The Houston Texans are getting bigger at offensive tackle after the MCL sprain of rookie Tytus Howard.
On Tuesday, the Texans signed offensive tackle Dan Skipper off the New England Patriots’ practice squad, according to a report from ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The 6-10, 325-pound former Arkansas Razorback spent the 2019 campaign on the Patriots’ 90-man offseason roster and later made their practice squad after preseason.
The former Arvada Colorado Ralston Valley High School alumnus’ entry into the NFL was as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2017. After the mandatory cut to a 53-man roster at the end of that preseason, Skipper caught on with the Detroit Lions, where he was signed to the practice squad but made active roster in late October. Skipper went back down to the practice squad, spent the next offseason with the NFC North club, and then was let go midway through 2018, but finished out the season on the Denver Broncos’ practice squad.
Skipper has to stay on the Texans’ 53-man roster for three weeks while earning three weeks’ salary. Houston can’t simply cut him 10 days into the experiment and then sign him to their own practice squad.
More than likely, Skipper will provide depth in practice for the Texans and perhaps ride the line between activation and being inactive on game days. The club is expected to elevate Roderick Johnson to right tackle and have Seantrel Henderson fill in as swing tackle. However, even against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6, both Johnson and Henderson were active while Howard started at right tackle and Laremy Tunsil started at left tackle. There could be a chance Skipper sees game day activation for the first time since 2017.
