With the Houston Texans serving as the subject of this season's installment of "Hard Knocks," every aspect that goes into shaping the 2015 roster will be documented for a national television audience.
But the drama and the tough decisions won't end when the cameras stop rolling at the end of camp. The Texans have a number of players who need to step up during the season in order to solidify their spots on the the roster for 2016 and beyond.
These five Texans face a make-or-break season in 2015.
Brian Cushing, linebacker
The 2009 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year had 72 tackles in 2014, his first season back after suffering two knee injuries in back-to-back seasons.
The 28-year-old is in the midst of a hefty six-year, $52.5 million dollar contract. If he can't equal the production of his early career, he may be in danger of becoming a salary-cap casualty.
Releasing Cushing with a post-June 1 designation next year would save the Texans $6.25 million.
Cushing said over the offseason that he's finally feeling like the pre-injury version of himself and the Texans certainly hope that's the case.
Working behind a defensive line featuring J.J. Watt and Vince Wilfork should help Cushing make plenty of plays this season. If he does that, his status as a key part of the Houston defense should be secure.
Garrett Graham, tight end
The Texans received very little production out of the tight end position last season, Graham included. The 2010 fourth-round pick played in 11 games and had just 18 receptions for 197 and a touchdown.
Some, or perhaps quite a bit, of the lack production from Houston's tight ends can be attributed to quarterback instability. The hope is that with either Brian Hoyer or Ryan Mallett under center for an entire season, the tight ends will be a bigger part of the offense. For Graham's sack, it better be.
If Graham repeats the type of season he had in 2014, the Texans will be in the market for an upgrade at the position. Cutting Graham after season would save the Texans $3.25 million in cap space.
Louis Nix, nose tackle
Nix, a third-round pick in 2014, was inactive for the first three games last season and then placed on injured reserve in Week 4, ending his year before it began. Nix earned a spot in Bill O'Brien's doghouse as rookie, so much so that when asked what he was hoping for from Nix in his second season, O'Brien told reporters, "I would say the ability to make it through a practice." Ouch.
Nix will get another chance to impress this year, but if he falters, the Texans may be tempted to move on after this season even though Nix has a low cap number of $763,813 for 2016. Defensive line is a position of strength for the Texans and O'Brien has indicated his patience for Nix is wearing thin. A productive season will go a long way towards insuring he has a roster spot after this year.
Arian Foster, running back
Foster injured his groin early in training camp and is likely to miss much of the first half of the season. It may be unfair to say a player who will miss a significant chunk of time is in a make-or-break season, but Foster's injury history raises questions about his long-term status.
The Pro Bowl running back has only played a full 16-game schedule once in the last four seasons. He's proven to effective when healthy, but he'll turn 30 before the 2016 season and he's due to make $9.3 million next season.
Parting ways with Foster would save $7 million in cap space next season, so it's imperative that Foster shows the Texans just how vital he is to the team's offense when he gets back in the lineup.
If Houston thinks they can get by without him, they may be tempted to try.
Jadeveon Clowney, linebacker
Clowney, the top overall pick in 2014 is in no danger of getting cut, but 2015 is still a make-or-break year for him in many respects.
The 22-year-old played in just four games last season, registering a total of seven tackles and is coming off microfracture surgery on his knee.
The Texans expect the former South Carolina star to return at some point during training camp. When he does, he needs to make an impact after missing most of last season.
He need not make the Pro Bowl necessarily, but Clowney must at least show he's over his knee problem and can be an effective player.
The good news is Houston's defense is loaded with talent, so there won't be pressure on Clowney to do everything himself. However, if he doesn't show the potential to be an impact player in the future, he runs the risk of being mentioned as a draft bust just two years into his career.
*All salary cap information courtesy of OverTheCap.com.
