Go here for 2014 Texans Cap info:
http://www.overthecap.com/teamcap.php?Team=Texans&Year=2014
115.245m on the books for next year, 3.214m in dead money. 118.459 total spending expected. If the cap is 123m + 700k in rollover, then we have 5.241m in space before we start cutting people. So start there and say we cut some of these folks for some cap savings:
Schaub 4m
O Daniels 4.5m
D Manning 4.5m
J Joseph 3.75m
That's 16.75m in savings, plus the estimated space above = 21.991m in cap space. But now you need a starting QB, TE, FS and CB, along with the other major needs on this team, NT, OLB, ILB, RT... Yeah, it looks like we are kinda screwed right now. Even if we do get 3 compensatory picks like I think, we can't fill all those holes in the draft. It will take a couple years to rebuild, and by that time we will need to replace AJ too.
You also have to consider our pending Unrestricted Free Agent list:
Antonio Smith
Wade Smith
Joe Mays
Greg Jones
Ryan Harris
Ben Tate
Elbert Mack
Earl Mitchell
Darryl Sharpton
Garrett Graham
22m ain't gonna cut it.
See, I don't think we cut Manning & Joseph. I keep the two of them and so my additional cap savings drops to 8.5 million. Now I only need a QB and a TE in addition to my other needs (NT, ILB, OLB, and RT).
Thing is, my starting TE is Graham (UFA time) and Griffin moves up. I draft another TE who starts out competing with Griffin. Hell I'm the Texans so I draft a couple of them. My starting QB is Keenum and I draft another one to probably push past Yates as the 2. He'll hopefully push Keenum (Something Yates did not do to Schaub).
Now on to the UFA list (Damn that's a big one)
Antonio Smith - Let him go if he gets a big offer. The "Ninja" bit is wearing thin anyway.
Wade Smith - Let him go. It's time one of those young men we keep hearing so much good about steps up.
Joe Mays - bring him back if he's interested in a reasonable contract. If not he's replaceable for not much money.
Greg Jones - Find another FB. They're everywhere and it's not like he accomplished much this year.
Ryan Harris - Keep him. He's the swing tackle and he should have been starting all of this season.
Ben Tate - Let him go if someone is willing to pay the big bucks for him. If they aren't then he won't be that expensive to bring back. The Texans can always find backs.
Elbert Mack - Who?
Earl Mitchell - Draft a NT to replace him and let him go if it's going to cost too much.
Darryl Sharpton - Just make it stop. Send him on his way.
Garrett Graham - Bring him back for less than what it would cost to pay Daniels but more than he's making now. I don't see him being offered any kind of amazing salary.
So, I just sent a DE, LG, FB, RB, CB, NT, and another ILB out the door. We're going to need those compensatory picks!
Honestly though I don't think Mitchell is going anywhere and I even kind of wonder if Ben Tate is going to be all that hot an item after his injury history. The man is broken an awful lot of the time.
I think we can draft to fill some of that, pick up UDFA's to fill most of the rest, and then maybe sign an affordable FA or two ourselves to wrap it all up. Youre right though that we can't fix it all in one off season. Never happen. We can get the wheels back on this thing though if we draft well and catch a break with a couple of our own FA's.
Brisiel is looking like he'll be a FA and might come home. He's reportedly not doing well in Oakland since they ditched the zone blocking scheme.