Your first mistake is taking salary cap insights from McClain.
This is a tough one to answer because no one knows the cap room for 2011, assuming (a) there is a 2011 season and (b) the cap rules remain relatively the same.
Don't forget the team hired one of the league office's cap gurus... Chris Olsen
http://www.houstontexans.com/team/st...2-4842f91a411d. If the team wants to spend, they will find a way.
Bottom line is the Texans can fit Aso into their cap picture even with their current roster... the question they will have to answer is if the value is worth the price.
My hunch says they will say no (and we all will disagree with them... again). The Texans want to 'build through the draft'... which is code for we'd rather draft a cheap rookie and give him significant snaps than pay for an established high quality vet.