Wide receiver Ryan Grice-Mullen (far left) never participated in OTAs because of a leg injury.
The Texans released safety Curome Cox and wide receiver Ryan Grice-Mullen on Friday, executing their second round of roster cuts this week.
Head coach Gary Kubiak and general manager Rick Smith are trying to trim the squad down to 80 players before training camp begins in late July. They let go of quarterback Quinn Gray and offensive tackle Jordan Black on Monday.
Cox (6-1, 204) played with the Denver Broncos for two seasons and seven games before signing with the Texans in November. In 2007, he recorded four tackles and his second career fumble recovery, but he primarily saw action on special teams. Against Jacksonville in the season finale, the fourth-year pro registered a team-high three special teams tackles.
The team is carrying a plethora of safeties into camp, including starters Will Demps and C.C. Brown, 10th-year pro Nick Ferguson, second-year pros Brandon Harrison and Brandon Mitchell and rookie Dominique Barber. At least one player at that position had to go before camp, and the Texans' brass elected to stick with their younger talent.
Grice-Mullen (5-10, 187), an undrafted rookie out of Hawaii, hardly got a taste of the NFL because a leg injury kept him out of practice during OTAs. Last season, the wideout led UH's receiving corps with 1,228 yards and caught 12 touchdowns.
The Texans will have to cut three more players by the start of camp to get their roster down to the 80-player limit.
