Tag: 2024 NFL

Texans WR Stefon Diggs ‘blocking out noise’ in reunion against Bills

Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs is only focused on winning Sunday against the Buffalo Bills and not the outside noise.

Stefon Diggs isn’t worried about facing off against his former team when the Buffalo Bills arrive at NRG Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

He wants to lead the Houston Texans to a 4-1 start. That’s the top priority for the four-time Pro Bowl target.

“Block out the noise. A lot of other people are going to feel away or have a lot to say about X,Y, Z, and I don’t mind. I’m not mad at it,” Diggs said Wednesday during the open locker room sessions. “Just trying to go 1-0. Obviously, they’re a good team. They have a lot of guys that can fly around on the defense. But they’re a really good team. So, I look forward to it.”

Week 5’s matchup between the Texans and Bills has countless storylines to monitor. C.J. Stroud faces off against Josh Allen for what could be a usual showdown in January. The Texans and Bills both seem to be gunning for second place in the AFC contender category behind Kansas City.

But all sights are one Diggs, who spent the previous four seasons with the Bills as Allen’s top target. Even though the two sides parted ways on what feels like mutual terms, everyone understands what a win would mean for either side in the breakup.

“We know what type of week this is for Stef,” receiver Nico Collins said Thursday. “It’s another important week for the team to win a home game on our home turf.”

Diggs became one of the league’s top weapons amid his four-year stay with the Bills. He earned a first-team All-Pro nod in 2020. He also became a three-time captain and four-time Pro Bowl selection.

With Allen, Diggs posted the most receptions (445) and receiving yards (5,372) and was tied for the most receiving touchdowns (37) of any quarterback-receiver duo during that stretch. By the time he was traded to Houston in April, Diggs finished fourth in Bills history in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

“The things that he did for me in my career, and the things that he did in a Buffalo Bill uniform won’t be forgotten anytime soon, especially from me,” Allen told reporters earlier this week. “So, that’s how I look at it.”

Diggs, who currently ranks second in both receptions (25) and receiving yards (233), wants to be a part of the team. A constant narrative during his time in Buffalo and Minnesota revolved around his persona of being a “stats guy” over a team player.

Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud only sees a player who’s helped strengthen a locker room amid struggling moments.

“He’s helped me out a ton as you can see, we’re clicking more and more,” Stroud said. “He’s finally having fun playing the game.”

Last week, Diggs scored his first rushing touchdown. He nearly threw a six-point score, but the receiver missed his window, leading to an 8-yard scuffle toward the end zone.

Come Sunday, Diggs has a chance to add another accolade to his trophy case by besting Buffalo. He’s changed teams, but many would agree that he’s also changed perceptions.

“Things usually turn the corner when I get somewhere else,” Diggs said. “There’s usually smiles and a lot of positive stuff. I just take it with a grain of salt. I got big shoulders.”

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.

Every move the Texans made during preseason roster cuts

Here’s a quick recap of every move made by the Houston Texans en route to having the final 53-man roster entering the 2024 season.

The Texans’ debut 53-player roster is out now, and while that means we are one step closer to Houston kicking off its 2024 season. It also means the journey in H-Town has reached its final point for several players, including a handful who were expected to make the roster.

Houston can sign 16 players to its practice squad starting Wednesday afternoon — or 17 if it opts to keep International Pathway Player, Kilian Zierer, who is expected back for the 2024 campaign.

For now, 34 players who weren’t kept on the active roster or designated to a reserve list will hit the open market. It’ll be up to the Texans to decide who returns after clearing the waiver wire in the coming days.

Find every move Houston made during preseason roster cuts below.

Monday

Waived

DL McTelvin Agim

LB Tarquie Barnes

OL Dieter Eiselen

Released

LB Jacob Phillips

OT Cameron Erving

Tuesday

Waived

DE Solomon Byrd

WR Quintez Cephus

DE Malik Fisher

DE Ali Gaye

FB Troy Hairston

DL Marcus Harris

WR Johnny Johnson III

WR Ben Skowronek

CB Troy Pride

RB J.J. Taylor

LB Max Tooley

OT Kilian Zierer

Released

FB Nick Bawden

FB Andrew Beck

WR Noah Brown

QB Tim Boyle

CB Mike Ford

CB Desmond King

OT Charlie Heck

CB CJ Henderson

OL Chris Reed

DB Lonnie Johnson Jr.

CB D’Angelo Ross

OT David Sharpe

Waived via injury settlement

RB Jawhar Jordan

TE Teagan Quitoriano

DL Pheldarius Payne

Placed on injured reserve (designated to return)

LB Christian Harris

DL Kurt Hinish

Placed on reserve/injured list

QB Case Keenum

DB Brandon Hill

Placed on reserve/suspended list

DL Denico Autry

Placed on reserve/non-football illness list

DL Dylan Horton

Texans vs. Giants: Pro Bowl RB Joe Mixon not expected to play

The Houston Texans will have to wait another week before debuting Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon.

As the Houston Texans prepare to take on the New York Giants, one part of their offense won’t take the field.

Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon will not suit up for the noon kickoff in the preseason home opener. During warm-up drills, Mixon was seen in street clothes next to the rest of the running backs.

Mixon, who signed a three-year, $27 million extension after being traded from Cincinnati earlier this offseason, has been dealing with a calf injury since the start of training camp. He didn’t practice for two weeks and did not play along with other starters in Houston’s 20-12 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He returned on Sunday and went through drills throughout the week, so perhaps this is more of a precautionary move for the team to protect its top tailback.

Practicing, even at a limited capacity, is a sign that Mixon should be clear for the Week 1 opener against the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans need the four-time 1,000-yard rusher if they plan on improving off their 23rd-ranked ground game from last season.

Mixon, a 2017 second-round pick out of Oklahoma, has been the definition of consistency over the past seven years. Over his past four seasons, Mixon has averaged 219 carries and 41 receptions per campaign.

“Joe is solid, he’s an all-around back. When it comes to blocking, catching, running the football, Joe is all-around,” Ryans said Thursday. “He’s a strong, physical player. That allows him to do really well in pass protection. You can ask a lot of him in pass protection, he matches up well vs. any blitzers whether it’s linebackers or secondary defenders.”

With Mixon out, the Texans will turn once again to Dameon Pierce and Cam Akers as the lead backs. Through two preseason games, the duo has combined for 34 yards on 14 carries.

‘Best receiver room I’ve been in’: Noah Brown excited for Texans’ season

Noah Brown is high on the Houston Texans passing attack entering 2024.

Noah Brown was a member of the national champion Ohio State roster in 2014 that featured receivers like Michael Thomas, Curtis Samuel, Devin Smith and Jalin Marshall.

He spent his first five seasons in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, learning from pass-catchers like Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, Terrance Williams and Dez Bryant.

But Brown, who enters his second season with the Houston Texans, has even been shocked by the plethora of in the receiver room for C.J. Stroud’s “five-headed monster” entering 2024.

“It’s the best receiver room I’ve been in since I’ve been in the league,” Brown said Monday following practice. “And it’s full of great guys who want to compete, want to see each other do well. So it’s been a fun time.”

Brown is one of several targets looking to become a fixture of the Texans’ passing game behind Nico Collins, Tank Dell and newly acquired Stefon Diggs. Even before Diggs arrived via trade this offseason, Houston looked poised to build off a top-10 ranking in the passing game last season.

Collins, who inked a three-year extension earlier in the offseason, became the third Texans’ receiver to total 1,200 yards in a single season. He also hauled in 80 passes and scored eight touchdowns.

Dell, a third-round pick out of Houston, was on pace to break every rookie receiving record in franchise history before suffering a broken leg in early December. Still, he finished with 709 receiving yards and seven scores on 47 catches.

And while Diggs — a four-time Pro Bowler with six 1,000-yard seasons — will be a staple of the passing game, Brown stepped up multiple times as the Texans’ No. 3 target en route to a division title.

For two weeks, he looked unstoppable, totaling 13 catches on 14 targets for 325 yards and a touchdown in wins over the Buccaneers and Bengals.

“He’s always been a very consistent guy,” coach DeMeco Ryans said of Brown. “Every rep that he’s taken, he’s tough, he finishes, he plays the right way. And he’s just consistent. You know what you’re going to get out of Noah every time he steps on the field.”

Although not the full-time third option, Brown finished with 33 catches for 567 yards and a pair of touchdowns before tearing his labrum in the team’s wild-card playoff win over the Browns. He missed a majority of OTAs but is now back to full strength heading into Thursday night’s Hall of Fame Game.

“It’s been good to shake back off the injury I had at the end of last year, come out here full-go and make some plays,” Brown said. “It’s been exciting to get back out here with the guys.”

While Houston knows it likely will only keep six receivers, competition is fierce for the final three spots. Third-year target and former second-round pick John Metchie III has been on point throughout the early stages of training camp.

Second-year receiver Xavier Hutchinson made a pair of one-handed grabs during practice last week and has been a favorite target for Davis Mills.

Veteran Robert Woods remains a part of the equation and Steven Sims offers upside on special teams.

But Brown, who signed a one-year, $5 million deal to return to Houston this offseason, also has caught the attention of fans and coaches. Last week while working one-on-one drills, he arguably made the play of training camp with a one-handed catch against Troy Pride Jr.

The Texans are looking to build off their division title from last season. Having an experienced, plus balanced receiving room elevates the competition, which is something Brown enjoys.

“We have a good mix of young guys and a good mix of guys with a lot of experience and we’re always bouncing things off each other, ” Brown said.

Steelers land potential franchise QB in new 7-round mock draft

Is Michael Penix the answer to quarterback for the Steelers?

We are just over a week away from the NFL Scouting Combine so we decided to do an updated 2024 mock draft for the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of the combine. Once the combine comes and goes there will be plenty of movement so here is our last stab at the Steelers picks for the NFL draft before every pundit’s draft board shuffles.

Breaking down the picks in new Steelers 7-round mock draft

Does this new mock draft hit the mark for the Steelers?

The 2023 NFL draft was huge for the Pittsburgh Steelers and general manager Omar Khan. Khan’s first draft as GM netted Pittsburgh multiple top rookies. We are all hopeful that 2024 will be a repeat performance. Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly put out a new seven-round mock draft and so let’s take a look at the picks.