Sammy Watkins To Visit Colts, Titans And Texans Interested
We heard earlier today that Sammy Watkins was on his way to visit the Ravens, but Baltimore is going to face competition for his services. Watkins will visit the Colts on Wednesday after the Ravens, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Additionally, Schefter reports that Watkins has drawn interest from the Titans and Texans. It’s a sudden flurry of attention for Watkins, who we hadn’t heard much about prior to today. There was reportedly some mutual interest between Watkins and the Chiefs in spending one more year together back in February, but then at the beginning of this month Kansas City GM Brett Veach indicated it’d be hard to work financially.
The Colts make plenty of sense as a destination, since right now it’s very uncertain whether free agent T.Y. Hilton will be back in 2021. Indy has youngsters Michael Pittman Jr. and Parris Campbell under contract, but the receiver room could use some help. The Titans just lost Corey Davis to the Jets, and need a new number two behind A.J. Brown.
The Texans just lost Will Fuller, so all of these teams are natural fits. Watkins has never quite lived up to his potential, but if he can stay healthy he can really help a team. He had 37 catches for 421 yards and two touchdowns across ten games in a secondary role for the Chiefs last year.
Texans To Sign Hardy Nickerson
Nick Caserio just won’t stop signing guys to one-year deals. The new Texans GM has found his latest low-risk flyer on the free agent market, this time signing linebacker Hardy Nickerson, a source told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Houston has been making a flurry of cheap signings of under the radar players as they rebuild their defense. The strategy seems to be throwing as many darts at the board as possible, and hitting on a couple of guys. It makes a lot of sense on paper. Nickerson signed with the Bengals as an UDFA in 2017, and started nine games for Cincy across his first two seasons.
He fell out of favor when the new coaching staff took over in 2019, then signed with the Vikings for 2020. He appeared in 14 games for Minnesota, starting one and playing about ten percent of the defensive snaps overall. He finished with 14 tackles, two forced fumbles, and an interception. There’s some familiarity here, as Nickerson played for new Texans DC Lovie Smith in college at Illinois.
Nick Easton To Visit Bengals, Texans
Nick Easton‘s market is starting to heat up it seems. The veteran offensive lineman was cut by the Saints about six weeks ago, and not too long after we heard that he’d already been in touch with four teams.
Things went quiet after that though, until now. Easton has “possible visits” with the Bengals and Texans in the coming days, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Fowler notes that New Orleans has also expressed interest in bringing him back “if they can make it work cap-wise.” That tracks with what we heard back in February, as the Saints cut him in as part of their complicated maneuvering to get under the cap.
Easton entered the league as an UDFA in 2015, and became a part-time starter with the Vikings in 2016. He became a full-time starter in 2017, showed well, and after missing the entire 2018 season due to injury signed a four-year, $24MM pact with the Saints in 2019.
He made it just two years into that deal, and started nine games for New Orleans last year. He’s still only 28, and with his NFL experience at both center and guard would make for a solid late signing for teams in need of interior line help. The Bengals are looking to completely remake Joe Burrow‘s protection for 2021, and recently added fellow former Viking Riley Reiff to start at right tackle.
Texas To Sign Chris Conley
The Texans are continuing to add players on smaller deals. Houston has now agreed to terms on a one-year deal with receiver Chris Conley, a source told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
The Texans have been signing a flurry of under the radar receivers to one year deals, including Donte Moncrief and Alex Erickson just a few days ago. It appears like new GM Nick Caserio is just going to take a bunch of low-risk dart throws and see who ends up hitting, which isn’t a bad strategy for a rebuilding team. Caserio has been completely remaking the roster this offseason, and the receiver room has been no exception.
Will Fuller just left for the Dolphins last week, and they’re looking for replacements. Conley is a very solid athlete with good speed who entered the league as a third-round pick of the Chiefs back in 2015. He showed plenty of flashes in Kansas City, but was often buried in the depth chart.
After his rookie deal expired he signed with the Jaguars, and spent the past two years in Jacksonville. In 15 games and four starts last year, he had 40 catches for 471 yards and two touchdowns. He was much more productive in 2019, when he had 47 catches for 775 yards (16.5 Y/R), and five touchdowns. He turned 28 in October. It’s a decent flyer for the Texans, and Conley will have a clear path to playing time.
Texans’ Deshaun Watson Facing Ten Lawsuits
Three more civil lawsuits have been filed against Deshaun Watson, as Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com tweets. The Texans quarterback is now facing ten suits in total with allegations of inappropriate conduct and sexual assault. 
“I’m extremely proud to represent Deshaun Watson and wholly stand behind him against what we believe are meritless allegations,” his attorney, Rusty Hardin, said recently. “However, we will wait to comment in detail until we’ve completed our review of the numerous, evolving allegations from Mr. Buzbee. We will respond next week and ask you to keep an open mind until we do so.”
Last week, three massage therapists filed against Watson with one accuser alleging that Watson forced her to perform oral sex. Through the first seven cases, Watson denied any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, the Texans say they are cooperating with the investigations.
Watson, a three-time Pro Bowler, was previously in the news for his long-standing trade request. Obviously, his off-the-field matters could put those discussions on pause.
Latest On Allegations Against Deshaun Watson
As of March 18, Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee had filed three lawsuits against Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson on behalf of three massage therapists alleging inappropriate conduct and sexual assault. Now, Buzbee has filed a total of seven suits, and as Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com writes, at least five more will be on the way.
No criminal charges or complaints have been filed against Watson, but according to Barshop, Buzbee is pushing to change that. The attorney plans to submit affidavits and evidence concerning the alleged misconduct to the Houston Police Department and the Houston DA on Monday morning, and he will also request that a grand jury consider the evidence.
Obviously, that is part of Buzbee’s effort to increase his leverage in his civil suits, and the fact that he is submitting affidavits and evidence to the DA’s office does not mean that the DA will believe those materials represent probable cause to initiate criminal proceedings. Still, it’s clear that this matter is not going away, and Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, says a response is forthcoming.
“I’m extremely proud to represent Deshaun Watson and wholly stand behind him against what we believe are meritless allegations,” Hardin said. “However, we will wait to comment in detail until we’ve completed our review of the numerous, evolving allegations from Mr. Buzbee. We will respond next week and ask you to keep an open mind until we do so.” (Twitter link via Mark Berman of FOX 26).
Up until the suits were filed, Watson had been all over the headlines for football-related reasons. He and the Texans were playing a game of chicken over the three-time Pro Bowler’s trade demand, and on March 19 — even after the seventh lawsuit — Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported that several clubs remained interested in swinging a trade for Watson. That includes the Eagles, whose interest had not been reported previously.
“We need to know more facts before making a firm decision on a trade, but, yes, we’re still interested,” said one NFL executive. “How could you not be interested in Deshaun Watson possibly being your quarterback? The guy is an incredible talent.”
Said another exec, “[w]hat Deshaun Watson has been accused of obviously doesn’t match up at all with what we’ve heard and know about him as a really great person, but you can’t ignore these serious allegations. What that means is making sure you’re doing your homework and making sure you have all the facts before you get heavily involved in trade negotiations. There’s the NFL investigation, the court stuff and you have to let it all play out and make an informed decision. Yes, we’re still very interested in Deshaun Watson. What he has done on the field checks every box for quarterback play.”
If these allegations are not resolved in Watson’s favor in short order, you can expect that interested teams will stop their pursuit of the Texans’ signal-caller.
Texans Restructure Laremy Tunsil, Brandin Cooks Contracts
The Texans have restructured Laremy Tunsil‘s top-market tackle contract, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle notes. This will create $10.1MM in cap space for the rebuilding team.
Tunsil’s 2021 base salary will drop to $990K, with the funds being transferred to a $15.1MM signing bonus, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The highly paid left tackle’s deal still runs through the 2023 season.
Despite being in clear rebuilding mode, with Deshaun Watson‘s murky status with the team making the stage of that rebuild somewhat uncertain, the Texans have been active in free agency and on the trade market. They traded for Shaq Lawson and Marcus Cannon and signed the likes of Phillip Lindsay, Tyrod Taylor, Jordan Jenkins, Desmond King and others. Tunsil’s restructure helped; so did a recent Brandin Cooks move.
The Texans’ Cooks restructure created $6MM in cap space, with ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop noting the deal does adjust the duration of Cooks’ contract. Cooks’ five-year, $80MM Rams extension ran through the 2023 season. His recent restructure voided one of those years, putting the 27-year-old wideout under contract through 2022.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/21
Here are the minor moves from Day 4 of official free agency:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: K Brett Maher
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Cole Toner
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed (from Cowboys): WR Jon’Vea Johnson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: DB Brandon Facyson
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: CB Dontae Johnson
Texans To Sign LB Jordan Jenkins
Jordan Jenkins is leaving the Jets. The free agent pass rusher is signing with the Texans, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a two-year, $6MM deal for Jenkins, and the veteran has the potential to earn up to $8MM.
The 2016 third-round pick had spent his entire five-year career with the Jets, missing only eight of the team’s games over that span. The veteran has compiled 22.5 sacks throughout his career, including 15 sacks between the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
He took a bit of a step back in 2020. Jenkins started all 12 of his appearances, but he finished with career-lows in tackles (32) and sacks (2). He also compiled six QB hits. The 26-year-old’s season ended on the injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
As Field Yates notes on Twitter, the Jets roster has seen a complete makeover under GM Joe Douglas. Safety Marcus Maye, the team’s second-round pick in 2017, is now New York’s longest-tenured player.
Texans To Sign RB Phillip Lindsay
A day after the Broncos rescinded Phillip Lindsay‘s RFA tender, the Pro Bowl running back will join another crowded backfield. The Texans are signing Lindsay to a one-year contract, according to his agent (on Twitter).
Lindsay will earn $3.25MM in 2021, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The deal could reach $3.75MM. This marks a bit of a bump for the productive back, who was previously tethered to a $2.13MM RFA tender salary. Lindsay will receive $1MM in guarantees, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
In Houston, Lindsay will link up with fellow former Pro Bowlers David Johnson and Mark Ingram. Had Lindsay played the 2021 season on his RFA tender, he would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2022. This Texans contract would allow him to have a chance to rebuild his value in advance of another free agency bid next year.
Despite becoming the first UDFA in NFL history to open his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Lindsay fell out of favor in Denver. The Broncos’ interesting decision to give Melvin Gordon a two-year, $16MM deal led to Lindsay splitting time with the ex-Chargers first-rounder and totaling just 502 rushing yards. The Colorado alum, however, made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and continued to excel in 2019 despite playing behind a middling Denver offensive line. Lindsay averaged 5.4 yards per carry and totaled 10 TDs as a rookie.
One of the NFL’s most explosive runners over his first two seasons, Lindsay is by far the youngest of the three notable backs in Houston. Johnson will turn 30 later this year; Ingram will be 32 by season’s end. The Texans, who released Duke Johnson earlier this year, also have Dontrell Hilliard on their roster.