Texans Sign Former Packers 4th-Round Pick to Practice Squad

J'Mon Moore Texans

Getty J'Mon Moore #82 of the Green Bay Packers warms up prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 16, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.

A former Green Bay Packers draft pick has found a new home in Houston.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans have signed wide receiver J’Mon Moore, a 2018 fourth-round pick, to their practice squad. Moore had worked out with the Texans last week and will now compete with fellow practice-squad receivers Chad Hansen, Damion Ratley and Artavis Scott.

The Texans confirmed the addition of Moore and defensive back Manny Patterson later on Wednesday afternoon, via the team’s transaction wire.

Moore’s time in Green Bay could be classified as a failure to launch. Despite being drafted ahead of current Packers wideouts Marquez Valdes-Scantling (fifth round) and Equanimeous St. Brown (sixth),  he finished with just one reception over 12 games as a rookie. His physical gifts as a 6-foot-3, 205-pound receiver were regularly undermined by his struggles with catching the football, and a rough second training camp saw him left off the 2019 active roster as Matt LaFleur’s new regime took over.

Moore remained a free agent until landing with the Cleveland Browns‘ practice squad last November, signing a reserve/futures contract with the team for 2020, but he was once again unable to challenge for a roster spot and was waived in early September.

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Questions Remain for Packers’ St. Brown

The Packers may have rendered an early verdict on Moore, but they have not so easily given up on the other two wideouts they drafted in 2018.

Valdes-Scantling has struggled at times to give the Packers everything they need and has been too often defined by some of his lower moments, but his speed continues to make him a dangerous deep-ball threat for their offense. He rates second on the team behind Davante Adams with 518 receiving yards, but his 20.7 yards per reception leads the league and his five catches for 40 or more yards is tied with Seattle’s DK Metcalf.

Whatever his flaws, the Packers would have no reason to consider moving on from Valdes-Scantling before his rookie contract expires in 2022 with no better options behind him — excluding Allen Lazard — and little spending room for the upcoming offseason.

The bigger question is St. Brown, who was robbed of a 2019 season due to an injury but has not done much to impress in the time he has spent on the field this year. Much had been made about St. Brown’s potential after a late-season surge as a rookie that saw him finish with 21 receptions for 328 yards over 12 games; though, he has just four catches for 74 yards in the seven games he’s been active this season.

St. Brown has stood out marginally better than Darrius Shepherd — who was released Tuesday — and Malik Taylor, but the arrival of veteran Tavon Austin could make it difficult for him to crack the rotation and see regular reps. And another year with little production from him could see him cast aside like Moore before next season arrives.


Moore Could Get Active-Roster Shot

The Texans are hurting for receiving talent at the moment with Randall Cobb on injured reserve and Will Fuller V suspended for violating the league’s PED policy, and that could work out in Moore’s favor.

While Deshaun Watson still has Brandin Cooks, Keke Coutee and Isaiah Coulter to choose from in terms of pure wideouts, there is a good chance at least one member of the practice squad will get some elevation opportunities over the final five games of the season. Moore would need to show a quick grasp of the Texans’ system in a short amount of time to earn his shot, but a 4-7 Texans team that will likely lose Fuller in free agency could take stock of what they have pivotal offseason for the franchise.

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