Houston Texans: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly – Offensive Line
By Bob Dove
Other than the quarterback position itself, the offensive line will have the biggest impact on how the quarterbacks and the entire offense perform in 2016. How good or bad can the 2016 O-line be? Here are the Good, Bad, and Ugly scenarios.
My prediction of a 10-6 2016 regular season is dependent upon the offensive line being stouter in the middle and otherwise performing as well as they did in the 2nd half of 2015. Considering the position group lost two starters to free agency and its leader, Duane Brown, is rehabbing from serious offseason surgery there are plenty of reasons for projections to vary.
The solid Brandon Brooks is being replaced at right guard by former Chiefs guard, Jeff Allen, a veteran with comparable talent but a little more attitude. Veteran Ben Jones is replaced at center by the 2nd best center in the draft, Notre Dame’s Nick Martin. Former Raider free agent, Tony Bergstrom, is competing at the center position. Left tackle Duane Brown continues to rehab from a significant quad injury and will not return until late in the preseason at the earliest.
If Brown recovers completely the 2016 offensive line is at least as talented as the 2015 version, but an NFL offensive line requires more than talent. How well and how quickly the 2016 O-line comes together as a cohesive unit will decide if they meet expectations or if they perform as The Good, The Bad or The Ugly.
Next: The Good