The Houston Texans were all about the reclamation project this offseason. They went out and signed a bunch of guys who had a big year or two and fell off, or drafted high up on the roster and never panned out. This panned out with a guy like Cam Akers, who is in fact on the team and set to be one of the top guys on offense going forward.
Cornerback Jeff Okudah (11)
It didn't work for C.J. Henderson, who played poorly every year of his career heading into the 2024 preseason and continued to underperform. His release was expected and unsurprising. Yet, we're not talking about the guys who were released right now, but the ones who may be should have been. Namely, Jeff Okudah.
Okudah, like Henderson, has been a bust as a cornerback. He's already on his third team after being dealt by the Detroit Lions to the Atlanta Falcons, and now having signed with the Texans. He's been unimpressive everywhere he's been, for one reason or another. Yes, injuries have sapped him off some of his skillset, but he's just been a bad defender. After all, cornerbacks who aren't exactly fast still have a place in the NFL if they're good at disrupting offenses and their timing.
Heck, if they're a good enough tackler, they could maybe move to safety. Yet, Okudah has shown us to be none of these things since being drafted. He's struggled to make plays when on the field, let alone even getting on the field.
He took exactly zero snaps on defense this preseason, and considering he was, at best, a fringe guy coming into the season, his making the team makes zero sense. Especially when you realize they had to cut Desmond King to keep Okudah.
Now, King was a good cornerback, but he had reached his ceiling in the NFL. Okudah has not. We hope. There's a chance, albeit a small one, that DeMeco Ryans and the Texans can get the most out of Okudah. There's also a chance, a much larger one, that Okudah doesn't make it through the season before being released from his contract.
If that happens, someone will have to defend the decision to keep such a maligned player with that dreaded "potential" label over someone consistent and reliable.
