The Houston Texans guaranteed they would have a solid tackle duo for the next three seasons with the Tytus Howard extension.
Houston worked out a deal with their former 2019 first-round pick on the eve of training camp and finalized the contract by the end of day one.
Along with Howard, the Texans have three-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil as a stalwart at left tackle. Presuming C.J. Stroud wins the starting quarterback job, the rookie will have quality pass protection as he makes his foray into the NFL.
According to Doug Farrar from the Touchdown Wire, the Texans’ contract with Howard grades as a B-minus in the vertical’s analysis of recent contract extensions across the league.
Howard is a solid option at right tackle for Houston. Could you do better? Sure, but you could also do much worse. He also gives Houston some versatility, as he can also be kicked inside to play guard if need be.
When it comes to pass blocking efficiency amongst tackles to play at least half the snaps of the league-leader in snaps played, Howard had a very respectable score of 96.6, per PFF. Locking him down with a three-year, $56 million extension is respectable money for a respectable option at right tackle opposite of Laremy Tunsil.
An offensive line is a cohesive unit of five players moving in concert to clear running lanes and provide protection on passing downs. In the abstract, Howard’s extension may be in the B range. However, when factored into the capital improvements general manager Nick Caserio has made to the line in the offseason, along with new coach DeMeco Ryans’ belief the trenches are a foundation to a great team, the Howard extension deserves a higher mark than flirting with C territory.
