Offensive Line 2014?
 

In one offseason our OL which has been a static place on the roster for a few years has suddenly become a fluid place. I will not review the changes that lead to this condition, but I will like to discuss the OL moving forward.

IMO Brown is underrated stud of the group. He should be a priority moving forward. For a Gary Kubiak offense to play they have to have a LT like Brown.

The current Right Guard is a man that has been replaced in this draft. The drafting of Brooks means Caldwell is a one year, if he is lucky, starter for us. So he is gone. With his quickness, he could be on the left side, but his size makes him more of a fit on the right side.

The center position could still be Meyers position, but in 2014 Jones, who should be a game day 3 position backup this season and next, will be pushing the much older Meyers for the starting job.

Right Tackle should be Newton by 2014, or if he does not pan out an undrafted as of this moment player. This is a player to watch this preseason. Will he look like he can be the swing tackle this year? If he can then he could be the replacement for Butler, who if he has a good year this year also deserves a raise, and that will not be coming from the Texans.

The only position that I do not have a player picked out for is the current position held down by Wade Smith. I do not foresee Shelly Smith finding a roster spot after camp due the influx of drafted rookies on the OL, so the do not have a player to name. So this is a target for free agency or future draft in the next few off season.

I think the true value of Duane Brown is how little his name gets called. You don't hear it called for holding. You don't hear it called because some speed rusher undressed him. His name rarely gets mentioned which is fine by me. How anonymous are the guys who protect Tom Brady?

True, but they were featured in a Visa commercial a few years ago touting his "five layers of protection".

The Texans know they will need to break the bank on Duane Brown next offseason. I think their actions this offseason reflect it.

Which leads to the question, why are they waiting? They should get him signed to an extension ASAP.

I get that they can franchise him, but that usually causes players animosity, and I don't think that is the way to go with Brown.

He can also blow out a knee between now and then. We've had a few cases where we backed up the Brinks truck before it was necessary and wound up giving guaranteed money to damaged goods. After the season, talk extension but now is too early for me unless you're getting a hometown discount and a contingency clause in case of major injury.

The injury risk is always there. They will extend him during the season. It has to be doner, LT's like him are hard to find, especially at #26 where he was drafted.

Brown is from back east and engaged to a woman who's a host on Sirius XM's Shade 45 which is in NYC, therefor I'm thinking we might need to pay him a hometown premium to keep on the Texans roster and in this area ?

Bumping this thread in light of the Duane Brown extension.

Brown is signed through 2018, Chris Myers through 2015, and Wade Smith through 2013. Derek Newton is signed through 2014. Brooks is a rookie, so he's signed through 2015. Butler and Caldwell are having a tough time keeping Newton and Brooks off their jobs.

Considering the Texans lost Brisiel and Winston (rather purposely) this offseason, there's some potential stability coming up, particularly at what ought to be the two most important OL positions, LT and C. I really like how this sets up the offense for some sustained success.

Well, the Texans got a good deal on Brown as much as I'm not thrilled with the timing. Brown and Meyers probably are the most indispensable of the offensive line so it is good to have them signed beyond this year.

I'd love to have a long-term solution at LG that can be teamed with Brown for the next 4-5 year.

Since we are talking about the OLine - FWIW Newton reportedly starting @ LT tomorrow night instead of Butler.

I'm curious as to why you're not thrilled with the timing. Did you want one of the best, young LTs in the game to hit free agency and the Texans have to potentially get in a bidding war?

I know you had made a comment about the potential injuries before, but if that's the reason, a long term contract should never be acceptable to you.

What a great thread, wonder who started this one? :D

Right now I am seeing and hearing good things about Shelly Smith, yet that toad of a player Casey Studdard is still listed ahead of him. If Studdard makes this team again I am going to scream. Only Gary Kubiak thinks that kid should be in the NFL.

I think we should start the Kasey Studdard for UT OL coach campaign right now, get him out of town ASAP.

Talk about bringing back an old thread.

Hey, Slayton had a good year running the year Studdard was starting.

Anyways, a good topic for now.

Do seem to here good things about Shelly Smith occasionally this year.

PK, Studdard's dad played with Kubiak. Incidentally, Studdard's dad (an OT in his day) is now one of the ones suing the NFL about concussions and later-life complications.

Joshua, yes, I don't like signing guys when there are still years left on their current deal and the Texans have been burned by doing that before. But at least Smith seems to have got a discount so I'm not too upset by it.

Multi-year deals are a cost of doing business. If you could stay competitive and keep everyone on one-year deals, that would be ideal but it's just not possible in this age.

And Kubiak and his wife used to babysit young Casey, so I get that tie, but the kid, who has a huge heart, has very little athleticism. Make him a coach and move on from him.

There is only one year left on the deal, not years. So at this point it is extend him or try to sign him as a FA.

man, this really makes no sense unless you are going back to the nfl before free agency. Joe Thomas got 44 million guaranteed last year. If brown were to play throught the season and become a free agent the texans would most certainly have to offer pretty close to that number to keep him. Which would absolutely cause them to either not re-sign brown, or not re-sign other player (barwin, schaub)or free agents. For a player like brown it would be reckless to let the market dictate his price if you can get him nailed down early, especially with this kind of deal.

I'm also definitely puzzled by these numbers for Brown when we see that a peer like Thomas gets twice the guaranteed money last year that our guy does ?

I saw this morning that Newton has been named the starter at RT.

If this works, we should be set up on the O-Line for a good couple of years.
Brooks "might" be able to replace Caldwell should he command big bucks, and if he's resigns, Brooks "might" be able to replace W. Smith when his contract is up (I think he's getting a little long in the tooth....right?).

Pending injuries of course.