Houston Texans: Evaluating the 2017 offense by position with outlook
By T.A. Mock
Offensive Line
After trading long-term stalwart, Duane Brown, the final ray of hope in such a desolate group was lost. The Houston Texans fielded one of the worst offensive line units I have ever seen in 2017.
Offensive Tackles
Tackles for 2018: Julie’n Davenport, Derek Newton, Kendall Lamm, Jake Rodgers (F/R)
Free Agents: Breno Giacomini, Chris Clark
Man, oh man. This group was historically bad. Giacomini and Clark rated 85th and 80th respectively out of 86 qualified tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. That is the worst combination of starters in the entire league. Giacomini and Clark should not have been starters this past year and should not be back with the team next year. Davenport shows promise but is still very raw and needs more time for development.
Derek Newton has been missed since he suffered one of the most gruesome knee injuries you can imagine. It’s definitely possible Newton is unable to return again for the 2018 season, but if he could he could help bolster a faltering line. Lamm had a rough season, being cut and resigned in the same season is never a good sign. I wouldn’t expect him back next season.
Options for Tackle
The Houston Texans need fresh faces at the tackle position. Unfortunately, the free agent class is pretty weak. Ja’Wuan James out of Miami is the best potential free agent available, but I bet Miami doesn’t let him get there. Nate Solder from New England is another option, but is old and may be expensive. A dark horse free agent option is Cameron Fleming from New England. Fleming filled in nicely after Marcus Cannon got hurt. The team may have to overpay slightly to get him, but it could be worth it. Fleming is also a local boy from Cypress Creek High School.
There are some potential fits in the draft that could fall to the Houston Texans in round three. The best option for that, very well could be reuniting Watson back with his college left tackle Mitch Hyatt out of Clemson. Jamarco Jones out of Ohio State could be another potential target.
Interior Offensive Line
IOL for 2018: Nick Martin, Jeff Allen, Kyle Fuller, Chad Slade, David Quessenberry, Erik Austell (F/R)
Free Agents: Xavier Su’a-Filo, Greg Mancz (RFA)
I could copy and paste what I wrote for the tackles and put that here with the names changed it would all be true. Martin ranked 30th out of 38 centers, Su’a-Filo and Allen ranked 80th and 73rd out of 82 guards, respectively according to PFF. Not. Good. I expect Martin to return to the starting line up next year despite his poor performance. He has good potential and is from a good football family (his brother, Zack, is an All-Pro guard for the Cowboys). Plus, playing with four anchors is never easy.
Allen’s work at left tackle toward the end of the season may have saved his job for 2018, but the jury is still out. If the Houston Texans cut Allen this off season, they’ll save $5 million which could go a long ways to improving this line. Fuller played well in limited action and could serve as a nice swing lineman who can play center and guard. It was nice to see Quessenberry back after a long battle with leukemia, however he didn’t show extremely well in limited action.
Options for Guard and Center
There are a couple pretty elite guards that could hit the open market. Andrew Norwell from Carolina will be 26 years old at the beginning of the season and is elite. Justin Pugh of the New York Giants could be looking for a new home and is also elite. The Houston Texans should throw money at least one of these guys to help protect Watson. Behind these two there are a couple other options, but these are a definitely on another level. Matt Paradis of Denver is a Pro-Bowl free agent option at center if the team thinks Martin might need to slide to guard.
There are some pretty decent options in the draft as well. UTEP’s Will Hernandez could be a solid option in round three for the Houston Texans should he fall. There are other options as well, but Hernandez is the best option for the Houston Texans in the draft.
Outlook Grade for 2018: F This group was terrible. Brian Gaine and Bill O’Brien have their work cut out here. The offensive line needs to be fixed if Watson is to stay healthy next year.