HOUSTON – The Texans re-signed veteran linebacker and special-teams contributor Neville Hewitt to a one-year contract, per a league source.
The Texans also signed former Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers linebacker Jermaine Carter Jr. to a one-year deal, per a league source. And the Texans signed offensive tackle Greg Little to a one-year contract, per his agent, David Canter.
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The Texans signed veteran cornerback Darius Phillips and released former Baylor wide receiver Drew Estrada with an injury waiver, per a league source.
Carter, 28, is a former Panthers fifth-round draft pick from Maryland. He has 178 career tackles, a half-sack, two fumble recoveries and one blocked punt. He played in seven games with one start last season for the Browns and had 16 tackles. He started a career-high 17 games in 2021 for Carolina and had 88 tackles, three quarerback hits, three tackles for losses and one fumble recovery.
Hewitt, 30, played in 14 games for the Texans last season and had 11 tackles, one for a loss.
Hewitt started a 2021 game in place of Christian Kirksey, who was placed on injured reserve after undergoing thumb surgery, and recorded a team-high 10 tackles, nine on defense and one on special teams, during a 17-9 road loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Signed to a one-year, $1.7 million contract that includes $700,000 guaranteed, a $200,000 signing bonus, a $1 million base salary with $500,000 guaranteed for skill injury and salary cap and up to $500,000 total in per-game active roster bonuses with $29,411 per game active, according to NFL Players Association records, Hewitt started every game in 2020 for the New York Jets and recorded a career-high 134 tackles along with two sacks, four passes defensed and one interception.
Forging a nine-year NFL career, Hewitt has a history of overcoming adversity. Growing up in Silver Spring, Maryland, Hewitt dealt with his mother being incarcerated on a drug trafficking charge. He attended Georgia Military College before transferring to Marshall where he was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and recorded 208 tackles, 16 1/2 for losses 7 1/2 sacks and two interceptions in two seasons.
After being cleared medically with the Dolphins and playing for them for three seasons, he worked his way up to become a starter with the Jets.
Little, 25, is a 6-foot-5, 322-pound former Carolina Panthers second-round draft pick from Mississippi.
Little battled injuries with Carolina before being traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2021 for a seventh-round draft pick.He was a backup last season to right tackle Austin Jackson. He started at left tackle against the Minnesota Vikings. He started seven of 10 games played last season and has played in 31 career games with 13 starts.
A native of Allen, Texas, Little was a five-star recruit who chose Mississippi over Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M and LSU.
Phillips is a former Cincinnati Bengals fifth-round draft pick who has also played for the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos.
Phillips 27, is a 5-foot-10, 190-pound former Western Michigan standout.
He has 75 career tackles, three forced fumbles, five interceptions and one fumble recovery.
He finished last season on injured reserve with the Broncos. He played in nine games last season.
He has 542 career return yards on kickoffs and 209 yards on punt returns.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com