Houston Texans: Predicting the 53 man roster
By Randy Gurzi
The Houston Texans recently cut their roster down to 75 players, but the big cuts are still looming over the remaining players. The deadline to have the rosters down to 53 players is Saturday, September 5th at 4pm EST.
Based on what has happened over the preseason here is a projection of what the final 53 could look like for the Texans.
Quarterback (3)
Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, Tom Savage
"This one has no surprises as there have only been three guys on the roster throughout camp and the preseason. Hoyer won the starting spot and Mallett may have gotten in the doghouse, but he isn’t going anywhere. Savage has been showing some good progress this preseason."
Running Back (4)
Arian Foster, Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes, Chris Polk
"They go with one extra player here as reports are that Foster will return quicker than expected. With that in mind look for the battle between Grimes and Polk to continue as one may be let go once Foster is healthy."
Fullback (1)
"There is no competition here so Prosch gets the nod."
Wide Receiver (6)
DeAndre Hopkins, Nate Washington, Cecil Shorts, Jaelen Strong, Keith Mumphery, Chandler Worthy
"Going deep here as well, but this is assuming Worthy can impress in the final preseason game and make it as a return specialist. If he fails to do so, Damaris Johnson could take that spot from him."
Tight End, (3)
Garrett Graham, C.J. Fiedorowicz, Ryan Griffin
"The most underwhelming tight end group in the NFL is back again! The Texans did pretty much nothing to upgrade this spot, so look for the same three guys to make the same minimal impact in 2015. Obviously they may end up with better stats, only because it can’t get much worse."
Offensive Line (9)
Derek Newton, Xavier Su’a-Filo, Ben Jones, Brandon Brooks, Duane Brown, Jeff Adams, Chris Clark, Kendall Lamm, Greg Mancz
"The starting five is intact and was settled well before camp. The trade for Chris Clark gives them some solid veteran depth as a swing tackle and Jeff Adams has showed the ability to play all along the line. Lamm and Mancz round it out because the coach’s seem to like both for their potential."
Defensive Line (6)
J.J. Watt, Vince Wilfork, Jared Crick, Christian Covington, Louis Nix III, Brandon Deaderick
"Obviously the starting group of Watt, Wilfork and Crick are locks to make the team, and Covington has shown up a lot in the preseason. Deaderick could be replaced with Jeoffrey Pagan, but with the youth of Covington and Nix, I selected one veteran here as a reserve."
Outside Linebackers (5)
Whitney Mercilus, Jadeveon Clowney, John Simon, Kourtnei Brown, Tony Washington, Jr.
"Mercilus and Simon will most likely be the starters at the outside linebacker spots when the season kicks off. Clowney will need to regain his conditioning to play meaningful minutes, but is healthy enough to start the year on the active roster. Brown and Washington, Jr. have both played well enough to make the team."
Inside Linebackers (4)
Brian Cushing, Mike Mohamed, Akeem Dent, Bernardrick McKinney
"For awhile McKinney looked like a lock to start the second the season kicked off, but Mohamed has been all over the place all camp. Against New Orleans Akeem Dent was flying all over the field and makes it here above Justin Tuggle, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see them flipped. Cushing looks like himself again, which is bad for the opponents."
Cornerback (4)
Johnathan Joseph, Kareem Jackson, Kevin Johnson, Charles James II
"A little thin here at corner, but that is because one of their safeties actually plays both slots. The top three guys are untouchable on this roster, but Charles James II edged himself into the lineup with a strong preseason. Even with only four on the opening day roster, this is the strength of the defense. Someone may be added if the team drops either a linebacker or running back when Foster and Clowney are up to speed."
Safeties (5)
Rahim Moore, Andre Hal, Eddie Pleasant, Quintin Demps, Kurtis Drummond
"Andre Hal may wind up the starting strong safety, but the kid who was drafted out of Vanderbilt to play corner allows the team to go deep here and keep a player like Drummond on the roster and away from waivers. Demps and Moore are the veteran leadership in this group, and Pleasant looks ready to break out if he can beat out Hal."
Special Teams (3)
Randy Bullock (kicker), Shane Lechler (punter) and Jon Weeks (long snapper)
"This is the spot with the least amount of drama as there is no competition for any of the three players. Bullock had a great season last year, Lechler is one of the best punters in the game and Weeks does his job and stays out of trouble, which is all you need from a long snapper."