March 28, 2026, 11:30 p.m. CT<\/p>\n
Where do the Houston Texans<\/a> stand in the offseason gradings following the trade for running back David Montgomery<\/a>, three signings to the offensive line and the arrival of defensive back Reed Blankenship<\/a>?<\/p>\n ESPN recently released its power rankings for all 32 teams’ offseason moves after the initial wave in free agency. While the Texans didn’t rank inside the top 10, they also avoided the bottom 10, showing up still among the top half of squads at No. 13 overall.<\/p>\n Ben Solak did mention that while it wasn’t the biggest need, adding in Blankenship to an elite defense as the missing link of the secondary was perhaps the best move of the offseason for a 12-win roster.<\/p>\n “The Texans’ secondary was one Infinity Stone away from reaching maximal power, and that empty spot was the strong safety position. Blankenship isn’t a perennial Pro Bowl talent, but he just needs to be a well-rounded, assignment-sound leader playing next to star young’uns like\u00a0Calen Bullock,\u00a0Derek Stingley Jr. and\u00a0Kamari Lassiter. Blankenship signing for only $8.25 million per year, mere days after Kam Curl got $12 million per year and\u00a0Jalen Thompson\u00a0got $11 million per year, is a huge feather in GM Nick Caserio’s cap.”<\/p>\n In Houston, Blankenship will be a role player in a secondary that already features four Pro Bowl talents. He won’t need to be the ace in the hole, but rather just a consistent force that will take over for a constant rotation of options opposite Bullock.<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n As for the moves he didn’t like, Solak didn’t single out one offensive lineman, but rather the unit as a whole. Yes, the Texans brought in Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith from the outside and re-signed Ed Ingram and Trent Brown, but perhaps that money could have gone elsewhere on a more proven player with a stronger upside for the long haul.<\/p>\n “The individual moves along the offensive line (even if I liked the\u00a0number\u00a0of moves made). It’s good that the Texans continued hammering their line with options. They retained\u00a0Trent Brown\u00a0and signed Smith at tackle. They retained Ingram and signed Teller at guard. But I still struggle to figure out how it all comes together. They’ve typically prioritized supersized tackles … so is Smith — an undersized tackle — really moving to guard? How does he fit with Teller and Ingram, then?<\/p>\n Plus, this line is built for run blocking. Are Montgomery and\u00a0Woody Marks<\/a>\u00a0capable of being the engine of a dominant rushing attack? The Texans are acknowledging and addressing the problem, but I still need to see it to believe it in Houston.”<\/p>\n