Houston Texans defensive end Denico Autry was suspended for six games earlier today for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Signing with the Texans during the offseason, Autry inked a 2-year, 20 million dollar contract after spending the last two seasons with division rivals the Tennessee Titans.
Autry was due for a big role on the Texans’ interior defensive line, which struggled with injuries last season and lost key players due to free agency during the offseason. The ten-year veteran joined the Texans after a stellar season with the Titans, where he recorded career numbers including 11.5 sacks and 50 combined tackles in 17 games played. In a statement released on Twitter, Autry apologized to his teammates and the organization for mistakenly and unknowingly ingesting a banned substance.
Although Autry will rejoin the team after 6 weeks following the Texans’ game against the Patriots, his loss will be felt across the roster. Here are three ways that the Texans will be impacted after news of the suspension.
1. Defensive Tackle Position
The biggest position group that will be impacted by Autry’s absence is the defensive tackle group. Expected to be a three-down starter, Autry’s loss will now create a bigger hole in this position. However, it is expected that Autry will now be replaced by a rotation of Foley Fatukasi, Mario Edwards Jr., and Khalil Davis. The extra depth that Caserio and the Texans’ front office added during the offseason will turn out to be very helpful without Autry in the first six weeks of the season.
However, it is unlikely that these players will be able to match the production that Autry would have had in the trenches. Davis was the only one who was on the roster last year while Fatukasi and Edwards Jr. were signed in the offseason. Out of the three, though, Fatukasi has impressed during the early weeks of camp while Edwards Jr. was slotted as the starter at the DT position in today’s release of the unofficial depth chart.
2. Defensive End Depth
In addition to starting at the defensive tackle position, Autry was slotted to play a rotation role on the outside as a pass rusher. Although Will Anderson Jr. and free-agent addition Danielle Hunter are the starting pass rushers, Autry’s versatility was a key reason why he was signed. However, his absence for the first two months of play opens up the roster for newly signed defensive end depth options Jerry Hughes and Malik Fisher. Signed a couple of weeks ago, Caserio seemingly signed these options aware of Autry’s impending suspension.
Hughes and Fisher should be able to sufficiently fill in the defensive end rotation and make up for the depth that Autry would have provided. However, their skill and versatility are incomparable to what Autry offers. Ryans and Caserio, though, should be confident that they can serve as serviceable options until Autry returns.
3. Pass Defense
Although the defensive tackle position is not necessarily the flashiest position, Autry’s absence will be felt on the Texans’ defense. This is because the defensive line plays a key role in pressuring the quarterback and mitigating the run. The Texans’ run defense was excellent last season, allowing the sixth-fewest rushing yards in the league. However, the Texans’ pass defense was behind last season. That is why revamping the defensive line and pass rush was so critical this offseason, which Caserio and Ryan aimed to fix through the additions of Autry and Hunter.
With the loss of Autry, though, the pass rush will take a major hit due to his towering presence and his wealth of experience. Autry has 59 career sacks to his name and has been dominant in the pass rush throughout his career. The Texans will significantly miss his presence in affecting star quarterbacks that they will face off against early in the season. As a result, this puts greater pressure on both the rostered defensive ends and defensive backs to play their best football early on.
