Death to Google Ads! Texans Talk Tip Jar! 🍺😎👍
Thanks for your support!

Texans roster moves

Playoffs

Hall of Fame
What's a Futures Contract?

It's the same as a regular active-roster contract, with the regular rules for minimum veteran salaries, cap charges, signing bonuses, etc. The only difference is that it doesn't take effect until the start of the next League Year (this year, that's March 11 at 4 p.m, per CBS Sports).

Teams can sign players to futures contracts as soon as the previous regular season is over, but the contract won't count against the salary cap or 53-man limit. Instead, it'll count against the salary cap and 90-man camp limit of the following season.

In the meantime, the player goes on the reserve/futures list and can't be signed by any other team.

Who's Eligible for a Futures Contract?

Any player who wasn't on an active roster at the end of the outgoing regular season, according to Andrew Brandt of NationalFootballPost.com. So, if a player was an unrestricted free agent or on any team's practice squad, after Week 17, they can be signed to a futures contract.

Here's the rub of the futures contract: For the most part, they're used on players who weren't quite good enough to justify an active roster spot this season but who teams think just might be worth an active roster spot next season. In many cases, this means teams locking up players currently on their own practice squad or another team's.

Brandt explained that this is a great way of locking up talented young guys on the cusp of breaking out...

Since practice-squad players can be poached by any team willing to sign them to an active contract, a futures deal ensures they'll be in the fold once OTAs and training camp roll around—peace of mind for front offices that would rather be concentrating on keeping its top talent and wooing key veterans at the start of free agency, not scrapping over players who may not make the team.

There's no limit to how many futures contracts a team can sign, as long as it will be under the 90-man roster cap at the beginning of the league year.
 
what would you think if we traded for tavon austin who hasnt been playing well for the rams over the last 2 years but fits the bill of a speedy slot WR that so many of us want??
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
what would you think if we traded for tavon austin who hasnt been playing well for the rams over the last 2 years but fits the bill of a speedy slot WR that so many of us want??
What do you want to trade? Our 1st, 2nd, & Arian Foster?


Yeah, sounds stupid don't it?
 

Playoffs

Hall of Fame
what would you think if we traded for tavon austin who hasnt been playing well for the rams over the last 2 years but fits the bill of a speedy slot WR that so many of us want??
Austin had trouble learning the offense his rookie year and still can't get meaningful numbers on a WR starved team. I think we'd be buying other people's problems.
 

Wolf6151

All Pro
Round 1 (Devante Parker) and Hopkins with AJ in slot.
Parker or Kevin White opposite Hopkins with AJ in the slot sounds good to me. As AJ slows down there's no reason he can't fill the slot spot with great hands while he continues to mentor the young guys.
 
Signed Matt Feiler, James Ferentz, Charles James, Ben Malena, Terrance Parks, Jace Davis, Kourtnei Brown, Uzoma Nwachukwu, Travis Labhart to reserve/futures contracts.
 

Number19

Hall of Fame
The Chronicle is reporting this morning that the Texans have "exclusive rights" to Case Keenum. I wonder if this is the same as a futures/reserve contract? Eddie Pleasant is the only other player carrying this designation.
 

ChampionTexan

Hall of Fame
The Chronicle is reporting this morning that the Texans have "exclusive rights" to Case Keenum. I wonder if this is the same as a futures/reserve contract? Eddie Pleasant is the only other player carrying this designation.
It's not the same as a futures deal.

Any player with three or fewer years in the league and and expiring contract is an Exclusive Rights Free Agent (ERFA). In order for this to have any impact on Case, the Texans have to extend an offer to him by the deadline (which if I'm not mistaken is the beginning of the new league year - March 10). If they extend an offer by the deadline, then Case has two options - accept the offer, or sit out the 2015 season. That's literally all he (or any other tendered ERFA) can do. If the Texans choose to not extend him an offer, then he becomes an unrestricted free agent on that same March 10th date.
 
It's not the same as a futures deal.

Any player with three or fewer years in the league and and expiring contract is an Exclusive Rights Free Agent (ERFA). In order for this to have any impact on Case, the Texans have to extend an offer to him by the deadline (which if I'm not mistaken is the beginning of the new league year - March 10). If they extend an offer by the deadline, then Case has two options - accept the offer, or sit out the 2015 season. That's literally all he (or any other tendered ERFA) can do. If the Texans choose to not extend him an offer, then he becomes an unrestricted free agent on that same March 10th date.
Pretty much! Spot on with your description (ERFA are players with 2 or fewer years I believe)....but yep. Houston can extend him 1 year minimum pay deal and Keenum has to take or not play. I am sure his agent made him aware of this when he signed the 1 year deal for the last two weeks of the season.

From OTC:
Exclusive Rights Free Agent (ERFA)

I’m not even sure why these players are called free. These are the players with 2 or less seasons in the league, a status reserved almost solely for undrafted rookie type players. Once tendered they can only negotiate with their former team. The tender offer is only a one year non-guaranteed contract at the minimum salary level so most teams would use the ERFA designation on players who were on the roster late in the prior year and signed to a 1 year deal. Usually these offers are signed as soon as they are made since nothing is gained by waiting.
 

ChampionTexan

Hall of Fame
Pretty much! Spot on with your description (ERFA are players with 2 or fewer years I believe)....but yep. Houston can extend him 1 year minimum pay deal and Keenum has to take or not play. I am sure his agent made him aware of this when he signed the 1 year deal for the last two weeks of the season.

From OTC:
You're right - it's two years or less, not three.
 

Playoffs

Hall of Fame
PDS ‏@PatDStat
The #Texans are signing DE Tevita Finau (6-4, 283 lbs.) to a futures/reserve contract per @JaysonBraddock. Played at Utah in 2012.
Tevita Finau ‏@T_Finau92
New Start. New Beginning. Grateful to have another oppt to continue to play the sport I love. #Blessed #GoTexans
Jets practice squadder.
 

CloakNNNdagger

Hall of Fame
The Texans signed nine players to reserve/future contracts Today.

Kourtnei Brown OLB
Jace Davis WR
Matt Feiler T
James Ferentz C
Charles James CB
Travis Labhart WR
Ben Malena RB
EZ Nwachukwu WR
Terrance Parks S
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
Parker or Kevin White opposite Hopkins with AJ in the slot sounds good to me. As AJ slows down there's no reason he can't fill the slot spot with great hands while he continues to mentor the young guys.
Need a guy with deep speed, Parker fills the bill more than White. IMHO

AJ has great hands?
 

Runner

Hubcap Diamond
Staff member
I don't remember AJ ever dropping as many passes as he did this year.
IIRC his hands were a problem his first or second year. There was an article or something written about how he spent a lot of time catching balls from the the the football cannon the next training camp. He had much better hands that year, and there was a lot of talk about his work ethic, etc.
 

infantrycak

Hall of Fame
IIRC his hands were a problem his first or second year. There was an article or something written about how he spent a lot of time catching balls from the the the football cannon the next training camp. He had much better hands that year, and there was a lot of talk about his work ethic, etc.
We need to go to a hearth of old. Coming out one of the arguments for Rogers over AJ was his hands were better. He did put a lot of work in with a juggs machine. Combining what you and I said is pretty accurate. He has exceptional hands but from his 2nd or 3rd season when he had such a year, every few years he has a season where he seems human (meaning he comes closer to average) and drops a few.
 

CloakNNNdagger

Hall of Fame
It sure seemed like more than that. I wonder if that is right.
There is no way that number is correct. According to FootballOutsiders, AJ was targeted 147 times and had a catch rate of 58.1%.

Catch Rate represents the percentage of passes to this receiver completed. This is a reference to incomplete passes, not dropped passes: dropped passes are not specified in publicly available play-by-play, and unfortunately we cannot yet correct for this.

We cannot yet fully separate the performance of a receiver from the performance of his quarterback. Be aware that one will affect the other.
This means that 60 of the 147 times (42%) of target to AJ were incomplete. I remember seeing several games where he dropped 2-3 passes which were very catchable. The PFF number would have you believe that 56 of the 60 incompleted passes were on the QB......that just didn't happen.
 

infantrycak

Hall of Fame
There is no way that number is correct. According to FootballOutsiders, AJ was targeted 147 times and had a catch rate of 58.1%.



This means that 60 of the 147 times (42%) of target to AJ were incomplete. I remember seeing several games where he dropped 2-3 passes which were very catchable. The PFF number would have you believe that 56 of the 60 incompleted passes were on the QB......that just didn't happen.
Do you remember tons of drops by Hopkins? His catch rate was 60%. He was also credited with 4 drops. So 47 of his 51 incompletions were attributed to the QB or defender.
 
PFF shows 141 targets with 85 receptions, 60.3% percentage caught. In another section, it shows he had 94 catchable balls (receptions + dropped passes). Drop rate was 34th among WR's playing 50% of snaps.
 

Playoffs

Hall of Fame
ProFootballFocus keeps their own stats and had AJ with 9 drops out of 94 catchable balls for a 9.57% drop rate which put him 34th/50 WRs (>50% of team targets) or 63rd/90 WRs (>25% snaps). His worst drop rate since 2007.

Hopkins, for comparison, had 3 drops and 3.80% drop rate. 8th/50 WRs (>50% snaps)
 

infantrycak

Hall of Fame
ProFootballFocus keeps their own stats and had AJ with 9 drops out of 94 catchable balls for a 9.57% drop rate which put him 34th/50 WRs (>50% of team targets) or 63rd/90 WRs (>25% snaps). His worst drop rate since 2007.

Hopkins, for comparison, had 3 drops and 3.80% drop rate. 8th/50 WRs (>50% snaps)
The whole drop issue is subjective as is catchable but that sounds more realistic to me.
 

Seegara

Guitar Picker, Dog Lover, Woodworker
ProFootballFocus keeps their own stats and had AJ with 9 drops out of 94 catchable balls for a 9.57% drop rate which put him 34th/50 WRs (>50% of team targets) or 63rd/90 WRs (>25% snaps). His worst drop rate since 2007.

Hopkins, for comparison, had 3 drops and 3.80% drop rate. 8th/50 WRs (>50% snaps)
If we knew his drop rates in previous years they would probably be in the same ball park.
 

dalemurphy

Hall of Fame
Drop rate per PFF for Johnson:

2014: 9.57
2013: 8.40
2012: 7.44
2011: 10.81
2010: 6.52
2009: 8.18
2008: 8.80
2007: 3.23
Disregard the 2011 number due to the very small sample size... and there is a clear trend. I don't think his "hands" are less reliable. I think the increased drop rate has more to do with his aging body and resulting loss of flexibility and ability to absorb contact, etc...
 

infantrycak

Hall of Fame
Disregard the 2011 number due to the very small sample size... and there is a clear trend. I don't think his "hands" are less reliable. I think the increased drop rate has more to do with his aging body and resulting loss of flexibility and ability to absorb contact, etc...
Flat line numbers 2008, 9 and 13 and you see a clear trend due to age? You're finding what you want to see.
 

Playoffs

Hall of Fame
Drop rate per PFF for Johnson:

2014: 9.57
2013: 8.40
2012: 7.44
2011: 10.81
2010: 6.52
2009: 8.18
2008: 8.80
2007: 3.23
Drops -- since 2011 ~15 drops = highest
2014: 9
2013: 10
2012: 9
2011: 4 (7 games)
2010: 6 (15 games)
2009: 9
2008: 11
2007: 2 (9 games)
 

JB

Innocent Bystander
Contributor's Club
Drop rates like these are hardly a characteristic of great hands, are they?
Don't know of anyone that's ever accused AJ of 'great' hands... he's got good hands but brings so much more than just good hands to the table
 

dalemurphy

Hall of Fame
Flat line numbers 2008, 9 and 13 and you see a clear trend due to age? You're finding what you want to see.
Similar to your ability to find a way to be argumentative...

I was simply identifying that the 2011 numbers were the result of injury and small sample size. The trend that I alluded to would be the one from 2010-2014. You are correct that those numbers are not sufficient to support an argument that his play has declined due to age alone since his drop rates are higher in 2008 than in some of his later years. However, the trend from 10-14 does support what I have seen on the field- that he hasn't been the same player since the hamstring injury vs. Pittsburgh in 2011 and there has been a steady decline in his play each year since that game.
 
Top