The preseason is over and roster cuts must be made but the Texans aren't in a hurry.
Head Coach Lovie Smith met with the media on Friday morning at NRG Stadium. Trimming the roster from 85 to 53 players must be done by Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. CT. Smith and the Texans wrapped their preseason slate of games with a 17-10 victory over the 49ers on Thursday night and they now have over four days to make their decisions.
"We're still evaluating the video," Smith said. "A lot goes into these next days. We've seen the players in a lot of different situations. You ask guys to make plays and make us make hard decisions and that's where we are."
Camp practices and 180 minutes worth of preseason game action have armed Smith, General Manager Nick Caserio and the rest of the decision-makers with the data they need to make their choices. Smith mentioned that about eight position groups are highly competitive and some good players won't be around after Tuesday.
"Normally, it works itself out," Smith said. "It seemed like this year, some of these decisions are about as hard as they've ever been. As a coach, you want to be in these situations."
Houston won the preseason opener against New Orleans 17-13 at home. The Texans went to SoFi Stadium last week and beat the Rams 24-20. Getting a pair of touchdown drives engineered by QB Davis Mills and a shutout by the defense, along with several other standout performances, made Thursday night's win beneficial for Smith in the evaluation process.
"Every time you let guys play, and prove who they are, it makes it easier," Smith said. "So you start with that. You want the players to get as many opportunities as possible for us to see who they are. The more games you play, the more situations you put the players in, the better decisions you can make. That's where we are right now."
The players are off this weekend and will soon begin preparations for the Colts. The Week 1 opener with Indianapolis is September 11 at NRG Stadium at 12 p.m. CT. Browse tickets.
