Bradley Roby Suffers Hamstring Injury
Texans starting cornerback Bradley Roby suffered a “significant” hamstring injury on Sunday, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Right now, he’s expected to miss roughly a month of action, though things could be aided by the Week 10 bye. 
Fellow Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph is already sidelined with a hamstring issue, so this would be a huge blow to the Houston secondary. Roby has been a bright spot on Houston’s defense this year, so they’ll want him back on the field as soon as possible to keep the momentum going.
Roby inked a one-year, $10MM contract with Houston in March. For Roby, it was an opportunity to earn a more significant payday in the 2020 offseason. For the Texans, it was an opportunity to add a quality corner on a short-term deal, albeit one that struggled in a step up from nickel man to full-time player in 2018. Roby, 27, bet on himself in a big way – the Steelers were willing to give him $30MM over three years, but he turned them down.
The Texans topped the Chiefs 31-24 in Kansas City yesterday, bringing them to 4-2 on the season. Next, they’ll travel to Indy to face the Colts.
Injury Updates: Sanders, Cooper, Roby, Howard
The latest injury updates on key players around the league:
- Emmanuel Sanders left the Broncos’ win over the Titans with a knee injury and was ruled out, but fortunately it isn’t anything longterm. The injury isn’t “at all serious,” James Palmer of NFL Network was told (Twitter link). In a follow-up tweet, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that there’s optimism Sanders will play in just a few days on Thursday Night Football against the Chiefs. Sanders is in the midst of his comeback season from a torn Achilles, so it’s great news that he isn’t seriously hurt.
- The Cowboys have lost three straight games, including an embarrassing one to the Jets on Sunday, and the news could get even worse soon. Star receiver Amari Cooper left the game and was soon ruled out with a quad injury. Cooper was in “pretty significant pain” after the game, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (Twitter link). Obviously that’s not an official diagnosis, but it does sound like Cooper could miss some time. That’s the last thing this suddenly struggling Cowboys team needs.
- The Texans picked up a big win over the Chiefs Sunday, but they couldn’t escape Kansas City unscathed. Starting cornerback Bradley Roby was knocked out of the game with a hamstring injury and will have an MRI tomorrow, according to Palmer (on Twitter). As Palmer points out fellow Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph is already sidelined with a hamstring issue, so this would be a huge blow to their secondary. Roby has been a bright spot on Houston’s defense this year, so this will definitely be one to monitor.
- Roby wasn’t the only key member of the Texans to get hurt. Rookie first-round pick Tytus Howard had to be carted off with a knee injury, but fortunately it seems like he may have dodged a bullet. It didn’t look good for Houston’s starting right tackle, but Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets the initial diagnosis is that Howard did not tear his ACL. In a separate tweet, Wilson writes that head coach Bill O’Brien said that Howard’s injury “may have looked worse than it really was.” However, O’Brien did add “hopefully we can get him back at some point,” so it sounds like he’s going to miss some significant time. That’s a big blow to Deshaun Watson‘s protection, which has been surprisingly competent this season.
NFL Workout Updates: 10/12/19
The latest on the workout circuit:
Cleveland Browns
- DE Fadol Brown
Houston Texans:
- CBs Brian Allen and Adonis Alexander, RBs Byron Marshall and Tony Brooks-James
Minnesota Vikings
Bunch of former Washington players making the rounds as Harris, Alexander, and Marshall are all ex-Redskins. Harris is probably the “biggest name” on this list, and this is his second NFC North visit in recent weeks as he worked out for the Lions at the beginning of the month. Last year with the ‘Skins, Harris had 28 catches for 304 yards. The Cal product reportedly had a solid camp with New England this offseason, but he was waived with an injury settlement after suffering a foot injury.
Extra Points: Gronk, Patriots, WRs, Draft
Rob Gronkowski debuted as a FOX analyst Thursday night, but his former job continues to come up. Robert Kraft has yet to give up hope on the future Hall of Fame tight end returning to the Patriots.
“We all love Gronk, and I think the bottom line is he hasn’t put his retirement papers in,” Kraft said during an NFL Network appearance (Twitter link). “We can always pray and hope …. That’s a good academic argument that there is hope for us still with Gronk.”
The 30-year-old New England icon has continually denied he wants to come out of retirement but refuses to completely slam the door on a possible 10th season. Gronkowski said during his intro FOX broadcast he will “always keep the door open” for a Pats return. He said in August he was healthy enough to play. The team lost Josh Gordon in the first half of tonight’s game, and although it does not seem like the injury is serious — Gordon is questionable to return — the Pats’ offense is not as well-rounded as it was when Gronk created constant mismatches.
Here is the latest from around the league and the 2020 draft:
- The Patriots’ high-profile attempt at bringing in a Gronk-level talent ended with Antonio Brown‘s release after 11 days. Brown remains accused of sexual misconduct by two women. The first, Britney Taylor, refiled her civil suit against the unemployed wide receiver in Florida state court, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). Taylor’s attorneys categorize this as a strategic move and indicated new counsel has joined the case. A league investigation is ongoing as well. No team has been closely connected to the 31-year-old superstar since the Patriots cut him last month.
- As for elite wideouts still in the league, evaluators shared some interesting views in a piece by The Athletic similar to its quarterback-tiers arrangement. Odell Beckham Jr. and Tyreek Hill join Julio Jones on the top tier here, with NFL personnel viewing DeAndre Hopkins and Michael Thomas as high-second-tier talents (subscription required). Hopkins’ penchant for contested catches prompted one OC to indicate the fear factor surrounding the Texans wideout is not the same as it is when game-planning for Jones or Beckham.
- Alabama linebacker Dylan Moses is set to miss all of his junior season because of a knee injury, but the might-have-been first-round talent still has NFL supporters should he declare for the 2020 draft. A group of NFL evaluators view Moses as being a second- or third-round prospect in 2020, Mike Rodak of al.com notes. Moses would be one of many Crimson Tide draftees in the 2020 draft, should he declare, with ESPN.com’s Todd McShay ranking six Alabama standouts in his top 30.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/10/19
Here are Thursday’s practice squad decisions:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: QB Tyler Bray
Houston Texans
- Signed TE Keenen Brown, OL Marcus Henry
- Released: S Chris Johnson
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: G Lester Cotton
Washington Redskins
- Signed: WR Jester Weah
- Placed on practice squad IR: WR Jehu Chesson
Jadeveon Clowney On Seahawks Trade
Jadeveon Clowney revealed some information about his preseason team change Wednesday. For starters, the former No. 1 overall pick said he expected to be a Texan for a sixth season before Bill O’Brien informed him otherwise around two weeks before the regular season started.
“I thought I was going to be in Houston and then the last call to get ready to go in for training camp like two weeks before. Bill O’Brien was like, ‘We are trading you.’ I was just like, ‘Oh, OK,'” Clowney said during an appearance on Ian Rapoport’s RapSheet and Friends podcast (audio link). “Well, I will hold off on signing (my franchise tender) now cause I don’t know where I’m getting traded to. Because he was like, ‘We don’t know where we’re going to send you yet, but we are going to trade you.'”
The Texans ended up sending Clowney to the Seahawks for a 2020 third-round pick and linebackers Barkevious Mingo and Jacob Martin — neither of whom start in Houston. Clowney had refused to sign his franchise tender, in a move that initially allowed him to avoid Texans training camp without fines but became about dodging a trade to the Dolphins.
The 26-year-old edge defender confirmed he did not want to be a part of Miami’s rebuild but would have welcomed a deal to Philadelphia, which is consistent with the reports that emerged in late August. Seattle had discussed a Clowney deal with Houston before the draft, but the Texans’ price tag was higher than it eventually became at the preseason’s conclusion.
“Miami, yeah, I didn’t want to go. Send me to a team that has a chance to win,” Clowney said, via Rapoport. “And when I hear about Seattle, Philly, also, of course, I want to go. I’ve got guys on both teams I’ve played with before. I would have loved to play for either one of the teams. So anyone of them would have worked for me.”
The Eagles had already given Malik Jackson a $10MM-AAV deal and re-signed Brandon Graham for $13MM-plus per year this offseason, those contracts joining Fletcher Cox‘s $17.1MM-per-year pact on a high-priced defensive line. The Seahawks had traded away franchise-tagged defender Frank Clark and did not have big expenses on their D-line. Clowney remains attached to his $15.967MM tag number, but the Seahawks are only on the hook for $8MM of it.
Through five Seahawks games, Clowney has a sack, three QB hits, a pick-6 and a forced fumble. Whitney Mercilus has fared well in Clowney’s absence, registering five sacks and four forced fumbles with the Texans.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/9/19
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad decisions:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Wes Hills
- Released: DE Eric Lee
Houston Texans
- Released via non-football illness designation: TE Jerell Adams
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: TE Ben Koyack
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Shalom Luani
- Released: TE Matt Sokol
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Darius Jackson, QB Chad Kanoff
NFL Workout Notes: 10/8/19
Here are today’s workout updates. There are a number of notable names on this list, so pay attention!
Arizona Cardinals
- LB Shane Ray
Baltimore Ravens
- DE Fadol Brown, S Demetrious Cox, DE Dewayne Hendrix, S A.J. Howard (signed to practice squad), DB C.J. Reavis
Buffalo Bills
- DE Alex Barrett, RB Senorise Perry (signed to 53-man roster), LB Wyatt Ray (signed to practice squad)
Carolina Panthers
Cleveland Browns
- WR Jeff Badet
Denver Broncos
- CB David Amerson, CB Chris Campbell, CB Deatrick Nichols, CB Shareece Wright
Detroit Lions
- WR Quincy Adeboyejo, WR Bennie Fowler, WR Emanuel Hall
Green Bay Packers
- TE Rico Gathers, DL Mike Pennel, DL Adolphus Washington, TE Cole Wick, DT Sylvester Williams, TE Ethan Wolf (signed to practice squad)
Houston Texans
- C Marcus Henry, DT Willie Henry, DT Brian Price, C Keegan Render
Indianapolis Colts
- DT Carl Davis, LB Obum Gwacham, DE Eli Harold, DL Joel Heath, DL Damontre Moore, LB Pita Taumoepenu, DL Ethan Westbrooks
Jacksonville Jaguars
- TE Brian Parker, TE Eric Tomlinson, TE Will Tye
Los Angeles Chargers
- S Shalom Luani, S Tre Sullivan
New England Patriots
- DB Brian Allen, K Nick Rose, DT Eddie Vanderdoes
Oakland Raiders
- DE Andre Branch, LB Kasim Edebali, OL Datone Jones, DE Terrence Fede, LB Nate Orchard
Philadelphia Eagles
- WR Penny Hart, LB Paul Worrilow
Seattle Seahawks
- CB Adonis Alexander, DB Brian Allen, CB Saivion Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- WR Cyril Grayson, RB Darius Jackson, QB Chad Kanoff, WR Caleb Scott, RB David Williams
Tennessee Titans
- RB Jeremy McNichols, RB Zach Zenner
Washington Redskins
- OL Malcolm Bunche (signed to practice squad), LB Darrell Williams
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/7/19
Here are today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DL Jihad Ward
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: CB Greg Mabin
Houston Texans
- Waived from reserved/injured list: LB Xavier Woodson-Luster
Washington Redskins
- Claimed off waivers (from Colts): TE Hale Hentges
- Released: LB Cassanova McKinzy
Details On Mike Adams' Contract
- The Texans signed veteran safety Mike Adams last week, and now we have details on his contract. Adams will receive $787K for the rest of the season, which prorates from $1.03MM if he had been on the roster for all 16 games, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Adams will only count for $553K against the Texans’ cap, and he received a $60K signing bonus. Adams is a longtime veteran who is entering his 16th season, and he’s appeared in 222 games during his lengthy career.