DeMeco Ryans is always looking to what's best for the Houston Texans. That sometimes leads to difficult calls surrounding the roster construction for the long haul.
Fans were stunned earlier this month the Texans shipped off five-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders in exchange for four draft picks, including a 2025 third-round selection. Tunsil, who's been the most penalized offensive lineman for two seasons, was still the team's top pass protector, allowing 11 sacks in six seasons following his trade from Miami in 2019.
But Ryans knew that keeping Tunsil would lead to a contract dispute down the line. Money needed to be allocated to younger talents like All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud and Pro Bowl defensive end Will Anderson Jr.
That doesn't mean moving off a premier talent like Tunsil was an easy call.
"There’s nothing easy about that because Laremy is such a great player," Ryans told reporters Monday at the annual NFL owners meetings. "Put the tape on Sunday and he’s arguably one of the best one-on-one pass protectors in the NFL, so it’s hard to lose a player of his caliber, but at the same time it was a trade we felt was beneficial to both parties. We were able to get quality draft picks out of the trade and send Laremy to a really good team as well. I think we both benefited from the trade, but it’s going to be hard to replace him as well.”
Earlier this offseason, The MMQB's Albert Breer reported that the was a "toxic culture" surrounding the offensive line this past fall. That eventually led to the team giving up 54 total sacks, which was the third-most in the league, en route to a second AFC South division title.
While the Texans fired offensive line coach Chris Strassuer and moved off three starters, Ryans said the report was "very incorrect" regarding the persona and camaraderie of the offensive line room.
"Our guys in that room they ...