In a move that may have been designed to clearly demonstrate that yours truly has zero personnel veto power when it comes to your Houston Texans, the team placed their other injury-plagued RB on the injured reserve list this afternoon. Seems like a perfectly reasonable way to waste another nearly $2,000,000.00 of Bob McNair's money, huh?

Look, I get it. Chris Brown has football skills. And when he's on a football field, he can display those skills. Problem is, in my amateur opinion, is that Brown is not on the field nearly enough to justify paying him for the possibility that he may one day utilize said skills to help the Texans. I think Smithiak might have just as well lit 1,800,000 dollar bills on fire and roasted marshmallows over the flames. That incineration and the subsequent smores would have likely had exactly the same impact that Chris Brown will on the Houston Texans and their 2008 season: Zilch.

So we're down to 53, though the names could change a bit depending on who else gets put out to pasture by the other thirty-one (31) teams in the league.  Huzzah.

According to the official team site, the following twenty-one (21) players were waived this afternoon:

Jon Abbate
Shane Boyd
Alex Brink
Kevis Coley
Rosevelt Colvin
Glenn Earl
Greg Eslinger
Jamar Fletcher
Darnell Jenkins
Ryan Krause
Gabe Long
Anthony Maddox
LeRon McCoy
Ben Moffitt
Jesse Nading
Derrick Roberson
Marcel Shipp
Mark Simmons
Torrin Tucker
Darius Walker
Dexter Wynn

One more player (Chris Brown? Petey Faggins?) must still be released to get down to the 53-man maximum. I'll have much more on this on this later, but a few quick thoughts:

1. That Rosevelt Colvin Experiment didn't take long, did it?

2. Sorry to see Darius Walker go; I hope he makes it through waivers, as I'd love to see him on the Houston practice squad.

3. Glenn Earl entered the 2007 season as a starter. Then he got injured in the first preseason game, and now he's unemployed. Things sure can turn on a dime in the NFL.

4. If I was the GM of a team that carried three (3) QBs, I'd be awfully intrigued by Shane Boyd and/or Alex Brink. Hopefully at least one of them makes it through waivers and can be stashed on the practice squad.

5. Maybe I'm alone here, but I'm sad to see Anthony Maddox go. He didn't look good at all until last night, but I'll always look back on that furniture-moving SOB with fondness.

6. How in the world did both Chris Brown and Petey Faggins survive this cut? One of them has to be gonzo tommorrow, right? Right?

7. How did Kubes keep Petey over Fletcher? Or Brown over Walker? What's going on here?

Tremendously interesting report in this morning's Chronicle, don't you think?

On the surface, of course, this restructured deal gives Ahman Green the opportunity to make even more money in 2008 ($4,800,000.00) than he originally would have under his original deal ($4,300,000.00). And note how low the floor is for Ahman's bonuses to kick in; he doesn't have to start, play, or even contribute. He only has to be listed as "active." In that respect, you can't even call the bonuses performance-based. For lack of a better term, they're pulse-based. That, in turn, raises a troubling question. Do you think Ahman Green might show a greater willingness to play (or at least suit up) through the pain than he did in 2007, now that he stands to make a cool half-mil every week? I'm betting the answer to that question is yes, which should only serve to make Texans fans even angrier about his lack of field time last season, though it may also show that Smithiak believes that Ahman needs that type of carrot at the end of the stick to stay honest.

Let's look at the practical ramifications of the restructuring as well. Based on what we've seen, does anyone really think that Ahman Green is going to be active for fifteen (15) weeks this season? I know I don't. So in that respect, this deal is a coup for the Texans. This year, Ahman Green is essentially on a pay-for-play deal. Well, maybe it's more like a dress-for-play deal. In any event, it beats being on the hook for $4,300,000.00 when your "starting" RB can't seem to get healthy enough to contribute on Sundays.

Lest anyone think this deal is absurdly one-sided, I should note that the restructuring benefits Ahman Green in a big way. It more or less guarantees that the team won't jettison him come Saturday's round of final cuts; the Texans don't have nearly the contractual exposure via keeping him on the roster that they did before this restructuring, and they're only on the hook for $1,800,000.00 through Week One. In a world where Shaun Alexander is still waiting for his phone to ring, that should be great comfort to Ahman Green.

One final note on the consequences of this news: In my opinion, it makes Chris Brown a stone-cold lock to be handed his walking papers. Ahman Green has a guaranteed spot on the roster now, which should mean that Brown is the odd man out among Chris Taylor, Steve Slaton, and Darius Walker (the last of whom is likely headed to the practice squad). And that, my friends, gives this development even more cause for celebration.

As Brooke Bentley at the official site notes, today's the first deadline for teams around the NFL to trim their rosters. By 5 p.m., the roster must be whittled to seventy-five (75) players. While the tough decisions are typically made in the final round of cuts, we could nevertheless see some rather big names hit the waiver wire before the day is through.

So I ask you this: Who do you see getting cut by day's end? I'm betting we see one trumpeted free-agent acquisition on the Texans' cut list today; I just can't see any reason for the Texans to keep Chris Brown on the roster. He hasn't been on the field long enough to show the slightest justification for remaining gainfully employed. When you factor in the low amount of guaranteed money lost by cutting him, the improved play of Chris Taylor, the promise of Steve Slaton, Darius Walker's health, and Smithiak's puzzling continued love affair with Ahman Green, I simply don't see a place for Brown (absent Ahman spraining his index finger in a tragic remote control incident). Doesn't seem to make any sense to keep Brown around for another day, so I think he's gonzo.

Rosevelt Colvin could also be looking for work this afternoon, but I think the failure of anyone else (cough...Anthony Weaver...cough) to show a semblance of productivity opposite Super Mario will buy him a few more days and another preseason game. Thoughts?

Due to a failed two-point conversion (that I'm betting even Wade Phillips would've rather seen converted if it meant getting to avoid overtime and the risk of injury to anyone on his squad), this year's Governor's Cup returns to Dallas. Make no mistake, though--if not for a couple of costly/timely turnovers by the opposition, this game would've gotten ugly. Here's the final box score.

Critiquing after preseason games is tough. As fans, we really have no idea how closely the coaches played it to the vest. If you're truly trying to win a football game, you play your best players as much as possible; you don't sit them after a half or three (3) quarters. With that in mind, I think we all need to take a deep breath and not completely lose our collective mind just yet. Three (3) preseason games is, however, enough of a sample size for us to note one fairly troubling pattern:

Your Houston Texans defense has not stopped the opposition with anything approaching regularity.

No need to panic yet, but Richard Smith & Co. are not exactly engendering confidence amongst the battle red masses. Save the hysteria until we see how the squad does at Pittsburgh and at home hosting Baltimore. A few other observations:

1. Keep those good thoughts coming for Harry Williams. Surgery was apparently successful yesterday, and all of our best should go to Williams and his family.

2. Still no pass rush. At all. And yes, I know: Super Mario was working against double and triple teams most of the evening. But you know what? That should, in theory, mean that other players were free to get to Tony Romo, who had all the time in the world to do whatever he wanted on Friday night. Dallas' OL is one of the best in the league, but to not disrupt the offense at all? Inexcusable, regardless of whether Richard Smith refused to unveil any of his plus packages or schemes.

3. If I was Rosevelt Colvin, I'd be rather worried that I was going to get Keenan McCardelled in a day or five. Colvin's done next to nothing in game action.

4. If Chris Brown makes this team, I'll be flabbergasted. The guy is a walking justification for the non-guaranteed contract system embraced by the NFL.

5. For reasons unknown to me, Kubes continues to insist that Ahman Green will be ready to play by Week One. If he in fact is deemed "healthy," he's going to start. And when Green inevitably pulls a hamstring during the national anthem, Steve Slaton will be your new No. 1 RB.

6. Good to see Andre Johnson back on the field, but it was pretty clear his timing was off. He was a complete non-factor.

7. The Schaub looked absolutely brutal for the first quarter of Friday night's game before transforming into the QB we saw dissect New Orleans a week ago. While the OL didn't surrender a sack, Schaub and Rosenfels were forced to deliver the ball earlier than they would've liked for the majority of the night.

8. Kevin Walter won't sneak up on opposing teams this year, but I think the guy's still going to improve on last year's numbers. He just has a knack for making the tough catch, and I think Schaub is very comfortable going to him in any situation.

9. Apostrophe Davis is what Jacoby Jones should be.

10. Nice to see Owen Daniels raising his game as the preseason has progressed. Honestly, can you give me another team's 3 WR/1 TE set that you'd rather have than 'Dre/Walter/Apostrophe/Daniels?

11. Aside from Super Mario's goal line strip (recovered by Frank Okam), the run defense was abysmal on Friday night. And the pass defense wasn't any better. I'm no expert, but you're going to have problems winning football games if you can't stop the other team on the ground or through the air. At this point in the analysis, I'm of the mind that we're going to see an awful lot of shootouts this season.

12. Jacques Reeves continues to implicitly encourage the NFL to replace the numbers on the back of his jersey with a bullseye.

13. DeMeco Ryans looked like DeMeco Ryans on Friday night.

14. Zac Diles is your starter at SLB. There should be no further debate, especially since that INT he snagged in the end zone almost made me spontaneously combust.

15. We're counting on Fred Bennett to be a No. 1, shutdown CB. It's only preseason, but he has not looked like one yet. Considering he's going to have The Human Torch or a rookie on the other side of the field from him, this terrifies me.

16. Kris Brown seems to get better every game. The guy is automatic.

I've rambled enough. What say you, BRB? Who's impressed you? Made you question the existence of a benevolent Creator? Share your takes in the Comments below.

As always, here are the final stats. While we still need to temper our reactions (deep breath...it's only preseason...it's only preseason...exhale), Saturday night's win at New Orleans left us with plenty to chew on. Let's get going:

1. Matt Schaub played QB about as well as it can possibly be played. Whereas his effort the week before featured one abominable throw, Saturday night's showing was epic from start to finish. We all know it, but it bears mentioning again: If he stays upright, he's going to be a top ten QB in the NFL this season.

2. I was a bit critical of Sage in the live game threads (here and here), and I'll admit the numbers don't back me up. But he made a throw or two that looked like Schaub's mistake last week, so the stats may not tell the whole story.

3. Another positive: Chris Brown carried the ball eight (8) times (for a paltry 19 yards) and seemingly managed to avoid breaking, tearing, rupturing, spraining, straining, and/or tweaking anything. Wonders never cease.

4. From what I've seen, I believe the coaching staff is giving Chris Taylor every opportunity to be RB2 in this offense. He's looked good at times and average to slightly below-average most of the time, however, so the jury's out on whether he will win the gig.

5. Steve Slaton looked markedly better in Week Two. I'm excited about the possibility of him stealing the starting job by Pittsburgh.

6. Kevin Walter is a damn fine WR, and I'm ashamed that I ever doubted him. Preseason or no preseason, 100 receiving yards in a half is elite work.

7. Considering the high regard I hold for K-Dub, it with the utmost respect I say this: David Anderson is a poor man's Kevin Walter. Dude is strong-arming his way into the WR rotation. Speaking of...

8. Jacoby Jones is strong-arming his way to irrelevance. If he doesn't get his act together, he's going to get into Texans games as much as I will this year.

9. The OL looked unbelievable in pass protection again, and I thought the run-blocking was better than the week before (though there's still plenty of room for improvement there).

10. Duane Brown continues to impress. I mean, REALLY impress. It's only preseason, but the guy looks like he knows what he's doing. Quick--name another Texans LT you could say that about week-to-week.

11. Morlon Greenwood looked bad...again.

12. He was by no means alone. I thought the defense as a whole looked mediocre at best and like a doormat at worst. ZERO pass rush. Decent job stopping the run. Horrendous job in pass coverage, though a couple of Brees' long completions honestly could not have been defended any better; Brees just made perfect throws. Speaking of...

13. Jacques Reeves looked like the Jacques Reeves Dallas fans were so happy to see depart more often than not. I had high hopes that Antwaun Molden would pick up the slack, but Molden looked like the rookie he is. He'll get better, I know. Reeves will get better, I pray.

14. Great safety play from Demps and Brown. They were good in run support last week, and I thought they improved in the passing game this week.

15. Overall, another game that meant nothing, though it was nice to see the Texans have to manage the game at the end to win. Most importantly, no season-ending injuries. We'll take it.

Next up: "America's Team" on Friday night. You know, if your "America" is Satan's playground.

With one preseason game down and three more to go, I might as well throw a few thoughts out there about who I think might be on the way out and/or the way up. Some of this I've noted before, but I think it bears extra mention based upon what we've seen and read thus far:

1. Could my dream DE opposite Super Mario actually become a reality? If you believe the words coming out of Kubes' mouth, indeed it could. I'll still believe it when I see it, though I'd have to think the Texans won't pay Anthony Weaver a base of $3,500,000.00 to be a backup. Then again, I thought the same thing last year about Flanagan and McKinney; we all saw how wrong I was on that one.

2. Consider Chris and I on the same wavelength when it comes to Ahman Green, though I think the argument noted by Andy in the comments there is legit. At this point, given the complete unknowns at RB, don't you almost have to roll the dice that Ahman can contribute? It's not like an Ahmanless backfield is that much more attractive (though it is probably better for the collective blood pressure of Texans fans).

3. I thought Jacoby Jones would be a shoo-in for a spot in the return game while pushing for time at WR. If I was Jacoby, I'd now be a bit worried that my inability, perceived or actual, to respond to coaching might put my spot as PR in jeopardy, to say nothing of reps at WR. Not saying Jacoby's in any danger of being cut; he is only in his second year. But I do think he's going to have to make real strides this season to stay out of Kubes' doghouse.

4. Does anyone believe that Chris Brown will actually get through the game in New Orleans without pulling, straining, and/or tearing something? I know I don't. And that's good news for Darius Walker and Chris Taylor. Steve Slaton has one roster spot sewn up, but it wouldn't shock me at all to see Kubes opt to carry both Walker and Taylor as insurance policies or outright replacements instead of a guy who's liable to get hurt putting his jersey on.

5. It's not all negative here, folks. I am positively geeked about seeing what Antwaun Molden can do on Saturday night. If Molden is what we hope he is, could the 2008 Texans secondary be like the 2007 Texans wide receiving corps--a huge concern heading into the season, only to become one of the strongest groups on the team as the season progresses? I think it well could be. How's THAT for some Kool-Aid?

Nine (9) days. That was the extent of Mike Bell's career with your Houston Texans. While Bell's departure is not a shock, this might be the most resounding proof of the old adage "Kubes Does Not Mess Around."

Here's hoping Torrin Tucker got the memo.

They can't all be gems, people. But according to Brooke Bentley's training camp report, your Houston Texans brought Dexter Wynn back for another tour of duty in light of Jimmy Williams' move to the injured reserve list. While this probably won't have an impact on the opening roster, it's worth noting because of Wynn's ability to contribute on special teams as well as the secondary. Wynn's a long shot to make the squad to be sure, but you never know. Some other brief thoughts, inspired by the article linked above unless otherwise noted:

1. Chris Brown practiced! I hope someone took a picture of the NFL's version of Our Lady of Fatima.

2. Speaking of miracles, that's what it's going to take for Brown and/or Mike Bell to make the team. Injured and/or winded are not exactly endearing qualities for players trying to make a Gary Kubiak-coached team. I like to think of C. Brown and M. Bell as gazelles, and Smithiak as a cheetah.

3. Don't play 'Dre on Saturday night, Kubes. There's no possible way it can be worth the risk.

4. Call me a sadist, but my first response when I read the report about the shoving match between the OL and DL was, "I really hope Travis Johnson went Steve Smith on someone." Alas, I ain't living that right.

5. Real, live, exhibition football that doesn't mean anything is less than a week away. I need a change of pants, stat.

Megan Manful of the Houston Chronicle is reporting that the Texans have signed free agent running back Mike Bell.  For the Texans, it adds another former Bronco who is familiar with the offensive system being implemented by head coach Gary Kubiak. 

Whether or not this means the end of the the Chris Brown experiment in Houston is yet to be seen, however it does indicate that the Texans are serious about establishing a consistant running game in 2008.

Manful also reported that S Brandon Mitchell was released to make room for the newly acquired running back.

Feel free to leave your opinions of the signing in the comments below.

(h/t to Robb for breaking the story in the fanpost section)