Football

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The Associated Press

There are no more original Houston Texans.

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Houston kicker Kris Brown (3) reacts after missing a 56-yard field goal try vs. Tampa Bay during an NFL preseason game. On Friday, Brown was cut, as Houston decided to go with Neil Rackers.

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Kicker Kris Brown, the only player left from the inaugural 2002 season, was cut by coach Gary Kubiak on Friday as NFL teams began paring to the 53-man roster limit for the regular season. Brown was beaten out by Neil Rackers, a free agent signed by Houston in the offseason.

“It was miserable, I don’t know how to put it any differently,” said Kubiak, entering his fifth season as Houston’s coach. “Kris and I had a lot of conversations throughout my time here. We’ve had some great conversations, we’ve had some tough conversations on Sunday nights. But I respect him as a man. He’s a great person. I respect his career, and I know he’s going to have a good one.”

Brown followed up his best season as a pro in 2008 with his worst last year, when he made just 21 of 32 field goals. Rackers spent the previous seven seasons in Arizona and made the Pro Bowl in 2005 after setting an NFL record for field goals in a season (40).

Neither kicker missed in the preseason until Brown came up short on a 56-yarder in Thursday’s 24-17 loss to Tampa Bay. Rackers hit a 21-yarder later in the game.

“It was a tough, tough call,” Kubiak said.

Over in North Texas, the Cowboys made a move by sending receiver Patrick Crayton to San Diego for a late-round draft choice next April. Crayton was expendable after Dallas drafted Dez Bryant in the first round this year and had asked to be traded.

Crayton skipped offseason workouts, but once he showed up, there were never any problems. He just couldn’t move ahead of Miles Austin, Roy Williams and Bryant on the depth chart.

“You have to let things play out,” Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said. “We really wanted to evaluate the full situation. Now we’re at a point where we need to make decisions.”

Dallas also sent offensive lineman Pat McQuistan to the Miami Dolphins for undisclosed considerations.

Another blocker was on the move with Arizona trading guard Reggie Wells to Philadelphia for a late-round draft pick. Wells, entering his eighth NFL season, has started 90 games, including 64 in a row since late in the 2005 season. The Cardinals moved Wells to right guard this preseason after they signed veteran left guard Alan Faneca.

“We’re adding a player that has started several seasons in the National Football League and has played at a very high level during the course of his career,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said. “He has experience at several different positions along the offensive line and he will be a welcome addition to that group. You can never have enough depth at that position as you go through an NFL season.”

Philly also released veteran running back J.J. Arrington. By releasing Arrington, the Eagles will receive a sixth-round pick from Denver in the 2012 draft, according to terms of the July trade that sent linebacker Joe Mays to the Broncos.

Minnesota sent third-string QB Sage Rosenfels, a 10-year veteran, and RB Darius Reynaud to the Giants for undisclosed draft picks in 2011 and 2012. Rosenfels will back up Eli Manning; previously, New York’s only other quarterback was the untested Rhett Bomar after Jim Sorgi injured his shoulder and was placed on IR.