It wasn't long ago that quarterback C.J. Stroud missed a few practices with soreness. That doesn't appear to be a reason for concern, but there's another issue the Houston Texans must be feeling worried about. The Jacksonville Jaguars need to exploit it when they face them twice in the regular season.
Stroud is back a practice, but DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN reports that the Texans' offensive tackles have had trouble stopping edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson, pointing out that the third-year quarterback got touched at the same time at one point.
As Bien-Aime noted, it's only minicamp, but it should most definitely raise all kinds of alarms. After all, Stroud is coming off an underwhelming season, and part of his struggles were due to the subpar protection he got when he dropped back.
The news is especially worrisome when you take into account that the Texans made several moves to beef up the offensive line in the offseason but aren't getting enough bang for their buck. Aside from trading for Ed Ingram, they signed guard Laken Tomlinson and Cam Robinson in free agency. But despite the upgrades, it looks like their protection issues up front remain.
Of course, Houston has ample time to address the issue. Heck, it might've been just a bad rep, but if they want to make sure Stroud bounces back, they cannot just bury their head in the sand.
The Jaguars should have a favorable matchup vs. the Texans in the trenches
The Houston Texans are the team to beat in the AFC South after winning the division title the past two years, and certainly have the talent to earn a third. Having said that, they're vulnerable and the Jacksonville Jaguars must take advantage of any potential weakness they're dreaded rivals have. The cracks across the offensive trenches is certainly one.
While the offensive trenches could turn out to be a weakness for Houston, the Jaguars' front four figures to be a potential strength. Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen are back at their natural playing weight. Arik Armstead will switch back to defensive tackle after mostly playing on the edge last year. Moreover, Maason Smith is poised to make massive strides in Year 2.
If that wasn't enough, Jacksonville locked up the trio of Emmanuel Ogbah, Dennis Gardick, and Dawuane Smoot to round out their rotation. Simply put, the Jags' D-Line matchup favorably against the Texans, and that could ultimately give them an edge when they face their division rivals next season.
The bottom line is that the Jaguars are flying under the radar but could turn out to be a dark horse playoff team. Sure, the Texans remain at the top of the AFC South, but they'll need to look behind their shoulders if they don't want to be usurped.