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Eagles offensive tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai is a realistic trade target for Houston Texans

By Dan Schmelzer

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images /
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The Houston Texans have some serious offensive line issues and the Philadelphia Eagles have enough depth up front to trade. Could the two sides come together on a deal?

The Houston Texans have enough talent to quickly become legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the AFC. Defensively, the Texans are loaded with talent at all three levels and have put together a unit that can compete against explosive modern offenses.

On the offensive side of the ball, Deshaun Watson is one of the best young quarterbacks in the entire NFL and he has plenty of offensive weapons to work with, led by superstar wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. If Watson can take the next step forward in his career, the Texans are going to be a tough team for anybody to beat.

That being said, it is going to be extremely difficult for him to take that next step forward without improved offensive line play.

Last season, the Texans allowed a league-leading 62 quarterback sacks. Simply put, Watson was consistently running for his life and was not able to make the most out of his abilities at the quarterback position. The offensive line stood out as the Texans’ primary need this offseason, but they really did not do much to improve the unit.

In free agency, they signed veteran offensive tackle Matt Kalil, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Despite his draft status, Kalil has never grown into the player he was supposed to be and is a below-average starting NFL offensive tackle, at best.

The Houston Texans also took offensive linemen with two out of their first three picks, snagging Tytus Howard in the first round and Max Scharping in the second. Obviously, these rookies can help, but both players came from small schools and do not appear ready to contribute right away at the next level.

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Simply put, the Texans need offensive line help now and they did not do a great job of finding it this offseason. With this in mind, I believe that they should currently be looking to attack the trade market and the Philadelphia Eagles look like a perfect trade partner for the team. In particular, Halapoulivaati Vaitai seems like a perfect fit.

This would not have been so necessary for the Texans if the Eagles weren’t so savvy in the 2019 NFL Draft. Washington State offensive tackle Andre Dillard was the best pass protecting offensive lineman in the draft class and an obvious target for the Houston Texans. The Texans undoubtedly would have made him the pick if he were on the board when they went on the clock with the 23rd overall pick.

Unfortunately for them, the Eagles knew Dillard was their target and swiped him away. Instead of sitting back and hoping for the best, Philly traded up and got their guy one spot ahead of the Texans, snagging Dillard with the 22nd overall pick. Dillard is now the left tackle of the future for Philadelphia, likely sitting behind Jason Peters during his rookie season. Meanwhile, the Texans panicked and reached for Tytus Howard.

With Dillard now on the roster, Halapoulivaati Vaitai is unlikely to have a future with the team. With Vaitai’s rookie contract expiring after the 2019 season, the Eagles may be interested in trading him if a team can make it worth their while.

Vaitai aka “Big V” was a fifth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft who saw a lot of playing time as a rookie, filling in for a suspended Lane Johnson at right tackle. Vaitai showed some promise as a rookie that season but really took a step forward with the Eagles in 2017.

Eagles left tackle Jason Peters went down early in the 2017 season, forcing Big V into action. He filled in admirably for the Eagles down the stretch and was a major reason for their Super Bowl championship. Vaitai is not an elite NFL offensive tackle, but he was able to step in and solidify an important position up front for Philly.

Simply put, the Houston Texans have obvious needs up front, particularly at both offensive tackle positions. If Howard and Scharping grow into strong starters, they do not have much long-term need at the position. However, this is a team that is ready to compete right now. The only thing holding them back is their offensive line.

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Instead of sitting back and hoping for the best, I would love to see the Texans aggressively fill their most obvious need on the roster. Vaitai is not a perfect player, but he is undoubtedly better than what they have right now. Go get him.

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