Tag: Texans transactions

Report: Texans work out rookie QB Nick Fitzgerald

The Houston Texans worked out rookie quarterback Nick Fitzgerald on Monday, as well as others including CFL standout RB William Stanback.

Mondays are for workouts. In addition to working out running back Jeremy Cox, the Houston Texans hosted a slew of hopefuls, including quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, running back William Stanback and tight ends Matt Flanagan and Cole Herdman, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

Fitzgerald, an undrafted rookie of Mississippi State, started for three years in the SEC, acting as Dak Prescott’s replacement. In 44 career games, he recorded 6,207 passing yards, 55 touchdowns and 30 interceptions on a 54.2% completion rate.

A dual-threat, Fitzgerald tallied 3,607 yards and 46 touchdowns on 601 rush attempts.

Stanback played his college football at Virginia Union and UCF before joining the Montreal Alouettes in 2018. In 2019, the CFL named him an All-Star. He recorded 1,048 yards and five touchdowns on the year.

Flanagan went undrafted out of Pittsburgh in 2018. He last spent time with the Washington Redskins training camp before his release on Aug. 31. In 2018, he logged one reception for 14 yards in Washington.

Herdman went undrafted out of Purdue in 2019. He recorded 91 receptions for 1,010 yards and eight touchdowns in his four seasons playing in the Big 10.

Report: Texans working out RB Jeremy Cox

On Monday, the Houston Texans worked out rookie undrafted running back Jeremy Cox according to reports.

The Houston Texans are tinkering with their running back room as they near the playoffs.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans are working out former Los Angeles Chargers running back Jeremy Cox on Monday.

Cox previously worked out for the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos. He went undrafted out of Old Dominion earlier in 2019.

Cox measures in at 6-foot, 230-pounds. He tested well at his Old Dominion pro day, posting a 4.42-second 40-yard-dash, a 39-inch vertical jump and 25 reps on the 225-pound bench press.

In his four seasons at Old Dominion, Cox tallied 451 rush attempts for 2,175 yards and 23 touchdowns. In 2016, as a sophomore, he recorded 13 touchdowns on the ground.

Cox also recorded 75 receptions for 532 yards and a touchdown while playing C-USA football.

The Texans currently have four running backs on their active roster in Carlos Hyde, Duke Johnson, Taiwan Jones and Buddy Howell. They also have undrafted rookie Karan Higdon on the practice squad.

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Report: Texans work out offensive tackle Andre Smith

On Tuesday, the Houston Texans worked out offensive tackle Andre Smith, Travis Vornkahl and tight end Paul Butler. None were signed.

The Houston Texans continue to tinker with their offensive line. On Tuesday, the team worked out offensive tackles Andre Smith and Travis Vornkahl as well as tight end Paul Butler, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

The Texans did not sign any of the three.

Smith, 32, was released by the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 30. They previously made him a first-round selection in 2009 out of Alabama. He had stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals before returning to the team in 2018.

According to Pro Football Focus, Smith allowed three sacks on 254 blocking snaps before his release.

Vornkahl, 24, went undrafted out of West Texas A&M in 2019. He measures in at 6-5, 300-pounds. He spent time with the Washington Redskins practice squad earlier in the season.

Butler, 26, is in his second year in the NFL. He spent his collegiate career at the University of California. He previously played with the Oakland Raiders.

Texans sign LB Nate Hall to practice squad, release TE Jerell Adams

The Houston Texans made a new addition to their 10-man practice squad, signing rookie linebacker Nate Hall and releasing tight end Jerell Adams.

The Houston Texans are shaking up their practice squad. The Texans signed linebacker Nate Hall to their 10-man practice squad, the team announced. In a corresponding move, they released tight end Jerell Adams from the group.

Hall, 23, played collegiately at Northwestern. After going undrafted in April, he spent time with the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, then the Buffalo Bills’. He will wear jersey No. 48 in Houston.

In four seasons at Northwestern, Hall tallied 261 combined tackles, five sacks, five interceptions and 10 pass deflections. In 2017, he tore his right ACL while practicing for the Music City Bowl.

The Texans also worked out defensive end Eric Lee, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Houston did not sign him immediately.

Hall joins running back Karan Higdon, cornerback Anthony Chesney, wide receiver Chad Hansen, offensive tackle Rick Leonard, quarterback Alex McGough, offensive tackle Kyle Murphy, offensive tackle Elijah Nkahsah and safety Jonathan Owens to round out the practice squad.

Report: Texans workout ex-Ravens RB Kenneth Dixon

On Tuesday, the Houston Texans worked out ex-Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon and Marcus Murphy, Tommylee Lewis and Victor Bolden.

New week, new running back workouts.

In continuation of a seemingly new tradition of trying out tailbacks weekly, the Houston Texans worked out Kenneth Dixon and Marcus Murphy on Tuesday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

In addition, Houston worked out wide receiver Victor Bolden and Tommylee Lewis and punter Cameron Nizialek.

The Texans did not sign any of their work out attendees.

Dixon, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens, has two seasons logged in the NFL. He was suspended for two-games in the 2017 season for violating the NFL performance-enhancing drug policy. He tore his meniscus in the same season.

In 18 games throughout his career, Dixon has 715 yards and four touchdowns on 148 rush attempts.

Murphy was released by the Buffalo Bills during roster cuts. He rushed for 250 yards on 52 attempts in 2018.

Lewis, famously known for being the victim of a non-call DPI with the New Orleans Saints, was released by the Detroit Lions after training camp . He served most of his three-year tenure in the bayou as a returner and backup slot receiver.

Like Murphy, Bolden was released by the Bills during cut-down day. He has one reception for 10 yards throughout his career.

Report: Texans release T Seantrel Henderson off non-football injury list

On Monday, the Houston Texans released offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson off of the non-football injury list.

The Houston Texans are releasing offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson off of the NFI list (non-football injury), according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Henderson, 27, was dealing with a slight back injury. He is now healthy, according to Rapoport.

The Texans signed Henderson to a one-year deal in the 2018 free agency period. He started the season-opener at right tackle before suffering a season-ending broken ankle.

Houston resigned Henderson to a one-year contract extension on Jan. 19. Again, the team started him at right tackle in Week 1, before losing the job to Roderick Johnson the next week and rookie Tytus Howard from Week 3 onward.

Henderson should field some interest in the open-market due to the lack of quality offensive tackles available. He has 29 career starts to his name split between the Texans and the Buffalo Bills.

Without Henderson in-fold, the Texans have four tackles on the roster in Howard, Johnson, Laremy Tunsil and Chris Clark.

Report: Texans work out veteran RBs Jeremy Hill, Elijah McGuire

On Tuesday, the Houston Texans worked out free agent veteran running backs Jeremy Hill and Elijah McGuire.

The Houston Texans worked out veteran free agent running backs Jeremy Hill and Elijah McGuire on Tuesday, according to Aaron Reiss of The Athletic.

Per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, Hill’s work out went “very well.” However, the Texans did not sign him immediately.

Hill, 27, last played with the New England Patriots. He tore his ACL in Week 1 of the 2018 season — against the Texans — and was subsequently placed on the injured reserve. The LSU product rushed for 25 yards on four attempts before sustaining the season-ending injury.

Before New England, Hill called Cincinnati home. In four seasons with the Bengals, the 6-1, 230-pound tailback recorded 2,873 yards and 29 touchdowns on 704 attempts in 54 games( 43 starts). He finished his 2017 season on the injured reserve with an ankle injury.

McGuire, 25, was a New York Jets sixth-round pick in 2017 out of Louisiana-Lafayette. In 24 games as a rotational cog in the New York backfield, the 5-10, 214-pound back rushed for 591 yards and four touchdowns on 180 attempts.

McGuire spent half of his 2018 campaign on the injured reserve (foot). The Jets released him on Aug. 31, before the Cleveland Browns added him to the practice squad. The Browns waived him on Oct. 22.

Houston, in 2019, has employed a two-headed rushing attack in Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson. On the year, the two have combined for 231 touches for 1,241 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns.

Texans designate TE Jordan Thomas to return from IR

The Houston Texans have designated tight end Jordan Thomas to return from the injured reserve with a ribs injury.

The Houston Texans have designated tight end Jordan Thomas to return from the injured reserve. The organization previously placed him on the eligible to return injured reserve on Sept. 1. He suffered a cracked ribs injury during preseason play.

The Texans have three weeks to activate Thomas to the 53-man roster. He did practice during Monday’s session.

Thomas, 23, practiced with the starters during OTAs. He had a strong training camp before a hamstring injury hampered his availability before the preseason started.

Houston drafted Thomas in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State. A 6-6, 280-pound former wide receiver, he tallied 20 receptions for 215 targets and four touchdowns (all in the red zone) as a rookie.

When the Texans activate him, Thomas will be a much-needed addition to Houston. Though the team is getting production out of Darren Fells — the NFL’s leader in touchdowns at the position (six) — and Jordan Akins, the team does not possess a tight end to back them up.

Report: Texans work out journeyman DL Caraun Reid

The Houston Texans worked out journeyman defensive lineman Caraun Reid on Monday, giving him a physical after.

With the bye week over with, the Houston Texans are molding their roster for the stretch run. On Monday, they worked out defensive lineman Caraun Reid, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

Reid, 27, last played with professional football with the Dallas Cowboys. In 2018, the 6-2, 292-pound lineman tallied 10 combined tackles, a half-sack, a tackle for loss and three QB hits in 10 games, one start, for the Cowboys.

Reid was a Detroit Lions fifth-round selection out of Princeton in 2014. He spent two seasons in Michigan — starting 12 games in the second — before waiving him in the preseason. The then-San Diego Chargers claimed him, only to see him play seven games before tearing his ACL.

The Lions claimed Reid off of waivers after the 2017 preseason. From there, he spent short visits with the Washington Redskins and Indianapolis Colts before landing in Arlington. The Cowboys released him on Sept. 1, leading the Colts to sign him and waive him two months later.

Texans re-sign DL Joel Heath, waive OL Dan Skipper

The Houston Texans are bringing back defensive lineman Joel Heath. They waived offensive tackle Dan Skipper to sign him.

The Houston Texans have brought back a familiar face. The organization they have re-signed defensive lineman Joel Heath. In a corresponding move, Houston waived offensive lineman Dan Skipper.

Heath, 26, was waived by the Texans on Aug. 31 during final cuts. He previously signed with Houston in 2016 after going undrafted out of Michigan State.

In his three seasons as a Texan, Heath logged 30 games, including 15 starts. A 6-6, 310-pound lineman, he amassed 34 combined tackles, three sacks and three tackles for loss in his first stint in Houston.

Heath struggled with knee injuries over the last two seasons. He worked out with the New England Patriots on Oct. 31.

Skipper, 25, signed with the Texans off the Patriots’ practice squad on Oct. 16. A 6-10, 320-pound lineman, he saw the bulk of his snaps with the Texans — in three games — as a jumbo package tight end. If he clears waivers, he is eligible to sign with the Texans’ practice squad.