Houston Texans general manager Brian Gaine made no bones about it Thursday when meeting with the media at the NFL combine. The club is hopeful Seantrel Henderson will be the team’s starting right tackle in 2019.
Not a tackle, not play some tackle, but starting right tackle.
“Unfortunately, last year Seantrel Henderson got injured,” Gaine said. “He was going to be our starting right tackle… We re-signed Seantrel, so we’re optimistic he’ll be our starting right tackle this year.”
While Gaine stated that he doesn’t believe in smokescreens when it comes to free agency and the draft, Texans fans looking for an upgrade to the offensive line have to hope Gaine was using one.
Henderson, who broke his ankle in Week 1 of 2018, signed another one-year contract to remain with the Texans in January. At age 27 and entering his sixth NFL season, Henderson would be a good candidate to be a swing tackle behind Martinas Rankin, Julién Davenport, and whatever top-100 pick the Texans used at tackle. However, Gaine’s comments, if not a smokescreen, indicate that the former 2014 seventh-round pick for the Buffalo Bills will be part of the solution to fixing an offensive line that allowed quarterback Deshaun Watson to sustain 62 sacks, the most in the NFL in 2018.
Gaine did admit that the tackle class is strong in 2019.
Said Gaine: “I think it’s a good year in the draft at tackle for both the left and right side at various points in the draft from starting-caliber players to backup players.”
For now, perhaps the Texans are seeking who can be a backup to Henderson in 2019.
