What’s been talked about less is the fact that the 2009 first-round draft pick is entering the final year of his contract. The Texans typically re-sign (or attempt to re-sign) players they want to keep in the offseason before their contracts expire. Last summer, they made offers to quarterback Matt Schaub, outside linebacker Connor Barwin and left tackle Duane Brown, signing Brown and Schaub. Cushing is a player the Texans want to keep. I caught up with him after today’s OTA session to ask if the Texans had begun conversations with his agent.
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I asked Cushing if the Texans had expressed to him that they’d like to keep him long term.
“I think so,” he said. “… After being a captain around here, I think I’ve played pretty well and done a good job with my role. I think that’d be someone they would want to keep around here and I hope so. So you know, i mean, like i said, i’m just taking care of what i can right now and hopefully that will take care of the rest. … With a city like this that’s embraced me, organization that’s embraced me as a player, I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else.”
http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans...ring-contract/
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It seems there's just too much uncertainty about Cushings recovery to pre-injury form for the Texans to even approach him about a new contract that
both might agree to: they could offer him a deal that would be fair value to an average talent at his position, but I'm sure he & his agent expect much more than that which means any negotiations likely will be deferred until next years free-agency and that means 31 other teams could also bid for his services.