The Houston Texans have some tough choices to make. The final cutdown day is Aug 27, 2024, and a lot of big names are expected to be axed between now and then. As of press time, the Houston Texans have not begun cutting guys in masse yet, but it's very likely to begin as early as Monday morning (the 26th), if not sooner. There may be guys already gone by the time this goes live.
It's entirely possible. considering the number of guys being cut, there are going to be a few names on that list that are surprising and some that aren't. We're looking at the roster of guys from top to bottom and trying to find out, regardless of where on the depth chart they are, who should be cut from the roster solely based on their preseason performances.
Some guys like Jawhar Jordan were anything but impressive but didn't make this list simply because there were far worse players on the team. Others, like Andrew Beck, aren't on the list because they only played a handful of plays in one game.
We looked at the size of the sample each player gave us, while also looking at their stats and Pro Football Focus scores as well. We cobbled them together to give us an idea of which five players from the preseason disappointed us the most, while also giving us five names to definitely cut if we were in charge.
Some names might be safe from being sent packing, but these are the five worst-performing players from the Houston Texans preseason outings.
OT Blake Fisher
The worst-performing rookie for all of 2024 has been, undoubtedly, Blake Fisher. The second-round pick out of Notre Dame was supposed to bolster the offensive line but he instead has been anything but an asset for the team. He's a big body, with quick feet. So you'd think he'd be one of the best offensive tackles so far through four preseason games. Instead, he's got the second lowest score on Pro Football Focus out of all the Houston Texans players, and the lowest score among all of the offensive players.
He currently has a PFF score of 36.0, which is extremely bad. Against the New York Giants, he posted a pass-rushing score of just 16.5. I'm not sure if this is like the SAT where you get points just for putting your name on the test, but it feels like it is. You should get a 30.5 just for wearing your pads the right way. So for him to bottom out as hard as he did isn't great.
It is the preseason, and he is far from a completed project but man, what an utterly disappointing preseason he had.
FB Nick Bawden
He only had one game to his name, but Nick Bawden was actively a hindrance for the Houston Texans. Considering the team was mostly playing against third and fourth-stringers, you would hope that Bawden would show up and put on a good performance. Especially considering what was at stake for him. Yet, Bawden failed to make any sort of positive impact.
Competing on a roster with two other fullbacks, incumbent Andrew Beck and second-stringer Troy Hairston, you would hope that Bawden would be able to put on an outing that puts him in the best light possible. After all, so few teams run fullbacks anymore. Yet, Bawden went belly up in his only outing. Posting just a 45.6, Bawden failed to impress. Making matters worse, he didn't even showcase his attributes in any one aspect of the game.
Be it run blocking, pass blocking, running, or receiving. His best aspect was run blocking, but he only scored 62.3 according to PFF. A respectable number but nothing impressive. As decent as that was, his pass blocking was even worse, with a score of just 11.5 according to PFF.
Clearly, the team has better options at fullback and it seems like Beck may be secure in his job.
DT McTelvin Agim
The Houston Texans picked up McTelvin Agim this offseason for one reason and one reason only; he was a former third-round pick. A former third-round pick at a position of need on the team. The defensive tackles are pretty shallow, and Agim seemed like a nice bet. Except, he's failed to catch on with the Denver Broncos or the Indianapolis Colts, so his arrival with the Texans seemed more like a last stop on the tour than anything else.
The Texans were a team with a desperate need at the position Agim played; if he couldn't make it here, he couldn't make it anywhere. After all, the bar to clear is quite low. With that said, he still couldn't clear it. Pro Football Focus scored his performances poorly.
He was the worst-rated player on the team with a score of 30.5. He failed to impress in every category but one, which was pass-rushing. That sounds like a pretty ok thing to succeed in. Like being able to hit 50 home runs in the MLB, but only having a .191 batting average. Except, this is more like hitting .171 in the Majors and hitting 12 home runs.
His pass rushing score was only 55.4.
LB Jamal Hill
Another rookie on the list. Another disappointment of the preseason for the rookie class of 2024. Blake Fisher, however, was a shocker to see him play so poorly. Jamal Hill? Not so much. Hill was a later pick for the Houston Texans, being drafted in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He had a huge hurdle to clear just to make the team this season, let alone make any sizeable impact.
So his poor showing this offseason isn't the most shocking thing ever. Still, some labeled Hill as a potential draft steal and the hope was that he could come in and fight for a starting position. Considering how poor the team's linebacking corps was last season. Not to mention, how shallow the talent pool was this season.
He hasn't made a play for a starting job, in fact he's tending so far the other way he's one of my picks to be cut. He posted a PFF score of just 39.4, and considering he's someone who was going up against third and fourth-string players, that's a pretty unacceptable number. He didn't impress anyone and it would be shocking to see him still on the team come the final cut day.
DT Kurt Hinish
The undrafted defensive tackle out of Notre Dame, Kurt Hinish was anything but impressive. The College of Notre Dame usually demands star-caliber talent to join their hollowed halls, so to see Hinish perform so poorly is a bit shocking. Yes, he was a star-caliber undrafted player, but he was adequate last preseason. He struggled last season, however. So badly did he struggle that many thought he'd be gone before the 2024 preseason rolled around.
He was not and here we are. Hinish may be safe from getting cut only because of how shallow the position is and how little the Texans seem to care about upgrading it before the regular season starts. It's unlikely anyone else is coming in anytime soon and with the fact that there's already on defensive tackle getting cut according to our list. Combine that with the fact that Denico Autry has been suspended, and Hinish may just survive this round of cuts.
Still, he may get 86ed, after all, he did post a PFF score of 41.8; fourth-worst on defense. We're not counting C.J. Henderson, however, as he's only played five snaps.
