Head coach Gary Kubiak discussed each of the 22 players released by the Texans on Saturday.
During his weekly press conference at Reliant Stadium, Texans coach Gary Kubiak discussed the team's 22 roster cuts as well as various injuries and other questions facing the team heading into Week 1.
Head coach Gary Kubiak(on the players released today) "We released 22 players. We're still sitting one heavy right now because of (CB) Dunta (Robinson)'s situation. We released (QB) Alex Brink. We kept three quarterbacks. We released (LB) Khary Campbell. Khary did a good job on special teams for us. I think he was behind on defense, as far as what we were doing, and I think that hurt his chances. (LB) Buster Davis, we went with six linebackers. Released (FB) Jonathan Evans, who was with us for a few weeks. (RB) Arian Foster, we released him. He did some good stuff in camp. We went with (RB) Andre Hall right now as our fourth back. (TE) Clark Harris—obviously, we think that (TE) Joel (Dreessen) has the ability to not only play well for us, but to snap. So we feel like we gained a roster spot there. (FS) Brandon Harrison, who was in a battle throughout camp with (John) Busing, and we just felt that JB had earned that spot on our team. (C) Brett Helms, a young center from LSU, we had been very impressed with him. (DE) Tim Jamison, also a very good camp for us. (WR) Darnell Jenkins, who has spent some time with us on the practice squad before, played well last night; released him. (G) Adrian Jones, (DT) Josh Leonard, (DE) Jesse Nading, (CB) Deltha O'Neal, (CB) Mark Parson, (CB) Matterral Richardson, (WR) Mark Simmons, (T) Adam Stenavich, (T) Brandon Torrey, (T) Cliff Washburn. So, 22 guys, and you know, it's a tough day. Those guys have been busting their tail for us the last six weeks and then to tell them no today—they're all very class acts, had very good visits with all of them. Wish them all well, and we could have some of them coming back on the practice squad as well."
(on if he has heard anything from CB Dunta Robinson) "No, I have not."
(on if WR Glenn Martinez played his way on to the team) "Yeah. He's a great example. He just kept playing well throughout training camp, not only as a receiver but really played well for (special teams coordinator) Joe (Marciano). Obviously, we've got (WR) Kevin (Walter) who's nicked right now with a hamstring, so we ended up keeping six. We've got six football players. We've got guys who produce on special teams. Glenn can play special teams. David Anderson plays special teams. Kevin Walter is going to play special teams. André Davis covers kicks and returns kicks, so the group as a whole are all very much involved with what Joe does, so I think that allows us to keep an extra guy there."
(on if he expects to hear from CB Dunta Robinson before he shows up) "I don't know. I'm just waiting for him to come on in. I probably won't. I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe he'll call in the next hour, I don't know, but I have not heard from him."
(on if QB Rex Grossman closed the gap on the No. 2 quarterback slot) "Yeah, he did a heck of a job. He was very impressive with how he played and how he handled the football team. I think that he and (QB) Dan (Orlovsky) 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, but obviously, he was very impressive not only to me but to his teammates and earned his way on to this team. I wish we would've had him the whole training camp, the whole preseason to play, because he obviously has some dang good football in him still, and it showed up last night."
(on if he will use practice to decide who he intends to put as the No. 2 quarterback) "I don't know. We've got a couple practices here that very well could be without (QB) Matt (Schaub), so there are plenty of reps to go around. 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. Like I said, there is plenty of work to go around. There is no hurry for that. They both need to get ready to play. So we'll approach it that way."
(on QB Matt Schaub's status) "He's better today. I think he is actually maybe doing a little work on the field as we speak here right now. They took him out to try and get him going, so I'm going to talk to (head athletic trainer Geoff) Kap(lan) when I get through with y'all. He's obviously made progress. Y'all know we left him at home during the trip. He and Kevin (Walter) and Eugene (Wilson) have all made progress."
(on if anybody on defense stood out to him last night) "Yeah. (DT) Frank Okam really showed up last night. He had an up and down training camp. As y'all know, we moved (DT Shaun) Cody inside when he and (DT) DelJuan (Robinson) were struggling. He showed up last night and let his teammates know that he wants to be on this team. He played very, very well during the game. DelJuan is nursing a calf strain, came out of the game, was a little nicked. So he's day-to-day right now. But I was really impressed with the progress that Frank made. I was impressed with (LB Xavier) Adibi coming back and playing better that he had been playing. Our whole secondary played, so they got some work. So I was impressed with some of the things going on from that standpoint. Offensively, I thought (G) Chester (Pitts) came back and he was better. There is still that level that Chester has to reach for this team, and he's not there yet. In fairness, he's on his way there, (but it's) because of the time missed. I thought his progress was good. He came back and showed that I think he's ready to go. (T Rashad) Butler, those guys got a ton of reps. The two young tight ends, I was very impressed with (TE James) Casey in the game. He played all over the place. He is really surprising us as a fullback right now; been very physical and been a pleasant surprise from that standpoint."
(on if using Casey as a fullback is impeding his progress as a tight end) "I don't know if it's impeding him. Obviously, if he was just working at tight end, I think he'd probably be further along as a tight end, but I think he can really help this team back there. People don't know if we are in a two-back offense or one-back offense when he's on the field, so we have some flexibility there. I think that is going to be a part of his career in that he can do so many things. He's got great hands and he had two or three catches last night, and he's playing well for (special teams coordinator) Joe (Marciano). So this guy is just going to be a big contributor in any way he can to our team."
(on if TE Anthony Hill should've caught the two passes he dropped) "It's hard to tell if the guy got his hand in there or not (on the interception), but he touched it, and if he touches it, he should catch it. The other catch over the middle, when he got the ball knocked out, he's gotta make that play. That's an NFL play. You're going to get hit. The windows are small. (QB) Dan (Orlovsky) made a good throw. He's got to make that play. He had a lot of reps last night. He's got a long way to go. He can help us as a physical player, and he's got to be able to help Joe (Marciano) also."
(on wanting a long snapper who can play other positions and his confidence in TE Joel Dreessen) "I have a lot of confidence in him. We thought he and (TE) Clark (Harris) were the same player throughout camp. 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. In our rhythm and how we do things, Joel plays in our two-tight sets and those type of things, so we feel fortunate. You have to remember, we also think (TE) James (Casey) can do it, too. He's not quite game-ready like Joel or Clark, 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 (DT) Jeff Zgonina, too."
(on if he expects to be watching the waiver lines) "Yeah, I don't think we're through, if that's what you're asking me. We're down to our number today and obviously, about 8 o'clock tonight night the wire comes in and that'll be the first thing we do, sit down with that. We've got our priorities right now where we think we need to get better, where we may be able to find some help without me sitting here discussing them, but we've got them lined up. So we'll look at the wire and talk through it as coaches. All of us have certain knowledge of players around the league and certain teams. If we think someone will help us, we'll definitely do it."
(on if there will be less movement than usual) "I don't know. I don't think you ever know. I don't think any of us know. There will be some surprises on that wire tomorrow just like there are every year in this league. Whether or not those surprises can help us out, I don't know."
(on FS Eugene Wilson's agent saying he is uncertain for game one) "Obviously, we think that he's going to have to make some progress to be ready to go against the Jets. I'm not ready to say he's not going to be there. I'm very hopeful he can keep making progress. He, obviously, has got a sprain, a good sprain that's going to take some days to get back. Hopefully those days are sooner rather than later, but we've got to prepare as if there's a chance he doesn't make it back."
(on if G Chester Pitts will start) "Chester will start. He came back and played good in the game. Like I said just a minute ago, he still needs to find himself, but he's not far from it. He knows the level I expect him to play at, and he expects himself to play at that level. He's just missed a lot of time and he's well on his way and we need him to get there—the sooner the better. But I can say this: (G) Kasey Studdard has played well enough in this preseason that on our football team, we are not worried by any means about putting him in there, whether it's giving Chester a spell or giving (G) Mike Brisiel a spell. He can help this team. He's a much-improved player."
(on if S John Busing would start if Wilson cannot play) "Well, I think obviously, right now you'd say that (SS) Nick (Ferguson) and (SS Dominique) Barber would probably go work together. You'd go with the experience. But I'd think you would have some type of rotation between all of them."
(on if the team will consider making a trade) "That's Rick (Smith)'s business; it's not mine. We're looking at all options to improve our football team."
(on what he thought about LB Xavier Adibi last night) "I thought he got better. I had been disappointed in the week before, but I thought he went out there like a man. I called on him to go out there and play because I didn't think he had played at the level that we needed him to play at the week before, and he stood up and played well. He did some good things. He'll help this team a great deal, and he's got to be ready to go like a starter because (LB) Brian (Cushing) is coming back and Brian has not played a lot of ball. So chances are we're going to be rotating some people opening day at the linebacker position also."
(on if he has made a decision on the weakside starting linebacker spot) "Oh, (LB) Zac (Diles) has earned the right to go on the field. 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."
(on if he is saw what he wanted to see in the preseason to be comfortable with all of his starters) "Yeah, I'm comfortable. I have some concerns defensively from a continuity standpoint. You know, you sit up there, and I just walked out of our room up there with our depth chart board and stuff, and boy, it looks real nice, but there's a lot of names up there who have not been here, not been playing. We know (LB) Brian's (Cushing) ready to go, but he hasn't been out there. We're hoping (CB) Dunta (Robinson) walks in the door; how far has he come, what has he been doing? That question's gotta get answered. (CB) Jacques Reeves is on that board; he's not ready to go. (FS) Eugene's (Wilson) nicked up. So as coaches, sometimes you look at those depth charts and they look very, very good, but there's a lot of real and what's going on and we've got to work through it and be as good as we can be next weekend."
(on who will start at corner for CB Dunta Robinson if he doesn't come back) "(CB) Brice McCain will start."
(on LB Brian Cushing) "He's fine. He's ready to go. We're going to put the shells on in the morning and work some. We'll get some good pads work this week and he will be on the field, he'll be playing."
(on how unusual it is for a rookie to not have seen a single second in the preseason) "Well, it's unusual, but I think that this situation called for us doing it a certain way. We just needed to make sure we got him to game week, and we've kind of put him through his preseason on the practice field in our own kind of way. He's obviously not going to go out there and play 60 or 70 plays, but it's time for him to go to work. He's played in a lot of big football games, so I don't think it'll be to be too big for him."
(on if he feels good about having all hands on deck other than FS Eugene Wilson) "As far as coming back? Yeah, I feel good about (QB) Matt (Schaub) and (WR) Kevin (Walter), but I still think those are day-to-day injuries. Until they come out there and move around in a manner that says they're ready to go, we'll see. We've got a long week. What's today, Saturday? So we've got a good long week here, and we'll just keep treating them and hopefully get them out there by Wednesday or Thursday."
