Tag: Noah Brown Texans

Texans release WR Noah Brown

In the first major surprise of the day, the Houston Texans are moving off of Noah Brown entering Week 1.

Noah Brown’s time in Houston has come to an end.

According to reports, the Texans have released the veteran receiver as they look to trim down the roster from 90 players to 53. Brown, who signed a one-year deal this offseason, was initially expected to be the No. 4 receiver after a breakout 2023 season.

Signed to a one-year deal last offseason following a six-year stay in Dallas, Brown posted career-highs in every metric as Houston went on an improbable run from AFC worst to division champions. In 14 games, the 6-foot receiver caught 33 passes for 567 yards and two touchdowns.

Fans will best remember Brown for his two-week dominance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 9’s comeback win at NRG Stadium, he caught six passes for 153 yards and a touchdown.

A week later at Paycor Stadium, Brown finished with a career-best seven receptions for 172 yards, including a 22-yard reception that set up a game-winning field goal for Matt Ammendola.

Given his guaranteed $3 million salary, it seemed as if Brown was a lock to make the active roster, but injuries sidelined him most of training camp. He initially suffered a lower-body injury, then a shoulder injury.

Brown didn’t play in any preseason games, thus allowing both Xavier Hutchinson and John Metchie III to break out with the second-team offense. Metchie scored a touchdown in Week 2’s win over the Giants and finished with 100 receiving yards.

Hutchinson, a sixth-round pick out of Iowa State last year, might have been the biggest riser among the targets, hauling in a team-leading 14 catches for 114 yards in four games.

Despite having one of the best statistical seasons of his career,  injuries cost Brown playing time. He missed seven games during the regular season and was placed on the season-ending injured reserve after the wild-card round victory over the Cleveland Browns.

When healthy, Brown’s a stable No. 3 target for any offense. He should land on a team looking for consistent pass-catcher help within the coming days.
As for Houston, it’s a sign that Metchie and Hutchinson will likely be on the active roster for Week 1’s showdown against divisional rival Indianapolis.

‘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.

Could Texans WR Noah Brown be traded before start of 2024 season?

According to Bleacher Report, the Houston Texans could send Noah Brown to a team in the NFC South before the start of the regular season.

The Texans have too many wide receivers to count heading into their first preseason game against the Bears on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints could be looking to upgrade at pass-catcher before Week 1 rolls around. And given previous interactions between Texans general manager Nick Caserio and Saints GM Mickey Loomis, a deal between the two sides should never be off the table.

So, could Noah Brown be headed to the Superdome before the final roster cuts? According to Bleacher Report, both sides should agree to a trade surrounding Brown in the coming weeks.

“Noah Brown is coming off an underrated season in Houston,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine writes. “While he was overshadowed by Tank Dell and Nico Collins, he did contribute 33 receptions for 567 yards and two touchdowns. Brown excels with the ball in his hands and had the fourth-highest YAC score from ESPN Analytics’ receiver tracking stats. He was also one of the more efficient receivers in the league, averaging 10.3 yards per target and was fourth in yards per reception. Unfortunately for him, the Texans are going to have a hard time utilizing him. Stefon Diggs arrival, combined with a healthy Dell and Collins returning on a new contract will minimize his role. He could be a much bigger part of the Saints offense.”

The Saints would send Houston a 2025 sixth-round pick in return for the veteran receiver. Houston could use that to recoup a pick lost in the Joe Mixon trade earlier this offseason.

New Orleans is currently relying on third-year receiver Chris Olave to carry the load as Derek Carr’s No. 1 threat. Rashid Shaheed should take the spot of Michael Thomas as New Orleans’ No. 2 option, but there’s little behind the duo.

Brown, 28,  could serve as the No. 3 option in hopes of securing an NFC South division title. Currently, he’s competing for significant reps in Houston alongside John Metchie, though he might have a better chance for an expanded role elsewhere now that Stefon Diggs has taken over in the starting lineup.

Last season, Brown finished with a career-high 567 receiving yards, along with 33 catches in 10 games. He’s proven to be a standout option whenever on the field, but his playing time could decrease if Metchie continues to shine in practice.

If the Texans chose not to move off Brown, they could move Robert Woods, who still has another year of control on his contract. Entering the weekend, those two feel like tradeable options, mostly since neither is known for their success on special teams.