Texans claim Diontae Johnson off waivers; Ravens add former Houston WR

The two teams who play each other on Christmas swapped wideouts on Monday, while the Chargers signed yet another ex-Raven.

Despite being released by the Baltimore Ravens on Friday, Diontae Johnson will still be on the field in Houston on Christmas Day. The veteran wideout was claimed off waivers by the Texans on Monday, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and confirmed by the NFL’s transaction wire.

The disgruntled former Pro Bowler’s time in Charm City was short-lived after being acquired via trade on October 29. He played sparingly over his first four weeks in Baltimore before refusing to enter the game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13. The Ravens responded by suspending Johnson for their matchup against the New York Giants after the bye. Two weeks wasn’t enough to resolve the situation; Johnson was held out of team activities ahead of their pivotal Week 16 divisional matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The veteran wideout was waived the evening before the game.

Johnson’s forgettable stint in Baltimore yielded just one catch for six yards on five targets. The Texans will be his fourth team in the last year, but Johnson could find more opportunity there than he did in Baltimore. Houston’s wide receiving corps have been decimated by injuries this season, with four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs tearing his ACL in October and rising young star Tank Dell suffering a dislocated knee and torn ACL this past Saturday. This will likely be Johnson’s last chance to revive his reputation before he hits free agency this offseason.

The Ravens also made a move at the wide receiver position on Monday by claiming former Texans wide receiver and return specialist Steven Sims.

While the likelihood of Sims suiting up against his former team on Wednesday is not high, he could provide depth at wide receiver and both returner spots for the Ravens moving forward. The former 2019 undrafted free agent didn’t see a target in his seven appearances with the Texans this year, and his only touch came on a rushing attempt for no gain in Week 6. Sims contributed more as a returner, fielding 16 punts for 99 yards (6.2 yards per return) and seven kickoff returns for 195 yards (27.9 yards per return). The Ravens got a first-hand look at Sims’ returning abilities during the playoffs last year. His 67-yard punt return touchdown was the Texans’ lone trip to the end zone in their Divisional Round matchup with the Ravens.

Sims could figure into a Ravens special teams operation that has relied on multiple returners this season. During the offseason, the Ravens signed former All-Pro returner Deonte Harty to replace Devin Duvernay as their primary return specialist, but Harty has spent the last nine games on injured reserve.

Tylan Wallace took over in Harty’s absence until the Ravens added former All-Pro Desmond King to the practice squad. The veteran defensive back has taken over punt return duties with mixed results. He has provided a spark against the Giants with the team’s longest punt return this season, but his ball security was an issue against the Steelers.

“‘Des’ has been a secure guy his whole career and had been with us for the first few games,” head coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “I really anticipate he’ll do well, but obviously, it has to be better than that. And he knows that. Shoot, he was talking to me during the game about it. So, he knows that and that’s priority one.”

Harbaugh seems confident in his veteran returner, but there’s no drawback to having another sure set of hands on the roster. If King falters again – or gets injured – Sims could step into the role if he impresses in his first few Ravens practices.

Safety Eddie Jackson also joined the ranks of ex-Ravens to end up in Los Angeles after being signed to the Chargers’ practice squad. Jackson appeared in nine of the Ravens’ first 10 games this year, but consistently struggled in coverage. That led to a decrease in his snap share, frustrating the veteran safety to the point that he did not travel with his teammates to Pittsburgh in Week 11.

The Ravens waived Jackson shortly after, but, like they have with so many other Baltimore cast-offs, the Chargers swooped in to give him another chance.