Houston Texans Sign Nick Martin To Contract Extension

The Texans drafted Nick Martin in the second round back in 2015. It’s the fourth year of his rookie contract, meaning it’s time to pay the prophet, as Martin would be an unrestricted free agent after the 2019 season. Now, Martin hasn’t been a good center for Houston. He’s a crappy run blocker who struggles at reaching the shoulder with strength and doesn’t block the second level well. He’s a fine pass blocker, but a pass blocking center is like a designated hitter with speed. It’s cool and all, but it’s not as important as hitting.

Rather than wait the rest of the season to see if Martin improves, Bill O’Brien and his Articles Of Confederation bet on Martin to improve this season, signing him to a 3-year, $33 million extension with $18.35 million guaranteed.

This is something that shouldn’t have happened. Martin plays a non-premium position and isn’t even an above average player at a position where he’s now being paid like a top five player. The only reason for this extension is that Martin is a Bill O’Brien guy. O’Brien dreams of a great quarterback-center configuration that can play together for a decade. He has the quarterback in Deshaun Watson. He doesn’t have the center but he just paid Nick Martin as though he is that player.

The botched and terrible offseason for the Texans just keeps getting better.