Smith Out, Brown In at Right Tackle

Houston Texans mandatory minicamp wrapped up with flashes of potential from key players, but a major storyline emerged with the absence of free agent Braden Smith, sidelined by a neck injury. Trent Brown stepped in at right tackle, grabbing first-team reps — a sign of early momentum — but with Smith sidelined and unable to compete in full-team drills, the true battle for the starting spot remains undecided. With Smith’s $20M investment on the line, his health and performance at training camp in August will be critical. Early practices without pads offer little clarity — the real competition hasn’t even begun. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/b402380fb14f8d28