Laremy Tunsil's replacement could be Houston's biggest bust for the 2025 NFL season

USA Today

6 days ago

The Houston Texans had an impactful offseason that included a move on from five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil. While Tay Ersery is expected to compete for starting reps on the blindside, the Texans didn't want to pressure a young lineman to have to replace a talent like Tunsil in pass protection, so they added veteranism with former Jacksonville Jaguars starter Cam Robinson.
While Robinson wasn't the big name everyone was expecting to come in for Tunsil, he was considered the best tackle on the market in free agency. After starting both the Vikings and Jaguars over the past seven seasons, he brings a leadership presence and experience for a line that struggled to win in pass protection last season while keeping C.J. Stroud upright.
The only problem? Robinson was one of the league's worst pass protectors, allowing over six sacks in 2024 between his time in Jacksonville and Minnesota. He struggled in the playoff loss against the Los Angeles Rams and allowed three sacks in the season finale over the Minnesota Vikings.
Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox is convinced that Ersery will be starting sooner rather than later once Robinson shows his upside could cost Stroud a season of success. In fact, he predicted that Robinson has the potential to be the biggest bust for Houston this season.
"Robinson has always been a serviceable starter when healthy but never a star. He appeared in 17 games last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings and was responsible for 13 penalties and seven sacks allowed, according to Pro Football Focus," Knox wrote.
"With a one-year, $12 million contract, Robinson's price point is reasonable. However, he isn't likely to make fans forget about Tunsil—and that's assuming he manages to hold off rookie second-round pick Aireontae Ersery."
The skepticism is understandable, especially considering that Sam Darnold's play decreased once Robinson replaced Christian Darrisaw in Minneapolis. He also struggled early in the year to protect Trevor Lawrence at left tackle, eventually becoming a liability for the Jaguars on the blindside that led to his benching.
Still, what other options do the Texans have? Ersery is still finding his footing as OTAs and former second-round pick Blake Fisher is fighting for starting spot anywhere on the line. With the addition of new offensive coordinator Nick Caley, perhaps there's some juice added to the playbook that could open up more designs in favor of Robinson starting.
Houston pass protecion needs to be better in 2025 and Robinson will no doubt play a key role in just how much success they have. Well, at least for the first several games. If Ersey ends up exceeding expectations in camp, the margin of failure will shrink for Robinson to have a second or even third chance.