Tag: Texans Sports

Texans to sign former Vikings RB Cam Akers

The Houston Texans are adding another running back in Cam Akers following his workout over the weekend.

The Houston Texans are adding more depth to their backfield.

According to multiple reports, the Texans are signing running back Cam Akers following his workout over the weekend. The details of the deal have not been made official at this time.

A second-round pick in 2020, Akers is coming off a torn Achilles suffered in November as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. Traded from the Los Angeles Rams in early September, Akers played six games for Minnesota, rushing for 138 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries.

The former Seminoles star also caught 11 passes for 70 yards.

Akers being cleared to work out is a sign that he should be cleared for drills during practice.

Best known for his time in Los Angeles, Akers fought to return in 2021 after suffering a torn Achilles during offseason workouts. He returned in December ahead of schedule to help the Rams defeat the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Against Cincinnati, Akers totaled 21 rushing yards on 13 carries, along with three catches for 14 yards in a 23-20 victory.

Houston is banking on the upside of Akers, who rushed for over 2,800 yards while scoring 27 touchdowns during his tenure at Florida State. In 2022, Akers scored a career-high nine touchdowns while averaging 4.2 yards per carry with the Rams.

In Houston, Akers will back up Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce while competing for the No. 3 role with Dare Ogunbowale and rookie Jahwar Jordan.

KPRC2 was the first to report the news on Akers’ signing.

3 Texans are currently in the top 40 in fantasy football average draft position

The Houston Texans have three talented receivers going early in fantasy football drafts.

Fantasy football drafts are heating up with training camp on the horizon, and the Houston Texans offense should be well represented after adding in some firey newcomers. 

Houston’s offensive reached new heights between the duo of Bobby Slowik and quarterback C.J. Stroud, raking top-10 in total yards and passing in 2023.  With the additions of Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon to elevate the passing attack, fantasy gurus are expecting big things from Stround and Co. in 2024.

Football Guys.com has been a  fantasy football Rolodex of information in the community for years. The website tracks multiple fantasy websites and the average draft position (ADP) for each player and position, creating a composite consensus overall ADP.

Entering the final week before training camp begins, three Texans are in the top 40 overall.

Topping the list is fourth-year receiver Nico Collins, who ranks as high as No. 16 by drafter. After totaling 1,200 yards for the first time in his career, the Texans elected to extend the former Michigan standout on a new three-year, $72.75 million deal.

Collins is currently 20th in fantasy ADP and the 11th overall wide receiver on the rankings.

Diggs, whom the Texans acquired from Buffalo in exchange for a future second-round pick, was next up at No. 28. Despite a drop-off during the final seven games, the 30-year-old comes in as WR16. Even if he’s no longer the All-Pro type of player he once was, Diggs has been good for at least 1,000 yards over the past six seasons between his time with the Vikings and Bills. 

 

Tank Dell might be the steal of drafts after a breakout rookie season. Before suffering a season-ending leg injury in December, Dell was on pace to finish with over 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was staying pace with Rams rookie Puka Nacua and remained the favorite target of Stroud from Weeks 3-12.

Entering the year, Dell is 65th in fantasy ADP and WR27 overall. 

The trio of receivers might all be off the board by the end of Round 3, so adjust your draft schedule when trying to land Diggs, Dell, Collins or any other Texans’ star. 

Texans CB Desmond King believes Houston is ‘here to stay’ entering 2024 season

Desmond King thinks the Houston Texans are ready for the next step toward a Super Bowl and won’t regress after a breakout 2023 season.

Desmond King was here for the four-win season in 2021. He came back a year later and watched as the Texans limped through another frustrating campaign.

Even after being cut during the final days of training camp last summer, King wanted to come back and help finish what he started to build back under David Culley and Lovie Smith.

Entering Year 4 with the franchise, he feels like the dark age has reached its end at NRG Stadium. Even though it’s only been one season of success, the 29-year-old defensive back understands why expectations are rising for the defending AFC South champions.

“I’ve done seen the evolution of the team and the organization just being here for those first couple of years and seeing where it’s at now, knowing my capability and what I can bring to the team, why not be here with Houston? We’re an up-and-coming team and we’re here to stay,” King told KPRC2 Sports. “We’re just getting ready for the season and I’m here.”

King, a former All-Pro nickel defender with the Los Angeles Chargers, has been a staple of the Texans’ defense since joining the roster in 2021. He’s played various positions, including starting in the postseason last January against the Cleveland Browns.

Signed to a new two-year deal, King is ready to compete. A starting job isn’t guaranteed after Houston brought in Myles Bryant and Kamari Lassiter this offseason. The Texans could also potentially shift King back to safety after losing DeAndre Houston-Carson this offseason.

King, who won the Jim Thorpe Award during his final season at Iowa, knows with success comes pressure. To evade the outside noise, he follows the ‘start from scratch’ methodology, meaning every season is a fresh start with new goals.

“We know what kind of team we have. That said, you see it every day in the locker room,” King said. “It’s what we do when we go out there on that field. Yeah, we have the noise. We have the hype behind us, but that’s not out there on that practice field when we’re out there working.”

King, who in seven games recorded 47 tackles, a sack and two pass deflections, is staying the course as the Texans prepare to return for training camp next month. He knows Houston has a target on its back after breaking through in 2024.

It will be up to the roster to hit the mark, something the Detriot native doesn’t seem concerned with.

“We’re out there putting blood, sweat and tears in every day,” he said. “We know what we have and we’ve got to believe in what we have, and that’s what really matters.”

Texans QB C.J. Stroud named winner of PWFA’s Good Guy Award

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud has won another award for his efforts in 2023 and the NFL world pretends to be shocked at this point.

C.J. Stroud is taking home another award after a dominant rookie season.

The Houston Texans quarterback was named the winner of the Professional Football Writers of America NFL’s Good Guy Award on Wednesday afternoon. The award is usually given to someone great with the media at both a local level and on the national stage.

Few players were as poised as Stroud in front of the camera at all levels last season while leading Houston back to the postseason in 2023.

“First and foremost, I want to give all glory and praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It’s a blessing to be recognized as the PFWA Good Guy Award winner, and it stands out to me because it’s more of an award that embodies someone’s character rather than the stats they compile on the field,” Stroud said in a statement.  “I appreciate the job the media has and thank them for choosing me as someone who is deserving of this honor. A special shout out to the other very deserving players who were nominated and those that won before me.”

Stroud, the first Texans player to win the award, beat out Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, Browns’ Joel Bitonio, Bills’ Dion Dawkins and Eagles’ Brandon Graham for the honor.

Stroud also was considered for work around the community, as evidenced by recently helping clean up the debris in certain Houston areas following the storm that left over a million residents without power.

The award has been handed out by the organization each year since 2005. Last season, the honor went to longtime Eagles’ center Jason Kelce for his work around the Philadelphia area.

Stroud was also named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year for leading the Texans to the divisional round of the playoffs while throwing for 4,108 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. He became the first rookie and only the third player to lead the league in touchdown-to-interception ratio (23:5) and passing yards per game (274) in the same season.

Houston has been racking up awards left and right over the past two days. On Tuesday, the PFWA named receiver John Metchie III the winner of the George Halas Award after his return from acute promyelocytic leukemia. The award is given to a player, coach or staff member who “overcomes the most adversity to succeed.”

Metchie, who missed his entire rookie season while undergoing treatment, finished with 16 catches for 156 yards last season and is expected to have a prominent role in 2024.

Steven Sims, Tim Settle Jr. to compete in professional cornhole tournament

Tim Settle and Steven Sims are dropping bags this weekend in Las Vegas on the cornhole square.

The Houston Texans will hit the holes and gaps come Monday at the start of organized team practice activity (OTAs), but two players are hitting a hole this weekend. 

One that provides points and breaks the hearts of opponents during cookouts and family reunions in the summer. 

Wide receiver Steven Sims and defensive lineman Tim Settle Jr. will participate as two of eight NFL players in the American Cornhole League celebrity tournament on Saturday in Las Vegas. 

Settle, who joined the Texans earlier this offseason, won the tournament last season when he participated as a member of the Buffalo Bills. 

“It’s typically a game we play in the locker room after practice or in between meetings,” Sims told Texans Wire. “Typically, I used to play a lot in Pittsburgh with [punter] Pressley Harvin III  and [long snapper] Christian Kuntz. We played almost every day.” 

Settle might have won the event last season, but Sims believes he’s the top cornhole player in the locker room, if not the NFL. 

As for his new teammate, who reunites with Sims after a brief stay in Washington, he might be taking home the silver medal. 

“Sometimes I catch a rhythm and guys will be in trouble,” Sims said. 

That rhythm could help Sims win $100,000 for the charity of his choice. Each NFL player will partner up with a professional and advance per round. Two players will advance past the qualifier to the eventual championship. 

Settle will join forces with ACL pro-Alex Rawls while Sims with partner up with Gavin Cano. While Settle’s charity was not announced, Sims will be playing for the National Brest Cancer Foundation. 

“I’ve always been a hard supporter of breast cancer awareness,” said Sims. 

The ACL began playing Superhole qualifying tournaments in 2019, when New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and took on then-New York Jets signal-caller Sam Darnold faced off. The league officially launched in 2016.

Sims said he’s hoping to get a few more practices in before the event since workouts have been his focus, but he also hasn’t been shy of taking a few points from Settle. 

“He was telling me with cornhole, it’s more so a rhythm thing,” Sims said. “You got to find that rhythm. He says he’s got his rhythm down pat. I just got to find my rhythm and get my swing down pat.” 

Coverage of Saturday’s qualifier begins at 10 p.m. PT on ESPN 2. Other players, including Alexander Mattison, L’Jarius Sneed, and Arden Key will also be participating.