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Texans Activate Jeff Okudah, Mario Edwards

November 18th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

In advance of their Week 11 matchup, the Texans will have a pair of defenders available. Cornerback Jeff Okudah has been activated from injured reserve, per a team announcement. Defensive end Mario Edwards, meanwhile, has returned to the active roster with his one-week exemption having expired.

[RELATED: Injured Reserve Tracker]

Okudah returned to practice two weeks ago, opening his 21-day window to be activated. The former No. 3 pick was injured in Week 1, and he has remained sidelined ever since. Now healthy, he will have the opportunity to see playing time on his latest team. The former Lion and Falcon could earn an extended look with the Texans depending on his performance down the stretch as he aims to find stability in at least a depth role.

Edwards was issued a four-game PED suspension last month. Upon serving it, he received a one-week roster exemption which allowed the team time to make other moves in advance of activating him. Now that Edwards is back in the fold, he will be set to reprise his role as a starter along Houston’s defensive line. The 30-year-old posted 18 tackles and a pair of sacks in six games before being sidelined by the ban.

The Texans enter Monday night atop the AFC South with a 6-4 record. The team’s defense has fared well in a number of categories, but by virtue of ranking 18th in points allowed there is certainly room for improvement. Getting Edwards back in the fold in particular should help, although with Kamari Lassiter out for tonight’s game due to a concussion Okudah could also find himself playing a role on defense for at least one contest.

In corresponding roster moves, the Texans waived cornerback Myles Bryant and running back J.J. Taylor. They will be available to any interested teams while on the wire, but if they go unclaimed they will become free agents. In that event, a return to Houston via a practice squad deal will be possible.

Seahawks Activate Abraham Lucas, Place George Fant On IR

November 13th, 2024 at 1:51pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Seahawks activated right tackle Abraham Lucas from the Physically Unable to Perform list and placed George Fant on injured reserve on Wednesday, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

Head coach Mike Macdonald indicated on Monday that he expected Lucas to start in Week 11 after finally recovering from offseason knee surgery. However, his activation is no guarantee that he make his season debut on Sunday. Seattle opened Lucas’ practice window 21 days ago, so he had to be moved to the active roster to avoid reverting to the PUP list for the rest of the season.

The Seahawks will certainly be hoping that Lucas can start at right tackle this weekend after moving Fant to injured reserve for the second time this season. He suffered a knee injury after 19 snaps in Week 1 and returned in Week 9 for just 17 snaps before re-injuring his knee and exiting the game.

This is the second year in a row that Seattle has struggled with health at the tackle position. Left tackle Charles Cross injured his toe in Week 1 in 2023 and missed the next three games. Lucas was placed on injured reserve after a knee injury in Week 1 and returned in Week 13 for five starts before going down once more, with then-head coach Pete Carroll calling it a “chronic” problem. The Seahawks then signed Fant to a two-year, $9.1MM in the offseason as insurance for Lucas’ ongoing recovery from knee surgery. Fant appeared in 16 games for the Texans in 2023, but played just 36 snaps this season with knee issues of his own.

All of the tackle injuries have pressed 2021 sixth-rounder Stone Forsythe into a starting role for the second year in a row. He started eight games in 2023 – three at left tackle and five at right tackle – along with four relief appearances across the two positions. Forsythe then replaced Fant in Week 1 this year and started the next five games at right tackle before landing on injured reserve with a hand injury. Rookie Michael Jerrell then started in Weeks 7 and 8 before relieving Fant in Week 9 after the recurrence of his knee injury.

While Lucas is expected to play in Week 11, Jerrell will start at right tackle if the Seahawks wants to give their 2022 third-rounder more time before he takes the field.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/12/24

November 12th, 2024 at 7:09pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

  • Released: LB Cam Johnson

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

The Falcons have added a notable name to their special teams corps in Jakeem Grant. The long-time Dolphins returner has collected six ST touchdowns in his career (four via punts, two via kickoffs), and he’s even hauled in 100 catches. However, the veteran hasn’t seen the field since the 2021 campaign while spending the past few years on Cleveland’s practice squad.

With Dak Prescott done for the season, the Cowboys have added some extra QB depth. In comes old friend Will Grier, who spent the 2021 and 2022 campaigns in Dallas. The former third-round pick has since bounced around the NFL, including stops with the Bengals, Patriots, and Chargers in just 2023. Grier still only has two career appearances on his resume, both coming with the Panthers in 2019.

The Texans have added some experienced OL depth in Cameron Erving. The veteran is coming off a 2023 campaign where he started two of his three appearances for the Saints, and he barely played in 11 appearances with the Panthers in 2022. Still, the 32-year-old brings 98 games (58 starts) of experience to Houston, a factor that could be valuable down the stretch. To make room on the practice squad, the Texans moved on from cornerback Desmond King. The veteran has only seen time in one game for Houston this season, although he’s not far removed from a 2022 campaign where he started 13 games for the Texans.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/24

November 11th, 2024 at 8:06pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are today’s NFL practice squad updates:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Houston Texans

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

The Bengals signed Brightwell after hosting several veterans for workouts on Monday, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz. Leonard Fournette and Xavien Howard were among the players who auditioned in Cincinnati, but neither player left with a deal.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/11/24

November 11th, 2024 at 6:34pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are today’s minor moves around the NFL:

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

  • Reinstated from suspension, one-game roster exemption granted: DE Mario Edwards

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Seattle Seahawks

Williams completed his three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He remains on injured reserve after a season-ending knee injury suffered during training camp.

Edwards served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy and is now eligible to be reinstated to the Texans’ active roster. Houston requested and received a one-game roster exemption to give Edwards an additional week to practice with the team before being added back to the 53-man roster.

Texans Activate WR Nico Collins, DE Jerry Hughes From IR

November 10th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Ely Allen

NOVEMBER 10: Despite his activation from injured reserve, Collins is inactive for the Texans’ Sunday night matchup with the Lions. He is expected to play in Week 11, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC, but did not participate in practice enough this week.

NOVEMBER 9: In three of their last four games, the Texans have failed to pass for more than 176 yards. Those passing struggles can in part be attributed to injuries in the receiving corps and in part are the reason for two losses in those four games. Luckily for second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud, he’ll get one of his favorite targets back as the Texans activate wide receiver Nico Collins from injured reserve.

After two solid years for a third-round pick to start his career, Collins broke out last season with a monster 1,297-yard, eight-touchdown season. Collins was on track to improve on those numbers this year, averaging a league-leading 113.4 yards per game through his first five games of the season before suffering a hamstring injury that landed him on IR. Fellow wide receiver Stefon Diggs followed soon after with a season-ending ACL tear, further hindering a potent Texans passing attack.

Collins is still listed as “questionable” on the injury report heading into tomorrow’s game, but if he’s able to return, he provides a huge upgrade to a receiving corps that currently consists of Tank Dell, Xavier Hutchinson, Robert Woods, and John Metchie. Houston has an impressive hold on the AFC South lead, but a struggling offense had the potential to turn the tables on the season. Gifting Collins back to Stroud might be just what the Texans need to right the ship.

Joining Collins off of IR will be veteran defensive end Jerry Hughes. Hughes was moved to IR over a month ago. After a five-game absence, the 36-year-old veteran will reprise his rotational role behind Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter along the edge.

The Texans needed to open up a roster spot for the two activations today. To clear space, cornerback D’Angelo Ross was waived from the 53-man roster. Starting the season on the practice squad, Ross was signed to the active roster shortly into the regular season. He’s made two starts in eight game appearances.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/9/24

November 9th, 2024 at 9:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Elevated: LB Curtis Bolton, WR Isaiah Hodgins

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Spector will miss at least the next four games as a result of the Bills’ move. He has remained a mainstay on special teams this year, having also done so in 2022 and ’23. The former seventh-rounder has made three starts on defense, however, so his absence will be felt moving forward. Linebacker has been a position hit hard by injuries this season, and Buffalo’s depth at the second level will now be tested even further.

Wattenberg had his 21-day practice window opened by the Broncos earlier this week, paving the way for today’s activation. The 27-year-old operated as the team’s starting center prior to going down after having won a summer competition for the gig with Alex Forsyth. Forsyth handled first-team duties over the past four games, drawing a superior PFF evaluation and therefore potentially playing his way into an extended look atop the depth chart. At a minimum, having Wattenberg back will give Denver – a team with three IR activations left – depth up front.

Texans Designate WR Nico Collins For Return, Place G Kenyon Green On IR

November 8th, 2024 at 12:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Texans’ receiving corps could see a notable boost in time for Week 10. The team announced on Friday that wideout Nico Collins has been designated for return.

Collins now has 21 days to practice before being activated or reverting to season-ending IR. A hamstring injury shut him down for a four-game stretch, interrupting his impressive start to the campaign. The 25-year-old led the NFL in receiving yards at the time of the injury, and Houston’s passing attack has suffered in his absence.

Of course, the Texans’ WR room was dealt another blow recently when Stefon Diggs suffered an ACL tear. The pending free agent will miss the remainder of the season as a result, but Collins being back in the fold would compensate for that to an extent. Houston was optimistic the latter could be back in the fold this week, so today’s move comes as little surprise. It will be interesting to see how involved Collins is in today’s practice and as such what his status is for Sunday night’s contest.

The Michigan product landed an extension this offseason, and he is now attached to a $24.25MM-per-year deal. Collins faces high expectations as a result, but his 113.4 receiving yards per game when healthy this year suggests he is capable of living up to them over the long term. He will reprise his WR1 role once activated, with second-year wideout Tank Dell operating in a key complementary role. The Texans were floated as a potential buyer at the receiver position ahead of the trade deadline, but no moves were made on that front.

Houston was also considered a team to watch with respect to making an addition along the offensive line given the team’s struggles up front. Another reason to be active, of course, was the injury to guard Kenyon Green; the former first-rounder is dealing with a dislocated shoulder and has now officially be placed on injured reserve. After suffering the injury in Week 9, that was the expected outcome. Green could return at some point in the year, depending on his rehab process and how deep of a run the Texans make should they qualify for the postseason.

The team has five IR activations remaining as things stand. That figure will drop to four once Collins is brought back into the fold, but his return will be welcomed on offense as the 6-3 Texans prepare for a primetime matchup against the Lions in their attempt to remain in control of the AFC South.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/6/24

November 6th, 2024 at 7:21pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Houston Texans

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Gross-Matos was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury on October 5, sidelining him for San Francisco’s last four games. He now has 21 days to practice with the team before he must be added back to the activ roster or revert to season-ending IR. He signed a two-year, $18MM contract with the 49ers in the offseason but struggled with his new team with just one tackle in 81 snaps across three appearances.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/6/24

November 6th, 2024 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: T Ryan Hayes

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

While a few players in today’s roundup are catching back on with teams after being cut from their respective club’s active roster, the 49ers are adding Gage. This marks the veteran wideout’s first gig since the Ravens cut him following training camp. Gage, who totaled 700-plus-yard seasons with the Falcons in 2020 and 2021, did not justify a three-year, $30MM Buccaneers contract. The 28-year-old receiver has not played in a regular-season game since suffering a season-nullifying knee injury — a patellar tendon rupture — during Bucs camp in 2023.

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