As initially discussed yesterday, the bloodletting at Reliant Park began in earnest with the dismissal of four (4) veterans (including Shawn Barber, whose one-year stint as a Texan didn't really work out), which in turn freed up another $8,000,000.00 in salary cap money (or as I call it, Apostrophe Davis' allowance). According to McClain's calculations, this now puts the Texans $31,000,000.00 under the cap, though that "doesn't include tenders for restricted free agents and exclusive rights players and the rookie pool."
Despite their increasing ability to do so (at least in theory), I still don't see the Texans making a big splash in free agency. Instead, I'm just struck by how nice it is to see the team continuing to make its way out of the salary cap and dead money Hades that was the Charley Casserly Era. Three cheers for Smithiak!