Texans head coach Gary Kubiak addressed the media on Saturday afternoon at Reliant Stadium and announced the 22 roster cuts.
Dunta watch: If you were to include cornerback Dunta Robinson, the Texans would have 54 players right now, which means the return of Robinson will necessitate waiving another player. Kubiak admitted that the task of letting players go is a tough one, but he was pleased with the overall makeup of his roster on Saturday.
As for Robinson, Kubiak said he doesn't really know when to expect the cornerback to report back for work. He also said rookie that Brice McCain would start opposite Fred Bennett if Robinson did not start against the N.Y. Jets in Week 1.
"I'm just waiting for him to come on in," Kubiak said of Robinson. "Maybe he'll call in the next hour, I don't know, but I have not heard from him."
Quarterback shuffle?: Alex Brink was let go this afternoon, leaving Matt Schaub, Dan Orlovsky and Rex Grossman as the three signal-callers on the roster. The head coach liked what he saw last night from Grossman, who entered the Bucs game third on the depth chart but threw for a pair of touchdowns in the victory at Tampa Bay.
"He did a heck of a job," Kubiak said. "He was very impressive with how he played and how he handled the football team. I think that he and Dan are both our backups in my mind as I sit here right now. I will make a decision on that as the week goes on, but I have confidence in both of them."
Grossman played so well that he muddied the backup picture between himself and Orlovsky.
"There are plenty of reps to go around," Kubiak said. "I'll work them tomorrow and work them again on Tuesday, and really just for me, it's about being comfortable with who's got the best grasp of what we're doing. They both need to get ready to play."
{QUOTE}Schaub's ankle continues to improve, and he was able to do some work today on the practice fields. Kubiak is confident that Schaub will be ready to go a week from Sunday in the opener against the Jets.
"He's better today," Kubiak said of Schaub. "They took him out to try and get him going, so he's obviously made progress."
Long shots survive: A few Texans who entered camp as long shots to make the squad wound up with roster spots today. Receiver Glenn Martinez, who caught a pair of passes for 35 yards against the Buccaneers, survived the trimming to 53 in large part because of his versatility.
"He's a great example," Kubiak said. "He just kept playing well throughout training camp, not only as a receiver but really played well for (special teams coordinator) Joe (Marciano). Glenn can play special teams. The receiver group as a whole is very much involved with what Joe does, so I think that allows us to keep an extra guy there."
John Busing came up with a pair of takeaways in Tampa, one on a third-quarter interception, another on a muffed punt. Those two plays, along with a team-high six tackles on Friday night, likely sealed his fate in sticking with the club.
Snap decision: Tight end Joel Dreessen will handle the deep snapper duties this season. He will be backed up in that most unique of positions by rookie tight end James Casey and defensive tackle Jeff Zgonina. Kubiak is enthusiastic about Dreessen's role in that regard and likes that the Texans don't have to sacrifice a roster spot for a player who only snaps.
"I have a lot of confidence in him," Kubiak said of Dreessen. "You do get a little bit concerned if your snapper is playing 60-70 percent of the offensive snaps and snapping, that he doesn't get worn down, but with Joel we should be fine. You have to remember, we also think James can do it, too. He's not quite game ready like Joel or Clark (Harris), but he's on his way and he's very close. If he has to go in there and do that, we think we can survive. We can still survive with Jeff Zgonina, too."
Zac attack: Zac Diles has been productive this preseason, and Kubiak didn't hesitate when asked about where Diles ranks in the linebacker depth chart.
"Zac has earned the right to go on the field," Kubiak said of the weakside linebacker. "Zac is a starter. He's our number two linebacker, and we'll figure out how we work those three, but Zac will be a starter."
Running back cuts: A mild surprise came in the form of the release of Arian Foster. The former Tennessee Volunteer carried the ball 16 times for 49 yards Friday night, but he was out of a job the next day. Andre Hall was kept on the roster, rounding out a running back position headlined by Steve Slaton, with Chris Brown and Ryan Moats behind him on the depth chart.
