53 players make it onto an NFL roster. But if you go look at every team's current roster, there's a heckuva lot more than 53 players on each of them, so obviously some moves have to be made. Some of those moves are obvious — no one, for example, expects the Houston Texans to have running backs J.J. Taylor and Jawhar Jordan on the final roster.
Other cuts aren't so obvious, but are still possible to predict. That's what we're looking for here. Who are some Texans players who are right on the border of making the roster but will end up on the wrong side of the final roster cut?
Here are four players who Texans fans should expect to see cut during training camp.
Jimmie Ward - Safety
Jimmie Ward's spot on this roster felt endangered even before he was arrested last month on assault charges, but that arrest should be the final straw that keeps the veteran off the Texans roster.
I should note here that on a personal level, I don't care about his on-field play at this point. Ward was arrested for "assault family violence impeding breath/circulation." There's no place on an NFL roster for Ward after that. Now, I know the reality is that isn't how the NFL really works — if it were, Houston would have already cut Ward.
So with that in mind, I guess we have to talk about on-field reasons Ward isn't right for this roster. Simply put: he's about to turn 34 years old and has missed 14 games over the past two seasons. The team brought in C.J. Gardner-Johnson this offseason and has a bright, young safety in Calen Bullock. Jalen Pitre can play both safety and corner. There's just no need for Ward.
Additionally, Houston could save about $1 million by cutting him. (It could save $3 million by trading him, but I seriously doubt there's a trade market there.)
Dameon Pierce - Running Back
Unless the Texans plan to keep five running backs (plus a fullback), either Dameon Pierce or Dare Ogunbowale will be gone before the season starts. (Assuming, of course, that Nick Chubb makes the final roster — don't discount the possibility that he is no longer in the kind of game shape needed post-injury to be an impactful NFL player.)
Pierce is a better early-down option than Ogunbowale, but the Texans don't really need early-down options. They have Chubb. They have Joe Mixon. They have rookie Woody Marks. What the team could use more of is a third-down back, and Ogunbowale has already been serving in that role for the Texans.
Things can still change between now and the start of the season, but I'd expect Pierce to be the odd man out at running back based on team need and the fact that Pierce has been progressively less effective in each of his NFL seasons,
Xavier Hutchinson - Wide Receiver
The Texans drafted two Iowa State wide receivers in this year's draft. Unfortunately for all my Cyclone fan friends out there, those moves likely signal the end of the road in Houston for a different Iowa State receiver.
A sixth-round pick in 2023, Xavier Hutchinson has 20 receptions over the course of his NFL career, including 12 catches for 117 yards last year. He's a depth piece on a team that added three receivers this offseason, making it really tough to see a path for him onto the roster.
Maybe he'll benefit if John Metchie III fails to improve in training camp, but Metchie has significantly higher upside than Hutchinson, even if he's struggled to live up to that upside after his career was derailed early by leukemia.
Damon Arnette - Cornerback
I've gone back and forth on whether I think former first-round pick Damon Arnette will make the Texans roster. Just a few days ago, I had him in my 53-man roster projection. So, what's changed since then?
Nothing. It's simply that it's more likely Arnette is cut than not, with that roster projection representing a kind of best-case scenario where Arnette's talent wins out over his off-field concerns. In other words, I'm hopeful that Houston has found a talented fifth corner, but ultimately, we should expect him to be a training camp cut.
Arnette has a history of gun and drug issues, but Houston looks set to give him another shot in the NFL after a strong year in the UFL. However, Arnette hasn't played in the NFL since 2021 and was a complete bust in Vegas. Maybe he can surprise everyone and make this roster, but it's safest to just assume the player we saw in Vegas is still the player we'll get in Houston.