Tag: Houston Texans news

Texans WR Tank Dell ‘ahead of schedule’ in recovery

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell’s rookie year ended prematurely, but he’s working his back ahead of his sophomore campaign.

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is trending towards a return sooner rather than later.

Picture and video clips emerged of Dell running and cutting as he works back from a broken fibula he sustained during the 2023 season. His private coach, Delfonte Diamond, said Dell is, ‘Way ahead of schedule. Hasn’t missed a beat. He’ll be more than ready when OTA’s jump off,” according to KPRC’s 2 Aaron Wilson. 

Dell, 24, was off to a historic start in his rookie season before he suffered a broken fibula in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos. He finished his rookie year with 47 receptions for 709 yards and seven touchdowns. 

In his past four games, Dell had 369 receiving yards on 25 catches and five touchdowns. Over a 17-game span, his final four appearances averaged 106 receptions, 1,568 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns.

He caught the game-winning touchdown in the Texans’ Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Dell played his college football at the University of Houston, becoming one of the most successful receivers in the nation. The Texans took him in the third round of the 2023 and he quickly built a strong rapport with quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Houston’s offense struggled to put up points with Dell. The Texans averaged six points less than their average without him the line-up. The Texans re-signed tight end Dalton Schultz and receiver Noah Brown to keep Stroud’s top pass-catchers together alongside Nico Collins. Houston discussed trading for newly acquired Chicago Bears receiver Keenan Allen and may still add to the position group throughout the offseason. 

Dell’s trainer pointed to a return before the start of organized team activities, which begin in May. That would put Dell at around six months out from his injury. He missed one game with a concussion in Week 6.

“I’m giving all the props to our training and strength staff,” Dell said to Texans TV. “They’ve been getting me on the right road, and I feel like I’m back and ready. I’m waiting for the lights to shine again and for us to go out there as a team and complete the mission.”

Texans offseason conditioning begins on April 15 at the NRG Center, where Dell has been spending the bulk of his offseason while recovering. 

Texans’ Hannah McNair latest inductee to Texas Women’s Hall of Fame

Houston Texans foundation vice president Hannah McNair to be inducted into Texas Women’s Hall of Fame.

The Houston Texans announced that foundation vice president Hannah McNair is being inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame on Friday night. McNair has been the leader of the Texans’ philanthropic efforts and since 2002 the foundation has raised over $45.3 million.

McNair works with her husband, Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair, as a key advisor in the Texans organization. The Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce will honor McNair.

The Texas Women’s Hall of Fame was established in 1984, members include business entrepreneur Kendra Scott, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and former First Lady Laura Bush. Honorees must be either native Texans or residents of Texas at the time of the nomination.

Honorees’ accomplishments are featured at the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame Museum inside the Blagg-Huey Library on the campus of Texas Woman’s University in Denton.

McNair is a board member for DePelchin Children’s Center and Project 88 Foundation. She serves on the executive committee for the Lady Texans, Celebration of Reading Committee, Ladies for Literacy Guild, Texas Children’s Hospital Leadership Council and Mentor for Houston Independent School District.

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith approves of Texans’ Joe Mixon trade

The Houston Texans fans aren’t the only ones pleased about the Joe Mixon trade, as ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith approves.

While the Houston Texans didn’t land one of the top free-agent running backs, general manager Nick Caserio found an alternative in Joe Mixon, formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Houston traded for the running back instead of waiting for Cincinnati to release him, which was previously reported as his fate after the Bengals signed Zack Moss.

Texans fans aren’t the only ones fond of the move. ESPN personality and “First Take” host Stephen A. Smith sounded excited about Mixon playing with quarterback C.J. Stroud in Houston.

“I like Joe Mixon a lot,” Smith said. “The way C.J. Stroud is looking in Houston, along with the weapons that I’m expecting them to have available to them — I like Mixon in Houston.”

Smith highlighted Mixon’s production and ability to stay on the field. The 27-year-old back rushed for more than 1,000 yards four times in his seven-year career, including two of the past three seasons. Mixon also appeared in 47 of 51 games in the past three years.

Mixon joins 2022 fourth-round pick Dameon Pierce in the backfield and will replace Devin Singletary, who led the team in rushing yards a year ago before he agreed to a deal with the New York Giants. 

Pierce experienced a sophomore slump, but he is a solid back who flashed potential in his rookie season when he ran 939 yards in 13 games.

“You have nice depth in Houston,” Shannon Sharpe added. “You have Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce—two guys who can run the ball.”

The move reunites Mixon with his former offensive coordinator, Bill Lazor, who works as a senior offensive analyst for the Texans. Lazor was the Bengals’ offensive coordinator in 2017 and 2018 — Mixon’s first two years in the NFL. He ran for 1,794 yards and 12 touchdowns and added 73 receptions and 583 yards during those two seasons.

Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor never appeared on the same staff but come from the same coaching tree as well: Slowik learned under San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, and Taylor served under Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay. 

Given the similar schemes, Mixon should be familiar with the offense. Houston hopes the move sparks its rushing offense, which ranked in the bottom-10 in yards per carry and rushing touchdowns. Improved health along the offensive line and the addition of Mixon should boost those numbers.

The Texans’ backs performed well a year ago in the fumble department. Houston coughed up the ball 17 times, the eighth-fewest in the league. Mixon has not fumbled in the past two seasons despite carrying the ball 467 times and has just six fumbles in his seven-year career.

Texans overcame league’s highest injury total in 2023

From the offseason, Houston suffered several injuries that carried over to the regular season, but didn’t crush its playoff hopes.

The Houston Texans struggled with injuries as far back as August when they found out two 2022 offensive line starters would miss the season. Former starting center Scott Quessenberry tore his ACL on Aug. 3, and then first-round pick Kenyon Green suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

Houston’s injury luck didn’t improve in the regular season as the Texans led the league in injuries to significant players, according to the adjusted games lost metric (AGL) from FTN Fantasy.

Despite the rash of injuries, Houston finished 10-7, won the AFC South and made the playoffs for the first time since 2019. The Texans then beat the Cleveland Browns, who also had several injuries of their own, in the wild-card round.

FTN Fantasy charted the AGL for each team and found that injuries declined in 2023. However, the Texans did not have that luxury — especially on the offensive line.

Houston set a new record with 82.1 AGL, which surpassed the previous record set by the Los Angeles Rams in 2022. The Texans shuffled constantly throughout the regular season, starting seven different offensive line combinations. No group up front played more than four consecutive games together.

Texans right guard Shaq Mason was the only lineman to play all 17 regular season games. Green, tackle Tytus Howard, and rookie linemen Jarrett Patterson and Juice Scruggs each accounted for 10 AGL.

The lack of continuity up front likely contributed to the running game struggles. Houston averaged 3.7 yards per carry, tied with the Las Vegas Raiders for fourth-worst in the league. The Texans’ pass blocking was slightly better, with 47 sacks surrendered — just outside the bottom-10 in the league.

The injury bug also bit Houston’s defensive back room. Eric Murray, Jimmie Ward, Tavierre Thomas and Derek Stingley combined to account for 33.4 AGL. General manager Nick Caserio made savvy moves on the waiver wire, like signing safety DeAndre Houston-Carson to plug the holes caused by injury.

Houston receivers accounted for 17.2 AGL, the fifth-most in the league. Noah Brown and rookie Tank Dell were the biggest contributors to this metric.

Brown, who signed in 2023, was hampered by a multitude of injuries throughout the regular season as well and ended the year on injured reserve with a shoulder injury he suffered in the wild-card round. Dell sustained a broken fibula in the Texans’ Week 13 victory over the Denver Broncos and missed the rest of the season.

Don’t forget about quarterback C.J. Stroud, either. His two-game absence from a concussion accounted for 2.3 AGL.

In total, the Texans collected 159.1 AGL — 30 more than the New England Patriot, who finished with the second-most significant injuries. Houston’s offense contributed 106.6 AGL, again, 30 more than the second-highest team. New England had the most AGL on defense, with the Texans having the fourth most.

Injuries are extremely volatile, and there is little ability to predict them year over year. Houston finished 2022 with 70.2 AGL, the 14th fewest in the league. Some teams, like the Arizona Cardinals, battled injuries in back-to-back seasons, having the fifth most significant injuries in 2023 and fourth most in 2022.

Conversely, a team like the Kansas City Chiefs have gotten favorable injury luck. They had the fourth fewest AGL in 2022 and the sixth fewest in 2023.

For what it’s worth, Houston’s training staff and room ranked seventh in the NFL Players Association team report cards. Perhaps the Texans will be luckier in 2024.

C.J. Stroud defends Panthers QB Bryce Young after tough rookie season

C.J. Stroud showed unwavering support for Bryce Young after the Panthers QB’s tough rookie season

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young go way back, where they grew up facing each other in middle school and high school. The two have shared plenty of moments after that, whether it was at the Heisman Trophy ceremony in college or the opportunity to be drafted first and second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Despite Houston’s unfortunate loss in Carolina, one of the Panthers’ only two wins this year, the two are very close friends.

As such, it should come as no surprise that on the “The Pivot” podcast, with hosts Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor, Stroud leaped to the defense of his old friend despite a tough season in Carolina.

“I feel like a lot of stuff didn’t go his way that was out of his control,” Stroud said. “You can’t make a play if somebody doesn’t block, you can’t make a play if somebody doesn’t catch the ball. When you watch the tape, Bryce did a lot of great things. He’s going to be a great player but it takes time. I came to a situation where, we were struggling, I know, but we still had a lot of great pieces. Nick Caserio, our GM, brought in a lot of great veterans. DeMeco was the perfect coach for our type of team. Like I said earlier, everyone’s path is different. Maybe I had a great rookie year and Bryce is going to have a great second year, you know what I’m saying? Hopefully I do too but I know that everything is going to be fine for him. I told him, ‘You the one, you’re the one for a reason. Don’t ever look at yourself different. Ever.'”

It’s a kind thing for Stroud to say after what many are calling the greatest rookie quarterback season ever. Carolina ultimately passed on the Pro Bowl quarterback and soon-to-be Offensive Rookie of the Year for Young, but the Houston star has no reason for animosity.

It’s always great to see players support each other in this capacity.

Hopefully Young can turn his career around next year under new head coach Dave Canales and the two can continue a rivalry that many looked forward to seeing.

J.J. Watt discusses Wade Phillips and the Power of Experience

J.J. Watt talked about his time playing for Wade Phillips and the current state of the Texans under DeMeco Ryans

There’s been a recent trend in the NFL over recent years.

After decades of watching coaching hires and coaching escalation serve as a “pay your dues”-type process, younger coaches have leaped to the forefront. This has been most evident on the offensive side of the ball, as young coaches have brought innovative ideas and new concepts to the game that have led to an explosion of offense.

Colloquially, the “Sean McVay effect,” named after the Rams offensive-oriented head coach who brought his team to the Super Bowl as the youngest head coach in league history, has been a dominant theme in the hiring process. However, the Houston Texans decided to ignore this trend and pave their own path during the off-season. They hired former linebacker DeMeco Ryans who, despite spending ample time with the McVay-Shanahan offensive tree, specialized on the defensive side of the football as the AP Assistant Coach of the Year in San Francisco.

What really differentiates offensive coaching from defensive coaching? Where does youth factor into both of those equations?

In an interview regarding his new partnership with Frito-Lay to fight food insecurity in Houston, Texans franchise legend J.J. Watt spoke about what made former Houston defensive coordinator and Super Bowl champion Wade Phillips great and the different driving forces of defensive coaching prowess. On Phillips specifically, Watt was beyond complimentary of his former coach.

“I would 100% agree with Cush that Wade is an incredible coach. I’ve been very fortunate. I had Wade and I had Romeo Crennel, two legends of the game.”

Watt later continued: “He was one of my favorite coaches of all time and there’s a reason that, every single place he goes, he puts up a Top 3 defense within the first two or three years. He’s special and I loved playing for him. That defense we had in 2011 and 2012, that was a special feeling.”

Phillips won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos and aided the previously mentioned McVay during his first few seasons with the Rams. He was successful everywhere he went despite his age and specialty being the opposite of the McVay or Shanahan mold.

On that note, when asked for elements that made Wade great, Watt pointed to something counter-intuitive to one of the league’s driving hiring forces currently: the concept of experience.

“I think that on the defensive side of the ball – it’s fascinating – the offensive side of the ball in today’s world there’s a lot of really young coaches who are up and coming. Really new ideas whether it’s shift, motions, or whether it’s these new RPOs and things like that,” Watt said.

In contrast, he said of Ryans’ and Phillips’ side of the football, “The defensive side of the ball you need that extra experience, somebody who’s seen it all to be able to handle that situation. They’re able to say hey I’ve seen this before; I’ve seen a variation of this before. The reality is that we’re seeing things (offensively) that are just new ways to do similar things that were done in the past.”

Watt’s discernment that experience allows for easier dissection of offensive football is an interesting one in the context of Coach Ryans’ rapid elevation through the coaching ranks. Ryans features as one of the youngest defensive head coaches in the league and was one of the younger defensive coordinators as well during the past two seasons. However, Ryans piloted NFL defenses as a middle linebacker for 10 seasons prior to beginning his coaching career. The responsibilities of his position and experience discerning plays at the middle level of the defense likely eased his transition significantly.

The league’s dominant hiring practice has pointed to offensive coaches with largely one offensive philosophy. Houston is gambling their special talent, who once starred as defensive rookie of the year in the Battle Red, can transcend both trends and experience. They’ll get their first taste on Sunday when the Texans travel to face the Baltimore Ravens.

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Georgia WR Tyler Simmons signs UDFA deal with Houston Texans

Georgia football WR Tyler Simmons has signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent.

Former Georgia wide receiver Tyler Simmons, who did not get picked in the NFL Draft, has found a new home.

Simmons is going to the Houston Texans in hopes of earning a roster spot.

Speed kills, and Simmons has plenty of it.

A former three star recruit out of McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia, Simmons never really got much of an opportunity to shine in the Bulldogs’ offense.

Georgia did get creative with him, though, as he scored two career touchdowns on the ground via jet sweeps.

In all, Simmons recorded 658 total yards and five touchdowns as a Bulldog.

Oh, and he was onside.