Stephanie Stradley’s Texans Q&A with Wade Smith

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One of my favorite people to ask offensive line questions to is former NFL offensive lineman, Wade Smith (@Smitty74allday). He had a long career playing for multiple teams, played multiple offensive line spots, was a part of the Texans best offensive lines and received a Pro Bowl spot in 2012.

You may also be familiar with him for the good work he does with the Wade Smith Foundation.

Over 55,000 students in the Houston and Dallas area have participated in his Reading With The Pros Literacy Outreach Program. 15 Reading Corners and 30,000 books have been donated to schools on behalf of the WSF. The merit-based Smitty Scholars scholarship program has awarded $180,000 to outgoing seniors in the Houston and Dallas area.

Also, he’s written two children’s books, Smitty Hits The Play Books and Smitty Tackles Bullying. The proceeds of book sales go to support The Wade Smith Foundation programs.

If you are interested in supporting his good work, Bedtime Stories 2018 –A Celebrity Fashion Show is a principle fundraiser for the Foundation and will be held on April 27, 2018. Various Houston Texans players will be there.

2012

Guard Wade Smith (74) was selected to his first Pro Bowl. 2012

Guard Wade Smith (74) was selected to his first Pro Bowl. Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Chronicle Photo: Smiley N. Pool, Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Stephanie Stradley’s Texans Q&A with Wade Smith 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

Literacy, fashion, and philanthropy aside, here’s some football:

Stephanie Stradley: Many people analyzing the Texans point to the offensive line as an obvious candidate for free agent and draft help. What is your current perception of it, what do you think they should do, how they can develop it now and in the future, and how much improvement could you see and how fast?

Wade Smith: I’d draft an offensive lineman with two of the first four picks the Texans have in the 2018 Draft. One guard and one tackle. I’d also not expect/depend on either one of them to start this season. A rookie starting would never be out of necessity. It would be because they came in and took a job from a capable veteran player. It happens and is awesome to see when it does.

My overall philosophy is to have a healthy mix of youth and veteran presence in a starting five. Uber versatility is coveted for players 6-8 in the rotation. An ideal group has three drafted guys with a combo of UFA and Undrafted FA Signings rounding the group out. This is important for a number of reasons.

1. Allows flexibility at other positions within the salary cap

2. Fosters a good mix of personalities and life/playing experience in the meeting/locker room

3. Leadership and buying in to the system

*Ideal situation is to have Drafted LT + C

*Free agent left tackles will almost always have a shorter shelf life and come with various forms of baggage/shortcomings. Teams don’t get rid of homegrown productive players drafted at the left tackle position unless the aforementioned blemishes apply.

Guards and RT being a hodgepodge of the other methods of acquisition is just fine.

The following lists reflect some potential starting fives the Texans could realistically achieve for the 2018-19 season. In all of these lists, I factor in a healthy Derek Newton. Him being unable to go this year would take the degree of difficulty of improving the O-line up another notch. Let’s all hope and pray he can come back healthy this year. He’s a critical piece to the puzzle. Keep an eye on David Quessenberry and Chad Slade if he can’t go.

I think the left tackle of the future should be taken in the 1st round of the 2019 NFL draft so keep that in mind when checking out the various groups. None of my options include both Jeff Allen and Xavier Su’a-Filo returning to the team. I think one will stay and one will go.

If Xavier is the odd man out, I have a feeling he’s going to go somewhere else, play well, make the Texans fan base scratch its collective head, and another fan base pleasantly surprised.

Ideal *Attainable Group Plan A

Ceiling (B+)

Floor (C+)

LT- Nate Solder (UFA) *Veteran w/ a ton of big game experience, Solid Player with 2-3 good years left in the tank

LG- Jeff Allen (UFA) *Plays much better on his natural left side of the line,

C- Nick Martin (2nd Rd. Draft Pick) *High Ceiling, Struggled down the stretch, Injuries are a concern

RG- Derek Newton (6th Rd. Draft Pick) *Health is major concern, Dominant in short stint at this spot

RT- Julièn Davenport (4th Rd Draft Pick) *Showed flashes in rookie year. Great Size, Will get stronger in 1st NFL offseason

Sneaky Plan B

Ceiling (B)

Floor (C-)

LT- Jeff Allen (UFA) *Played surprisingly well down the stretch at LT

LG- Josh Sitton or Andrew Norwell (UFA) *Plug and Play guys that make the whole line better

C- Nick Martin (See Above)

RG- Derek Newton (See Above)

RT- Julièn Davenport (See Above)

Adequate Option Plan C

Ceiling (B-)

Floor (C-)

LT- Julièn Davenport (See Above)

LG- Jeff Allen (See Above)

C- Nick Martin (See Above)

RG- Brandon Fusco or Josh Kline (UFA) Young scrappy veterans with good experience and upside

RT- Derek Newton Health is a major concern. Solid player at this spot

Plan D

Ceiling (B-)

Floor (D+)

LT- Julièn Davenport (See Above)

LG- Xavier Su’a-Filo Coming off his best season as a Texan, still not as consistent as you would like

C- Nick Martin (See Above)

RG- Jhari Evans (UFA) Veteran presence that still has some tread left on the tires. Good short term option.

RT- Derek Newton (See Above)

Stradley: With the NFL limited sized rosters and greater attention to concussions, it has created more of an emphasis on players that can play multiple positions. I sometimes think that in coach Bill O'Brien's years with the team, there has been too much of a focus on position flexibility for the offensive line. The idea of jack of all trades, master of none.

I also think that sometimes in the past, they've moved players around too much to put them in a position to excel at one thing or put players in positions where just in physical skills, they aren't suited. To me, I think a team's focus should be to get someone who is great at one position and physically suited to it but could play something else if necessary.

Do you see that at all? What are some of the challenges of playing multiple offensive line positions and what do you think the main focus should be in acquiring players for specific positions on the offensive line for both the draft and free agency?

Smith: It really depends on the philosophy of what type of line you want to have. I think teams that put a premium on versatility amongst their starting 5, reject the philosophy that having a dominate O-line is necessary to succeed. Their investment in the position group will reflect that. Plenty of teams have won Super Bowls without a dominate (Top 5) O-line so this isn’t a foolhardy philosophy.

This year’s Super Bowl winner (Philadelphia Eagles) though, invested (high draft picks/money) more than any other team in the NFL. With the copycat nature of the NFL, it wouldn’t surprise me if a significant amount of teams try to replicate this in the near future.

I believe in the philosophy you mentioned in your question. I want the players focusing on their most comfortable/productive position. Provide them the tools to improve their play and give them every opportunity to be GREAT. If you can be great at one position, in a pinch, you can transfer that into be being adequate to pretty good in another.

I do think jack of all trades philosophy can benefit a young player in the long term (See My Career Arc), but a lot of the time it can be detrimental to that player’s short-term success/growth. You have to understand that the “win now”, “what have you done for me lately” nature of the business; mixed the propensity for coaching changes to occur over the first four years of a young players career, is a recipe for disaster in the learn everything and rep everywhere philosophy. It can be quite counterproductive.

Stradley: When looking at an NFL offensive line, how much percentage of responsibility to good or bad play do you assess to the following: Coaching/Scheme, Quarterback Play, Individual Ability of Components of Line, and why?

Smith: Individual Players Ability 40 percent

It’s up to each individual player to put in the work to become the best version of himself possible. No scheme or QB can make a bad/lazy/unprepared player good. They can be hidden for short stretches, but this league has a way of finding the guys that can’t play. It’s one of the reasons I have so much respect for the league and its players. It’s the best of the best. Weak links are identified and exploited. Put in the work, because it’s inevitable you end up being “that guy” if you don’t.

Coaching/Scheme 35%

Good Coaching/Scheme can mask weakness and accentuate strengths of O-Lines and vice versa

QB Play 25%

(See Below)

Stradley: Some people suggest that Deshaun Watson is a bit like a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, that no matter the problem, he can fix it. And with this topic specifically, that no matter your issues of the offensive line, he can fix them and resources don't need to be invested there.

My view is that though it is obvious Watson had a positive effect on results, that not making improvements on the offensive line will be of risk to him. Your thoughts with Watson and line help?

Smith: Watson makes a below average player (group) average, an average player (group) above average, an above average player (group) good, a good player (group) great, and a great player (group) exceptional. This can be said for pretty much every franchise (top 10) QB in the league.

With that being said, you STILL must significantly invest in the Offensive Line... Let me say it again for the people in the nose bleeds, YOU STILL MUST SIGNIFICANTLY INVEST IN THE OFFENSIVE LINE!!

One of the most frustrating things to watch over the past couple of years has been the complete dismantling of the Seattle Seahawks O-Line. Max Unger, Russell Okung, & JR Sweezy centerpieces of lines that took the Seahawks to back to back Super Bowls, were gone in a blink of an eye. Russell Wilson is still Russell Wilson, but the lack of balance in their offense (Run Game) has been the #1 reason SEA has dropped from a Super Bowl contender year in and year out to a wildcard round team at best.

Add that to the amount of unnecessary hits Wilson has sustained over the past couple of seasons and it makes you realize that stability up front is paramount in order to consistently put a high performing product on the field. Texans should zig where the Seahawks zagged by providing DW4 a quality run game, and make protecting him their first priority.

Stradley: An offensive line is often as good as it's health and ability to play together. From your perspective, how much of staying on the field is a skill and how much is luck? I sometimes think that backup level offensive linemen being exposed to starter snaps can sometimes result in being overmatched and injured.

Smith: I’d say it’s 75-80% ability/skill/technique/communication/football smarts

Being physically overmatched, playing out of control, and not anticipating/knowing what to the guy next to you is going/trying to do are the usual culprits when injuries occur in the trenches.

The term “Controlled Chaos” has been used for years to accurately describe the game of football. I think up front, “Choreographed Chaos” is an even better way to describe the madness that ensues in the trenches. Imagine watching a poorly choreographed dance routine at a musical, or by the dance team at a local sporting event. Cringeworthy and Train Wreck are terms that come to mind.

Ask the coach or director of those teams why they had such bad performances, and they’ll likely say we didn’t practice long enough together as a group to get a feel for one another, we don’t communicate well, and we are physically limited on some of the things we’d like to do. It applies in the same way up front. There’s a reason that the term “Dancing Bear” is so eloquently used to describe some of the most talented guys each year that play up front.

Athletic guys, that have good play strength, play with balance, are football smart, and are mentally tough tend to avoid the injury bug. As crazy as it may sound, knowing how to properly fall is a really underrated characteristic of a player that stays healthy.

The rest (20-25%) you have to just charge to the game. Stuff happens that is beyond anyone’s control.

Stradley: What are your thoughts on the best way to develop drafted offensive linemen and some of the factors involved? How hard is that transition to the NFL after the draft process? How patient should fans be for an offensive linemen's development and are there opportunities to pick free agents that might have been overlooked during that learning process?

Smith: Having synergy between the front Office (Scouting Department) and coaches (Scheme) is the first key. An organization failing in this respect pretty much guarantees a player will not succeed in that organization. Those guys can be talented players with higher ceilings but have their growth stunted just because they don’t fit what the coaches want in a guy. This really shows itself in non- 1st round picks.

Usually, first rounders have an abundance of natural ability and can play in multiple schemes. Their success or lack there of usually rests on the mental component of their game. For the mid to late round guys though, scheme fit is key. They often go elsewhere and have successful careers when they get into a situation that has a better fit, leaving the original fan base wondering why the hell the guy couldn’t play like that for US!?!?

One of the greatest attributes of a good coach/scheme is the ability to adapt to the personnel they have to work with. The longer you try to fit square pegs in round holes though... Well, we all know how that story ends.

Stradley: If there were one thing that you think fans should know about offensive line play but likely don't, what is it?

Smith: When taking in account the overall degree of difficulty, the choreographed chaos of offensive line play is easily the most physically and mentally demanding position group in football period. Ask around the league and see how many front offices/fans feel they have a good to great O-Line in comparison to amount of front offices/fans that feel they have an average to piss poor O-Line. I’d venture to guess the overwhelming majority would claim the latter.

It takes time, a bunch skill, and a little luck to put together a good group. We had one during my time with the Texans. A perfect storm of players, scheme, and health/continuity. Be thankful, and cherish it when we finally get to, and hopefully surpass, that level again.

* * *

See, this is perfect. The perfect football conversation gives you some things to think about, and please thank Wade for taking the time to share his thoughts. And if the spirit moves you, consider donating your time or talent to The Wade Smith Foundation using this link here.

Thoughts on Developing O-line.

My favorite part of this conversation with Wade is where he felt compelled to emphatically all caps the need to protect Deshaun Watson. The folks from Pro Football Focus put some extra exclamation points on this with their observation that Watson has the top passer rating in the league when he is kept clean at 124.1.

I liked how Wade envisioned various offensive lines that were a mix of experienced and less experienced players while noting the need to develop drafted players.

Probably the two best offensive linemen that the Texans developed from scratch were Duane Brown (end of 1st round) and Eric Winston (3rd round). What did they have in common?

Played for good offensive schemes with good position coaches.

Physically, were suitable for the positions they played.

Athletic background, moved from tight end.

Hard workers who were college leaders.

Had experienced offensive lineman to help their learning curve. Brown started every game as a rookie but worked in a rotation with a more experienced player. Winston prepared like a swing tackle, looked better than backup offensive linemen during preseason, was pushed into starting due to the injury of the player in front of him.

Had good injury fortune early in their careers, unlike Charles Spencer who was also drafted in the third round with Eric Winston, was promising but suffered a fluke injury.

I walk through these elements because it is a good illustration of how difficult it will be to reassemble a line without a top pick or steady offensive line leadership.

Due to lack of consistent quarterback play, injury, change of offensive line coach, slow development, self-inflicted chaos, the Texans seem to be needing to do a redo on the offensive line ever year since Bill O’Brien has taken over.

To me, the state of the offensive line in 2018 is the most disappointing aspect of the Rick Smith – Bill O’Brien era. How many years has the offensive line been an issue? There is a philosophy that if you don’t like the quarterbacks in the draft, you should build the team to prepare for when you do draft QB. What they ended up doing for the offensive line seemed scattershot and inadequate and not just in retrospect.

Who Do You Like in this Draft?

In our specialized world, I leave college player analysis to those who watch them closely. For example, I enjoyed this article from local sports talk radio host and NFL.com draft analyst, Lance Zierlein called, “Some potential offensive line targets for the Texans.”

Sometimes, I’m asked to give my opinion on what players the Texans should draft based on what I know of their needs. Typically, I prefer not offering opinions on things I don’t have opinions on. Weird, I know.

So this is what I do sort of informally as someone who hasn’t seen much of these players but do have opinions on Texans needs:

1. Identify key needs for the Texans for the following year and projecting what may happen with vets in the near future.

2. Check what various draft people I respect say about draftable players of positions of interest. Twitter makes that easier than ever.

3. Check physical traits and characteristics of players post-combine and pro-days. See if specific traits that project well to the position stand out.

4. Cross-reference both and then ask people I trust about those players.

Probably the most ideal player that process worked for was J.J. Watt. Pre-combine, though there were some draftniks high on him, some of those assessments attributed his production to being a try hard guy. Which he was. But he also blew up the combine and had physical and leadership traits that projected well to the NFL.

Ultimately, even the best experts in the world get their picks wrong. To me, very few players are so great that they can succeed in every situation. If you were doing draft grades, sometimes you would be better off just evaluating the situations and fit and giving a grade on that versus the specific players.

In any event, who are some players whether on the offensive line or elsewhere that you think are realistically available when the Texans will be picking. Please put the names below or let me know on Twitter @StephStradley as I care about such things. Sometimes college football fans have favorite players who are favorites for a good reason.