The General weighs in in
his Blog on Chron.com
Texans select left tackle Duane Brown
General manager Rick Smith took a huge chance trading down from 18 to 26 and still getting Virginia Tech left tackle Duane Brown.
The Texans brought in all the left tackles they liked for interviews. Assistant head coach Alex Gibbs fell in love with Chris Williams, Branden Albert and Brown, who is 6-4, 315 and the fastest left tackle in the draft. He ran a 5.00 40-yard dash at the scouting combine.
Brown was a tight end who was moved to right tackle because Virginia Tech had Brandon Frye, a fifth-round pick last season. When Frye left, Brown was moved to left tackle and played very well last season.
The Texans interviewed Virginia defensive end Chris Long, and he praised Brown's blocking ability. They talked to players and coaches who played against Brown as well as though who played with him.
"We think he has a tremendous upside," Smith said.
In the Denver zone scheme the Texans are using exclusively for the first time, the left tackle has to be extremely quick as well as intelligent and nasty. The quickness comes from getting off the ball and making his initial block, then getting onto the second level to make another block. It's a complicated scheme that demands the player think on the run.
Also, Gibbs demands that his linemen cut block. Some don't like to do it because they don't want it done to them. If the player doesn't cut, he can't play for Gibbs. Brown told them he has no problem with cut-blocking.
