The Houston Texans need to try anything and everything to replace their old, broken down offensive line, as it took an amazing effort from CJ Stroud to get this team into the playoffs and prevail against the Chargers. The free agent market may not be extremely fertile.
If the Texans want to use the veteran trade market to improve this roster, Los Angeles Rams guard Jonah Jackson could be a reasonable trade target. Jackson has reportedly earned permission to seek a trade just one year after signing a three-year contract worth over $50 million.
Jackson's stock as a player is about as low as it could possibly be, as his halcyon days with the Detroit Lions seem to be so far away after playing in just a few games last season. The Texans are in need of anyone with a pulse on the interior, and Jackson's ceiling could make him a worthwhile buy-low trade target.
Texans should jump all over trade for Rams guard Jonah Jackson
Jackson proved that life outside of Ben Johnson's offense in Detroit isn't always very rosy. The Pro Bowl guard got hurt almost immediately in Los Angeles, and he mustered just four games as the starter before getting pushed off the side. Plain and simple, this is a reclamation project.
The Texans, who recently hired former Rams assistant coach Nick Caley as offensive coordinator, may be able to lean on his familiarity with Jackson as they try to get him back to his Detroit-era peak. Putting him next to a tackle like Laremy Tunsil should make for a very positive environment he can grow in.
Houston could go the younger route to find one of their starting guards, especially in a draft that could push Alabama's Tyler Booker and Missouri's Armand Membou into the first round. However, trading for Jackson could free them up to target a high-end wide receiver. Doubling up on the o-line is also a very real possibility.
Jackson's contract is expensive, but the Texans can afford to absorb such a deal while Stroud is on his rookie contract. It wasn't that long ago that Jackson was a high-end starter, and he could get back on the right track in an offense as dynamic as what Caley could build in Houston.