D.J. Swearinger released by Houston Texans, per reports

The Houston Texans have release safety D.J. Swearinger, according to reports, two seasons removed from selecting him in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. The move is not yet listed by the NFL, but Swearinger bid farewell to Texans fans via Instagram Monday morning.

Swearinger has struggled with anything resembling consistency thus far in his NFL career, but at times he has managed to flash some potential. Teams are going to unload players quickly, but in this case, it might be for reasons that go beyond strictly the field. Our Texans blog took a look at some of the stories connected to Swearinger over the last two years. There is some concern about his influence on Jadeveon Clowney, some random story about stealing his own truck, and word that maybe he thought he was too good to play special teams. These remain rumors, but the fact that this chatter exists and the fact that the team released him after only two seasons does not exactly speak highly.

Two years ago, the San Francisco 49ers were connected to Swearinger as the 2013 NFL Draft approached. They were mentioned as a potential destination both in the first and second rounds. I actually took him with the 49ers late second round pick in the SB Nation mock draft.

Two years later, Swearinger will be available on waivers for any of the 31 NFL teams looking to find some help at safety. Swearinger only has two years of service so he does not immediately become a free agent. The NFL transaction report did not include his release, so we might not find out about a waiver claim until late Tuesday or Wednesday. If nobody claims him, he becomes a free agent.