New offensive coordinator Nick Caley needs to shake up the offensive line. According to Spotrac, the Texans spend the second-most on their offensive linemen in the league. They account for 28.9% of the teams total cap while being the teams single biggest liability. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil while being statistically an upper-echelon lineman has not moved the needle on the offense as intended. Its disgruntling when the highest paid player on the team also leads the team in penalties. While the interior of the offensive line let the entire team down, Tunsil consistently is allowing hurries and pressures which force Stroud up into the pocket where hes duly crushed. Simply put, Houston needs to move on from Tunsil and shift either Tytus Howard or second-year tackle Blake Fisher to the position. Unfortunately, the Texans cant just pull the plug on Tunsil; cutting Tunsil would incur a whopping $17.5M cap hit at least. Instead, trading him is the better option; Houston receives commensurate trade compensation while saves cash - $13M to be exact. Only a few teams fit the bill as a potential trade partner: Willing and able to take on Tunsils behemoth contractHave a glaring need at left tackleHave the requisite draft capital to include in a tradeLets take a look at the five best fits for the Texans:Washington CommandersAvailable Salary Cap: $79M 2024 LT: Brandon Coleman, PFF ranked:63/81 Draft picks: seven - 29, 61, 79, 147, 204, 237, 249LT team need: highWhy they fit: A star-struck team with plenty of cash, a young QB, a budding roster, and plenty of enthusiasm. sound familiar? The Commanders season was historic, unpredictable, and unprecedented. They are losing a significant number of free agents, but could stand to improve upon rookie Brandon Coleman. They have the draft picks, winning-window, and salary to absorb Tunsils contract and enter a win now mode. Cleveland BrownsAvailable Salary Cap: -$27M 2024 LT: Dawned Jones, PFF ranked: 77/81Draft picks: twelve - 2, 33, 67, 94, 102, 164, 178, 191, 199, 215, 216 https://www.texansfanapparel.com/collections/christian-kirk-jersey, 256LT team need: extremely highWhy they fit: Draft picks galore but strapped for cash, the Cleveland Browns should have one of the more intriguing offseason. They have a serious need at LT and can find one in the draft, but current coach Kevin Stefanski is at the end of his rope with the offense. While Cleveland may have swore off trading with the Texans like most of us did with sweets on New Years, this trade can help elevate a Browns offensive line in dire need of improvement. New England Patriots Available Salary Cap: $123M 2024 LT: Veteran Lowe, PFF ranked: 69/81 Draft picks: nine - 4, 38, 69, 77, 104, 144, 218, 221, 239LT team need: medium-highWhy they fit: Salary cap and a QB to protect. The Patriots offensive line was a disaster in 2024. The Pats Pulpit has a great article on how pressure negatively impacted rookie QB Drake Maye. This team picks very high in the 2025 draft and will want to keep their options open based on how the three picks in front of them fall. This is a team that may have solved their QB issue and now have to develop a roster around him. Minnesota VikingsAvailable Salary Cap: $61.1M 2024 LT: Christian Darrisaw , PFF ranked: 11/81Draft picks: four; 24, 97, 139, 160LT team need: medium highWhy they fit: When Christian Darrisaw went out late October with a season-ending knee injury, their offensive line play quickly began to sputter. While Darrisaw should be back in time for the 2025 season, their need at left tackle persists. They have the salary cap to absorb Tunsils contract, but the limited draft picks may force Houston to receive players or future draft capital as compensation. The Texans also wont face the Vikings for quite some time and wont have to worry about seeing Tunsil in their near future. Baltimore RavensAvailable Salary Cap: $8.9M 2024 LT: Ronnie Staley , PFF ranked:37/81 Draft picks: eleven; 27, 59, 91, 127, 135, 175, 182, 202 C.J. Gardner-Johnson Jersey, 208, 212, 244LT team need: highWhy they fit: A deal with an AFC rival hurts and is sickening, but the Ravens may be one of the more intrinsically interested organizations this offseason. They are losing long-time starting Ronnie Staley to free agency. The Ravens dont have too many holes across their team and are in as much if not more of a win-now mindset as the Texans. The Ravens have a bounty of draft picks and with an already solid roster should be willing to part ways with several of the EIGHT Day Three picks they possess this draft.
