Houston Texans Team Needs - DEF, OL

The entire defensive unit needs help at each level. Defensive end and first overall selection Mario Williams needs help in the middle and a defensive tackle that can draw attention is the answer. Jeff Zgonina was signed to add talent at tackle, but he’ll turn thirty-seven in May. The remaining tackles, Travis Johnson and Anthony Maddox do not command anywhere near the attention that would be beneficial to the efforts of Williams.

Linebacker DeMeco Ryans, another 2006 draft selection, can also use help. A quality linebacker—and perhaps a veteran—would be a valuable help to Ryans’ incredible talent and production. Shawn Barber and Danny Clark were acquired in an effort to improve this area, but another high quality linebacker will be needed. For now, the team has made this less of a need, but it remains a point of concern for the time being.

In the secondary, there are further needs. Cornerbacks Dunta Robinson and DeMarcus Faggins, along with safeties Glenn Earl and C.C. Brown, posted solid numbers in terms of tackles, but the reason for the high number of tackles is that teams attack the Houston secondary with the feeling that it is inferior, and the Texans have suffered mightily because of this. Overall, much of the Texans cap space and many of the team’s draft picks could go towards the aid of the defense.

On the other side of the ball, the Texans need to upgrade the line. The only member of the line over thirty is left tackle Ephraim Salaam, but it isn’t age that has created the need. For the third consecutive season, the Texans’ quarterback was been sacked at least forty times. No team can win consistently when they are allowing their leader to be pressured so much and taken down so often. The run game also struggled, as Houston finished 2006 ranked 21st in rushing offense. The line needs changes, and whatever resources the team doesn’t use on defense will likely be used here.

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