Erik Winston Leaving the Texans

By Kent Lee Platte

Image Source: Getty Images

Widely considered to be the best Right Tackle in the NFL, Erik Winston has quietly had a fantastic career on what was one of the best offensive lines in football last season.  At the end of the day, his $5.5 million salary became prohibitive for a team looking to sign some big name Free Agents of their own while also allegedly pursuing Peyton Manning.



Not to down on Winston's skill at all, but part of the reason he's regarded as the best RT in the NFL is because there is a sure lack of talent at that position throughout the NFL (Better tackles generally get moved to the blind side).  There is going to be a huge market for a player of Winston's talents and it's unlikely he'll remain on the market for long.

Teams that could easily benefit from Winston's skills immediately are the Detroit Lions, New York Giants, and Chicago Bears.  Those are just the names that come to mind offhand, there are dozens of teams that have a player that is either not as good, more expensive, or ready to move to the other side. 

Whoever ends up taking Winston, they are picking up a 28 year old who won't command a huge salary, will immediately upgrade their offensive line, and will probably still be considered the best at his position in 2012.  That's a pretty safe bet.