Former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was once a hotshot head coaching candidate this time last offseason. He took the Texans offense, led by rookie quarterback CJ Stroud to a 10-7 record and an AFC South title, and even a playoff win over the Cleveland Browns at home.
But a year later, Slowik was fired despite another 10-7 season and an AFC South title. Life comes at you fast in the NFL. Part of the reason why Slowik was fired, though not entirely his fault was the issues with the offensive line. The number of sacks allowed went up from 38 in 2023 to 52 in 2024. If you saw the Texans play last season, you may have seen Stroud frequently being chased and sacked. As a result, their offense sputtered.
To fix their offensive line this offseason, the Texans have taken a peculiar approach. They traded former first-round pick Kenyon Green to Philadelphia in exchange for cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Just a few days later, they traded their left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders for multiple picks. They also released veteran guard Shaq Mason before the start of the new NFL year.
To replace those players, the Texans have added veteran guard Laken Tomlinson, acquired Ed Ingram from Minnesota via trade, and on Wednesday, they signed left tackle Cam Robinson, who played for Jacksonville and Minnesota last season. Both Tomlinson and Robinson signed a one-year deal.
Texans must focus on protecting CJ Stroud better in 2025
On paper, the moves made by the Texans on their offensive line so far do not sound like they are any better than last season. Their big moves all involve the defensive side. Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., just signed a three-year, $90 million extension, while also extending edge rusher Danielle Hunter, who was productive in his first year with the Texans last year.
Maybe their focus is on rebuilding it through the draft. The Texans website compiled a list of 56 mock draft sites and Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and his teammate, offensive lineman Josh Simmions were mocked to Houston by many experts.
Other popular names include Alabama offensive guard Tyler Booker, Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., North Dakota State offensive lineman Gray Zabel, and offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr.
For Texans to take the next big step by beating Kansas City, Buffalo, and Baltimore in the competitive AFC, they must focus on protecting CJ Stroud at all costs. They are replacing Slowik with Nick Caley, who spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. The Texans' defense will likely be stout once again thanks to head coach DeMeco Ryans. But the offense needs to step up in 2025, and it all starts up front.