Texas NFL Capsules: Texans cut CB Bennett, say Slaton has strained toe
HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans released cornerback Fred Bennett, receiver London Crawford and defensive end Pannel Egboh on Sunday, trimming their roster to 77 players.
Coach Gary Kubiak announced the moves on the day after the Texans' 23-7 preseason win over Dallas. Teams must reduce their rosters to 75 by Tuesday, and Houston is expected to place rookies Trindon Holliday (thumb) and Ben Tate (ankle) on injured reserve.
The 6-foot-1 Bennett was drafted by Houston in the fourth round in 2007. He played in 40 games and intercepted five passes in three seasons.
The Texans have taken four cornerbacks in the past two drafts, so the team saw little need to keep the 26-year-old Bennett, who started only three games last year. This year's top pick, Kareem Jackson, is taking the starting role left when Dunta Robinson signed with Atlanta in the offseason, second-year pro Glover Quin is handling the other side and fifth-round pick Sherrick McManis has impressed coaches at training camp.
"Obviously, we're going young at that position," Kubiak said. "It's part of the process in this league. There's no doubt in my mind, and Fred's mind, that he can play in this league and I think he will continue to do that."
Kubiak also said running back Steve Slaton strained a toe in Saturday's game and will probably sit out Thursday's preseason finale against Tampa Bay. He's expected to recover in time for the regular-season opener against Indianapolis on Sept. 12.
Slaton, a third-round pick in 2008, has struggled to regain his first-year form, when he led all rookie running backs with 1,282 yards. He coughed up seven fumbles in 2009, missed the last five games with a neck injury and has now lost his starting job to Foster, who rushed for 110 yards in Saturday's victory.
Kubiak said veteran Chris Henry and second-year pro Jeremiah Johnson will get the bulk of the carries in Thursday's game.
"Those two guys will have to step up and make this team this week," Kubiak said. "I know we've only got four (running backs), but that doesn't mean that's our four. So this is a big, big game for Jeremiah and for Chris as we head into the season."
Linebacker Xavier Adibi is expected to return to practice on Monday after missing most of training camp with a groin injury. When camp began, Adibi was the front runner to fill in for Brian Cushing early in the season. Cushing, the 2009 Defensive Rookie of the Year, is suspended for the first four games for testing positive for a fertility drug on the NFL's list of banned substances.
Kubiak is hoping Adibi can work into playing shape for the opener. Veteran Kevin Bentley and versatile rookie Darryl Sharpton played Cushing's position at practice last week. Another option is starting Sharpton on the weak side, and moving Zac Diles to Cushing's spot.
"I think the biggest thing right now is that we see how far Adibi is going to come and start to get Sharpton acclimated with that position," Kubiak said.
Tight end Owen Daniels will also return to practice this week, after an arduous recovery from knee surgery. Kubiak said Daniels will not play on Thursday, but in the best-case scenario, could play 15-20 snaps in the season opener.
"We're close," Kubiak said. "It's just a matter of pulling the trigger, and we will pull it when we know, for sure, that he's ready to get back on the field with his teammates. I'm hoping we're talking about that here in the next couple days."
Teams must trim their rosters to 53 players by Saturday, and Kubiak seems no closer to choosing between kickers Kris Brown and Neil Rackers. Neither has missed a field-goal try in the preseason, and both kicked off well in Saturday's game, Kubiak said.
Brown is the last original Texan, but missed 11 field-goal attempts last season, prompting the team to sign the free-agent Rackers. Kubiak said picking one of them may be the "toughest cut of all" this preseason.
"It's been an impressive battle," Kubiak said. "Two great guys and they both have handled it very professionally. But obviously, we can only have one, so it will be a very difficult decision."
Kubiak said he's also watching a close competition at right guard between Mike Brisiel and Antoine Caldwell. Brisiel missed the last 11 games of last season with a broken left foot. Caldwell played in 11 games as a rookie last season.
Cowboys so sloppy so far, starters may play again
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are running out of excuses for their sloppy preseason. They're also running out of time to clean things up.
So coach Wade Phillips is considering doing something he'd rather avoid: play his regulars in the exhibition finale Thursday night.
The Cowboys are expecting to be Super Bowl contenders, yet Tony Romo has led the starters to one touchdown in four games this summer and it came on a drive that began 8 yards from the end zone. In a 23-7 loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday night, the first-teamers turned the ball both times they were in scoring position. The defense got run over, too.
"We're not ready for prime time yet," Phillips said. "If the players aren't ready to play for the first regular-season game, then I need to get them ready to play. ... If we see that things are correctable and we can correct them in practice, we'll do that. If we need more game time, then we'll just have to do it."
Offense and defense weren't the only disappointments. Phillips said he didn't see much emotion and intensity, either.
"I would hope we'd have some antidotes for some of these things," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "We've got to be ready to play. We can't afford any bad nights."
The Cowboys have a laundry list of explanations for how they've played in August: They aren't game-planning. They don't want to reveal too much of their playbook. Guys are worn out from the NFL's longest training camp. Five starters are out with injuries (most are expected back by the opener).
They've also talked about needing to show at least glimpses of being the club that gained the most yards in franchise history last season, and that hasn't happened yet.
"If you're resting on anything you did last year, then you're already behind," Romo said. "I don't think that's the case. I think our team needs to look at each other and just continue to improve and get better."
In his three previous seasons in Dallas, Phillips has never used his regulars in the final preseason game, instead taking a long look at guys fighting for backup jobs and roster spots.
Then again, the Cowboys haven't been this concerned this late in the preseason. It's especially jarring for them considering that by playing the Hall of Fame game, they had an extra week of practice and an extra game.
"If we didn't have such a veteran team I'd be more concerned than I am," Jones said.
Working things out in practice sounds logical, but the schedule released a few days ago listed Tuesday as the only practice before facing Miami at home Thursday night.
If the starters play, receiver Dez Bryant might join them. He has recovered from a high ankle sprain, but the club wants to be cautious with its prized rookie and probably wouldn't risk using him with backups.
Maybe another passing threat would help Dallas' running game.
Marion Barber and Felix Jones have combined for 44 yards on 21 carries. Preseason statistics are pretty meaningless, of course, and there are extenuating circumstances. Still, it's perhaps their biggest concern.
"Being third-and-10 a lot puts a lot of pressure on," Romo said.
Romo keeps talking about how one mistake ruins their drives, "whether it be a false start or a hold or an inaccurate throw or a drop." That certainly was the case Saturday night.
Just before taking a snap on a first down from the Houston 16, Romo hollered a change from a handoff to a pitchout. Jones didn't hear him and wound up chasing a loose ball; he swatted it to a defender.
Romo drove to the 13 later in the game, then fumbled a snap and lost 4 yards. Two plays later, a pass to tight end Jason Witten was deflected and intercepted.
Failing to get touchdowns out of those opportunities was bad enough for Dallas. Failing to even try a field goal hurts, too, because the Cowboys still need to figure out whether they can trust David Buehler, their kickoff specialist. He's made 6 of 7 this preseason, but hasn't had a chance the last two games.
"We've got to be able to find a way to get into a rhythm, get some tempo going and get some good plays going," Witten said. "We're still together. We still know we have a good football team. We just have to take this and get better from it."
-- Jaime Aron
