It's been an offseason filled with interesting changes for the Houston Texans across the past few weeks.
One of those eye-catching moves the Texans brass decided to make as part of their various free agent signings was the addition of tackle Cam Robinson, a veteran lineman who last played for the Minnesota Vikings, effectively coming into the fold to help fill in the void left by their star on the left side in Laremy Tunsil.
It's big shoes for Robinson to fill for next year, and especially when factoring in the Texans' existing issues on their offensive line, the pressure is on for the 29-year-old to produce. However, when asking one of his former head coaches, the vet will be more than capable of fulfilling those duties.
During this year's annual offseason owners meeting in Florida, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, who led Robinson last season for 10 games, was asked about what the Texans may be getting in their new tackle, where he spoke notably highly of what he brings to the table.
"First of all, you notice just the sheer size, and length, and the physical traits that he has," O'Connell said. "But, I don't know if it's been talked about enough –– a guy that comes in, one of the best left tackles in football, Christian Darrisaw, goes down, and Cam Robinson comes into our building on a Wednesday, and we win the next nine football games we played, against some great pass rushers. I just don't know how many times in the league that's happened."
Forging together that physical ability and extensive experience as a starter in the league made for an ideal situation for Houston to give him a shot on their front lines. In due time, Robinson was inked to a one-year $12 million deal to hold down the left tackle spot for at least one season, and in the eyes of O'Connell, the Texans brass are going to like what they see from their investment.
"He's played a lot of football," O'Connell continued. "He's obviously stepping in for a pretty legitimate player in Laremy, that's had a ton of success. I expect Cam's going to do well, and knowing a little bit about DeMeco [Ryans] and Nick [Caserio], and what they've built there from a playstyle standpoint, I think they're going to like a lot of what Cam has to offer."
Taking the reigns of a critical position like left tackle from Tunsil is no easy task, and how Robinson performs this season will end up having a major impact on the success of this Texans offense. But perhaps with a bit of experience in a similar situation of being a major fill-in with Minnesota, this move could unravel into a home run for the Texans.