Texans will pass on QB Young, take Bush or Williams

The Houston Texans will take Southern Cal running back Reggie Bush or North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams with the first pick in Saturday’s draft, general manager Charley Casserly said Wednesday.

The Texans dashed the hopes of Texas fans who have been clamoring for the team to pick Vince Young, a Houston native who led the Longhorns to a Rose Bowl win and the national championship over Bush and USC.

“We came to the conclusion that to draft a quarterback, whether it be Vince Young, Matt Leinart or Jay Cutler, was not the best thing for this football team,” Casserly said. “The best thing for this football team was to use the first pick in this draft to add a premier player at another position.”

The public fervor for the team to pick Young hasn’t died down since he declared for the NFL draft four days after his 467-yard performance in the Rose Bowl.

Favre’s return verified

The Green Bay Packers confirmed that their MVP quarterback, Brett Favre, will play in 2006, as was first reported by ESPN on Tuesday.

“The Green Bay Packers are very pleased that Brett has come to this decision and look forward to a successful 2006 season,” Packers general manager Ted Thompson said.

Packers president Bob Harlan told the Green Bay Press-Gazette shortly after the statement was released that he felt all along Favre would return.

Favre, the NFL’s only three-time MVP, has spoken publicly on only a handful of occasions this off-season, but at one point, he said if he did play in 2006, it would be his last season. It’s unclear whether Favre told the Packers how much longer he plans to play.

•The Packers made their first major splash in the free-agent market this off-season, agreeing to terms with defensive back Charles Woodson. Woodson’s agent, Kevin Poston, said the Packers agreed to a seven-year deal for $52.7 million, including $10.5 million in the first year of the contract.

Around the league

Minnesota released running back Onterrio Smith after he was suspended by the NFL for the 2005 season for a substance abuse violation. … USC star running back and Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, expected to be the No. 1 pick in Saturday’s draft, signed a multiyear endorsement deal with Adidas. … Bryant Gumbel, whose last play-by-play assignment was high school games more than 30 years ago, will call the NFL Network’s eight regular-season NFL games this season along with analyst Cris Collinsworth.