HOUSTON – Veteran linebacker and special teams ace Zeke Turner joined the Texans’ practice squad Wednesday, per a league source.
Turner is a former Arizona Cardinals all-rookie selection on special teams after going undrafted out of the University of Washington wher ehe played defensive back.
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Turner, 28, is a 6-foot-2, 214-pound Maryland native who played last season for the San Francisco 49ers.
He had 83 career tackles and one forced fumble.
He blocked a punt as a rookie against the San Francisco 49ers.
He regularly plays over 80 percent of the special-teams snaps and is a prolific tackler.
The Texans hosted cornerback Gregory Junior for a visit, per a league source.
He wasn’t immediately signed and is working his way back from a minor injury, per a source.
He has also visited the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants.
Junior is the first player in Ouachita Baptist school history to be drafted.
The Texans are signing former Buffalo Bills and Ohio State wide receiver Xavier Johnson to their practice squad, per a league source.
Johnson , 25, is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound former running back who moved to wide receiver for the Buckeyes.
A former walk-on, Johnson caught 26 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns at Ohio State. He rushed for 146 yards on 12 carries with a 71-yard run against Indiana and a touchdown against Georgia in a college football playoff semifinal.
The Texans’ practice squad will include rookie defensive end Solomon Byrd, a seventh-round pick from USC, and rookie defensive tackle Marcus Harris, a seventh-round pick from Auburn, per league sources.
The Texans signed cornerback D’Angelo Ross and defensive end Malik Fisher, per sources. Both were with the Texans during training camp. Ross is a special-teams standout. Fisher had seven sacks in the United Football League for the D.C. Defenders this season.
The Texans also signed former first-round offensive lineman Cameron Erving back to the practice squad, per a league source.
The Texans signed veteran offensive lineman David Sharpe, previously with the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers to the practice squad, per a league source.
The Texans signed wide receiver Johnny Johnson III, who caught a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in the preseason finale and was on the practice squad last year, to the practice squad, per a league source.
The Texans signed offensive lineman Kilian Zierer to the practice squad, per a league source.
The Texans signed fullback Troy Hairston to the practice squad, per a league source.
He missed last season with a back injury that required surgery after making the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie two years ago.
The Texans signed running back J.J. Taylor to the practice squad for the second year in a row, per a league source.
The Texans signed undrafted rookie linebacker Max Tooley, a former BYU standout, to their practice squad, per a league source. Tooley had a strong preseason with one forced fumble.
The Tennessee Titans were awarded defensive end Ali Gaye off waivers from the Texans, per a league source. The defending AFC South champions had hoped to sign him to the practice squad.
Former Texans quarterback Tim Boyle, who had a good preseason, signed with the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad, per a league source.
Texans tight end Teagan Quitoriano, who was waived-injured with a strained hamstring, reverted to injured reserve and could rejoin the team later once he’s healthy after agreeing to an injury settlement, per a league source.
Texans defensive lineman Pheldarius Payne, an undrafted rookie from Virginia Tech who was waived-injured with a hamstring injury, reverted to injured reserve and is expected to reach a three-week injury settlement and rejoin the team when he’s healthy, per a league source.
Texans running back Jawhar Jordan, who has an oblique injury and was waived-injured, reverted to injured reserve and is expected to reach an injury settlement, per a league source.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.
