DeMeco Ryans Announces Texans’ Plans After Trading Cam Robinson

The plan’s other half is a mirror image. “Offensively, we have to lean on the run game more,” he continued. “We ran the ball well this past week vs Tennessee. We have to do an even better job this week vs the Ravens of running the football. That’s been a formula for us.”

It’s a formula born of necessity—a team converting a paltry 29% on third down needs a way to stay on the field. It’s a smart bet. The Ravens are in shambles. Lamar Jackson is nursing a hamstring. A lot of their core players are also down with injuries.

Baltimore’s defensive casualties mounted during Sunday’s loss as key players Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey, and Nate Wiggins all exited with injuries. The linebacker, cornerback trio’s departure left the Ravens dangerously thin at crucial positions.

The situation worsened as Baltimore had already lost Kyle Van Noy and Nnamdi Madubuike to injuries earlier in the week. The combination of losing five significant defensive contributors creates severe depth concerns across multiple position groups.

With their defensive line, linebacker corps, and secondary all compromised by injuries, the Ravens face an uphill battle trying to correct their historic defensive collapse.  It is the perfect time to throw some punches and take the game away from the Ravens, who have been beaten and battered this season.

Baltimore’s defense has surrendered 133 points over four games, marking the worst defensive stretch in John Harbaugh’s 18-year coaching tenure. The unit’s inability to stop opposing offenses has become a defining crisis for the season.

Houston just gashed Tennessee for 129 rushing yards, part of their 103.5 yards per game ground average that unlocked their entire offense. The dominant running game gave C.J. Stroud his most efficient performance of the year with a 125.1 passer rating, demonstrating how establishing the run creates opportunities downfield.

Even with a minus-2 turnover ratio on the season, the blueprint for success exists – establish the ground game, control the clock, and take pressure off the passing attack. Ryans faces a golden opportunity against the Baltimore defense that can be exploited, provided they execute the formula that’s worked for Ravens opponents.

This sudden commitment to ground-and-pound makes a recent front-office move look less like a surprise and more like a confirmation. Just one day after their win, the Texans shipped veteran tackle Cam Robinson to Cleveland for a pick swap.

Ryans trading the Tackle

12 million dollars doesn’t buy what it used to. One minute, you’re the prized free-agent signing; the next, you’re the odd man out with a 9.5 M reality check. For Robinson, that was the dizzying reality.

The move was made possible by the emergence of second-round rookie Aireontae Ersery, who has locked down the left tackle spot. With Ersery playing like anything but a rookie, Robinson was relegated to the bench. For a guy trying to rebuild his value after a rocky 2024 season where he allowed 7 sacks and 13 penalties (999 offensive snaps), riding the pine just wasn’t an option. 

Ryans, for his part, framed it as a move made out of respect, not just business. “We traded Cam [Robinson] to the Browns today. It gives Cam an opportunity to go play. Cam wants to play, so it gives him an opportunity to do that,” he explained, before adding praise for the vet’s professionalism.

“We wish Cam nothing but the best. He’s handled himself the right way since he’s been here. He’s done everything the right way, everything that we asked him to do. So, we wanted to do right by him & give him that opportunity.” The Texans get to invest reps in their promising rookie, and Robinson gets a fresh start on the Browns team, desperate for a plug-and-play tackle.

Doing right by one man meant sending him to Cleveland. Doing right by the team might just mean running straight through Baltimore.