Texans Release Zach Fulton
Houston is clearing some more cap space. The Texans have released veteran offensive lineman Zach Fulton, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Fulton had been due a $1MM bonus on March 22nd, which explains the timing of this move. He had a $3.75MM cap charge for 2021. That’s not very much for a starting guard, but apparently Houston wasn’t too happy with his play. The Tennessee product originally entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Chiefs back in 2014.
He started all 16 games as a rookie, and after riding out his rookie contract in Kansas City he signed a four-year, $28MM contract with the Texans in 2018. He started at least 13 games in all three of his seasons in Houston, including all 16 this past year.
The release clears about $3MM in cap space for this season, numerous beat writers tweeted. Pro Football Focus graded Fulton acceptable enough and considering he has NFL starting experience at both center and guard there should be suitors. The 29-year-old has started 90 career games.
Panthers “Locked On” Texans’ Deshaun Watson
Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is “Plan A, B and C” for the Panthers, according to Joe Person of The Athletic (on Twitter). So far, the Texans have been unwilling to budge and the Panthers have been noticeably quiet in the early stages of the offseason. That could all change soon if owner David Tepper gets his man. 
“We are very committed to Deshaun [Watson] as our quarterback. He is our quarterback,” new Texans head coach David Culley said recently. “It’s not a matter of me trying to change anyone’s mind. We’re committed to him. He’s a Houston Texan and we’re going to move forward with that.”
Culley added that “there is no contingency plan” for if Watson doesn’t show up for work. Still, Watson is the only plan for the Panthers and friends like Jalen Ramsey “highly doubt” that Watson will stay in Houston.
The Panthers can make a convincing offer, starting with their No. 8 overall pick. They could also include their next two first-rounders, plus more capital to jumpstart the Texans’ rebuild. As Person notes, Tepper doesn’t like to be told no — he kept raising his hand last year until his seven-year, $60MM offer for head coach Matt Rhule made the Giants back off.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/17/21
Today’s the deadline for teams to extend tender offers to their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Bills: G Ike Boettger
- Chiefs: WR Byron Pringle
- Texans: DE P.J. Hall, S A.J. Moore
Non-Tendered:
- Bears: K Eddy Pineiro
- Giants: LB Devante Downs
- Texans: S Geno Stone
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Chiefs: TE Nick Keizer
- Jets: WR Jeff Smith
Non-Tendered:
- .
Texans Expected To Sign CB Terrance Mitchell
It sounds like Terrance Mitchell is returning to Houston. The free agent cornerback is expected to sign a two-year deal with the Texans, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The pact is worth up to $7.5MM.
The 2014 seventh-round pick out of Oregon has put together a seven-year career with six different teams. That includes a brief stint with the Texans in 2016; Mitchell was claimed off waivers by Houston during the 2016 offseason, but he was waived at the end of the preseason.
Mitchell inked a three-year, $12MM deal with the Browns back in 2018, but he didn’t settle into a full-time starting role until his final season in Cleveland. This past year, the 28-year-old started all 16 games for the Browns, compiling a career-high 65 tackles to go along with three forced fumbles and 13 passes defended.
The Texans have been busy adding to their defense. Over the past few days, the team has agreed to terms with linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, defensive tackle Maliek Collins, and linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/16/21
Tomorrow is the deadline for NFL teams to extend tender offers to their own restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Chiefs: G Andrew Wylie
- Colts: S George Odum
- Cowboys: DT Antwaun Woods
- Dolphins: OL Adam Pankey
- Packers: CB Chandon Sullivan, TE Robert Tonyan (second-round tender)
- Raiders: K Daniel Carlson (second-round tender)
- Texans: DT P.J. Hall, CB A.J. Moore
Non-Tendered:
- Packers: DL Tyler Lancaster
- Seahawks: LB Shaquem Griffin
- Vikings: RB Mike Boone, DL Ifeadi Odenigbo
Texans To Sign QB Tyrod Taylor
Texans brass has continued to insist Deshaun Watson will not be traded, but the team is signing another starter-caliber quarterback. They agreed to terms with Tyrod Taylor on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The now-well-traveled stopgap starter/backup option can make up to $12.5MM on this one-year deal with Houston, Schefter adds.NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Taylor’s deal has a base value of $5.5MM, including $2.5MM guaranteed.
While Taylor would certainly not be an impediment to Watson, were Houston’s starter to reverse course, the 10-year vet represents a potential bridge option for a Texans team attempting to avoid a major transition.
Houston will add Taylor on an incentive-laden deal similar to the contracts Cam Newton and Jameis Winston recently agreed to, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. It would seem Taylor’s compensation will largely depend on how Houston proceeds with Watson.
Following Philip Rivers‘ defection to the Colts last year, the Chargers turned to Taylor. But a mishap with a pregame injection resulted in an earlier-than-expected transition to Justin Herbert. Taylor’s previous understudy started the Bolts’ final 15 games, earning Offensive Rookie of the Year acclaim. Taylor has now been a backup for most of the past three seasons.
Entering his age-32 season, Taylor has started just four games since 2018. Prior to that, however, the dual-threat QB did operate as Buffalo’s starter for three seasons. New Texans HC David Culley was Taylor’s position coach in 2017. While the risk-averse passer did well to limit turnovers, he did not offer much in the way of upside. That remains the case. Taylor would make sense as both a Watson backup and, in what would be the Texans’ emergency scenario, a bridge starter as the team attempts to construct a rebuild effort.
The bridge-QB market has moved since Monday night. Taylor, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andy Dalton have chosen destinations. They followed Newton in doing so. Each could well be starters next season. Like Washington, Chicago and New England, the Texans are not in position to land one of the top quarterback prospects in the draft. As of now, they do not hold a first- or second-round pick this year. While Watson would net the Texans a bounty of picks, Culley and GM Nick Caserio have insisted — the former in roundabout fashion — that Watson was not going anywhere.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/21
We’ll keep track of the latest “minor” moves here:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Re-signed: S Brandon Wilson
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Chris Moore
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: TE/FB Cethan Carter
New York Giants
- Re-Signed: DT Austin Johnson
- Signed: FB FB Cullen Gillaspia
New York Jets
- Signed: CB Justin Hardee
Tennessee Titans
- Re-Signed: TE Geoff Swaim
Texans To Sign LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
Kevin Pierre-Louis is signing a two-year deal with the Texans, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter). The deal is worth up to $8MM, per Fowler.
The multiyear offer must have been alluring to the 29-year-old linebacker, who has played for four different teams over the past four years. After spending the first three seasons of his career with the Seahawks, the Boston College product has since spent time with the Chiefs, Jets, Bears, and Washington.
He had one of the better seasons of his career in 2020 with WFT. He started a career-high 11 games, collecting 56 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble. Ron Rivera was apparently a fan of Pierre-Louis, as the head coach stated that he wanted to retain the veteran linebacker.
“I’d love to get a guy with the skill set of Kevin Pierre-Louis, whether it’s Kevin or someone else,” Rivera said recently (via Sam Fortier of the Washington Post on Twitter). “I’d love to have Kevin back.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/15/21
Today’s “minor” moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: P Andy Lee
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: LB Tyler Matakevich
Carolina Panthers
- Released: DT Zach Kerr
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: WR Noah Brown
Houston Texans
- Signed: S Terrence Brooks, G Justin McCray, DT Vincent Taylor, CB Tremon Smith
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: S Rudy Ford
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: DT Carl Davis
New York Giants
- Re-signed: DT Austin Johnson
Minnesota Vikings
- Re-signed: Rashod Hill
Texans To Sign DT Maliek Collins
Maliek Collins will relocate for the second straight offseason. The veteran defensive tackle agreed to terms with the Texans on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The former Cowboys draftee and 2020 Raiders contributor will sign a one-year contract worth up to $6MM, Schefter adds. This could represent good value for the rebuilding Texans, with Collins having started 66 games in his five-year career.
A third-round Cowboys pick in 2016, Collins became a Dallas regular immediately. He will a Houston D-line that lost J.J. Watt this offseason. Collins, who will turn 26 next month, played 12 games last season (11 starts) but failed to record a sack or a tackle for loss as a Raider.
This represents a “prove it”-type deal for the longtime starter. The Texans will surely add more starters to a defense that has fallen on hard times in recent years.