The Houston Texans have made no shortage of roster moves and shifts during the beginning stages of the NFL offseason.
The biggest adjustments of the bunch, however, may stem from the offensive line. Combining their decisions to ship off long-time star Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders, sending former first-round pick Kenyon Green to the Philadelphia Eagles, and releasing veteran Shaq Mason, Houston is primed to look considerably different next year in the trenches.
Yet, could those changes result in the Texans' aspired improvements? In the eyes of Pro Football Focus analyst Mason Cameron, the Houston offensive line may actually be in worse shape compared to where they started.
"It was no surprise that the Texans aimed to bolster their offensive line, but the approach they took caught everyone off guard," Cameron wrote. "Rather than adding proven veterans to reinforce the interior, Houston instead dealt away its most reliable lineman, Laremy Tunsil. While the trade netted a package of picks, it’s fair to argue that the unit as a whole is now in worse shape. With C.J. Stroud still on a rookie deal, the window to capitalize on cap flexibility is shrinking by the day. The moves away from Kenyon Green and Shaq Mason were expected, but adding Laken Tomlinson as the lone reinforcement up front raises serious concerns about the team's ability to protect Stroud in 2025."
The major changes landed the Texans among PFF's biggest losers to start the NFL offseason, paired next to the likes of the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers, but it hasn't been all rough sledding for Houston. Cameron goes on to credit Houston's work at receiver and defensive back as positive components of their offseason.
"That said, the Texans did make some positive moves, trading for C.J. Gardner-Johnson to strengthen an already formidable coverage unit and acquiring Christian Kirk to provide much-needed depth at receiver while Tank Dell recovers from his knee injury."
Gardner-Johnson and Kirk are both strong acquisitions for their respective position groups, but the biggest issues Houston faced all season is still up in the air at offensive line.
Perhaps the additions of veteran Laken Tomlinson and most recently Ed Ingram from the Minnesota Vikings can help make steps in the right direction. Still, with largely unproven options manning the room, the Texans may be stuck in a wait-and-see approach on how stable their offensive line looks for 2025.
