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I saw it from PFT first.
Per league source, Texans have informed Chris Myers he will be released.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 4, 2015
It's been confirmed by John McClain.
Texans released c Chris Myers.
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) March 4, 2015
Chris Myers has been a Houston Texan since he was acquired from the Broncos for a sixth-round pick almost exactly seven (7!) years ago. To put things in perspective for longtime members of the BRB community, that was so long ago that Scott actually wrote the post about the trade.
Not only has Myers been a member of the Houston Texans since March of 2008, he's also started every single game at center for the team since he was acquired. That's absurd. Chris Myers was a freaking iron man for the good guys. More than simple durability, Myers was one of the better (best?) centers in the NFL for many years. It is not a stretch to say the Texans' acquisition of Chris Myers is in the conversation for the best trade in franchise history.
Early on, many of us lamented how Myers would get pushed around by big defensive linemen (I will always remember what Kris Jenkins did to him in the season opener in 2009), but that refrain quieted down quite a bit as the years passed by. He was selected to the Pro Bowl twice and was named an alternate just this past season. While it's fair to say that Myers may not be the player he used to be, he's still more than capable of starting in the NFL.
Chris Myers was our third highest rated center last year in run blocking. Should be able to help the right team still.
— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) March 4, 2015
C Chris Myers will have suitors. Denver pops to mind first, but Atlanta may be the most likely.
— Jayson Braddock (@JaysonBraddock) March 4, 2015
So why did the Texans decide to release a quality starter still capable of helping the team? Money, of course. Myers signed a four-year deal to stay with the Texans back in 2012, and the team will save $6,000,000.00 by cutting him. While that does present substantial cap savings, there's a real question as to whether it's a smart move for the Texans in 2015. It still has to play out, but the drop from Chris Myers to Ben Jones or someone else at center seems precipitous at the moment.
Off the field, Myers (who looked like this in college) was active in the community and one of the best in dealing with the media. It's difficult to ever get a real idea of what a player is like away from the game, but Tania Ganguli's 2013 profile of Myers and his family paints a picture of a guy fans should want to root for.
Fun bit of Chris Myers/BRB trivia: Shortly after the Texans traded for him, Chris' dad did an interview with us, which you can check out here.
A sincere thank you to the best center and one of the best offensive linemen the Texans have ever had the privilege to call their own. We here at BRB wish the best of luck to Chris and his family as he continues his career elsewhere.