Tag: Texans defensive end

Texans DE Jerry Hughes named 2022 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award finalist

Houston Texans defensive end Jerry Hughes has been named a finalist for the 2022 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

Houston Texans defensive end Jerry Hughes was named as a finalist for the 2022 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, the NFL announced Thursday.

The award is presented annually to the player who, “demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition,” according to a release from the Texans.

Coach Lovie Smith remarked on Hughes’ leadership in the fact the Sugar Land, Texas, native was able to secure a captaincy in his first season with the Texans.

“It says a lot when you’re Jerry Hughes, and you will be one of the defensive captains when you’ve only been in the building less than a year, to have that kind of impact on your teammates,” said Smith. “Jerry’s a veteran rusher and a veteran player that’s done it the right way all his career.”

The 13-year veteran has 8.0 sacks, which are tied for the 11th-most in the league and third-most Hughes has tallied through the first 13 weeks of a season. Hughes also has the second-most multi-sack games in the league this year with three.

“There’s nothing that he does that surprises me,” defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire said. “It’s the consistency. He’s the same person all the time. I always say to people, how you do one thing is how you do everything. That’s how he is.”

The Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award was created in 2014 in honor of the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Rooney Sr.

The award winner is determined by a vote of current players. From the eight finalists, each team’s players submit a consensus vote of their choice for the winner. Just like with Pro Bowl voting, a team cannot vote for its own player.

The other finalists are Baltimore Ravens DT Calais Campbell, Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb, Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby, Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook, Tampa Bay Buccaneers LB Lavonte David, Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones, and San Francisco 49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk.

Lovie Smith says Texans will find a spot for DE Jonathan Greenard in rotation

Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith says DE Jonathan Greenard will have a spot in the rotation when he returns completely from injured reserve.

Jonathan Greenard has not seen the playing field since he departed Week 4’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers with a calf injury.

The Houston Texans have had to roll with other defensive linemen to make up for the loss of their former 2020 third-round defensive end.

According to coach Lovie Smith, who met with reporters Wednesday, even though Greenard has played in just four games, they will still be able to use him effectively when he returns from injured reserve.

“We’ll always find a spot for a good defensive lineman,” said Smith. “It’s not like when you’re the starter — our number eight lineman has probably gotten over 30 plays every game, so we’ll find a way to get him into the mix once he’s ready to go.”

The Texans activated the 21-day practice window for Greenard. Houston will have that entire time to make a decision on whether or not Greenard is able to play, and thus place him on the 53-man roster.

“We’re not necessarily saying that (he will play in Week 14),” Smith explained. “He has started the process. Today was the first day he has actually practiced with us.”

The Texans theoretically could place Greenard on the active roster before the 21 days are up.

Greenard’s workload was light on Wednesday.

“Wasn’t a whole lot of hitting and things like that, a little lighter practice today,” Smith said.

WATCH: DE Jerry Hughes gets Texans’ first takeaway against the Colts

Houston Texans DE Jerry Hughes intercepts Indianapolis Colts QB Matt Ryan for the first takeaway of the season.

Houston Texans defensive end Jerry Hughes was one of the club’s veteran pickups in the offseason.

The former Sugar Land Stephen F. Austin product had a chance to come back and play for his hometown team after spending the majority of his career with the Buffalo Bills.

However, Hughes still has plenty left in the tank.

On a second-and-7 from the Texans’ 22-yard line, Hughes played a screen beautifully. As quarterback Matt Ryan sought to throw a screen to running back Jonathan Taylor, Hughes stayed put and peeled away to intercept the dump off. Hughes returned the takeaway — Houston’s first of the season — to the Texans’ 42-yard line.

The Texans cashed in with quarterback Davis Mills throwing a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end O.J. Howard to give Houston a 10-3 lead.

Texans release DE Demone Harris

The Houston Texans have released defensive end Demone Harris as the team works to make the 53-man roster deadline.

The Houston Texans won’t be adding Demone Harris to their 53-man roster.

According to Aaron Wilson from the Pro Football Network, the Texans have released the 6-4, 272-pound defensive end.

Harris had joined the Texans last season and was on the roster from Week 11 to the conclusion of the regular season. The only activation Harris saw was in Week 16 when the Texans’ roster was depleted from numerous players testing positive for COVID-19. The Texans beat the playoff-contending Los Angeles Chargers 41-29 inside NRG Stadium with Harris contributing with 41 snaps.

During preseason, the Texans were using Harris on special teams to compress running lanes on kickoffs, according to special teams coordinator Frank Ross on Aug. 16.

Report: Texans to cut DE Jordan Jenkins

The Houston Texans are parting ways with defensive end Jordan Jenkins.

The Houston Texans are moving on from defensive end Jordan Jenkins.

According to Aaron Wilson from the Pro Football Network, the Texans are releasing the former New York Jets 2016 third-round pick. The move is helpful to Jenkins as it provides for an opportunity to make another team’s roster.

Despite being on the physically unable to perform list with a strained calf, Jenkins has been improving.

The Texans signed Jenkins to a two-year, $6 million contract in 2021 free agency. The former Georgia Bulldog provided Houston with 20 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, and 2.5 sacks through 11 games last season.

Jenkins was recovering from a torn labrum in the 2021 offseason. In Week 11 at the Tennessee Titans, Jenkins tore his PCL but managed to finish out the rest of the season.

Texans DE Derek Rivers had Mardi Gras game against Saints

Houston Texans DE Derek Rivers took advantage of situational football against the New Orleans Saints and had a decent outing in the preseason opener.

One thing about the New Orleans Saints fans is that they love to party and have fun. Yes, they can be boisterous, but they are passionate about their team. It does not matter about the game’s magnitude; they want to see their team win.

So, it had to feel as if it had rained on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras when they watched quarterback Ian Book get sacked on the Saints’ two-yard line as time expired to end the game with a 13-10 loss to the Houston Texans.

The player responsible for sending New Orleans fans home upset was none other than defensive lineman Derek Rivers, who has been having a terrific training camp thus far.

“I was just going out trying to play ball,” said Rivers after the game about his game-ending sack. “It was just exciting to finish, and it was cool.”

Rivers, who the Texans signed last December to a two-year deal, elaborated on how the defensive unit was able to get a big stop on the Saints late in the fourth quarter and get the ball back for the offensive unit to set up the game-winning drive.

“It is situational football and that is something coach Smith harps on,” Rivers said. “To be able to go out there and have that situation come up, it was a blessing for that situation to come up. We could not have done it without our back end (defensive backs). If they don’t cover them up, we don’t get more time. It was just a collective play.”

The six-year veteran is looking to become a regular part of the Texans’ defensive line rotation. His stat line for the game may aid in his wish as he finished the game with two tackles for losses, two quarterback hits, and two sacks.

He has relished the opportunity to learn how to improve himself better from some key off-season free agent signings by the team.

Said Rivers: “It has been one of the first years, praise God, to be able to learn from an older veterans like Mario (Addison) and Jerry (Hughes). We all have been learning from one another and it has been really cool to do that. So to be able to go out there and learn from each other and go put it on tape it has been fun and I am looking forward to it.”

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Texans work out former Cowboys, Browns DE Joe Jackson and 3 others

The Houston Texans worked out former Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns DE Joe Jackson and three other free agents.

The Houston Texans are continuing to evaluate free agent talent as they gear up for their preseason opener with the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 13.

According to Aaron Wilson from the Pro Football Network, the Texans worked out defensive ends Joe Jackson and Bryan Cox along with tight ends Marcus Baugh and David Wells.

Jackson, a Dallas Cowboys 2019 fifth-round pick, also played for the Cleveland Browns from 2020-21. He was signed to their practice squad amid their playoff run earlier this year, but was not retained at the end of the season. The Carolina Panthers signed Jackson to a reserve/future contract but released him midway through organized team activities in late May.

Cox has been with the Buffalo Bills since 2020. An Achilles tear scuttled his 2021 campaign before it could begin, and he signed with the Indianapolis Colts for a month in mid-June this year before being released. Cox has also played for the Panthers from 2017-19 and also the Browns (2019).

Baugh, a former Oakland Raiders 2018 undrafted free agent, has played for NFL and other pro football teams, including Carolina (2019), Washington (2020), and most recently the Michigan Panthers of the USFL.

Wells, a Cowboys 2018 undrafted free agent from San Diego State, has spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs (2018-19), New England Patriots (2020-21), Atlanta Falcons (2021), Colts (2021), and Arizona Cardinals (2021).

Texans DE Jonathan Greenard let go of missed opportunities in 2021

Houston Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard acknowledges his missed opportunities in 2021, but says he has to move on to 2022.

The 2021 campaign was both promising and frustrating for Jonathan Greenard.

The former 2020 third-round pick from Florida transitioned from playing as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme to a down lineman in Lovie Smith’s Tampa 2 with a 4-3 base. As a defensive end, Greenard flourished with 8.0 sacks in his second season.

However, those sacks came in 12 games; the Houston Texans’ leading sacker missed five games on the year. Certainly Greenard would have been able to generate more sacks in those missing contests and become the first Houston defender since J.J. Watt in 2018 to record double-digit sacks.

Greenard also would have been one of 18 defenders last season to record double-digit sacks. Consider that only three of the 17 who did so failed to make the Pro Bowl.

The missed opportunities for Greenard were frustrating, especially as he recovered from offseason foot surgery.

“I had to let it go because at the end of the day I was just trying to make sure that — I don’t like living with regrets because if I sat down and thought about that, it would be pointless,” Greenard told reporters after the fourth day of training camp Tuesday at Houston Methodist Training Center. ‘I have a season to worry about next year.”

Greenard’s third season is pivotal as it is the penultimate year of his contract. The Texans and Greenard cannot discuss contract negotiations until the end of the season. Greenard can give himself decent leverage for contract talks if he has double-digit sacks and a Pro Bowl selection to bring to the negotiating table.

“I’m going it continue to work on myself and what I can handle, what I can control,” said Greenard. “My number one goal is making it through 17 games and being there for my team every single game.”

Greenard is anything but injury prone. In his rookie season, he played 13 games out of 16 and logged one start.

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Texans DE Jonathan Greenard is ‘secret superstar’ for Houston

Defensive end Jonathan Greenard is the “secret superstar” on the Houston Texans’ rebuilding roster.

The Houston Texans’ roster has unproven talent at best, and they certainly lack superstars.

One way for the Texans to get superstars presently would be for someone on the roster to have a career year and threaten to make first-team All-Pro. Otherwise, the Texans have a suboptimal roster without any face of the franchise.

According to Sam Monson from Pro Football Focus, if the Texans had a secret superstar on their roster, it would be none other than defensive end Jonathan Greenard.

There wasn’t much to like about the Texans last season, but second-year edge rusher Jonathan Greenard was very impressive in the playing time he was afforded. Greenard earned an 89.2 PFF pass-rushing grade, rivaling some of the elite pass rushers in the game. He tallied 27 total pressures from 215 pass-rushing snaps and likely earned himself a significantly larger role this year, particularly as the Texans have yet to fully take advantage of the draft collateral acquired from the Deshaun Watson trade.

Greenard is entering the penultimate year of his contract. The former 2020 third-round pick from Florida can make a great case to start negotiations at the end of the season by having a tremendous 2022 campaign.

There is evidence to suggest Greenard could at least challenge for a Pro Bowl selection. The 6-3, 263-pound edge defender generated 8.0 sacks through 12 games last season. Greenard’s problem hasn’t been production so much as it has been availability. If Greenard is able to play more than 12 games, as he did in his rookie campaign when he had 15 games active, then he should be able to get into the double-digit sack range. Throw in a few forced fumbles and maybe an interception off a pass batted at the line of scrimmage, and Greenard is showcasing talent Houston will have to consider extending once the 2023 offseason rolls around.

Texans should consider Ohio State DE Zach Harrison in the 2023 NFL draft

The Houston Texans will still need help along the defensive line, and Ohio State DE Zach Harrison should be a consideration in the 2023 NFL draft.

The 2022 season will be telling for the Houston Texans in terms of where they need to allocate draft resources in the 2023 offseason.

Defensive end Jonathan Greenard will be eligible for contract negotiations with the Texans after completing his third NFL season. The upcoming campaign will be Greenard’s best negotiating ploy from the outset as a double-digit sack season could compel general manager Nick Caserio to find a way to keep the former 2020 third-rounder from Florida.

If Greenard fails, the Texans have two first-round picks they could deploy to shore up edge defender.

If Greenard succeeds, it changes how the Texans appropriate their first-round selections, but defensive end may still be a need for Houston.

According to Michael Renner from Pro Football Focus, a name that would be worth the Texans’ consideration is Ohio State defensive end Zach Harrison.

Harrison will have the Ohio State brand behind him as well as the built-up notoriety that comes with being one of the few seniors on this list. Harrison is an ultra-long 6-foot-6, 272-pound edge rusher whose combination of length and explosiveness presents a ton of problems for offensive tackles.

There is a catch with Harrison, but it isn’t an issue if the Texans give the Buckeye time to develop and acclimate to the pro game and an NFL strength and conditioning program.

The problem is that his size has caused him to be a touch stiff and not a great finisher as a result. It’s unlikely he puts up big sack totals, making him a long shot to unseat others on this [Ted Hendricks Award] list.

Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison don’t figure to be long for the job in Houston, and the Texans already have a veteran-laden roster. Harrison would be a younger addition who could complement Greenard in a scenario where the latter seizes the opportunity to be the club’s premier edge defender.