In yesterday's joint practice between the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers, Texans right tackle Braden Smith went down with what appeared to be a foot injury. It was then reported that Smith had to be carted off of the field for the ailment.
It was another major blow to Houston's roster depth, this time in the form of a newly-signed player (two years, $25 million max value) who was competing with the returning Trent Brown for starting reps at the position. Fortunately for Houston, it seemed as though Brown was making strides as the de facto starting option after a strong push in both training camp and the first two preseason games.
What's unfortunate for the team is that Smith --like many before him-- represent an ever-expanding injury trend that is leaving the roster without valuable depth options that might come in handy sooner rather than later.
Braden Smith's value to the Houston Texas now amplified after ankle injury in practice
KPRC 2 Texans Insider Aaron Wilson followed up on the initial injury announcement regarding Smith by specifying that the injury was a "plantar fascia" issue, which should only "keep him out for next couple weeks."
In the meantime, the Texans will lean on the aforementioned Brown to be the starter, with 2024 second-round swing-tackle Blake Fisher bringing up the rear as the surprise third-option at the position. On the Smith front, it's a reminder about the value of having multiple quality options who could step in at a moment's notice, which is exactly why he was brought to Houston in the first place.
After helping man the offensive line for the Indianapolis Colts for 105 starts across eight seasons, Smith made the jump to the Texans this past offseason to revitalize a unit that ranked as one of the five-worst in the NFL in various statistical categories. The thought was that Smith would bring veteran leadership, savvy, execution and stability to an unstable offensive line group that featured everything from rotating left guards to multiple position swaps across the unit mid-season.
Now, Smith's recent preseason game tape hasn't painted the prettiest for pictures for the former second-rounder out of Auburn, as he's been seen as a liability to a certain degree against both the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders. He was even played as a second-string option in the Raiders matchup, which caught the eye of many online sleuths throughout the fan base.
However, whether in starting or in being a depth piece, Smith still offers a much higher ceiling as an alternative than much of who hit the field last season in a down year for the offense. For the time being, Smith and the team's main priority is for the former Colt to be as healthy as he can for the long-term, in hopes that the team has all the necessary ammunition to make the deepest of playoff runs.
Here's hoping for an even speedier recovery for Smith.
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