So they had one of the worst lines in the league and so far have traded out Howard for Smith which is likely a wash. Looks like we are going to hope that Caseri pulls out a couple of gems like green and Fischer in the draft.
Definitely a smart move. Just not a move that improves the line which is the more important aspect of the strategy. If they gave out titles for how to cost cut and trim and save and manipulate the cap then the Texans would be in the super bowl every year
The way I'm looking at this is we moved higher-priced Howard who was a better RT and only played LG (in a mediocre fashion) because we didn't have better options for a natural OG who made himself a pretty damn good RT, and may fully realize his potential as a pro moving back inside. I know it's a rosy picture, but hell it's the offseason where dreams are still possible. EDIT: Was just coming back to add the 5th rd pick when I saw @BMoney beat me too it!
Swapping out Howard for Braden Smith for essentially half the cost and 5th is a good move by Caserio. They both can play tackle, or guard adequately. That flexibility will be important since Trent Brown is not exactly durable. I think they should also look into BPA across the offensive line in the draft.
Not just a straight trade out. Smith is an excellent run blocker in gap. Howard wasn't even an average run blocker most of the time, but he was a little better at pass blocking. With Smith, we already have improved our running game compared to last year (at least on paper we have).
