The Saturday deadline has passed, and the Houston Texans have whittled down the roster to 53 players.
This time of year is crushing for many NFL hopefuls, especially for players like Tony Washington that showed promise at times but made too many mistakes when it mattered. Likewise, Cecil Shorts’ release was expected even after the veteran took a pay cut just to stay with the team entering training camp. The emergence of Braxton Miller and Will Fuller just finished the transition. However, there were a few transactions that didn’t make as much sense when you consider the Texans’ injuries and depth at certain positions. The following are the most surprising releases from Saturday’s final cuts.
Offensive Tackle Jeff Adams
At first, the release of Adams is understandable after the third-year tackle only started four games with the Texans. More examination actually reveals solid reasoning for keeping Adams on the active roster. Duane Brown is technically off the PUP List, but the ninth-year pro isn’t going to start week one’s game against the Bears. The other starting tackle, Derek Newton, is also returning from injury and will be limited against the Bears. The Texans have two replacements in Chris Clark and Kendall Lamm, but last season proved that offensive line depth is extremely important. Adams would be a solid player–with starting experience–to have during the early weeks as both Newton and Brown recover from injuries.
Running Back Kenny Hilliard
Out of all the transactions, the release of Hilliard made possibly the least amount of sense. The Texans obviously have a stud in Lamar Miller, but the team needs a solid backup. Alfred Blue and Jonathan Grimes have been on the roster the longest, but Hilliard was the center of attention all preseason. The former LSU back played the majority of snaps during the preseason games, rushing 51 times for 137 yards. Unfortunately, Hilliard did fumble twice, losing one against Dallas. Blue only rushed six times for 17 yards. It seemed more likely that the Texans would part ways with Blue after he only appeared in one game, but it’s possible that Bill O’Brien kept him around because of his special teams skill.
Kenny Hilliard isn’t a game-breaking talent like Lamar Miller, but he did show promise and improvement. Hilliard was expected to end up on the practice squad, much like last season, but he wasn’t one of the first eight players signed. Will the Texans make Hilliard one of the final two and keep multiple running backs on the squad after signing Akeem Hunt?
Safety Antonio Allen
Heading into Training Camp, former Jets safety Antonio Allen was expected to push Andre Hal and Quintin Demps for playing time at safety. Allen has the physical tools and a decent amount of experience after starting 18 games in three seasons with Gang Green. Strangely though, the safety didn’t see the field until the final preseason game against Dallas. The lack of playing time would seem like the death knell of Allen’s time in Houston, but the safety had a good performance. Allen notched two tackles and had an interception and touchdown return that sealed the victory. Performances like these usually make the coaching staff think twice before cutting a player, so it seemed more likely that Allen would end up on the final roster. Well, this just wasn’t the case.
So far, the Texans have signed eight of the 10 practice squad players, so any one of these three could see a return to Houston. Until then, it’s business as usual, preparing for Sunday’s season opener against Chicago.
The post Most Notable/Mystifying Cuts From The Houston Texans appeared first on The Runner Sports.
