Texans cut WR Kenny Stills? Should we?

[aceinthehouse]

I still think we need a #2 complentary WR, with Scary Terry.

 

 

The Houston Texans are releasing WR Kenny Stills in a mutual parting, sources tell ESPN. A veteran WR in Stills now available to sign and help a playoff team for the stretch run.

1:26 PM · Nov 27, 2020

 

 

[lavar703]

No. He sucks and he’s a distraction. 

[Vladimir L]

No. Cam Sims cam be a legit #2 we need to see how he plays. We didnt need to throw thr ball much yesterday so he didnt grlet many looks.

[e16bball]

I would put in a waiver claim. 

Downsides are that he apparently has some sort of lingering leg injury and might not be able to play immediately. It would cost around $2M to pay the rest of his contract for the year. And he does have the activism thing that could be a distraction, as mentioned. 

But it appears that he was perfectly well-liked in Houston, and that the move was made for financial reasons because he wasn’t playing much with Cooks, Fuller, Cobb, and the vastly underrated Coutee also on the roster. 

To me, he’s basically John Brown. The Buffalo one, not the Harper’s Ferry one (mostly). Their stats are remarkably similar over the last 4 seasons — Stills with 177 catches for 2687 yards (15.2 Y/R) and Brown with 174 catches for 2591 yards (14.9 Y/R). They’re both just complementary receivers, but they have value because their speed poses the risk of big plays and creates an outsized impact on defenses. 

He’s a pretty good fit here, roster-wise. We don’t have anyone (not named McLaurin) who can take the top off a defense and give a little breathing room to the underneath passing game. Do I envision a lot of deep strikes from Smith to Stills? Probably not. But we have no other receivers who can even threaten a defense deep, so I think we’d benefit from that added dimension. I mean currently we’re working with guys like Jeff Badet and Robert Foster on the active roster, I feel like we could find a place for a Kenny Stills. 

[e16bball]

I’m not a believer in Cam Sims, though, so that’s part of why I’d want to add someone like Stills if we had the opportunity. I like Cam, he’s a great WR5 with his size and attitude and ST play. I just don’t think he can get open. 

Edited November 28, 2020 by e16bball

[4209]

I would take a flier on him also.

[Woz]

If I recall correctly, the waiver order is based on the last completed week, so Washington would still have the 5th waiver priority should they want to make the move.

[e16bball]

1 hour ago, Woz said:

If I recall correctly, the waiver order is based on the last completed week, so Washington would still have the 5th waiver priority should they want to make the move.

That would put WFT in the driver’s seat then, because there’s no reason I can think of that NYJ, JAX, CIN, or DAL would put in a claim. CIN and DAL are loaded at WR, and NYJ and JAX are both locked in a fight to the dismal death for Lawrence. I won’t be surprised if their play-callers are taking snaps at QB by Week 14. Gruden would love that.

Edited November 28, 2020 by e16bball

[turtle28]

Yes, can’t hurt.

[naptownskinsfan]

10 hours ago, e16bball said:

That would put WFT in the driver’s seat then, because there’s no reason I can think of that NYJ, JAX, CIN, or DAL would put in a claim. CIN and DAL are loaded at WR, and NYJ and JAX are both locked in a fight to the dismal death for Lawrence. I won’t be surprised if their play-callers are taking snaps at QB by Week 14. Gruden would love that.

[Slateman]

Nope. No reason to take playing time away from younger players.

[e16bball]

7 hours ago, Slateman said:

Nope. No reason to take playing time away from younger players.

Even if I agree with you, and I mostly do, the team is choosing a different path. They are trying to win, and to do so they are playing older players over younger options at numerous positions across the roster — OG, OT, TE, LB, backup DE, and of course most importantly QB. I’m not a believer in half measures, so if you’re willing to eschew evaluation and development of young players at all those positions, there’s no sense turning up your nose at doing it at one more position.

In any event, some of the snaps Stills (age 28) would take would be from nearly 32-year-old Dontrelle Inman, so we’d actually be getting younger on that exchange. 

[Woz]

So, it looks like the NFL doesn't grant waivers over the weekend. So, any claims that were submitted for Stills (or Tedric Thompson (FS formerly with Kansas City) or Jessie Lemonier (DE formerly with LA Chargers)) would not clear until tomorrow.

I think they would still use the week 11 waiver order instead of the updated one for week 12. It also seems like it is based solely on record, so the fact that Washington is currently in first in the division would not matter (i.e. it isn't like the draft order).

 

[lavar703]

17 hours ago, Woz said:

So, it looks like the NFL doesn't grant waivers over the weekend. So, any claims that were submitted for Stills (or Tedric Thompson (FS formerly with Kansas City) or Jessie Lemonier (DE formerly with LA Chargers)) would not clear until tomorrow.

I think they would still use the week 11 waiver order instead of the updated one for week 12. It also seems like it is based solely on record, so the fact that Washington is currently in first in the division would not matter (i.e. it isn't like the draft order).

 

We’re no longer first in the division 

[Woz]

On 11/30/2020 at 9:46 AM, lavar703 said:

We’re no longer first in the division 

At the time I was writing they were.

Also, a bit surprising to see no one put a bid in on Stills.