The Texans reached an agreement with former Colts right tackle Braden Smith on a two-year, $25 million deal, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.
It is the most significant commitment the Texans have made on the offensive side of the ball this offseason, guaranteeing Smith $13.5 million, per reports.
Smith undoubtedly bolsters Houston's offensive line, but there is a curiosity about exactly which position he will play. He's started 105 games exclusively at tackle in his eight-year NFL career, but was an All-American guard at Auburn and drafted initially by the Colts to play guard. Indy changed its plan at some point with the idea there was untapped potential for Smith at tackle and it proved to be a smart decision.
But there is still that background of him being a natural guard who was made into a tackle. Meanwhile, the Texans have a very glaring hole to fill at left guard, while they at least have to tackles on the roster who have started games for them in the past between Trent Brown and Blake Fisher.
On In The Loop, we react to the signing and discuss what it could mean for the Texans' o-line.