OUT THE DOOR

Texans to part ways with Brian Cushing

Brian Cushing is on his way out. Tim Warner/Getty Images

Brian Cushing, the 2009 first round pick, has been told that he will be released before the start of the league year on March 14. A lot of people are saying about it’s about time. He hasn’t been the same since the knee injuries and his veteran presence is not worth it anymore. Every team and player in the league knows it is a game of replacement and the Texans finally have the talent to send Cushing on his way with a half-hearted thanks for playing.

Cushing is coming off a disappointing season in which he was suspended 10 games for a PED violation. That was probably the final nail in a coffin that was already being boarded up after a down year in 2016. His contract was worth $8.84 million this year and the savings will be $7.64 million against the cap. That’s a very useful amount for a team that has a lot of holes to be patched.

I really like this move. The Texans will now have over $60 million in cap space headed into free agency and without the early round draft picks they will be going after as many of the big names as they can. I have to think they’ve learned a valuable lesson from last offseason when they sat on their hands while the best offensive linemen and secondary players signed elsewhere.

If this is how the new front office is going to play it, then things might be looking up in Houston. They have the quarterback and receiver combo and some big time players on the defensive front seven. All they have to do is infuse some of the top talent in free agency and they could find their way right back in the  mix for a playoff spot in 2018.

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM

While the weekend didn't go as planned for the Astros (dropping a 3-game series to the Royals), they find themselves leading the division by a game and a half over the Rangers with 12 games left to play.

Of course, the big topic of discussion is the Astros' inability to take care of business against lesser opponents. Is it a lack of focus that's causing the problem, or is this version of the Astros less consistent, and just not quite as good as last year's team?

We know one thing for sure, the players know there is an issue. Otherwise, 3 team meetings wouldn't have been called in the last several weeks. Fatigue plays into this as well, nobody has played more baseball in recent years than the Astros. And as much as Dusty Baker says everyone on his team plays, maybe some guys are playing a little too much.

Older players like Jose Abreu and Martin Maldonado could benefit from some extra rest, allowing them to be as fresh as possible when they are needed most. The pitch clock might also be a factor that's causing the starting pitching to regress this season.

Whatever the issue is, whether it's playing at home, or the batter's eye being an issue against left-handed pitching at Minute Maid, the margin for error is incredibly slim.

Be sure to watch the video above for the full discussion!

Don't miss Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) every Monday on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel.

And listen to ESPN 97.5 and 92.5 FM for Houston's best sports talk.

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome