The Houston Texans have their work cut out for them in 2025. After getting bounced in the Divisional Round for two straight seasons, there will be some turnover on the roster.
Some players will be cut and traded all across the league. The Athletic's NFL Staff wrote an article and discussed some salary cap casualties for all 32 teams in the league. In that piece, defensive tackle Denico Autry was named as an option for the Texans.
Potential NFL salary-cap cuts for all 32 teams: From Cooper Kupp to Davante Adams and more - The Athletic https://t.co/UxET5N6CGn
— Mike Jones (@ByMikeJones) February 17, 2025
Texans Rumors: Denico Autry Named as Potential Cut Candidate
"Autry never lived up to the expectations the Texans had for him when he inked a two-year, $20 million deal last season. Autry, 34, wound up starting just two of the 10 games he appeared in and had 13 tackles and three sacks. Cutting him with a post-June 1 designation would translate into a savings of $9 million for the Texans, who are projected to have just more than $3 million in cap space entering the 2025 league year."Mike Jones
As Jones highlighted, Autry didn't live up to the two-year, $20 million deal that he signed last March. After being a productive player with the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans, he couldn't do the same in 2024. He finished with a career-low 13 total tackles with three sacks in 2024.
According to PFF, he had a 56 overall grade (140th among 211 edge defenders) and a 53.8 run-defense grade (159th among 211 edge defenders). He's on the books for $10.5 million for 2025, but the Texans could save $9 million with a post-June 1 cut designation.
Houston was tied for fourth in the NFL in team sacks (49). That pass rush was led by Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, who both logged double-digit sacks, but the Texans could use the money from releasing Autry to get another player along the defensive line.
The Texans thought Autry would have been the extra pass rusher upfront, but that wasn't the case. They can gain some extra cash by parting ways with Autry after his lackluster campaign.