The Texans have gotten to work agreeing to terms with one of their biggest offseason acquisitions. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, Houston and second-round pick DT Kayden Macdonald have agreed to four-year, fully guaranteed rookie contract worth $12.904 million:
This comes at great news to arrive on the weekend of Houston’s rookie minicamp, where McDonald donned Texans’ gear for the first time and trained with DL coaches Rod Wright and Frank Okam:
McDonald was the unstoppable force and immovable object rolled into one giant being in the middle of Ohio State’s defense, and he will immediately compete for a starting role on Houston’s vaunted defensive line. Although, Kenneth Levy noted how his change in stance in the Texans’ defensive scheme could generate some early issues:
The transition from playing head up in front of the center to playing over the guard is not as simple as one assumes. Playing over the guard - aka the three-technique - requires quickness and lateral agility to sustain leverage over the B gap. At 6’2”, 326 pounds, he is quite definitively larger than any other DT on the roster. - Kenneth Levy, Top Houston Texans Storylines Heading Into Rookie Minicamp
Is it suave? Is it silly? Is it another feather in Caserio’s cap, or a fresh stain on his Texans polo? Jayden Higgins came on strong to finish his rookie season last year, but it’s far too early to determine if he’ll end up being worth that “big” deal. Only time will tell if these moves will work out in Houston’s favor, but let this be certain: many, many eyes will be on the careers of Jayden Higgins and Kayden McDonald, as they could be the difference between a Texans Super Bowl run and another Divisional Round exit.
What do you think of this news, though? Will McDonald make good on all of the hype and deliver Houston a pro-bowl season, or even a Super Bowl championship? Or, will McDonald struggle in his first year, and put all this guarantee-talk in a bad light? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments below!