Texans May Have Finally Solved Offensive Line Issues

Had Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio failed to address the glaring issues along their offensive line this offseason, he would undoubtedly have walked straight into a serious firestorm.

Very shrewdly, Caserio did some vital housekeeping by keeping guard Ed Ingram and tackle Trent Brown around, even though it was never going to get much acclaim in the grand scheme of things.

On the other hand, the less glamorous pair of signings undoubtedly laid an initial bedrock to get things moving in the right direction as it pertains to their offensive line.

While both moves were ultimately deemed essential, it was the double dip for vastly experienced duo Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith which really caught the attention of the masses.

Caserio's successful thrust during free agency has met with general approval, with NFL.com even going as far as to suggest that the Texans might have finally solved their long standing blocking problems.

"Anybody who follows the Texans knows how hard life has been for quarterback C.J. Stroud when it comes to protection," NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha wrote. "Two years ago, the offensive line was horrible. Last year, it was filled with new faces working in a new offense, and it wasn't much better. Now GM Nick Caserio is making moves again in hopes of making that unit reliable.

"Caserio's first step was re-signing guard Ed Ingram and offensive tackle Trent Brown. Caserio also traded Tytus Howard to Cleveland but signed two veteran free agents, guard Wyatt Teller and right tackle Braden Smith."

Texans' Offensive Line Upgrades Will Rely on Health

Of course, the money Caserio has spent reflects the bulging bag of tricks both blockers will now bring with them to H-Town to help bolster their long-standing need upfront.

Having said that, NFL.com is quite right to point out that both new recruits will have to put a little bit of injury problems to bed before they could be regarded as being slam dunk signings.

"This group looks promising on paper. The key is how long Teller and Smith can stay on the field. Both players have missed at least four games in each of the last two seasons, while the 30-year-old Smith hasn't played a full season since 2019," Chadiha continued.

"If they can stay healthy, then Caserio must like his chances of seeing what Stroud can do while under less duress. Stroud is moving into his fourth pro season, and it's difficult to know if he's worth a long-term extension, based on his last two years. Some of those problems came down to what was in front of him. Houston had better hope that issue doesn't continue for a third straight season."