Houston Texans Make Final Cuts, Trim Roster To 53...For Now

Your Houston Texans are down to 53 players. What were the final roster moves? Nick Scurfield enlightens us via Twitter:

#Texans announce FS Troy Nolan as their final cut. Quintin Demps & Shiloh Keo made the team as backup safeties

T Rashad Butler (triceps) has been placed on IR. WR Jerrell Jackson (quad) was waived/injured #Texans

Reaction and more after the jump.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the Texans' current "final" roster is that Shiloh Keo is on it, especially over Troy Nolan and Eddie Pleasant. The only justification I can fathom for that is that the Texans think Keo is the best special teams player of the three. Or that Keo simply looked worlds better in practice than he did in the preseason games the fans watched. Admittedly, as much as we fans like to think we know best, the coaches have access to infinitely more data than we do.

Of course, Keo is no lock to be on the team come next Sunday when the Dolphins come to Reliant to kick off the 2012 regular season. Although every team will be scouring the waiver wire, the Texans would seem to have a pressing need at tackle (which could be a bigger problem for Andrew Gardner than Keo, I suppose) and could still tinker with other positions on the roster. The Texans had to cut their roster down to 53 players tonight. They don't have to suit those same 53 players up next Sunday.

Before I throw it to you in the Comments, here's a link to all the transactions made by the Texans today. Oh, and a few more interesting roster nuggets, again courtesy of Scurfield's Twitter account...

2012 #Texans roster (vs 2011): QB 3(3) RB 3(4) FB 2(2) WR 6(4) TE 2(3) OL 9(9) DL 6(6) LB 9(8) DB 10(11) K/P/LS 1(1)

0 undrafted rookies made the #Texans' final 53-man roster. 15 of the 21 players they released today were UDFAs

5 #Texans released this time last year made team in 2012: Mister Alexander, Quintin Demps, Andrew Gardner, Trindon Holliday, Shiloh Keo