Latest news with #Houston Texans
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Texans HC DeMeco Ryans sees offensive line 'coming into form'
Don't look now, but the Houston Texans might have their starting offensive line for the regular season. Following Saturday's practice at the Methodist Training Center, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said the starting line is coming into form with players separating themselves from the pack. What does this mean? In short, expect the starting five you've seen at practice over the past few days to be the starting five when Houston takes on Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 7. 'When we put the pads on, you see guys start to move ahead of other guys a little bit,' Ryans said. 'We'll still evaluate those guys and see how the games go, but I'm pleased with where we are now.' Since the Texans put on the pads, the Texans have featured three of the five same offensive linemen every practice: Cam Robinson at left tackle, Tytus Howard at right guard and Aireontae Ersery at right tackle. Jake Andrews and Jarrett Patterson have been rotating at center with the first team, while Jaylon Thomas and Laken Tomlinson have been seeing a majority of reps at left guard. Right now, Tomlinson is the favorite to start at left guard, so the only real battle seems to be at center. Andrews, who has experience working with new offensive line coach Cole Popovich in college, saw most of the first-team reps on Saturday. 'I think it helps when you have continuity and you're working besides the same guy for however many reps you're going through in practice,' Ryans said. 'It helps with communication, it helps speed up things.' Ersery, the Texans' second-round pick out of Minnesota, might be the biggest surprise heading into the team's road trip over to The Greenbrier. It's not because Houston didn't expect him to be a focal point of the offense, but rather many figured 2024 second-round pick Blake Fisher would be a surefire to start during training camp. Right now, the former Notre Dame product has been locked in at right tackle with the 2s most of camp. "The thing we're working on with Blake is pad level," Ryans said earlier this offseason. "Can he work with good pad level, work with good knee bend and be in a great position to protect?" Ersey, who spent his last three seasons with the Golden Gophers at left tackle, is learning a new position while trying to protect his quarterback against an All-Pro talent like Danielle Hunter. It's been challenging, but he feels like he's getting up to speed, moving from the left to the right. 'I am more natural on the left; I have played left for longer. But it is like riding a bike, once you get on it you just keep pedaling," Ersery said. "It is not that hard." The Texans will face off against the Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium on Saturday. This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans HC DeMeco Ryans sees offensive line 'coming into form'
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Texans rookie OT Aireontae Ersery 'has what it takes' to make it as a starting tackle
What's the status of the Houston Texans' offensive line? Even the staff might not know who will end up being the starting five by the time Week 1 rolls around since Saturday marked the fourth new line change since the start of training camp. One thing is certain based on his role with the first-team offense: Rookie Aireontae Ersery is going to start. Will it be at left tackle? Perhaps. Right tackle? More likely. Even if that's up for debate, his impact on the offensive line will be critical to the team's success this upcoming season. "He's done a really good job of being able to have a seamless transition of going left to right," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "He does a really good job of playing with great balance, great footwork and that allows him to be in good position. He has really long arms. It's just a matter of him trying to get as many reps as possible so the game can slow down. But, from a physical standpoint, he has the tools and what it takes to be a tackle in this league.' Saturday was far from a stellar showcase on the offensive line as C.J. Stroud was consistently under pressure against Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Once again, Ryans elected to make another switch to the starting five, sending Jaylon Thomas out to start at left guard in place of Laken Tomlinson. That's expected. Ryans said throughout the training camp that the offensive line would see constant change and mix-ups to figure out which look was the most promising. That includes Ersery, who has now spent two practices with the 1s at left tackle and one practice on the right side. There's a difference between roles. As veteran Tytus Howard puts it, everything is backwards depending on the side, so learning one assignment is like learning it in reverse. After playing four positions since 2019, Howard has been the one offering up the most advice. "If you know what you've got to do, the rest is going to take care of itself. He's more than athletic enough to play left tackle and right tackle. It's just getting up there and knowing what he's got to do right away, so he's not thinking so much. I think he's been doing a fantastic job on it. He's having a tremendous camp so far and he's only going to get better." Drafted out of Minnesota with the 48th overall pick, the Texans believe Ersery could be special. It was reported that Houston loved his tape so much that it tried to move up into the late-30s via a trade with New England to select him a dozen spots higher. New offensive coordinator Nick Caley has been pleased with Ersery's transition from the early stages of camp, but it's hard to gauge how much he's progressed without pads on. This week's worth of practice will serve as a moment where Ersery could separate himself as the top tackle on the roster. If he's not there, Howard expects the 6-foot-8 young gun to ask questions on how he must improve to turn that mission into a reality. "He's a guy that likes to learn from the older guys and the coaches and try to apply that to practice," Howard said. "I'm just excited to be his teammate.' This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans' DeMeco Ryans believes rookie OT 'has what it takes' to play
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Houston Texans Center Makes Honest Admission About Offense
Houston Texans Center Makes Honest Admission About Offense originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Most fans won't buy it yet, but one player believes the Texans' offensive line is ready to change the narrative. In a recent interview with the voice of the Texans, Marc Vandermeer, Houston center Jake Andrews shared an optimistic outlook on the team's offensive line heading into the 2025 season. 'We're going to protect C.J. Us five up front—we're going to make it our life's work to not have anybody in his lap.' Following a year in which quarterback C.J. Stroud was the second-most sacked player in the league, concerns about the offensive line have been both expected and warranted. The scrutiny only intensified when Pro Football Focus ranked the Texans' O-line dead last in its latest position group grades. 'The presence of veterans Laremy Tunsil and Shaq Mason prevented an already shaky Texans offensive line from being even worse in 2024, and the team cut ties with both this offseason,' wrote PFF's Zoltan Buday. 'There is very little to suggest that the group isn't deserving of the No. 32 ranking ahead of the 2025 season.' In response to a horrid season up front, the Texans made several offseason additions, signing veteran tackles Trent Brown and Cam Robinson, as well as guards Laken Tomlinson and Ed Ingram. They also shifted Tytus Howard from right tackle to left guard and slotted rookie Blake Fisher in at right tackle. While it might be upsetting to fans that the team didn't do more in the offensive line department during the offseason, it seems as though players are confident. Despite the doubts, Andrews is tuning out the criticism and focusing on the task at hand. He shared a confident message that many Texans fans needed to hear after a rough 2024 season. 'We are going to play tough, physical football. People are going to know when they wake up on Monday morning that they just got done playing the Houston Texans.' Offensive coordinator Nick Caley, hired in February, previously served as the Rams' tight ends coach and pass game coordinator. Early signs have pointed to players buying into his system and Andrews doesn't think any differently. 'The ball is going to be run. (Nick) Caley is doing a good job putting that together,' Andrews said. The clip sparked a range of reactions online. Some fans embraced the energy, with one saying, 'I'm ready to run through a wall now.' Another commented, 'Love it. We haven't had that mentality on our front five in a long time.' Others remained skeptical: 'I'm not gonna believe in this OL until I see it,' one user replied. It'll take more than just talk to convince the doubters, but Andrews' words could be a rallying point for a group looking to massively redefine itself in 2025. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
