The next few days will be tough.
By Tuesday at 3 p.m. CT, every NFL club must have its 90-man roster trimmed down to 53.
Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans spoke with the media Monday afternoon at NRG Stadium, and described what's ahead in the next 48 hours or so.
"With the cuts that are coming up, it's a tough day," Ryans said. "Sensitive. It's a delicate situation for a lot of guys."
Ryans was hired in late January, and this will be his first go-round as head coach during the roster cutdown. He played 10 years as a linebacker, with six of those seasons as a captain here in Houston. He has a firm grasp on what this time of year can be like.
"You want to tell guys just to keep working," Ryans said. "Continue your dreams. Hopefully they have an opportunity to make another 53-man roster. Or make a practice squad. There is opportunity around the entire NFL to be able to make it. That's my message to those guys."
Ryans was appreciative of the work ethic shown by this crew of 90, citing all the hard work they've put in since the start of offseason conditioning, through OTAs, training camp and the preseason. The Texans wrapped their preseason slate of games last night with a 17-13 victory in New Orleans. With the cuts that come tomorrow, the Texans will also likely add some players Wednesday and Thursday from other squads who might bolster the team's talent.
"We're always looking to improve our roster," Ryans said. "If that's someone at another club, if it's someone that can improve our roster, we're always looking to do that. I think that's an ongoing process throughout the entire season. You're always looking to better the back end of your roster. That just drives the competition to make guys in front of them better."
Ryans and the Texans will practice on Wednesday at the Houston Methodist Training Center.
