The Houston Texans parted ways with an up-and-coming player on their practice squad on Tuesday afternoon, releasing rookie receiver Michael Young. The move comes after the team claimed running back Eno Benjamin off waivers earlier in the day.
In addition to Benjamin, who will be placed on the team’s 53-man roster following the team’s decision to claim him, Houston signed two players to their practice squad, receiver Alex Bachman and defensive back Will Redmond.
Bachman played his college ball at Wake Forest and is in his second season as a professional after entering the league as an undrafted free agent. He spent time with the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants in recent seasons before eventually finding his way to Houston on Tuesday.
Redmond, on the other hand, was once a highly touted prospect in the 2016 draft and came into the NFL as a third-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers by way of Mississippi State. Following his release from the 49ers in 2017, he bounced around from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Green Bay Packers before eventually settling at his last stop with the Indianapolis Colts.
As practice squad prospects, both players will need to fight for their chance to get elevated to the Texans’ active roster and see meaningful time on the field this season. For now, the limited action they’ll see in helping Houston prepare for their opponents will serve as an extended tryout of sorts to give Lovie Smith and his crew of coaches a chance to evaluate what they might bring to their football team.
No opportunity should be taken lightly for Bachman or Redmond, though, as the winds of change are in the air in Houston as a rebuild in 2023 may provide them the necessary occasion to become role players in what promises to be a new-look Texans squad. If they can make the right impression through the end of the season, both players could find themselves with steady work ahead of next year’s opening kickoff.
