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[Houston Texans]

Houston Texans News: Texans rework contract for Autry to increase cap room

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Your one-stop shop for Houston Texans, local sports, and news from around the league for Wednesday, March 26, 2025.

Houston Texans News

10 things to know about Texans offensive lineman Cam Robinson (HoustonTexans.com)

ESPN Reveals Texans’ Most Under-the-Radar Offseason Move (Sports Illustrated)

Texans rework Denico Autry’s contract, gain cap space for 2025 (Pro Football Talk)

Grading the Texans’ moves in the first 2 weeks of free agency (Houston Chronicle)

NFL News

Sources: Wilson reaches 1-year deal with Giants (ESPN.com)

Sources: Titans like Ward, eye better trade haul (ESPN.com)

McCarthy: Vikes haven’t told me I’m QB1 in 2025 (ESPN.com)

Source: NFL likely to pitch tweak to kickoff rule (ESPN.com)

Retirement plan: Rams’ Nacua aims to quit at 30 (ESPN.com)

Worthy sues ex-fiancée, alleges extortion, abuse (ESPN.com)

UFL coach Whisenhunt takes leave of absence (ESPN.com)

Sources: Diggs, Pats agree on 3-year, $69M deal (ESPN.com)

Houston & Collegiate Sports

Rockets hold off Hawks’ late rally, add to lead for No. 2 spot in West (Houston Chronicle)

Rockets’ balanced scoring could make them a nightmare NBA playoff matchup (Houston Chronicle)

Watch how Astros had Cam Smith’s mom tell him he made the opening-day roster (Houston Chronicle)

Jon Singleton cut from Astros’ roster in latest round of moves (MLB.com)

Houston Announces Major Kelvin Sampson News Amid NCAA Tournament (Athlon Sports)

First Look: Purdue’s next opponent: Houston, and potential Elite Eight matchups (On3.com)

Source: https://www.battleredblog.com/battl...ework-contract-for-autry-to-increase-cap-room

 

[Houston Texans]

Texans Offseason Checklist and Quick Hits

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Snap judgements: fun for all the boys and girls.

The Houston Texans 2025 offseason has been anything but uneventful. General Manager Nick Caserio has once again proved he loves wheelin’ and dealin', making several trades and signing a busload of free agents. Through all this, per Overthecap.com the Texans are currently banking on roughly $18 million in cap space.

Since we’re all anxiously waiting for the draft, this seems like as good a time as any to start a meaningless sports bar debate on the quality, intelligence and impact of some of these moves.

First off, no matter how good or bad the Texans offseason turns out, at least we’re not the Tennessee Titans, amirite?

Quick Hits (cause I can’t bring myself to say “Hawt Takes” with a straight face)

1. Trading away Laremy Tunsil was an immediate addition by subtraction. ​

Sure in some stats and metrics Tunsil was a top five left tackle in a league that lives and dies by the quality of the left tackle. And, when he brought his A-game, he was the best lineman on the field. “Giving away” a player like that will immediately ignite a hornet’s nest of ill-informed judgement calls and derision from the national media. Let’s face it, most of them barely know the Texans exist, much less have a pulse on how the team operates. So, who cares what they think? Right?

Tunsil, despite his perceived major upside, has rarely brought the best version of himself to the team he played for in the NFL. From his bong-mask draft drop, to the Miami Dolphins happily dealing him to Bill O’Brien, to false starts galore, “pay me” and “pay me again” and “I’m gonna get paid again!” It’s really, really hard to make an argument that Tunsil was an inspiring, team leader who made the players around him better.

Think of J.J. Watt. Now think of Laremy Tunsil.

This isn’t a condemnation of the man; by all means get paid. Take your God-given talent and turn it into generational wealth for your children, grandchildren, etc. But Tunsil could have done that and still elevated his fellow linemen the same way Watt, Ryans and others have done with their respective positions. His influence potentially could have done enough to get the Texans to the Super Bowl. Instead, he stood around while quarterback C.J. Stroud got pummeled, turned his back when Stroud was knocked down, turned the other apathetic cheek to the run game failures and otherwise “led by example” that he believed the “I” was more important than the “team”.

And, that’s not gonna fly with Caserio, DeMeco Ryans and those in the know.

2. Not re-signing Stefon Diggs was addition without addition.​

Houston’s WR1, Nico Collins, is a consummate professional. More Andre Johnson than DeAndre Hopkins. He gives it his all, works tirelessly to elevate the team and doesn’t create drama (not to say Nuk didn’t, but bear with me). Collins is also younger, healthier and more productive than Diggs.

Diggs is a big personality, a la Hopkins. And while he’s not necessarily a cancerous personality, his is the sort that demands the spotlight and WR1 pay. In his heyday, dude was a stud. But at 31 years old, recovering from a torn ACL, the legend remains but productivity probably won’t.

To his credit, Diggs on the Texans was anything but the team-tumor Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills fans remember when he was wearing their jerseys. It’s definitely a bummer that he, Collins and Tank Dell weren’t able to dominate the field together for an entire season. That would have been glorious. But, the NFL is a young man’s game and Diggs is no longer young. Injuries ruin potential, devour promise and rob us all of highlight reel plays, games, seasons and careers.

As Caserio works to continue rebuilding this Texans roster, salary cap management is a big consideration.

SI.com

On Tuesday, NFL wide receiver and Montgomery County, Maryland, native Stefon Diggs signed a 3-year, $89 million deal with the New England Patriots, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Handing over that sort of cap space to a 31-year old, injured would-be WR1 makes zero sense for the Houston Texans in 2025. The real shame is he didn’t sign with the Baltimore Ravens or Washington Commanders so he could end his career at home in front of his Maryland friends and family.

3. Signing Trent Brown was some Dollar Tree level roster-work, but don’t expect to see him in September​

More offensive line help in Houston: Free-agent offensive tackle Trent Brown reached agreement today on a one-year deal worth up to $3 million with the Texans, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus. pic.twitter.com/oMsF7JSPQt

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 21, 2025​

An NFL offensive tackle...for $3 million? “Up to” $3 million no less? If you don’t want to do the math at home, Tunsil is a $25 million cap hit. The average of the top 20 offensives tackles is right around $23 million. So, Brown is $20 million under the average... :/

Many might recall Brown was on the Texans radar before Tunsil came to town. And, at that time, a lot of folks thought he was no longer starter quality. At this stage, for this price, it’s likely Brown is a camp body.

No doubt he has a lot of knowledge and wisdom to pass along to the younger linemen. And, his signing might also provide some insight to potential blocking schemes and alignments for new offensive coordinator Nick Caley’s brand of football.

But, if we ever see the 2025 version of Trent Brown take the field, chances are things have gone very, very wrong for the Texans offensive line.

Source: https://www.battleredblog.com/2025/3/26/24394290/texans-offseason-checklist-and-quick-hits

 

[Houston Texans]

The Houston Texans and the Offseason of the Offensive Line: Part I

Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images

The Houston Texans have remade their offensive line in free agency. Was it for the better?

Over the course of the last three months, all those associated with and those who follow the Houston Texans have had to reconcile with the state of the offensive line. Collectively, we have analyzed, discussed, debated, and sparred with each other over the players that make up the offensive line, it’s coaching staff, and how much it was to blame for 2024’s disappointing finish. It has become the discussion point of the offseason, and nearly everyone has a strong opinion on this subject, including the Texans front office. They’ve virtually blown up the entire operation, signaling that a plan for big changes was on deck in the event that the 2024 season didn’t go well. So, as 2025 began, so did the Offseason of the Offensive line.

This has been such a controversy, and such an impressive undertaking by the Houston Texans organization, that there was no way I could contain my thoughts to one article. This overview of Houston’s offseason line will be split up into three parts: the first as an analysis of what went wrong with 2024’s line, the second as a review of the Texans’ transactions since free agency began, and the third functioning as speculation on what moves could come next. So, without further ado, let’s jump into part one!

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As of writing, March 27th, 2025, the Houston Texans have replaced three of their five starters on the offensive line:

• LT Laremy Tunsil - Traded along with a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Washington Commanders for a third-round and seventh-round pick in 2025 and second-round and fourth-round pick.
• G Shaq Mason - Released.
• G Kenyon Green - Traded along with a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Eagles for C.J. Gardner-Johnson and a 2026 sixth-round pick.

These players along the offensive line have been replaced in free agency by:

• G Laken Tomlinson - Signed to a one-year, $4.25 million contract.
• G Ed Ingram - On last year of rookie deal, traded for a 2026 sixth-round pick,
• T Cam Robinson - Signed to a one-year, $12 million contract.
• T Trent Brown - Signed to a one-year, $3 million contract.

This was quite the volley of transactions made by the Houston front office in the first week of free agency, quickly revealing Nick Caserio’s intentions to remake the Texans’ most maligned position group of 2024. So, what are we to make of these transactions? If this is to be the offseason of the offensive line, how did it become such a controversy in the first place?

Scoping out any Texans fan page or social media timeline during their season last year meant certain confrontation with the belief that Houston’s offensive line was the rotten, slimy stain that tainted the whole 2024 season. One week, Kenyon Green was being fed to fire. The next, Shaq Mason was to blame for everything. The week after that, Laremy Tunsil’s penalties caused a near-mutiny among fans. Week after week, these three linemen in particular were at the center of Houston’s ire.

And, despite my exaggeration, Houston fans were right to do so. The hype around Houston offense in the 2024 offseason was immense to say the least, led by feverish anticipation of what rookie phenomenon C.J. Stroud may do to follow up his record breaking inaugural season. The 2023 team’s success on offense was so surprising that the Texans front office was happy to keep offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik after multiple rounds of head coaching interviews; he wanted to stay, and they wanted to keep him. Keeping Slowik, as odd as it may sound now, was a welcome surprise to many Texans fans, and then they started salivating when Houston extended tight end Dalton Schultz, and then…the heavens opened up:

View this post on Instagram​

A post shared by SD (@stefondiggs)​

On April 4, 2024, the Houston Texans traded for Buffalo Bills star receiver Stefon Diggs. To many (like me), this was the moment the Texans won the Super Bowl and Stroud won MVP. After a season like 2023, there’s NO WAY Houston can mess this up! This was a team of destiny, and the offensive line was as far from many Houston fans’ minds…so…how did we all end up blaming them for everything?

It all started slowly, as sneaking suspicions of the interior line’s performance creeped around the periphery in the first few weeks. A hot start in week one vs. the Indianapolis Colts emboldened the optimists, but the offense at large was disappointing to many in September and into October. Instead of smashing weaker opponents like the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars, the Houston Texans were squeaking by them in defensive efforts. Only scoring 19 against the Chicago Bears was a surprise to some, not even breaking 300 yards of offense against the Minnesota Vikings was a big disappointment, and then nearly losing to the Jaguars and Buffalo Bills was enough to get heads turning. This offensive line wasn’t dominating against any of these opponents, and in fact, seemed to be making routine mistakes. Everyone had gotten used to Tunsil’s weekly false start penalties, then Shaq Mason added to the frustrations when he would miss a blocking assignment. Kenyon Green wasn’t looking like a reliable player at all, either…something was clearly wrong.

Jeff Hafley has turned the Packers into one of the best defenses in football.

Here’s how they were able to shut down the Texans offense pic.twitter.com/wM5Pt92Sdt

— Joel Moran (@joelvmoran) October 21, 2024​

By mid-October, these low scoring games became the norm, and the presumptive season for the ages for Houston’s new quarterback was beginning to look more like a sophomore slump. Now, the small handful of hecklers yelping about Tunsil’s false start penalties had become a bit of a crowd, and the group of fans complaining about Mason exploded. A season-low in offensive yardage (197 total yards) on October 20 in Green Bay couldn’t have come at a worse time for spectators desperate to see improvement. Seth Payne, a former Texans defensive lineman and current Texans analyst, laid out a particularly damning review of this Packers game on his YouTube channel, describing what appeared to him to be an offensive line that just wasn’t coached well. Several blown blocks and miscommunication in multiple games led Seth to believe that coaching in particular had taken a nosedive from 2023, and was a primary culprit to their decline.

Grasping for explanations to the theatre of errors Houston’s offense became, criticisms and chastisements came for Tunsil, Green, Mason, and Juice Scruggs like stray bullets, following their decline in performance like a shadow. Then, on Halloween 2024, the floor caved in.

Against the New York Jets on Halloween 2024, the Houston Texans’ offense was broken and laid bare for all to see on national television. The Jets tore through the interior line of Mason, Scruggs, and Green like a hot knife through butter, and Stroud fell deep into habits that only worsened during much of the 2024 campaign: desperately attempting to buy time behind the line of scrimmage, holding onto the ball for too long, attempting to make big plays while under pressure, and absorbing too many sacks. By contrast, the defense played like a championship-caliber group all season long, only making the offense look worse by comparison.

This game held everything bad about the 2024 Houston Texans offense under a microscope, and in the very next game, the Detroit Lions did the same exact thing in the same exact national spotlight. Once again, Houston was losing a game that was being won almost single-handedly by their defense, sending the few that still had belief in the offense to “find its way” into the pits of despair. Even though the Texans had nabbed five interceptions off of Lions quarterback Jared Goff, one returned for a touchdown, that turned out not to be enough to win. Houston finished with just 23 points, 16 first downs, and 248 total yards of offense; nearly 100 yards less than Detroit!

This was not the offense we were promised, and the interior offensive line provided the perfect target for Nick Caserio for the 2025 offseason; and the perfect punching bag for Texans spectators yearning for a return to rookie-era Stroud. From September to November, it became clear to all that the hype surrounding the 2024 Texans offense during the preseason was fool’s gold. Stroud finished with fewer yards and touchdowns, more interceptions, less yards per attempt and per game, a lower passer rating, and 14 more sacks than he had in 2023. Even though Joe Mixon had done much to improve the rushing attack, Houston’s offense got worse overall in 2024, with the passing offense falling from seventh in yardage in 2023 to 21st in 2024. Somewhere along the road to Texans offense 2.0, the offensive line lost its way, and that changed everything.

“How does the Texans offensive line sleep at night” feels like a good way to describe what we have watched so far this year. pic.twitter.com/4PEhItp8T5

— Jacob (@TexansJacob) October 21, 2024​

That’s where I’ll end this first part of a three-part series covering the offensive line. I’ve covered the disaster that was Houston’s 2024 offensive line, and now I’m going to leave you on a cliffhanger on what my thoughts will be on the incoming free agents. Sorry to leave you in wait, but what’s a good series without some suspense? And heck, this will give you some time to react to my critique of the line! Was I right about them, was I wrong? Go ahead and tear me a new one down in the comments below!

GO TEXANS!!!

Source: https://www.battleredblog.com/2025/...nd-the-offseason-of-the-offensive-line-part-i

 

[Houston Texans]

Five good Texans questions with Shaun Bijani

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The popular night time host joins BRB for five questions

Shaun Bijani has been covering Houston sports on and off for nearly two decades with 610 AM. He used to be an on the scenes reporter, but he and Patrick Creighton have been on at night for nearly a year now talking Texans, Rockets, and Astros. We sat down with him to get his opinions on what the Texans have done so far this offseason.

Battle Red Blog: Obviously the Laremy Tunsil deal was the biggest Texans deal in the new league year. What did you think of the idea of trading him and more specifically the return we got back?

Shaun Bijani: The initial confusion is understandable as to the curiosity of why a team that’s had one of the worst offensive lines in the league two years running with their new quarterback, would trade the best performing player on it.

We may never know the real reason(s) why the Texans made the decision to move on, however there are some surface level things that make perfect sense with the move.

They wanted a more affordable option at the position, a player that was maybe more well rounded as a left tackle, that could be a better run blocker than Tunsil with the sacrifice of them not individually being as good of a pass blocker. It gives them financial flexibility to take care of their younger up and coming players, which they have recently done by extending Derek Stingley Jr. they’ll have CJ Stroud and Will Anderson up next offseason.

Getting four draft picks in return (2025 third and seventh-round picks and 2026 second and fourth-round picks) is a pretty darn good haul for a soon to be 31 year old marginal run blocking tackle with bad knees. It may not sit well with some who rationally compare what the Texans received this time versus what they gave up (two 1st round picks, a 2nd round pick along with Julian Davenport and Johnson Bademosi), but that was a Bill O’Brien orchestrated deal after all, so…yeah. The Texans habits of dealing draft picks should make this an interesting follow to see what the picks received for Tunsil turn into.

BRB: In terms of the new additions/re-signings, which one do you think will end up being the most significant?

SB: I really like the acquisition of CB CJ Gardner-Johnson. While he hasn’t been the most durable player in three of the previous four seasons, playing in 16 games last season while appearing in just three the year prior and playing in 12 games in both the ‘21 and ‘22 seasons, his ability to take the ball away is exciting, especially when paired with the likes of Derek Stingley Jr, Kamari Lassiter and Calen Bullock.

Adding CJGJ to the secondary makes the Texans core of defensive backs one of the most formidable in the entire league. It adds quality depth to the unit and provides flexibility in various matchups against opposing receivers.

An honorable mention for me that could likely end up being underrated, is the addition of veteran offensive linemen the Texans have accumulated this offseason. From Laken Tomlinson, Ed Ingram to Cam Robinson to Trent Brown, the Texans have significantly improved the knowledge, experience and credibility of a room that has been in desperate need of experience, work ethic but most importantly, execution.

These guys aren’t perennial all-pro’s, but they do provide a lot of veteran leadership, new voices in the room along with the aforementioned intangibles.

BRB: If we assume the Texans aren’t done, what is the one significant move they have in them?

SB: Offensive linemen aren’t the most exhilarating thing to discuss on the radio or in general conversations with the boys, but it’s necessary. The defense looks tremendous right now.

I think the obvious answer is wide receiver. The question becomes, where do they make the move(s)? The draft and/or in free agency?

Whether it be receivers Emeke Egbuka from Ohio State or Texas’ Matthew Golden in the draft and coupling that with a marginal free agent signing for another receiver or drafting Ohio State guard Tyler Booker or Kelvin Banks from Texas, I don’t think there’s much the Texans can do in terms of making a big splash with a proven name.

BRB: How if at all have the Texans draft needs changed based on what has happened this last week?

SB: I think they’ve changed drastically. Trading for Christian Kirk, acquiring CJ Gardner-Johnson and the multiple offensive linemen they’ve signed, takes a load of their shoulders heading into the draft in my opinion. There’s not as much pressure of needing to reach for a player at a position, namely receiver or offensive line.

They can be a bit more calculated, disciplined and deliberate in their decision making process.

BRB: It’s been awhile since the Nick Caley hire. Based on his past coaching career and the changes from the last week, what tangible changes can we expect from the offense?

Well, Caley himself didn’t tell us much when he first met with the media shortly after his hiring.

“It’s going to be Houston’s,” Caley said. “It’s going to be our scheme based on what we do. I don’t say that to throw any curveballs, it really is.”

Let’s just keep it simple shall we, but with a bit more context.

Tangible changes to the offense? Well, taking a look at some things that didn’t work the previous staff seemed hellbent on making staples of the offense, I’d say fewer bunch formations with inadequate personnel for one. But, fewer sacks allowed, a more balanced run/pass attack, a more athletic personnel grouping to use the entire field and toughness.

The latter cannot be emphasized enough as the Texans more times than not, were overpowered, outplayed and flat out embarrassed up front on the offensive line this past season. That has fallen on both the coaching, practice habits and the players themselves. Some have been given the opportunity to fix it here, some have not.

That’s one of the most important factors that ultimately has to be corrected.

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We want to thank Shaun for the taking the time to answer our questions. It has been about a year since he and Patrick Creighton started Area 45 from seven to ten on 610 AM. To date, it is still the only live night time sports show going in Houston. We want to wish he and Patrick the best of luck from here on out.

Source: https://www.battleredblog.com/2025/3/28/24393010/five-good-texans-questions-with-shaun-bijani

 

[Houston Texans]

Tapped In: Best Draft Prospect For The Houston Texans

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

Weekly Houston Texans Q&A.

The Houston Texans are less than a month away from making their first-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, and there are is a lot to discuss in this week’s Q&A.

“Best draft prospect?” - @chrrissstiann

My favorite player in this upcoming draft is Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden. Golden is the type of player that would come in and contribute in a big way, which is something the Texans wide receiver room desperately needs.

Golden can flat out fly with his 4.29 speed, which could open things up even more for Nico Collins and Christian Kirk. He can also play all three wide receiver spots, which is likely very enticing to new Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley.

“What do you expect to see out of the tight end room this year? Particularly in comparison to last year?” - @nickcaseriojr​

Honestly, the expectations are not very high as of right now. I think Dalton Schultz is an above average tight end at times, but did not play like it for most of last season. It also felt like he was not involved as much as he should in 2024, which is not his fault, and that is on former offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

The Texans also missed Brevin Jordan very much, who tore his ACL early in the season. The good news is that he is making great progress on his recovery, and will make an impact in 2025, along with former fourth-round pick Cade Stover.

It would not shock me if the Texans were to select another tight end on the early side next month.

“What do you think will be the Texans order of drafting by positions?” - @jseafous​

I think it is pretty clear, at least at this very moment, that the Texans will likely be grabbing a wide receiver or offensive lineman with their first-round pick.

It would not shock me to see either position selected with their first pick, but for the sake of argument, we will say wide receiver is off the board first, and the Texans grab the best guard available in the second-round.

Anything after that is fair game, and likely best player available. The defense is pretty much fully set, outside of some depth, although a mid-round linebacker selection would make sense, considering the uncertainty surrounding the health of Christian Harris.

“How confident are you in our linebacker group?” - @theim07​

If my confidence was on a scale from one to ten, with ten being the most confident, I would be around seven.

Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans is a former linebacker, and has full control of the defense, and he is extremely good at finding talent and maximizing it.

Take Henry To’oTo’o for example. To’oTo’o is a former fifth-round pick out of Alabama, started 15 games for Houston in 2024, and made significant strides from year one to year two in the Texans defense.

To’oTo’o may have only received the starting opportunity because of his former Alabama teammate Christian Harris missing most of the year with a lingering lower-leg injury, but he made the most of his opportunity and looked the part.

Houston signed Azeez Al-Shaair in free agency last offseason, and he has meant a great deal to the Texans defense, on and off the field. He is a vocal leader, and brings the intensity on the field every single play.

“How long have you been a Houston Texans fan, and what is your favorite game?” - @milothebestbatman​

I have been a Houston Texans fan for about 15 years now. The earliest memory I have was watching Arian Foster rush for over 1,600 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2010.

There have been so many great games from over the years, but one from recent memory that stands out to me is the wildcard matchup against the Buffalo Bills in 2019.

Seeing J.J. Watt get that clutch sack on Josh Allen, which lit a fire for the rest of the team, and eventually seeing Deshaun Watson break out of a sack and hit Taiwan Jones for the game winning first-down inside the red zone.

Submit your questions to @nickschwagernfl on instagram for next week’s Q&A!

Source: https://www.battleredblog.com/2025/...est-draft-prospect-for-the-houston-texans-nfl

 

[Houston Texans]

The Houston Texans and the Offseason of the Offensive Line: Part II

Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images

How will the new free agents improve the Texans’ offensive line?

Welcome to part two of my three-part series covering the Offseason of the Offensive Line!

After delivering a rather scathing criticism of the offensive line, I believe the stage is set for a review of the free agent linemen that Houston was brought in.

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At the onset of free agency, reckoning came swiftly. The same three linemen that received the lion’s share of criticism had all been released or traded away, all gone within the first week of free agency. Kenyon Green was a foregone conclusion. Shaq Mason caught me a bit off guard, but wasn’t something beyond reason. But, when the Houston Texans traded Laremy Tunsil, it felt like the entire world froze in astonishment. Tunsil, regardless of your opinion on him, was a rock at the left tackle position for the Texans since 2019 and showed no sign of slowing down. Trading him to the Washington Commanders added a new level of severity to this offseason, and a new level of importance to the players the Nick Caserio-led front office would bring in to fill in the holes. In order to get the offensive line back on track, it’s now going to require even bigger investment than previously expected. So…who has Caserio brought in? Well, let’s just rip the band-aid off quickly.

GUARD LAKEN TOMLINSON​

Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

• Height: 6’ 3”
• Weight: 323 lbs.
• Age: 33
• 2024 Statistics: 1,094 snaps at LG (Seattle Seahawks), 62.1 PFF (65.1 pass blocking, 59.7 run blocking)

Laken Tomlinson is a solution to the open hole at left guard, but not an inspiring one. Since being drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Duke, Tomlinson has been a consistent left guard that became one of San Francisco’s most impactful blockers from 2017-2021, making his only pro-bowl appearance in his last year there. In Kyle Shanahan’s zone-blocking scheme, Tomlinson was a key piece to the rushing attack that opened holes for the likes of Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, and others. Tomlinson has also had several years in a row of solid pass-blocking, and when you pair that with his connection to DeMeco Ryans in San Francisco, his allure to Caserio is very understandable.

However, upon leaving San Francisco for the…greener(?) pastures of the New York Jets, Tomlinson has been experiencing a dip in performance. ‘22 and ‘23 were two of his worst years, going from the bottom of the pressures list while on the 49ers to the top of the same list in New York. Fortunately, his one-season stop with the Seattle Seahawks in 2024 led to a bit of a rebound season, but still not quite back to San Francisco form. Reuniting with DeMeco Ryans in Houston may be just what the doctor ordered, but at age 33, you begin to wonder when age will become a factor. But, even if he were to be exactly like he was for Seattle in 2024, that would still be a major upgrade for Houston’s left guard spot. At the very least, he should be a big help in the rushing attack, hopefully to pair well with Juice Scruggs/Jarrett Patterson in opening up holes for Joe Mixon.

GUARD ED INGRAM​

Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images

• Height: 6’ 3”
• Weight: 307 lbs.
• Age: 26
• 2024 Statistics: 580 snaps at RG, 54.0 PFF (49.1 pass blocking, 58.1 run blocking)

Ed Ingram has much less going for him than Laken Tomlinson. Once a hyped prospect taken in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, Ingram quickly got starting time and never lived up to expectations. Known for the staggering amount of pressures he gave up in route to getting benched in the middle of the 2024 season, Ingram has a habit of having truly terrible runs in pass-blocking, spoiling what otherwise is a milquetoast start to a starting guard’s career in the NFL.

He’s never looked like the next big thing, but Ingram has had a few performances in run-blocking at several junctures in his career (see: Week 3 vs. Chargers in 2023) - not unlike Laken Tomlinson. However, unlike Tomlinson, Ingram has rarely been able to translate this into good performances in pass-blocking, where his struggles are obvious. If he can get a little buffer and less prone to getting rushed, he’d be an adequate replacement for Shaq Mason - but I feel like this is wishful thinking. He’s more likely to continue to be a weak spot in Houston, likely to compete with Juice Scruggs or another lineman for the starting right guard spot during training camp.

TACKLE CAM ROBINSON​

Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images

• Height: 6’ 6”
• Weight: 335 lbs.
• Age: 29 (30 in October)
• Statistics: 1,073 snaps at LT, 63.2 PFF (67.2 pass blocking, 60.0 run blocking)

Here’s the inevitable replacement to Laremy Tunsil. Cam Robinson has been a longtime, albeit unimpressive starter at left tackle since being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in round two of the 2017 NFL Draft. At a average of nearly 800 snaps a season and holding a pass-blocking rate of 67 or over on PFF the last four years is impressive, but it’s no secret that Cam Robinson has had some bad games. As Texans fans, we’ve had a front-row seat to his errors, giving up sacks from the likes of J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus, and then Jacob Martin! Now, that being said, Houston had far less success against Robinson in the 2020s, transforming into one of the glitter kitties’ more reliable linemen of the Trevor Lawrence era. And yet, the Jaguars still franchise-tagged him twice, benched him in his final game as a Jaguar in favor of Walker Little, and then traded him and a 2026 conditional seventh-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2026 conditional fifth-round pick that could become a fourth-rounder.

This sort of treatment wasn’t going to help his case in a contract year… and then his performance in Minnesota made things even worse. Few other tackles gave up more pressures than Cam Robinson in 2024, which isn’t exactly going to make me feel better about the Laremy Tunsil trade. At the very least, Cam Robinson is a capable starter at left tackle, and even though I am highly suspicious of his ability to replace Laremy Tunsil, he is talented enough to give the optimist in me hope for the future.

Look at Cam Robinson (74) get out in space and block two players on this screen to Justin Jefferson pic.twitter.com/9ApA9RG1jW

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) December 3, 2024​

That wasn’t the only addition Houston would be making to the tackle room, though. On March 21, Adam Schefter reported that the Houston Texans signed free agent tackle Trent Brown to a one-year, $3 million deal.

TACKLE TRENT BROWN​

• Height: 6’ 8”
• Weight: 370 lbs.
• Age: 32
• 2024 Statistics: 139 snaps at RT, 65.2 PFF (64.2 pass blocking, 68.4 run blocking)
• 2023 Statistics: 579 snaps at LT, 80.2 PFF (72.8 pass blocking, 80.7 run blocking)

Brown, an oft-injured starting tackle, has had a wealth of experience both at the left and right ends for multiple teams in his ten years in the NFL. Brown is a very talented tackle - all 6’8”, 370 lbs. of him - but he’s had his own selection of disastrous performances in recent history, along with a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee that ended his 2024 campaign with the Cincinnati Bengals in week three.

That contract says it all too. A one-year deal worth only $3 million tells us he is not expected to be a starter on either side of the line; those honors will go to Cam Robinson and Tytus Howard. If anything, Brown’s injury history makes him hard to rely on. But, he can make a great backup option in case of emergency…or, is this a sign of a bigger plan? Are the Texans trying to build an offensive line-by-committee?

Well, probably not, but maybe? Nick Caserio and the Texans have already tried the rotational approach to the defensive line in 2023 and 2024, and it has been a transformative success for the defense. Will they try to extend this philosophy to the trenches on offense? If so, they would need to sign three more tackles to match the nine defensive ends they currently have on the roster. Creating an offense that will be able to cycle through several guards and tackles in order to “keep them fresh” would be a daunting task for new offensive coordinator Nick Caley, and that may not even save them from giving up pressures and sacks. Beyond the idea of keeping players fresh, I believe the success of the Texans’ defensive line in 2024 had more to do with the exceptional performances of Danielle Hunter, Will Anderson Jr., and Derek Barnett. These three players were incredibly valuable to the Texans defense last year, and, besides Tytus Howard, I don’t see players of comparable ability on Houston’s offensive line. If the Texans were to try an offensive line-by-committee approach to the 2025 season, I think they’ll still need more star power to make it all work. So, where is Houston going to find that?

Well, we’ll cover that in the third and final part of this series covering the offensive line! Stay tuned to battle red blog to see my musings on what Houston could do to further bolster the line in 2025. Spoiler: it’s going to involve more talk around remaining free agents and the upcoming NFL Draft! Although, what do you think of the roster Nick Caserio has cobbled together so far? Is this offensive line already good enough to get C.J. Stroud through a full season, or are they still a liability? Let us know down in the comments below!

GO TEXANS!!

Source: https://www.battleredblog.com/2025/...d-the-offseason-of-the-offensive-line-part-ii

 

[Houston Texans]

When the past is not the past: The Houston Texans, the Tennessee Titans and Columbia Blue

Set Number: X23631 Tk1 R8 F25

When the past returns to the present

“The past is never dead. It is not even past.” William Faulkner

Some stories, no matter how much times passes, just never disappear. Over the past couple of wees, a series of stories highlighted such history to the Houston sports fan. First, the former Houston NFL team (Tennessee Titans) announced plans to abandon their throwback uniforms, the Columbia Blue jerseys with the oil derrick helmet logos. Probably for the best, as they were only 1-2 in those, and both losses came to the Texans at home. Yet, they will incorporate their historic Columbia Blue color (now “Titans Blue”) into the new design, for their home jerseys.

Then, in Houston, a documentary about Bum Phillips premiered (Luv Ya, Bum), which brought to mind perhaps the golden age of the Oilers in Houston. In the late 1970s, the Luv Ya Blue days dominated Houston, when Bum Phillips prowled the sidelines with his ten-gallon hat and ostrich-skinned boots, Earl Campbell bulled through defenses and the Astrodome was awash in blue pom-poms and signing “We’re the Houston Oilers…” ad nauseam. A fun time in the past, but one that highlights the struggle for the history of pro football in the city of Houston.

Then the Athletic got in on the act, recounting the Titans’ jersey decisions and the long back-story of why a jersey color is a point of contention between Houston and Nashville. For events and deals made over 30 years ago, with many of the principle players long retired or deceased, it is interesting that people still hold ill-will related to a color on a uniform. Jerry Seinfeld once observed about sports fandom that people will cheer for laundry. The point was that making such a big deal about a name stitched on a piece of colored cloth for an athlete hardly qualified as a big deal. Yet, here we are.

Roughly 20% of Houston’s population was not alive the last time that the Oilers played in Houston and a generation of people know only the Texans as Houston’s pro football team. Yet, there remains a significant portion of the population that remembers when the Oilers roams the Astrodome, when fall Sundays in Houston centered on the Oilers, playing games in the “House of Pain.” Along with Campbell and Bum, you had personalities from Dan Pastorini, Elvin Bethea, Warren Moon, Ray Childress, Mike Munchak, Bruce Matthews, Ernest Givins, Sean Jones, Jack Pardee, Jerry Glanville, even something called a Giff Nielsen…donning the Columbia Blue.

Of course, while the “House of Pain” moniker mainly sought to convey the tough day at opposing offenses could expect in the Astrodome, it also could sum up the fandom of being an Oilers fan. Those Luv Ya Blue days took Houston fans on some great rides, but they all came to a crashing halt against the peak of the Steel Curtain Dynasty of the 1970s. Back-to-Back AFC Championship losses to Pittsburgh in the 1978-1979 season would be the closest that a Houston based team would get to the Super Bowl. The Oilers of the late 1980s-early 1990s offered up some of the most talented teams in the league, consistently among the league-leaders in Pro Bowlers (back when that meant something). However, their player talent was only matched by the creative ways they failed in the playoffs. Seven straight playoff appearances. Not even a single conference title game appearance. The last three of those playoff trips: The Drive Part II , The Comeback in Buffalo and the 4th quarter collapse against Kansas City in the last playoff game in the Astrodome.

The Athletic recounted the political maneuvering undertaken by Adams and some lawyers to try to convince the city of Houston to work with him to get a new stadium done. However, Adams’ previous threats to move the team (primarily in 1987 when he nearly moved the squad to Jacksonville) proved politically costly. By 1995, when Adams made new noises about a new stadium, he hadn’t burned his bridges, he nuked them. The subsequent radioactivity made it such that no political figure in Houston would support him. Not discussed, but a significant factor, centered on the constant near-misses from the Oilers. Throw in the disastrous teardown/collapse of the squad in the 1994 season, and the fans were done. A motivated fanbase might have swayed Houston to consider making a deal with Adams, but the overwhelming apathy of the Oilers fans offered Bud Adams no support. Thus, when the Oilers agreed to move to Nashville, the response: don’t let the door hit you in the [KITTEN] on the way out.

Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
What might have been...if Bud Adams’ worst enemy wasn’t...Bud Adams

Yet, when Houston booted him out the door, Houston, so wanting to be rid of K.S. Adams, allowed Adams to keep the team’s history and colors. At the time, it didn’t seem like that big a deal. Houston didn’t know if or when it might return to the NFL, and the colors, once so venerated, just didn’t resonate with the city any more. Even with Bob McNair brought the NFL back to Houston (at a far costlier price than if the city had dealt with Adams in the mid-1990s), there was no discussion about bringing back the Columbia Blue. Likely Adams would not have consented to return the color to Houston even if McNair asked. While many in Houston revile Bud Adams to this day, Adams never got over being persona non grata to his home city and his pride in the team and all it stood for ensured he would never give that up.

Fast forward to the 2020s, and now that debate returns. Personas such as JJ Watt have called for the return of the old Oilers colors to Houston. Yet, the stubbornness of the Adams family to hold on to that legacy is just as entrenched as ever. Primarily, the current owner of the Titans, Amy Adams Strunk (daughter of Bud) holds to that tradition as stubbornly as her father (who passed in 2013). Likely she’ll never surrender that prerogative, and there is little to suggest that the NFL will step in to change that.

At this point, with the big free agency moves mostly done and the draft still a month away, stories like this at least fill the dead space in the NFL calendar. Given that a vast majority of the players on both rosters weren’t even alive when the Oilers last played in Houston, this story is nothing more than background noise. As time moves forward, the memories of the Oilers will fade and fans will return to the on-field concerns. Yet, for many of us who grew up with the Oilers, this still brings up some old memories, good and bad. Ideally, we don’t have these discussions of colors/etc. Likely a compromise could be in the offering, but sometimes, the potential of the present can’t get beyond what transpired in the past.

Source: https://www.battleredblog.com/2025/...texans-the-tennessee-titans-and-columbia-blue

 

[Houston Texans]

Houston Texans Draft Prospect: Josh Conerly Jr.

Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Placing bets on the Texans first round pick

For our fifth installment of the Texans Draft Prospect Review, we’re highlighting another offensive lineman who can step in right away and make an impact alongside the team’s diverse mix of veteran options.

Back in late January, I selected Josh Conerly Jr. to the Houston Texans not knowing the unmitigated onslaught of changes that were to come to the offensive line room.

Here is what I wrote about Conerly Jr. for the 25th pick:

Conerly played two seasons as the Ducks’ starting left tackle. The transition from PAC 12 to BIG 10 didn’t phase the Seattle native this season. He only allowed one sack all season and six QB pressures.

Conerly is still developing; he’s only 21 years old but is an elite, elite athlete with a basketball background and footwork to match. His frame can support more strength which will be necessary to reach his potential.

Conerly is a tad undersized for the left tackle position at 6’4, but is 47th percentile for a guard. Houston would shift Conerly to left guard to start his career with the goal of shifting him to left tackle when Tunsil is a free agent.

Past Prospects:

Grey Zabel

Jonah Savaniiaea

Armand Membou

Wyatt Milum

Let’s dive in. From a measurables standpoint, Conerly has what the NFL is looking for athletically. His biggest performance was an elite 10-yard split, which is among the most important combine metrics for lineman.

According to NFL.com’s profile on Conerly his improved performance, balance, and quickness allow him to define plays and make a difference up front.

NFL.com’s Draft Profile: Strengths​

- Showed vast improvement as the season progressed.

- Movements are composed and relatively athletic.

- Accelerates hard into down blocks.

- Works with strain at the point of attack and is rarely on the ground.

- Consistent, well-balanced slides both diagonally and back inside.

- Throws a sudden punch with good pop.

- Squeezes B-gap and scans for incoming when rusher voids.

Here’s Conerly Jr.’s PFF grades throughout the entire season. First thing that pops off the page is the exclusive left tackle play. Even though Conerly is shorter than former draft prospects Grey Zabel, Jonah Savaniiaea, and Wyatt Milum, his athletic frame, superior length, and play style only lends itself to playing on the outside at tackle. His arm length is a full inch and a half longer than either Zabel or Milum’s.

BATTLE RED ANALYSIS:

Much has been said about Conerly Jr.’s seismic leap from his sophomore to junior season starting at left tackle. The assumption is that the 21 year-old has the athletic profile and trajectory to be a starting left tackle in the league. There is a significant amount of chips in on his trajectory rather than pure play. Does Conerly, have the cleanest tape in this class? No. That said, the traits, signals, and composition is there. Combined with the improved performance in 2024 and trajectory he’s on, there’s a legitimate starting tackle in there. I don’t suggest moving him inside to guard at all; he’s a true tackle.

As we did with Milum, I want to review Conerly’s play against NFL-talent through Abdul Carter.

Across the board, Conerly gets beaten whenever Carter dips his shoulder. Carter disrupts multiple plays by going around the edge and forcing the QB up in the pocket. Conerly does a good job of controlling Carter, but to say he “won the day” would be the furthest stretch of all time. There’s moments where Conerly’s footwork and ability to keep his feet down when in contact stymie Carter’s movement, but there’s equal moments when Carter makes an inside move that stuns Conerly.

Pass Protection:

• Hand placement and fighting skills drastically improved throughout 2024
• Hands catch rather than disrupt
• Late and obvious hands allows pass rushers into his chest
• Shorter upper body frame allows defenders to rip around him easier
• Clean kick-slide technique allows for quality mirroring

Run Game:

• Has major tells indicating where he is going/stepping
• Converts wide stance to powerful leg drive through contact
• Will pull, but doesn’t bring the full 310-pounds to bear
• Good at moving in zone in sequence

THE COMPARISON: One notable NFL offensive lineman who fits is Rashawn Slater. Drafted 13th overall in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Chargers, Slater has been a multi-year starter at left tackle. Standing at 6’4” with an arm length of 33 inches, he was considered slightly undersized for the position. Despite this, Slater is renowned for his exceptional athleticism and technique, effectively neutralizing top pass rushers. Slater has gone to two Pro Bowls in his four season in Los Angeles.

THE FIT: Right now, he’s projected to go late first, early second round. Where he goes greatly depends on how many players go before him. If there’s seven offensive lineman taken in the first 20 picks, he’ll land in the first. But if the entire position slides due to free agency needs being filled he could wind up in the 40s. Conerly would benefit from a season in the NFL weight room and training facility honing his technique but should be a dependable long-term starter for the Texans.

If Conerly is the only quality tackle available at 25, I feel safe suiting him up to protect C.J. Stroud’s blindside after, say, six-ten games of prep. However, if the draft falls the Texans way and Conerly is still hanging around in the 40s, there’s no doubt in my mind they should expend legitimate draft capital to go get him and double down early. Oh, and at the time of this writing, Conerly was confirmed to have visited Houston.

Source: https://www.battleredblog.com/2025/3/31/24390793/houston-texans-draft-prospect-josh-conerly-jr

 

[Houston Texans]

Texans Defensive Depth Analysis Pre-Draft

Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images

The defense is more locked down than a wide receiver guarded by Derek Stingley Jr.

The Texans approached defensive free agency with a simple strategy, one borrowed from your local trash company: reduce, reuse, recycle. The Texans used the little salary cap they had to re-sign quality veterans on team-friendly contracts while patching together several weaknesses in the front seven and secondary. Houston also restructured several key contracts to build room on the salary cap including Denico Autry’s deal and Danielle Hunter’s extension.

With the draft weeks away, it’s a great time to freshen up on who the Texans added thus far and identify where the gaps are in the defenses.

Note: in bold are the newly added or resigned players.

Defensive Ends:​

• Starters: Danille Hunter, Will Anderson Jr.
• Backups: Derek Barnett, Darrell Taylor, Dylan Horton
• Depth: Kingsley Jonathan, Casey Toohill, Solomon Byrd

Analysis: Re-signing Derek Barnett was a fantastic move to open up free agency and bring back our best rotational pass rusher. The addition of Darrell Taylor on a one-year deal attempts to duplicate such success. Look for third-year end Horton to have a big season finally fully recovered from his cancer diagnosis.

Defensive Tackles:​

• Starters: Tim Settle Jr., Sheldon Rankins
• Backups: Denico Autry, Mario Edwards Jr.
• Depth: Tommy Togiai, Kurt Hinish, Jayden Peevy

Analysis: Welcome back Sheldon! The Texans have addressed this positional need with several known veterans. As a whole, there is a lot familiar faces in this group but no standouts. Though, that’s DeMeco Ryans’ defensive approach thus far in the interior. While this position is less of a dire need than before, a new, young face is still necessary to rejuvenate the position long-term.

Another name to familiarize yourself with is Tongiai; he quietly played a significant role on the defense in the second half of the season.

Linebackers:​

• Starters: Azeel Al-Shaair, Henry To’oTo’o
• Backups: Christian Harris, E.J. Speed
• Depth: Jake Hansen, Jamal Hill, Nick Neimann

Analysis: The late entry of E.J. Speed changes my entire complexion on this group. The Texans now have four LBs who have recorded 100+ tackles in a season over the past two years. However, the addition signals legitimate concerns over the health of Christian Harris, who only played three games in 2024.

Second-year LB Jamal Hill should develop into a special teams ace and rotational coverage linebacker. Between him and Hansen, the Texans should be set with this core group heading into training camp.

Cornerbacks:​

• Starters: Kamari Lassiter, Derek Stingley Jr.
• Backups: Ronald Darby, M.J. Stewart
• Depth: Tremon Smith, D’Angelo Ross

Analysis: Last year’s biggest need was duly answered by the sensational Kamari Lassiter, who should have been up for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. However as great of a pick as that was, this position lacks depth. The signing of Ronald Darby and Tremon Smith adds special teams’ talent to this group, but there’s a tremendous need for a steady backup. Expect a third or fifth round draft pick expended to quell this issue.

THE HOUSTON #TEXANS HAVE BUILT A SPECIAL DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD

They are all under 25-years-old…

• CB Derek Stingley Jr. (23)
• Safety Jalen Pitre (25)
• CB Kamari Lassiter (21)
• Safety Calen Bullock (21)

Nick Caserio has done one hell of a job.

(h/t @_RyanFowler_) pic.twitter.com/qGtxFk2tcD

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 16, 2024

Safeties:​

• Starters: Jalen Pitre, Calen Bullock, C.J. Gardner-Johnson
• Backups: Jimmie Ward
• Depth: Gregory Junior, Russ Yeast

Analysis: The trade for Garner-Johnson to replace Eric Murray took much of the urgency out of adding talent to this group. According to Aaron Wilson, Pitre should be back after his pectoral injury and subsequent surgery in time for training camp.

Jimmie Ward is in the last year of his contract and at the age of 34 shouldn’t be considered a starting safety for the team. Houston released Brandon Hill due to a failed physical, which steals from some of the upper-echelon potential out of this group. The Texans should be set from a short-term perspective, but another complimentary defensive back should be in the cards soon.

Overall, the Texans defense has a fantastic blend of elite and young talent with savvy veterans to fill in the roles. They could use another rotational defensive tackle and backup corner, but outside of that are ready to rock heading into a critical season in the C.J. Stroud era.

Source: https://www.battleredblog.com/2025/4/1/24396383/texans-defensive-depth-analysis-pre-draft

 

[Houston Texans]

Value of Things: Can C.J. Stroud make the leap?

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Let’s compare Stroud with other similar quarterbacks

Anyone who is a regular reader of this feature knows I am a lover of numbers. It is important to understand why. There is conventional wisdom and popular narratives that people love to trumpet as if it is gospel. We trumpet it as if it is fact and use that to justify claims that may be unrealistic when compared to the actual facts.

In football, there can be no other situation where this happens more often than with quarterbacks. Some of this is pure numbers and logic. We talk about this quarterback and that quarterback being a top ten quarterback. I heard someone call Baker Mayfield a top ten quarterback. This is a crazy thought and please follow me closely here. There can only be ten top ten quarterbacks. I know it’s a crazy notion.

This comes into play when we start talking C.J. Stroud. Is he a top ten quarterback? He sure wasn’t last season. He may have been in his rookie season, but he certainly wasn’t one last season. However, this kind of falls into a narrative. How often do we hear about the sophomore slump? How often do we hear about a quarterback really taking off in year three? How often does this actually happen?

So, what I did is take a look at quarterbacks that were taken in the top three since 2000. I eliminated a couple like JeMarcus Russell because, well, he didn’t even make it to year three. I simply took their ratings from year one, year two, and year three and averaged them together to get an aggregate.

We can answer a couple of questions from the outset. First, is the narrative about a sophomore slump being the norm even true. Furthermore, is the narrative about a significant bounce from year two to year three true? Secondly, we can look at all 18 such quarterbacks and see who Stroud is the most similar to.

I simply love the concept of similarity scores. It helps cut through the “top ten quarterbacks” or “quarterback tiers” nonsense and simply compare a quarterback we have an emotional attachment to and compare him with other quarterbacks who we don’t. Following the season, the Texans will be able to offer Stroud a huge extension. Is he worth it? We can partially answer that question by asking ourselves if we would have wanted the quarterbacks he is most similar to.

The Overall Results​

Like I said, we looked at 18 quarterbacks taken in the top three of the draft since 2000. We looked at only their ratings because it is an easy number to track and is a fairly useful number that is pretty portable over time. Obviously, any good analyst could poke holes in this analysis, but we are trying our best to confirm or dispel certain narratives.

Year One Average: 79.3
Year Two Average: 88.1
Year Three Average: 88.9

Aggregates can be affected by scores that skew the results. So, in addition to averages we can look at individual scores. How often did scores go up and down out of the 18. Between year one and year two, only four of the 18 quarterbacks saw their QB ratings go down. That happened only six times between years two and three. So, the whole idea of the sophomore slump appears to be a myth.

Obviously, that means that the idea of spiking from year two to year three is also a myth. While most of the quarterbacks improved from year two to year three (12 out of 18), the overall improvement was not necessarily significant. Vince Young’s tumble probably has something to do with the overall numbers being skewed, but even if we remove his bad rating, we get a 90.5 rating in year three which is not a significant change.

Similarity Scores​

Like I said, I know quarterback rankings and quarterback tiers are a nice and easy way to get clicks, but I’m not sure how helpful they are. Is C.J. Stroud a top ten quarterback? Like I said, he was one year and not the next. If we were actually doing this right, we would find that there might be very little continuity in the lists from season to season versus what talking heads actually put in their personal rankings.

We are going to do this three ways. First, we will look at year one and take the three or four quarterbacks closest to him. Second, we will look at the second year and do the same things. Finally, we will look at the two years combined and come up with that list of names. If we start seeing the same name multiple times then it is a pretty good indication that a player is similar to Stroud.

Year One: Robert Griffin III, Baker Mayfield, Phillip Rivers, Joe Burrow
Year Two: Andrew Luck, Cam Newton, Jameis Winston, Sam Darnold
Average: Philip Rivers, Kyler Murray, Carson Palmer, Robert Griffin III

The idea is to remove emotional attachment. Out of the names mentioned, there is only one career I would sign up for. River is a likely Hall of Famer and a guy we would probably take during his prime. Additionally, we also see Griffin twice as well. Injuries obviously derailed his career, but I think the first two seasons seem pretty analogous so far.

So, if we want to break this down we will ask a simple question: how many of the names above would you pay top of the market QB prices to? Burrow seems to be an obvious yes since he did get top of the market money. Rivers seems to be a lock for the Hall of Fame, so he would be another. The rest of them are probably a hard no.

Obviously, the future is unwritten. We don’t know what Stroud will do next year and he if he can rekindle that magic he had in year one. If he pumps in another 100+ rating season then he seems to be a lock for that long-term, big money extension. What seems more likely is a mixture of year one and two. In that case it will be a very tough decision.

Source: https://www.battleredblog.com/2025/4/1/24397924/value-of-things-can-c-j-stroud-make-the-leap

 

[Houston Texans]

The Houston Texans and the Offensive Line: Part III

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

How will the Texans perfect their offensive line?

Welcome to the third and final part of the Offseason of the Offensive Line Series!

Link to part one​

Link to part two​

I left off on reviewing the offensive lineman general manager Nick Caserio has brought in (as of March 27), making my case that the offensive line has found starters in guard Laken Tomlinson and tackle Cam Robinson, but still remains a weak spot on the team. In this post, we’ll go through the handful of remaining free agent linemen that could end up Houston, and NFL Draft prospects that could (and should) end up in Battle Red come May.

Unfortunately, there aren’t too many free agents left available that could end up being starters for the Houston Texans in 2025. To me, it really comes to down to three players:

• G Brandon Scherff - Jacksonville Jaguars
• G Will Hernandez - Arizona Cardinals
• LT Joseph Noteboom - Los Angeles Rams

Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images

These three players aren’t going to save the offensive line, but they’re at least as good as Trent Brown. I am still very, very concerned about the state of Houston’s interior offensive line, so I believe that it will be a point of focus for Nick Caserio in a free agent signing and/or a draft pick. Laken Tomlinson has the inside track to making the starting left guard spot, but I doubt that there is any trust in Ed Ingram to do the same. Ingram had a few terrible seasons in Minnesota, so Houston must have their eyes set on another guard, at least for competition’s sake. Nick Caserio has to be looking, still…right? RIGHT?!

Every day that passes by is another chance for a different team to take one of these three players, putting Houston in the uncomfortable position of relying on the draft to find a starting right guard. Every day that passes by, this last-resort scenario seems more and more likely, so who could be waiting for Houston in the 2025 NFL Draft? Well, even though my notes are incomplete on the players listed below, I’d be happy to see Houston use a draft pick on any of them:

• G Donovan Jackson, Ohio State - Probably a first-round pick or early second-round pick, the Texans may need to trade up to get Jackson. He was a fantastic guard for Ohio State in 2023 and 2024, and has the potential to be a starter right away.
• C/G/T Grey Zabel, North Dakota State - Zabel has plenty of hype around his name, meaning he’ll likely be a first-round or early second-round selection. He has the size and agility to play virtually any position in the NFL, but I’d like to see him most at guard.
• G/T Marcus Mbow, Purdue - Mbow spent the last two seasons at tackle for Purdue, but his position beforehand was guard. I expect him to go back to guard in the NFL due to his size, but his athleticism and speed will guarantee he’s gone within the first 100 picks.
• G/T Xavier Truss, Georgia - If Houston isn’t able to snatch up any of the rookies previously listed, then Xavier Truss would be a solid pick in the third, fourth, or fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Truss has spent most of his collegiate time at right tackle, but his best season came in 2022 when he was the left guard. He is a gigantic person, so he would at least be a decent pass blocker. Sometimes, you just need some big ol’ guys!

James Pearce Jr. vs Donovan Jackson

Every single rep from the College Football Playoff pic.twitter.com/lpQOn8IJ2l

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 28, 2025​

These are extremely incomplete notes on a handful of collegiate interior lineman. But, in the event that Houston doesn’t sign another guard, they can break the protective glass and draft these players in an emergency.

Houston’s intentions have rarely ever felt so clear as they are this offseason. Often signing a wide swath of veterans to short, prove-it deals, Nick Caserio has opted instead to sign a high school team’s worth of offensive lineman to…short, prove-it deals. By the middle of the 2024 season, it was obvious that the line was a point of constant work and deliberation, eventually leading to the ouster of a successful offensive coordinator, Bobby Slowik. Week by week, the offensive line continued to kill them, and their attempts to patch it up mid-season were futile; So, to smithereens the whole thing will go!

In March 2025, Nick Caserio had one of the most eventful weeks of his Houston Texans tenure when he released Shaq Mason, traded Laremy Tunsil, and then traded Kenyon Green. Maybe Nick Caserio really had listened to fans and thought it’d be best to throw out the offensive line as part of a much needed Spring cleaning, but are we so confident that this was the right thing to do? Are we certain that the money saved by moving/releasing Shaq Mason and Laremy Tunsil is being used more effectively now?

Since 2023, Houston’s gambles have paid off time and time again, fostering a sense of optimism that permeates through the community. In three short years, Houston had gone from the deepest of holes in 2021 to the envy of the league in 2023, so you can’t blame any Texans fans for thinking we might just pull away from this offensive line dilemma on the better end of things. While a more cohesive line may seem like a certainty, there’s no guarantee four linemen on short-term deals will fix anything. To me, a rosy-outlook on these moves depicts a level of optimism that is a little too rich for me. Maybe I’m permanently stained by the Davis Mills era, but at some point, this optimism will have Houston flying directly into the sun. Some time ago, I heard the infamous quote, “If you start listening to the fans, it’s only a matter of time till you’re sitting in the seats with them,” and as exhausting as that quote may be to read, I wonder if Nick Caserio has just embodied it.

What do you think, though? I’m clearly suspicious of the whole rebuild, but that doesn’t mean you have to be! There’s plenty of reason to believe in Cam Robinson and Laken Tomlinson, and if they get enough work out of Ed Ingram and a rookie, this could actually be a successful rebuild. Are you more of an optimist than I? Or, are there a few draft prospects you’re desperate to see in Battle Red? Let us know down in the comments below!

GO TEXANS!!!!

Source: https://www.battleredblog.com/2025/4/2/24394916/the-houston-texans-and-the-offensive-line-part-iii

 

[Houston Texans]

New NFL rules, regs and technology

Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

2025 brings change to the game.

The NFL recently announced the approved rule, bylaw and regulation changes for the 2025 season as well as some interesting tech.

Back in the 1990s, a few of us posited that the NFL could have a sensor net attached to the inside of the footballs that allowed a system of cameras and sideline sensors to geolocate the ball with unerring certainty. At the time, Fox Sports had pioneered hockey puck tracking for the NHL viewers. Surely, if Fox and the NHL could track a puck that moves significantly faster than a football, the NFL with its seemingly unending revenue streams could do the same, if not better.

This would stop all the game-altering bad spots, missed and/or errantly gained first downs and touchdowns.

Well, here we are, decades later, and a geolocating tech has been employed and proven to work in futbol, rugby, tennis and several other sports. Then, this announcement came out:

NFL Communications

View this press release online

New York and Palm Beach, FL – April 1, 2025 – Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology will be used by the National Football League as the primary method for measuring the line to gain, beginning with the 2025 season.

Sony’s Hawk-Eye virtual measurement system allows the NFL to accurately and efficiently measure the distance between the spotted ball and the line to gain. The technology, tested extensively last season, will bring a new level of precision and speed to NFL officiating.

“The NFL and Sony are integrating world-class on-field officiating with state-of-the-art technology to advance football excellence,” said Troy Vincent, executive vice president of football operations at the NFL. “Combining the art of officiating with Sony’s trusted Hawk-Eye system is a healthy recipe for success in our commitment to raising the standards of accuracy, consistency and efficiency. Replay technology and data-driven insights from Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations aid us in advancing our efforts toward the future of football.”

Sony’s Hawk-Eye virtual measurement technology will serve as an efficient alternative to the process of walking chains onto the field and manually measuring whether 10 yards have been met after the official has spotted the ball. The chain crew will remain on the field in a secondary capacity.

Hawk-Eye, which will be deployed across all 30 NFL stadiums and the international venues hosting NFL games, consists of six 8K cameras for optical tracking of the position of the ball. The system is operated from the NFL’s Art McNally GameDay Central Officiating Center (AMGC) in New York and is integrated with the league’s existing replay system.

As on-field officials are notified of the measurement outcome, virtual recreations of measurements are produced in real time for the in-stadium and broadcast audience. The full operational process takes around 30 seconds, saving up to 40 seconds from a measurement with the chains.

Since it was announced yesterday, and the ability to track the football with technology has existed since the last century, this might be an elaborate April Fool’s Joke. Why would the NFL want to take the ability to screw up the game away from the officials?

However, the NFL discreetly made mention of this last summer, and the echo chamber of football news has reverberated this story to the edges of the Earth. So, it’s probably true. Maybe.

Next up we have the approved rule changes:

NFL Communications

1-A. By Competition Committee; amends Rule 6, to make permanent the new form of free kick play implemented in 2024 designed to 1) resemble a typical scrimmage play by aligning players on both teams closer together and restricting movement to reduce space and speed and 2) promote more returns, subject to the following changes: (a) modifies the alignment requirements for receiving team players in the setup zone; (b) changes the dead ball spot after a touchback to the 35-yard line if the ball lands in the end zone and is downed in the end zone by the receiving team or goes out of bounds behind the receiving team’s goal line.

2-A. By Competition Committee; aligns the postseason and regular season overtime rules by granting both teams an opportunity to possess the ball regardless of the outcome of the first possession, subject to a 10-minute overtime period in the regular season.

3. By Competition Committee; amends Rule 15, to expand Instant Replay’s ability to advise the on-field officials on specific, objective aspects of a play and/or to address game administration issues when clear and obvious video evidence is present.

So, the new free kick introduced last season is now permanent, overtime rules are now the same in regular and post season, and instant replay broadens the scope of information available to in-game officials.

Then we have the 2025 bylaw changes:

1. By Competition Committee; amends Article XVII, Section 17.16 of the Constitution and Bylaws, to permit clubs to designate two players for return at the roster reduction to 53 players.

2. By Competition Committee; amends Article XVII, Section 17.16 of the Constitution and Bylaws, to permit clubs participating in the postseason to receive two additional DFRs increasing the maximum from 8 to 10.

3. By Competition Committee; amends Article XVIII, Section 18.5 of the Constitution and Bylaws, to insert Point Differential as the third tiebreaker for awarding contracts.

And resolutions:

G-1A. By Pittsburgh; for one-year only, permits clubs to have one video or phone call with no more than five prospective Unrestricted Free Agent during the Two-Day Negotiation Period. Permits clubs to make travel arrangements with such players upon agreeing to terms.

G-2. By Baltimore, Cleveland, Houston, Las Vegas, Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Washington; to permit clubs to prepare kicking footballs (“K-Balls”) before game day, similar to the process permitted for game footballs.

G-3. By Washington; to permit clubs that may qualify for the postseason to obtain scouting credentials for two consecutive games (Weeks 17 and 18) played by a potential postseason opponent. Also requires clubs hosting Wild Card games to provide scouting credentials to all teams within the same conference who are participating in the postseason.

The Houston Texans seem to have submitted the kicking ball resolution, along with the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders. But, it doesn't appear that Nick Caserio and crew were involved in any other proposals.

Which team won the Try Hard award for most game changing requests? The Detroit Lions. For those who follow the motor city football club, the feeling they were screwed more than once by the officials lingers on from last season. Had the Kansas City Chiefs not lost the Super Bowl to the Eagles, that feeling might linger for a large portion of the overall NFL fanbase too.

Either way, now that this is over, it’s time to focus on the NFL draft. April 24 can’t get here fast enough.

Source: https://www.battleredblog.com/2025/4/2/24399390/new-nfl-rules-regs-and-technology

 

[Houston Texans]

Houston Texans News: Texans seek new location for headquarters

Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images

Your one-stop shop for Houston Texans, local sports, and news from around the league for Thursday, April 3, 2025.

Houston Texans News

Texans season ticket holders sue team claiming fraud, conspiracy, breach of contract (KRIV 26 Fox)

Exclusive: Texans seeking a new location for headquarters, owners say (Houston Chronicle)

‘We were darn close’: McNair, Ryans latest from NFL owners’ meetings (Chron.com)

DeMeco Ryans denies the Texans’ offensive line room had become toxic (Pro Football Talk)

Texans sign linebacker E.J. Speed (Pro Football Talk)

Insider Reveals Shocking Details on Texans’ Failed DK Metcalf Trade (Sports Illustrated)

NFL News

Sources: Patriots trade QB Milton to Cowboys (ESPN.com)

Hendrickson: Bengals’ comments ‘disappointing’ (ESPN.com)

Bears shift tone, expand options for stadium site (ESPN.com)

Vote on tush push ban tabled; 16 teams in favor (ESPN.com)

Campbell reunites with Cards for 18th NFL season (ESPN.com)

Sources: 10 groups enter bids for pro flag football (ESPN.com)

NFL incorporates AAFC stats, shifting leaderboards (ESPN.com)

Vella, Super Bowl champ with Raiders, dies at 74 (ESPN.com)

Houston & Collegiate Sports

Rockets wrap up playoff spot, Southwest Division title with trouncing of Jazz (Houston Chronicle)

Rockets clinch NBA playoff spot for first time since 2020: What’s behind Houston’s surge (The Athletic)

Astros Lackadaisacal Offense Continues. Lose to Giants 3-1 (The Crawfish Boxes)

Toronto Blue Jays Trade Journeyman Reliever Nick Robertson to Houston Astros (Sports Illustrated

Houston in Final Four: UH Cougars head to San Antonio with fan send-off (KRIV 26 Fox)

Houston Cougars mascot calls out Jimmy Fallon over March Madness snub (KHOU 11 CBS)

Source: https://www.battleredblog.com/battl...ews-texans-seek-new-location-for-headquarters

 

[Houston Texans]

Battle Red Blog Groupthink: Non-Offensive Line Draft Needs

Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Gathered the writers to see identify the Texans biggest needs that aren’t the offensive line.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or following the surging Rockets, the Houston Texans forced a complete restart on the offensive line. Even though they were going to bring back all five-seven starters from last year’s group, they cut ties with three and brought in a bevy of new, but old, veterans. To hell with continuity, I say.

Houston could draft three lineman in this class and its well documented their need to fill in this position. While this self-inflicted need absorbs much of the media’s attention, I wanted to see what the other BRB writers thought were their biggest needs.

It is draft season. We’ve entered April and it’s time to hone in on the Texans draft. Outside of offensive line, what other positions do they need to prioritize in the draft?​

Vballretired:​

I think a true speed WR is actually a more pressing need than OL. I like Christian Kirk but they need someone to take the Tank Dell role. I also think RB is a pressing need. They cannot keep feeding Mixon 20+ times a game and Dameon Pierce has shown he is not a reliable backup back. If I were to pick a third priority it would be a DT, but that could be more of a developmental player.

l4blitzer:​

Vball hits on the key point of defense-stretching WR, especially since Tank Dell is not assured of playing at all in 2025-26. Also, the team is in serious need of some sort of legit red zone threat for Stroud. Collins, when he played, somewhat filled that role, but the TEs for Houston offered little to nothing to Stroud and Mixon in the red zone. Be it a TE/FB hybrid, a strong diamond-in-the-rough receiver, or some sort of power-RB that can level anything inside of five yards, the team needs to shore up its red zone weaponry.

I might argue that a monster at DT would be ideal for this defense. Not that teams always ran super-effectively on Houston, but if Ryans and Burke are looking to build on last-season’s top 10 defense, then an immovable force at DT should be in play.

Patrick.H:​

I think while Christian Kirk is a good addition, especially in light of how much Stefan Diggs got out of NE, the Texans should still try to bolster their WR corps through the draft. OL should still be priorities one, two, three, and four but WR should be the next level up.

I wouldn’t mind seeing if they could pull a diamond in the rough from the TE group this season since I’m not yet sold on any of our tight ends this season. I don’t think we need to do much on the defensive side of the ball given how much depth we have there.

Kenneth.L:​

This could be an offense heavy draft. My concern stems from the difficulty of projecting the type of talent Houston will require in a Nick Caley-led offense. Is he going to want ‘his type’ of tight end? What is the run scheme going to look like? List goes on.

I have less concern than others about the wide receiver group. Between Kirk, Braxton Berrios, and Christian Watson, the team has cobbled together enough talent to supplement the guys currently on the roster. I agree that running back is an understated issue, but fortunately this is the draft to get a future starter in the third or fourth round. Same with tight end; Texans could go big with a second or third rounder to replace injured Brevin Jordan or wait and add a high upside guy like Mitchell Evans from Notre Dame.

Source: https://www.battleredblog.com/2025/...log-groupthink-non-offensive-line-draft-needs