One of the biggest areas of concern for the Houston Texans was offensive line coming into the offseason. However, there can’t be any true evaluation of the unit until training camp.
According to coach Bill O’Brien, until the pads are donned and the trenches are hitting one another, it is unclear exactly how great or how dismal the offensive line, even though changes were made.
“I think without pads, so I think you really have to qualify that answer to make sure that you know they don’t have pads on,” O’Brien said. “Everything on the front whether its offensive or defensive line, is determined by when you put the pads on.”
The club signed left tackle Matt Kalil to a one-year contract and also drafted tackles Tytus Howard and Max Scharping in Round 1 and Round 2 of the 2019 NFL draft. Houston will also get some reinforcements at tackle with Seantrel Henderson returning from a broken ankle sustained in Week 1 last year, and the interior could add a younger body in Martinas Rankin kicking inside for his second NFL season.
From the mental aspect, O’Brien attests to the unit’s improvement.
“They’ve improved,” said O’Brien. “They’ve improved in their knowledge, they’ve improved in their technique. It’s a very good group of guys, they work hard, they’re in early, they stay late, they do a lot of things together off the field.”
What is assumed to be the secret sauce of a great offensive line is strong cohesion and taking part in off-field activities. Center Nick Martin is the catalyst for such bonding and fomenting fraternity among the offensive line.
Said O’Brien: “I think Nick Martin does a great job leading that group. I think he’s a great leader.
“I think they’ve improved. Again, when we go to full pads let’s see how that improvement takes shape with full pads on.”
If the Texans can have physical improvement from their offensive line, then it should help to open up the running lanes as well as keep quarterback Deshaun Watson upright.
