Tag: Texans

DeMeco Ryans on Texans’ expecations: ‘we’re always hunting’

Even after a productive offseason, DeMeco Ryans knows the Texans must back up the hype if they hope to win it all in 2024.

The Houston Texans were one of the biggest offseason winners, but it means little if they can’t capitalize in 2024.

Second-year coach DeMeco Ryans loves the direction his team is headed following an 11-8 season capped off by a playoff win over the Cleveland Browns. Now as a favorite to win the AFC, expectations have risen to new heights following three lackluster seasons and 11 combined wins.

That doesn’t mean Houston can get complacent with its attitude despite being ‘hunted’ by other conference foes.

“We’re always hunting. That doesn’t change for us,” Ryans said Monday at the start of voluntary workouts. “Expectations on the outside, whatever that may be, it doesn’t change who we are. The expectation from the outside doesn’t permeate inside our building.”

The Texans were one of the league’s more aggressive teams this offseason after securing their first division title in four years, spending $178.5 million this offseason in guaranteed money. They inked multi-year deals with Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter, defensive lineman Denico Autry, and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.

Houston also didn’t wait to play hardball in free agency at running back and receiver. After missing out on Saquon Barkley, the Texans traded a seventh-round pick to acquire Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon, and later signed him to a three-year extension.

General manager Nick Caserio wasn’t done yet. After trading out of the first round, Houston used a 2025 second-round pick acquired by the Minnesota Vikings to land Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs, thus fortifying the offense with two veterans around a young foundation.

“He has a lot of wisdom that he carries that I think he’ll spread to other guys,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said of Diggs. “He’s been reaching out to really everybody, and I think that whole room in general is going to be great. I think we’re all going to eat off each other.”

Diggs, a six-time 1,000-yard receiver, will be playing for a new contract after the Texans voided the final three years of his deal. He’ll still earn $22.5 million after Houston added $3.5 million to his annual salary, but the former All-Pro is looking to show the NFL he hasn’t lost a step.

Those inside the building believe there’s plenty left in the tank despite a sluggish finish to last season’s playoff run.

“The guy’s been an All-Pro player, been a Pro Bowl player, over 1,000 yards for multiple seasons,” Ryans said. “So, we’re excited about adding Diggs to our team.”

The Texans are looking to expand a breakout first season behind Stroud and Ryans. Drafted No. 2 overall, Stroud took home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after leading the league in passing yards per game (237.3) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (23-5).

Fellow draftee Will Anderson Jr. won Defensive Rookie of the Year after breaking J.J. Watt’s franchise first-year sack record (7.0) while earning Pro Bowl honors. Players like Hunter, Diggs, Mixon and Al-Shaair are supposed to elevate the young duo to new levels, though that’s only on paper for now.

As a roster, the Texans have to prove they mean business, and it starts with workouts this week at NRG Stadium.

“Talk doesn’t win games,” said Ryans. “We have to go out and play good football when that time comes.”

Houston Christian edge rusher Jalyx Hunt visits Houston Texans

Jalyx Hunt, one of the top breakout performers at the NFL combine, recently visited NRG Stadium.

Jalyx Hunt has been one of the biggest risers in the draft class since his stellar outing at the NFL combine last month. Now, multiple franchises are looking to find out more information on the Houston Christian pass-rusher.

One of those teams? The Houston Texans.

The Texans hosted Hunt for a pre-draft visit on Monday, according to KPRC2 Sports Aaron Wilson. Since Hunt played up the road for the Huskies, the meeting will not count against Houston as a top-30 visit.

Initially a defensive back at Cornell, Hunt transferred schools and positions to better his chances of going pro. In two seasons with HCU, he recorded 110 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and an interception.

Interest around Hunt peaking following a stellar outing at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., back in February. Scouts raved about his flexibility, violent hand usage and explosive first step, thus giving him the edge over tackles coming out of breaks.

“I am one of the big boys,” Hunt said in an interview with KPRC2 Houston. “I guess it did validate some things, not only for me but for some other people that I can play at the next level and I can play with the guys at the next level. I’ve always felt I had the ability to do so. I just knew what I needed to show and showcase.”

Hunt backed up his on-field highlights from Mobile with a combine outing to remember. Hunt finished with 4.64 40-time and posted the top broad jump among defensive linemen at 10-foot-9.

Hunt also posted a 37.5-inch vertical leap and totaled 19 reps on the bench press.

Houston is expecting a step forward from its front seven after totaling a franchise-high 46 sacks in 2023. Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr. should only build off his impressive first season. Meanwhile, Houston swung big to land four-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter from the Minnesota Vikings.

Hunter, who inked a two-year deal worth up to $51 million, is coming off a career season, when he led the league in tackles for loss (23.5) and finished with a team-leading 16.5 sacks. The Houston native is coming off back-to-back 10-plus sack seasons for the second time in his career.

Hunt likely would serve as the No. 4 or No. 5 pass-rusher depending on his performance in training camp. The Texans re-signed Derek Barnett to a one-year deal and drafted Dylan Horton out of TCU last season.

That doesn’t mean Hunt can’t be an essential part of the pass rush in a limited role. Teams are always looking to fortify the trench play in hopes of bettering their chances for a quick three-and-out.

As a Day 3 pick, Hunt should be one of the top-name Houston monitors. The Texans currently have nine picks in April’s draft, including a pair of fourth-round selections.

Former Washington OT Roger Rosengarten scheduled for top-30 visit with Texans

A former Pac-12 champion will soon visit NRG Stadium and the Houston Texans.

Roger Rosengarten is returning to NRG Stadium for the first time since the national championship.

Rosengarten, a two-year starter at Washington, will visit the Houston Texans as part of a top-30 visit, according to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

Last season, Rosengarten was an anchor at right tackle for the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line that claimed its first Pac-12 title in six years. During his two seasons in Seattle, the 6-foot-6 lineman allowed just five quarterbacks and 27 hurries.

Rosengarten did not allow a sack in two years, factoring into back-to-back Heisman-caliber seasons from potential first-round pick Michael Penix Jr.

An expected mid-round selection, Rosengarten impressed last month at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. He posted the fastest 40-time among offensive linemen at 4.92 seconds and finished top 20 in the 20-yard shuttle (4.60) and the broad jump (9-foot-2).

Starting tackle isn’t a concern for Houston with the return of All-Pro Laremy Tunsil and a healthy Tytus Howard. Depth, however, remains a concern following George Fant and Josh Jones’ departure this offseason.

While Rosengarten only played right tackle at Washington, that might mean little since Houston brought back swing tackle Charlie Heck on a one-year deal. Instead of having both tackles learn each spot, Heck would only replace Tunsil while Rosengarten takes on reps behind Howard.

The Texans own nine picks in the draft starting April 25, including three in the second and third rounds.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reveals how Texans landed WR Stefon Diggs

The Houston Texans shocked the NFL world after trading away the No. 23 pick to the Minnesota Vikings, but that was the plan from the jump when they realized Stefon Diggs could be coming to town.

Stefon Diggs is officially a member of the Houston Texans and hopes to be the reason why the AFC South winners are contenders again in 2024.

But how did Houston land Diggs? What happened behind closed doors that led to Buffalo cutting ties with the disgruntled wide receiver and taking a $31 million dead-cap hit?

Surprisingly, his old team in Minnesota was involved.

During an interview on “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter mentioned that Houston planned on trading its first-round pick (No. 23) to the Vikings to land better draft compensation without moving too far down the pecking order.

Minnesota offered its second-round pick (No. 42), a sixth-round pick (No. 188) and a 2025 second-round pick. That latter was used to acquire Diggs, along with a 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 189) and a 2025 fifth-round pick.

“A couple of weeks back, the Texans went to the Vikings to initiate a trade to get out of the first round,” Schefter said. “Everybody assumed it was the Vikings so they can go up and get a quarterback. But it was the Texans so they could be in a position to make a trade, like they did on Wednesday, for Stefon Diggs.”

Diggs heads to Houston looking for a career year to set up a payday next offseason. After Houston finalized the trade, it elected to void the final three years of his four-year, $104 million extension signed with Buffalo back in April 2022.

Houston still believes the version of Diggs that closed out 2023 will remain back in Buffalo and that a more aggressive and hungry version will take the field at NRG Stadium. Since 2020, he has led the league in receptions (445) and is one of only four players in league history to record four consecutive seasons with 100-plus receptions.

Diggs is also one of two receivers to be selected to the Pro Bowl in each of the past four seasons, along with the Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill.

Watch: Texans’ C.J. Stroud, Stefon Diggs building chemistry during workouts

Stefon Diggs and C.J. Stroud aren’t at NRG Stadium, but the two Houston Texans talents are working hard down at UCLA.

Stefon Diggs is ready to prove his best years are still ahead as the Houston Texans’ new No. 1 receiver.

Well, maybe he’s 1B behind Nico Collins, but Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud will take as many 1,000-yard targets for his breakout second season.

Diggs, acquired by Houston in a trade after a four-year stay with the Buffalo Bills, has already hit the ground running working alongside his new quarterback. This past weekend, the four-time Pro Bowler joined Stroud, plus Tank Dell and John Metchie III for a spring workout at a UCLA practice field Saturday evening.

For those watching on social media, it was an up-close look at the new offense expected to make waves in the AFC come 2024. And imagine how much different the offensive play design looks with Collins added into the mix.

Diggs, 30, is the hopeful missing link on offense. Houston already bolstered its ground game by trading for Cincinnati Bengals Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon. It also improved its defensive front seven with the additions of linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and All-Pro defensive end Danielle Hunter.

Diggs is entering a contract year after Houston voided the final three years of his extension signed back in 2022, and he is looking to cash in one final time on a lucrative deal.

Could it be with Houston? Time will tell if the two sides find a common ground while building a foundation as the next great franchise in the AFC for years to come.

Even if Diggs has lost a step as he enters the back half of his career, the Texans believe they’re getting a Pro Bowl-caliber target. They should, too. Diggs has posted six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons dating back to his time with the Minnesota Vikings.

In Buffalo, he hauled in at least 103 catches each season, including an NFL-leading 127 catches in 2020. He also finished with over 1,110 yards and averaged eight touchdowns per year.

A healthy Dell should open the passing attack more both in the slot and on the perimeter. The third-round pick was one pace to finish with over 1,000 yards as Houston’s No. 2 option, but a fractured fibula in early December sidelined him for the postseason run.

The Texans also brought back tight end Dalton Schultz, who stepped up as a security blanket in big games across the middle of the field. He was a priority free agent among those leaving this offseason after building a budding chemistry with Stroud late during the postseason run.

There’s an argument to be had that Houston currently owns the best-receiving trio in the AFC. On paper, it’s warranted. On the field, let’s wait to see in live games, but it’s good to see them working out away from Texas and building off last season’s success.

Texans land DeMeco Ryans-type LB in The Athletic’s latest mock draft

In the latest mock draft from The Athletic, the Houston Texans secure their defensive front seven by adding former Texas A&M star Edgerrin Cooper.

The Houston Texans are going all-in for 2024 even without a first-round pick. That’s fine given the ample talent found on Days 2 and 3 of the upcoming NFL draft.

Houston, which won its first division title in four years, could have its pick of the pack when on the clock at pick No. 42. The Texans also shouldn’t pigeon-hole themselves to one position, as mid-round picks are meant to be cornerstones of the roster past their rookie season.

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman revealed his latest mock draft, which featured intel from rival coaches who have faced these prospects. With the Texans, sights turn to Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who’s considered by some an “ideal linebacker’ for DeMeco Ryans’ defense.

“The linebacker position doesn’t have the same draft value it used to, but there is some talent in this group. One of the most intriguing players in this draft is NC State’s Payton Wilson, who was the best defensive player in the ACC, but he has a medical history that I’m told has some NFL teams reluctant to draft him, despite his physicality, size and tremendous speed. He’s been injury-free the past two years, and I hear the Cowboys and Lions really like him. The hunch here is that the Texans grab the Aggies star, who was a bright spot during a dismal 2023 season, when he led the team with 84 tackles, 17 TFLs and eight sacks. The 6-2, 230-pounder ran a 4.51 40 with a 1.54 10-yard split and vertical jumped 34 1/2 inches.” -Feldman

Cooper, who told reporters during Texas A&M’s Pro Day that he models his game after San Francisco All-Pro Fred Warner, dominated the SEC in 2023 while earning consensus All-American honor. He led the conference in tackles for loss (17) while also leading the Aggies in sacks (8) and quarterback hits.

Coaching intel: “He’s got a ton of physical talent. He is explosive and strong, and has really long (34-inch) arms.”

Houston signed former Titans and 49ers standout Azeez Al-Shaair to a three-year, $34 million deal this offseason. Al-Shaair nearly signed with the Texans last offseason but decided to take on a one-year, $5 million deal to play for Mike Vrabel.

Al-Shaiir, who finished fifth in tackles (163), should replace Denzel Perryman as the starting MIKE backer, but also has experience playing the SAM role. The Texans also are expecting another promising season from Christan Harris, who posted career-highs in tackles (101) and sacks (2) as the team’s starting WILL.

But Houston will align in three linebacker sets on occasion. With Blake Cashman leaving in free agency, the Texans’ best option remaining is Henry To’oTo’o, who started six games during his rookie season.

Cooper is viewed by some as the top linebacker in this year’s class. In Houston, he’d be able to learn as a rookie while working in on sub-packages either up the middle or on the edges.

Scouts are sold he’s a top-three linebacker in the class given his versatility. The Louisiana native was highly regarded for his coverage skills during his three seasons in College Station.

Coaching intel: “Awesome athlete. Makes a ton of plays. There are times when he doesn’t diagnose it well, but he can cover well, and he will light guys up.”

The Texans own nine picks in the upcoming draft, including two picks in the second round.

Dolphins reportedly signing former Titans, Texans DT Teair Tart

The Dolphins added another veteran defensive tackle to their roster Friday.

The Miami Dolphins are shoring up their defensive line by adding free agent nose tackle Teair Tart, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.

Tart, 27, began his career with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and appeared in 34 games over his first three seasons with the team. After getting a second-round tender as a restricted free agent during the 2023 offseason, Tart was surprisingly waived by the Titans late in the year.

The defensive tackle later said his abrupt departure from Tennessee came after he requested his release from the team.

The Houston Texans claimed Tart off waivers, but he appeared in only two games with the team and was a healthy scratch for the team’s playoff matchups against the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens.

Miami would benefit from a return to form for Tart after losing both Christian Wilkins and Raekwon Davis in free agency last month. The Dolphins have tossed several veterans into the mix in recent weeks, signing Benito Jones, Jonathan Harris, and Neville Gallimore to fill the void at defensive tackle.

In four NFL seasons, Tart has tallied 2.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, and seven pass deflections.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

ESPN list All-American safety as “perfect fit” for Texans

The Houston Texans need to upgrade their safety room and ESPN believes Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin is the ideal fit for DeMeco Ryans’ defense.

Even after spending over $142 million this offseason, the Houston Texans still could use an upgrade to their secondary. More specifically, Houston could be in the market for another safety.

Barring a last-second swing at one of the remaining free agents, pivoting toward the draft might be general manager Nick Caserio’s best plan of adding competition to the back end. With two picks in the second round, one could be used to add a more nuanced defender who can be a constant in coverage downfield.

Everything for the Texans is about fit. After splurging to land talents like Danielle Hunter, Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs, Houston is swinging for a shot at the Super Bowl in 2024, so adding a prospect with upside does little to the immediate plans.

One prospect to monitor? Minnesota All-American Tyler Nubin. According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, the three-year starter is a “perfect fit” for DeMeco Ryans’ defensive formation.

Nubin is an easy fit for DeMeco Ryans’ defense given his coverage awareness, demeanor, and ability to create production on the ball. In Houston, Nubin could run the alleys and play top down from split-field alignments, and he has the post instincts to patrol the middle third of the field as a center fielder. Nubin, who had 13 career interceptions for the Gophers, also has special teams upside on coverage units. – ESPN
Nubin was a human highlight reel during his time with the Golden Gophers. A physical tackler with a knack for playing the run, the 6-foot-2 defensive back flew to the football and was a constant for P.J. Fleck’s secondary.
Turnovers, however, are where Nubin shined. His 13 interceptions were a Big Ten record over three seasons, but he also was credited with 11 pass breakups.
Jalen Pitre and Jimmie Ward played well against the run, though Pitre was credited with 14 missed tackles. Both struggled at times playing deep in man coverage, often leading to explosive plays and a fresh set of downs for the offense.
Adding Nubin shouldn’t remove either player from the field. Pitre, a former second-round pick, won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year during his final season at Baylor while lining up as the ‘STAR’ or nickel defender.
Ward, who joined Ryans following his stint with the San Francisco 49ers, began his career in the Bay Area as a nickel-only defensive back before transitioning to safety in 2018. He also moved back down to the nickel spot in 2022 as the 49ers pushed their way to another NFC championship appearance following the emergence of Talanoa Hufanga.
The Texans, who finished 23rd in pass coverage, only recorded 14 interceptions, nine of which came from Derek Stingley Jr. and Steven Nelson. Stingley is locked up at least through the 2025 season and is viewed as the long-term No. 1 corner. Nelson remains a free agent, but a reunion feels unlikely after the Texans signed former first-rounders Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson.
Nubin could be the missing piece that transcends the Texans from playoff contender to Super Bowl front-runner. Safety should be addressed at some point during the draft, and the Texans’ first pick in Round 2 might be Nubin’s floor after a bountiful free agency.

Texans restructure WR Stefon Diggs’ contract

The Houston Texans are now giving Stefon Diggs a “prove-it” one-year deal with a pay raise in 2024.

Stefon Diggs will be a member of the Houston Texans for the 2024 season.

After that, everything becomes a mystery.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, as part of the blockbuster deal, the Texans have wiped out the final three years of his contract initially given by the Buffalo Bills, giving him the ability to become a free agent after this season.

Houston also will add $3.5 million to Diggs’ current contract, raising his salary to $22.52 million in guaranteed money in 2024.

What exactly does this mean? In layman’s terms, Diggs will play on a one-year, prove-it deal to stick around with the Texans or better his annual salary on the market next offseason. He’ll have the chance to cash in with a promising campaign as the new No. 1 target for C.J. Stroud while helping the Texans secure a spot in the AFC postseason.

For Houston, it’s an all-in move. The Texans have been building around their rookie quarterback to up their chances of going from division-winning contender to postseason threat with a move like re-signing Dalton Schultz and trading for Joe Mixon.

It’s a win-win for both sides on paper, too. Diggs, who will turn 31 in November, can prove he’s still in the midst of his prime and that the decline hasn’t started yet.

For Houston, it’ll be getting a hungry receiver looking to continue to his 1,000-yard campaign streak with a new franchise. Diggs totaled four consecutive 1,100-yard seasons with the Bills and back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with the Minnesota Vikings before that.

If Diggs proves to be a premier receiver, the two sides could come to terms on a new long-term deal prior to the start of free agency. If he underwhelms, the Texans could pivot to a long-term extension for breakout receiver Nico Collins.

The lone downside? Compensation. The Texans won’t be able to pick up a compensatory pick should Diggs walk next offseason given that they voided the final three years of his four-year, $104 million extension signed back in 2022 with Buffalo.

The Texans now feature one of the league’s top offensive units headlined by the Offensive Rookie of the Year in Stroud. Diggs joins a receiver room that finished seventh in passing last season behind dominant campaigns from Collins and rookie Tank Dell.

‘Top tier destination’: Texans legend J.J. Watt is a fan of Stefon Diggs trade

J.J. Watt has been pleased with the future of the Houston Texans over the past two offseasons.

J.J. Watt served as the final piece of the turning of times at NRG Stadium when the Houston Texans selected him 11th overall in 2011. Prior to his arrival, Houston had only one winning season.

Perhaps the arrival of Offensive Rookie of the Year and wunderkind C.J. Stroud sends a second wind through the franchise that ends with a Lombardi Trophy. Regardless, Watt is excited to see what unfolds in the Texans’ future.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year took to Twitter on Wednesday following the Stefon Diggs trade, praising the AFC South franchise for its two-year turnaround. Last season, Houston added Stroud, along with Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr. and former Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans as head coach.

A year later, the Texans added Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon, Diggs and four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter.

The Texans were looking to build off their first double-digit win season in four years and saw the opportunity to splurge with Stroud still on his rookie contract. After failing to sign a premier running back at the start of free agency, general manager Nick Caserio traded a seventh-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for Mixon.

Mixon, who will turn 28 in July, is coming off another 1,000-yard rushing season and has shown no signs of slowing down. The Texans believe his best years are still ahead and plan to use him as their bell-cow back after agreeing to terms on a three-year extension worth $27 million.

“I’m not thinking about a drop-off,” Ryans said of Mixon at the owners meetings last week. “I’m thinking about the positives and the things that [he’s] done in his career. He’s been consistent throughout his entire career — a guy who can move the chains for you, a guy who can open up the passing game with his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He just opens up the things that we can do offensively.”

Defensively, the addition of Hunter should be considered an upgrade — on paper at least — over the departed Jonathan Greenard. He’s coming off a career-high 16.5-sack season with the Minnesota Vikings and led the league with 23 tackles for loss.

Signed to a two-year deal worth up to $51 million, Hunter looks to become the first Texans player since Watt to record back-to-back double-digit sack campaigns on Houston’s defense. He also will serve as a teacher and confidant for Anderson, who broke Watt’s rookie sack record this past fall.

“He’s exciting,” Hunter said of Anderson during his introductory press conference last month. “Has a lot of tools. I was with him earlier, and he just can’t stop jumping, how eager he is to go out there and rush the passer together. Very good kid. I’m excited just to be able to go out there and teach him a lot of things that I know and become a better player.

One of the greatest defensive linemen of the 2000s, Watt guided Houston to five playoff appearances in 10 years. On top of winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards, Watt also recorded 101 of his 113 career sacks as a member of the AFC South franchise.

Watt was the second player added to Houston’s Ring of Honor this offseason, joining Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Johnson. He’ll join Johnson in Canton, Ohio, when eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2028.