General manager Nick Caserio and the Houston Texans made their re-signings of Brevin Jordan and Dominique Robinson official on Tuesday, To create space, they Texans removed Braden Smith and Sam Hagen from the active roster.
Both players will go on injured reserve.
"We released Brevin and DomRob. Resigned both of those guys, and the corresponding moves, Braden Smith's going to IR and Sam Hagen's going to IR. So, those guys will be–that's four weeks, or four games, however you look at it," Caserio told reporters on September 1.
"When you just look at the overall roster–and we've talked about this, I'd say, multiple times– some positions, you carry your death on a roster. Some positions, you carry depth off the roster. We don't view it as 53, we view it as 69, 70 players, and everybody's available, essentially, to play each week."
The Texans signed Smith to a two-year, $20 million contract in free agency this offseason, with the belief being that he would be their starting right tackle .
Instead, Smith has struggled to get and then stay healthy. He has not secured the starting RT job from incumbent returnee, Trent Brown . Brown re-signed on a one-year, $5.5 million pact this offseason.
Hagen initially made the Texans' 53-man roster, which did not look good for Smith.
"This makes RT Braden Smith's spot on the roster tricky," ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime posted on X on August 30. "Houston has traded for OT Nate Thomas and undrafted FA Hagen made the roster."
Bien-Aime added, "Houston usually doesn't carry 6 tackles," and said, "Smith is GTD 13 million on his contract and is slated to make close to 12 million this year," while noting that the Texans cut ties with Cam Robinson in a similar fashion last season.
"Better off flipping Smith for a pick if he's not a starter IMO," Bien-Aime responded to a fan before noting "Brown has played in only 10 regular season games" the past two years.
"So depth at RT is needed."
While Smith's situation is nebulous at best, Jordan's is far more encouraging for the Texans and the oft-injured tight end.
"He's probably closer to practicing," Caserio said, per Garret Williams (Houston Stressans). "Not sure he's gunna practice here this week, probably likely more next week, but he's had a good attitude, he's good to have in the building, we'll see what kind of progress he makes."
A former fifth-round pick has missed considerable time.
Like with Brown and Smith, though, the Texans have four other tight ends on their active roster and then another on their practice squad.
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