Houston’s D-Line looks far more formidable

By Connor Byrne  |   Tuesday, May 09, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Houston Texans
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This off-season, the Houston Texans, who went 4-12 last season, have invested much of their salary cap space on help for their defensive line. Both through the NFL Draft and free agency, Houston has made some major upgrades, thanks to the intelligent decisions of general manager Charley Casserly.

When free agency began, the Texans found themselves in major need of help at both defensive end positions.

In their first move to upgrade the line, the Texans signed former Baltimore Ravens DE Anthony Weaver. At 280 pounds, Weaver has played defensive tackle in the past, but as of now, he has the left end position in his grasp. In four years with the Ravens, Weaver only accumulated 14.5 sacks, but he never really had the opportunity to rack up many. Despite that he's a good run stopper, which will be a positive for Houston. Perhaps he can bring more sacks to the "Lone Star State" as well. After all, unexpected players breakout every year. It could be Weaver's time in 2006.

Subsequent to the Weaver signing, the Texans went out and found themselves another end, former Philadelphia Eagle ND Kalu.

A nine-year veteran, Kalu has racked up 26.5 sacks, but like Weaver, he hasn't necessarily been a sack specialist. What Kalu brings to Houston is an ability to be an extra leader and mentor for younger players. Don't count out a significant sack season, though, since former Eagles backup Derrick Burgess went to the Oakland Raiders as a free agent last season and unexpectedly ended up leading the league with 16 sacks. However, Kalu following Burgess' path next season probably isn't likely. Still, it's a nice thought for the Texans' organization and its fans.

Finally, in the Texans' coup de grace of the off-season they grabbed former NC State star defensive end Mario Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The 6-7, 295-pound Williams has drawn favorable comparisons to the Carolina Panthers' Julius Peppers. If he can bring that style of play to Houston, the Texans will have themselves a tremendous player. Next season's a great opportunity for Williams to prove himself; however, it could also be a time to prove he wasn't the right pick for Houston. For his sake, let's hope it'll be the former and not the latter.

The defensive tackle position in Houston has remained steadfastly the same this off-season, which was probably for the best.

Travis Johnson and Robaire Smith, the team's starting tandem, wasn't great last season, but good enough to get the job done. Johnson was the Texans' first-round pick in the 2005 draft, so he's still developing. Smith accumulated 43 tackles last season, a very good number for a defensive lineman. He'll only get better if Johnson can improve, which should happen, since both will benefit from having better defenders around them.

It's clear that the Houston Texans have vastly improved their team this offseason, and in a league where parity rules, they may find themselves surprisingly contending for a playoff spot next season. Having a much better defensive line will only aid in their cause, and it appears they do.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached a cbyrne@realfootball365.com
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