* HOUSTON* – The Houston Texans have agreed to contracts with unrestricted free agents LB Sam Cowart and C Mike Flanagan; Houston also re-signed unrestricted free agent LB Troy Evans, it was announced today.
Cowart (6-2, 245) played in 15 games in 2005 with 14 starts for the Minnesota Vikings and led the Vikings defense with 104 tackles, his sixth career 100-tackle season. Cowart also notched a pair of sacks, two quarterback hurries, two passes defensed and six tackles for loss.
The 2000 Pro Bowler has played in 99 career games with 87 starts and has played in five playoff games with four starts. Since being selected with the 39 th overall selection in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, Cowart has totaled 913 tackles, 12.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and four interceptions.
Flanagan (6-5, 301) started 14 games for the Green Bay Packers this past season. The 2003 Pro Bowler has played in 98 games in his 10-year career, starting 64. From 1999-2004, Flanagan put together a streak of 82 consecutive games played (87 including playoff contests) before being sidelined by injury in the third game of the 2004 season.
The former UCLA Bruin was selected in the third round (96 th overall) of the 1996 NFL draft by the Packers. Flanagan is reunited with Texans Assistant Head Coach/Offense Mike Sherman, who was Green Bay's head coach for the past six years and also coached Flanagan in 1994 at UCLA.
Evans (6-1, 237) played in 15 games in 2005 for the Texans and finished the year with 26 tackles, including 16 solo stops, and recorded his first career interception in Week 6 at Seattle on ESPN's Sunday Night Football. Evans also turned in 11 tackles in special teams duty.
The former Cincinnati Bearcat has played in 55 games in four pro seasons, all
with the Texans. He entered the league as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2001
with the St. Louis Rams and joined the Rams practice squad for the last seven
regular season games and the postseason; including Super Bowl XXXVI.
