Cowboys, Texans Players Test Positive For COVID-19
Several players from the Texans and Cowboys have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). The list includes Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, per Rapoport (Twitter link). It’s believed that those players were not in their respective team’s facilities, which hopefully means that there will not be further viral spread in either locker room. 
[RELATED: Dez Bryant Receiving NFL Interest]
Due to regulations, the players who tested positive have not been disclosed publicly. In total, four players have been found to have COVID-19, according to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of PFT. Two of those players are from the Cowboys (including Elliott) and two are from the Texans.
“Due to federal and local privacy laws, we are unable to provide information regarding the personal health of any of our employees,” said the Cowboys in their statement.
The NFL has pledged to do everything in its power to identify positive cases as they arise and prevent further spread. So far, it appears that plan has worked.
Broncos linebacker Von Miller, Saints head coach Sean Payton, and other NFL employees have tested positive for coronavirus this offseason. With more known cases, the NFL may need to adjust its game plan and schedule for summer activities. For now, the league intends to launch in-person training camp in July, followed by preseason games in August. However, this year’s preseason may be shortened from four games to two.
The same goes for the college ranks, where at least five Alabama players have tested positive for the virus. For now, the NCAA is hoping to have coaches working with players by July 13th, followed by four weeks of camp.
This Date In Transactions History: Texans Sign Benardrick McKinney To Extension
Today marks the two-year anniversary of Benardrick McKinney‘s five-year, $50MM extension with the Texans. If you forgot to get the inside linebacker a gift, that’s alright. He probably doesn’t need much in the way of gadgets and home furnishings. 
[RELATED: Make-Or-Break Year: Texans CB Gareon Conley]
McKinney, a 2015 second-round pick out of Mississippi State, emerged as one of the Texans’ top defenders in his sophomore NFL season. He was solid as a rookie, but as a second-team All-Pro nod in 2016, he finished out with 129 tackles, five sacks, and a forced fumble, ensuring that he would see a sizable pay bump in the offseason. His 2017 stat sheet wasn’t quite as gaudy – 95 tackles and three sacks – but he was still impressive and placed as Pro Football Focus’ No. 24 ranked linebacker in the NFL.
Because he was a second-round pick, the Texans didn’t have the fifth-year option as a safety net. McKinney was now set to enter his walk year and potentially send his sticker price through the roof. It was the right time for both parties to come to the table. McKinney was 25 and wanted the security of a multi-year deal. The Texans were happy to oblige. The deal also gave them a clearer picture of their budget as they considered an extension for Jadeveon Clowney (though they ultimately couldn’t make it work).
McKinney didn’t disappoint on his new deal, racking up 100+ tackles in each of the next two seasons. He also continued his strong work against the run. Along with partner Zach Cunningham, the Texans ILB duo was among the league’s best at stuffing RBs last year. On the flipside, they offered Swiss cheese defense in coverage. McKinney has vowed to do better, however, while delivering more of the same solid ground work.
Assessing Bill O'Brien's GM Tenure
- The Texans fired ex-general manager Brian Gaine one year ago Sunday, paving the way for head coach Bill O’Brien to assume total power in Houston. Aaron Reiss of The Athletic looked back at the past year of O’Brien’s decision-making and highlighted that O’Brien is largely bucking conventional wisdom at every turn. Not only did O’Brien trade away a proven pass-catcher in DeAndre Hopkins, but he’s also placed little value on accumulating draft picks while deploying assets on running backs.
- PFR’s Zach Links recently profiled Texans cornerback Gareon Conley as he enters a make-or-break year in 2020.
Make-Or-Break Year: Texans CB Gareon Conley
Before last year’s trade deadline, the Texans swung a deal for former Raiders first-round pick Gareon Conley. The deal gave Conley a change of scenery and an opportunity to turn his pro career around. With fellow former Ohio State first-rounder Bradley Roby and veteran Johnathan Joseph out of action, Conley would have the chance to see significant reps, especially since second-round rookie Lonnie Johnson was greener than expected.
[RELATED: Texans Call Off Timmy Jernigan Deal]
Johnson didn’t improve much, but the Texans still turned down Conley’s fifth-year option for 2021, which would have paid him $10.24MM, guaranteed for injury only. Now, he’s in limbo with one year and $1.89MM on his deal.
Conley has an awful lot riding on his 2020 season. With a big showing, Conley could secure the bag – either with the Texans or another club. If he doesn’t performed, he’ll be viewed as a low-risk pickup, the kind of player that nets a cheap base salary on a one-year prove-it deal.
Conley didn’t quite cut it in Oakland, so you could be forgiven for overlooking his natural skillset and quietly solid second half with Houston. The Raiders shipped Conley out after he failed to make plays consistently in their zone scheme. But, with the Texans, Conley broke up eleven would-be passes – two less than team leader Johnathan Joseph in five fewer games.
The big-game talent has been there all along – Conley was a first-round pick for a reason and, if not for his strange pre-draft saga, he might have been a Top 10 choice. The Ohio State product was also surprisingly solid in coverage with the Raiders, even though he didn’t quite gel with the team. Conley boasts the highest forced incompletion rate of any cornerback in the NFL over the past four years, as noted by Pro Football Focus (Twitter link). That stat comes with a small asterisk since Conley has only been on the field for two years, but the fact remains that he’s a quality stopper.
If Conley can stave off Johnson for the CB2 job opposite Roby, the stage is set for him to break out and cash in next spring.
Texans Call Off Timmy Jernigan Deal
Timmy Jernigan won’t be joining the Texans after all. Just a couple months after agreeing to a one-year deal, the defensive tackle announced on Instagram that he will not be heading to Houston.
Jernigan, who has had health issues in the past, never passed a physical with the team, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle hears. However, a league source tells Wilson that the defensive tackle has since been medically cleared by Dr. Robert Watkins.
Jernigan missed the bulk of the 2018 season and a good chunk of games last year. In ’18, a back injury and subsequent surgery to fix a herniated disk put Jernigan on the sideline. In ’19, he missed time with a broken foot. Before that, the former Ravens second-round pick totaled 13 sacks and 35 quarterback hits in three years with Baltimore.
Despite the injuries, the Texans saw a value opportunity in the 27-year-old (28 in September). They agreed to a one-year, $3.75MM deal with $1.25MM guaranteed, far less than the four-year, $48MM extension he got from the Eagles in the not-too-distant past. With the Texans, Jernigan could have had a tremendous platform to restore his value – he was slated to play alongside J.J. Watt on a defensive line that saw standout D.J. Reader leave in free agency.
Latest On Texans, Deshaun Watson
The Texans are still in the “extremely preliminary” stage of talks with Deshaun Watson, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Things are still on track and positive, sources say, but there’s no rush on either side. 
For a while, we’ve heard that Watson could land a deal worth roughly $40MM per year. Not long ago, that was the jaw-dropping projection for Patrick Mahomes. If Watson signs his deal before Mahomes, buckle up – the KC star could command something closer to the $50MM/year mark, plus potential clauses that would change the business, such as salary cap escalators.
For now, Watson is set to make just $1.177MM in base salary for 2020. After watching Laremy Tunsil land a three-year, $66MM extension, he feels confident that his big payday is just around the corner.
“It’s definitely good,” Watson said of the Texans’ willingness to take care fo their own. “It’s exciting for all of us. Only time will tell, but we’re going to do everything we can to make sure it’s on the right track. We’re going to win a lot of games and championships while we continue to figure out that side of the business, too.”
If/when Watson inks his deal, it would be a surprise if he didn’t top Russell Wilson‘s league-leading $35MM AAV. If Watson, Mahomes, and Dak Prescott all sign new contracts in the next few months, Wilson could be No. 4 on the list by the time the season starts.
Carlos Hyde Rejected Multiyear Texans Offer?
Carlos Hyde appears to have been involved in multiple running back domino sequences this offseason. The new Seahawks running back turned down an offer from the Texans, and more clarity emerged on Houston’s effort to keep the 1,000-yard rusher in town.
The Texans offered Hyde a two-year, $10MM deal, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via ESPN 710 Seattle’s John Clayton). This offer emerged before the Texans’ blockbuster trade that involved DeAndre Hopkins going to Arizona and David Johnson taking Hyde’s place as Houston’s starting running back.
After Hyde spent nearly 2 1/2 months in free agency, he landed a one-year, $2.75MM Seahawks deal that can max out at $4MM. That agreement came together quickly, transpiring shortly after the Seahawks offering Devonta Freeman a similar contract. Freeman turned down the proposal and remains a free agent. Hyde turning down the Texans may have cost him a bit of dough. And it created quite the ripple effect.
Hyde passing on the Texans’ offer prompted them to take on one of the league’s most onerous contracts. Houston will pay Johnson $10.2MM this year. The former All-Pro back’s $13MM-per-year pact has two seasons remaining. With the Texans’ payroll also including Duke Johnson‘s $5.2MM-AAV deal, they have more than $17MM committed to the running back position this season — third-most in the league. The Seahawks’ backfield of Hyde, Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny ranks 16th in terms of 2020 cap commitment.
The Browns gave Hyde a similar deal to this Texans offer, adding him on a three-year, $15MM accord in 2018. After trades from Cleveland and Kansas City — sandwiching a stop in Jacksonville — Hyde rushed for a career-high 1,070 yards last season.
Texans, G Zach Fulton Rework Contract
The Texans and starting right guard Zach Fulton have agreed to a reworked contract, per ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). Pursuant to the terms of the four-year pact Fulton signed in March 2018, the 28-year-old was due to earn $6.5MM in base salary in each of the next two seasons, along with $500K roster bonuses.
However, none of those amounts were guaranteed, which means that Fulton may have been a potential cap casualty. In order to guard against that, he agreed to a pretty sizable paycut. He will earn a fully-guaranteed $5MM in 2020 and is now due to receive $3MM in 2021, but that sum is non-guaranteed.
Houston was not exactly strapped for cap space, with about $17MM or so of wiggle room. However, the club is gearing up for a massive extension for quarterback Deshaun Watson, and LT Laremy Tunsil‘s cap number will approach $20MM next season, so the Texans need all the help they can get.
Fulton, a former sixth-round pick of the Chiefs, has started all 28 games in which he has appeared for Houston. His run-blocking has always been suspect, but his pass-blocking is what allows him to be a starter in the NFL. In 2019, Pro Football Focus ranked him as one of the best pass-blocking guards in the league, though his weak run-blocking marks brought down his overall score.
The reworked deal will allow him to continue his quest to keep Watson upright in 2020. It also gives the Texans a rare chance at continuity, as the club will return all five of its 2019 O-line starters this season.
J.J. Watt Not Seeking Extension, Not Contemplating Retirement
Texans star edge rusher J.J. Watt is fresh out of guaranteed cash. Per the terms of the then-record-setting extension Watt signed in 2014, he is owed a base salary of $15.5MM in 2020 and $17.5MM in 2021, but those sums are completely non-guaranteed.
However, the 31-year-old is not looking for an extension. “No, I don’t think [an extension is] necessary,” Watt said (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). “I’m not going to sit here and demand anything. If I asked for an extension or money right now, I think that would be the wrong move.”
And he’s probably right about that. After all, despite his hefty salary, he is in zero danger of being cut, and if he turns in a strong 2020 campaign, he will be well-positioned to renegotiate his contract next offseason. Even if he struggles through injury again, it’s still possible that the Texans would keep him on for the final year of his deal given his track record of excellence and his status with the team and community.
Watt, the No. 11 overall pick of the 2011 draft, quickly established himself as one of the premier defenders in the game, racking up four consecutive First Team All-Pro nods from 2012-15. He compiled a staggering 69 sacks over that four-year span, and he twice led the league in that category. But after he enjoyed perfect attendance throughout his first five years in the league, he was limited to just eight games over the 2016-17 seasons. Though he returned to his All-Pro form in 2018 — recording 16 sacks and a league-best seven forced fumbles in the process — a torn pectoral muscle limited him to eight regular season games in 2019.
Watt says he is healthy now, and he is not contemplating retirement anytime soon. For the time being, he is moving forward with his usual day-to-day mentality, and he believes the unique offseason will not impact him too much. “As long as you get yourself in the physical shape necessary, you’ll be able to hit the ground running,” he said.
A vintage season from Watt would go a long way towards a return to the postseason for the Texans.
Deshaun Watson Could Sign Short-Term Deal
- Deshaun Watson is expected top Russell Wilson‘s league-leading $35MM annual salary whenever he signs an extension with the Texans, but it’s possible the Houston signal-caller inks a short-term deal, as Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com writes. As is the case with Dak Prescott, Watson may push for a short deal that would allow him to hit free agency again in a few years, after new NFL television contracts have been signed and subsequently increased the league’s salary cap. In April, the Texans began preliminary discussions with Watson, who could end up signing a new deal before Patrick Mahomes, who was also drafted in 2017.