Tracking the Houston Texans 2012 Undrafted Free-Agent Signings
Undrafted free agents are an important roster-building tool for NFL teams. Most of the players signed after the draft won't make NFL rosters, but a couple from every team will.
Here's a complete list of everyone the Texans have signed, based on media reports.
Case Keenum, QB, Houston
Jonathan Grimes, RB, William & Mary
Davin Meggett, RB, Maryland
Jason Ford, FB, Illinois
Jerrell Jackson, WR, Missouri
Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina
Mario Louis, WR, Grambling State
Logan Brock, TE, TCU
Phillip Supernaw, TE, Ouachita Baptist
Nate Menkin, OT, Mary Hardin-Baylor
Cody White, OG, Illinois State
David Hunter, DE, Houston
Rennie Moore, DE, Clemson
Tracy Robertson, DE, Baylor
Loni Fangupo, NT, BYU
Shawn Loiseau, ILB, Merrimack
Greg Williams, ILB, Pittsburgh
D.J. Bryant, OLB, James Madison
Delano Johnson, OLB, Bowie State
Desmond Morrow, S, Toledo
Eddie Pleasant, S, Oregon
QB Case Keenum, Houston
1 of 21"Historic passing production. Good feet—can scramble and buy time. Quick release. Accurate short passer. Rare 48-5 TD-INT ratio as senior. Competitive leader. Is mature and loves football. Hardworking film junkie.
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Odds of Making Final Roster: 50 percent
The Texans only have two quarterbacks on the roster right now, and Schaub is recovering from an injury. Keenum has at least a chance of sticking as a third quarterback or practice squad player.
RB Jonathan Grimes, William & Mary
2 of 21"You want tough, then you also want Grimes, a workhorse who was dominant toward the end of his senior season, finishing with school single-season records of 2,510 all-purpose yards, 1,431 rushing yards and 817 kickoff return yards while earning the All-CAA Football special teams player of the year award. The 5-10, 207-pounder doesn't wow people with any one measurable, but they add up nicely. He's a north-south runner who has a decent burst after getting through the line of scrimmage. No FCS senior ended his career with more rushing yards (4,541). He's a versatile player with both pass-catching and return ability.
"
Odds of Making the Final Roster: 10 percent
Running back is crowded for the Texans, and Grimes would have to show something special to break through.
RB Davin Meggett, Maryland
3 of 21"Positives: Built low to the ground with a thick, muscular physique. Bench-presses twice his weight. Plays bigger than his size. Good quickness. Finishes runs. Takes care of the football. Shows willingness as a blocker. Hardworking and durable. Team-first and football-smart. Has NFL bloodlines.
Negatives: Lacks ideal height. Tight hips. Has below-average timed speed. Average vision and instincts. Wastes movement going east and west. Not elusive or creative. Minimal receiving production (lets throws into his body). Limited base strength as a blocker and will duck his head and whiff.
"
Odds of Making the Final Roster: 10 percent
It's going to take more than a great bloodline to succeed at the next level.
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FB Jason Ford, Illinois
4 of 21"Positives: Thick, muscular build and a sturdy trunk (squats 600 pounds). Good feet and balance. Runs hard. Powers through arm tackles. Functional short receiver. Flashes potential as a blocker.
Negatives: Has very short arms. Does not always play to his size. Weight has fluctuated. Tight hips (veers more than he cuts). Average instincts. Dull burst. Carries the ball loosely and ball security has been an issue (five fumbles in 2011). Needs to improve his route running. Inconsistent eyes and awareness in pass protection. Could require patience grasping a complex playbook.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster 30 percent
He's have to upset James Casey for the fullback roll, but if there's an injury, he's got a shot.
WR Jerrell Jackson, Missouri
5 of 21"Positives: Has long arms. Fluid and flexible. Explosive athlete with outstanding leaping ability (41-inch vertical). Quick feet—can slip the jam, get in and out of breaks cleanly and uncover short-to-intermediate. Sits down in zone windows. Terrific body control and hip swivel to adjust and contort. Catches with his hands. Is tough and will sacrifice his body to make a play. Squats 500 pounds and bench-pressed 225 pounds 22 times at the Combine, tied for best among receivers.
Negatives: Workout numbers exceed tape performance. Average career production. Needs to bulk up his frame and get stronger. Struggles to combat press coverage and stay on his route. Inconsistent downfield receiving. Has been nicked up with minor injuries. Could stand to sustain better as a blocker.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster: 10 percent
It's going to be tough to beat out any of the draft picks for a slot, but Jackson has some great natural ability and is a physical freak. If he can show the team enough, they might find his size and strength too much to pass up on.
WR Dwight Jones, North Carolina
6 of 21"Positives: Excellent size and length—big-bodied target. Boxes out smaller cornerbacks. Good acceleration and body control for a big receiver. Deceptive vertical speed. Tracks the ball over his shoulder. Gets himself open if given a free release. Can sidestep tacklers and shows some giddyup to chew up run-after-catch yards. Very good two-year production. Lined up inside and outside. Has some upside.
Negatives: Straight-linish. Unrefined route runner—does not sell his patterns. Needs to learn to sink his hips and does not pop out of breaks. Lets throws into his body and drops catchable balls (see Missouri). Physicality and competitiveness in a crowd are merely adequate. Yields some break points and will pull up short. Poor blocker. Requires simple assignments (had difficulty grasping concepts at the Senior Bowl). Disappointing effort giving up on bad balls at the Combine. Does not factor on special teams.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster 10 percent
Again, natural gifts only take you so far. You have to be a football player, not an athlete in the NFL.
WR Mario Louis, Grambling State
7 of 21"At his recent pro day he measured in at 6’0" and 195 pounds. He ran a 4.56 second 40-yard dash on what has been described as one of the slowest tracks around.
Louis caught 51 passes for 1,159 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior at Grambling State. Head coach Doug Williams has called Louis the best NFL prospect he has ever coached. Louis is drawing interest from the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster: 10 percent
He hasn't played football for very long, but perhaps he can convince the team he's worth developing on the practice squad.
TE Logan Brock, TCU
8 of 21"Lacks ideal size and was used lightly in the passing game at TCU, but put himself on the radar with a solid pro-day workout. Versatile blocker who competes and works to gain positioning. Runs well and shows dependable hands in few chances as a receiver. Could become the latest Horned Frogs prospect to sneak into the late rounds.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster: 50 percent
The Texans only have a couple of tight ends on the roster now, so if someone can make a case for himself in camp, there's a job waiting in the NFL.
TE Phillip Supernaw, Ouachita Baptist
9 of 21"We talked about his pro day results and he felt he had a really good workout. He ran a 4.69-second 40-yard dash. His vertical jump was 32 1/2” and his broad jump was 9’2”. He put up 18 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press. His short shuttle time was 4.6 seconds and three-cone drill time was 7.1 seconds.
Supernaw was All-Conference for three of his four years at college. Ouachita Baptist was a member of the Gulf South Conference through 2010 and in 2011 they became members of the Great American Conference.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster: 50 percent
Again, a tight end is going to make this team who wasn't on it last year. Supernaw could fit the bill.
OT Nate Menkin, Mary Hardin-Baylor
10 of 21Menkin is 6'4", 296 lbs.
There is little other information available on him.
Odds of Making the Final Roster: Incomplete
I can't make any judgement of his abilities at all. The Texans have three true tackles on the roster, so there's room for competition.
OG Cody White, Illinois State
11 of 21"The Illinois prep played tight end, defensive end and punted in addition to being a four-year starter on the basketball team. Redshirted in 2007. Saw action in 11 games as a tight end in ’08, catching one pass for 10 yards against Youngstown State. Was a 10-game starter at tight end in ’09, grabbing 16-193-1 (12.1) and missing only the Illinois game with a torn PCL in his right knee. Was moved to the offensive line during ’10 spring practice and played in all 11 games in the fall, spending time at both tackle positions. Started all 11 games in ’11 at left tackle and was part of a line that allowed only three sacks during the season.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster: 30 percent
He can do a little of everything. If he proves versatile in camp, the Texans might be able to find a spot for him.
DE David Hunter, Houston
12 of 21"David Hunter, Houston, 6-2, 295, 4.95, SR…Hard-working 5T DE; isn’t going to make a lot of plays himself, but ties up blockers and can hold the point of attack; low-based player with good leg drive and; gets off the snap quickly and can track the ball; also has some lateral range, but doesn’t change direction all that well; had 51 tackles last year, including 2.5 sacks and 5.5 other stop for loss.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster: Less than five percent
The Texans have so many defensive ends, I can't see there being much room for a UDFA.
DE Rennie Moore, Clemson
13 of 21"Positives: Flashes suddenness and disruptive ability. Good feet and athletic ability. Plays with strength and leverage vs. the run—extends his arms, drops his base and can hold his ground. Good range and closing burst—can chase plays down from the back side. Flashes a spin move. Generates some pop on contact as a tackler. Has played inside and outside.
Negatives: Marginal bulk. Needs to get stronger. Does not have a powerful body. Inconsistent get-off. Tight hips. Hand use needs to be coached up—tends to bump and rip instead of using his hands combatively. Inconsistent leverage. Average production. Only a one-year starter. Has underachiever traits. Maturity, dependability and coachability need to be evaluated—struggled with work ethic, conditioning and discipline as a younger player.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster: 10 percent
He's a talented player, but the Texans are deep.
DE Tracy Robertson, Baylor
14 of 21Robertson is a converted end who played tackle at Baylor.
Odds of Making the Final Roster: Less than five percent
There are too many better players already on board.
NT Loni Fangupo, BYU
15 of 21"Positives: Has overall body thickness, natural girth, large hands and tree-trunk legs. Very strong—bench-pressed 225 pounds 36 times at the Combine. Plays with a stout base and has two-gap ability. Roots himself vs. double-teams. Heavy-handed to stack and shed. Light on his feet for a big man. Deployed in multiple alignments.
Negatives: Lacks ideal height. Heavy legs.Average suddenness and flexibility. Can play with more consistent leverage—more easily moved when his pads rise. Limited range. Clocked a slow 3-cone drill time of 7.95 seconds. Does not factor on third down—marginal pass-rush value. Overaged—will be a 27-year-old rookie.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster: 30 percent
If you can make an impression as a big-bodied nose tackle, you can make an NFL roster.
ILB Shawn Loiseau, Merrimack
16 of 21"Loiseau became a full-time starter as a sophomore and wound up setting a school record for tackles, with 123, and tied for the national lead with 12.3 tackles per game. He was second nationally in tackles as a junior and senior.
Loiseau earned an invite to the East-West Shrine Game, and then to the annual NFL Combine, an honor bestowed upon just a couple of Division 2 players a year.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster: Less than five percent
The odds are against him, but they always have been.
ILB Greg Williams, Pittsburgh
17 of 21"A starter at Sam linebacker the past three seasons, Williams will transition to outside linebacker (the "Panther") this year...this position switch should take fuller advantage of Williams' ability to play in space or on the edge...originally joined Pitt as a running back prospect...has three defensive touchdowns for his career.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster: 10 percent
He has a knack for making plays, but the Texans are deep defensively.
OLB D.J. Bryant, James Madison
18 of 21"Also played wide receiver and was a member of three state championship basketball teams as a Maryland prep. Redshirted in 2007. Appeared in six games as a backup in ’08, recording nine tackles, one tackle for loss and zero sacks. Started 9-of-11 games in ’09, including the final seven, at right defensive end and posted 32-6 1/2-4 1/2 with four passes batted, one interception and a blocked kick. Played in all 11 games in ’10, starting six of the first seven at left defensive end, while totaling 34-8-2 1/2 with three pass breakups and one forced fumble. Team captain.
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OLB Delano Johnson, Bowie State
19 of 21"Johnson was a playmaker on special teams while occasionally displaying force and skill on defense. He has the measurables to be used at defensive end or outside linebacker in a 3-4 alignment, and his knack for blocking kicks could help secure a roster spot this season.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster: 20 percent
If he manages to show that same propensity for blocking kicks, the Texans could find a place for him.
S Desmond Marrow, Toledo
20 of 21"Tall college corner who looks the part—big, long and muscular—but missed a lot of games at Toledo because of head, knee (ACL, meniscus), hamstring and shoulder injuries. Healthy as a sixth-year senior, recorded 83 tackles and 18 passes defended. Can’t survive at corner, but has intriguing size and speed to consider as a safety if he tackles well enough and proves valuable on special teams. Turns 25 in December.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster: 25 percent
Safeties get hurt. Teams always need viable safety prospects who can hit on special teams.
S Eddie Pleasant, Oregon
21 of 21"Positives: Thickly built. Active near the line of scrimmage. Runs the alley. Has a desire to make plays—fights to get off blocks and is an aggressive tackler. Competes and likes to bang. Has a special-teams mentality.
Negatives: Tightly wound—physically and emotionally. Not an explosive athlete. Average speed and flexibility. Exposed in space. At times arrives out of control and struggles to break down. Liability in coverage. Limited ball skills. Will require patience grasping complex defensive assignments. Has a short fuse that has led to flags.
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Odds of Making the Final Roster: 35 percent
If he can keep his head on straight, he's got a real shot to make the team.
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