The Houston Texans have not settled one critical spot around quarterback C. J. Stroud, rotating left guards seven weeks into the season. A trade for Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio could be a fine solution for the Texans. Bitonio is on an expiring three-year, $48 million cap hit, with $92. 1 million earned in his career, and an $11. 9 million cap hit for the 2025 season. However, if the Texans could make a trade work, Bitonio should shore up their offensive line. Texans Called ‘Logical’ Trade Destination for Browns OG Joel Bitonio Stroud is tied for the sixth-most sacks taken in the NFL, and his sack rate ranks 12th. CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin listed the Texans among the “logical landing spots” for Bitonio, who could help keep pressure off of Stroud before the 2025 trade deadline. That is on November 4 at 4 p. m. ET, giving the Texans Weeks 8 and 9 to determine which direction they want to go. This Heavy Sports Texans trade proposal would send draft capital to the Browns for Bitonio. “But the Browns are in transition (as always), and Bitonio isn’t getting any younger at 34. Imagine if the seven-time Pro Bowler finally had the opportunity to line up in the trenches for a legitimate contender. He remains an interior staple.” Bitonio is a seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro. He has also been durable during his career, missing no more than two games in any season since the 2016 campaign. He is also among the top guards through seven weeks of the season, per Pro Football Focus. Texans Called Out Over Gameplan at LG The Texans are considered a potential trade destination for offensive linemen, and specifically guards, because they have rotated Laken Tomlinson and Juice Scruggs at left guard this season. However, SportsRadio 610’s Patrick Creighton questioned the Texans’ approach. Creighton believes Scruggs has been “notably better” than Tomlins in pass protection, which he called “their biggest issue.” “This is a legit #Texans question: after watching Laken Tomlinson be literally unplayable for weeks, and then seeing Juice Scruggs take over the job at LG and the OL play BETTER, someone explain to me what happened during the BYE WEEK that Laken Tomlinson leapfrogged Scruggs in the pecking order again,” Creighton posted on X on October 23 “I want to know what did Scruggs say or do that got him demoted during a BYE WEEK. I also want to know what it could have been that was SO BAD that the Texans knowingly put their QB and offense in jeopardy with how bad Tomlinson has been.” The Texans’ offensive line has become an undeniable issue. OL Called Texans’ ‘Biggest Need’ Texans general manager Nick Caserio remade the offensive line this past offseason. The overhaul included Tomlinson, but NFL. com’s Kevin Patra called the offensive line the Texans’ “biggest need” before the deadline. “The poor quality of the blocking is debilitating. The Texans can’t open holes in the ground game. C. J. Stroud is under siege like he’s a medieval castle,” Patra wrote on October 21. “The play-calling doesn’t account for the fact that the line is at a disadvantage. The offseason roadmap to revamp the blocking felt faulty from the start. It looks worse in action. There aren’t many options at this point teams aren’t likely to trade quality blockers, and there are several clubs that would pounce if they were but it’s by far the Texans’ biggest issue in a season that is spiraling.”.
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/houston-texans/stroud-trade-deadline-proposal-browns-bitonio/
