May 1, 2006
Pocatello, ID -- Jeff Charleston, who finished 14th in the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award as the I-AA Defensive Player of the Year and led the Bengals with 12.0 sacks, has signed a free agent contract with the Houston Texans. His end mate Dustin Schroader was also extended an invitation to a free agent tryout with the Washington Redskins in the hopes of landing a contact.
Charleston played just one season for Idaho State after transferring from Division II Western Oregon, but he made an immediate impact, registering the sixth-most sacks in a single-season in ISU history. He ended the season fourth on the team with tackles at 56, and he led ISU with 19 tackles for losses of 101 yards, and included in that total was a tackle for loss that resulted in a safety in a 36-34 win over Portland State. Charleston also led the Bengals with five pass breakups, and he forced two fumbles and recovered one.
Schroader was the 2004 Defensive MVP for the Bengals, and last year he recorded 35 tackles, nine for loss, and six sacks, the second-best mark on the team. Schroader was a two-year starter after transferring from Snow College.
The Houston Texans are coming off a 2-14 season, but they have a new coach in Gary Kubiak. While the Texans don't have tremendous depth at the end position, Houston did make a splash by selecting Mario Williams of the University of North Carolina as the top pick of the 2006 NFL Draft, ahead of Reggie Bush of USC.
The Redskins did not draft any defensive ends in 2006, as Washington had just one pick in the first four rounds. Washington lists seven defensive ends on their roster currently. The free agent tryout camp that Schroader is attending will be used as an evaluation by the Redskins, and from that camp they will sign free agents to head to Washington's official minicamp.
