Bill O'Brien To Call Texans' Plays
- After the Texans again sputtered on offense in 2016, the team parted ways with OC George Godsey without bringing in a new coordinator. Bill O’Brien confirmed he’s running the offense and will continue to do so. “I’ve been probably doing more coaching myself in the last four or five weeks than I’ve done in the three years that I’ve been here,” O’Brien said, via Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. “I’m really involved in the offense and I’m having a lot of fun.” O’Brien categorized last season’s stretch-run arrangement as he and Godsey splitting up the play-calling duties. Barshop notes O’Brien will call plays this season.
Draft Pick Signings: 5/12/17
The Texans announced the signing of Deshaun Watson and five other draft picks today. The former Clemson quarterback will make $13.85MM with an $8.25MM signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The Lions also signed first-rounder Jarrad Davis, along with seven other draft choices.
Here are the rest of Friday’s draft signings.
- The Broncos and second-round defensive end Demarcus Walker arrived at an agreement, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post reports (on Twitter). It’s a four-year worth upwards of $5.1MM for the Florida State defensive end, per Jhabvala, who adds he will receive a $1.8MM signing bonus. Walker is expected to compete with Jared Crick and Zach Kerr for the Broncos’ right defensive end position opposite Derek Wolfe. Walker is the second defensive end Denver’s drafted in the past two years, following Adam Gotsis, who did not play much last season.
- Both of the Jaguars‘ seventh-round selections are now signed. The Jags inked cornerback Jalen Myrick and fullback Marquez Williams. A Minnesota product, Myrick is a notable seventh-round choice because the ex-Golden Gopher defender blazed to the fastest 40-yard dash (4.28 seconds) a Big Ten player has clocked since the Combine began measuring these times. Williams spent three seasons at Division II Mars Hill (North Carolina) before transferring to Miami for his senior season. The Jags still have five unsigned picks.
- Four late-round draft picks agreed to terms with the Titans, the team announced. Sixth-round guard/center Corey Levin is signed. So are seventh-rounders Josh Carraway, a linebacker, Brad Seaton, a tackle, and running back Khalfani Muhammad.
- The 49ers signed third-round pick Ahkello Witherspoon, a cornerback out of Colorado, the team announced. Witherspoon was the second Buffaloes corner to come off the board in last month’s draft, following Cowboys second-rounder Chidobe Awuzie. Witherspoon led Division I in pass deflections last season with 22, a number that tied an 18-year-old Colorado school record.
Zach Links contributed to this report.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/12/17
Here are today’s minor moves.
- A day after being waived by the Bills, cornerback Marcus Roberson landed with the Texans via waiver claim, Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link, per ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak). Roberson represents another member of the Bills’ cornerback contingent to be added elsewhere, joining Stephon Gilmore and Nickell Robey-Coleman.
- The Ravens now have all the players to whom they extended an RFA or ERFA tender to signed. ERFA inside linebacker Lamar Louis signed his tender today, Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
- After giving rookie UDFA Colin Buchanan a $10K signing bonus, the Saints waived him with a “left squad” designation, Nick Underhill of The Advocate reports (on Twitter). The Saints also guaranteed $10K of the Miami (Ohio) product’s rookie salary, per Underhill (on Twitter).
- The Colts signed free agent DT Josh Boyd and waived OLB Curt Maggitt with an injury settlement.
Texans Place Newton On Reserve/PUP List
Derek Newton wasn’t expected to be ready to play by the 2017 season, and the Texans made that official on Friday. The team placed its primary right tackle starter on the Reserve/PUP list to shelve him for the entire ’17 season, according to Field Yates on ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Texans confirmed the move.
The veteran tackle suffered a brutal injury during a game in October 2016, tearing both his patellar tendons. He was unable to walk for a three-month period and will now spend this season rehabilitating in a possible effort to return to the field.
Three years remain on Newton’s five-year, $26.5MM deal. The 29-year-old started for four full seasons before suffering this rare setback, but it’s obviously uncertain as to whether the former seventh-round pick will be able to surmount this and return to his spot in Houston’s starting lineup.
The Texans still have veteran Chris Clark under contract, but in Newton’s stead last season, Clark rated as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-worst full-time tackle last season. Houston drafted Bucknell tackle Julien Davenport in the fourth round, but the small-school product profiles as more of a project than a player who could conceivably contribute quickly.
Texans Sign Deshaun Watson
The Texans have signed the bulk of their 2017 draft class. Only third round running back D’Onta Foreman remains unsigned. Here’s the full list of every Houston draft pick who is now under contract: 
- 1-12: Deshaun Watson, QB (Clemson)
- 2-57: Zach Cunningham, LB (Vanderbilt)
- 4-130: Julien Davenport, OL (Bucknell)
- 4-142: Carlos Watkins, DL (Clemson)
- 5-169: Treston Decoud, S (Oregon State)
- 7-243: Kyle Fuller, C (Baylor)
The Texans were said to be targeting Watson for several weeks and we learned on draft night that it wasn’t just a smokescreen. Houston traded this year’s No. 25 overall pick and its 2018 first round choice to get the No. 12 selection from the Browns in order to take the Clemson QB. Watson was universally regarded as one of the top QBs in this year’s class and some might argue that the athletic signal caller has more upside than any of his peers. Now, the rookie might have a chance at wrestling the starting job away from Tom Savage.
Cunningham was projected by some as a first round pick and he almost went No. 23 overall when the Giants were on the clock. Luckily for Houston, the Giants wound up taking Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram at No. 23 and passed on him again at No. 55, allowing them to grab the Vanderbilt product all the way down at No. 57.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Texans Sign Seventh-Rounder Kyle Fuller
Houston Texans
Jay Cutler Had “Strong” Interest In Texans
Before he signed with FOX to become a color commentator last week, longtime NFL quarterback Jay Cutler had “strong” interest in playing for the Texans, sources told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
While the Texans did kick the tires on Cutler after the Bears released him earlier this offseason, they elected against signing him, mainly because of Bill O’Brien. The head coach has a higher opinion of Tom Savage, who’s in line to open the season as the Texans’ starter. Long after considering Cutler, Houston traded up in the first round of last month’s draft to select former Clemson star Deshaun Watson, who they hope will serve as their long-term answer under center.
On the heels of an injury-marred 2016 in Chicago, the Jets were the only team that seriously mulled adding the 34-year-old Cutler as a stopgap. Cutler was reportedly uninterested in joining a rebuilding club, though, and prospective contenders didn’t want any part of him as a starter. Because of that, Cutler’s now a member of the media on what he calls a “permanent” basis.
Texans Had Interest In Cole Hikutini
- Before signing with the 49ers, notable undrafted free agent tight end Cole Hikutini drew interest from the Saints, Lions, Patriots, and Texans, tweets Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. Hikutini, a Louisville product, was a favorite of many draftniks — Rob Rang of CBSSports.com, for instance, graded Hikutini as a fifth- or sixth-round selection. Ultimately, Hikutini landed a $20K guarantee from San Francisco.
Deshaun Watson To Compete For Starting Job
After the Texans traded up in the first round of the draft to select ex-Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson 12th overall, head coach Bill O’Brien declared that veteran signal-caller Tom Savage would start Week 1. Like O’Brien, general manager Rick Smith regards Savage as the favorite to land the job, but the executive isn’t as ready to hand him the role. In an interview with ESPN Radio’s Stephen A. Smith on Thursday, Rick Smith indicated that Watson will have a chance to compete with Savage in the coming months, per Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. “We want to provide a competitive environment across the board. So [Watson will] compete,” Smith said. “[But] like I said, we feel good about Tom and his abilities to manage the offense. But yeah, [Watson] will come in, and just like every other guy on the roster, he’ll have time to play.”
Jay Cutler Retires, Signs With FOX
Former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is retiring in order to pursue a new career. He’s joining FOX’s NFL team, as Peter Schrager of NFL Network tweets. Cutler will be in a three-man booth alongside play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt and fellow color commentator Charles Davis. 
Before deciding to go to FOX, Cutler had real discussions with the Jets and less-promising talks with the Texans, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. In a statement issued to Adam Jahns of the Sun Times, Cutler admits that he did not find a ton of interest on the open market this offseason.
“I don’t know if retirement is the right word; I don’t feel that anyone ever really retires from the NFL. You are either forced to leave, or you lose the desire to do what’s required to keep going. I’m in between those situations at this point in my life,” Cutler said.
Not everyone is convinced that Cutler is done playing football, however. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (video link) gets the sense that he would get back on the field if a team offered him a starting job and starter money to go along with it. In theory, the three-man booth protects FOX against Cutler leaving to join a team midseason because Burkhardt and Davis could move forward as a two-man team.
Cutler wasn’t necessarily warm and fuzzy towards the media during his playing days, so it will be interesting to see him in the broadcast booth. However, Cutler has extensive experience playing in the NFC and that should help his transition to FOX. Those close to Cutler also say that he’s well-suited for TV.
“I think Jay Cutler would be on point as an analyst,” guard Kyle Long told Jahns. “He’s one of the most cerebral guys I’ve ever played with, one of the most well-spoken guys I’ve played with. Whether the public knows it or not, he actually is a funny, nice, cool guy. [Media members] have seen that side of him sometimes. You’ve also seen Jay when he’s having maybe not the best day. Unfortunately, that’s kind of the all-encompassing stigma there. But I think if you see him in a suit and he’s got his hair done and he’s got that beard lined up, people will fall in love with Jay Cutler again.”
In his 11 NFL seasons for the Broncos and Bears, Cutler amassed a career 68-71 record. With the Bears, he went 52-52 across eight seasons (including the playoffs). His best season came in 2008 for Denver when he threw for more than 4,500 yards and 25 touchdowns. That season earned Cutler his sole career Pro Bowl selection. In 2016, he made five starts and was a far cry from the best version of himself.fre