Texans Make Four Surprising Moves to Finalize 53-Man Roster

The Houston Texans put together their 53-man roster heading into the 2023 campaign, which led to four surprising cuts.

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans put together their 53-man roster as part of the NFL's cutdown day Tuesday afternoon. For the first time in his career, coach DeMeco Ryans was at the helm of making roster decisions. 

Ryans described roster cuts as a tough and sensitive day. Whether they make the 53-man roster or practice squad, Ryans is hoping that each player the Texans release will find a way to keep their NFL dreams alive.

"First things first, I appreciate guys just their work ethic and how much work those guys put in for us," Ryans said. "Our guys have done a great job of doing what we’ve asked them to do. 

"We’ve asked them to work hard each and every day – our guys did that. They didn’t complain, they just worked. So, it’s a hard day. Over the next couple of days – it’ll be a hard few days having to let guys go because I know the work that these men have put in."

Here are four surprise cuts made by the Texans en route to their 53-man roster.

Khalil Davis: Khalil Davis was a long shot to make the Texans' 53. He signed with the franchise 12 days after the start of training camp. But despite his late arrival, Davis put together a string of solid outings at the Houston Methodist Training Center.

Davis embodied Ryans' SWARM defensive mentality. And during the Texans' 2-1 preseason outing, the former USFL standout showcased his potential. He registered nine tackles, five solo hits, six quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, and a sack.

"The mentality of the defense is SWARM and that doesn’t change," Ryans said. "We want to be an attacking, aggressive defense, and it’s 11 guys flying around with their hair on fire making plays and playing for each other. That’s what you see out here in practice and that’s what you’ll see during games."

Despite not making the 53-man roster, a source told Texans Daily that Davis is a strong candidate to return to Houston as a member of the Texans' practice squad.

Thomas Booker: Thomas Booker did not have a chance to establish himself as a dependable defensive lineman. After spending the entire training camp and preseason sidelined with a wounded hand, Booker became one of a handful of players whose jettison was the result of injuries — joining Christian Kirksey and Roy Lopez.

"Injuries set guys back," Ryans said. "It limits the amount of reps they’re able to get. It limits them from showing their true talent and what they could do, so injuries hurt a lot of guys during this process, so hopefully guys can bounce back and put good film out there."

The hand injury Booker sustained was unfortunate. But the Texans are one year removed from selecting the former Standford prospect in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft (No. 150 overall), which made Booker's release a surprise.

In one season, despite some mishaps, Booker showed some potential. The 23-year-old defensive lineman played 10 games with the Texans as a rookie, recording 15 tackles and 0.5 sacks.

Jacob Martin: Jacob Martin rejoined the Texans following his release from the Denver Broncos in March. At the time, no one knew what to expect from the 27-year-old defensive end.

However, Martin became one of the Texans' most productive linemen during training camp. And before cutdown day, he appeared to be a lock to make Houston's 53-man roster. Martin started over Jonathan Greenard and Jerry Hughes in two of the Texans' three preseason games. 

"Jacob has done a good job in practice — he’s been consistent in practice," coach DeMeco Ryans said. "He’s shown that ability to set the edge, to rush the passers, so I’m encouraged with some of the things that Jacob has done in practice, and he went out there first in the game."

Martin's first stint with the Texans came ahead of the 2019 season. The Seattle Seahawks included him in the trade package to acquire defensive end Jadeveon Clowney from the Texans.

In three seasons in Houston, Martin tallied 10.5 sacks and 54 total tackles. He became a reliable EDGE rusher for former defensive coordinators Romeo Crennel (2019), Anthony Weaver (2020) and Lovie Smith (2021).

Desmond King: Out of all the players cut, nickel Desmond King was the biggest surprise.

Since joining the team in 2021, King has been one of the Texans' most reliable defensive backs. His best season came in 2021 when injuries forced King to play as an outside corner. He finished his first season in Houston with a career-best 93 tackles, six pass deflections and three interceptions. 

King spent the final moments with the Texans playing well into the preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints. He recorded two tackles and a pass deflection in the win. Instead of vying for a roster spot in Houston, King's performance against the Saints was a chance to build upon his resume to land with another team in the coming days.

King finishes his career in Houston, appearing in 33 games with 25 starts. He recorded 182 tackles, 14 pass deflections and five interceptions. His release was a testament to the tight competition Houston had at the position group. 

"Guys competed in the cornerback room a lot," Ryans said. "There’s a lot of quality players there. Guys competed and we’ll see where we end up over the next few days, but I love the way those guys competed every day.”