Kenny Stills on Texans LT Laremy Tunsil’s contract extension: ‘Pay up’

Receiver Kenny Stills commented on Twitter that the Houston Texans should “pay up” and give left tackle Laremy Tunsil a contract extension.

Kenny Stills isn’t shy about what course of action the Houston Texans should take when it comes to extending left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

On Saturday, Stills, who has been a teammate of Tunsil’s going back to their playing days with the Miami Dolphins in 2016, tweeted a comment regarding an article on Tunsil’s rumored asking price of $19 million and $20 million.

“Pay up!!!!” Still wrote.

Tunsil was instrumental in keeping quarterback Deshaun Watson upright and helping the former 2017 first-round pick earn his second straight Pro Bowl selection. Additionally, Tunsil earned his first Pro Bowl nod in his first season with the Texans.

Pay up!!!! https://t.co/OwQLWRPWZQ

— Kenny Stills (@KSTiLLS) February 29, 2020

Miami drafted Tunsil with their first-round pick in 2016 from Ole Miss. The Dolphins anticipated a rough season under rookie coach Brian Flores and chose to be sellers in preseason with Tunsil and Stills part of a trade on Aug. 31, 2019, that sent the two to the Texans.

Stills has seen the quality of work Tunsil has produced since he entered the league. Now, Stills wants to see the 6-5, 313-pound blindside protector get his just reward on his second NFL contract.

NFL left tackle Greg Robinson arrested for marijuana posession at border checkpoint

NFL left tackle Greg Robinson was arrested this week after he was found with marijuana on him at a border patrol checkpoint in Texas.

NFL left tackle Greg Robinson arrested for marijuana posession at border checkpoint (Brownswire)

NFL left tackle Greg Robinson was arrested this week after he was found with marijuana on him at a border patrol checkpoint in Texas.

5 left tackles the Jets should target in free agency

The Jets could be in the market for a new left tackle, and the market includes one elite young stud and two veteran stars for Joe Douglas.

Left tackle might be the most important position on the offensive line, and the Jets could be looking to find an upgrade if they decide to not re-sign Kelvin Beachum.

It isn’t saying much to point out Beachum ranked highest among Jets linemen in 2019. Joe Douglas would be foolish not to at least explore the free agent market for a new left tackle if he thinks he can find someone who can better protect Sam Darnold.

The left tackle market is a little wonky. It basically consists of one young, elite talent, two aging veterans way past their primes and a couple of unproven or inexperienced players. Douglas should navigate this pool carefully before pulling the trigger on a high-priced tackle, especially considering how many other positions of need he has to bolster.

Here are the five best left tackles the Jets should target.

Anthony Castonzo

If protecting Sam Darnold is what Joe Douglas is looking for from a new starting left tackle, Colts free agent Anthony Castonzo is the best on the market. He’s the eighth-ranked left tackle in pass-protection with an 84.4 Pro Football Focus grade, and the fifth-ranked in dropback passing scenarios. Castonzo is also incredibly consistent, posting overall grades between 76.9 and 83.4 since 2012.

Castonzo is still relatively young – he’ll turn 32 in August – and has the ideal size at 6-foot-7 and 307 pounds for a premier tackle. He’d fortify the offensive line no matter who else Douglas brings in, but it would come at a premium. Castonzo will likely require somewhere between $14.5-$16 million per year, much like Titans tackle Taylor Lewan got in 2018 with a five-year, $80 million deal.

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The Texans’ Laremy Tunsil was the best left tackle in 2019

Houston Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil was the best blindside protector in the NFL last season according to Pro Football Focus.

Pro Football Focus is at it again, and this time the football analytics and scouting firm claims there was no better left tackle in the NFL last season than Laremy Tunsil.

The Houston Texans traded significant draft capital over the next two seasons to the Miami Dolphins to take the former 2016 first-round pick from Ole Miss. Unable to fix quarterback Deshaun Watson’s blindside with solution signs in the second wave of free agency, and unwilling to let rookies in Tytus Howard and Max Scharping grow into the role, the Texans instantly fixed the issue by trading for Tunsil.

According to PFF’s wins above replacement metrics, there was no one better playing at left tackle in 2019 than Tunsil.

The Texans gave up a massive haul to acquire Tunsil, but he delivered with the best season of his young career. Tunsil’s emergence was a huge part of Houston’s move from one of the worst offensive lines in the league to a mid-tier unit, an upgrade that has incredible value and cuts down on negative plays. Tunsil’s 88.2 pass-blocking grade ranked third in the league, as he allowed just 29 pressures on 694 attempts.

The key now for the Texans and general manager Bill O’Brien is to find an affordable and equitable way to keep Tunsil in Houston.

Broncos GM John Elway chimes in on Garett Bolles’ future

The Broncos have a contract decision to make on left tackle Garett Bolles.

As a former first-round pick, Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles has a contract option for a fifth year in 2021. Denver’s front office must decide by May if they are going to pick up the 27-year-old tackle’s option.

Broncos general manager John Elway told The Denver Post‘s Ryan O’Halloran at the Senior Bowl this week that “there’s no sense doing it early.” If the team does pick up Bolles’ option, it probably won’t happen until closer to the deadline.

Elway noted that Bolles was coached up well by offensive line coach Mike Munchak and assistant offensive line coach Chris Kuper but he reiterated that Bolles still has to show more improvement.

“He’s got to continue to get better because we can’t afford to have those holding penalties,” Elway told O’Halloran.

Bolles’ future beyond the 2020 season might be up in the air but his status for this season seems clear. He is set to earn $1,969,351 this season, which is a fair price for a player who hasn’t missed a single start in three years.

“One thing about Garett, he was available,” Elway said during his end-of-season press conference on Dec. 30. “He was there every play. I don’t think he missed a play this year. We talked about availability — he was there. He got off to a slow start, but I think that he continued to get better and better and better as the year went on.”

As the Broncos begin preparing for the offseason program, it certainly sounds like Bolles is part of their plans for 2020.

“Garett continued to get better [last year],” Elway said. “He got better and he was available, and that’s important.”

As for 2021, Denver is in no rush to make a decision on Bolles.

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Could Patriots left tackle Isaiah Wynn be in for a position change?

Patriots tackle Isaiah Wynn could move positions to fill a hole potentially left by an impending free agent.

During the 2018 NFL draft, the New England Patriots were looking to upgrade their offensive line. They had just lost their longtime left tackle Nate Solder to the New York Giants in free agency, so it was clearly the biggest hole on the roster. With their first of two first-round picks, the Patriots drafted offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn out of Georgia.

The scouting report on Wynn was that he was undersized. He had played both guard and tackle in college, and while he was athletic, it was said he may be better suited for an interior position. Right guard Shaq Mason’s contract was up at the end of the season. Some suggested that Wynn could’ve been a longterm plan to replace him or that he could start over third-year left guard Joe Thuney. But, at the time, it was all but guaranteed that Wynn was going to play offensive tackle due to the obvious need.

Then, the very next day, the Patriots made a trade for San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Brown. It was set to be a training camp battle to decide who would stay as the starter. However, Wynn would suffer a torn Achilles in the 2018 preseason to end his rookie season, handing the job to Brown.

Less than two weeks after Wynn’s injury, Mason received a monstrous five-year, $50 million contract extension, effectively ending the guard future of Isaiah Wynn.

After a tremendous 2018, Trent Brown cashed in on the first day of free agency with the Oakland Raiders. With Wynn still recovering, the Patriots tried to bring in veteran free agent Jared Veldheer, but he retired prior to the season. After Week 1, the Patriots brought in journeyman offensive lineman Marshall Newhouse who needed to start more than half the season when Wynn suffered a toe injury that kept him out for nine weeks.

When he’s been on the field, Wynn’s been coming along. He’s hasn’t been great, and he hasn’t terrible. That’s pretty much what’s expected out of a young offensive lineman who essentially missed the first season-and-a-half of his career.

For reference, Wynn graded out at 69.9, according to Pro Football Focus, which put him 19th at the left tackle position. PFF grades aren’t everything, but they can help. What they’re not accounting for is the poor play of the rest of the Patriots’ offensive line (with the exception of Thuney who was named to the All-Pro Second-Team). It’s the one unit that really needs to be on the same page, and it was evident that that was not the case this season.

Now, Thuney is heading to the open market this off-season. He’ll likely get a huge deal because of his consistency and availability. It would be surprising to see Belichick pay top dollar to both of his guards. So, it looks like the Patriots would be in the market for a guard this off-season. Could Isaiah Wynn be that guy?

His smaller frame and experience playing left guard at Georgia could make him a great candidate. Moving him to guard could allow for more mobility and deception with pulls on the offensive line. Mason is already great on the move, so adding Wynn’s skill set could make that a dangerous combination.

If the Patriots want the prototypical 6-foot-5-and-above offensive tackle, Wynn’s versatility, allowing him to kick inside, would give them the freedom to go after their guy. Belichick may go out in the draft and take Louisville left tackle Mekhi Becton (6-foot-7) in the first round. He could sign Eagles tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai (6-foot-6) in free agency. Of course, this is all decided by Belichick, and maybe more important, offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia.

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The Texans’ trade for LT Laremy Tunsil proved to be a brilliant move

The Houston Texans’ trade for left tackle Laremy Tunsil was their most brilliant move of the offseason.

The Houston Texans went cheap at protecting quarterback Deshaun Watson’s blindside with re-signing Seantrel Henderson to a one-year deal and signing Matt Khalil in the second wave of free agency. They also went youthful drafting college tackles Tytus Howard in Round 1 and Max Scharping in Round 2 of the 2019 NFL draft.

On Aug. 31, the concluding solution was to trade for Miami Dolphins left tackle Laremy Tunsil, and this move is one that Barry Werner of the Touchdown Wire lauds as one of the brilliant moves among the remaining eight playoff teams.

The Texans swung a deal with the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 31, 2019, to shore up their offensive line and it worked out nicely as former first-round pick Laremy Tunsil has been stellar. He has earned his first Pro Bowl slot and is a force protecting Deshaun Watson. You can kick in Kenny Stills, who came along in the deal and had 40 catches for 561 yards in 13 games.

Though Watson took seven sacks against the Buffalo Bills in the 22-19 overtime win against the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round, they wouldn’t have been in the postseason if not for Tunsil’s Pro Bowl efforts throughout the season.

Now, it will be up to Tunsil and the rest of the offensive line to protect Watson and clear running lanes for running back Carlos Hyde en route to a win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round at Arrowhead Stadium.

George Fant capable of stepping up in place of Duane Brown

The Seahawks may be without Duane Brown on Sunday, but left tackle George Fant’s strong performance has the team confident he will step up.

The Seattle Seahawks switched things up at left tackle in Week 17 against the San Francisco 49ers, replacing Jamarco Jones with George Fant – both who were playing in place of veteran Duane Brown who is dealing with “a pissed off knee” – according to coach Pete Carroll.

Brown is a longshot to play on Sunday against the Eagles, which likely means the team will roll with Fant for the second consecutive week.

While the Seahawks will no doubt miss Brown if he is unable to suit up, Fant earned the praise of his coach after holding 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa in check last week.

“He looked good again,” Carroll said on Monday. “Played very solid, very confident. Played physical football and got out on the perimeter and did some nice blocks and did some things that we like doing with Duane. That’s a really good sign for us. We’re really happy because we need him to come through and he came in and did a nice job going against one of the best pass rushing groups in the NFL. He handled what he needed to handle pretty well for the most part.”

Fant has primarily played tight end this season, serving as an extra run blocker in Seattle’s big packages up front. He has played well in that role, but his performance as a pass-protector on Sunday is what has the Seahawks confident he can continue to help them if they remain without Brown.

“It just gives us some confidence moving forward,” Carroll continued. “We’re a little uncertain how that was going to look, particularly this past week. These guys coming up are good, too. They rush like crazy, so we’re going to need him.”

Seattle is still holding out hope that Brown will make it back this week, but if he doesn’t, expect Fant to start again at left tackle.

How he performs will have a big impact on if this team advances to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs this year.

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There is a slim chance left tackle Duane Brown could return this week

Seattle Seahawks left tackle Duane Brown recently underwent knee surgery and there is a very slight chance he could return to play in Philly.

The Seattle Seahawks have sorely missed left tackle Duane Brown, who has been inactive for the last two matchups with a knee injury.

“His knee was really irritated in general, it was kind of a pissed off knee,” coach Pete Carroll said Monday. “He needs to come back from that. We’re trying to get it quieted down and all that and see if he can get back out. Structurally, he’s in good shape We just got to make sure that his knee is quieted down and he doesn’t have swelling and that kind of stuff and he can get moving again. I don’t know if that will happen this week or not.”

Brown recently underwent minor knee surgery to try to correct the problem. While the procedure was a success, Carroll said he won’t know how far along Brown is until at least Wednesday or Thursday.

“He did some things this weekend to try to help him along the process,” Carroll noted. “By the end of the week, he has it in his mind maybe there’s a chance he can make it back.

“That would be a miraculous recovery.”

With or without Brown, the Seahawks are slated to take on the Eagles this Sunday in Philadelphia at 1:40 p.m. PT.

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