DeAndre Hopkins Endorses Tom Savage, Wants To Stay With Texans
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, the most important weapon in the Texans’ aerial attack, has caught passes from unheralded veteran Tom Savage and first-round rookie Deshaun Watson this summer. Asked Friday which of the two should start, Hopkins endorsed Savage (via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com). “If anybody should be a judge of quarterbacks, I’ve played with the most quarterbacks in NFL history throughout my first four years,” Hopkins said. “So I put the stamp on Savage, and I think that’s all that needs to be said about that.” The 27-year-old Savage “does everything well,” according to Hopkins, who went on to discuss his own status with the Texans. Hopkins is in a contract year, but he insisted that he has no desire to test free agency after the season. “I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of teams in the NFL that would love to have me, but the Houston Texans is my home and the team that I want to play for forever,” he declared.
Ravens Sign OT Austin Howard
The Ravens will sign former former Raiders offensive tackle Austin Howard, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Howard was released by Oakland one week ago.
It’s a three-year deal worth$16MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. The deal includes team options after each year with $5.5MM coming to him in the first season. At the end, Howard was down to the Ravens and Texans after also visiting Houston. 
The deal marks something of a homecoming for Howard, who once was a part of the Ravens’ practice squad. He can expected to compete with James Hurst for the starting right tackle job. If he falls short, he can be used as a swingman off of the bench to bolster the depth on both the interior and exterior of the line. Then again, with a contract like this, the Ravens are probably anticipating that he’ll be with the first unit.
Howard was slowed by an ankle injury in 2016 and is coming off of a down year in terms of performance. Still, he offers far more experience than Hurst and could be a decent starter if he’s healthy. Hurst has just 16 career starts versus Howard’s 72 starts in 76 career appearances.
Overall, this hasn’t been a great offseason for the Ravens’ offensive line. The team lost right tackle Ricky Wagner to free agency, center John Urschel to retirement, and guard Nico Siragusa to a season-ending knee injury. Baltimore hopes that the addition of Howard will help offset its major losses.
Details On Marcus Gilchrist's Contract
- Safety Marcus Gilchrist‘s one-year deal with the Texans carries a max value of $3MM, according to Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). It includes a $1.2MM base salary, an $800K signing bonus and $1MM in per-game roster bonuses.
Texans Make Two Moves
- The Texans announced they have moved outside linebacker Davon Pratt to the active roster and waived defensive end T.J. Daniel. Pratt, from East Carolina, joined the Texans as an undrafted free agent in May. So did Daniel, who went to Oregon.
Opinion: Texans Will Extend DeAndre Hopkins
Both the Texans and No. 1 wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins would like to reach a long-term deal this summer, and odds are that it will happen, suggests John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Hopkins, due to make $7.9MM as a fifth-year option player this season, became all the more important to the Texans’ cause for 2017 after No. 2 receiver Will Fuller suffered a broken collarbone Wednesday. Fuller’s multi-month absence could mean even more opportunities for Hopkins, who easily led the Texans in both targets and receptions in each of the previous two seasons. Despite having to catch passes from middling or worse quarterbacks throughout his career, Hopkins has a history of terrific production. Thanks to his output thus far, the 25-year-old looks poised to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid wideouts in the coming weeks.
Texans’ Will Fuller Out 2-3 Months
The broken collarbone Texans wide receiver Will Fuller suffered Wednesday will require surgery and a two- to three-month absence, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
The injury to Fuller will deprive Houston’s Tom Savage-led passing attack of its No. 2 wideout until sometime in the fall, leaving the team with Braxton Miller and Jaelen Strong as its second and third options. Miller and Strong combined for just 29 catches last season, though, while fourth and fifth receivers Wendall Williams and Dres Anderson have a total of four NFL grabs between them.
Having lost Fuller for a while, the Texans could scour the open market to bolster the position, with Anquan Boldin, Vincent Jackson and Steve Johnson among the league’s most established free agent receivers. Of course, more options will come available in the next few weeks as cuts occur, and the Texans may not feel any urgency to add a proven receiver with the strong tight end duo of C.J. Fiedorowicz and Ryan Griffin on hand as weapons.
The speedy Fuller, whom the Texans selected 21st overall last year, emerged as the club’s top receiver opposite the superb DeAndre Hopkins as a rookie. The ex-Notre Dame star, 21, finished second to Hopkins in targets (92) and yards (635), tied for second in touchdowns (two) and fourth in receptions (47). Fuller’s 13.5 yards-per-catch average paced all full-time Texans targets, beating out Hopkins’ 12.2.
Texans WR Will Fuller Suffers Injury
- Texans wide receiver Will Fuller broke his collarbone during practice on Wednesday, sources tell Adam Schefter and Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com (on Twitter). At this time, there is no timetable for Fuller’s recovery. Fuller, the team’s 2016 first round pick, is expected to reprise his role as a deep threat to take defensive pressure off of DeAndre Hopkins. If he misses significant time, it could be a major setback for the Houston offense. Braxton Miller and Jaelen Strong can be expected to see increased roles if Fuller is out, but the Texans could also look into adding additional depth.
Texans Sign DeAndrew White
- The Texans have signed wide receiver DeAndrew White and waived/injured wideout Deante’ Gray, the cub announced today. White, 25, signed with the 49ers in 2015 after going undrafted out of Alabama. He spent his rookie season solely as a return man, appearing in four games while returning six kickoffs and one punt. White spent the majority of the 2016 campaign on New England’s practice squad, but was waived by the Patriots in June. Gray, meanwhile, suffered a torn ACL last week and will miss the 2017 season.
Texans To Sign Marcus Gilchrist
The Texans have agreed to sign free agent safety Marcus Gilchrist to a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links).
Gilchrist, 28, worked out for Houston earlier this month, and the club evidently liked what it saw from the former Jet as he continues to work his way back from a torn patellar tendon. Previous reports had indicated Gilchrist was progressing in his recovery, and he’ll now give the Texans depth at a position where the team was sorely lacking.
Given his level of experience (91 appearances, 69 starts), Gilchrist figures to be tossed into the Texans’ starting lineup immediately. He’ll likely displace Corey Moore, who has only eight career starts under his belt, in replacing Quintin Demps, who signed with the Bears in the spring.
Gilchrist had been a beacon of health until suffering the patellar tendon injury last December, as he’d started 61 consecutive games without an absence. In 2016, he picked off two passes in 13 games en route a passable 53rd-place ranking among Pro Football Focus’ 90 qualified safeties.
Texans To Work Out Marcus Gilchrist
Almost three months after he was released by the Jets, Marcus Gilchrist has finally secured his first free agent visit. According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the safety is set to visit the Texans on Monday.
Of course, the delay wasn’t because of a lack of talent. Rather, Gilchrist tore his patellar tendon last season and needed clearance before he could return to the field. We heard earlier this month that the safety’s recovery was coming along nicely, and reports from earlier this week indicated that he was beginning to line up visits with teams. There were even whispers that the Jets could consider a reunion once the player’s knee was fully recovered, but it sounds like Houston will have the first opportunity to sign the 28-year-old.
The 2011 second-round pick spent his first four NFL seasons with the Chargers before joinining the Jets on a four-year, $22MM contract prior to the 2015 campaign. The Clemson product had a breakout season during his first year in New York, collecting career-highs in tackles (82), interceptions (three), and passes defended (seven) in 16 starts. Gilchrist started another 13 games for the Jets in 2016, but he eventually succumbed to the knee injury in December.
The Texans are currently rostering a number of safeties, but seemingly none of them have the upside of Gilchrist. If the former Jets defensive back ultimately signs with Houston, he’ll be competing with Andre Hal, Corey Moore, Eddie Pleasant, K.J. Dillon, Treston Decoud, Kurtis Drummond, and Lonnie Ballentine for a roster spot.