Houston Texans

Notable Texans cut by the team on Saturday include: LB Xavier Adibi, LB Mister Alexander, DE Scooter Berry, SS Quintin Demps, WR Dorin Dickerson, LB Steven Friday, DE John Graves, TE Anthony Hill, WR Trindon Holliday, SS Shiloh Keo, LB Stanford Keglar, LB Matt Marcorelle, WR Jeff Maehl, DT Guy Miller, RB Chris Ogbonnaya, FB Zac Pauga, WR Derrick Townsel, RB Javarris Williams and S Torri Williams.

Houston RB Derrick Ward found pay dirt in the Week 10 victory in Tampa Bay. Ward wasn't a major factor on offense as he rushed the ball 11 times for 36 yards in the game. That said, Ward was given the ball late in the third quarter and he scored from 4 yards out to give the Texans a 30-3 lead at the time over the Buccaneers. Ward did not make a catch in the game.

Texans RB Ben Tate was held off the stat sheet in Sunday's playoff loss to the Ravens. Tate didn't get one carry and was targeted just once in the passing game, which ended up an incomplete pass.

The Bucs, along with most of the NFL, made their final cuts on Saturday before the deadline. Among the casualties were RB Armando Allen Jr., S Ahmad Black, QB Rudy Carpenter, QB Jonathan Crompton, WR Ed Gant, TE Daniel Hardy, S Dominique Harris, LB Brandon Heath, LB Simoni Lawrence, RB Mossis Madu, DE Alex Magee, TE Nathan Overbay, WR Maurice Price (Injury Settlement), TE Ryan Purvis, FB/LB Nick Reveiz, K Jacob Rogers, LB Derrell Smith and DT Al Woods.

NFL.com reports Wednesday that the Texans have placed injured QB Matt Schaub (foot) on injured reserve. Schaub's season is officially over. The Texans signed QB Kellen Clemens to back up new starter Matt Leinart Week 12 at Jacksonville.

Foot - IR. Out for the season. Questionable for start of 2012 training camp

The Chicago Bears cut a pair of first-day draft picks in the 2007 NFL Draft in DE Dan Bazuin and LB Michael Okwo on Saturday. Among the other cuts to get the roster down to 53 players were: DE Ervin Baldwin, CB Trey Brown, DE Joe Clermond, WR Mike Hass, LB Joey LaRocque, TE Fontel Mines, DE Nick Osborn, S Leonard Peters, RB P.J. Pope, WR Brandon Rideau and TE Marcus Stone.

The Houston Chronicle reports Texans DL Tim Bulman was waived Tuesday to make room on the 53-man roster for WR David Anderson.

Texans RB Lawrence Vickers gained yardage for the first time all season in a Week 15 loss to the Panthers. While Vickers did not run the ball in the game, he did get targeted four times, and he caught all four passes for 29 yards.

Texans DB Danieal Manning had surgery Monday to fix his left fibula, which was injured in Week 7 against the Titans. He is out at least four weeks. "We think there’s an opportunity for him to come back this year. We'd love to get him back before this season’s over," coach Gary Kubiak said of Manning. Troy Nolan moves into the starting lineup at free safety with Manning sidelined.

Ankle - Missed Divisional Playoff game at Baltimore

The Texans placed DB Dominique Barber (undisclosed) on injured reserve Wednesday and promoted DB Shiloh Keo to the active roster.

Undisclosed - IR. Out for the season

The Texans couldn't overcome three interceptions thrown by QB T.J. Yates in a 20-13 Divisional playoff loss to the Ravens on Sunday. The final interception proved to be the most costly as Yates was driving Houston for the game-tying score with 2 minutes left, but his deep pass intended for Andre Johnson was picked off by Ed Reed at Baltimore's 4-yard line. Yates completed 17 of 35 passes for 184 yards.

Texans DL Connor Barwin collected a sack in Week 15 against the Panthers, raising his season's total to 10.5. He also recorded three tackles in the game.

The Houston Texans signed the following players to their practice squad on Sunday: LB Kevis Coley, WR Darnell Jenkins, DT Gabe Long, DE Jesse Nading, CB Derrick Roberson, WR Mark Simmons and RB Darius Walker. Also, the team signed DE Stanley McClover from the Carolina Panthers off waivers.

With Owen Daniels (knee) on the inactives list for Week 17 against the Titans, TE Joel Dreessen will get the start in his place. Dreessen himself had been on the injury report with a knee injury.

Texans WR Bryant Johnson played a key role late in Week 17's loss to the Titans. Johnson was not targeted until the fourth quarter, but in the final period he made a 40-yard catch, and then he ended the game's scoring with a 5-yard touchdown reception. The last time that Johnson scored a touchdown was in the final week of the 2009-10 season, when he played for the Lions. In addition to his 45 receiving yards, Johnson ran the ball once for 1 yard.

Texans DB Danieal Manning, who recently returned from a three-game absence for a broken fibula, was the team's leading tackler Week 14 at Cincinnati. He finished with 11 tackles, including eight solo.

The Texans announced Wednesday that they signed QB Jeff Garcia, who played for Texans quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp with the San Francisco 49ers from 1999-2003. Garcia tried out last week with Houston before the team signed Jake Delhomme. “I almost signed ‘em both a week ago,” coach Gary Kubiak said. "All this time that we’re having to spend with Jake to get him ready for an emergency situation, what I saw Knapper and Rico (offensive coordinator Rick Dennison) go through last week, I said, ‘You know, let’s bring him in here. Let’s do it with both of them, so if we do hit a problem, at least we’ve got two guys vested in what we’re doing and two veterans who have played in some big games.’ I thought that was important at this point.”

Houston placed LB Darryl Sharpton on season-ending injured reserve Wednesday because of a quad injury. The Texans signed LB Mister Alexander from the practice squad to take his spot on the roster.

Quad - IR. Out for the season

Texans LB DeMeco Ryans (elbow, wrist, hamstring) is active for Week 9 vs. Cleveland after being probable on the injury report.

Texans K Neil Rackers almost had a perfect day in a 20-13 Divisional playoff loss to the Ravens on Sunday. Rackers' only blemish came as his 50-yard field-goal attempt in the third quarter hit the crossbar. Rackers converted from 33 and 40 yards, while making his lone extra point.

Texans DB Sherrick McManis recorded his first interception of the season in Week 5 against the Giants. McManis was also credited with a pass defended, but did not record a tackle in the 34-10 loss.

The Texans signed WR Jeff Maehl from their practice squad to the active roster on Tuesday. Maehl is expected to help Houston's depleted receiving corps and assists on special teams.

Injured Texans outside linebacker Mario Williams says he's healing "extremely fast" in his recovery from a torn chest muscle that will sideline him the rest of this season. The 6-foot-6, 283-pound Williams left in the first quarter of Houston's 25-20 loss to Oakland on Oct. 9. He was placed on injured reserve and had surgery, his second operation in less than a year. Williams says his recovery is "actually going too well," though he set no timeline on when he'd be able to restart football-related activities.

Pectoral - IR. Out for the season

Texans DB Jonathan Joseph is a healthy inactive for Week 17's game against the Titans, according to multiple sources. Jason Allen will start in his place.

The Steelers announced Thursday they have signed seven free agents, including S Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith, who signed Wednesday. Also signed off the practice squad: WR Tyler Grisham, DE Sunny Harris, TE Eugene Bright, LB Chris Ellis and OT Kyle Jolly. Pittsburgh also added local product WR Wes Lyons, an undrafted free agent with the Jets last year.

The Texans have signed fourth-round pick Garrett Graham, a tight end out of Wisconsin. The 6-foot-3, 241-pound Graham was selected with the 118th overall pick. Graham's 16 touchdown receptions for the Badgers were a school record for a tight end. He finished his college career with 121 catches for 1,492 yards and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection as a junior and senior.

The Texans signed DL Jesse Nading to the active roster Wednesday.

The Houston Texans cut WR Trindon Holliday on Tuesday and signed DB Quintin Demps to the active roster. Holliday was the team's sixth-round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Texans RB Arian Foster, who was selected to his second Pro Bowl, won’t play because of an injury to his foot. There was no mention of the injury following Foster's performance against Baltimore in the divisional round of the playoffs when he ran for 132 yards and a touchdown and also caught five passes for 22 yards. The report says the Texans also would like to sign Foster to a long-term deal. If they are unable to, they will tender him at the maximum and would match any offer he receives from another team.

Foot - Probable for start of training camp

Texans DB Kareem Jackson recorded his first interception of the season Week 13 against the Falcons, picking off QB Matt Ryan in the first quarter. He also had three tackles, all solo.

Texans DB Glover Quin (head) was not listed among the inactives for Sunday of Week 1 against the Colts. He practiced in full all week.

For their Week 17 loss to the Titans, the Texans went once again with T.J. Yates under center, but the rookie injured his left shoulder on the first drive, so Jake Delhomme took over for the remainder of the game. In his first game of the season, Delhomme completed 18 of 28 passes for 211 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown throw to WR Bryant Johnson in the closing seconds of the game. Delhomme did not throw an interception, but he did lose a fumble in the second quarter.

Texans WR Andre Johnson went over 100 yards in a 20-13 Divisional playoff loss to the Ravens. Johnson led the team with 111 yards on eight catches, with his longest reception going 19 yards. Johnson was also targeted 15 times in the loss.

Houston LB Brian Cushing registered a team-high eight tackles, including one for a loss, during the Texans' 31-10 victory over Cincinnati in the AFC Wild Card round on Saturday. It was the sixth time this season Cushing has posted at least eight stops in a single game.

The Texans promoted LB Mister Alexander to the roster on Tuesday. He had been on the practice squad.

Houston WR Kevin Walter has been dealing with a quadriceps injury, but was able to lead his team in receiving yards versus Indianapolis in Week 16. Walter got the start in place of the injured Andre Johnson. Walter caught all three passes thrown his way for 47 yards. The Texans ended up losing the game, 19-16, however.

Texans DB Jason Allen (thumb) was listed as active for Week 17 against the Titans. He will start in place of Johnathan Joseph, who was a healthy inactive.

Notable Vikings players let go on Saturday include: TE Jeff Dugan, LB Heath Farwell, DE Stylez G. White, DE David Akinniyi, WR Emmanuel Arceneaux, FB Matt Asiata, WR Stephen Burton, DB Tony Carter, RB Tristan Davis, FB Ryan D'Imperio, LB David Herron, DB Ryan Hill, LB Ross Homan, WR Juaquin Iglesias, WR Jaymar Johnson, DT Tremaine Johnson, RB Caleb King, DE Cedric McKinley, DB Cord Parks, RB Alexander Robinson and DB Devon Torrence.

Texans LB Brooks Reed totaled eight tackles (six solo) and 2 1/2 sacks during a 20-13 Divisional playoff loss to the Ravens on Sunday. He also had one forced fumble. Reed had 3 1/2 sacks in two playoff games.

Buffalo released LB Alvin Bowen on Tuesday. They signed rookie LB Marcus Freeman, who was drafted in the 5th round by Chicago.

The Sports Xchange notes Texans defensive end Tim Jamison came off the bench against Baltimore in Week 7 and played inside. He registered his first two sacks of the season. One forced a fumble that he recovered to set up a touchdown. "It's a crying shame we didn't win because Timmy probably would've been our player of the game," coach Gary Kubiak said. "He had a chance for another sack and slipped. When I watch him, I see a young Antonio (Smith). He played the most he's played this season, and he played his best. We're going to see more of him."

Taking advantage of the absence of TE Owen Daniels (knee) and a limited role for WR Andre Johnson, TE James Casey played a prominent role in the Texans' passing game in Week 17. Casey led Houston with 91 receiving yards on seven catches in a 23-22 loss to the Titans. Over the first 15 games of the season, Casey had made just 11 catches for 169 yards.

Texans rookie DL Earl Mitchell recorded the first sack of his career Week 15 at Tennessee. It was his only tackle.

The Houston Texans have signed free agent linebacker Tim Dobbins. He was cut by the Dolphins on Monday.

Houston DB Brice McCain picked off Tampa Bay QB Josh Freeman on Sunday of Week 10 in a win for the Texans. McCain finished the game with two tackles. The INT was the second of the season for McCain.

The Texans spent all but two picks on the defensive side of the ball in April's draft, and they selected three players to help in their porous secondary. Miami CB Brandon Harris (Round 2), Virginia Tech CB Rashad Carmichael (Round 4) and Idaho SS Shiloh Keo (Round 5) were added to a rebuilding Texans defense. The 5-foot-9, 191-pound Harris started 32 games for Miami and intercepted four balls and broke up 28 passes in three seasons with the Hurricanes. Carmichael deflected 16 passes and intercepted nine in his college career. Keo intercepted 11 passes and made 358 tackles in 55 career games at Idaho. He also returned kicks in college, and set a school record with 585 punt-return yards.

The Chicago Tribune reports that FB Jason Davis was signed off the Bears' practice squad by the Raiders on Monday, according to his agent.

Notable Texans cut by the team on Saturday include: LB Xavier Adibi, LB Mister Alexander, DE Scooter Berry, SS Quintin Demps, WR Dorin Dickerson, LB Steven Friday, DE John Graves, TE Anthony Hill, WR Trindon Holliday, SS Shiloh Keo, LB Stanford Keglar, LB Matt Marcorelle, WR Jeff Maehl, DT Guy Miller, RB Chris Ogbonnaya, FB Zac Pauga, WR Derrick Townsel, RB Javarris Williams and S Torri Williams.

Texans DL Shaun Cody had his most productive game of the year in Week 6 against the Chiefs. He recorded five solo tackles and assisted on four more in the 35-31 win. Among his nine tackles was one for a loss.

Texans TE Owen Daniels managed two catches for 26 yards in a 20-13 Divisional playoff loss to the Ravens on Sunday. He was targeted three times.

The Texans placed DB Dominique Barber (undisclosed) on injured reserve Wednesday and promoted DB Shiloh Keo to the active roster.

Texans DL Antonio Smith padded his sack total in the season's final week, as he recorded two sacks in a Week 17 loss to the Titans. He finished the regular season with 6.5 sacks. Smith also recorded two tackles in the game.

Texans WR Jacoby Jones caught a pass late in the fourth quarter after it bounced off two Colts' defenders, keeping a drive alive. Houston managed to extend its lead with a field goal on that drive, but they would still fall to the Colts in Week 16, 19-16. Jones finished the game with one carry for 15 yards and two receptions for 27 yards.

Texans DB Quintin Demps totaled two solo tackles and one interception in Week 9 vs. Cleveland. It was his second career interception and first since 2009.

Houston shifted QB Matt Leinart (shoulder) to season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday. The move created a roster spot for the Texans to add veteran QB Jake Delhomme. Leinart, who was filling in for injured QB Matt Schaub, suffered a fractured collarbone during his first start against Jacksonville in Week 12. He will have surgery next week.

Shoulder - IR. Out for the season

Texans rookie CB Roc Carmichael will be sidelined for about a week with a sprained shoulder sustained on Sunday. "He should be back ready to compete in camp," said coach Gary Kubiak of the rookie fifth-rounder from Virginia Tech.

Texans DL J.J. Watt totaled 12 tackles (nine solo) and 2 1/2 sacks during a 20-13 Divisional playoff loss to the Ravens on Sunday. He had 3 1/2 sacks, one interception and one touchdown in two playoff games.

The Texans also placed WRs Devard Darling and Lestar Jean on IR on Tuesday.

Shoulder - IR. Out for the season