2014 Houston Texans Free Agent Tracker: Houston Texans Cut Danieal Manning

Looks like that rumored restructuring/pay cut wasn't in the cards after all for Danieal Manning. The Houston Texans have cut D. Manning to save $4.5 million dollars in cap space.  These tweets spell it out:

Texans release S Danieal Manning, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 31, 2014

@AdamSchefter reporting that S Danieal Manning has been cut. Manning was supposed to meet with GM Rick Smith at noon.

— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) March 31, 2014

When Manning declined to take a pay reduction the Texans wanted, they signed FA SS Chris Clemons, which made Manning expendable.

— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) March 31, 2014

After signing Kendrick Lewis and Chris Clemons to a two year deal worth $2.7 million, one or more of three things was clear:

A.) The new Texans regime did not think highly of D.J. Swearinger.

B.) The Seattle Seahawks have already begun to influence how the rest of the league operates.

C.) Daniel Manning was going to be cut.

It turns out the correct answer was C.), with maybe a mix of A.) and B.).  I assume Manning is healthy; otherwise, Houston would have cut him much earlier in the offseason. I'm sure Manning will land on his feet somewhere else and sign a one or two year deal for a little less than a million dollars a year.

The Texans now have $13,497,252 in cap space before the draft, with about $7,500,000 earmarked for rookie contracts. Maybe, just maybe, they can now re-sign J.J. Watt or Kareem Jackson.

Update:

Texans cut Danieal Manning with failed physical designation. He's had knee issues

— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) March 31, 2014