We'll see if the goal with the move, here, is indeed reached.
This NFL offseason has already seen so much change, both expected and unexpected. One of the more surprising moves came when the Houston Texans opted to trade offensive tackle and team captain Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders.
The Tunsil trade was part of Houston attempting to revamp their offensive line, but how exactly does it help to lose a 5-time Pro Bowler?
At first glance, it might not have made a whole lot of sense. Tunsil is one of the top tackles in all of football and was a cornerstone piece to this Texans offensive line -- a line that has needed some help and depth even before the trade.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer pulled us behind the curtain in his recent column, though, and wrote why the deal was ultimately done.
The Laremy Tunsil trade was part of a needed culture reset for Houston
"DeMeco Ryans feels like the culture he wants across the board is in place on defense but not on offense and that a toxic atmosphere in the offensive line room was a root cause," he wrote.
A toxic atmosphere in the offensive line room? That's interesting, and might not be something Texans fans would have otherwise known.
"And while Tunsil wasn’t a bad guy (he was actually well-liked), he wasn’t the type of leader to turn the ship—and needed to be as one of its captains," Breer noted.
So, Tunsil wasn't exactly the culprit, here. He wasn't the cause of Houston's toxicity within the room. However, head coach DeMeco Ryans wanted Tunsil to be a guy he simply couldn't be; someone who would step up and be a leader, squashing the negative culture and helping the group move forward.
It's no wonder Tunsil is just one of multiple moving parts on the offensive line, this offseason. Nick Caserio is showing some serious guts by taking the gamble on trading Tunsil, but he's also been attempting to bring in new faces and establish a new culture within the group.
For a young quarterback like CJ Stroud, this is a notable offseason and series of moves. Going into Year 3, Stroud should be right about to hit his prime based on how he began his career. But, continuity and culture across the offensive line has to be atop the priority list. If the five men in front of him are all on the same page, then Stroud's development and ascension will continue.
