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Houston Texans News: Former Texans QB signs with Bears

Houston Texans News: Former Texans QB signs with Bears

Yahoo08-04-2025
Houston Texans News: Former Texans QB signs with Bears
See you, space cowboy. | Photo byHouston Texans News
Houston Texans 2025 NFL draft picks: Selection analysis (ABC 13 KTRK)
Houston Texans Predicted to Make Head-Turning NFL Draft Decision (Sports Illustrated)
Texans urged to sign $49 million All-Pro offensive lineman to protect C.J. Stroud (Sporting News)
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Case Keenum agrees to terms with the Bears (Pro Football Talk)
[Ed. Note: See you, space cowboy.]
NFL News
Sources: Raiders cut CB Jones after trade efforts (ESPN.com)
Dolphins OL Armstead, 33, announces retirement (ESPN.com)
Buffs coach: Stars 'should be going 1-2' in draft (ESPN.com)
Sources: Chargers add QB Lance on 1-year deal (ESPN.com)
7-time Pro Bowl receiver Jones officially retires (ESPN.com)
Jackson-Earnhardt Jr. trademark dispute resolved (ESPN.com)
Backup plan: Cowboys trade for Pats QB Milton (ESPN.com)
Judge dismisses lawsuit over Favre reporting (ESPN.com)
Houston & Collegiate Sports
'Clutch City lives on' | Former Houston Rockets' star passes torch to the Cougars after win over Duke (CBS 11 KHOU)
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Houston comeback or Duke collapse? Inside Cougars' stunning 14-point turnaround to win Final Four thriller (CBS Sports)
Early guide to Florida vs. Houston — and how they reached the national title game (ESPN.com)
Rockets make a statement in 106-96 win over the Warriors (The Dream Shake)
'Better than Draymond': Is Rockets star Defensive Player of the Year? (Chron.com)
Another stunning comeback: Astros score 8 unanswered to shock Twins (MLB.com)
Logan VanWey called up to the Astros, but who is he? (Chron.com)
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Ravens' Roquan Smith selected as one of NFL's best 40 players
Ravens' Roquan Smith selected as one of NFL's best 40 players

USA Today

time9 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Ravens' Roquan Smith selected as one of NFL's best 40 players

Former Georgia Bulldogs earn lots of recognition in the NFL and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith became the fifth Georgia player to be named to the top 100, placing at No. 40. Smith and the rest of the top 100 are ranked by their NFL peers. Smith is one of the best active NFL players that played for the Georgia Bulldogs. Ever since he was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the eighth selection in the 2018 NFL draft, he's been one of the best middle linebackers in the league. Through seven seasons, Smith totaled 1,005 tackles, 63 tackles for loss, and 21.5 sacks. Smith became the youngest player in NFL history to reach 1,000 career tackles during the 2024 season. He ranks third among all Georgia NFL players in tackles and 10th in tackles for loss. He has three Pro Bowl selections, two second-team All-Pro selections and three first-team All-Pro selections. He's played with confidence for all of his career, so much so that after the Bears traded Smith to the Ravens in 2022, Smith negotiated his own contract extension, and he ended up signing a five-year, $100 million extension, the richest contract of any linebacker in the league at that point. In 2024, Smith was fifth in the league in combined tackles (154), earning four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks on his way to his third first-team All-Pro and third Pro Bowl selection. Before his time in the NFL, Smith was just as good at Georgia. From 2015-17, Smith earned 252 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. In 2017, his junior season, he finished 10th in Heisman voting and was named the 2017 SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Roquan Smith ranked No. 40 in NFL top 100 Georgia Bulldogs in the NFL 100 (more players still TBA) Follow UGAWire on Instagram or Threads!

2025 NFL Odds: Bears' Success Relies on Williams-Johnson Connection
2025 NFL Odds: Bears' Success Relies on Williams-Johnson Connection

Fox Sports

time39 minutes ago

  • Fox Sports

2025 NFL Odds: Bears' Success Relies on Williams-Johnson Connection

National Football League 2025 NFL Odds: Bears' Success Relies on Williams-Johnson Connection Published Aug. 15, 2025 11:54 a.m. ET share facebook x reddit link The 2024 NFL season did not go as planned for the Bears. Chicago spent the No. 1 pick on USC quarterback Caleb Williams and expected to see the franchise transform into a winner immediately. Not only did it not achieve that goal, the coaching staff was fired and the roster underwent major changes after the season. Will these changes pay dividends in 2025? The Bears hired Ben Johnson away from the Lions to be the head coach but, more importantly, to be the mentor and "fixer" for Williams. The Bears traded for two offensive guards, including the Chiefs' Joe Thuney, who is a fixture as one of the league's best left guards. They also added a center to round out the offensive line. Chicago is young at tackle, but experienced and skilled inside. The Bears drafted Rome Odunze along with Williams last season and then nabbed tight end Colston Loveland in the 2025 draft. Alongside running back D'Andre Swift and other receiving options, the Bears are plenty talented on offense to make it work around Williams. Defensively, Chicago has been building for years. It grabbed Montez Sweat via trade, Grady Jerrett and Tremaine Edmunds in free agency, and secondary players like Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon via the draft. Last year, the defense was second in passer rating allowed, fifth in third-down conversation percentage, and it's worth noting things got worse as the season went on. That is partly due to the usual wear and tear, but also the lack of support from the offense. When an offense doesn't score regularly, it puts the defense at a disadvantage, both emotionally and physically. ADVERTISEMENT With that said, it's clear that the success of the 2025 Bears is squarely on the shoulders of Williams and Johnson. Chris Broussard puts Caleb Williams, Bryce Young 'Under Duress' Johnson was able to engineer an explosive and attacking offense in Detroit with Jared Goff and Williams is a more talented thrower. While the Lions overall offense is better, the Bears are not that far behind. They built up the offensive line and have enough skill guys to win. But the question lingers: Can Johnson get the most out of Williams? I, like most, was high on Williams out of USC. The arm talent and physical gifts combined to make an explosive weapon that won the Heisman in 2022. However, he has a tendency to hold the ball too long while working through progressions, and he took too many sacks as a rookie. I was hopeful Williams was "trying to do too much" at USC with its poor defense and offense that seemed disjointed. However, Williams showed the same traits during his first season in the NFL. I think it's unfair to expect him to immediately morph into a different player with Johnson as his coach, and Williams gradually improving throughout the season is a typical arc of a young quarterback learning how to play the game. Also, it takes 8-10 game weeks for a new offensive playcaller — even with a veteran quarterback — to get the offense playing with high efficiency. Add in trying to change the way Williams sees the field, and I believe the Bears will start slower on offense than they'd like. If you combine a slower offensive start with the firepower in the NFC North, and games against the NFC East and AFC North, I think the Bears are going Under their win total. They should improve throughout the season and, hopefully, by the end of 2025 they are heading in the right direction for 2026. PICK: Bears Under 8.5 wins Geoff Schwartz is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He played eight seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He started at right tackle for the University of Oregon for three seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection his senior year. Follow him on Twitter @ GeoffSchwartz . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! What did you think of this story? share

What to watch for in the Panthers' preseason game vs. Texans on Saturday
What to watch for in the Panthers' preseason game vs. Texans on Saturday

USA Today

time39 minutes ago

  • USA Today

What to watch for in the Panthers' preseason game vs. Texans on Saturday

The heat is on for the Carolina Panthers this week . . . but in a more literal sense. Thursday's joint practice with the Houston Texans was a hot one, as both teams powered through some sweltering conditions to get their work in. That sweat-filled session has helped set the stage for their preseason matchup on Saturday, where we'll be keeping an eye on a handful of potentially interesting developments. Here are four things to watch for in this weekend's exhibition contest between the Panthers and Texans . . . First team, Take Two Carolina's starters, particularly on offense, offered up a solid showing in their preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns last Friday. Bryce Young, one of the best quarterbacks Houston's C.J. Stroud has ever seen in his life, lived up to that billing—completing four of his six passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. Two of those completions and 43 of those yards found 2025 first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan, who wowed with his impressive 30-yard reception on the first play of the team's second possession. Not as impressive was 2024's first-round pick Xavier Legette, who was ejected for engaging in a bout of fisticuffs with Browns safety Rayshawn Jenkins. Legette probably wants to punch back into the picture after having himself a stellar practice against the Texans on Thursday. So can the offensive starters, who may see as many as three drives, keep it rolling? And can Legette factor in following a disappointing preseason debut? Taking the bulls by the horns As for the other starting half, we'll be focusing in on the pass rush—which should have a number of opportunities to get home. Houston's offensive line may very well be the worst in the NFL. An already shaky unit from 2024 lost the likes of left tackle Laremy Tunsil and right guard Shaq Mason and now, in 2025, appear much weaker on paper. Carolina's pass rush was also unreliable last season, where they mustered up a league-low 15.2-percent pressure rate. Veteran starters D.J. Wonnum and Pat Jones II are projected to lead the charge this year, and could ignite a charge on Saturday afternoon. 2025 second-round pick Nic Scourton, who had himself a phenomenal performance versus Cleveland in Week 1, is certainly worth a featured look as well. Hopefully, the rookie will be able to suit up after being carted away from Thursday's outing due to heat-related symptoms. All the way back? That charge could include defensive lineman Derrick Brown, who might finally be back in the lineup for his preseason debut. Brown went down after 2024's regular-season opener against the New Orleans Saints, as a knee injury kept him out of the team's remaining 16 games. His absence contributed to what ended up being a historically bad defense, which allowed an NFL-record 534 points and a league-high (by a country mile) 179.8 rushing yards per contest. Mind you, this came the season after Brown set a new single-season record for tackles by a defensive lineman (103) en route to his first Pro Bowl selection. If Brown is back, then we'll get a sneak peek of what this revamped front could look like. Kickin' it The biggest training camp battle for Carolina came to an end on Monday, when head coach Dave Canales named Austin Corbett the starting center over Cade Mays. But there are still a few competitions left, including the one at kicker. As of now, the veteran journeyman Matthew Wright seems to have the lead over undrafted rookie Ryan Fitzgerald. Not only has Wright been listed as the No. 1 boot on both of the team's first two depth charts, but he's also been more consistent in recent practices. Both converted on their lone tries in the preseason opener, with Wright making an extra point in the first quarter and Fitzgerald a 32-yard field goal in the fourth. So as far as the in-game results go, we're close. Saturday, however, could present an opportunity for Wright to put this baby away or for Fitzgerald to make a push. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.

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