Nick Martin – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Texans center Nick Martin got looks from his neighbors working out in his front yard

Houston Texans center Nick Martin was forced to work out in his front yard during lock down, which prompted curiosity from his neighbors.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of Americans to work from home, and Houston Texans center Nick Martin was no different.

The 27-year-old offensive lineman grabbed some workout equipment from the team’s workout studio before the NFL closed all team facilities in the spring. Martin took home the sled.

“I like the sled,” Martin said. “That was one of the biggest things. It’s really good work for the quads, the legs and then you can — it’s good o-line work, right? You put weight on it, it’s like a drive block. I think it’s one of the best conditioning you can do.”

What Martin appreciates about the sled is its ability to emulate a block. However, the former 2016 second-round pick didn’t have a backyard to setup the sled, which forced him to do all of his work in his front yard where his neighbors could see.

“The neighbors were giving me some looks,” said Martin. “We had a couple walking a dog stop, like, ‘what are you doing? You play ball?’ I was like, ‘yeah, I play ball.’ ‘Who for?’ ‘The Texans.’ They were like, ‘all right, keep grinding.’ But yeah, it was pretty funny. I got some looks.”

Coach Bill O’Brien has seen the growth in leadership from Martin throughout the offseason.

“He’s a rock,” said O’Brien. “He’s in there every day. He’s a guy we can depend on to do the right thing. He’s always out there doing whatever he can in order to put the offense in the best position to be successful. He’s doing a really good job and his play continues to get better each and every year.”

As long as the Texans are able to defend their AFC South title and advance further in January than they ever have in team history, Martin won’t mind any funny looks from the neighborhood.

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Who have been the last 10 players drafted 50th overall?

Looking at the previous players that have been taken 50th overall, there are some encouraging picks but more that didn’t exactly pan out.

The Chicago Bears are without a first-round pick for the second straight season, but they do own a pair of second round picks at No. 43 and No. 50.

When considering the previous players that have been taken at 50th overall, there are some encouraging picks but more that didn’t exactly pan out.

Let’s take a look at the last 10 picks at No. 50.

2019: TE Irv Smith Jr., Vikings

Following a solid preseason, rookie Irv Smith Jr. was gradually worked into Minnesota’s offense. In 2019, Smith had 36 receptions for 311 yards and two touchdowns, which was more than any Bears tight end last season. The Vikings already have a really good tight end in Kyle Rudolph, so there hasn’t really been a rush with Smith. But with the loss of Stefan Diggs, Smith is expected to get more opportunities in Minnesota’s offense in 2020.

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Sports Illustrated Declares Notre Dame the New Offensive Line U

Sports Illustrated “crunched the numbers” and as much as I appreciate the work and effort to do so, can’t you just kind of look and figure that out? All you really had to do was watch with your eyes open.

Notre Dame has been known as Tight End U to anyone paying attention in recent years, something we tracked back to the late-eighties earlier this week. Notre Dame fans are aware of it but the nation was reminded today that it’s not just Tight End U, but also Offensive Line U as Sports Illustrated just said as much.

It really doesn’t take much thinking to figure it out. You know the names – Nick and Zack Martin, Ronnie Stanley and Quenton Nelson. These guys aren’t just Notre Dame guys made the NFL, these are the best of the best and All-Pro players.

The league knows where to look. #OLU pic.twitter.com/h9SMtgpmq2

— Tommy Rees (@T_Rees11) March 29, 2020

Sports Illustrated used a point system to put this all together that was based off of the number of draft picks each school had and the level of play those players exhibited in the NFL. Notre Dame didn’t have the most but the abilities of those there were far-exceeded any other school.

Now let’s just hope this year’s group takes a step in the run game to perform near that level in 2020.

2019 Texans position review: Offensive line

The Houston Texans’ 2019 season is over. Despite not reaching their goals, they enjoyed a good season, in which they saw their offensive line grow.

The Houston Texans’ season is over. After finishing 10-6, they found themselves in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs, only to lose a 24-0 lead to the Kansas City Chiefs, who moved on by winning in 51-31 fashion.

The offensive line held the Houston Texans back in 2019. In his second season in the NFL, Deshaun Watson took 62 sacks behind 2019’s line. That wasn’t going to cut it.

The Texans knew that. They went out and spend a staggering three first-round picks and two second-round picks on their offensive line in the offseason; trading for Laremy Tunsil and drafting Tytus Howard and Max Scharping.

Houston’s big-spending paid off. Tunsil, their starting left tackle, went to the Pro Bowl in his first season as a Texan. At 25 years old, he stands as one of the NFL’s most promising linemen and will earn a big extension soon. He is worth the money and draft capital spent on him.

As for Howard and Scharping, the two were instant starters on the Texans’ offensive line.

While the Texans found a mainstay at left tackle, they found the same on the right side. Though he started just seven games at right tackle, Howard, Houston’s first-round pick, shined at the position before suffering a torn MCL.

Howard was named to the Pro Football Writers of America’s annual all-rookie team for his efforts.

Scharping started 14 games at left guard and showed little signs of giving that position up in 2020. The second-round pick shined in his rookie season, as he allowed just three sacks, per Pro Football Focus. Alongside Tunsil, the Texans have their left-side of their line locked down for the foreseeable future.

The center and right guard positions did not change from 2018 to 2019. The Texans extended their center Nick Martin to a three-year, $33 million deal. He responded with a career year.

Despite missing much of training camp, Martin started all 16 games at center. He allowed just two sacks on the season, per PFF, and finished seventh in the NFL (for centers) in Pass Block Win Rate, per ESPN. At 26 years old, he appears to be another building block for the Texans.

The right guard is the Texans’ weakest position on their full offensive line. In his second year as a Texan, Zach Fulton regressed. PFF graded him at a lowly 52.2. In the second half of the season, Houston often substituted Fulton for backup Greg Mancz due to play.

As for the backups, the Texans saw Chris Clark and Roderick Johnson split snaps at right tackle after Howard went to the injured reserve. Both struggled at the position; with Johnson seeing snaps as a run blocker and Clark as a pass protector. Mancz played sparingly in-place of Fulton.

Heading into the 2020 offseason, the Texans should look into adding competition at the right guard position. A veteran swing tackle could do them well to sit behind Tunsil and Howard too. However, the offensive line is not the top priority as it once was, thanks to a busy offseason in 2019.

Notre Dame Football: Four Former Domers Headed to Pro Bowl

Finally, Ronnie Stanley who we discussed more thoroughly just a few days ago because of his truly elite pass blocking grades is headed to his first ever Pro Bowl.

Tuesday night brought news of the 2020 Pro Bowl rosters in the NFL and as a surprise to none, Notre Dame was well-represented as four former Fighting Irish football players were named to the NFL All-Star rosters.

Perhaps the least surprising news is that three of the four players to earn a berth to the Pro Bowl make their living on the offensive line.

It’s becoming a late December tradition but Nick Martin, right guard of the Dallas Cowboys was named to his sixth straight Pro Bowl on Tuesday. Martin has made the game each of his six years in the league.

Joining him at the guard position will be Quenton Nelson of the Indianapolis Colts. Nelson has transformed the Colts from having one of the poorest offensive line units in the league to one of the better ones and will be participating in his second Pro Bowl of his two-year NFL career.

Finally, Ronnie Stanley who we discussed more thoroughly just a few days ago because of his truly elite pass blocking grades is headed to his first ever Pro Bowl. He is one of a record 12 Baltimore Ravens to be selected for the game, a game he very well could miss since his Ravens appear to be the best thing going in the NFL right now and could very well be getting ready for the Super Bowl on Pro Bowl Sunday.

And defensively Harrison Smith of the Minnesota Vikings is headed to the Pro Bowl for the fifth season in a row. Smith has again been a bright spot on a Vikings team that has seen the rest of it’s secondary begin to a look a little long in the tooth this season. Smith has picked off three opponents passes this season while forcing and recovering a couple of fumbles each as well.

The 2020 Pro Bowl will take place at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on January 26.

Texans QB Deshaun Watson, C Nick Martin have chemistry worth building on

The Houston Texans have dynamic duos, including between quarterback Deshaun Watson and center Nick Martin, who expect to be around for a long time.

From 2008 to 2012, Houston Texans had one of the NFL’s best quarterback-center tandems in Matt Schaub and Chris Myers. Years later, the organization is trying to forge another tandem in quarterback Deshaun Watson and center Nick Martin.

“Nick is like a brother to me,” Watson told reporters on Wednesday. “We have a great relationship.”

While a less-heralded duo compared to one of a quarterback and wide receiver, the one between a quarterback and center needs to be pristine. If the two don’t have a good relationship, an offense can follow.

“If the quarterback and center don’t have that great relationship, there can be a lot of bad things happen for sure, because he controls everybody upfront and as he goes, I go. We’re the only two guys that touch the ball every single play,” said Watson.

We have to be on the same page with the run points, the pass protections, seeing it through the same set of eyes, and teams do different fronts, different disguises, where they can move and things like that. So, if he’s thinking one thing, I’m thinking one thing, I might be thinking I’m picked up, but really I’m hot, I could get hit in the back of the head or something like that.”

Watson and Martin have played together for three seasons. The two are 24 and 26, respectively. The Texans hope they grow together as they usher in a new era for the franchise. In Sept., they signed Martin to a three-year, $33 million extension.

The two have done just that.

“He knows what exactly I’m thinking, what he’s thinking,” said Watson. “On different looks, we meet throughout the week. We go out to eat and all types of stuff. We have a great chemistry and great relationship.”

Watson and Martin’s chemistry has resulted in standout individual seasons for each. Watson’s 105.9 passer rating is a career-high, as his numbers are up across the board. Martin’s 95% Pass Block Win Rate, per ESPN, sits at eighth in the NFL

Next time Martin props up Watson after scoring a touchdown, realize that’s a result of chemistry build over years of playing together.

Texans C Nick Martin stresses discipline against the Patriots

Houston Texans center Nick Martin stresses that his team must be disciplined when facing the New England Patriots on Sunday.

The Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs may have been tough tasks for the Houston Texans, but their toughest of the season is just days away. The 10-1 New England Patriots are coming to face the 7-4 Texans on Sunday night.

Not an offensive team such as in years past, the Patriots, in 2019, take pride in playing sound defensive football under coach Bill Belichick — arguably the greatest defensive mind in football history.

Rarely does the Patriots defense make mistakes, whether it be playing the pass or run.

“They’re disciplined, obviously,” said Texans center Nick Martin on Monday. “So, you got to prepare for that, just like every week. I mean, every week you got to prepare the same. You don’t prepare differently because it’s a certain team, but you just got to come to work and work every day.”

The Texans must match the Patriots’ discipline. New England has bottled up the run all year, allowing the ninth-best 98.4 yards per game. Houston, who rushes for the sixth-best 136.9 yards per game, will look to avoid mistakes to get the ground game going.

“They’re a great team, obviously,” continued Martin. “They’ve proven that year in and year out. So, again, they are disciplined, so they’ll take advantage of your mistakes. So you just got to be as disciplined.”

Martin stresses avoiding mistakes and staying disciplined — near synonyms. He, as the center of the offensive line, will have to be a catalyst to that notion. The 26-year-old will face nose tackle Danny Shelton for most of the game; a big, bludgeoning force that will take advantage of Martin’s mistakes.

“You’ve got to respect a guy like that,” said Martin on Shelton. “But, on Sunday, you’ve got to be prepared to block him.”

Like Martin, the rest of the offensive line will have to face well respected Patriots defenders. To pull off the upset win, they must keep them at the line of scrimmage, and not in No. 4’s face.