And that includes letting a couple of popular players go.

By waiving offensive tackle Zach Wiegert, defensive tackle Seth Payne and receiver Eric Moulds, the Texans cleared up salary-cap space for the start of free agency on Friday and provided opportunities for some younger players to solidify their positions on the team.

Wiegert, 34, and Payne, 32, suffered season-ending knee injuries last season. Moulds, 34, saw his performance drop off over the second half of the season.

Expected to replace them as starters are offensive tackle Eric Winston, defensive tackle Anthony Maddox and receiver Kevin Walter.

"We all face difficult decisions at this time of the year," Texans general manager Rick Smith said. "We're doing everything we can to improve our team."

The Texans saved $3.07 million on Wiegert and Payne. Moulds, who played one season in Houston, wasn't a cap casualty.

"We have several areas we want to improve," Smith said. "We've got a couple of free agents we've targeted, but we're going to be prudent financially."

Like it or not, these are older guys who needed to go. The team has struggled since the beginning, and Coach Gary Kubiak is moving in a different direction from that of the Capers era. Young players stepped-up last season and are ready to take the roles filled by these older guys.

And on another interesting note, discontent over QB David Carr's role on the team is bubbling up. This comment comes from teammate Dunta Robinson.

Texans cornerback Dunta Robinson said Wednesday night that he believes it is time for quarterback David Carr to be traded.
"It's just my opinion, but I think it's that time," Robinson said. "We haven't won. I'm not saying it's David's fault, and I'm not saying he can't be a great quarterback with another team. But he's been here for five years, and the best we've been able to do is 7-9. I just think it's time for us to make some moves that'll help the Texans become a winning team."

That he is making such statements publicly tells me that the sentiment is much more widely shared on the team. The question is, do the Texans listen to this sentiment that is shared by players and fans alike?

Posted by: Greg at 11:39 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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