Texans Given Bleak Outlook on Eye-Catching Trade With Vikings

The Houston Texans made some more shakeups to their offensive line over the week amid their recent deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

After shipping off a collection of existing linemen on the roster, the Texans decided to bring in some new talent –– effectively trading for Vikings' former second-round pick, offensive guard Ed Ingram, in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

As a 26-year-old with the status of a former day-two selection, Ingram does bring some intriguing appeal as an option to plug in on the inside of the Texans offensive line, especially at such a low cost of a future sixth rounder.

However, in the eyes of some, the deal may not be one that solves much of the Texans' offensive line problems. Especially so in the case of ESPN's Seth Walder, who graded the move as a C-minus deal from Houston's perspective.

Interior pass protection was a major issue for the Texans in 2024. In trading for Ingram, Houston hopes the former second-round pick will provide a low-cost solution at one guard spot. I'm skeptical the Texans will achieve that," Walder wrote, "On one hand, this is a relatively low-cost move for Houston. On the other, it's not nothing! The Texans not only surrendered a sixth-round pick, but they are taking on the most expensive year of Ingram's contract -- he's set to make $3.2 million in cash this year."

It's a bit of an investment into Ingram's services, as well as holding out a bit of hope for the now-former Vikings guard to pan out in a new situation, which could inevitably be much easier said than done. Ingram ended up being benched in Minnesota nine games into last season.

While that doesn't mean he can't be successful in Houston, the follow-up questions appear asking whether or not Ingram can be a starting guard in the Texans' offense, or if he even has the chance to develop into an upgrade from what the unit had on the interior from 2024.

Ingram is an intriguing story to watch heading into next season, and if the investment doesn't quite pan out, the Texans won't lose much. Sometimes to improve the roster, front offices have to get creative, and this could be just an example of that from Nick Caserio and Co. in doing so.

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