The Houston Texans made an undoubtedly bold shake-up among many changes to their offensive line this offseason with their trade to send long-time left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders in exchange for a pair of day two picks and two day three picks in perhaps what was their biggest move across the past few months.
However, while a bold deal, it was a move that was met with a bit of pushback from Houston's logistics for trading away a star left tackle, especially following the Texans' offensive line troubles throughout last season.
For a team trying to improve their offensive line after a year of turmoil, the general expectation would be for said team to keep the Pro Bowl tackle on the roster– yet the Texans opted to go against the grain to deal Tunsil out; bringing in a bundle of cost-effective veterans on short-term deals in hopes of plugging those issues from last year.
It's certainly an interesting approach from Nick Caserio and Co., and one that this front office is confident in for next season, as well. But, when looking back on Houston's decision, has it been viewed with a bit more optimism with a few additional weeks to digest the deal?
Not quite.
When re-evaluating the Texans' decision to trade Tunsil from a few months back, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox gave Houston an uninspiring C- for their call to ship out their Pro Bowl tackle.
"While the five-time Pro Bowler isn't quite an elite tackle and will turn 31 in August, he's an above-average starter who should have several good years ahead of him," Knox wrote. "Adding him and investing in Daniels' protection was a sensible move by Washington. Houston's decision to do the deal was a little more curious, though. Inconsistent offensive line play was one of the Texans' biggest issues in 2024, and Tunsil was arguably their most reliable player."
"The value for Houston doesn't look much better in retrospect, though its plan has become clearer. Moving Tunsil was a part of a complete overhaul of the offensive line," Knox continued. "The Texans also moved 2022 first-round pick Kenyon Green while adding Cam Robinson, Laken Tomlinson, Ed Ingram, Trent Brown and rookie tackle Aireontae Ersery. Houston is looking for an identity shift along the line."
It's a big gamble to be made from the Texans front office to send a talent like Tunsil out when factoring in their glaring questions on the roster, but as the now-Commanders tackle enters his age-31 season as the third-highest paid at his position in the NFL, Houston decided those funds were better served elsewhere.
The changes made by the Houston brass could very well be enough to patch those lapses from a season ago. However, if the Texans can't make their aspired face-lift up-front without Tunsil this year, it could be ugly for this Houston offense, and more importantly, for C.J. Stroud.
