Texans cut wide receiver Jaelen Strong in surprise move
By Matt Conner
The Houston Texans surprised the NFL on Monday with the unexpected release of wide receiver Jaelen Strong who is now a free agent.
Teams around the NFL with a potential need for more help at wide receiver should pay attention to the waiver wire on Monday afternoon given the news that the Houston Texans have released wide receiver Jaelen Strong.
Texans released WR Jaelen Strong, per league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 18, 2017
Strong got into trouble already this preseason for marijuana possession from a previous incident and was suspended for the Texans opening week game. Here was Strong’s response on Twitter.
Over two years, Strong only has 28 total catches for the Texans since 2015, 14 per season in the NFL. Last year, he had 14 catches for 131 yards and 0 touchdowns. His rookie season, he had the same amount of catches for 161 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Texans poor offensive play, especially at quarterback, certainly plays a part here, but Houston has also brought in several young receivers to compete for a spot alongside DeAndre Hopkins including former first round pick Will Fuller, Braxton Miller and Bruce Ellington.
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The Texans initially invested a third round choice in Strong, at No. 70 overall, in the 2015 NFL Draft as a prospect coming out of Arizona State. He was a former first-team All-Pac 12 performer who had great hands who was actually expected to selected a bit higher in the draft, perhaps a late first to early second round choice by NFL draft analysts in mocks. A physical receiver, he should have no problem finding a new home for a team willing to give him a blank slate.
If Strong is clean and there’s no further substance abuse issues lurking in the background, it would be interesting for a team like the Chiefs to do their homework and potentially give Strong a chance to make the roster. f Brett Veach determines the ceiling is higher for Strong than another option like Albert Wilson, it could be worth it to take a flier.