Post-draft firing
» The Texans let go of their pro personnel director.
General manager Nick Caserio opted not to renew the contract of Texans pro personnel director Rob Kisiel.
Kisiel, whose contract expired after the draft, came to the Texans from Washington, where he worked with the team’s first general manager, Charley Casserly.
Kisiel worked as a scout for the Texans for five years before leaving in 2007 for the BLESTO scouting combine.
He returned in 2012 to work in scouting under general manager Rick Smith. He was promoted to pro personnel director in 2017 by general manager Brian Gaine.
Cowboys’ action puts LB on notice
The Dallas Cowboys declined the fifth-year option on linebacker Leighton Vander Esch’s rookie contract, setting up an interesting season at the position after the team used this year’s firstround pick on a potential replacement.
Vander Esch enjoyed a strong rookie season after the Cowboys drafted him 19th overall in 2018. But injuries limited him to 19 games the past two years, most notably the revelation that the former Boise State player has always had spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column that makes neck injuries more risky.
The 25-year-old was due to make $9.1 million in 2022. Vander Esch has a $2.1 million base salary in the fourth year of his $11.8 million rookie contract.
Declining the option doesn’t mean Vander Esch won’t return to the Cowboys. Cornerback Morris Claiborne resigned for less money in 2016 after Dallas declined his fifth-year option.
Executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones said on his radio show the club wants to keep Vander Esch longer term, saying the salary cap dictated the decision to decline the option.
Vander Esch and 2016 second-round pick Jaylon Smith are both on notice after the Cowboys drafted linebackers Micah Parsons of Penn State 12th overall and Jabril Cox of LSU in the fourth round.
Thursday games to Amazon in ’22
Amazon Prime Video will become the exclusive home of the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” package a year earlier than originally anticipated.
Amazon and the league announced that Prime Video will take over the entire package in 2022, which will make it an 11-season deal through 2032. It was originally supposed to begin in 2023 when the league’s new media rights deals kick in.
This is the first time a streaming service has gained the full rights to an NFL package.
“This expedited deal is an immediate differentiator for us as a service, as it gives Prime members exclusive access to the most popular sport in the United States,” said Marie Donoghue, Amazon’s vice president of global sports video.
Prime Video will carry 15 regular-season games on Thursday night along with one preseason game. Games will be available on stations in the markets of the participating teams, which is the same practice when they are on ESPN and NFL Network.
Fox and NFL Network will broadcast “Thursday Night Football” this year.
Odds and ends
Tennessee Titans fourth-round draft pick Rashad Weaver has been charged with simple assault following an incident in Pittsburgh last month. The complaint against Weaver, who played defensive end at the University of Pittsburgh, was filed Friday, a day before the Titans selected Weaver with the 135th overall pick in the draft. …
The Cleveland Browns signed free-agent defensive tackle and former Seattle draft pick Malik McDowell. Selected in the second round by the Seahawks in 2017, McDowell was sentenced to 11 months in jail in 2019 for several offenses, including the assault of a Michigan police officer. …
The Broncos released quarterback Jeff Driskel. Driskel began last season as Drew Lock’s backup but was leapfrogged by Brett Rypien for the No. 2 job the rest of the season. The Broncos acquired Teddy Bridgewater from the Panthers last week, and general manager George Paton bypassed quarterbacks in the draft.