How Texans picked ‘five best guys’ for starting offensive line, why they’re encouraged about overhauled group

HOUSTON – Five men have one collective goal: protect quarterback C.J. Stroud and open pathways for a running game now led by Nick Chubb.

Since the Texans executed the reset of the offensive line that coach DeMeco Ryans first signaled was coming publicly during the NFL scouting combine, it has been a dramatic overhaul.

Trading five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders was the watershed move that led up to months of personnel changes.

A grueling training camp and preseason spent identifying the best configurations under the direction of offensive line coach and run game coordinator Cole Popovich.

A ton of scrutiny after a rough season last year capped by major pass protection breakdowns in a playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Now, the Texans have arrived at what they believe to be their best five guys as a group heading into the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams at Sofi Stadium.

Massive rookie Aireontae Ersery, a former Big Ten Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year drafted in the second round, is the new left tackle and the replacement for Tunsil. He played both left tackle and right tackle during the preseason, but saw the bulk of his work on the left side. First, he beat out Blake Fisher, who had issues with false starts and individual pass protection matchups, for the right tackle job. Then, he emerged as the top left tackle on the roster.

When Cam Robinson injured his leg during a practice at The Greenbrier, Ersery took over the position and showed why he can potentially make an impact as a rookie. Robinson is healthy now and still on the roster after some brief trade discussions with teams involving him at the 53-man roster cutdown, per sources. For now, Robinson is a $14.5 million tackle insurance policy.

Former Pro Bowl selection Laken Tomlinson, the elder statesman of the line at age 33 who hasn’t missed a start in seven years in a row, lines up next to Ersery at left guard.

Former New England Patriots fourth-round draft pick Jake Andrews, claimed off waivers in the spring, is the new starting center. He played for Popovich in college at Troy University.

Former Minnesota Vikings starter and second-round draft pick Ed Ingram is the new right guard after a line shuffle.

Tytus Howard, the leader of the offensive line and a former first-round draft pick who has played left tackle, left guard and began training camp as the starting right guard, is back at his natural right tackle position. Howard had an encouraging joint practice session against the Detroit Lions, stonewalling Aidan Hutchinson.

“The offensive line, we’ll put the best five guys out there however we deploy them,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “Tae’ is a good player. That’s why we drafted him. He’s worked on the right and left. We have a number of players on the offensive line that have position versus versatility. Tytus has played all four positions on the offensive line, other than center. What we’re trying to do on the offensive line is try to have enough players that have some position versatility because if you lose somebody at one spot, what’s the solution?

“Is it you move a guy or as you take the sixth, seventh or eighth player and he goes in. Then, you’re going to have to move somebody else over. So, we feel that that room, we have a lot of versatility and flexibility there. We’ll get the five best guys out there and see what it looks like.”

Popovich has imparted his vision for a group that has undergone dramatic changes after struggling mightily last season, especially when it counted the most against the Chiefs.

It was that kind of substandard performance that led up to changing the leadership of the position group. If the Texans don’t allow eight sacks and 14 quarterback hits to the Chiefs, perhaps they would have made franchise history as the first Texans team to win a divisional round playoff game and advance to the AFC championship game.

That game may have marked the breaking point for the coaching staff and personnel department. Since that game, the Texans fired offensive line coach Chris Strausser and replaced him with Popovich, who was promoted from assistant line coach.

Tunsil and his expensive contract were traded to the Commanders. Right guard Shaq Mason was released. Left guard and former first-round draft pick Kenyon Green was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. He was cut from their roster, signed to the practice squad and was added back to their 53-man roster on Sunday.

Robinson and Tomlinson were acquired as free agents, Andrews off waivers reuniting him with Popovich and they got Ersery after evaluating several linemen in the NFL draft, including Kelvin Banks, Joshua Simmons and Donovan Jackson.

It’s a new day in Houston for the offensive line, and a new singular voice leading them in Popovich, a former Patriots offensive line coach mentored by legendary New England assistant coach Dante Scarneccia.

“I think the biggest thing is really just want to have a tough offensive line that plays the game in a way that the whole team can kind of see,” Popovich told KPRC 2. “There’s a toughness established from our group there, right? We’re not shying away from any kind of contact. And then, really, the other thing would be just a smart group.

“I don’t want missed assignments. That’s the biggest things. We’re trying to play clean football, trying to eliminate bad football. Play very tough, be assignment-sound, and I think we’ll be okay if we do those things."

Popovich’s primary tasks for next season will be upgrading the pass protection issues that the team dealt with last season as Stroud was sacked 52 times, up from 38 sacks when he was NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year two seasons ago.

Progress is being made, though. The Texans protected Stroud well in the preseason games and did a nice job blocking for Chubb against the Carolina Panthers.

“I feel really good about our offensive line situation,” Ryans said. “We have guys who we feel really good can play tackle. We feel good about that. With Cam [Robinson], with Tytus, with ‘Tae’ feel really strong about our tackle position, inside guys as well. You want to be strong at that position.

“As deep as our roster can be, we’re going to need everybody. That’s always my line to our guys. Like you never know. You’re one play away. We need everybody to be dialed in and ready to go at any given moment. Something can happen on first play of the game, are we ready to go? Are we ready to adapt and adjust? So, feel really good about where we are with our depth.”

Popovich drew praise from Texans offensive linemen in his first season in Houston when the team improved to 12th in total offense after ranking 31st in 2022.

Popovich, 39, is a former Patriots assistant running backs coach and coaching assistant who has also coached at the college level.

During Popovich’s season assisting with the running backs in New England, Sony Michel rushed for 912 yards as the Patriots finished with a 12-4 record and won the AFC East. He helped coach the Patriots to a top-10 offense in four of his first five NFL seasons.

What Popovich believes in was largely built through a foundation of the teachings of Scarneccia.

“That’s the best coach I’ve been around and it was a very clear, simple teaching progression and just the same messages every single day,” Popovich said. “In terms of techniques, very, very simple. We do the same drills over and over again. We don’t try to reinvent the wheel. We just feel like if we can just get really good at these basic techniques, that everything will take care of itself. I wouldn’t be here without Dante, so kind of owe everything to him.”

Popovich coached at Minot State as an offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator and previously at Utah State, Fresno City College and Los Angeles Valley College.

He was a four-year starting offensive guard at Fresno State and a former freshman All-American.

“I really love coach Pop,’ said Tomlinson, a former Pro Bowl selection. ”He’s an offensive line coach through and through. Everything that he’s doing for the guys right now, I truly appreciate it because he has a vision for us and we’re moving full-steam ahead, working towards that.”

‘A special coach,’ Texans hire Nick Caley as new offensive coordinator

The Texans are breaking in all five new starters in terms of how they ended last season. Howard, a left guard last season next to Tunsil, is the only returning starter from last season’s AFC South division championship squad.

Ersery, who played for Brian Callahan with the Golden Gophers, is getting up to speed on the right side after primarily playing left tackle in college where he once shut down Penn State star pass rusher Abdul Carter, the New York Giants’ first-round draft pick.

Playing for Popovich is similar to Ersery’s college experience.

“Having Cole Popovich, his style of offensive line play, his mindset and being able to relate to that, he has a similar personality to my offensive line coach in college,” Ersery said. “Being able to go out there and be coached, be with the older guys, I have learned from them. Then being able to come out here and play with guys who have been playing at a high level, it’s nothing but a blessing.”

Ersery is 6-foot-6, 331 pounds and is athletic enough that he ran the 40-yard dash in 5.01 seconds at the NFL scouting combine.

"He’s a big, strong guy," Popovich said. “He’s a strong tackle that has good power, he can sink and anchor. We really liked a lot of the stuff that he showed and he played the game with some toughness. I think that stood out on the tape."

Popovich’s contract was expiring this offseason and now he’s back with the defending AFC South champions after they hired Nick Caley as offensive coordinator. Popovich and Caley were assistant coaches on Super Bowl winning staffs with the Patriots under coach Bill Belichick.

“I have a lot of respect, I think he’s a phenomenal coach,” Caley said of Popovich. “He’s really smart. He’s an extremely hard worker. He really cares about the guys. He is a mentally and physically tough dude. Look at him, he looks like he could squat a house.

“I got a lot of experience with him. I’ve been through a lot of games with him in the past, dating back to New England, and he’s always growing. He’s always searching to be the best that he can be. He’s got a growth mindset and I’m really thankful that we get to work together again.”

The Texans’ offensive line has had its issues during training camp competing against Pro Bowl bookend pass rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that progress wasn’t being made by the line. It’s hard to know what they’ll be like in the regular season against some front sevens that aren’t as talented as the Texans.

The first test is against the Rams and pass rushers Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, who gave the Texans a lot of issues last year during a joint training camp practice.

“We’re in a little bit of a new situation where there’s so many new faces in that room,” Popovich said. “And so just trying to get everybody reps so they can show what they can do/ It’s a very long season in the NFL. And what usually happens is you don’t have those same five guys, unfortunately. Like injuries are part of the game, and so all this goes into that. It’s just helpful to get guys working with different people, different sides of the line. You just build some versatility in the whole group."

The offensive line has been characterized as the biggest question mark on the defending AFC South champions’ roster. How all of the changes work out will have a large hand in determining whether this team can make a long playoff run. To say they’re hungry to prove themselves is a vast understatement.

“We’ve got a chip on our shoulders and people underestimate what we’re going to be this year, but, you know that’s their problem,” Howard said. “When that first game comes and we come off that ball and hit them in the mouth, like they’re gonna be, ‘These guys are for real.’

“Every day isn’t gonna be perfect. But I’m telling you when that game comes and they see what the offensive line is about, we’re going to be ready."

Howard has one word for the stamp Popovich is placing on the offensive line: “Nasty.”

“You gotta play with a lot of grit,” Howard said. “When offensive lines are physical that don’t take (expletive) from nobody and they just establish, the dominance up front, he exemplifies that every morning, every day on the field And you want that in the coach because you’re only gonna rub off on the offensive line and he holds us to a high standard."

Howard has emerged as a leader for the revamped offensive line.

Playing the the game with aggressiveness and strength, Howard looks right at right tackle.

“I think Tytus, his presence is felt at tackle,” Stroud said. “He’s doing a really good job being firm in protection, using his hands, using his length. I think he’s done a great job. He is also going to let you know about it too, which I think is cool. He’s a dawg.

“So, I’m really happy for that guy, really proud of him. He wants to have a great year. He told me he wants to be a Pro Bowler this year. He has a lot of expectations for himself. He’s answering that. When we practice against guys like him [Hutchinson] and Danielle [Hunter] and Will [Anderson Jr.] every day, I think he’s done a good job.”

Both Popovich and Caley are big believers in Scarneccia, who was known for his hard-nosed, fix-it, get-it-right approach to protecting star quarterback Tom Brady.

Inside the Patriots’ meeting rooms and practice fields, Caley and Popovich interacted for years while gaining knowledge from Belichick and Scarneccia.

At the time, Caley was the Patriots’ tight ends coach working with All-Pro Rob Gronkowski. And Popovich was a rising coach who helped replace Scarneccia when he retired after more than three decades in New England.

Now, the two longtime friends are collaborating on an important task for the Texans: fixing a reconfigured offensive line.

How Caley and Popovich implement a sounder plan to keep Stroud healthy and standing will go a long way toward upgrading an offense that dipped to 22nd in total offense and 19th in scoring last season for a Texans squad headlined by its aggressive defense led by Ryans.

“Cole as our offensive line coach to lead that room, just having one voice to lead it, I feel really strong about that,” Ryans said. “Cole helped a lot of our young players when it came to developing. He had a really great relationship with a lot of guys, and I think very highly of Cole and what he’s able to do.

“I think him having a prior relationship with Nick as well, and them being able to work together and them to hit the ground running instantly, I think that also lead to my decision, and I know we’ll be better for it.”

The Lions have a talented front headlined by Hutchinson, a former University of Michigan star and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year who has 28 1/2 career sacks and four interceptions in the NFL. At 6-foot-7, 270 pounds, Hutchinson has size, speed and skill working in his favor.

The Texans, though, did a nice job of protecting in arguably their most difficult test of the preseason besides trying in vain to block Hunter and Anderson every day in practice. There were also some good running lanes for Nick Chubb, Woody Marks, Dameon Pierce and Jawhar Jordan.

“With our offensive line, I saw guys still playing physical up front,” Ryans said after the Detroit practice. “We were able to break some runs. It starts up front. Those guys play physical, got a hat on a hat, finished. The tackles did a good job on the edge of really handling the twists and the games. Proud of our guys for that and the communication of picking up blitzes. Anytime you do a joint practice you’ll see different types of blitzes, different types of pressure and adjustments.

“I think when you’re able to handle that really well and allow your rules to work for you, you see how sound the protections are. You see how sound we are when we play with great technique. It works. So, we just have to continue to lean into what we’re doing, lean into what’s being coached and do it the right way every single time and we’ll be really good up front.”

Stroud can feel the difference as he stands tall in the pocket, and in a developing running game despite Pro Bowl runner Joe Mixon remaining on the non-football injury list.

“Definitely, it’s a pop every time the ball snapped,” Stroud said. “It starts with Jake. Jake has done a good job of IDing things. Him and Laken are like the first ones to kick it off. Ed is right there, Tytus is right there, ‘Tae,’, it’s a group that’s a lot of dawgs. So, I’m really happy that we’re able to run the ball like we have because that opens up everything else.”

The Texans traded Tunsil to the Commanders in a move largely based on financial reasons, but he was also prone to more false starts than anyone else in the league.

Ersery is a difference-maker with his size and sound technique.

“I would say he’s really polished in a lot of areas,” Stroud said. “He came in polished and naturally got a good ability to pass protect. I think in the run game, he’s got his feet under him and using his power to his advantage, his strength.

“So, you see him moving guys back. You see him using double teams to his advantage, using his leverage. I think he’s done great in pass protection, but he’s taking a step in the run game.”

Howard, 29, is one of the most experienced linemen on the Texans’ roster. He is embracing this leadership role.

“I’m all in on that,” Howard said. “I’m doing the best I can do to transform my body, transform my daily habits, all that to show the younger guys the right way to do it.

“I’m looking forward to that challenge of being that leader in the group. And I want to be a guy that the guys look up to and they’re like, ‘Hey man, Tytus is doing it the right way and I want to do it that way.’ So, I’m gonna look forward to it."

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com