Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com is reporting that QB Quinn Gray and  QB Jared Lorenzen have signed with the Indianapolis Colts.  This move was made to give the Colts more arms in training camp as Peyton Manning continues to recover from his career-threatening (sic) knee surgery.

No word on whether the Colts cafeteria will remain all you can eat.  In light of their two recent additions, something tells me that there may be a change in policy.

Courtesy of Megan Manfull, we learn that Alex Brink has signed a contract with your Houston Texans, meaning that the last two picks of the Texans' 2008 class are the first to agree to terms.

While Brink is almost surely destined for the practice squad this season (I'm still not buying Kubes' pitch that he's going to carry three QBs, Quinn Gray or no Quinn Gray), let's all simply rejoice that Smithiak got another one into the fold well before training camp. And let us also note that somewhere, Shane Boyd curses the heavens.

Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to appear on "The Audible," which I'm told is the most popular football show on iTunes. While I hadn't been exposed to the show before, I can see why they've developed such a strong audience; the hosts (Cecil and Sigmund) were better prepared than any hosts I've ever encountered. I mean, these guys had clearly done their homework, and they knew more about your Houston Texans than 99% of the national media. Needless to say, I came away extremely impressed, and I wholeheartedly recommend you take a listen to any of the episodes in their library, or take a look at their pre-draft coverage here (SOLIS actually included their analysis of Antwaun Molden in his epic post after the draft, which should give you an idea of the quality of their work).

If you want to hear my inane ramblings and general diarrhea of the mouth, here's the link to my interview. Feel free to admonish my awkward interview style and/or "face for radio" in the Comments below.

Your Houston Texans continue to trim the roster, and even those with cool hyphenated surnames aren't safe. First it was Quinn Gray and Jordan Black; now they can extend bids for membership in their exclusive club to Curome Cox and Ryan Grice-Mullen.

Cox, as fans will recall, was signed back in November when Dunta went down; given the heated competition in the secondary, his departure is not a big surprise. Grice-Mullen was brought in as an undrafted rookie free agent. Although the kid has speed, an injury prevented him from seeing the field during OTAs. And you know how the old saying goes: You can't make the club in the tub unless your name is Ahman Green. On second thought, I may have messed that quote up. I'm not good with words.

Regardless, keep an eye on the newswire; four (4) more players have to be released to get down to the 80 player max mandated by the NFL.

Monday morning brought about the news that the Texans would not retain the services of Jordan Black or Quinn Gray.  In the wake of the final day of OTAs, GM Rick Smith and Coach Kubiak addressed several questions from the media.  Smithiak discussed what was, what is, and what will be as the Texans put the OTAs behind them and prepare to head into training camp.  All quotes courtesy of www.houstontexans.com.

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Holy $hit! While the end of the Turnstile Era brings a smile to my face, I am freaking shocked that your Houston Texans ended their relationship with Quinn Gray a little more than two (2) months after they brought him on board as a free agent. The only reason we've heard thus far is that he "didn't adjust well to the Texans' system." Obviously, there has to be more to this story for the team to have cut ties with a dude they just signed; I imagine we'll learn more as the days pass. But right now? I'm speechless.

Share your disbelief or speculate as to why this happened so soon in the Comments below.

Some interesting things are intersecting in the Texans blogosphere...Matt over at DGDB&D has an interesting piece. It's specifically about an argument he's engaged in, but more generally, it's about how the Texans are viewed nationally.

At the same time, Sportsgamer.com just came out with the Madden 09 ratings shown in their graphic to the right.  You can definitely get a sense how the guys at EA Sports feel about the Texans. I bring this up because the Texans are about to enter a watershed season.

Anyone that knows football knows the Texans took a giant leap forward last season. Lots of 2nd and 3rd string players, as well as new starters, established themselves. Guys like Kevin Walter and Fred Bennett put themselves on the map. All but the most hardened man-crushes have let go of the Mario-bashing and decided that Young and Bush are more hype than substance. So with all that, the Texans are poised to make their mark in the national spotlight.

If you read this blog, you're probably a Texans homer.  You know that Mike Brisiel is going to steamroll Albert Haynesworth this year, and that Zac Diles is going to put Goldberg's spear on Maurice Jones-Drew.  So obviously our view of Texans players is probably a little skewed.

That being said, it'll be up to you to set the world right and lead the Texans to conquer the national stage.  Check out the ratings below and see what I mean.

 

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From the diehard fan to the casual observer, it was plain to see that the Houston Texans addressed several key needs in the 2008 NFL Draft. The first six picks were all at positions that the Texans were intent on improving.

Then there was pick seven.

With a stable of proven quarterbacks, the Texans made a move that could only be understood by someone the likes of Jon Gruden – they drafted another quarterback. Enter Washington State Cougar, Alex Brink. While most feel that this was the most questionable pick of the Texans draft class, Alex Brink just may have what it takes to become a fixture in deep steel blue.

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