The Texans are heading into Week 1 with Tank Dell set to begin the season on injured reserve, and Nick Caserio made it clear the receiver is moving in the right direction even if he’s not there yet.
“He is close. He is not quite there, which is why he’s in the category that he’s in.
I think we’ll have a better idea with a lot of these guys after four weeks, four games, whatever it is. I’d say he’s definitely closer now than he was let’s say in Training Camp.
There’s a little bit more work that remains. But overall, he’s in pretty good spirits.
There are certain things we just have to see. Some of this too, is honestly for him mentally to make sure he has enough confidence that he can go out there and perform the way he’s capable of, the way he knows how to.”
Houston also kept undrafted DE Sabastian Harsh on the active roster, and DeMeco Ryans said Harsh forced the issue with the way he played.
“Earned his way onto the team, found way to make plays. You see a guy with the motor he has, strength he has, playmaking he has, the talent he has, we’re not going to let a guy like that get away.”
Ryans had similar praise for undrafted CB Collin Wright, pointing to his consistency and his ability to attack the ball.
“Very consistent, never shied away, found a way to make a play on the football. They earned the right to be on the team. Both guys can help us win football games.”
There’s also a new face in the Texans’ receiver room after the team acquired Kayshon Boutte from the Patriots. Boutte said he isn’t taking Mike Vrabel’s comment personally after Vrabel said he would’ve been inactive in New England, and he’s not treating it as “motivation” for Week 1.
On the offensive line, Caserio called G Keylan Rutledge “their best offensive lineman.”
He also explained the thinking behind the trade for OL Nate Thomas from Dallas:
“Coming out, raw player, but good size, strength. Had to block some decent players last year.
He played on both sides. Young player, that one came together pretty quickly Sunday, mid-day, we agreed on Dallas trade, hung up phone then agreed on San Fran trade (Jarrett Patterson), a player Cole (Popovich) like coming out.”
In Jacksonville, the Jaguars added quarterback Quinn Ewers from the Dolphins after the preseason, and GM James Gladstone said the deal came together after they looked at “a couple of different options.”
“We were exploring a couple of different options. Saturday morning was first time we engaged in conversations with Dolphins.”
Gladstone also said the team is comfortable discussing a possible extension with Parker Washington during the regular season. Washington is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the Jaguars are “fine” with talking to his camp while the season is underway.
On the injury front, Gladstone said he’s confident right guard Patrick Mekari, who had back surgery, can be activated from injured reserve in Week 4.
In Other News...
Will Levis' NFL Return Chance Emerges After Messy Titans Exit
Will Levis next NFL opportunity may be taking shape quickly after his messy exit from Tennessee. The former Titans quarterback worked out with the New York Jets as the team looks to bolster its practice squad, a move that comes as the quarterback room there continues to settle around Cade Klubnik, who was named the Jets backup quarterback.
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said the team is exploring options to add players to the practice squad, including veteran quarterbacks, which keeps Levis in the mix. He was among the quarterbacks competing for a backup job alongside Jack Plummer, and for Tennessee fans the immediate question is whether this latest look becomes a real landing spot or just another stop in a fast-moving search. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Have 4 Young Names Who Could Force Bigger Roles
With the Titans settling on their 53-man roster and practice squad for 2026, the attention now shifts from cutdown decisions to the players who can actually change the feel of the season. Tennessees roster still has a youthful lean, and that creates opportunity as much as uncertainty, especially on a team trying to build something more stable around an offense and defense still taking shape.
Elic Ayomanor, Jacob Martin, Gunnar Helm and Tyjae Spears are among the names worth watching because each sits in a spot where performance can quickly alter his role. The defense has been remade under Robert Saleh, and the offense has rookies and second-year players trying to do more than just fill out the depth chart. For the Titans, the next layer of progress may come less from big-name additions than from which young players force the coaching staff to keep them on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Have A Familiar Practice Squad Battle Fans Will Watch Closely
Robert Salehs label for the practice squad as the Next 16 is more than coachspeak, and it fits the way the Titans are approaching the end of the roster. Tennessee has long treated those spots as something closer to an extension of the active group, with players expected to stay ready and step in when injuries or depth issues create openings. In that sense, the current group feels less like a holding pattern and more like a waiting room with purpose.
Among the names worth tracking are Restrepo, Diabate, Hallett and Reed, four players who have already spent time around the Titans and now look like the most obvious candidates to move up when the opportunity comes. Their preseason work put them in the conversation, and the roster needs around them only sharpen the interest. For fans, it is the kind of familiar practice-squad battle that often matters more than it seems, because the next call-up could come from this group before long. [Read more 🡒]