Texans Not Eyeing Offseason C.J. Stroud Extension?
It is a foregone conclusion that the Texans will exercise quarterback C.J. Stroud’s fifth-year option, thereby assuring him of a $26.53MM salary for 2027. It is less certain that Houston will discuss a long-term contract with Stroud’s camp this offseason, and Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 unequivocally asserts those talks will not commence until next year.
In a lengthy video report addressing recent speculation that Houston could consider trading Stroud – whose middling 2025 regular season culminated in two turnover-riddled playoff contests and another divisional-round exit – Wilson says contract talks are not in the team’s immediate plans. Instead, he believes the club and Stroud will reach an understanding in which the Texans tell the former No. 2 overall pick they will be happy to pay him like a franchise passer a year from now, after a strong 2026 performance.
Although he does not explicitly say so, one of the reports Wilson appears to be referencing is one recently published by Albert Breer of SI.com. Per Breer, it may be difficult to get Stroud to accept anything less than the $60MM-per-year payout that Cowboys’ QB Dak Prescott presently enjoys, which Breer suggests will soon become the new benchmark for high-end quarterback contracts.
Of course, given that Stroud followed up his Offensive Rookie of the Year showing in 2023 with two less inspiring seasons, and given that his two most recent playoff games featured a combined five fumbles (two lost) and five interceptions, it is fair to wonder if his track record and upside merit a top-shelf deal. While not as adamant as Wilson, Breer indicates the Texans could delay contract talks until the 2027 offseason.
If Houston does elect to negotiate, its perception of Stroud’s value may be starkly different than the player’s self-evaluation, which could cause the talks to get “sticky.” Breer echoes prior reports that the Texans may be aggressive in seeking an extension for edge rusher Will Anderson, and if they authorize a top-of-the-market pact for the defensive star but not for their QB1, the relationship between Stroud and the club may become strained.
Either development – contentious negotiations or an outright postponement of negotiations – could pique the interest of QB-needy teams, which could then try to pry Stroud away from Houston. Breer does not say the Texans have received calls on Stroud, nor does he indicate they would even entertain such calls if they came in, but it makes sense that other clubs would be monitoring the situation just in case.
But even if they do not believe he is presently deserving of a $60MM/year contract, the Texans have no intention of trading Stroud, per Wilson (who says it would cost at least two first-round picks for an interested team to acquire him). Wilson goes on to say Houston’s plan is to bolster the O-line, upgrade the tight end room, and add another starting-caliber running back. Those moves, in conjunction with a second year under offensive coordinator Nick Caley, are expected to allow Stroud to thrive in 2026 and improve his earning power in 2027.
Texans Will Pick Up QB C.J. Stroud’s Fifth-Year Option; Team To Discuss Offseason Extension
JANUARY 19: When speaking to the media on Monday, Anderson stated he hopes to spend his entire career in Houston. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 confirms talks on a mega-extension are expected, and it would come as no surprise if one were to be finalized during the spring.
JANUARY 12: For now, the Texans’ attention is focused on their upcoming wild-card game and any further playoff contests which follow. Once the season is over, a number of notable contract decisions will need to be made. 
This offseason will mark the first point at which 2023 draftees can sign extensions. That means quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson could land new contracts relatively soon. At a minimum, a choice on the fifth-year option for both players will need to be made by the spring. Neither case should prove to be particularly difficult on that front.
To no surprise, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirms the Texans will exercise Stroud’s option (video link). That comes as no surprise given the 24-year-old’s success early in his career. Houston advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs in each of Stroud’s first two seasons, and a win tonight will extend that streak to three years. Exercising the option will set Stroud up for $26.53MM in 2027.
A long-term pact will of course cost much more than that. Per Rapoport, the Texans will weigh the possibility of working out a second contract this offseason against waiting until after the 2026 campaign is over. The market currently contains 11 passers attached to an average annual value of $51MM or more. Stroud can be expected to join that group whenever his next Texans contract is in place. The status of negotiations will make for a central Texans offseason storyline.
Stroud was selected second overall in the 2023 draft. Houston traded up to the No. 3 spot to add Anderson. Expectations were high in his case as a result, but the former Defensive Rookie of the Year has developed into a major factor in his team’s success. Anderson reached double-digit sacks for the first time in 2024, and he set a new career high in that department this season with 12. That production helped land him a first-team All-Pro nod along with the second Pro Bowl invitation of his career.
Houston will also look into an Anderson extension this offseason, Rapoport adds. In November, it was reported the Texans were expected to explore an early agreement on this front. Picking up Anderson’s fifth-year option will tie him to a 2027 salary of $15.28MM. An extension could move the Alabama product near the top of the pass rush market, one which is currently paced by Micah Parsons at $46.5MM per year.
Working out an agreement with either Stroud or Anderson will of course significantly alter the Texans’ cap outlook for years to come. A strong core is in place, but maintaining it will become more challenging as their respective costs increase. Massive new deals being finalized in either case will come as no surprise, but the timing on both fronts will be interesting to monitor.
Texans Eyeing 2026 Will Anderson Extension
The Texans are expected to begin extension talks with star edge rusher Will Anderson early in the 2026 offseason, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
Anderson, the No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft, recorded seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss as a rookie, earning him a Pro Bowl nod and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He took his play to another level in 2024 with 11.0 sacks and 16 tackles for loss, which both tied for the 10th-most in the league. He did, however, miss five games due to injury across his first two seasons, suggesting his production could have been even higher.
That has been the case this season. If 2024 was a breakout, 2025 has been an explosion. Anderson has the second-most sacks (10.5) and tackles for loss (14) in the NFL, putting him on pace for career-highs in both categories. He ranks second among all pass rushers with 64 pressures and a 27.2% pass rush win rate, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Those numbers put him in the company of Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson, both former first-round picks who signed their second contracts worth at least $45MM this year.
Anderson’s market will be in a similar range. He is headed for his second Pro Bowl, may receive All-Pro consideration, and could earn some Defensive Player of the Year votes. (He finished 14th last year). He will still be 24 when the 2026 season begins and has the additional leverage since the Texans made a costly trade up to draft him in 2023, which should position him to at least match Hutchinson’s $45MM APY, if not push to match or surpass Parsons’ $46.5MM APY.
Anderson’s rookie deal runs through 2026, plus his fifth-year option for 2027 that the Texans are all-but-certain to exercise. They can do so as early as January 5. The signing bonus from an extension would likely increase Anderson’s 2026 cap hit, so getting the deal done early will clarify their cap situation heading into free agency. It will also limit the possibility of other increases in the edge rusher market to drive Anderson’s price even higher, a situation that the Cowboys and Steelers ran into this year with Parsons and T.J. Watt.
AFC South Notes: WRs, Anderson, Sneed
Three receivers in the AFC South are facing big seasons for different reasons in 2025, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Titans wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Treylon Burks and Texans wideout John Metchie all are looking to have impactful 2025 campaigns in order to improve their prospects for the future.
Ridley returns to Tennessee as the team’s leading receiver from 2024, but he’ll be in a much-improved receiving corps this season. He’s been joined by veterans Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson and rookies Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, and Xavier Restrepo as targets for No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward. Volin argues that, with Ridley being 30 years old, the Titans may feel comfortable moving on from Ridley in favor of their several other options in the future. Even with a post-June 1 designation, cutting Ridley would not save them any cap space this year, but if Ridley can’t prove to be a worthy asset in 2025, his contract provides a potential out that could limit his dead money to $8.02MM and increase the team’s cap savings to $18.73 for 2026, should they cut him.
After Tennessee made the decision to decline Burks’ fifth-year option, it’s certain that the 25-year-old will be headed into the final year of his rookie contract. Through three seasons, Burks has struggled mightily with injuries, missing 24 of a possible 51 games. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise, then, that he may not make it through the offseason. With the lack of production, the influx of new talent, and only $2.66MM in cash owed to him this year, Burks could face long odds of making the roster in 2025.
Metchie, unfortunately, faces similar challenges. Metchie’s health issues stem, initially, from a surprising diagnosis of leukemia that halted his rookie season before it even began. In two years since returning to the team, though, Metchie has failed to make much of an impact, despite injuries to his teammates providing plenty of opportunities for him to do so. Like Burks, Metchie is now heading into the final year of his rookie contract and dealing with an influx of new talent like veteran Christian Kirk and Day 2 rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Metchie, a Day 2 pick himself, will need to tap into the potential that got him drafted that high in order to ensure his roster status for the 2025 NFL season.
Here are a couple other rumors from around the AFC South:
- Former No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson Jr. is not yet eligible for an extension, but that hasn’t stopped him from thinking about it. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year told reporters recently that he “most definitely” wants to remain in Houston for the rest of his career. With 18.0 sacks, 26 tackles for loss, and 41 quarterback hits through two seasons, one would imagine that the feeling is mutual. The Texans will have to wait until he completes his third season of NFL play, though, until they can extend their young pass rusher with the contract that he desires.
- Two days ago, we reported that Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed was progressing well in his rehabilitation but noted that there wasn’t yet a timeline for his return. There doesn’t appear to have been any new information, but Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt told fans in a mailbag yesterday that “the plan is to have him ready to go for the fall.” So, it seems Sneed will continue his recovery work for the remainder of the summer with plans to be back, hopefully, in time for training camp.
Texans’ Will Anderson Out For Week 15
DECEMEBER 15: Anderson has indeed been ruled out on the Texans’ injury report. His recent uptick in production will be interrupted, while Houston will enter Week 15 notably shorthanded on both sides of the ball. After not practicing all week, Anderson’s ability to return to the field in any capacity will be worth monitoring following the Titans contest.
DECEMBER 14: The Texans are in the thick of the AFC playoff picture, but they are in danger of being severely shorthanded on both sides of the ball for their next game. Quarterback C.J. Stroud is in the league’s concussion protocol, and the team’s other top-three rookie could also miss a contest for the first time in his career. 
Edge rusher Will Anderson suffered a high ankle sprain in the Texans’ loss to the Jets on Sunday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. As a result, Anderson has been in a walking boot over the past few days and he has not practiced. While there is still time for a turnaround, signs point to Anderson missing the upcoming contest against the Titans, Wilson adds.
Anderson has managed to suit up for every game so far in his rookie season, one which began with substantial expectations. The Texans pulled off a major trade-up to acquire the No. 3 pick in April’s draft after using the previous selection to add Stroud. Houston had been expected by many to forego drafting a quarterback at the top of the board to instead choose Anderson, widely seen as the 2023 class’ top edge rusher. Instead, the team managed to draft both, and they have each played a signficant role in the Texans’ impressive season to date.
While Stroud has drawn considerable praise for his performances throughout the year (Week 14 being a notable exception), Anderson endured a cold spell during the early part of the campaign. After a six-game sack drought, however, the latter has racked up four sacks across the past six games, bringing his total in that department to five. The Alabama alum has also produced 42 tackles, 19 QB hits and 27 pressures in 2023.
Those figures have helped the 22-year-old generate a PFF grade of 80.5, which ranks 18th amongst qualified edge rushers. Missing Anderson would thus deal a signficant blow to the Texans’ defense, a unit which already sits outside the top 20 in the league in sacks. Fellow defensive end Jonathan Greenard – who has produced a career-best and team-leading 10 sacks in his walk year – would be counted on even more in the event Anderson were unable to suit up in Week 15.
Houston is one of six AFC teams sitting at 7-6 on the year, and the absence of Stroud (if he were unable to clear concussion protocol) would significantly hinder the team’s offense. The Texans would likewise be significantly affected on defense if Anderson is unable to return to practice in the coming days.
Texans Sign No. 3 Pick Will Anderson Jr.
For the first time in 2023, a top-five pick from this year’s class has inked his rookie contract. Will Anderson Jr.‘s Texans deal is now in place, as noted (on Twitter) by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 
Anderson’s contract is worth a fully guranteed $35.2MM over four years; Houston will be able to keep him on the books beyond that via the fifth-year option. He will receive a signing bonus of $22.6MM as he begins his NFL career, one during which much will be expected of him.
The Alabama alum entered the 2022 season in the running to hear his name called first on draft night. His sophomore campaign saw him rack up 17.5 sacks and 31 tackles for loss, figures which placed him fifth in Heisman voting in that year. A step forward from those lofty totals would have boosted his stock even further, but the opposite scenario played out during the campaign.
Anderson’s production took a step back in terms of sacks (10) and TFLs (17), but they still resulted in considerable accolades. The 6-4, 243-pounder was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, winner of the Bronko Nagurski award (given to the country’s top defender) and a unanimous first-team All-American for the second consecutive season. He was thus squarely on the Texans’ radar in the build-up to the draft.
Houston appeared to take themselves out of contention for Anderson when they selected quarterback C.J. Stroud second overall. That decision was soon followed, however, by a bold move up the board to No. 3 which saw the Texans part ways with the No. 12 pick and a package including a 2024 first-rounder. Anderson’s arrival in Houston will thus be met with sky-high expectations both in his rookie season and over the course of his career.
The Cardinals will have plenty of reasons to follow Anderson’s performance in 2023 and the impact it will have on the Texans’ ability to begin heading out of the rebuilding phase. He will transition from an outside linebacker to a defensive end at the NFL level under new head coach DeMeco Ryans, a change which is not expected to slow his development. Anderson will have plenty of snaps available as a rookie member of an edge group which will be led by Jerry Hughes and Jonathan Greenard after the free agent departure of Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.
With Anderson now on the books, Stroud stands as the only Texans rookie yet to ink his rookie deal. He, along with Anderson, will be central figures in the team’s performance in 2023 and for several years beyond that.
AFC South Rumors: Titans, Anderson, Jags
While we are more than two months away from offensive linemen working in pads, the Titans are in the process of determining first-rounder Peter Skoronski‘s position. They are cross-training the No. 11 overall pick at tackle and guard. Skoronski only played tackle at Northwestern, but plenty of pre-draft buzz pointed to a future at guard in the NFL. Arm measurements affected Skoronski’s pre-draft perception, and the Tennesseean’s Nick Suss notes the Titans were alternating possessions of the rookie at tackle and guard during their rookie minicamp.
In Nicholas Petit-Frere and free agent signing Andre Dillard, the team looks to have its two starting tackles in place. The Titans gave the ex-Eagles first-rounder a three-year, $29MM deal, despite Dillard having never commandeered an Eagles starting job, that includes $10MM fully guaranteed. For 2023, at least, this setup points to Skoronski at guard alongside Daniel Brunskill and Aaron Brewer on a new-look Titans line.
Here is the latest from the AFC South:
- Veering back toward C.J. Stroud after weeks of pre-draft reports indicated they were drifting in another direction, the Texans ended up with their coveted edge rusher (Will Anderson Jr.) via a monster trade-up with the Cardinals as well. They became the first team to make two top-three picks in a draft since Washington in 2000. The Texans held pre-draft meetings about how to obtain a quarterback and a pass rusher with their Nos. 2 and 12 picks, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Texans ownership was believed to be more involved this year, though Cal McNair denied influencing GM Nick Caserio to select a quarterback. The trade cost Houston what may well be a top-five pick in 2024, giving Cardinals fans a reason to follow this Texans season, so the AFC South team will bank on Anderson having an All-Pro future.
- Regarding Anderson, DeMeco Ryans said his top pass rusher will operate primarily out of a three-point stance on the edge. The Texans have used a 3-4 base defense for years, dating back to J.J. Watt‘s heyday, but Ryans played in a 4-3 look in Houston and used it as his base alignment in San Francisco. Anderson worked primarily as a linebacker at Alabama. “It’s not a huge position change for Will,” Ryans said, via HoustonTexans.com’s Deepi Sidhu. “Will will be an edge defender for us, and that’s what he did at Alabama. Mostly at Alabama he was standing up. We’ll have him down in a three-point stance.” As sub-packages now rule the NFL, the line between a 3-4 outside linebacker and a 4-3 defensive end has blurred over the past several years, making this a standard switch for the prized edge prospect.
- Ryan Cowden finished last season as the Titans‘ interim general manager. The veteran executive is no longer listed on the team’s website as part of the front office (h/t Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky). This marks a quiet exit for Cowden, who worked alongside Mike Vrabel atop the Titans’ decision-making structure after GM Jon Robinson‘s firing. Ran Carthon has since taken over in Tennessee. Cowden had been with the Titans since Robinson’s 2016 hire. Prior to that, he spent 16 years in the Panthers’ scouting department. Having interviewed for several GM jobs over the past few years — including the Tennessee vacancy — Cowden should have an opportunity to catch on elsewhere soon.
- The Texans have bumped Tom Hayden to their college scouting director post, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes. Previously the team’s college scouting coordinator, Hayden remains with the team despite arriving during the short-lived Brian Gaine GM tenure.
- Jaguars cornerback Chris Claybrooks was hit with two misdemeanor charges — domestic assault with bodily injury and vandalism under $1,000 — last month stemming from an incident in Nashville. Authorities have dropped each charge due a settlement being reached, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com notes. Claybrooks allegedly grabbed his ex-girlfriend’s arm and threw her cellphone to the ground.
Latest On Cards’ Trades With Texans, Titans
A key party in a few teams’ early-round draft machinations, the Cardinals played a particularly important role in what could be long-term AFC South roster construction. They made deals with both the Texans and Titans, equipping each with potential 2020s pillars.
Both teams discussed prospective trades with the Cardinals before the draft. The Titans did not have to give up what it would have cost to move from No. 11 to No. 3 — a climb Tennessee was continually connected to attempting — but they had C.J. Stroud in mind. The new Texans quarterback was the Titans’ target at No. 3, with Albert Breer of SI.com confirming the team dropped out of trade talks after Houston took the Ohio State passer at 2.
The Titans were viewed as high on Stroud, and with the Texans believed to be planning to take a momentous risk — tabling their quarterback need yet again to select an edge rusher — it looked like Tennessee could have a clear path to trading up for its preferred passer. But Nick Caserio confirmed (via NBC Sports’ Peter King) his team had decided on Stroud at No. 2. That decision ran counter to just about every Texans-centric report leading up to the draft. Though, reports of Houston’s defensive end intent were not entirely inaccurate, given how the team proceeded at No. 3.
Although Caserio taking Stroud at No. 2 removed a buyer for 3 in the Titans, the Texans still traded a monster haul to land the Cardinals’ No. 3 choice. Houston gave up No. 33, along with first- and third-round picks in 2024. The Texans held two 2024 firsts, thanks to the historic Deshaun Watson package, and Houston’s first — not Cleveland’s — now belongs to Arizona. The Texans’ lengthy rebuild process has involved top-three draft real estate in each of the past three drafts, running a risk the team gave a prime draft asset for a non-quarterback in Will Anderson Jr. Two of the three Browns first-rounders acquired in the Watson trade ended up going toward Anderson.
Caserio and former Patriots coworker Monti Ossenfort had engaged in pre-draft talks about a trade involving the Nos. 3 and 12 picks, Breer adds, and King confirms the Cards and Texans agreed to the swap with “close to a minute left” on the clock.
“It helped that I had a personal relationship with Nick Caserio in Houston,” Ossenfort said during an appearance on the Dave Pasch Podcast (via AZCardinals.com). “… There was some back and forth there and the clock’s going, the clock’s going, and I think it was around two-and-a-half minutes where we have a couple of [different] deals up written up on the board [with] a couple of teams and it’s ‘OK, Nick, I think we’re at a spot where we are close here. It’s this and this for this, this and this. Are you in?’ ‘Yeah, I’m in.’ And it’s ‘OK, great, call it in.'”
Ossenfort had planned on trading back up and called multiple teams in order to secure Paris Johnson draft real estate. After talks with fellow former coworker Dave Ziegler did not produce a deal with the Raiders, Ossenfort found a taker in the Lions, allowing them to avoid taking Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 6.
The Cardinals and Titans revisited their talks Friday, and GM Ran Carthon pivoted to the freefalling Will Levis. The Titans had discussed a deal to move back into Round 1, with Levis as the target, with Breer adding they discussed the move with the Bills — at No. 27 — late Thursday night. The Titans were one of many teams trying to move back into the first round, and teams also made offers to the Steelers for 32. The Titans may well have been one of those to send the Steelers a proposal for 32, but they ended up trading 2023 and 2024 third-rounders to climb eight spots to 33 for the Kentucky QB.
This draft brought some notable what-ifs regarding the non-Jaguars wing of the AFC South, seeing as the Colts were tied to Levis for weeks only to have been preparing an Anthony Richardson pick for a while. Should Stroud, Richardson and Levis become surefire starters, this will certainly go down as one of the most pivotal drafts in the AFC South’s 22-year history.
Lions Eyed CB Devon Witherspoon; Team Considered Taking Jahmyr Gibbs At No. 6
Decisions to use No. 12 and No. 18 overall picks on a running back (Jahmyr Gibbs) and an off-ball linebacker (Jack Campbell) brought some scrutiny for the Lions. Another organizational plan would have generated more attention during Round 1.
The Lions were prepared to pounce on Devon Witherspoon if the Seahawks went in another direction, with Albert Breer of SI.com indicating the Lions regarded the Illinois cornerback as a clean prospect. But the Seahawks deviated from their past at the corner position and chose Witherspoon at No. 5, leaving the Lions in a bind.
That predicament stemmed from the team placing a much higher-than-expected value on Gibbs. After the Seahawks drafted Witherspoon, GM Brad Holmes spoke with Dan Campbell about pivoting to Gibbs at 6. While Breer adds the Lions’ initial plan was not to draft the Alabama dual threat that high, they were prepared to do so until the Cardinals called about their trade offer to secure Paris Johnson. That move to No. 12 allowed the Lions to pick up draft capital, avoiding a wildly unexpected scenario in which Gibbs went off the board before Bijan Robinson.
Teams’ interest in Gibbs became known during draft week, when reports circulated about some clubs rating former Crimson Tide contributor in the same realm as Robinson. Gibbs topped 440 receiving yards in each of the past two years, and the Lions are prepared to use thee rookie as a multipurpose back to complement David Montgomery. Holmes has acknowledged the positional value-based criticism that has come with selecting a running back 12th overall, and the Lions had the option of drafting Jalen Carter or Tyree Wilson at No. 6. Taking Gibbs over those two pass rushers would have doubled as one of the more fascinating moves in recent draft history, but the Lions added No. 34 and No. 168 to move down six spots.
Detroit did not bring Witherspoon in for a visit, and neither Campbell nor Holmes trekked to Champaign for his pro day. The Seahawks had never drafted a corner higher than 90th (Shaquill Griffin) under the John Schneider–Pete Carroll regime, but Witherspoon will team with Tariq Woolen in Seattle. Witherspoon remaining on the board at 5 helped the Seahawks resist a trade-down urge. The Lions have made a few significant additions to their secondary this offseason, signing Cameron Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Emmanuel Moseley. After the Seahawks chose Witherspoon, the Lions added Alabama DB Brian Branch in Round 2.
The team initially wanted to draft either Witherspoon or Will Anderson Jr. at No. 6, per Breer, and trade up from No. 18 for Gibbs. Trading out of No. 6 obviously reflected Lions hesitancy regarding Carter and the team placing a value gap between Anderson and Wilson. The Lions moving to 12 also kept them in front of two teams they heard were Gibbs fans — the Patriots (No. 14) and Jets (No. 15). A scouting trip to last season’s Alabama-Texas game alerted Holmes to Gibbs, and he will replace D’Andre Swift in the Motor City.
The Gibbs pick prompted the Eagles to act quickly. They swapped seventh-round picks with the Lions sent the NFC North franchise a 2025 fourth for Swift, who joins Rashaad Penny as Philly offseason backfield additions. Holmes and Eagles GM Howie Roseman discussed the Swift trade for “a few days.”
“It’s my job to keep laser-focused on the present but probably even more importantly, keep laser-focused on the future,” Holmes said, via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. “And that’s what went into a lot of the decisions with having to make the trade with D’Andre Swift to Philly. He was in the last year of his contract and if I go back to last year, I felt really good about us being able to bring back Jamaal Williams. I felt confident as the season ended. I felt good with our conversations with his camp, and it didn’t happen. So you have to just be prepared for all those things.”
Williams did not speak highly of the Lions’ offer; last season’s rushing touchdowns leader is now with the Saints on a three-year, $12MM deal. Montgomery signed a three-year, $18MM pact with the Lions. He and Gibbs now comprise Detroit’s backfield, with the latter on a first-round contract that could have checked in at a higher draft slot.
Texans Likely To Draft DE At No. 2 Overall; Latest On C.J. Stroud
The Davis Mills-to-Jordan Akins fourth-and-20 touchdown connection may go down as one of the more impactful plays in Texans history. That Week 18 sequence, which led to the Texans falling out of the No. 1 draft slot, ended up allowing the Panthers access to Bryce Young, a player by most accounts Houston would have taken if given the opportunity.
While the Texans attempted to trade up to No. 1 with the Bears, the team settling on a second-best quarterback option continues to look unlikely at No. 2. Houston going with either Will Anderson Jr. or Tyree Wilson is the more likely scenario compared to the team selecting C.J. Stroud at that spot, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes.
[RELATED: Who Will Texans Take At No. 2 Overall?]
The team brought Stroud in for a pre-draft visit, attended the Ohio State prospect’s pro day, interviewed him at the Combine and, per Wilson, has spent time considering how it would obtain a quarterback after passing on one at No. 2. But the Texans drafting Stroud would be a “major surprise” at this point, according to Wilson.
Momentum has headed in this direction for weeks, with Stroud falling from potential Panthers pick at No. 1 to a player with an uncertain destination. The Texans obviously have a quarterback need, and while Wilson adds the team’s past with David Mulugheta — Deshaun Watson‘s agent and Stroud’s representative — will not determine the team’s stance on Stroud, the ex-Buckeyes starter appears likely to remain on the board at No. 3 overall. As should be expected, GM Nick Caserio (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter) doubled down on Stroud’s agent not being part of the team’s decision-making.
Regarding Stroud’s potential landing spot, Wilson adds the Titans — via a trade-up with the Cardinals at No. 3 — are rumored to be exploring a move up to select him. Peter Schrager’s NFL.com mock draft projects the Titans to make that move as well.
The Titans have been viewed as Stroud fans for a bit now, and Schrager cites Mike Vrabel‘s relationship with Ohio State HC Ryan Day as one that helps Justin Fields‘ Buckeyes successor here. Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds is also believed to back Stroud, which could well lead to the Cardinals having a taker for a trade-up, as Indianapolis holds the No. 4 overall pick tonight. The Titans were mentioned weeks ago as having explored a trade into the No. 3 position; this appears to be a realistic scenario. Though, it probably will not take place until the Texans make their choice at 2.
The Texans are not expected to select Will Levis or Anthony Richardson at 2; the Texans did not host the Florida prospect on a visit. The team does have high opinion of Hendon Hooker, per Wilson, but the Tennessee prospect does not appear to be in the team’s first-round plans at either No. 2 or No. 12. The Vikings, who hold the No. 23 overall pick, have been mentioned as a potential Hooker destination. The two-year Volunteers starter, who suffered an ACL tear in November, expects to be cleared by Week 1.
An Anderson-or-Wilson decision looks to be where Houston’s process concludes. Mentioned as being open to trading down, the Texans are not expected to do so, Aaron Wilson adds. Questions about Anderson’s ceiling remain a factor here, per Aaron Wilson, who lends more credence to Tyree Wilson as being a higher-ceiling player (and a prospect who, at 271 pounds, would better fit DeMeco Ryans‘ 4-3 scheme compared to Anderson, at 253). The Texans are believed to have cleared the Texas Tech prospect, who suffered a Lisfranc fracture late in the Red Raiders’ season. Schrager mocks Anderson, whom a GM calls the “safest pick in the draft,” to Houston.