Houston Texans: Preseason depth chart projection
By Randy Gurzi
Center: Nick Martin, Tony Bergstrom
The center position is perhaps the most underrated position in all of football. If your team has a good one, it simply goes unnoticed.
Now should a team struggle with bobbled snaps, the quarterback chasing down footballs that go past his head and missed adjustments on the offensive line, then people notice the center.
The Texans have been fortunate in recent years to have players like Chris Myers and then Ben Jones lining up in the middle of the line. Heading into 2016 that won’t be the case as Myers retired before last season and Jones moved on to Tennessee after starting 16 games at the position last year.
Thankfully for fans (and Brock Osweiler) the Texans understand the importance of the center position and they used a high pick to grab Notre Dame center Nick Martin in Round 2 of the NFL Draft.
Martin will compete with free agent acquisition Tony Bergstrom, who does have some starting experience. At first it may be a wash, but look for Martin to get into the starting lineup early as the team tries to capitalize on his potential.
As for Bergstrom, he also has experience in the NFL at guard, so he will serve not just as the backup center, but most likely as the main guy at both left and right guard positions should someone go down. His versatility allows them to address three backup spots with just one game day active roster spot.
Next: Defensive End