To improve a lackluster pass rush in 2009, the Houston Texans defensive line will be a slimmer unit, reports Jordan Godwin of the Houston Chronicle.

Overall, the four starters have combined to shed 59 pounds this off-season, led by fourth-year defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, who has dropped 32 pounds.

"I just wanted to shed a few pounds and get stronger at the same time," the 22-year old Okoye said. "We know we have to get at the quarterback better, and if being lighter and faster helps us do that, then that's what we're working on."

Fellow defensive tackle Shaun Cody has dropped four pounds, while defensive end Antonio Smith, who tipped the scales at over 280 pounds last season, has lost 13 pounds. Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Mario Williams is ten pounds slimmer heading into the Organized Team Activity sessions, which Texans head coach Gary Kubiak suggests was aided by Williams' off-season surgery to correct a sleep apnea disorder.

That condition is prevalent in the Texans' locker room, as Kubiak and second-year center Antoine Caldwell both underwent surgery for sleep apnea this off-season, as well.