Grade the Signing: Texans Land Colts' Braden Smith on 2-Year Deal

The Houston Texans made their first big outside acquisition for the offensive line on day two of free agency bysigning Indianapolis Colts tackle Braden Smith to a two-year contract, inking him on a deal with a total value of up to $25 million, and makes for a big shift on this offensive front.

There had been tons of talk regarding Houston's offensive line and just how the front office would improve the position group over the next few weeks. And while there are certainly more moves to come in the trenches, bringing on Smith from a division foe is a step in the right direction.

But just how well did the Texans do in their big splash on the offensive line? Was it a strong investment, or an unnecessary overpay?

Let's break it down by grading Houston's newest free agency swing:

Grade: B+

There's a lot to like from the Texans' decision to spend on a guy like Braden Smith.

Coming into free agency, a good chunk of the talk regarding the Texans' offensive line needs focused on what they had on the interior.

Their left guard, Tytus Howard, had been traded to the Cleveland Browns. Ed Ingram's status on next year's roster was still within question, and the center position served as an easy target to upgrade from last year's starter, Jake Andrews.

But this signing primarily addresses the outside of the Texans line at tackle as opposed to those aforementioned positions of need, which means there's likely more work to do in order to refine the interior offensive line, yet still helps Houston find better security and stability protecting on the edge.

Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Braden Smith (72) warms up Monday, July 28, 2025, ahead of training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

However, Smith isn't just an experienced lineman, but also a versatile one. He's started in over 100 regular-season games throughout his eight years in the NFL, mostly at right tackle, but also has the flexibility to play inside at guard if necessary.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein made an interesting note following Houston's deal for Smith, highlighting his versatility at either guard or tackle, specifically thanks to his experience while at college with Auburn, and was even drafted into the league initially projected to play guard.

New Texans Braden Smith took 125 snaps at OT in college & 2532 snaps at OG. He came into the draft as a guard & was drafted as a guard but Indy had a personnel exec who believed he could stay at RT (after an emerency start vs. NE) so they tried it. They successfully transitioned…
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) March 10, 2026

That might’ve gone into the Texans' rationale for signing Smith; bringing in someone who can not only provide a facelift at tackle, but also offer some additional versatility on their offensive front that might not be present anymore without Tytus Howard in the fold.

What holds it back from being an A relies on one simple factor that isn't exactly in the Texans' control, and that's Smith's health that has seen some ups and downs through the past three years.

The former Colts offensive lineman has played in 35 of 51 potential games since 2023 due to both physical and mental health reasons, and is now set to turn 30 years old at the start of next season.

There's a chance that availability could creep back up as a lingering concern for Smith's fit in Houston. But even when that risk is factored in, it's tough to say that the Texans should've held off from signing one of the best tackles available on the market.

In the event that health does become an issue, the Texans also have a fallback plan in the form of Trent Brown, who started over half of the 2025 season as Houston's primary right tackle and performed well in those opportunities. Rookies are also expected to be added, which will help further support that depth.

Simply put, veteran upgrades were desperately needed on the offensive line, and Smith can be exactly that, so long as he's on the field. If that's the only worry the Texans have when bringing him in, that probably means the investment and the added risk were worthwhile to take a flier on.

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