- Houston Texans GM Nick Caserio inherited a mess last January when he agreed to take over the franchise, and still has lots of work to do to keep steering clear of so-called "Cap Hell.''
A while back, we made predictions.
Who, we asked, are several names that could be on the chopping or trade block for Houston? We made a list with also how much money it will save on an assortment of players, including Marcus Cannon (cut on Monday) and Eric Murray (being restructured). To wit:
CUT CANDIDATES
OT Marcus Cannon
2022 cap hit: $5.2 million
Cap savings: $5.2 million
Dead money: $0
The Texans added Cannon to stabilize the offensive line. He was expected to take over at right tackle while former first-rounder Tytus Howard shifted inside to right guard.
Last season, Cannon only played in four games due to a back injury. Although he was the best option when healthy, he's 34 and could be viewed at this point in his career as a backup. Houston also has younger players to replace him already on the roster with Howard or 2020 fourth-round pick Charlie Heck.
UPDATE: Cannon is now gone. Full story here.
S Eric Murray
2022 cap hit: $6.9 million
Cap savings: $5.4 million
Dead money: $1.5 million
Murray is currently the fourth-highest paid player on the Texans cap list. He's yet to live up to his three-year, $18 million deal under O'Brien and Jack Easterby and wasn't a full-time starter in Smith's defense last season.
The only logical way for Murray to remain on the roster is if Caserio restructures the contract. That would give him more guaranteed money on a lesser salary, similar to that of running back David Johnson last offseason.
UPDATE: Houston is working on this as of Monday.
LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
2022 cap hit: $3.6 million
Cap savings: $3.1 million
Dead money: $500,000
It's hard to imagine Pierre-Louis being retained. Signed as one of the few players to a multi-year deal, he was expected to be the starting weakside linebacker last season after a breakout season in Washington. Instead, he played only 29 defensive snaps, 22 of which came in Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts.
UPDATE: A restructure is complete.
OL Max Scharping
2022 cap hit: $2.96 million
Cap savings: $2.5 million
Dead money: $427,000
Sharping is a former second-rounder under the Brian Gaine regime who has been inconsistent. Although Houston has played him at both guard spots, he's never been able to find consistency in terms of pass protection. Cutting him in the final year of his contract saves over $2 million and might be the best outcome.
OL Justin McCray
2022 cap hit: $2.5 million
Cap savings: $2.3 million
Dead money: $4250,00
McCrary's saving grace to return is his versatility. He played both guard spots and center last year and started eight games. He's a solid depth piece, but keep in mind that McCray was part of a unit that allowed 40 sacks and finished dead last in rushing.
K Ka'imi Fairbairn
2022 cap hit: $4.3 million
Cap savings: $2.8 million
Dead money: $1.5 million
It's not as if Fairbairn did enough to warrant a guaranteed roster spot. He went 15 of 19 on field goals attempts and posted the league's worst extra-point accuracy last season at only 81.3 percent. With all of his guaranteed money paid up, Houston could cut ties with him and add a younger option like LSU's Cade York or Texas' Cameron Dicker in the draft.
TRADE CANDIDATES
QB Deshaun Watson
2022 cap hit: $40.4 million
Cap savings: $24.2 million
Dead money: $16.2 million
The Texans are open for business. Caserio isn't going to take a cost-friendly deal, but there's also a chance Watson will be on the books at least for the start of free agency.
UPDATE: But not for long. Meetings are beginning with suitors, Monday night in Houston.
OT Laremy Tunsil
2022 cap hit: $26.1 million
Cap savings: $9.5 million
Dead money: $16.6 million
There's a valid argument to keep Tunsil, but Houston is rebuilding and could use the cap space for the future. When healthy, Tunsil is arguably a top 10 player at his position and would be a massive upgrade to nearly every NFL line.
The biggest thing will be the asking price for Caserio to move off him. Tunsil still has two years remaining on his three-year extension, but also could want a long-term deal in place with the team he is trade to.
It makes sense for Houston to part ways with him, but the price has to be there for Caserio to pull the trigger.
WR Brandin Cooks
2022 cap hit: $16.2 million
Cap savings: $8.7 million
Dead money: $7.5 million
The Texans are hopeful to extend Cooks rather than trade him this offseason. That said, if the two sides can't come to terms on a deal long-term, moving him for the highest value seems logical.
Cooks is a six-time 1,000-yard receiver and has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons since becoming the Texans featured target. At 29, he might not garner a first-round pick, but a second-rounder plus one or two late-round picks could get the job done if the fire sale is fully in effect.
More must-reads: