Desmond King was one of the many names that were cut earlier in the week by the Houston Texans as they sought to get their roster down to the 53-man limit that the NFL has. King, who was one of the better corners on the team over parts of the last three seasons, was seen by many as a lock to make the team. Many believed, ourselves included, that he'd be alongside Myles Bryant and Derrick Stingley Jr. as the team's go-to three-man rotation at corner.
Yet, despite being someone who had fans across the league due to his stellar play, the Texans opted to not retain his services. And frankly, we're left wondering why. King had been playing well every year he was with the Texans and continued to show his skills in the preseason.
So why would they get rid of him, yet keep someone like Jeff Okudah? Well, let's talk about why we think King was released.
The front office and coaching staff are very high on Kamari Lassiter
Kamari Lassiter hasn't impressed yet. The second-round pick from the 2024 NFL Draft may need some more seasoning before he shows his worth on the team. The coaches may see something in him that we didn't see in the preseason, and believe that he'd be held back by playing behind King. If the development of Lassiter was key, one could make an argument as to why King was 86'ed. That still doesn't explain the next issue, however.
The coaching staff really believes in Jeff Okudah
Sure, Lassiter over King makes sense if you're worried about the former's development, by why not keep King on the roster in case Lassiter struggles? Why not have him as the fourth cornerback on the team? If he would have rather been released and ended up somewhere else as a starter, sure, it makes sense to let him go. Yet, if that's not the case, then it has to be because the coaching staff really believes in Jeff Okudah. But why?
Okudah hasn't played all preseason, has never played a full season, and even when healthy has struggled mightily. DeMeco Ryans is a good head coach, but he's not a miracle worker. You can't just want someone to be good. Sure, there exists a possibility that Okudah just needed the right system to develop.
That may be the case, but I'm not holding my breath over that possibility.
Unexpected names may be in the hunt for his spot
The only other reason why King may have been let go is if the team believed in someone like M.J. Stewart to play multiple positions. He played corner for some of his career and could return to the position if need be. The team may have been very high on him this preseason, even if he didn't impress as much as King.