Texans To Re-Sign T Roderick Johnson
Despite changing regimes this offseason, the Texans will bring back one of their offensive line regulars. They will re-sign Roderick Johnson, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The sides agreed to a one-year deal Saturday.
A four-year veteran tackle, Johnson has been with the Texans since 2018. The former Browns draft pick started three games for the Texans last season and played 25% of the team’s offensive snaps. Nick Caserio, who has been quite active in adding low-cost outside free agents in his first free agency period as a GM, will keep Johnson in the mix.
This marks the second straight offseason in which Johnson has re-signed to stay in Houston. He spent the 2017 with the Browns but did not play in any games. The Texans claimed him in summer 2018, and although Johnson appeared in just one game that season, he saw action in all 16 for the 2019 Houston edition. Overall, Johnson has started six games with the Texans.
The Texans will likely have Johnson compete for a backup job. Caserio turned to his former employer for help at this position earlier this offseason, acquiring longtime Patriots starting right tackle Marcus Cannon via trade. Johnson and Cannon join starters Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard in Houston’s 2021 tackle mix.
Houston Police Department Opens Deshaun Watson Investigation
The Houston Police Department received a report of an allegation against Deshaun Watson and is now conducting an investigation into the Texans quarterback (Twitter link).
Prior to Friday, none of Watson’s 20-plus accusers had gone to the police. The attorney representing Watson’s accusers, Tony Buzbee, indicated he would not take these accusations to the police, Aaron Reiss of The Athletic tweets. One accuser has done so, however, though it is not known if the complainant is among the 21 accusers who previously filed civil suits against Watson.
“Today, a complainant filed a report with the Houston Police Department concerning Deshaun Watson,” Houston PD’s statement read. “As with any allegation, the Houston Police Department is now conducting an investigation and will not comment further during the investigative process.”
Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, subsequently indicated his legal team will cooperate fully with the Houston PD’s investigation, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Twenty-one women have accused Watson of sexual assault or sexual misconduct; 18 different massage therapists have voiced support for Watson, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. The NFL began its investigation into Watson more than two weeks ago.
Texans To Consider Alex Smith As Deshaun Watson Replacement?
The Texans have yet to engage in trade talks for Deshaun Watson, but the calls are still coming in — even in the midst of Watson’s off-the-field situation. If the Texans move on from Watson or lose him to league discipline, former Washington quarterback Alex Smith could be considered for the role, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: 49ers Monitored Deshaun Watson]
Smith suffered his horrific leg injury against the Texans in 2018, but managed to return to the field in 2020. According to the QB, Washington didn’t necessarily want him back. Smith went on to go 5-1 in his starts and help WFT capture the NFC East title. Smith was, understandably, not at his best. Last yar, he threw for six touchdowns against eight interceptions with a 78.5 QB rating.
“When I decided to come back, I definitely threw a wrench in the team’s plan,” Smith said earlier this year. “They didn’t see it, didn’t want me there, didn’t want me to be a part of it, didn’t want me to be on the team, the roster, didn’t want to give me a chance.”
Ron Rivera & Co. went on to cut Smith, saving $14.7MM against the cap. Although they didn’t want to give Smith a chance – or a 2021 return — the Texans could be willing to give him an opportunity.
Watson is facing upwards of 20 lawsuits alleging a variety of sexual misconduct. The league office could move to place Watson on the commissioner’s exempt list, which would keep him off the field while the legal situation plays out.
Texans Rework Shaq Lawson’s Deal
The Texans have converted $7MM of Shaq Lawson‘s contract into a signing bonus, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The move will carve out $5.2MM in breathing room for Houston while adding
two voidable years to the edge rusher’s deal.
[RELATED: Dolphins Trade Shaq Lawson To Texans For Benardrick McKinney]
Lawson arrived a couple weeks back in the trade that sent inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney to Miami. He was the second player from Miami’s 2020 front-seven spending spree to be jettisoned in a matter of days, following the release of Kyle Van Noy.
Lawson turned in a solid, if unspectacular, 2020 campaign with the Dolphins. Previous to that, Lawson recorded a career-high 6.5 sacks for the Bills in 2019. For all intents and purposes, Lawson’s is set to continue on the three-year, $30MM he inked with the ‘Fins last spring. But, thanks to those voidable years, the Texans can kick the can down the road a bit.
For his career, Sack-a-Shaq has 20.5 sacks across five pro seasons. Barring any further changes to his deal, he’s due to make $8.9MM in 2022.
Latest On Texans, Deshaun Watson
More lawsuits have been filed against Deshaun Watson this week, as ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop details. This latest round of suits includes one alleging that Watson is deleting Instagram messages and contacting plaintiffs in an effort to settle. 
“Like a lot of people, Deshaun regularly deletes past Instagram messages,” Watson’s attorney Rusty Hardin said. “That said, he has not deleted any messages since March 15th, the day before the first lawsuit was filed. We categorically deny that he has reached out directly to his accusers in an attempt to settle these cases.”
Tony Buzbee, the lawyer representing Watson’s accusers, now says that he has filed 20 lawsuits in total.
“Plaintiffs have not brought these cases for money or attention; instead Plaintiffs seek a change in behavior with regard to Watson, and a change of culture in the NFL,” Buzbee wrote in one lawsuit.
Before the lawsuits, the biggest questions surrounding Watson had to do with his future in Houston. The trade rumors have obviously taken a backseat, but NFL execs seem to think that a deal could still be in play.
“If you’re a team that had been interested in him, you have to do your own research into this, with whatever resources you have,” one anonymous NFL exec told Lindsay Jones of The Athletic. “You have to do your own due diligence, in the event that [someone from the Texans] one day picks up the phone and says they are ready to move him.”
Texans Restructure Zach Cunningham’s Deal
The Texans have restructured Zach Cunningham‘s contract (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). The move will allow Houston to save $5.63MM in cap space by converting $7.51M of the linebacker’s 2021 base salary converted into a signing bonus. 
Cunningham inked a four-year, $58MM extension last summer, keeping him under club control through 2024. Since then, Cunningham has been a fixture in the Texans’ front seven. In 2019, he took a big leap forward with 142 stops, two sacks, and two passes defensed in 16 games (all starts). He led the league in run stops that year, posting a career-best run-defense grade of 84.8, per Pro Football Focus.
This past year, he shined on a less-than-stellar Texans defense and led the league with 164 total tackles. He also posted a career-high three sacks. Still, his 43.0 coverage grade needs to improve in order for the Texans to keep opposing tight ends in check.
The Texans have been working diligently to tamp down their cap figure in recent days. Last week, they also adjusted Witney Mercilus’ deal to find extra space while allowing the linebacker to reach free agency after the 2021 season.
Texans Re-Work Whitney Mercilus’s Deal
Whitney Mercilus inked a four-year extension with the Texans in 2019. Now, he’s set to be a free agent after the 2021 season, thanks to a restructuring of his contract (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com). 
Some believed that he’d be shipped out following the trade of inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney to the Dolphins, but the two sides managed to work things out. In terms of income, it’s a simple restructure for Mercilus as his base salary will be turned into a lump-sum bonus. The biggest change is that his 2022 and 2033 seasons are now voidable, making him eligible for free agency after this season. Meanwhile, the Texans will have an extra $4MM to work with in 2021.
Mercilus, a 2012 first-round pick, has spent his entire career with the Texans. Last year, he finished out with four sacks and 21 total tackles in 13 games. That marked a drop from 2019, when he had 7.5 sacks and 48 stops.
Watson Lawyer: Allegations Against QB False
Deshaun Watson‘s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said Tuesday he believes all the allegations against his client are false. The Texans quarterback has been accused of sexual misconduct or assault by 16 women, with two more accusers emerging Tuesday.
“Any allegation that Deshaun forced a woman to commit a sexual act is completely false,” Hardin said, via ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop.
Hardin also accused Tony Buzbee, the attorney for the massage therapists who have accused Watson, of denying his requests to provide the plaintiffs’ names in order for their claims to be investigated. Additionally, Watson marketing manager Bryan Burney said one of the accusers attempted to blackmail his client for $30K in January, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
In an affidavit, Burney said one of Watson’s accusers — who has alleged he forced her to perform oral sex on him at a Houston office building — confirmed everything that occurred during her encounter with Watson was consensual. The woman then sought a payment for her silence on the events of that encounter, Burney said, adding that Watson would not pay her $30K.
However, after the Hardin and Burney statements emerged, 15th and 16th accusers joined the other massage therapists, Aaron Reiss of The Athletic tweets. Buzbee has alleged he has made contact with 22 alleged victims. No criminal charges have been filed against Watson.
Texans Waive WR Chad Hansen
After turning to Chad Hansen late last season, the Texans waived the young wide receiver Tuesday. Hansen played in five games for the Texans last season.
Originally a Jets fourth-round pick, Hansen did not play in 2018 or ’19. However, the Texans turned to him late last season, doing so after the team’s original receiver quartet — Will Fuller, Kenny Stills, Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb — became unavailable due to either injuries, a suspension (Fuller) or a release (Stills). Hansen caught 17 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown in five Houston contests (two starts).
The Texans originally added Hansen in 2019, claiming him off waivers from the Saints. Hansen spent the ’19 season on the Texans’ practice squad and was taxi-squadder in Houston for part of the ’20 campaign. He is now back on waivers.
New Texans GM added some new potential depth pieces at receiver last week, bringing in ex-Ravens wideout Chris Moore and the well-traveled Donte Moncrief. While Fuller signed with the Dolphins, the Texans still have Cobb, Cooks and Keke Coutee on their roster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/23/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: S Geno Stone
Houston Texans
- Re-Signed: LS Jon Weeks
- Released: LS Anthony Kukwa
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: WR Mack Hollins
New England Patriots
- Released: LB Cassh Maluia, LB Michael Pinckney
New York Jets
- Released: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: WR Deontay Burnett
Washington Football Team
- Re-Signed: CB Danny Johnson, LB Jared Norris