HEADLINES

Geron Christian

Texans Waive OT Roderick Johnson

August 18th, 2021 at 4:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans activated Roderick Johnson and Tytus Howard from their reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, but only Howard will move forward with the team. Following Johnson’s move back to Houston’s active roster, the team waived him.

Johnson re-signed with the Texans this offseason, collecting $350K in fully guaranteed cash, but will hit waivers. The Texans placed Johnson, Howard and Laremy Tunsil on their reserve/COVID list last week, with Aaron Wilson of 790 Sports Talk noting (via Twitter) Johnson was a high-risk close contact. Players can only be classified as such if they have not been vaccinated.

A former Browns draftee, Johnson has been with the Texans since the 2018 offseason. He started six games over the past two seasons and played 245 snaps in 2020. However, offseason waiver claim Geron Christian — a former Washington starter at tackle — had surpassed him in training camp, per Wilson.

Houston has Tunsil in place as its left tackle, and its most recent depth chart has Howard sticking at right tackle. Trade acquisition Marcus Cannon resides behind Howard on the right side.

Raiders, Dolphins Tried To Claim Geron Christian

May 24th, 2021 at 8:54am CST by Zachary Links

On Friday, the Texans claimed former Washington left tackle Geron Christian. But, they weren’t the only team to submit a claim for him. Had the WFT passed, Christian would have joined the Raiders (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). The Dolphins also submitted a claim on the 2018 third-rounder.

Christian was less-than-stellar in D.C., but quality tackles are hard to come by at this stage of the offseason. He’s also on the final year of his low-cost rookie year deal, making him an affordable pickup for teams in need. That was a definite selling point for the Texans, who have spent most of their offseason inking free agents to short-term contracts.

The 6-foot-6 blocker has played in 24 games over the course of his pro career, which started as a reserve behind Trent Williams. Injuries have held Christian up along the way, including an MCL tear as a rookie. Last year, Christian saw just six games and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 60 ranked tackle in the league. On Friday, Washington brought an end to Christian’s tenure while also dropping the durable Morgan Moses.

Now, Washington has new options in rookie Samuel Cosmi and veteran Charles Leno. The Texans are well covered with Laremy Tunsil, Tytus Howard, Marcus Cannon, and Christian. Meanwhile, the Raiders and Dolphins will continue to search for outside protectors.

Texans Claim T Geron Christian

May 21st, 2021 at 3:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Morgan Moses had enough service time to head to free agency, the other tackle Washington cut Thursday did not. And the Texans will add a former third-round pick as a result.

Houston submitted a successful waiver claim for Geron Christian. The fourth-year veteran will be the latest notable name to join the Texans on what is now a one-year contract. The 2018 draftee’s deal, like most of the others the Texans have authorized this offseason, expires after the 2021 season.

A Louisville alum, Christian started six games for Washington at left tackle last season. The 6-foot-6 blocker has played in 24 over the course of his career, which began in a developmental role during the end of Washington’s Trent Williams era. Pro Football Focus graded Christian 60th overall among tackles in his 263-snap 2020 season.

Injuries have interfered with Christian’s career as well. An MCL tear sidelined him as a rookie, while another knee injury limited him to six games last season. Washington moved on, drafting Samuel Cosmi in Round 2 and signing Charles Leno as its presumptive Week 1 left tackle starter.

The Texans have their left tackle position checked off, with Laremy Tunsil anchoring the rebuilding team’s offensive line. On the right side, Houston has 2019 first-round pick Tytus Howard and longtime Patriots right tackle Marcus Cannon.

Washington Cuts Morgan Moses, Geron Christian

May 20th, 2021 at 3:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

After attempting to trade Morgan Moses, Washington will instead send its longtime right tackle to free agency. The team is releasing its six-year right tackle starter, Sam Fortier of the Washington Post tweets. Washington is also waiving tackle Geron Christian, according to the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala (on Twitter).

Rarely a player brought up here at Pro Football Rumors, Moses signed an extension in 2017 and has gone six straight seasons without missing a game. Moses’ relative anonymity came to an end this week, with Washington making him available for trade. No takers, however, will lead to a release.

Washington added two presumptive tackle starters over the past month, drafting Samuel Cosmi in the second round and signing longtime Bears left tackle Charles Leno. The WFT will save $7.74MM by cutting Moses, who will immediately become one of the top free agents available.

Pro Football Focus graded Moses as a top-20 tackle last season. While the advanced metrics site viewed Moses as a middle-of-the-road tackle from 2017-19, the 30-year-old blocker certainly proved dependable. As Trent Williams frequently missed starts and Washington cycled through tackles after Williams’ run ended in 2019, Moses continued to suit up for games. After finishing his rookie season on IR, the former third-round pick has made 96 straight starts.

A 2018 third-round pick, Christian started eight games at left tackle with Washington. Six of those came last season. Although a Brandon Scherff extension remains a goal for the defending NFC East champions, Washington’s new regime has rebooted the team’s tackle situation.

Washington Places Geron Christian On IR

November 19th, 2020 at 10:03am CST by Zachary Links

The Washington Football Team has placed tackle Geron Christian on injured reserve, per a club announcement. Christian, who has been out for the past three weeks with a knee injury, will miss at least another three weeks, per the league’s new modified IR rules. 

[RELATED: Giants, Washington Have COVID-19 Positives]

Up until the injury, Christian started all six of his games and played on every snap. Unfortunately, this isn’t his first trip to the IR. Two years and one week ago today, Christian was shut down with a torn MCL. At that time, the 2018 [Washington Football Team] had a record of 6-3. This time around, they’re 2-7, so they might take some extra caution before clearing Christian to retake the field.

Without Christian, Washington has installed Cornelius Lucas as the starting left tackle. However, his status is murky for this week after an ankle injury forced him to the sidelines against the Lions. With that, Morgan Moses may start on the left side against the Bengals with David Sharpe serving as the starting right tackle.

NFC East Notes: Williams, Cowboys, Giants

August 12th, 2019 at 9:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trent Williams continues to hold out from Redskins camp, but the team is standing firm on the trade front. Despite acquiring Donald Penn, the Redskins have told teams they have no plans to trade Williams, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Teams continue to inquire about the 10th-year left tackle’s availability, but thus far, Washington has resisted. Williams, 31, is upset with the organization because of his contract and its handling of a health scare of his. Some around the league believe the Patriots will make a play for the seven-time Pro Bowler, but nothing is moving on this front yet. This may be an attempt for Washington to drive up the price, but for now, Williams remains a Redskins employee.

As for Washington’s left tackle situation, Penn and 2018 third-rounder Geron Christian are battling for the spot, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Ereck Flowers is back at guard but may be behind fourth-round rookie Wes Martin.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • Deandre Baker will miss time for the Giants because of a knee sprain, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (video link). However, the first-round pick’s ACL did not sustain damage, and the Giants appear to expect him back soon. Baker will likely be asked to start in his first season, with Big Blue’s cornerback corps rather thin.
  • The Cowboys gave fourth-round pick Tony Pollard just four carries in their preseason opener, but Jerry Jones may be using that to send a message to holdout Ezekiel Elliott. “He looks confident out there. We know he’s inordinately understanding what it is he does and what he can do,” Jones said, via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. “We’ve seen him do it. We know he’s capable, if he really needs to, carry the whole load.” Pollard gained 16 yards against the 49ers. While Dak Prescott‘s negotiations have been talking points in the past two days, not much has emerged on the Elliott front. Jones said (via Jon Machota of The Athletic, on Twitter) nothing has changed regarding Dallas’ extension candidates.
  • Third-year Cowboys defensive end Taco Charlton addressed his current situation, which may not involve a full-time starting role. The 2017 first-round pick has just four career sacks and said he was not asked to rush quarterbacks as much as he did as a rookie. He mentioned discussing his NFL future with his agent recently (via Machota, subscription required). “We know my value and everything like that, so everything is good,” Charlton said. “I’m here right now working hard with this team. I will show up every day to work hard, healthy, hurt, whatever may be. Shoulder hurt, I still show up every day to work hard.” The Cowboys have DeMarcus Lawrence recovering from surgery, Robert Quinn out two games with a suspension and Randy Gregory once again banned. The defending NFC East champs will need Charlton, especially early.
  • On another NFC East defensive line, the Eagles saw their 2017 first-round pick return to 11-on-11 drills. Derek Barnett participated in team work for the first time in camp, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia notes. Barnett spent the offseason recovering from a shoulder injury that sent him to IR in October. The Eagles traded Michael Bennett and lost Chris Long to retirement, pointing to a big role for Barnett.
  • The Giants lost another wide receiver for the season. Recent addition Amba Etta-Tawo tore one of his Achilles’ tendons, per NJ.com’s Matt Lombardo. In his second camp with the Giants, the Syracuse alum has yet to play in a regular-season game. Big Blue is down Sterling Shepard and Corey Coleman and will be without Golden Tate for the season’s first four games.

Redskins’ Geron Christian Out For Year

November 12th, 2018 at 2:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Redskins tackle Geron Christian tore his MCL and is out for the season, head coach Jay Gruden announced. Thanks to injuries, the third-round rookie dressed for only two games in his first pro campaign. 

The Redskins’ offensive line has taken a beating this year. Recently, the team was also forced to shut down guards Brandon Scherff and Shawn Lauvao for the season and star tackle Trent Williams is at least a couple of weeks away from returning after a thumb injury. The Redskins will use new addition Austin Howard at offensive tackle, but another signing could be on the way as they look to strengthen the front five.

Despite their setbacks, the Redskins lead the NFC East with a 6-3 record. Fresh off of a road victory over the Bucs, they’ll look for another W against the Texans on Sunday.

Redskins Rumors: Peterson, Galette, Cap

September 29th, 2018 at 8:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Neither Daniel Snyder nor Redskins president Bruce Allen knew about the team’s decision to bring Adrian Peterson in for a workout. Instead, VP of player personnel Doug Williams and football operations president Eric Shaffer moved forward with the audition that quickly led to Peterson signing and then reclaiming an NFL starting gig.

“(Shaffer) looked and me and said, ‘Well, what do you think, what do we got to lose?’” Williams said during a radio interview with the Team 980’s Doc Walker (via the Washington Post). “I’m a little hesitant to pull the plug, and then before I went out to practice I looked at Eric and said, ‘Hey Eric, what the heck? Let’s do it.’

“The thing about that, I came to practice, I was so hyped about it that I forgot to tell Bruce that we was bringing him in. I’m sitting there that evening and Bruce came in my office and he just stood there looking at me. I’m thinking, ‘What’d I do?’ Well, Dan had called him and let him know he didn’t know. And Bruce let me know that he didn’t know because Dan didn’t know. I said, ‘Well look, that’s on me.’ I took it. Sometimes you have to have big shoulders, you take it and you move on.”

Williams arranged the workout for Monday, at a time when the Redskins were searching for available backs, and Peterson signed for the veteran minimum later that day. Peterson is thriving with Washington, his fourth NFL team; his 236 yards are fourth among players who’ve played just three games. He scored twice and rushed for a season-high 120 yards (6.3 per carry) in the Redskins’ 31-17 Week 3 win over the Packers.

Here’s the latest out of the nation’s capital:

  • Unless the Redskins see a member of their edge-rushing contingent suffer a setback, don’t look for them to bring back Junior Galette. Redskins brass is comfortable with its quartet of Ryan Kerrigan, Pernell McPhee, Preston Smith and Ryan Anderson, Rich Tandler of NBC Sports Washington notes. Galette’s expressed regret he turned down a Washington offer, for what the veteran pass rusher says was for two years and $10MM, this offseason. The Redskins informed him during free agency they were moving in a different direction. A Rams visit also did not produce a deal. After two season-nullifying injuries, Galette played in 16 Washington games last season and recorded three sacks. Of the aforementioned incumbents, only Anderson has a sack this season.
  • Washington would like this season to be a redshirt campaign for third-round pick Geron Christian. Jay Gruden said this week (per Tandler) he would like the rookie offensive linemen to learn this season. Christian has not been active on a game day yet, and the Redskins’ offensive line hasn’t encountered the injury trouble it did in 2017.
  • Although Washington has not made Caleb Brantley part of any of its 46-man Sunday rosters, the team views the young defensive lineman as a rotational piece down the line, Tandler adds. The Browns waived Brantley after one season. He played in 12 games as a rookie, starting one, and registered two sacks and a fumble recovery. Washington’s receiving strong play from its defensive line thus far, making opportunities for the second-year newcomer scarce.
  • One of the ways Washington can increase its cap space next year (projected total of $25MM) would be by cutting Josh Norman. While that line of thinking surfaced over the summer, Tandler writes it may behoove the team to keep its top corner in the fold for another season. A Norman release would save Washington $8.5MM but also stick the franchise with $6MM in dead money. Washington ranks second in total defense thus far and moved on from Kendall Fuller and Bashaud Breeland this offseason. Norman’s working with Quinton Dunbar and Fabian Moreau now.

Redskins Wrap Up Draft Class

June 14th, 2018 at 10:49am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins now have their entire 2018 draft class is under contract. On Thursday, the team announced the signing of third-round tackle third-round tackle Geron Christian, bringing their last straggler into the fold.

The Louisville product was selected with the No. 74 overall pick. Per the terms of his slot, he’ll earn roughly $3.4MM over the course of his four-year rookie deal.

Christian made a name for himself as one of Lamar Jackson’s most trusted protectors in college. At the pro level, he’ll be utilized as a tackle on both sides.

“We will keep him at the swing tackle,” said Redskins head coach Jay Gruden in April. “You know, what we went through at tackle last year was catastrophic with all the injuries and still a lot of these guys are recovering from their injuries. Trent is recovering still, Morgan [Moses] is still recovering, Ty [Nsekhe] is still recovering, we have T.J. [Clemmings] still recovering. So we need depth at tackle….He’s one of the best pass blocking tackles in this draft in my opinion.”

Here’s the complete rundown of the Redskins’ 2018 draft class: