WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. – The Texans signed tight end and fullback Dalton Keene on Tuesday, days after a successful Saturday morning workout.
Keene tore his anterior cruciate ligament last season and was placed on injured reserve. He is healthy now.
Keene, 26, is a former New England Patriots third-round draft pick from Virginia Tech who has experience playing for new Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley. He played in six games as a rookie.
Keene was placed on injured reserve in 2021.
He joined the Texans in 2023 and played in 22 snaps.
Keene (6-foot-4, 251 pounds) has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos.
He has three career catches for 16 yards.
Meanwhile, the Texans waived wide receiver Jared Wayne.
Wayne strained his hamstring and has been out of practice for the past week. He was expected to return to practice after a preseason opener next week against the Minnesota Vikings. The Texans could potentially bring back Wayne this preseason. He has been playing well.
Wayne, 24 is a Canada native and former undrafted free agent from Pitt who has made strides in his game, especially his ability to create separation on deeper routes. He drew praise from coach DeMeco Ryans this offseason and has made some good plays at training camp.
He appeared in three games last season with no statistics registered, playing 40 snaps on offense and 24 snaps on special teams after being elevated from the practice squad. He was targeted twice in a playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with no catches as he played 24 snaps on offense and 10 snaps on special teams.
Wayne is an Ontario, Canada native drafted in the second round by the Toronto Argonauts. He’s 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, has posted a 42-inch vertical leap and has run the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds.
Wayne caught 60 passes for 1,062 yards and five touchdowns in his final season at Pitt as a second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. He caught 11 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns against Miami, finishing his career with 146 career receptions for 2,308 yards.
The Texans worked out defensive backs Harrison Hand and Jalen Mills, offensive guard Carter O’Donnell and tight end Tre’ McKitty, per a league source. None were immediately signed to a contract.
Offensive tackle Cam Robinson didn’t practice and had a sleeve on his leg. The injury isn’t regarded as serious, per league sources.
Backup cornerback Damon Arnette Jr. returned to practice after missing one day.
Defensive end Dylan Horton didn’t practice.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
