Tag: Houston

Texans cut veteran CB, sign former first-round OL

The Texans are making changes to the roster before their Week 11 showdown against the Dallas Cowboys.

An internal move has been made to the Houston Texans’ roster entering Week 11’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.

The Texans are re-signing cornerback D’Angelo Ross and adding former first-round offensive tackle Cameron Erving to the practice squad.

In a corresponding move, Houston is releasing veteran All-Pro defensive back and return man Desmond King and offensive tackle David Sharpe.

Ross, who started two games in place of rookie cornerback Kamari Lassiter, was released on Saturday and cleared waivers. He was always expected to return to the practice squad, espeically given his knowledge of the defense.

In the two games Ross started, he allowed 10 catches on 10 targets and one touchdown for 148 receiving yards. He also recorded 13 tackles.

King, who started three seasons with the Texans, was a valuable asset to Houston’s success after rejoining the team following his release from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In six games, he totaled 47 tackles, one sack, and two pass breakups in seven games for the AFC South champions.

This past season, King played in one game as an elevation from the practice squad. He recorded one tackle.

Erving, a former first-round pick by the Cleveland Browns, was part of the Texans’ roster during the preseason but was cut during roster trimdowns.

He’ll replace Sharpe as the potential added offensive lineman from the practice squad, especially given his position flexibility.

Kickoff from AT&T Stadium on Monday night is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

Colts vs. Texans injury report: Latest updates, news for Wednesday

Here are the latest updates and news on the Houston Texans injury report ahead of Week 8’s game against the Indianapolis Colts

For the first time in two weeks, Kamari Lassiter looked healthy.

The Houston Texans rookie cornerback returned to practice as a limited participant Wednesday in preparation for Week 8’s matchup against the Indianapolis Colts at NRG Stadium.

Lassiter, the Texans’ second-round pick out of Georgia, had been dealing with a scapula fracture, a rare football injury involving the back of the shoulder blade suffered during an offensive pass interference infraction against the Buffalo Bills.

While there’s still a chance he could miss Sunday’s outing, practicing is a sign in the right direction that he could be cleared.

https://texanswire.usatoday.com/2024/10/23/texans-deandre-hopkins-chiefs-patrick-mahomes/ 

This season, Lassiter has been one of the better rookie cornerbacks. He’s recorded 15 tackles, two for losses, three pass deflections and an interception. According to Pro Football Focus, opposing quarterbacks have completed 9 of 24 passes against Lassiter for 193 yards.

Linebacker Henry To’oTo’o also returned to practice as a limited participant after suffering a concussion in Week 6’s win over the New England Patriots. He didn’t play last week but could be cleared to return by Thursday afternoon.

Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and defensive back Jimmie Ward (groin) missed practice for the fourth consecutive day. According to KPRC2 Sports’ Aaron Wilson, Ward is expected to miss his third consecutive game due to injury.

Rookie Calen Bullock, who totaled his third interception in Week 7, is expected to start opposite Eric Murray.

Al-Shaair, who left in Week 6 during the third quarter, could be a game-time decision. Earlier Wednesday, Houston signed former first-round pick Devin White to the active roster for depth purposes.

Receivers Robert Woods (foot) and Steven Sims (back) also missed Wednesday’s practice. Woods hasn’t played since Week 5’s win over the Buffalo Bills.

Here’s a look at the injury report for the Texans and Colts after Wednesday’s practice. With a win on Sunday, the Texans would finish with at least a .500 record in divisional play for 2024.

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT. The game will be televised on CBS.

Watch: Texans WR Stefon Diggs involved in pregame incident with Packers CB Jaire Alexander

Jaire Alexander and Stefon Diggs already have the tempers flaring before kickoff at Lambeau Field.

Tempers are flaring early at Lambeau Field between Houston Texans receiver Stefon Diggs and Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexader.

Expect this to be a storyline of the afternoon between the two All-Pro talents.

Diggs appeared to get into it with several Packers players, including Alexander, during pregame warmups. Coaches and others got involved as separated, but not before a few words were exchanged between the two.

Here’s a look at the incident below.

This isn’t the first time these two have had beef. It dates back to Diggs’ time with the Minnesota Vikings and Alexander’s rookie season with the Packers back in 2018.

It continued to Diggs’ stint with the Buffalo Bills. In 2022, the two went up against one another in coverage and had multiple fights between reps.

Diggs finished that game with six catches for 108 yards and a touchdown. Alexander allowed four catches for 68 yards and the score. Sunday will mark the sixth time the two have faced each other in coverage.

In the five previous games, Diggs has totaled 44 receptions for 419 yards and six receiving touchdowns against Alexander. The 6-foot Alexander has one interception and six pass deflections in those games.

Earlier this week, the four-time Pro Bowler declined to comment on his skirmishes with Alexander in the past.

“I could say yeah, but it’s no different than our approach any other week,” Diggs said. “I try to earn it each and every week in practice, try to get on the same page with my quarterback. I don’t really try to get into all the extra stuff.”

The Texans will receive the ball to begin the second half.

Texans provide injury update on RB Joe Mixon

Joe Mixon is currently dealing with an ankle injury suffered during the third quarter against the Chicago Bears.

While the Houston Texans lead, they might have lost a key offensive weapon.

Running back Joe Mixon is questionable to return with an ankle injury against the Chicago Bears. The Texans likely rest him for the rest of the evening knowing his value for the remainder of the season.

https://twitter.com/HoustonTexans/status/1835507250594566554

Acquired from the Cincinnati Bengals in the offseason, Mixon caught a pass from C.J. Stroud and headed toward the sideline. Following the tackle, he was slow to get up but was able to limp his way back to the sidelines.

It looked like a hip drop tackle from the defensive back, but nothing was called by the officials. Mixon was first evaluated in the blue tent and then later walked back to the locker room.

https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1835505488202531129

 

Last week in a 29-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts, Mixon led the NFL with 159 rushing yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. Through two-plus quarters, Mixon has 20 yards off seven carries.

If Mixon doesn’t return, the Texans will turn to Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale for the rest of the evening.

UPDATE: Mixon has returned to the game after further evalution from the medical staff. 

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud nominated for Best Breakthrough Athlete at ESPYs

C.J. Stroud could be adding another piece of hardware to his mantel after his breakout rookie season with the Houston Texans.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud won the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award after guiding his team to a division title for the first time since 2019.

Stroud, the fifth quarterback in league history to throw for over 4,000 yards in his rookie season, became one of the biggest breakout stars in the sports world. Soon, he might have the hardware to settle the debate.

This week, Stroud was nominated for Best Breakthrough Athlete at the ESPY Awards. He’ll join San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, USC’s women’s basketball player JuJu Watkins and gymnast Haleigh Bryant in a race to finish for the award.

Each nominee has a strong case following their dominant seasons. Best Breakthrough Athlete is awarded to the person who made the most substantial breakthrough as a rookie or achieved a rapid improvement in performance.

Stroud, who helped Houston triple its win total from 2022 while becoming the youngest quarterback in league history to win a playoff game, might be the favorite. Houston won a combined 11 games from 2020-2022 and fired its head coach each offseason.

Stroud also became the third player in league history to lead the NFL in both touchdown-to-interception ratio (23:5) and passing yards per game (274) in the same season, joining Hall of Famer Joe Montana and seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady.

The award was won last year by former LSU star and current Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese. Other notable winners include Tiger Woods (1997),  Kurt Warner (2000), Brady (2002), LeBron James (2004), Adrian Peterson (2007), Jeremy Lin (2013), Dak Prescott (2017) and Saquon Barkley (2019).

The 2024 ESPY Awards will be aired on July 11 at 7 p.m. on ABC.

Report: Houston’s Jamal Shead had predraft workout with Thunder

Report: Houston’s Jamal Shead had predraft workout with Thunder.

The calendar has flipped to June, which means NBA teams are intensifying their predraft process and hosting players for workouts and visits. The 2024 NBA draft will take place from June 26-27.

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter this year’s class with a sole draft pick of the No. 12 selection. OKC was gifted the free lottery pick via the Houston Rockets.

The Thunder will host several meetings with draft prospects in the coming weeks. This includes players outside the lottery range as OKC will likely seek to add undrafted free agents or even buy back into the second round if it likes someone enough.

One possibility is Houston’s Jamal Shead. He had a predraft workout with the Thunder on Sunday, per Rookie Wire.

The 21-year-old played four college seasons from 2020-24 with Houston. He was a starter in his final three campaigns. The Cougars’ season ended in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Men’s Tournament.

In 37 games last season, Shead averaged 12.9 points on 40.9% shooting, 6.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds. He shot 30.9% from 3 on 3.8 attempts. At 6-foot, 200 pounds, he’s a bit small for a guard.

Shead is a potential undrafted free agent target. He has a shot to join the Thunder’s summer league squad and possibly be added to the G League’s OKC Blue for next season if he impresses enough.

A full list of 2024 NBA draft prospects that have worked out or visited the Thunder in the predraft process can be viewed here.

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First round matchups for Players Era Festival revealed

On Wednesday,the Player Era Festival match-ups were revealed.

Rutgers basketball has found out their opponent for the first-ever Players Era Festival. The Festival, set for Thanksgiving week, will provide each team with at least $1 million in name, image, and likeness opportunities outside of the competition.

On Wednesday, ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, revealed that Rutgers will take on Notre Dame, For Rutgers, this will be a chance to showcase a talented freshman class on the national stage.

(And some revenge for their last NCAA Tournament appearance where Notre Dame won in the play-in game).

Here is the breakdown of the Player Era Festival match-ups:

Matchups for the Players Era Festival where each team gets $1M in NIL money, via @JayBilas

Houston vs. Alabama
Rutgers vs. Notre Dame
San Diego State vs. Texas A&M
Oregon vs. Creightonhttps://t.co/JgTIQ0dga2

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) June 12, 2024

This upcoming season Rutgers lineup will include freshmen such as Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. That duo has raised expectations in Piscataway, with sights on an appearance in the Men’s NCAA Tournament. Against Notre Dame, Rutgers will be tested as the Fighting Irish will have a lot to prove following a disappointing 2023-2024 campaign.

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While the festival is still months away, it is expected to grow next year into an even larger field.

Dolphins pick Houston OT Patrick Paul at No. 55 in 2024 NFL draft

Patrick Paul, a three-year starter at left tackle for Houston, is the newest member of the Dolphins.

The Miami Dolphins selected Houston offensive tackle Patrick Paul with the No. 55 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Paul is a massive 6’8, 331-pound lineman who was a full-time starter for three years at left tackle with the Cougars and earned all-conference honors each season. While he has the physical profile of a star tackle, inconsistency with balance and pad level is likely the explanation for his availability outside the top 50.

Fortunately for the Dolphins, he likely won’t start early in his career as the team has Terron Armstead at left tackle and Austin Jackson at right tackle. The team also re-signed Kendall Lamm, a versatile backup who stepped in admirably for Armstead when the latter was injured in 2023.

However, both Armstead and Lamm could be entering their final seasons in the NFL and the Dolphins don’t have much depth in the event of injuries.

On Thursday, the Dolphins addressed their pass rush by picking Penn State’s Chop Robinson in the first round at No. 21 overall. After picking Paul, Miami currently doesn’t own another selection until No. 158 overall in the fifth round which will happen Saturday afternoon.

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Potential Thunder draft prospect Jared McCain helps Duke in win over Houston

Potential Thunder draft prospect Jared McCain helps Duke in win over Houston.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to come to OKC than the latter.

With the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament underway, the top prospects are in the spotlight as they draw national attention for their postseason performances.

Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.

One possibility is Duke guard Jared McCain. He finished with seven points on 3-of-6 shooting, 1-of-4 from 3, six rebounds and four assists in 40 minutes in No. 4 Duke’s 54-51 win over No. 1 Houston in the Sweet 16 on Friday.

McCain will likely be a one-and-done case as the freshman guard has played a vital role in Duke’s success. In 34 games, he averaged 14 points on 46.5% shooting, five rebounds and 1.9 assists. He’s shot 41.5% from 3 on 5.7 attempts.

The 20-year-old is a crafty scorer who can stretch the floor. Size is an issue  at 6 feet, 3 inches and 197 pounds, but he can grow into a solid frame over time.

On the Thunder, McCain can be a crafty scorer off the bench. He can enrich their deep guard depth and can be another catch-and-shoot option for OKC.

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Potential Thunder draft prospect Kyle Filipowski helps Duke in 54-51 win over Houston

Potential Thunder draft prospect Kyle Filipowski helps Duke in 54-51 win over Houston.

The Oklahoma City Thunder could have two 2024 first-round picks in the lottery range. They own the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick. The former looks more likely to come to OKC than the latter.

With the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament underway, the top prospects are in the spotlight as they draw national attention for their postseason performances.

Considering the Thunder will likely have at least one lottery pick, plenty of possible additions via the draft give fans a chance to see how they match up in high-stress situations.

One possibility is Duke center Kyle Filipowski. He finished with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting, nine rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes. He shot 3-of-5 from 3. No. 4 Duke escaped with a 54-51 win over No. 1 Houston in the Sweet 16 on Friday.

Filipowski has been the offensive hub for Duke this season. The 7-foot center can stretch the floor and pass when needed. He has an NBA-ready frame at 248 pounds, which means he should immediately contribute and not be physically overwhelmed.

In his second year at Duke, he’s averaged 17.1 points on 51% shooting, 8.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 blocks. He’s shot 35% from 3 on 3.2 attempts. The 20-year-old has led Duke to a 24-8 record and the No. 4 seed in the South Region.

The Thunder could hope to add Filipowski to add some serious size at their center spot. He could start alongside Holmgren for jumbo lineups. He’s also versatile enough to fit with OKC.

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