Adam Humphries

Texans Set 53-Man Roster

The Texans are in the midst of a rebuild, but that doesn’t make their roster decisions any easier. The organization ultimately settled on 53 players today:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Three veteran tight ends were let go in Mason Schreck, Eric Tomlinson, and Nick Vannett. Vannett has the most epxerience of the bunch, having seen time in 86 career games. He spent the 2022 seasons with the Giants and Saints, hauling in six catches. Tomlinson has appeared in 85 career games, including 34 over the past two seasons. He started 12 of his 17 appearances for Denver in 2022, serving mostly as an extra blocker.

Adam Humphries was an 800-yard receiver with the Buccaneers in 2018, but he’s compiled only 985 yards in three years since. He didn’t get into a game during the 2022 season, but he did haul in 41 catches for Washington in 2021.

Texans Sign QB E.J. Perry, WRs Victor Bolden And Adam Humphries

The Texans have made a series of additions to their roster. The club is signing quarterback E.J. Perry along with wide receivers Victor Bolden and Adam Humphries, as Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com reports in separate pieces.

Of course, the No. 2 overall pick of this year’s draft, C.J. Stroud, is set to open the season as Houston’s starting quarterback. The Texans are also rostering 2021 third-rounder Davis Mills and established veteran Case Keenum, so unless there is an injury to one of the three passers ahead of him on the depth chart, Perry appears to be in line for, at best, a spot on the practice squad.

After a strong collegiate career that culminated in his earning MVP honors for his performance in the 2022 East-West Shrine Game, Perry initially agreed to sign with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent last year. When it became clear that Philadelphia planned to add fellow quarterback Carson Strong to the roster, Perry pivoted to the Jaguars. He ultimately spent the season on Jacksonville’s taxi squad, and after signing a reserve/futures deal in January, he was waived in March. Houston subsequently claimed him but sent him back to the waiver wire in May.

After being cut by the Texans, Perry signed with the USFL’s Michigan Panthers towards the end of that league’s regular season. He appeared in two games with the club, including an overtime postseason loss in which he completed 23 of 38 passes for two touchdowns and an interception. The dual-threat player added seven carries for 22 yards and a score. As Wilson reports, the Panthers released him from his USFL contract so he could explore another NFL opportunity.

Bolden, now 28, signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent way back in 2017 and returned 19 kicks (20.8 yards per return) and four punts (5.8 yards per return) for the club that year. He was suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season due to a PED violation and ended the campaign as a member of the Bills, for whom he returned five kickoffs. His last game with Buffalo in December 2018 is also the last time he saw regular season action for an NFL club, though he would spend time on the practice squads of the Lions, Cardinals, and Broncos in subsequent years.

Bolden’s efforts as a member of the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions in 2022, which included Wide Receiver and Special Team All-USFL Team acclaim and MVP honors in the 2022 USFL Championship Game, have kept him on the NFL radar. The diminutive speedster has just one NFL catch to his credit but will attempt to crack the back end of Houston’s WR depth chart, which is topped by Nico Collins, John Metchie, and Robert Woods, and which also includes free agent pickup Noah Brown and 2023 draftees Tank Dell and Xavier Hutchinson.

Humphries, 30, has plenty of NFL experience, and from 2018-20, he averaged 64 catches and just under 700 receiving yards per season as a key member of the Bucs’ receiving corps. His last professional action came as a member of the Washington Football Team in 2021, as he was unable to land a contract last season despite working out for the 49ers and Giants.

In corresponding moves, the Texans released cornerback Kendall Sheffield and UDFA running back Xazavian Valladay, who was given a $175K guarantee to sign with Houston.

Washington Signs WR Adam Humphries

Washington’s push to add Adam Humphries produced a contract agreement Thursday afternoon. The former Buccaneers and Titans wide receiver signed with Washington. It’s a one-year deal.

This will reunite Humphries and Ryan Fitzpatrick, Washington’s recently signed quarterback who played with the slot target during his two seasons in Tampa. This move adds another experienced weapon for a Washington receiving corps that entered the offseason with a clear need alongside Terry McLaurin.

Humphries will follow Curtis Samuel to Washington. Although Washington returns a few of its lower-level wideout investments from last season, McLaurin, Samuel and Humphries represent an intriguing trio. Humphries’ Titans contract did not work out, with the team releasing him last month. Humphries is coming off a concussion-marred season. Washington will offer the six-year veteran a bounce-back opportunity, and Fitzpatrick will have a deeper pass-catching corps than he did during his Miami seasons.

A 27-year-old former UDFA, Humphries posted career-high marks in his most recent season with Fitzpatrick. In 2018, Humphries caught 76 passes for 816 yards and five touchdowns. That season also ended with Fitz averaging a historic 9.6 yards per attempt (in seven starts) and ended up securing Humphries a $9MM-AAV contract.

He did not match these numbers over the course of his two-year Titans tenure, but the Clemson alum also exceeded 600 yards during the 2016 and ’17 seasons with the Bucs. If healthy, Humphries provides an interesting weapon for Washington, where he will also join emerging tight end Logan Thomas as inside options for Fitz.

None of Washington’s complementary wideouts surpassed 500 yards in McLaurin’s first two seasons. Samuel and Humphries have combined to exceed 600 five times in their respective careers. These additions stand to help an offense that ranked 32nd in passing two years ago and 25th in 2020.

Washington Hosts Adam Humphries On Visit

Having already made a significant addition to its receiving corps this offseason, Washington is looking for more help for its Terry McLaurin-led crew. Adam Humphries visited Washington on Thursday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Washington signed Curtis Samuel to pair with his former college teammate, but Pelissero adds the team is hoping to complete a deal with Humphries as well. The Titans released Humphries last month, backtracking after their four-year contract agreement in 2019.

Humphries operated as an intriguing slot weapon in Tampa Bay, surpassing 800 receiving yards on a 2018 team that rostered Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and DeSean Jackson. During that 2018 Bucs season, new Washington quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick made several starts. Humphries eclipsed 600 yards in his previous two Bucs seasons, with his Tampa run helping him secure a four-year, $36MM Titans accord. That pact did not work out, with Humphries totaling just 602 yards in two injury-plagued seasons.

Last season, Humphries battled a lingering concussion issue. He suffered the head injury in Week 8 but remained in the protocol for a while. The Titans needed to shelve their slot receiver on IR because of the issue. Humphries played in just one of Tennessee’s final nine games last season. But Washington is looking into the six-year veteran, providing a positive sign for his NFL future.

During McLaurin’s first two seasons, Washington did not roster much in the way of complementary help for its No. 1 receiver. Samuel will change that. Humphries would be an interesting addition as well, but no deal has been agreed to just yet.

Titans To Release WR Adam Humphries

After two seasons, the Titans will move on from Adam Humphries. Tennessee will release its slot receiver, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

The Titans will save $4.75MM by making this move. Signing with the Titans after four seasons with the Buccaneers, Humphries ended up being a non-factor with his new team. The Titans will add some funds during an offseason that features Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith as free agents-to-be.

Coming off an 800-yard season with the 2018 Bucs, Humphries did not top 400 in either of his two Titans seasons. Tennessee leaned on wideouts Davis and A.J. Brown, while keeping its run-oriented offense in place. Humphries battled injuries in both his Titans seasons. His first Tennessee slate involved a late-season ankle injury; his second was capped at seven games.

A concussion ended Humphries’ 2020 season, marking obvious concern about the former UDFA’s NFL future. However, he could receive interest from teams that were in on him in 2019. The Titans outbid the Patriots for the slot target, signing him to a four-year deal worth $36MM. Releasing Humphries will also tag the Titans with $5MM in dead money.

Titans Place Adam Humphries On IR

Adam Humphries is hitting the shelf again. The Titans’ slot receiver will be put back on injured reserve which will sideline him for at least the next three weeks, the team announced Tuesday.

This IR placement is apparently related to ongoing concussion issues he has dealt with, which is never a good sign. Humphries played a big role early in the season, with at least four catches and 41 yards in each of his first four games. Humphries missed around a month with a concussion before returning this past week against the Browns. Considering he was immediately placed back on IR for the same issue, it’s a scary situation.

Obviously, the most important thing is Humphries’ brain health. If everything goes as smoothly as we’d all hope, the earliest he could return would be for Tennessee’s Week 17 game and then potentially the playoffs. The Titans inked the slot receiver to a four-year, $36MM deal in March of 2019.

His first year with the team was a bit of a disappointment, as he finished with only 374 yards in 12 games. That came on the heels of his breakout 2018 season with the Bucs, when he racked up 816 yards and five touchdowns. He looked well on his way to a much better second year in Tennessee before these issues unfortunately derailed it.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/14/20

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

New England Patriots

  • Signed off Jaguars’ practice squad: DL Carl Davis

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Contract Details: Joyner, Titans, Rams, Hart

Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts from around the NFL. Twitter links courtesy of Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, unless otherwise noted.

Titans To Sign Adam Humphries

The Titans have agreed to terms with receiver Adam Humphries, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). The receiver market is moving quickly, with Humphries being the latest wideout to sign.

Humphries isn’t a household name, but we’ve been hearing for a while now he was about to get paid big-time. All the reporting has been that Humphries was seeking around $10MM annually, and he came pretty close. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets that the deal is worth $36MM over four years. The Titans weren’t alone in bidding for Humphries’ services, as they faced stiff competition from the Patriots, a source told Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Russini writes that the Titans were in a bidding war “all day” with the Patriots before they eventually landed him.

In fact, Doug Kyed of NESN.com tweets that the Patriots upped their offer even after Humphries agreed to sign with Tennessee, and that the offer included a higher average annual value and more guaranteed money than Humphries will get from the Titans. However, Humphries never wavered in his decision to head to Nashville.

The slot receiver has been buried behind a ton of talented skill position players in Tampa Bay, but has shown plenty of flashes the past few years.He had the best year of his career last season, catching 76 passes for 816 yards and five touchdowns. The move makes a lot of sense for the Titans, who have been starved for receiver help. Tennessee has Corey Davis, but not much of note behind him in their receiving corp.

Humphries will be a huge asset for Marcus Mariota, and as Pelissero notes in his tweet, Humphries was one of the best receivers in the league on third down last year. The Clemson product went undrafted in 2015, but quickly proved all the evaluators wrong. He should have a chance to surpass his 816 yards from last year with a larger target-share in Tennessee.

Jets, 49ers Interested In Kwon Alexander

The Jets and 49ers are interested in Buccaneers free agent linebacker Kwon Alexander, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter) hears. Stroud also hears that Alexander is seeking a deal that would pay him between $10-$12MM. 

Alexander’s 2018 season ended in October after he suffered a torn ACL. Prior to the injury, the linebacker was discussing an extension with the Bucs, though they were unwilling to break the $10MM/year mark for him.

A fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft, Alexander has started 46 games over three-plus years with the Buccaneers. Last season, he posted 38 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one sack while grading as the No. 53 linebacker at the time of his injury, per Pro Football Focus. In 2017, Alexander earned his first career Pro Bowl selection and graded out as PFF’s No. 37 off-ball ‘backer. In 2016, he registered an eye-popping 145 stops.

The Niners are also expected to pursue C.J. Mosley (Ravens) and Anthony Barr (Vikings), according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports, so the linebacker position is high on their agenda.

Given the interest in Alexander, the Bucs are bracing to lose him, Stroud hears. And, on Monday morning, Alexander texted a group of his teammates telling them he’s going to miss them, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter).

The Buccaneers are in a similar boat with wide receiver Adam Humphries, says Stroud, since Humphries is expected to garner offers of $9MM-$10MM on the open market.