Texans release OL Greg Mancz

The Texans are saying farewell to a former full-time starter on their offensive line. In a bit of a surprise, Houston has released center Greg Mancz, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Mancz signed with the Texans as an undrafted free agent and carved out a nice run. He ended up starting all 16 games for them in 2016, and seven the following year. He signed a two-year extension worth $6M right before the start of the 2018 campaign, but he ended up making it through only one year of that deal.

The Texans gradually sought to improve their offensive line to give Deshaun Watson better protection, and Mancz was ultimately squeezed out. He started four games in 2018, which was reduced to just one last year. Houston decided the Toledo product was a bit expensive as a pure backup; although, it’s possible he’s brought back at some point down the line.