If the offensive line is going to feature four new starters (as O’Brien has suggested), it would be ideal if the Texans could come into the regular season and be comfortable blocking as a unit. Continuity across the offensive line is crucial to better blocking, and Rankin’s injury already threatens that.
The Texans may have erred in not targeting guys like Nate Solder and Andrew Norwell in free agency, but they’ll make it work with what they have. With all the weapons the Texans have on offense, opposing defenses should still be wary of overcommitting to pressuring Deshaun Watson.
As of today, I predict a Julien Davenport-Senio Kelemete-Nick Martin-Zach Fulton-Seantrel Henderson starting offensive line when the Texans take the field Week 1 against the Patriots. Hopefully Rankin can rotate in and become a steady contributor, if not a starter, as the season progresses.
Are you worried about Martinas Rankin’s injury? Does it change your outlook for the Texans this year?
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It's well known that the Texans aggressively pursued signing Soldier but he chose to remain in the northeast for family reasons. His son has cancer and is being treated at a hospital in the northeast and his in-laws also live in that region so he signed with the Giants instead of the Texans.
Re Martinas - he missed all of the OTAs which puts him way behind so it may be overly optimistic to expect him to help us in 2018.
On the plus side, the OLine looked descent in limited action in the preseason opener on Thursday.
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