Kenyon Green

OL Notes: Becton, Texans, Smith, Jags, Rams

The Eagles‘ Mekhi Becton signing proved to be a highly effective one. The former Jets tackle was able to have success upon moving inside, and he helped his market after playing on a $2.75MM ‘prove it’ contract in 2024.

Becton’s preference would be to remain in Philadelphia, but he is of course an attractive option to teams eyeing upgrades up front. PFR’s No. 22 free agent in 2025 could look to capitalize on the strength of the guard market, which saw the likes of Robert HuntJonah JacksonKevin DotsonDamien Lewis and Jon Runyan Jr sign deals averaging eight figures per year in free agency. Becton will likely not be able to match many of their earnings, but an Eagles departure could still be looming.

ESPN’s Tim McManus reports there has not been tangible progress between team and player to work out a re-signing in this case. Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland is among those who would like to see Becton, entering his age-26 season, brought back. As the Eagles move forward with a line already featuring four lucrative deals, though, keeping him in place may not be possible.

Here are some offensive line notes from around the league:

  • The Eagles, of course, have a deal in place to add a guard in the form of Kenyon Green. The former Texans first-rounder is one of three O-linemen the team is moving on from as part of its offseason plans. Veteran Shaq Mason was recently released, while left tackle Laremy Tunsil is on his way to the Commanders. The offensive line group increasingly became a problem in Houston last season, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes. Tunsil is respected in the organization, Breer adds, but making sweeping changes up front this offseason allowed the Texans to avoid a third lucrative commitment to the 30-year-old. Houston will look for a noticeably different combination and a new culture along the O-line in 2025.
  • Colts general manager Chris Ballard said at the Combine right tackle Braden Smith intended to continue playing in 2025. That will indeed be the case, with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reporting an agreement has been reached on a restructured contract. The pact will pay out a $2MM roster bonus next week in addition to a $3.96MM base salary, per Over the Cap. Smith, 29 later this month, has served as a full-time starter since his arrival in 2018 but he missed the last five games of the 2024 campaign due to an undisclosed personal matter. He will still be a free agent next spring as things stand, but Smith’s return (at a cap charge of $10.4MM) will be welcomed on a Colts O-line which is set to lose Ryan Kelly and Will Fries after they both agreed to Vikings deals this week.
  • The Ravens managed to take care of one of their most important offseason priorities with the re-signing of left tackle Ronnie Stanley. That three-year, $60MM deal features $44MM in guarantees. The latter figure includes a $20.25MM signing bonus, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 details. Stanley has dealt with several injuries in his career, but this latest pact guarantees $22MM in pay for 2025 and ’26, according to Over the Cap. The two-time Pro Bowler is also scheduled to collect a $4.04MM option bonus next March.
  • Prior to the Stanley deal, Alaric Jackson agreed to a three-year pact to remain with the Rams. The deal can reach a maximum value of $60.75MM and includes $35.43MM in guarantees, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap writes. $30MM is fully guaranteed at signing, with most of Jackson’s compensation over the next two years locked in. $1.45MM in per-game roster bonuses are present in every year of the deal, and a $5.43MM injury guarantee will shift to a full one if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2026 league year.
  • Patrick Mekari parlayed his Ravens tenure into a three-year Jaguars contract at the outset of the negotiating period. That pact features $22.5MM in guarantees, including a $10MM signing bonus, per Wilson. The former UDFA has $10.5MM in 2026 salary locked in for injury, and remaining on the roster early in the 2026 league year will lead to further guarantees. Per-game roster bonuses totaling nearly $30K along with a $500K Pro Bowl incentive are present in every year of the deal.

Eagles To Trade C.J. Gardner-Johnson To Texans For Kenyon Green

The Texans’ efforts to renovate their offensive line continue. The team has a trade agreement in place to send guard Kenyon Green to the Eagles, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report. Houston is receiving defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson in return. In total, the swap consists of Green and a 2026 fifth-round pick in exchange for Gardner-Johnson and a sixth-rounder next year.

Houston swung a trade with the Commanders yesterday which will see left tackle Laremy Tunsil head to Washington. That move – coupled with the previous release of guard Shaq Mason – leaves the team with several question marks up front. Improving their pass protection was seen as a major priority for the Texans, and general manager Nick Caserio is making a slew of changes to the unit in the hopes of taking a step forward in 2025.

Gardner-Johnson, meanwhile, is entering his seventh year in the league and the Texans will mark his fourth team. The former Saints draftee was traded to the Eagles in 2022, and he played a key role in Philadelphia’s run to the Super Bowl with a league-leading six interceptions. Instead of parlaying his production into a lucrative second contract, tough, Gardner-Johnson took only a one-year deal with the Lions.

A one-and-done stint in Detroit was followed by a return to the Eagles, this time on a three-year, $27MM pact. Gardner-Johnson is owed $8.5MM in 2025 and another $10.5MM the following year, although his scheduled cap hit for the coming campaign ($4.91MM) was certainly manageable for the defending champions. This move will generate a dead money charge of $4.7MM for Philadelphia while resulting in just $211K in savings. The Texans will pay $1.5MM of Green’s $2.88MM 2025 base salary, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. That helped make a trade more palatable for the Eagles.

Gardner-Johnson again served as a full-time starter during his second Eagles stint, racking up six interceptions and 12 pass deflections. His eight touchdowns allowed in coverage could be a cause for concern for the Texans, but the 27-year-old will be counted on to serve as a playmaker in a Texans secondary which proved to be effective last year with the cornerback tandem of Derek Stingley Jrand Kamari Lassiter. Houston ranked sixth against the pass in 2024, and continued success in that department can be expected.

This move marks further changes in the Eagles’ secondary, meanwhile. Philadelphia has decided to release Darius Slay and James Bradberry, and on Monday fellow corner Isaiah Rodgers agreed to a deal with the Vikings. With Gardner-Johnson set to be on the move (the trade cannot be finalized until the new league year begins tomorrow, of course), Philadelphia will need to make a number of moves during the secondary waves of free agency and the draft to restock the defensive backfield.

Green entered the NFL with high expectations as a first-round pick. The Texas A&M product served as a full-time starter during his rookie campaign, but he was sidelined for the entire 2023 season due to a shoulder injury. Green returned to action this past year, logging nine starts and 12 appearances at left guard. Much like his rookie slate, though, his PFF evaluation left plenty to be desired. Green’s overall grade of 38.6 ranked second-last amongst qualifying guards.

Presuming the Eagles decline his fifth-year option, one year will remain on Green’s rookie contract. The soon-to-be 24-year-old will provide the team with a cost-effective option along the interior. Mekhi Becton upped his free agent value considerably as a guard starter in 2024, and his departure could allow for Green to compete for a first-team gig. At a minimum, he will be able to fill in as a spot-starter as needed on an otherwise expensive O-line.

Texans Activate G Kenyon Green From IR

The Texans recently made some changes on their offensive front, moving Tytus Howard back to left guard and inserting rookie Blake Fisher into the lineup at right tackle. Kenyon Green‘s injury was among the drivers for that reconfiguration.

Green, however, is now back on the 53-man roster. The Texans activated the former No. 15 overall pick Wednesday, ending his 21-day ramp-up period. Houston now only has one injury activation remaining until the regular season ends. The team would pick up two more in the playoffs, however, offering more flexibility than last year, when the Texans burned through their eight activations during the regular season.

More significantly through a long-term lens, Green has not justified the team’s 2022 investment. The Texans used the first of their Deshaun Watson-obtained picks to trade down for Green, the top guard chosen in 2022. But the Texas A&M alum has struggled with injuries and performance as a pro. Although Green reclaimed the Texans’ LG job out of training camp, it will be interesting to see how the team uses him moving forward.

Pro Football Focus slots Green as the NFL’s worst guard regular this season, placing him 76th by a notable margin. This is in line with how the advanced metrics website viewed Green’s rookie season, as it also ranking him last that year. The former SEC standout then missed all of 2023 due to a shoulder injury. He sustained another shoulder setback in November, leading to the most recent IR placement.

While Green rehabbed and slimmed down a bit in time for an offseason push to win his job back, he has encountered tough sledding upon return. The Texans presumably want Howard to settle at a position, and they did draft Fisher in this year’s second round. This could point to strong consideration being given to moving Howard inside. The configuration the team used in Week 15 also included backup center Jarrett Patterson, as Juice Scruggs is out. The 2023 second-round pick is not on IR, however, as Houston keeps its options open down the stretch.

Texans Designate Christian Harris, Kenyon Green For Return

Coming off their bye week, the Texans could have a pair of reinforcements. Linebacker Christian Harris and guard Kenyon Green have been designated for return, per a team announcement.

Harris has not played this season while recovering from a calf injury. Houston used an IR/designated for return slot during roster cutdowns, committing one of the team’s eight IR activations in the process. General manager Nick Caserio said last week Harris could be back shortly, and today’s news is an encouraging sign in that respect.

Harris and Green both have 21 days to be brought onto the active roster now that they have begun to practice. Harris’ return will be welcomed given his importance to Houston’s defense. The 2022 third-rounder has started 23 of his 28 career games, and in 2023 he eclipsed the 100-tackle mark. Especially with Azeez Al-Shaair facing a three-game suspension (pending appeal), getting Harris back in time for Week 15 would be critical for the Texans.

Green started each of Houston’s first nine games this season, a positive development after he missed all of last year. The former first-rounder struggled at left guard when in the lineup, though, as PFF charged him with five sacks and 27 pressures allowed. A dislocated shoulder was expected to result in a lengthy absence, and Green was indeed moved to IR in November. Pass protection has been an issue for the Texans, a team which did not make any O-line moves at the trade deadline. Green’s return would give them another healthy option up front.

Houston has only two IR activations remaining, one of which will be used to bring Green into the fold. The Texans sit at 8-5 on the year and hold a two-game advantage over the Colts for top spot in the AFC South. Getting healthier in advance of the postseason will be critical over the coming weeks, and seeing Harris and Green return to the lineup will be notable in that regard.

Texans Designate WR Nico Collins For Return, Place G Kenyon Green On IR

The Texans’ receiving corps could see a notable boost in time for Week 10. The team announced on Friday that wideout Nico Collins has been designated for return.

Collins now has 21 days to practice before being activated or reverting to season-ending IR. A hamstring injury shut him down for a four-game stretch, interrupting his impressive start to the campaign. The 25-year-old led the NFL in receiving yards at the time of the injury, and Houston’s passing attack has suffered in his absence.

Of course, the Texans’ WR room was dealt another blow recently when Stefon Diggs suffered an ACL tear. The pending free agent will miss the remainder of the season as a result, but Collins being back in the fold would compensate for that to an extent. Houston was optimistic the latter could be back in the fold this week, so today’s move comes as little surprise. It will be interesting to see how involved Collins is in today’s practice and as such what his status is for Sunday night’s contest.

The Michigan product landed an extension this offseason, and he is now attached to a $24.25MM-per-year deal. Collins faces high expectations as a result, but his 113.4 receiving yards per game when healthy this year suggests he is capable of living up to them over the long term. He will reprise his WR1 role once activated, with second-year wideout Tank Dell operating in a key complementary role. The Texans were floated as a potential buyer at the receiver position ahead of the trade deadline, but no moves were made on that front.

Houston was also considered a team to watch with respect to making an addition along the offensive line given the team’s struggles up front. Another reason to be active, of course, was the injury to guard Kenyon Green; the former first-rounder is dealing with a dislocated shoulder and has now officially be placed on injured reserve. After suffering the injury in Week 9, that was the expected outcome. Green could return at some point in the year, depending on his rehab process and how deep of a run the Texans make should they qualify for the postseason.

The team has five IR activations remaining as things stand. That figure will drop to four once Collins is brought back into the fold, but his return will be welcomed on offense as the 6-3 Texans prepare for a primetime matchup against the Lions in their attempt to remain in control of the AFC South.

Texans’ Kenyon Green Headed For IR

The Texans offense added injury to insult in their 21-13 loss to the Jets on Thursday night with an injury to starting guard Kenyon Green, who is expected to be placed on injured reserve, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

There remains an outside chance that Green could return this season, depending on his rehab from his dislocated shoulder and the Texans’ progression in the postseason, per Rapoport.

Green started all nine of the Texans’ games at left guard this season, though he has struggled in pass protection with 27 pressures and five sacks allowed, both league-highs among guards, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The 15th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has not lived up to expectations as part of a struggling Houston offensive line this season.

This is the second year in a row that Green has suffered a significant injury to his left shoulder. He missed all of the 2023 season after hurting his shoulder in the preseason, forcing the Texans to trade for former third-round pick Kendrick Green from the Steelers.

Green finished Thursday night’s game at left guard, and he will likely take over the starting job for the rest of the regular season. He did the same after Kenyon Green‘s injury last year, but only made three starts before a torn meniscus ended his season. Kendrick Green will need to stay healthy to keep the Texans from having to rotate their offensive line once again this year.

Houston will also need additional guard depth to see out the season with 2023 seventh-rounder Nick Broeker as the only guard on the active roster. Quality offensive linemen are rarely available on the trade market during the season, so the Texans may turn to practice squad center Scott Quessenberry, who hasn’t played in the regular season since 2022 but does have some experience at offensive guard.

More to come.

Texans’ Kenyon Green Suffers Shoulder Injury; Team Discussed G In Trade?

Kenyon Green re-emerged in the Texans’ starting lineup this season, attempting to bounce back after missing all of 2023 and struggling as a rookie the year prior. The former first-round pick’s return has not gone as hoped.

The Texans benched Green in Week 8 but moved him back into their lineup once replacement Jarrett Patterson suffered a concussion. Houston, however, needed to use a third option — 2023 trade acquisition Kendrick Green — once Kenyon Green sustained an injury Thursday. Kenyon Green sustained a dislocated shoulder, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who notes the third-year blocker is out indefinitely.

Houston had considered making the Green-for-Green switch before Week 9 but gave the 2022 No. 15 overall pick another shot. It now appears the Texas A&M product’s career is on hold once again. This comes a year after Kenyon Green suffered a torn labrum and missed all of his second season.

Green, whom the Texans traded down for from the No. 12 slot they obtained from the Browns in the Deshaun Watson blockbuster, entered Week 8 ranked last among guard regulars in the view of Pro Football Focus. Despite being the first guard chosen in 2022, he has been unable to put it together. The offseason rejuvenation that led the once-highly regarded prospect back into Houston’s left guard spot has stalled, and it appears the Texans will need to make other plans.

Although Kenyon Green has struggled, first-round O-line prospects generally have fans in other teams’ buildings. That looks to be the case here, as Green was generating some trade interest before Week 8. Expanding on that, veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson indicates the Texans are believed to have discussed the young guard with an NFC East team. Anderson describes those proceedings as Houston looking into the unspecified club’s preliminary interest. With Green now out, the Texans will almost certainly retain him at the trade deadline.

Kenyon Green’s rookie deal (four years, $15.95MM), which is fully guaranteed, runs through 2025. Kendrick Green, whom the Texans acquired from the Steelers in the wake of Kenyon’s summer 2023 injury, is in a contract year. The former Pittsburgh third-rounder has not worked as a regular starter since struggling as the Steelers’ center in 2021. Kendrick Green did start three games for the Texans last year, before going down with a season-ending meniscus injury early in his first Houston season.

Patterson, a 2023 sixth-round pick, started all seven games he played last season; an ankle injury ended his season midway through — during a shaky year for the Texans’ O-line. Patterson vied with the Greens for the guard job opposite Shaq Mason this offseason. Should Patterson come back from the recent concussion soon, it would stand to reason he will be given another opportunity at LG.

This year has gone better for the Texans up front, as both their tackles — Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard — are healthy after injuries cost them time in 2023. Houston’s center, Juice Scruggs, has also started all eight games after missing much of his rookie season. The team will need a fix at left guard, however, and given Kenyon Green’s work to date, probably will look for a longer-term solution in the offseason.

Texans Looking Into WR Market; G Kenyon Green Drawing Trade Interest

The Texans have seen their wide receiver armada take some hits during the season’s first half. While Nico Collins is expected back fairly soon, Houston will be without Stefon Diggs the rest of the way due to a torn ACL. Diggs’ injury occurring before the trade deadline gives the AFC South leaders an opportunity.

This offseason bringing a change to the trade deadline helps teams like Houston, as clubs now have until 3pm CT on Nov. 5 to discuss deals. The Texans will be among those teams, and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano indicates the team is looking into acquiring receiver help in the wake of Diggs’ injury.

Houston already made a deep dive into the WR pool this offseason, adding Diggs for a package fronted by a 2025 second-round pick. Diggs, 30, had avoided a major injury throughout his career; his first as a pro changes Houston’s equation, as it has gone from a Collins-Diggs-Tank Dell trio to depending on Dell, who is coming off a season-ending 2023 injury. Dell also sustained minor injuries in an offseason shooting. As it stands, the 2023 third-round pick is the Texans’ top active pass catcher, but his 2024 totals (24 receptions, 229 yards) are well off the pace Collins (32/567) and Diggs (47/496) have set.

Nick Caserio did well to pair Diggs’ $24MM-per-year contract with C.J. Stroud‘s rookie deal, as the Houston GM was far more active this offseason — after Stroud’s Offensive Rookie of the Year season — compared to his first three in charge. As Diggs, thanks to an agreement with the Texans to remove the final three years of his contract, heads toward free agency coming off a knee injury in Year 10.

The Texans still have some options at receiver, with Robert Woods and 2022 second-round pick John Metchie rostered. No one beyond Houston’s top three has cleared 75 yards this season, however, with second-year player Xavier Hutchinson‘s 64 leading the way among the team’s second-stringers.

Mike Williams, Darius Slayton, Adam Thielen and a few Patriots (K.J. Osborn, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton) represent the known trade market. Some options may be in play beyond this group, depending on what teams are willing to trade. The Seahawks have seen teams check in on D.K. Metcalf, while the Chargers may be open to moving contract-year target Josh Palmer. It would not be a trade deadline without Courtland Sutton rumors, but like the Bengals and Tee Higgins, the Broncos do not appear likely to move on.

The Raiders may want to retain Jakobi Meyers, but it does not sound like they are committed to keeping the Josh McDaniels-era signing, and Graziano adds the Texans would likely be interested if the sixth-year vet — whose Patriots tenure overlapped with Caserio’s — was made available. Bourne’s 49ers tenure also overlapped with now-Texans OC Bobby Slowik‘s, providing some scheme familiarity. Though, the Patriots may be more interested in moving Osborn.

Elsewhere on the Texans’ roster, their No. 12 overall pick in 2022 (Kenyon Green) is drawing interest, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds. Teams had placed the third-year guard on their radars before the Texans benched him in Week 8. Missing all of last season due to a knee injury, Green rebounded and reclaimed a starting job. But the Texas A&M product has struggled, being benched for Jarrett Patterson. The latter’s concussion, however, led Green back into action. Among regulars, Pro Football Focus ranks Green as the NFL’s worst guard (77th overall) this season. He will retain his starting job in Week 9, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who notes the Texans had considered Kendrick Green to start.

Teams do not look to view Green as a player the Texans will commit to in the long term. First-round O-linemen generally receive second chances, and some suitors appear ready to provide one for Green, who is signed through 2025. With Patterson in concussion protocol, the Texans may be less inclined to listen — especially as low-end offers figure to come in given Green’s woes to date.

Kenyon Green Back At Full Strength, In Mix For Texans’ LG Job

Offensive line injuries represented part of the reason the Texans burned through their eight IR activations last season, but multiple pieces were unable to return following injuries. Kenyon Green was among them.

Chosen 15th in the 2022 draft, Green worked as the Texans’ primary left guard starter as a rookie but did not play at all in 2023. A torn labrum sidelined the Texas A&M in August, and he underwent surgery. DeMeco Ryans confirmed this week Green is back at full strength.

I think that was Kenyon’s biggest thing,” Ryans said of Green’s health, via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. “Once he gets over that hurdle, now we can see how good of a football player Kenyon can actually be when he’s not battling and dealing with injuries. So, I’m excited of what’s ahead for Kenyon because he’s really put in the work to give himself a really good chance this year.

Green was never eligible to return from IR last season, having been placed on the injured list before Houston finalized its initial 53-man roster. This shut down Green for the season, denying a chance at a bounce-back effort from a disappointing rookie season. Pro Football Focus ranked Green as the worst guard regular in 2022, viewing him as particularly embattled in pass protection. Prior to the shoulder operation last year, Green had already undergone two knee surgeries, including an arthroscopic procedure during the 2023 offseason, since joining the Texans as part of the Deshaun Watson trade.

The Texans used the Watson first-rounders to trade down for Green, up for Will Anderson Jr. and then out of the 2024 first round (via the Vikings) to stockpile more draft capital. While Anderson showed immediate standout potential by winning Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim, Green is already at a career crossroads. He is believed to be in better condition midway through his third Texans offseason program, but the past two years create questions about the former All-American’s viability as an NFL starter.

As Kenyon Green aims to avoid bust status, he is poised to match up against Kendrick Green and Jarrett Patterson in the primary competition for the Texans’ left guard post, Wilson notes. This would stand to move Juice Scruggs, who played all 439 of his rookie-year snaps at left guard, to center. The Texans lost just about every O-lineman to injury at some point last season. Scruggs, Patterson, Tytus Howard, Laremy Tunsil and Kendrick Green were also among them. Acquired on roster-cutdown day from the Steelers, Kendrick Green joined Kenyon Green in suffering a season-ending injury.

Each of Howard’s 2023 snaps came at left guard as well, but the 2019 first-rounder’s journey across the O-line appears pointed back to right tackle. The Texans drafting tackle Blake Fisher in Round 2, a year after extending Howard on an $18.7MM-per-year deal, adds depth and intrigue to Houston’s O-line. Howard went down with a season-ending knee injury in November. The Texans have durable right guard Shaq Mason going into his second season with the team, but left guard will be a place to monitor on Houston’s depth chart this offseason.

Texans Place G Kenyon Green On IR

SEPTEMBER 3: Kenyon Green and the Texans knew as early as May that Green may need surgery, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. It seems as if Houston wanted to see if its young blocker could play through the pain, and as Brandon Scott of Chron.com observes, Green was operating with the first team during the first two games of the preseason despite having his reps carefully managed in OTAs and training camp. Unfortunately, he aggravated the shoulder injury during the preseason finale, and it became clear he would need to be shut down.

“To his credit, he worked through it and I’d say did the best he could with the situation that he was given,” Caserio said. “In the end, we just felt for the betterment of the team and the player, that [surgery] was the best decision.” 

AUGUST 29: Kenyon Green‘s injury will lead the Texans to take a drastic step. They placed the 2022 first-round pick on IR. This move will sideline the young guard for the season.

The Texans traded for Steelers interior O-lineman Kendrick Green earlier today, and they have center Juice Scruggs facing the possibility of a trip to in-season IR. That move would only knock out Scruggs for four games. By putting Kenyon Green on IR now, the Texans will lose him for the year.

This represents a tough blow to Kenyon Green‘s career and to the Texans’ O-line. A shoulder injury is one of multiple issues plaguing the Texas A&M product, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets, adding that the second-year lineman will undergo shoulder surgery. Green has already undergone two knee surgeries since joining the Texans.

Although injury trouble hampered Green during his first training camp, the 22-year-old blocker still played in 15 games (14 starts) as a rookie. But the ex-Aggie’s season did not go well. Pro Football Focus graded Green as the worst full-time guard in 2022. This year would have been an opportunity for a quick bounce back for last year’s first guard selected, but Green will have to wait until 2024 to turn his career around.

Chosen 15th overall last year, Green earned consensus All-American honors for his work in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The Texans made major investments in their offensive front over the past two offseasons. Following their Green pick, they extended Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard and traded for Shaq Mason. The ex-Patriots and Buccaneers guard — acquired by New England during Nick Caserio‘s time with the team — also signed an extension this offseason.

The Texans then used a second-round pick on Scruggs, but it will be a while before Houston can deploy its preferred O-line. Scruggs’ hamstring strain is expected to keep him out two to four weeks. The Texans have acquired both Kendrick Green and Josh Jones via trade in the past week. Both could be put to work early.

It may be a bit before the team unveils an O-line configuration featuring even three of its starting five. Rehabbing a hand injury, Howard is not viewed as a lock to start the season on time. This run of setbacks comes as the Texans prepare to begin No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud‘s starter run.