoy will end up signing somewhere.