DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans made wide-ranging changes to their roster, including signing Chris Braswell to their 53-man roster from their practice squad, adding three players to the latter group, and shutting down a former starter.
Braswell’s signing comes amid uncertainty around backup defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who has missed the past two weeks due to a knee injury.
Braswell, 25 in October, was a second-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024.
The 6-foot-3, 255-pound pass rusher joins offseason free agent pickups and veterans Dominique Robinson and Logan Hall and rookie undrafted free agent Sabastian Harsh behind star starters Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr.
Braswell initially signed with the Texans’ practice squad on September 1 amid concerns about Clowney’s availability.
He has 48 total tackles and 2.5 sacks in 34 career games.
Chris Braswell One of Several Texans D-Line Changes in Roster Shuffle
Braswell was the only change the Texans made at EDGE, but they shuffled their interior, too, with former starter (and current reserve) Mario Edwards Jr. heading to injured reserve. Edwards suffered the injury in Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts.
It is a torn ACL, per the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander.
Edwards is out for the rest of the season, while the Texans moved to add Aaron Graves to their practice squad in the same set of transactions.
“Two-year starter with consistent production in the key categories. Graves lacks NFL-caliber size, length and athletic-testing numbers, but he fills stat columns, using hustle and know-how to find the action,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote ahead of the 2026 draft.
“Finished his career with an impressive sack total (16.5) but he’s not a consistent quick-win rusher and those numbers are unlikely to translate. He struggles to hold his ground against double-teams/angle pressure as a run defender, while his lack of length hurts his consistency with block shed and tackling.”
The Texans also confirmed previously reported moves with linebacker Caleb Johnson and wide receiver Treyvhon Saunders joining their practice squad.
Texans Cut Ties With Former Titans Wide Receiver
In addition to their moves with Braswell, Edwards, Graves, Johnson, and Saunders, the Texans also cut ties with receiver Bryce Oliver.
The Texans signed Oliver amid Nico Collins’ injury.
A former UDFA who entered the league with the Tennessee Titans, Oliver’s release could indeed be a signal that Collins is set to return from a balky hamstring after missing the previous two outings.
Texans Add 6-Foot-3 EDGE, Replace Former Starting DT in Roster Shake-Up