Minor NFL Transactions: 5/10/24
Friday’s minor transactions as we head into the weekend:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Dylan Drummond
Buffalo Bills
- Deemed international roster exemption: T Travis Clayton
Carolina Panthers
- Released: RB Tarik Cohen
- Waived: WR Jalen Camp, TE Chris Pierce Jr.
- Waived (with injured designation): RB Spencer Brown, T Ilm Manning, DT Raequan Williams
- Waived (with non-football injury designation): CB AJ Parker
Dallas Cowboys
- Deemed international roster exemption: DT Denzel Daxon
Denver Broncos
- Deemed international roster exemption: TE Thomas Yassmin
Houston Texans
- Waived: RB Gerrid Doaks
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: WR Terrell Bynum
Miami Dolphins
- Deemed international roster exemption: T Bayron Matos
New York Giants
- Waived (with injured designation): RB Deon Jackson
Cohen hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since his time in Chicago, where he earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors as a punt returner, ended in 2020. The North Carolina A&T product had been part of an effective 1-2 punch with Jordan Howard but saw his role diminish with the arrival of David Montgomery in 2019. Since then, injuries have limited the explosive rusher’s ability to make an impact.
Texans Sign Round 2 CB Kamari Lassiter
Houston inked six rookies to their respective contracts yesterday. The team’s top selection in this year’s draft is now under contract as well. 
The Texans announced on Friday that second-round corner Kamari Lassiter has signed his rookie pact. The Georgia product was selected 42nd overall, which doubled as Houston’s first selection after the team traded away No. 23 to the Vikings well before the draft. While the 2025 capital acquired in that transaction will help the Texans in the near future, Lassiter could play a notable role in the secondary right away.
The 6-0, 180-pounder played three seasons with the Bulldogs, helping the team win back-to-back championships in the 2021 and ’22 campaigns. In the latter year, Lassister showcased his strength as a run defender by amassing five tackles for loss. That continued last year with 37 total stops (including 3.5 for loss).
The 2023 season also saw Lassiter record a career-best eight pass deflections, although he only notched a single interception. He recorded just two picks in college, and that limited ball production no doubt played a role in his slide down the CB board. Questions have also been raised about Lassiter’s long speed, something which will be worth watching as he transitions to the pro game.
Houston already has one starting CB spot locked down in the form of Derek Stingley Jr. The team was busy on the cornerback front in free agency, adding C.J. Henderson, Jeff Okudah and Mike Ford. Lassiter will aim to earn playing time right away amongst those new faces as well as returnees Desmond King and Troy Pride. At a minimum, he should be able to see special teams action and provide depth in the secondary during his rookie season.
With just two unsigned rookies remaining, here is an updated look at the Texans’ 2024 class:
- Round 2, No. 42 (from Vikings): Kamari Lassiter (CB, Georgia) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 59: Blake Fisher (T, Notre Dame)
- Round 3, No. 78 (from Seahawks through Commanders and Eagles): Calen Bullock (S, USC)
- Round 4, No. 123 (from Browns through Texans): Cade Stover (TE, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 188 (from Raiders through Patriots and Vikings): Jamal Hill (LB, Oregon) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 205: Jawhar Jordan (RB, Louisville) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 238 (from Saints): Solomon Byrd (EDGE, USC) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 247: Marcus Harris (DT, Auburn) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 249: LaDarius Henderson (G, Michigan) (signed)
Rams To Trade WR Ben Skowronek To Texans
Rather than moving on from Ben Skowronek by cutting him, the Rams will do so via trade. The fourth-year wideout is being dealt to the Texans, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. 
Reports from Thursday indicated the Rams were planning on waiving the 26-year-old. That process would have left all NFL teams available to put in a claim. Houston will jump the line by agreeing to swap sixth- and seventh-round picks with Los Angeles in 2026, per Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport. One year remains on Skowronek’s rookie contract.
As would have been the case by waiving the former seventh-rounder, this transaction will create just over $1MM in cap savings for the Rams. The Texans, meanwhile, have made another addition to their WR room, one which of course now includes Stefon Diggs. He will be counted on as a key member of the team’s passing attack, but Skowronek’s run blocking and special teams acumen will make him a valued role player.
The latter had a negligible role on offense in 2021 and ’23. In between that time, however, he logged a snap share of 82% and made 39 catches. Skowronek will not be counted on to command many targets in Houston, considering the other pass-catchers the team has aside from Diggs. The Texans return the likes of Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Robert Woods at the receiver position. They also have tight end Dalton Schultz under contract for the next three years.
Expectations will be high for the Texans moving forward after their surprise run to the divisional round of the playoffs in 2023. If Skowronek is able to hold down a depth role this season, he could set himself up for an extended stay in Houston or boost his free agent market in 2025. For the Rams, meanwhile, this move will place an increased emphasis on starters Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua remaining healthy and productive moving forward, as they were last season.
Los Angeles re-signed both Tyler Johnson and Demarcus Robinson this offseason, and the latter in particular will be counted on to serve as depth WR contributor. The Rams also have new tight end Colby Parkinson in place as another secondary pass-catcher. They will proceed without Skowronek’s third phase contributions as they look to build off their own postseason appearance from last season.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/9/24
As a number of teams prepare for rookie minicamps this weekend, Thursday has represented a signing day of sorts for rookie draftees. Here is the latest batch of mid- and late-rounders to sign their four-year rookie deals:
Arizona Cardinals
- LB Xavier Thomas (fifth round, Clemson)
- T Christian Jones (fifth round, Texas)
- WR Tejhaun Palmer (sixth round, UAB)
- CB Jaden Davis (seventh round, Miami)
Buffalo Bills
- T Travis Clayton (seventh round, England)
Denver Broncos
- CB Kris Abrams-Draine (fifth round, Missouri)
Houston Texans
- TE Cade Stover (fourth round, Ohio State)
- LB Jamal Hill (sixth round, Oregon)
- RB Jawhar Jordan (sixth round, Louisville)
- DE Solomon Byrd (sixth round, USC)
- DT Marcus Harris (seventh round, Auburn)
- OL LaDarius Henderson (seventh round, Michigan)
Las Vegas Raiders
- CB Decamerion Richardson (fourth round, Mississippi State)
- LB Tommy Eichenberg (fifth round, Ohio State)
- RB Dylan Laube (sixth round, New Hampshire)
- S Trey Taylor (seventh round, Air Force)
- CB M.J. Devonshire (seventh round, Pittsburgh)
New Orleans Saints
- QB Spencer Rattler (fifth round, South Carolina)
- WR Bub Means (fifth round, Pittsburgh)
- LB Jaylan Ford (fifth round, Texas)
- DT Khristian Boyd (sixth round, Northern Iowa)
- T Josiah Ezirim (seventh round, Eastern Kentucky)
New York Giants
- RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (fifth round, Purdue)
Tennessee Titans
- CB Jarvis Brownlee (fifth round, Louisville)
- WR Jha’Quan Jackson (sixth round, Tulane)
- S James Williams (seventh round, Miami)
- EDGE Jaylen Harrell (seventh round, Michigan)
Texans Add Shane Vereen To Front Office
Texans GM Nick Caserio will extend an opportunity to one of the skill-position regulars he helped draft while with the Patriots. Houston is bringing in Shane Vereen for a front office role.
The former New England running back is joining the Caserio-led Houston front office as a player personnel assistant, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. This will mark a transition into the executive ranks for Vereen, who retired a few years back.
Most recently working as an analyst for the Pac-12 Network, Vereen is obviously best remembered for his on-field roles. The most notable of those came with the Patriots, who drafted Vereen in the 2011 second round out of Cal. Vereen, 35, enjoyed a seven-year playing career spent with the Pats and Giants.
As a New England cog, Vereen filled an important role in a Tom Brady-centered offensive scheme. The Patriots had employed the likes of Kevin Faulk and Danny Woodhead as previous passing-down backs; Vereen ended up taking over in this capacity and held the job until the team let him walk in free agency ahead of James White‘s lengthy run. Vereen topped 400 receiving yards from 2013-15, with his most productive season (838 scrimmage yards, five touchdowns) coming during the Patriots’ Super Bowl XLIX-winning 2014 slate.
After a catching 11 passes for 64 yards in the Pats’ last-second win over the Seahawks, Vereen signed a three-year, $12.35MM deal with the Giants in 2015. He played out that contract but did not catch on anywhere else following the 2017 season. Caserio, who was in place as Bill Belichick‘s right-hand man in personnel when the team drafted Vereen, will reunite with the four-year Patriot as the Texans enter their highest-profile season in many years.
J.J. Watt Willing To Play For Texans In 2024
Former star edge defender and current CBS Sports personality J.J. Watt hung up his cleats at the end of the 2022 campaign. While we had not heard any reports to suggest that Watt was second-guessing his decision, it sounds as if he would return to play for his original team under the right circumstances.
Watt, 35, was a first-round pick of the Texans in 2011 and, despite a few injury-marred seasons, built a Hall-of-Fame resume over his 10-year Houston run before (ostensibly) finishing his playing career via a two-year stint with the Cardinals. His first season with the Texans was also DeMeco Ryans‘ last as a linebacker with Houston (Ryans, of course, is now entering his second season as the team’s head coach).
Prior to the start of the 2023 campaign, Watt told Ryans that he would suit up for the Texans if Ryans needed him to do so (video link via Brandon Scott of Sports Radio 610). Apparently, that offer is also on the table for 2024, though this will be the last year that Watt makes himself available to his old club.
“I told DeMeco last year, I said, ‘Don’t call unless you absolutely need it, but if you ever do call, I’ll be there,'” Watt said at this charity softball game yesterday (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). “And he knows not to call unless he absolutely needs it. This is the last year I’ll tell him that, because I’m not going to keep training the way I’ve been training, but he knows that if he ever truly does need it, I’ll be there for him. I don’t anticipate that happening — they’ve got a very good group.”
Indeed, Ryans and C.J. Stroud were the toast of the league in 2023, when the rookie HC and rookie QB led the Texans on a surprising run to the divisional round of the AFC playoff bracket. This offseason, Houston made a number of high-profile additions to its defensive front, including four-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter. Hunter and 2023 first-rounder Will Anderson should form a dynamic duo at defensive end, with players like Derek Barnett and 2023 fourth-round choice Dylan Horton in support.
As Watt said, then, it is unlikely that Ryans will need to call upon his former teammate, but Watt is still a notable ace in the hole. Watt’s comments suggest that he has kept himself in football shape, and in his last year with Arizona in 2022, he started 16 games and notched 12.5 sacks. Should Ryans require an in-season addition to his cadre of pass rushers, he could certainly do a lot worse.
RB Duke Johnson Announces Retirement
Boasting an eight-year career spanning time with five NFL franchises, running back Duke Johnson is now known as one of the league’s best receiving backs in recent history. Having not appeared on an NFL roster since the end of the 2022 season, the now 30-year-old Johnson has made the decision to officially hang up his cleats, announcing this retirement decision on Instagram. 
Johnson came to the league after a storied career at the University of Miami. A five-star recruit, Johnson became an immediate factor as a true freshman, rushing for 947 yards for 10 touchdowns and adding one score through the air and two more on kickoff returns. After a junior season that saw him rush for 1,652 yards and 10 touchdowns and receive for 421 yards and three touchdowns, Johnson announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility and declare for the draft.
Johnson left Coral Gables as the Hurricanes’ all-time leader in career rushing yards, despite only playing for three seasons. The school has produced such NFL rushers as Chuck Foreman, Ottis Anderson, Cleveland Gary, Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis, Najeh Davenport, Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, and Lamar Miller. Johnson outgained them all at the collegiate level and holds that record to this day.
Johnson was selected by the Browns in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He was the sixth rusher taken off the board behind Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, T.J. Yeldon, Ameer Abdullah, and Tevin Coleman and was taken just nine picks before David Johnson.
As a rookie, Duke split starting duties with second-year back Isaiah Crowell while also serving as the team’s primary receiving back. The two would continue in those roles for the next two years. Johnson made the most with the carries he was granted, averaging 4.3 yards per carry over his years in Cleveland, but he truly shined as a receiver for the Browns.
During that 2015 season, Johnson finished third on the team in receiving yards behind only tight end Gary Barnidge and wide receiver (and fellow Hurricane) Travis Benjamin. He was third on the team in 2016, as well. In 2017, though, Johnson was actually the Browns’ leading receiver with 74 catches for 693 yards. His 348 rushing yards that year helped him to lead the team in scrimmage yards, and his seven total touchdowns were the most on Cleveland’s roster that year. His efforts earned him a three-year, $15.61MM contract extension.
In 2018, the arrival of a rookie Nick Chubb and a veteran Carlos Hyde saw a huge cut to Johnson’s carries, though he still averaged 5.0 yards per rush. He still proved a major asset as a receiver, as well, with 62 catches for 429 yards, but with the emergence of Chubb, Johnson became an unnecessary cost. Cleveland traded Johnson to the Texans in exchange for a conditional fourth-rounder that ended up turning into the third-round pick the Browns would use to draft Jacob Phillips.
Hyde would follow Johnson to Houston and would take RB1 duties, though Johnson would still contribute with 410 rushing yards and 410 receiving yards. The Texans would trade for David Johnson in 2020. A talented receiving back in his own right, David’s acquisition led to diminished usage of Duke. Houston would cut Johnson at the end of the season.
Over the final two years of his career, Johnson saw minimal usage as he spent time on the Jaguars’ practice squad, started four of five game appearances for the Dolphins in 2021, and was a practice squad elevation for one game for the Bills in 2022. Those final two years were the first of his career in which the running back had more rushing than receiving yards.
That fact perhaps underlines the feats of Johnson’s career. Despite his rushing pedigree at Miami, Johnson came into the NFL and provided his talents as a bailout option for the league’s worst team at the time, getting utilized early and often. Since his arrival in Cleveland in 2015, only Jarvis Landry, David Njoku, and Amari Cooper have more receiving yards for the Browns over that period.
Circumstances prevented Johnson from ever taking a leading back role in his career, but the 30-year-old made the most of every opportunity he was granted, regardless of the role he was assigned. Though other backs tended to earn carries over him, Johnson was hard to keep off the field thanks to his impressive receiving abilities. He ends his NFL career with 2,265 rushing yards for 11 touchdowns and 2,870 receiving yards for 12 touchdowns.
Texans Offered Saquon Barkley Over $11MM Per Year; Team Pursued Tony Pollard, D’Andre Swift
With C.J. Stroud locked into rookie-deal money through at least 2025, the Texans have a rare opportunity. They can build around a low-cost quarterback who showed star potential as a rookie. The team made some moves to capitalize this offseason, deviating from a conservative first three years — with regards to free agency — under Nick Caserio.
The Texans added the likes of Stefon Diggs, Danielle Hunter, Azeez Al-Shaair and Denico Autry. Houston hoped to bring in a higher-salary target at running back as well, but mutual interest between the team and Saquon Barkley did not produce a deal. Despite rostering Jalen Hurts on a $51MM-per-year contract, the Eagles landed Barkley on a three-year, $37.75MM deal that includes $26MM guaranteed at signing. Barkley sits as the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid RB, cashing in after Giants negotiations produced a lesser offer and a franchise tag last summer.
Houston was willing to go into this neighborhood for Barkley, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who reports the team offered the two-time Pro Bowler a three-year deal worth just north of $33MM. The AAV here checks in just south of Barkley’s $12.58MM Philly number, but given the guarantee at signing the Eagles authorized, it is unsurprising the 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year made the choice he did.
The wave of RB contracts authorized in the early 2020s have led to a few high-profile releases, pay cuts or trades. Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook, Aaron Jones, Joe Mixon and Derrick Henry are no longer attached to eight-figure-per-year accords. The Browns slashed Nick Chubb‘s pay last month, as the perennial Pro Bowler is coming off two knee surgeries, and Josh Jacobs‘ Packers deal only includes $12.5MM guaranteed at signing. Given the state of the RB position, Barkley did well to score the guarantee did he going into his seventh season.
Barkley, 27, said he was drawn to the Texans before considering the Eagles. But the Penn State alum certainly has Pennsylvania ties; much of his family is from the area. Although the Texans had the Eagles beat for cap space, they stood down on Barkley. The team soon gave Hunter a near-fully guaranteed contract and made an interesting commitment to Mixon. Just before the Bengals were set to release their seven-year starter, the Texans agreed to send a seventh-round pick for the veteran back. Mixon soon agreed to new terms with the Texans — two years, $19.75MM ($13MM guaranteed).
The Texans ended up giving Mixon a better deal than they proposed Devin Singletary, per Wilson, who adds the team offered its primary 2023 starter a contract averaging $4MM per year. Singletary agreed to a three-year, $16.5MM deal (with $9.5MM fully guaranteed) to reunite with Brian Daboll in New York.
As a Wilson pre-free agency report suggested, the Texans did discuss terms with Tony Pollard and D’Andre Swift. Pollard ended up with the Titans (three years, $21.75MM) and Swift became the first UFA from this year’s class to commit to a team, signing a three-year, $24MM deal with the Bears.
Only Barkley and Swift ($14MM) scored more fully guaranteed money among this year’s free agent RBs than Mixon, who is coming off his fourth 1,000-yard rushing season but has 1,854 career touches — third-most among active backs. Charged with elevating a Texans rushing attack that ranked 22nd last season, Mixon is going into his age-28 slate.
The Texans will count on Mixon, but Caserio said (via SI.com’s Coty M. Davis) Dameon Pierce — who followed up an impressive rookie season with a down 2023 — remains a “big part” of the team’s 2024 plan. The 2022 fourth-rounder averaged just 2.9 yards per carry last season, seeing Singletary usurp him as the Texans’ lead back down the stretch. The younger back will have a chance to rebound, albeit in a now-Mixon-fronted backfield.
Texans WR Tank Dell Suffers Minor Injuries In Shooting
Texans third-round rookie sensation Tank Dell found himself the victim in a public mass shooting Saturday night at a Sanford, Florida, nightclub, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The 24-year-old has reportedly already been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery from his injuries. 
Dell, a Daytona Beach native, was back in his hometown this weekend visiting his mother. Dell was apparently uninvolved in the shooting incident at Cabana Live but was caught in the resulting crossfire. Ten civilians, including Dell, suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the altercation, and Florida police took a 16-year-old suspect into custody after the shooting.
Dell had already been in the process of making a comeback from football-related injuries. The rookie standout missed the Texans’ final seven contests, including two postseason matchups, after suffering a fractured fibula. He underwent surgery to repair the fibula and has since made strides in his recovery.
Recently, Dell took part in Houston’s offseason conditioning program. He even participated in extra throwing sessions with fellow rookie standout quarterback C.J. Stroud, as well as extra training sessions with NFL trainer Justin Allen and private coach Delfonte Diamond.
Dell had previously told the media that he would be ready to participate in organized team activities when they start up in May. It’s unclear if this weekend’s incident will do anything to alter that timeline, but regardless, Dell is expected to make a full recovery and shouldn’t be affected by his injuries in the long term.
Texans Host Free Agent DE Dawuane Smoot
On the eve of this year’s draft, the Texans hosted free agent defensive end Dawuane Smoot, per ESPN’s Field Yates. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, Smoot’s visit was “positive,” and the two sides left the door open to an agreement once the draft dust settled.
The Texans were aggressive in the free agent and trade markets this offeason as they attempt to capitalize on the financial freedom that having quarterback C.J. Stroud on his rookie deal affords them. That was especially evident in the club’s approach to its defensive front, as it added players like Foley Fatukasi, Denico Autry, Tim Settle, and Mario Edwards Jr. to the unit while re-signing Derek Barnett and landing one of this year’s biggest free agent fish, Danielle Hunter.
Smoot would presumably compete for reps with Barnett and 2023 fourth-rounder Dylan Horton behind starters Will Anderson and Hunter. The Texans are plenty familiar with Smoot, a longtime cog of the division-rival Jaguars, and his signing would represent a low-risk, high-reward endeavor for the overnight championship contenders.
Now 29, Smoot was selected by Jacksonville in the third round of the 2017 draft. While it took several years for him to find his footing in the professional ranks, he quietly emerged as a consistent pass rusher, collecting 22.5 sacks for the Jags between 2019 and 2022. That included a 2021 campaign in which he started a career-high 10 games and compiled 36 tackles, six sacks, and 16 QB hits.
Smoot unfortunately suffered a torn Achilles towards the end of a similarly productive 2022 season, which proved to be especially poor timing since he was finishing up the two-year, $10MM deal he signed the year before. Smoot lingered on the open market until last July, when he inked a modest one-year pact to remain with the Jaguars. He was promptly placed on the PUP list due to the Achilles injury and did not make his 2023 debut until the middle of October. In 12 games (zero starts), Smoot recorded just one sack and four QB hits.
Still, now that he is over a year removed from the Achilles tear, it is fair to expect him to recapture at least some of the form he displayed during his peak years in Duval. At the very least, he should be able to serve as a useful rotational pass rusher, and he can likely be had for another low-cost contract.
Houston did not add an edge defender until the seventh round of the 2024 draft, when it selected USC product Solomon Byrd. As such, it seems that nothing that transpired this weekend would preclude the Texans from circling back to Smoot.