The Houston Texans remained quiet as 3 p.m. rolled around Tuesday afternoon’s trade deadline.
Almost too quiet for a franchise sitting at 6-3 and in the hunt for a top-two seed in the AFC. Outside of sending Cam Akers to the Minnesota Vikings and Khalil Davis to the San Francisco 49ers, Houston stayed out of talks.
Should that be the case? Fans disagreed with general manager Nick Caserio’s decision to remain pat instead of fixing the offensive line. Several analysts agree, stating that Houston’s interior trench play needs a new face if quarterback C.J. Stroud plans to survive through the 2024 regular season.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon mentioned that the Texans should have inquired about a deal built around Dallas Cowboys All-Pro offensive lineman Zack Martin, especially with Kenyon Green out for the remainder of the regular season.
“The aging and expensive Zack Martin may be nearing the end of his time days in Dallas if the team undergoes a reset soon,” Gagnon wrote. “In-state neighbor Houston would have made a lot of sense as a landing spot for Martin. The Texans were already a mess along the offensive line even before losing starter Kenyon Green to a season-ending shoulder injury. Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud needs more protection and support, and the interior line needs more talent in general. Martin could have brought that to the table as well as veteran leadership for a team that is quite young but expects to contend this year.”
Sitting a 3-5, Dallas must win its next four games to finish above .500 without Dak Prescott. The Pro Bowl quarterback is on injured reserve and won’t be cleared to return until after Dec. 1.
In Houston, Martin would pair next to All-Pro tackle Laremy Tunsil, thus leaving Tytus Howard out at right tackle while giving ample secondary reps for Blake Fisher to learn the position.
The Texans now must turn to either Jarrett Patterson or Kendrick Green in pace of Kenyon Green following his season-ending shoulder injury. Both have struggled in pass protection when on the field working with the first-team offense.
Houston returns to NRG Stadium for a Sunday Night Football showdown in Week 10 against the Detroit Lions.