HEADLINES

Brennan Scarlett

Texans Activate Brennan Scarlett

December 17th, 2016 at 1:06pm CST by Ben Levine

As expected, Brennan Scarlett will be rejoining the Texans this weekend. Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston reports (via Twitter) that the organization has activated the rookie linebacker from the injured reserve. To make room on the roster, the team has waived cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz. We learned earlier this week that Scarlett had been designated as the club’s injured reserve/return player.

Brennan ScarlettThe undrafted rookie out of Stanford was a revelation through the preseason and the first month of the season. In five games, the linebacker only compiled five tackles, but coaches noted the 23-year-old’s “size and aggressiveness.” Furthermore, as our own Dallas Robinson pointed out, Scarlett was widely regarded as one of the team’s best pass rushers throughout the preseason. In total, Scarlett played 29 defensive snaps and 63 special teams snaps before being sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Scarlett’s activation is especially impressive considering the other names sitting on the Texans injured reserve. As Dallas pointed out, J.J. Watt, Braxton Miller, Jaelen Strong, Derek Newton, Kevin Johnson, Nick Martin, and Devon Still are all out for the season, and Scarlett’s activation means these players will remain on the injured reserve. While the linebacker was presumably activated because he was the healthiest of the bunch, it’s still impressive for an undrafted rookie to be so highly regarded by an organization.

Scarlett will join a crowded linebacker corps that already features Whitney Mercilus, Brian Cushing, Benardrick McKinney, John Simon, Max Bullough, Akeem Dent, and Brian Peters. Simon missed last week’s game, which perhaps necessitated the activation of Scarlett. Mercilus is also struggling through a back injury.

Shabazz has bounced around the league since going undrafted out of West Chester in 2015. The cornerback spent the 2015 season with the Colts and Buccaneers, and he spent the majority of this season with the Steelers. The 24-year-old was cut by the organization in early December, and he was picked up by the Texans only days later. Shabazz ultimately played in one game with the Texans.

Texans Designate LB Brennan Scarlett To Return From IR

December 15th, 2016 at 6:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Texans announced today that rookie linebacker Brennan Scarlett has returned to practice and been designated as the club’s injured reserve/return player. Houston now has three weeks to place Scarlett on the active roster, or else he will remain on IR for the remainder of the season."<strong

[RELATED: Texans Place Braxton Miller On IR]

Scarlett, an undrafted free agent out of Stanford, played in five of the Texans’ first six games this year before being placed on IR, posting 29 defensive snaps, 63 special teams snaps, and one tackle during his brief stay on the Houston roster. As John McClain of the Houston Chronicle details, Scarlett was one of the Texans’ best pass rushers during the preseason, and Houston coaches are high on him thanks to his “size and aggressiveness.”

The Texans have a lengthy list of players on injured reserve, but Scarlett’s designation as the club’s return player means they’ll all be staying put on IR for the rest of the year. J.J. Watt, Braxton Miller, Jaelen Strong, Derek Newton, Kevin Johnson, Nick Martin, Devon Still, and others won’t see the field again until 2017.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/19/16

October 19th, 2016 at 9:19pm CST by Zachary Links

Wednesday’s minor moves:

  • The Texans added two defenders to their active roster Wednesday, promoting lineman Brandon Dunn from their practice squad and signing free agent safety Don Jones, as Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets. To make room, Houston placed safety K.J. Dillon and linebacker Brennan Scarlett on IR.

Texans Sign 15 Undrafted Free Agents

May 6th, 2016 at 3:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Texans issued a press release this afternoon, confirming three draft pick signings that had been previously reported. The team has yet to lock up its top three picks, but has secured fourth-round running back Tyler Ervin, fifth-round safety K.J. Dillon, and fifth-round defensive lineman D.J. Reader.

In addition to signing those draftees, the Texans also announced that they’ve added 15 undrafted free agents to their 90-man roster, supplementing their modest six-man draft class. Here are the 15 UDFAs currently on Houston’s roster: