The Houston Texans splurged in free agency and trades last offseason, addressing both their offense and their defense to put together quite a dynamic-looking squad on paper.
While Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter represented their biggest additions, the Texans also landed a significant acquisition for their interior defensive line, signing Denico Autry.
Autry was expected to step in and make the jobs of Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. even easier along the edge, but instead, he was a major disappointment.
A six-game suspension sidelined Autry at the beginning of the season, and once he returned, he wasn't very effective, logging just 13 tackles and three sacks in 10 games.
The problems is that Houston signed Autry to a two-year deal, so he is under contract through 2025. But momentum is building toward the Texans releasing the 34-year-old, and Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus is the latest analyst to list Autry as a cut candidate.
"Houston’s group of edge rushers finished the year third in overall PFF grade and fourth in pass-rushing grade, primarily fueled by Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. Autry did play a role, but his 65.2 PFF pass-rushing grade was the worst among Houston’s primary four edge defenders," Locker wrote. "On top of that, Autry closed the year with a sub-55.0 grade in both run defense and tackling. Autry is set to count for over $10 million against the cap this year, but that price feels far too rich for a rotational edge piece. Moving on in favor of a cheaper depth player would net Houston roughly $5.8 million — money that would certainly alleviate limited cap room."
You certainly can't blame Houston for signing Autry last March. After all, he racked up 50 tackles and 11.5 sacks with the Tennessee Titans in 2023 and totaled 28.5 sacks over a span of three seasons with the Titans.
However, he was obviously a massive disappointment for the Texans, and given their rough cap situation, it would be wise for Houston to part ways with him. The Texans need to free up as much money as possible.
