FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NFL-108                    1/25/02

 

PLAYERS NAMED FOR HOUSTON EXPANSION DRAFT

 

A total of 133 qualified veteran players have been named for the Houston Texans’ expansion draft to be held on February 18, the National Football League announced today.

The two conference championship runners-up will submit their list of five players each by January 29 and the two Super Bowl XXXVI teams by February 5 for a total of 155 veterans who will be available for selection by the Texans.      

Each club is required to submit five players for selection by Houston.  Two clubs – New Orleans and San Francisco – have submitted four names, with the fifth player from those two clubs scheduled for further physical examination before being identified.  Once those two players are identified, the total number of veteran players available to Houston from the 27 clubs listed below will be 135. 

Houston takes the field next season beginning with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on Monday night, August 5 against the New York Giants.

The expansion draft will be held in Houston on February 18 at the George R. Brown Convention Center from 2:00 PM ET until approximately 5:00 PM.  The draft will be televised by ESPN.   

The players made available include 17 who have been selected to a total of 60 Pro Bowls and many players who started in 2001.

The Pro Bowl players (with number of selections) are JAMAL ANDERSON (1), JESSIE ARMSTEAD (5, including 2002), JEFF BLAKE (1), TONY BOSELLI (5), TIM BOWENS (1), CHRIS CHANDLER (2), SEAN GILBERT (1), AARON GLENN (2), JERMAINE LEWIS (2, 2002), BRUCE MATTHEWS (14, 2002), KEENAN MC CARDELL (1), ED MC DANIEL (1), RANDALL MC DANIEL (12), ROB MOORE (2), BILL ROMANOWSKI (2), MICHAEL SINCLAIR (3) and MARK STEPNOSKI (5).   

The list of players who started in 2001 includes Bowens, Chandler, SANTANA DOTSON, SAM GARNES, Glenn, Lewis, Matthews, McCardell, Randall McDaniel, GLENN PARKER, Romanowski, GEORGE TEAGUE and KIP VICKERS. 

"The purpose of the expansion draft is to provide veteran players who can help the Texans become competitive quickly, without forcing the other clubs to break up the rosters they have worked hard to build," said HAROLD HENDERSON, the NFL's executive vice president of labor relations and chairman of the NFL Management Council, which designed the plan.  "The players made available to Houston have excellent NFL experience.  The expansion draft, the ability to sign free agents on equal footing with other clubs, and the additional picks in the next two college drafts will give the Texans a strong opportunity to become competitive in a short period of time."

The access draft requires the existing 31 NFL clubs to submit a list of five veteran players for selection by the Texans.  

Each club can put forward only one player who was placed on injured reserve after the start of the 2001 regular season and one player who has 10 or more years of free agency experience.  Neither punters nor kickers may be part of the list. 

The Texans must select between 30 and 42 players in the expansion draft or a fewer number of players with total salaries of 38 percent of the salary cap.  An existing club can recall one player from its list after one of its players is selected.  After a second player is selected from a club, that club can pull back both of its remaining players. 

 

PLAYERS AVAILABLE IN HOUSTON TEXANS EXPANSION DRAFT

(February 18 – Houston, Texas)

 

ARIZONA		DE Jabari Issa, WR Rob Moore, DB Jacoby Rhinehart, LB Johnny Rutledge, G Yusuf Scott
ATLANTA		RB Jamal Anderson, DB Ronnie Bradford, QB Chris Chandler, TE Derek Rackley, RB Rodney Thomas
BALTIMORE		DE Rob Burnett, LB Brad Jackson, WR Jermaine Lewis, LB Jamie Sharper, G Kip Vickers
BUFFALO		RB Avion Black, T John Fina, DB Raion Hill, DB Ken Irvin, QB Rob Johnson
CAROLINA		RB Tim Biakabutuka, DB Doug Evans, DT Sean Gilbert, DB Jimmy Hitchcock, LB Dean Wells
CHICAGO		RB Autry Denson, G Kevin Dogins, DB Than Merrill, DT Robert Newkirk, QB Danny Wuerffel
CINCINNATI		T John Jackson, LB Riall Johnson, DE Jevon Langford, TE Tony McGee, T Jamain Stephens
CLEVELAND		LB Brant Boyer, DB Lamar Chapman, DB Corey Fuller, G Jeremy McKinney, T Roman Oben
DALLAS		G Ben Fricke, TE Johnny Huggins, TE Mike Solwold, C Mark Stepnoski, DB George Teague
DENVER		DT Jerry Johnson, WR Phil McGeoghan, DE Kavika Pittman, LB Bill Romanowski, RB Detron Smith
DETROIT		TE Brad Banta, QB Charlie Batch, RB Reuben Droughns, DB Kurt Schultz, RB James Stewart
GREEN BAY		C Rob Davis, DT Santana Dotson, LB Bernardo Harris, DE John Thierry, LB K.D. Williams
INDIANAPOLIS		DB Jeff Burris, DB Chad Cota, TE Ken Dilger, DT Ellis Johnson, DT Mike Wells
JACKSONVILLE		T Tony Boselli, WR Keenan McCardell, DT Seth Payne, DT Gary Walker, G Zach Wiegert
KANSAS CITY		DB Taje Allen, WR Derrick Alexander, DT Nate Hobgood-Chittick, WR Larry Parker, DB Bracy Walker
MIAMI		DT Tim Bowens, G Heath Irwin, TE Hunter Goodwin, LB Scott Galyon, RB James Johnson
MINNESOTA		T Brad Badger, LB Ed McDaniel, DB Robert Tate, DB Orlando Thomas, WR Troy Walters
NEW ORLEANS		G Tom Ackerman, QB Jeff Blake, LB Darrin Smith, G Wally Williams
NEW YORK GIANTS		LB Jessie Armstead, DB Sam Garnes, DE Kenny Holmes, G Glenn Parker, DB Dave Thomas
NEW YORK JETS		DT Shane Burton, DB Marcus Coleman, DB Aaron Glenn, DB Chris Hayes, T Ryan Young
OAKLAND		LB Elijah Alexander, RB Terry Kirby, WR Marcus Knight, DB Marquez Pope, DT Josh Taves
SAN DIEGO		QB Dave Dickenson, LB Deon+ Humphrey, TE Freddie Jones, RB Fred McCrary, DB Jason Perry
SAN FRANCISCO		TE Greg Clark, C Ben Lynch, DT Reggie McGrew, DB Anthony Parker
SEATTLE		WR Fabien Bownes, LB J.P. Darche, DB Paul Miranda, RB Charlie Rogers, DE Michael Sinclair
TAMPA BAY		LB Jeff Gooch, DE Marcus Jones, G Randall McDaniel, TE Sean McDermott, DB Eric Vance
TENNESSEE		DB Michael Booker, DB DeRon Jenkins, G Bruce Matthews, WR Chris Sanders, DE Juqua Thomas
WASHINGTON		C Ethan Albright, RB Michael Bates, G Matthew Campbell, DT Jerry DeLoach, WR Kevin Lockett

 

FACTS AND FIGURES ON THE 2002 NFL EXPANSION DRAFT

 

WHAT:	NFL Expansion Draft
WHERE:	George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Texas
WHEN:	Monday, February 18, beginning at 2:00 PM ET and concluding by 5:00 PM.  ESPN will televise the draft to its conclusion.
DRAFTING:	Representatives of the Houston Texans.  They will select from a list of five veteran players submitted by each of the 31 existing NFL teams.  Houston must select between 30 and 42 players or a fewer number of players with total salaries of 38 percent of the salary cap.   Of the five players, each of the 31 clubs can expose only one player who was placed on injured reserve after the start of the 2001 regular season, only one player who has 10 or more years of free agency experience, and no more than two players with “spiked contracts” in 2002 (description below).  Neither punters nor kickers are part of the list.  A “spiked contract” is defined as a contract in which: A. The 2002 salary cap value is at least $1.2 million and represents an increase of at least 75 percent over the 2001 salary cap value; AND B. The 2002 cash value is at least $1.2 million and represents an increase of at least 75 percent over the 2001 cash value.
TIME:	Houston will have three minutes to select a player.  An existing club then has two minutes to recall or "pull back" a player from its list each time one of its players is selected.  An existing club can recall one player from its list after one of its players is selected.  After a second player is selected from a club, that club can pull back both of its remaining players.

 

* * *

 

Houston will have 28 choices in the NFL Draft over the next two years, 14 in 2002, and 14 in 2003.  If the Texans make the playoffs in 2002, the team will not have extra picks in 2003.

In the 2002 draft (April 20-21), the Texans will receive the first pick in each of the seven rounds.  They will also receive seven additional picks to be allocated in the following manner:

One selection in each of Rounds 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 after all teams with a 2001 regular-season winning percentage of less than .500.

Final selection in Round 7 (after all compensatory selections).

In the 2003 draft, Houston will receive one regular pick per round based on its 2002 record, the same as all other clubs.

The Texans will also receive seven additional picks in the 2003 draft – unless they make the playoffs in 2002, in which case they will receive no extra picks.  These picks will vary depending upon Houston’s 2002 won-loss percentage, as reflected in the following year’s draft order.  These additional picks would be allocated in the following manner:

 

Houston 2002 Won-Loss Record	Extra Picks in 2003 Draft
#25 through #32	One pick in Rounds 3, 4 and 5.  Two picks in Rounds 6 and 7.
#19 through #24	One pick in Rounds 4 and 5.  Two picks in Round 6.  Three picks in Round 7.
#13 through #18	One pick in Round 5.  Two picks in Round 6.  Four picks in Round 7.
Playoff team	No extra picks.

 

The first extra Houston pick in any round will fall 16 slots below the club’s original choice in that round, but no lower than the end of the round, after any compensatory picks.  The second, third or fourth extra pick in a round will be at the end of the round after any compensatory selections. 

In 2001 and 2002, Houston will be prohibited from trading any draft picks to acquire rights to sign or obtain the contractual release of any non-player personnel (e.g., coach, general manager).

The Texans have been allowed to sign previously-terminated free agents.  From December 27 of last year until the end of the 2001 regular season, Houston could sign a maximum of 10 free agents (not under contract to other teams) to 2002 contracts.

The Texans will be eligible to sign both restricted and unrestricted free agents during the 2002 veteran free agency signing period, which begins March 1.  They will have the same access to veteran free agents as the other 31 clubs. 

During the period from February 18 until July 15, however, the Texans’ roster must include at least 30 players acquired from the veteran access draft or a fewer number of players acquired in the veteran draft with total salaries of at least 38 percent of the 2002 salary cap.  Any of these players who are released after June 1 are entitled to a supplemental expansion bonus equal to the player’s minimum Collective Bargaining Agreement salary even if he subsequently signs with another team.

 

Other personnel rules for the Texans:

 

·         Roster Size, Cutdowns

 

 

·         NFL Europe League Exemptions: (description below)

 

·         Waiver Priorities:  Through the third weekend of the 2002 regular season, Houston will have waiver priority, and thereafter waiver rights will be based on its 2002 record, the same as all other teams.

 

The 2002 Houston Texans access plan is basically the same as that followed by the Cleveland Browns in 1999, with the following exceptions:

 

• There were no limitations on “spiked contracts” in the Cleveland Browns’ 1999 Player Access Plan.

 

·         Players with prior injuries who are exposed in the Veteran Draft must be physically able to play by June 1, 2002 (as opposed to July 1 under the Cleveland plan).

·         The existing clubs have reserved the right to adjust the number and/or position of Houston’s extra picks in the 2003 NFL Draft if Houston were to lose more than the 14 games Cleveland lost in its first season.

·         In addition to the 2002 extra roster spots listed above, Houston will receive a number of exemptions equal to the average number of roster exemptions earned by other NFL clubs under the provisions of the NFL Europe League Allocation Policy.