How Texans’ defense pivots after Denico Autry suspension, ‘unfortunate news to hear, we’ll move forward’

HOUSTON – As versatile defensive lineman Denico Autry serves his punishment for a violation of the NFL performance-enhancing drug policy after stating he unknowingly took a banned substance before a positive test, the Texans are pivoting in his absence.

That means they’ll lean heavily on projected starting defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. and other players to provide depth after losing Autry. Not having Autry is a big loss for the defense. Signed to a two-year, $20 million contract this offseason, Autry, 34, recorded a career-high 11 1/2 sacks last season for the Tennessee Titans.

“We stand behind Autry and the statement he made,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Unfortunate news to hear. We’ll move forward. He’s here. He’ll continue to work throughout training camp.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there this season. It doesn’t change our evaluation process. We’ve known about this for a while, so it doesn’t change where we are.”

Roughly an hour before the NFL announced the suspension, Edwards was discussing his role on the defense.

He lined up in place of Autry at practice opposite defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi.

With a reputation for his ability to line up on the edge of the defense or as an interior rusher, Edwards has been drawing strong reviews at training camp from the coaching staff. Now, he’ll step into a more prominent role with Autry serving his punishment from the league office.

Edwards plays the game with a head-knocking, hard-nosed style.

“Don’t think, just attack, just go, be aggressive, penetrate, disruptive, that is my style of ball,” Edwards said shortly before the suspension was announced. “Playing fast and physical to the echo of the whistle. Absolutely, it is attack and put your hands on somebody, man against man, bloody somebody’s nose, just that real aggressive style of football that we like.”

When Edwards signed with the Texans, he had ambitions to start. Signed to a one-year, $2 million deal that includes a $200,000 signing bonus with $500,000 total guaranteed with a $1.21 million salary with $300,000 of it guaranteed for skill, injury and salary cap, plus another $350,000 available in playtime incentives, Edwards could wind up in the opening-game lineup Sept. 8 against the Indianapolis Colts.

“I didn’t know how that was going to play out,” Edwards said. “I kind of left that up to the coaches. I just knew that I was going to come in and give it everything I had and do the best I could and let the chips fall where they fall.”

Edwards Jr. has dominated drills, using timing, power and moves to his advantage.

The veteran defensive lineman has found a comfort zone in Ryans’ aggressive 4-3 scheme. And Edwards, a former Las Vegas Raiders second-round draft pick from Florida State, has drawn a lot of praise from the coaching staff.

It’s gotten to a point where it would be surprising if he doesn’t have an impactful season with the defending AFC South champions. Edwards has just been that good.

“The thing that popped off on film is he has twitch, he can really get off the football,” Texans defensive line coach Rodrique Wright said. “I’m impressed with how violent he is. We’re teaching these guys to attack and get off the football. That’s what he has, that makeup of toughness and twitch and flexibility playing off the edge and inside. This is another guy that this front is made for. I told him if you had been in our system the whole time, he would have been lights out. He’s happy to be here and we’re happy to have him.”

Edwards grew up in Prosper, Texas, as the son of former NFL player Mario Edwards, who played four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys as the teammate of Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Darren Woodson.

“It has been good,” Edwards said. “I love it here and they have been making it feel real home and this would be great for me. I am three hours away from my home, so this has been a good place to kind of just settle down and call home. I started in Texas and my dad played for the Cowboys. So, to be three hours from home is fun. It was a blueprint growing up and being able to go into the Dallas Cowboys; stadium. Specifically, seeing Emmitt, seeing Darren, I have been preparing for this and then some.”

Edwards, 30, played for the Seattle Seahawks last season. The Gautier, Mississippi native has also played for the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans.

A former national champion with the Seminoles and All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, Edwards has 156 career tackles, 21 1/2 sacks, four forced fumbles and six pass deflections. In 15 games and one start last season for Seattle last year, he had 21 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, five tackles for losses and six quarterback hits.

With the Titans in 2022, he had three sacks and 11 quarterback hits. He had a career-high four sacks in 2020 with the Bears.

“Mario, a veteran, he shows up intense every day,” Ryans said. “Locked in and asking ‘coach, how can I get better?’ You show up with that mindset, it’s easy for us to coach you. Mario has done a great job for what we’ve asked him to do.

“Little scheme change for him and he’s taken to it well. He’s taken the coaching well. Coach Rod has been doing a great job with him. He just adds to the versatility amongst our defensive line and that’s what we’re looking for across our entire team. As many versatile players as we can have allows us schematically to mix things up a lot.”

Edwards said he’s willing and able to play defensive tackle or line up at defensive end.

“I just see myself as where coach needs me to go and make a play and make it happen, I’m willing to do and ready to go do it,” Edwards said. “It don’t matter to me. I play all up and down the line, wherever they need me to make a play.”

Autry’s suspension begins after the preseason. He is eligible for reinstatement Oct. 14 after the sixth game of the season against the New England Patriots.

Autry has legal counsel representing him in this matter.

“Over the course of my ten-year NFL career, I have never engaged in the use of performance enhancing drugs,” Autry said in a statement. “Over that period, I have been subject to countless tests, none of which have ever returned a positive result. I was, therefore, stunned this offseason when I learned that one of my tests returned a positive result. I immediately investigated the matter and discovered that a pharmacy to which my doctors submitted a prescription for a different medication, had, whether intentionally, recklessly, or negligently, included a banned substance. I want to be clear, at no time did I know or even suspect that this medication contained a banned substance. Upon discovering the source of the positive test, I immediately retained legal counsel in connection with this matter. My counsel provided the NFL with information, including documentation from my doctors, establishing that I neither asked for nor was prescribed any banned substances.

“It was important to me that the NFL know that I did not intentionally or even knowingly ingest a banned substance. I understand, however, that under the NFL’s policies, ultimate responsibility for what enters my body rests with me. To that end, while I intend to explore legal options pertaining to the circumstances that resulted in my positive test, I have accepted the NFL’s punishment of a six-game suspension. I want to apologize to the Texans organization, my teammates, and the fans for any distraction this may cause. Finally, I want to assure our fans that my commitment to competing to the best of my ability has only grown and I look forward to returning to the field.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com