Wade Smith Is Your Starting Left Guard

Buried in the Houston Chronicle’s notes yesterday night is an admission that shouldn’t shock anyone, but does answer a question posed over and over again in training camp.

Wade Smith, the Texans “big prize” of the offseason, has won the starting left guard job over Kasey Studdard.

“He’s really come on,” coach Gary Kubiak said about Smith. “He had an excellent camp.”

Chris Myers will start at center for the third consecutive season. Right guard is still unsettled with Mike Brisiel trying to get his old job back from Antoine Caldwell. Both will play against the Buccaneers.

It was sort of an unkept secret that Smith would be the starter somewhere on the line, and left guard was the biggest hole the Texans had last offseason, so it was logical to put two-and-two together from the moment he signed.

This Caldwell-Brisiel competition is silly. Caldwell has had the job well-wrapped up from the beginning, and a bad sack allowed in a preseason game probably shouldn’t change that. I would love to see Brisiel challenge Smith, but it seems like that isn’t in the cards. Tune in Thursday night to see who wins out.