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Texans Plan To Release LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin

March 8th, 2023 at 8:32pm CST by Ely Allen

The rollercoaster that is the career of linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin continues as Houston reportedly plans to release the 28-year-old defender, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Reeves-Maybin was brought in to compete for the Texans at linebacker but mainly found himself on special teams in 2022.

The rollercoaster started for Reeves-Maybin in college when, after phenomenal performances in his sophomore and junior years, injuries decimated his senior season at Tennessee. He was still drafted in the fourth round by Detroit back in 2017. He showed promise in a rookie season that saw him rotate in at linebacker and record 30 total tackles, three tackles for loss, and a half sack. During his second year with the Lions, Reeves-Maybin began to earn more playing time before injuries started nagging at him again, eventually landing him on injured reserve.

His third year was a confusing mix. He started out with strong snap counts in the first two weeks of 2019 before finding himself relegated to special teams for several games. He did earn three starts to end the season, finishing off a tough year in strong fashion. He would see another letdown year, though, in 2020, spending the entire season on special teams and recording a career-low in total tackles.

Despite his diminished impact on defense, the Lions re-signed Reeves-Maybin to a one-year contract for 2021. After two games in his special teams role, Reeves-Maybin carved out a bit more playing time, eventually earning a starting spot that he kept for the rest of the season. The one-year tryout was a career year for Reeves-Maybin as he totaled career highs in total tackles (82), tackles for loss (4), forced fumbles (2), and passes defensed (4).

The strong year resulted in the Texans signing him to a two-year, $7.5MM contract. Unfortunately for Reeves-Maybin, the rollercoaster that is his career continued. Aside from one game that saw him play 67-percent of the team’s snaps on defense, Reeves-Maybin was largely relegated back to special teams play. He was passed over in favor of Kamu Grugier-Hill, Jake Hansen, Blake Cashman, and Garret Wallow for playing time alongside Christian Kirksey and rookie third-round pick Christian Harris.

The move to release him doesn’t come as much of a surprise. With Reeves-Maybin due to hold a 2023 cap hit of $4.25MM, the Texans are more than willing to eat the $2MM in dead money to release him. The $2.25MM in cap savings is simply too enticing a return for releasing a special teamer.

As for Reeves-Maybin’s future, if his previous rollercoaster years are any indication, the pending free agent is due for a strong performance in his sixth year of NFL play. Some team will likely take a chance on him for a reasonably low price.

Texans Re-Signing C Scott Quessenberry

March 8th, 2023 at 7:21pm CST by Ely Allen

As part of efforts to address the interior of the offensive line this offseason, the Texans have re-signed center Scott Quessenberry who was set to hit free agency this spring, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Quessenberry stepped up this past season and started every game for the Texans after initial starting center Justin Britt‘s departure following Week 1.

A former fifth-round pick for the Chargers, Quessenberry signed with the Texans a year ago, making him the third of his brothers to play in Houston, after offensive tackle David Quessenberry and tight end Paul Quessenberry. He was almost immediately put into action when Britt was placed on the team’s reserve/non-football illness list after the first game of the season.

Quessenberry stepped in and started the remaining 16 games of the season at center. While the move does address the interior offensive line, it may not be the only move Houston makes at center. Quessenberry gets a lot of deserved credit from the Texans’ staff for stepping up when needed, but during his time filling in, Quessenberry graded out as the worst center in the league, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

It wasn’t necessarily close, either. The top two centers in the league, Super Bowl LVII participants Creed Humphrey and Jason Kelce, had offensive grades of 89.9 and 89.5, respectively. Beneath them, the grades gradually decrease from third-graded Browns center Ethan Pocic (79.0) to 35th-graded Cardinals center Billy Price (51.3). The only center graded below Price: Quessenberry, at a distant 36th with an offensive grade of 36.6. Quessenberry had the worst pass blocking grade (25.8) and run blocking grade (43.7) of any center in the NFL.

Still, with Britt expected to retire and the only other lineman on the roster with experience at center being Jimmy Morrissey, who began last season on the Texans’ practice squad, it was important for the Texans to make sure that, at the very least, they had a center with starting experience on the roster.

With further moves to address the interior linemen positions expected on the horizon, it will be interesting to see what Quessenberry’s role next year will be. Regardless of what other help is brought in, he’ll at least have an opportunity to retain his starting job this summer.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/8/23

March 8th, 2023 at 5:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

  • Claimed off waivers (from Jaguars): QB E.J. Perry

New York Giants

A veteran linebacker formerly with the Lions, Davis joined the Giants very late in the season last year, only starting one regular season game for New York. Davis did go on to start both postseason games for the Giants, doing impressive work for a player with such little time to learn a team’s defense. The 28-year-old had been starting less and less as his career progressed in Detroit, so a renewed opportunity to win a starting position should help to former first-round pick to get back on track.

Jimmy Garoppolo On Texans’ Radar

March 8th, 2023 at 10:15am CST by Sam Robinson

Potentially in place as the Jets’ post-Derek Carr backup plan to Aaron Rodgers and looming as a possible Raiders option, Jimmy Garoppolo will likely be connected to other suitors. Another AFC team stands to be in the mix for the five-plus-year 49ers passer.

Some among the Texans are behind adding Garoppolo and pairing him with a rookie quarterback, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes. DeMeco Ryans brought some former 49ers assistants to Houston, including ex-San Francisco pass-game coordinator Bobby Slowik as OC, so Texans-Garoppolo connections should be expected. The team also hovers near the top of the league in cap space, holding $40MM-plus as of Wednesday morning. Slowik confirmed Wednesday (via the Houston Chronicle’s Brooks Kubena, on Twitter) the team is looking into Garoppolo.

The Texans make some sense as a Garoppolo fit, given the 49ers ties and GM Nick Caserio‘s Patriots past. The team was connected to the 49ers trade chip during the draft last year. But the Texans also still profile as a rebuilding team. Garoppolo, 31, will likely pursue a winning situation in his first crack at free agency. A team that also is not planning to immediately draft a quarterback would seemingly appeal to the 10th-year veteran. Garoppolo is exiting a situation in which the 49ers kept him onboard as a bridge option.

But if Rodgers does end up on the Jets and the Raiders commit to a first-round pick with a cheaper veteran gatekeeper, Garoppolo’s options would narrow. Teams like the Falcons, Commanders, Panthers and Buccaneers have QB issues, with none in immediate position to add at the position in Round 1. The Falcons hold the second-most cap space, at $66.4MM, as well. The Commanders discussed a deal for Garoppolo in 2022, but Ron Rivera has said the team is not looking to spend as much at the position this year. The Bucs are at the bottom in cap space, and the Panthers are one of the teams mentioned as a trade-up candidate in Round 1.

Garoppolo landing in Houston with Ryans and Slowik would inject some familiarity into his third NFL destination, though the team coming off three-, four- and four-win seasons since 2020 will not help its cause. The Texans hold the Nos. 2 and 12 overall picks and will be connected to QBs up until the draft. They also profile as a team willing to trade up for a passer. Garoppolo coming in would put the Texans in better position to stand pat rather than send the Bears assets to make sure no QB-needy team outflanks them.

Additionally, the Texans did not seem too close on a deal that would accommodate Brandin Cooks‘ wishes, Jeff Howe of The Athletic writes (subscription required). Cooks has a standing trade request in place since before last year’s trade deadline. A few teams are interested, and with Tee Higgins and Keenan Allen being taken off the trade market, the values of Cooks and DeAndre Hopkins would go up. Cooks being moved would not make the Texans’ pass catcher situation particularly attractive, but the team is on track to have John Metchie back and should be expected to make other moves at the position if/once a Cooks trade commences.

NFL Draft Rumors: Young, Safeties, Skinner

March 4th, 2023 at 12:53pm CST by Ely Allen

Sitting pretty with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Texans are reportedly very high on Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Despite his diminutive stature, Young has always been considered a top prospect at his position dating back to high school. How much will it affect his draft stock?

In evaluating the former quarterback of the Crimson Tide, the Texans have formed an extremely high opinion of Young in many regards. The only area that concerns Houston is a potential lack of durability due to his slight frame. While his height has been a minor concern, when combined with a reported weight at Alabama of 194 pounds, his size becomes a concern for NFL teams. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the concerns certainly are a factor but not enough so to remove him from his status as the top passer in the draft.

At the NFL Combine today, we received an official measurement. One of the first to report on the matter, ESPN’s Field Yates provided us with Young’s height (5-foot-10 and 1/8 inches), weight (204 pounds), and hand size (9 and 3/4 inches). The increased weight is seen as a big win in Young’s camp as a factor that should help bolster his projected durability.

Yates also provided us with a comparison to former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray. While the two are not quite alike in play, Murray measured the same height, three pounds heavier, and with hands that were a quarter of an inch smaller, effectively negating any arguments that Young’s size should be a factor that would keep him from being a top draft pick.

Here are a few other rumors from this year’s upcoming draft:

  • Due to what is perceived to be a lack of safety depth in this year’s draft, the market for second-tier free agent safeties is expected to heat up when free agency opens, according to Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network. There’s an opinion that after the top three draft prospects at the position, which include Illinois’s Sydney Brown, Georgia’s Chris Smith, and the draft’s only expected first-round safety Brian Branch from Alabama, there is a large drop off in safety talent. This should result in more fervent bidding for free agent safeties who otherwise would’ve been looking at average contracts behind the top-tier earners at the position. While top free agent safeties like Jessie Bates and Jordan Poyer will be searching for top money, players like Eric Rowe, A.J. Moore, J.T. Gray, and Lamarcus Joyner should expect to compete for higher contracts than they would have if competing with a deeper draft class.
  • Contributing to the lack of depth at the position, Boise State safety JL Skinner was unable to perform at the Combine this week due to a torn pectoral muscle, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Skinner is currently projected as a Day 2 draft pick but could have improved his draft stock even more with a strong performance at the Combine, which many expected he would do. He still met with teams, but Skinner was not able to participate in any drills with the other defensive backs. He’ll have surgery next week.

AFC Coaching Updates: Wayne, Raiders, Texans, Browns

March 3rd, 2023 at 9:12pm CST by Ely Allen

Despite the change in head coach from Frank Reich to Shane Steichen, former elite wide receiver Reggie Wayne will remain as the Colts‘ wide receivers coach in 2023, according to a tweet from Wayne’s account. After a challenging first year coaching one of the league’s youngest wide receivers rooms, Wayne will be back for a second year.

Last year, many knew Wayne faced a challenge. The team returned top wideout Michael Pittman, who was coming off of a 1,082-yard, six-touchdown season. The biggest issue following Pittman’s breakout year, though, was his lack of help. Behind Pittman, the Colts’ two leading wide receivers were Zach Pascal with 384 yards and T.Y. Hilton with 331 yards. Wayne needed to coach up some help for Pittman.

Wayne’s efforts of supporting Pittman focused on a healthy season for fourth-year wide receiver Parris Campbell and a strong rookie year from second-round pick Alec Pierce. Campbell had appeared in only 15 of a possible 49 games in his first three seasons and had failed to ever surpass 200 receiving yards. In 2022 under Wayne, Campbell appeared in every game and recorded career-highs in receptions (63), receiving yards (623), and receiving touchdowns (3). Pierce backed him up with a strong rookie campaign that saw him supplement Pittman and Campbell with 41 catches for 593 yards and two touchdowns.

The Colts could certainly use some more support from the depth pieces in the receivers room, but a second year of Wayne overseeing the development of Pittman, Campbell, and Pierce should excite Colts fans. That is, as long Steichen and company can figure out a strong passing option from Nick Foles, Matt Ryan, and Sam Ehlinger.

Here are a few more coaching updates from around the AFC:

  • The Raiders have hired Derius Swinton II as their new assistant special teams coach, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Las Vegas needed to fill the position after former assistant special teams coach Maurice Drayton left to accept the role of head coach at his alma mater, The Citadel. Swinton didn’t coach in the NFL last year after being fired from his job of special teams coordinator by the Chargers following the 2021 season.
  • The Texans have brought on a defensive coaching assistant from the college ranks, hiring Miami (Fla.) defensive ends coach Rod Wright as a defensive assistant, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. In his first year with the Hurricanes, Wright did a strong job of getting production out of transfers and holdovers from before the era of current head coach Mario Cristobal. This will be Wright’s first position in the NFL after coaching gigs at Texas, Sam Houston State, East Carolina, and UTSA.
  • We’ve covered a couple of new hires to the Browns coaching staff this offseason, but the team made a few changes to current staffers’ roles that necessitate reporting, according to Browns staff writer Anthony Polsal. Callie Brownson received the title of assistant wide receivers coach in addition to her role of chief of staff last season, and she will move into a full-time role as assistant wide receivers coach, dropping the moniker of chief of staff. Formerly an offensive quality control coach, Ashton Grant has been promoted to the role of offensive assistant with a focus on quarterbacks. After serving as a scouting assistant for the team since 2020, Riley Hecklinski has been granted the role of coordinator of coaching logistics. Former assistant defensive backs coach Brandon Lynch has been promoted to cornerbacks coach. Lastly, Kevin Rogers, who has served as a senior offensive assistant with the team since 2020, will move to the role of senior assistant/special projects.

Texans Release Justin Britt; C Expected To Retire

March 3rd, 2023 at 6:42pm CST by Ely Allen

After nine years as an NFL offensive lineman, Texans center Justin Britt is expected to retire after being cut by Houston today, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Britt had spent most of the 2022 season on the team’s reserve/non-football illness list, only appearing in one game.

Britt began his career as a second-round pick out of Missouri and would start all 16 games for the Seahawks, who drafted him, at right tackle. After moving to left guard in his sophomore season, Britt was moved a second time to center, where he would remain for the rest of his career. A serious knee injury would end Britt’s 2019 season, at the end of which the Seahawks would release him.

After spending the 2020 season in free agency getting workouts with the Packers and Chiefs, Britt eventually signed with the Texans for 2021. He was named the starting center and started 11 games during his first season in Houston as injuries nagged at him throughout the year. After a 2022 season opener that had Britt disappointed in himself, Britt was placed on the NFI list for the remainder of the season. It was reported that Britt was “working through personal issues related to football as he (contemplated) his options.” It wasn’t difficult to decipher what was implied by those comments. After only appearing in 20 of a potential 66 games from 2019 to now, many speculated that Britt was preparing to hang up his cleats.

On the Texans’ side of things, the move to release Britt clears approximately $3MM in cap space, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. After seeing Britt find the NFI list after Week 1, Houston turned to backup center Scott Quessenberry to start for the remainder of the season. Out of 36 centers that were graded for the 2022 season, Quessenberry ranked 36th in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). It wasn’t particularly close, either. With 35th ranked center Billy Price grading out with a 51.3 offensive grade, Quessenberry was a distant 36th with an offensive grade of 36.6. He held the league’s worst pass blocking grade (25.8) and run blocking grade (43.7) of any center in the league.

Quessenberry is set to hit free agency this year, leaving only Jimmy Morrissey, who began last season on the Texans’ practice squad, remaining on the roster. Houston may have to explore the free agent market for their next center. Veteran options Rodney Hudson and Jason Kelce should be hitting the open market this offseason. Kelce had a phenomenal season at 35 years old, while Hudson only played four games before being placed on IR. Both players contemplated retirement before the 2022 season. Jets center Connor McGovern had a strong contract year and Jon Feliciano, who switched to center last year for the Giants, should also be available. The Texans could also go the draft route for their next center with North Dakota State’s Cody Mauch, TCU’s Steve Avila, and Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz ranking as college football’s best draft-eligible centers, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic.

Britt’s time in Texas was short-lived thanks to injury. He’ll be remembered as one of football’s grittier interior linemen after his career in Seattle and Houston. He leaves a tough hole for the Texans to fill.

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/28/23

February 28th, 2023 at 8:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Commanders

Jennings will be back with the 49ers in 2023. As an ERFA, the former seventh-round pick had limited options. Jennings, who caught 35 passes for 416 yards last season, entered the league as a 2020 draftee but did not play that season. The 49ers will have the option of keeping the young wide receiver through the 2024 campaign; Jennings will be eligible for restricted free agency next year.

Teams Interested In Brandin Cooks; Texans Working To Move WR

February 28th, 2023 at 3:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

After the Texans and Brandin Cooks regrouped in the days following the trade deadline, the veteran wide receiver may well find himself part of a fourth trade soon.

The Texans are going through the process of meeting Cooks’ still-standing trade request, Aaron Wilson of KPRC.com tweets, adding that multiple AFC and NFC teams are interested in the nine-year veteran wide receiver. With the Combine bringing the 32 teams together, a Cooks resolution could come quickly. Several teams are indeed interested, Wilson adds.

Cooks, 29, requested to be dealt last year, despite having signed an extension to stay in Houston during the 2022 offseason. But the Texans did not deem any offer satisfactory ahead of the deadline. Cooks has been expected to be moved this offseason, however, and the wideout who was traded in 2017 (New Orleans to New England), 2018 (New England to Los Angeles) and 2020 (L.A. to Houston) looks likely to be on the move again.

“I have a great relationship with Brandin and his representation and we always have open dialogue,” GM Nick Caserio said Tuesday. “As we work through the course of the spring, we’ll try to do what’s best for the organization.”

Houston dangled Cooks in the days before the deadline, and had the former first-round pick not signed an extension, accommodating his trade request would have been easier. But Cooks’ about-face months after agreeing to the deal led to the rebuilding team resisting lower-end trade offers. The Cowboys pursued Cooks, who was also connected to the Giants and Vikings. Although Cooks was not able to put together a third straight 1,000-yard receiving season with the Texans and seventh overall, contending teams are likely to monitor this situation.

This year’s receiver market may drive trades, with Cooks and ex-Texan DeAndre Hopkins already at the forefront. Free agency is not expected to feature too many notable options, though there will be some starters hitting the market. Deviating from the receiver-rich drafts of recent years, this year’s crop has not generated the same level of hype. As such, a nice market could form for Cooks. Though, the Texans should not be expected to land a first-round pick — which the Saints and Patriots did in the first two Cooks trades — and the team’s 2022 ask of a second-rounder also may be a tad steep. Still, interest exists, and a fifth Cooks NFL employer is likely to emerge before too long.

It would cost the Texans $16MM-plus in dead money to trade Cooks before June 1. While the organization would save $10.3MM with a trade, it would still be a fairly costly maneuver. The Texans moving Cooks would further amplify their receiver need. Second-round pick John Metchie is expected to be with the team this year, after a leukemia battle sidetracked his career, but the team will be in need of more help at the position this offseason.

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