NFL Player News

The Texans acquired another wide receiver (Brandin Cooks) for Watson on Thursday, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports.

After shipping out DeAndre Hopkins last month, Houston's receiving corps was a bit short-handed, even with the addition of Randall Cobb soon after. Following the trade for Cooks, Watson now has a more well-rounded group, with the oft-injured Will Fuller (sports hernia) and Kenny Stills still on board. Cooks has four 1,000-yard seasons under his belt but also has concerns with concussions, as he suffered the fifth of his career in 2019. Still, the Texans have done OK in their effort to restock the weapons at Watson's disposal.

The trade of DeAndre Hopkins leaves Watson with Will Fuller and Kenny Stills as Houston's top two wide receiver targets, Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com reports.

Hopkins had become a crutch for the offense and rarely missed games. He topped the team in terms of catch and target share (29.3 and 28.8 percent, respectively). Watson and Hopkins were an elite combination, one that will be hard to replace. In steps the oft-injured Fuller and also Stills, both considered deep threats that are not near the franchise wideout that Hopkins had become. The Texans could add a wide receiver in what is considered a strong draft class for the position, but Watson has lost a security blanket and will need to adjust.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Mayfield is the starting quarterback, Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

This is not surprising news, but the addition of free agent Case Keenum, who has history with Stefanski, caused minor rumbling following Mayfield's 2019 season in which he threw nearly as many interceptions (21) as touchdowns (22). "I believe in Baker Mayfield, he's our starting quarterback. He's a young player that I think we've all seen glimpses of this kid being a really good player," Stefanski said. The offense in 2019 was dysfunctional under former head coach Freddie Kitchens, but Stefanski has made moves to change the attack in 2020. The addition of a fullback (Andy Janovich) and a second tight end (Austin Hooper) suggests a pivot from the wideout-focused offense of 2019.

Trubisky (shoulder) will take the first snap whenever the Bears are able to practice, but coach Matt Nagy said it will be an open QB competition between the 25-year-old and Nick Foles, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com reports.

Meanwhile, general manager Ryan Pace declined to comment on the team's impending decision on Trubisky's fifth-year option. The deadline to pick up the option is in early May, and while it likely would cost more than $20 million, the salary would be guaranteed for injury only. Trubisky is recovering from January surgery on a partially torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, while Foles has returned to health after an injury-marred 2019 campaign in Jacksonville. The Bears traded a fourth-round pick for the 31-year-old quarterback, who subsequently agreed to reduced base salaries in exchange for player options to void his contract after either of the next two seasons.

The Buccaneers have signed Gabbert to a one-year deal, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Gabbert, who landed on IR last September due to a shoulder injury, is back with the Bucs, presumably healthy and now in line to work behind new QB Tom Brady. The No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft last saw regular-season action in 2018, appearing in eight games (including three starts) with the Titans.

Nick Foles' restructured contract suggests Trubisky (shoulder) has a shot to keep the starting job, according to JJ Stankevitz of NBC Sports Chicago.

The Bears traded the Jaguars a fourth-round pick for Foles, who subsequently agreed to reduce his base salaries in exchange for a player option to void his contract after the 2020 or 2021 seasons. Trubisky is actually scheduled to have a slightly higher cap hit for the upcoming campaign, though Foles has incentives that ultimately could push him over the top if he gets considerable playing time. Bears GM Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy haven't yet commented on their expectations for a QB competition, or lack thereof. Trubisky is still recovering from January surgery to repair a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Coach Frank Reich suggested Tuesday that Brissett could play a handful of snaps per game to take advantage of his mobility, Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Brissett isn't exactly fleet of foot, but he does move around much better than breathing statue Philip Rivers, potentially making the 27-year-old useful for certain option concepts. The Colts reportedly intend to keep the former as a backup to the latter, making Brissett the highest-paid No. 2 QB in the league as he enters the second season of a two-year, $30 million contract. It is possible the team alters course before Week 1, considering Brissett's release would free up nearly $9 million in cap space (per overthecap.com), and a trade could clear out even more room. Either way, Rivers is ticketed for the Week 1 start.

Winston's (thumb/knee) former coach in Tampa Bay, Bruce Arians, said Wednesday in an interview on Fox Sports Radio's "The Rich Eisen Show" that he's reached out to two teams on the quarterback's behalf, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "I talked to two teams," Arians said. "I think it was just to [tell them], 'Get him on your roster' and it would be a great fit. One team was not interested and the other one was."

Winston's hopes of returning to Tampa Bay for a sixth season ended nearly two weeks ago, when it became apparent that Tom Brady was leaving New England to sign with the Buccaneers. Though he's just 26 years old and has 70 career starts on his resume, Winston's high turnover rate has likely contributed heavily to the cool reception he's faced thus far in free agency. With few -- if any -- starting jobs left open at this stage of the offseason and another experienced, more accomplished option in Cam Newton also looking for work, Winston could be forced to settle for a backup job at his next stop.

The Bengals may decide to keep Dalton, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Team and player both seem to prefer a trade, but it's difficult to find a partner in a market where free-agent quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Cam Newton are struggling to drum up interest. Ultimately, it would make sense for the Bengals to cut Dalton if they do in fact use the No. 1 overall pick on Joe Burrow, as the 32-year-old quarterback doesn't have any guarantees on his $17.7 million compensation for 2020. It would be an unprecedented sum to pay for a backup, though it's possible Dalton would consider a pay cut and then hit the open market next offseason. It seems like all options are still in play here.

Prescott and the Cowboys have resumed contract negotiations, ESPN.com's Ed Werder reports.

The Dallas front office shifted its focus to free agency after using the franchise tag on Prescott in mid-March. The team can now turn its attention back to the young quarterback, who reportedly wants a four-year contract. The Cowboys are hoping for a five-year deal, with July 15 representing the negotiation deadline before Prescott is forced to play under the tag in 2020.