Latest On Texans’, Panthers’ GM Search
We heard several weeks ago from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that the Texans, who tried but failed to hire Patriots exec Nick Caserio as their GM this spring, were planning to operate without a GM in 2020. But Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports hears differently.
La Canfora says the Texans remain interested in Caserio, who is still a desirable GM candidate. Indeed, La Canfora reported back in October that Houston was expected to hire Caserio in 2020, after his contract with New England is up, which is one of the reasons why Rapoport’s report from earlier this month was a bit of a surprise.
But if the Texans do hope to hire Caserio this offseason, they could face some competition from multiple clubs, including the Panthers. Per La Canfora, Panthers owner David Tepper wants to speak with several coaches and executives with ties to New England, and he was among those who reached out to former Patriots executive Jack Easterby last year.
Coincidentally, Easterby ultimately became Houston’s executive vice president of team development, but La Canfora says Tepper could pursue him and/or Caserio in 2020. Of course, the Panthers currently employ Marty Hurney as GM, and Hurney is a part of the team’s head coach search following Ron Rivera‘s recent firing. But Tepper wants to add multiple people to his front office, and Hurney’s role could change as a result.
One way or another, Caserio will almost certainly not return to New England, and he could have a number of options available to him. Indeed, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network says that the team’s extension talks with Caserio have gone nowhere, and the Patriots are bracing for a number of defections from their front office (video link).
In related news, Tepper has officially sold his minority interest in the Steelers, as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
OT Andre Smith Auditions For Texans
Andre Smith‘s third stint with the Bengals ended in November, and he’s apparently started looking for his next gig. Veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer tweets that the offensive tackle worked out for the Texans today.
The Bengals selected Smith with the sixth-overall pick in the 2009 draft, and the Alabama product ended up spending his first seven seasons with the organization. Smith has bounced around the NFL a bit since that time, spending time with the Vikings, Bengals (second stint), and Cardinals.
Cincy brought Smith back during this past offseason, and the 32-year-old proceeded to appear in six games (five starts) for Cincy. In total, Smith has appeared in 116 games during his career, but he’s been somewhat limited since 2016 thanks to two trips to the injured reserve.
Balzer notes that the Texans also worked out offensive tackle Travis Vornkahl and tight end Paul Butler. Vornkahl spent the preseason with the Browns before getting cut, and he had a stint on the Redskins practice squad. Butler, 26, spent last season with the Raiders organization, and he’s had a pair of workouts with the Lions this year.
2020 NFL Draft Order As Of Week 15
With 14 full weeks of the NFL season in the books, the 2020 draft order is beginning to take shape. Here’s the rundown of where things would stand if the 2019 season ended today:
1. Bengals: 1-12
2. Giants: 2-11
3. Redskins: 3-10
4. Dolphins: 3-10
5. Lions: 3-9-1
6. Cardinals: 3-9-1
7. Jaguars: 4-9
8. Falcons: 4-9
9. Jets: 5-8
10. Chargers: 5-8
11. Broncos 5-8
12. Panthers 5-8
13. Eagles 6-7
14. Raiders 6-7
15. Colts 6-7
16. Buccaneers 6-7
17. Browns 6-7
18. Raiders (via Bears) 6-7
19. Titans 8-5
20. Jaguars (via Rams) 8-5
21. Cowboys 6-7
22. Dolphins (via Steelers) 8-5
23. Dolphins (via Texans) 8-5
24. Vikings 9-4
25. Bills 9-4
26. Chiefs 9-4
27. Packers 10-3
28. Seahawks 10-3
29. Patriots 10-3
30. Saints 10-3
31. Ravens 11-2
32. 49ers 11-2
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/5/19
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: WR Damion Willis
Detroit Lions
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Gehrig Dieter
Houston Texans
- Signed: S Shalom Luani
New York Giants
- Signed: DB Rashaan Gaulden, C Tanner Volson
Oakland Raiders
- Released: C Kyle Kalis, LB Quentin Poling
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Marken Michel
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Jermaine Grace
- Released: DB Brian Allen
Washington Redskins
- Signed: WR Jordan Veasy
NFL Workout Updates: 12/3/19
Today’s notes from the workout/visit circuit:
Arizona Cardinals
- QB Drew Anderson, WR Saeed Blacknall, DT Lyndon Johnson, WR DaMarkus Lodge
Carolina Panthers
Denver Broncos
- OG Larry Allen, OT Ka’John Armstrong, RB Alex Barnes, WR Tyre Brady, RB Nick Brossette, QB Taryn Christion, RB Jeremy Cox, RB Matthew Dayes, OT Brian Fineanganofo, QB Nick Fitzgerald, OG Joshua Garnett, QB Tyree Jackson, TE Tyree Mayfield, WR De’Mornay Pierson-El, OG Bunchy Stallings, WR DeAndre Thompkins, WR Trevion Thompson, WR Alex Wesley, WR Papi White
Detroit Lions
- P Ryan Anderson, TE Paul Butler, LS James Fisher, P Jack Fox, TE Cole Herdman, LB Christian Kuntz, DT Walter Palmore, P Austin Rehkow, TE Will Tye, K Kaare Vedvik, DE Kevin Wilkins, LS John Wirtel
Houston Texans
- DE Eric Lee
Jacksonville Jaguars
- DE Jonathan Bonner, RB Tony Brooks-James, WR Charone Peake, RB Paul Perkins
New Orleans Saints
- OL Gerhard de Beer, LB Mason Foster, LB Malcolm Smith, OL Marquez Tucker
New York Jets
Tennessee Titans
- CB Jordan Brown, CB Dee Delaney
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/3/19
Today’s practice squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Trevon Young
- Cut: DB A.J. Howard
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Nate Hall
- Released: TE Jerell Adams
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Malik Henry
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: RB Paul Perkins
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Tyron Johnson
- Cut: LB Jeff Holland
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DB Xavier Crawford
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Reshard Cliett
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DE Kevin Wilkins
- Cut: DB Chris Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Chris Thompson
- Released: OT Will Holden
J.J. Watt Could Return In 2019
Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt may not be out for the season after all. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes, Houston is saving its final injured reserve/designated to return spot for Watt, who could return for the playoffs (if not sooner).
Watt suffered a torn pec during the Texans’ Week 8 win over the Raiders, and Watt himself acknowledged that he would miss the remainder of the year. But Watt is doing remarkably well in rehab, and he is therefore optimistic he could return to the field much sooner than initially anticipated.
Per Rapoport, Watt will have another MRI in a few weeks to determine his status, and there is even some thought that he could be back for the regular season finale against the Titans (assuming, of course, that the game carries any playoff significance). And even if Watt aggravates the pec injury, the ensuing surgery would not sideline him for any portion of the 2020 campaign.
Getting Watt back in any capacity would obviously be a major boon for the Texans’ championship hopes. One of the game’s best defenders when healthy, the five-time First Team All-Pro posted 16 sacks in 2018 — the first time he had played a full season since 2015 — and had four sacks in 2019 before suffering the pec injury.
Texans To Remain Without GM In 2020
Though the Texans failed in their efforts to hire Patriots exec Nick Caserio as their GM this spring, recent reports indicated that Houston — which has operated without a GM in 2019 — would simply hire Caserio in 2020, when his contract with New England is up. However, that no longer appears to be the case.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Texans plan to go without a true GM in 2020 as well. Currently, head coach Bill O’Brien has final say over football operations, though he works closely with vice president of team development Jack Easterby in that regard. Meanwhile, VP of Football Administration, Chris Olsen, handles contracts and salary cap matters, and Matt Bazirgan is in charge of player personnel.
The Texans are sitting at 7-4 and are in the driver’s seat for the AFC South title, so as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests, owner Cal McNair simply may be saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But while the major personnel moves the club has made without a GM — trading two first-round picks for Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills and trading a third-round pick for Duke Johnson, for example — have worked out relatively well in the short term, they will significantly handicap the team down the road. Those moves, combined with the team’s misplay of the Jadeveon Clowney situation, suggest to Florio that the Texans really do need a GM.
Indeed, the club interviewed GM candidates after the Caserio fiasco before electing to move forward with its current power structure. It could be that, given their dearth of high-end draft capital and the outside uncertainty as to how much power Easterby would wield over a new GM, the Texans may have a tough time attracting top candidates, so they will simply forego making the effort for now.
Whoever is calling the shots in 2020 will need to engage in extension talks with star QB Deshaun Watson, which may be tough to navigate with a true GM.
Texans To Place T Tytus Howard On IR
The Texans will be without their starting right tackle the rest of the way. They are placing first-round pick Tytus Howard on IR, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. A torn meniscus will end Howard’s season, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes (via Twitter) the rookie will soon undergo surgery.
Howard previously carried a doubtful designation into Sunday night’s game against the Patriots, but the Texans will remove him from their 53-man roster. The small-school lineman will end his season with eight games (all starts). He had previously missed time due to a partially torn MCL.
The only first-round pick in GM Brian Gaine‘s brief Texans tenure, Howard was moved to guard before becoming Houston’s starting right tackle for most of this season. He graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 52 overall tackle. While that is a middle-of-the-pack position, Howard marked an improvement from the embattled tackle situation the Texans featured last season.
Houston has used Roderick Johnson as a fill-in for Howard previously this season. The former Browns draft pick has played in 11 games, with two starts, and has been given 201 snaps. The Texans also have veteran Chris Clark, a journeyman who has filled in at multiple junctures for the team. Clark has started games at both left and right tackles with Houston.
The Texans promoted defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes from their practice squad to take Howard’s roster spot. A former third-round Raiders pick, Vanderdoes caught on with the Texans’ taxi squad late last month.
Texans Workout RB Kenneth Dixon
Could Kenneth Dixon resurface soon? The running back had a workout with the Texans this week, a source told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. 
Dixon was originally drafted by the Ravens as a fourth-round pick back in 2016, and he received a ton of buzz early on in his career. He showed plenty of flashes as a rookie and many thought he would soon take over as Baltimore’s lead back, before injuries and off-field issues derailed his progress. He was suspended for the first four games of the 2017 season due to a PED violation, and then suffered a torn meniscus which knocked him out for the season. Last season he went down with a knee injury, and was placed on injured reserve.
He was activated late in the year, and ended up finishing with a very solid 333 yards in only six games while averaging 5.6 yards per attempt. Unfortunately he couldn’t carry the momentum over into 2019, as he suffered yet another knee injury during the preseason. After fracturing his kneecap, the Ravens released him with an injury settlement. He’s apparently healthy now, and he worked out for the Jets last week.
The Texans’ ground game has been surprisingly strong with Carlos Hyde leading the way, but they apparently aren’t completely satisfied. Dixon is still only 25, so he could make sense as a flyer to keep around for the 2020 offseason and potentially beyond.