Houston Texans: 5 Reasons Mario Williams' Move to OLB Is a Good Thing

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One of the more talked about changes in Texans camp this season is Mario Williams' move from defensive end in former defensive coordinator Frank Bush's 4-3 defense to an outside linebacker in new coordinator Wade Phillips' 3-4 hybrid defense.

When Phillips and head coach Gary Kubiak announced the change, it came as something of a surprise. Williams has had so much success as a defensive end that you wonder why they would want to mess with something that was going so well.

Phillips has had enough success as a defensive coach that he deserves the benefit of the doubt with decisions like this. Besides, what does Williams individual success matter if the defense is pitiful as a whole?

In particular, I've pinpointed five reasons that this move is a good one for the Texans.

Flexibility

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One of the things that Wade Phillips has preached with his new defensive scheme is flexibility. Moving Mario Williams to outside linebacker gives him plenty of that.

At linebacker, Williams can move around from one side of the defense to the other relatively easily. As a defensive end, he was tied to one side of the line. Now, he can move back and forth to try to confuse and overwhelm opposing offenses.

Phillips also has the option to put Williams back at defensive end. Phillips has said that he plans to use some 4-3 sets as well. The ability to slot Williams back at the position he has had so much success at has to be an exciting proposition for the defensive coaches.

All this flexibility allows Phillips to go with the hot hand in any given game. If Williams is getting blocked well, he can slide him over to the other side or have him put his hand on the ground.

Pass Rush from All Directions

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The production that the Texans have gotten from Mario Williams in his career is more than adequate. You can't argue against a player that has 48 sacks in five seasons in the league.

The problem with Williams is that the offense always knew where he was going to be coming from. Williams lined up at the same spot on every player and went head to head with the same offensive lineman each time.

Now, you can move Williams around and try to find mismatches. If a given opponent has Pro Bowl offensive linemen at both left guard and left tackle, they'll want to move Williams to the other side. If the Texans are getting a good pass rush from say, J.J. Watt on one side of the line, they can slide Williams opposite him to attack the offense from both sides.

Those scenarios are enough to make any Texans fan smile and any opposing offensive coach sick.

Adds Depth to the Linebacking Corps

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One of the more underrated needs for the Texans on defense was depth among the linebackers. They had stars like DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing, but behind them, they didn't have a whole lot else. The Texans were leaning on players like Xavier Adibi and Zac Diles to do more than they should be expected to.

With a group of linebackers led by Cushing, Ryans and now Williams, that's no longer a problem. Ryans will be allowed to be the defensive field general, Cushing will be able to use his instincts to play the ball more and now Williams will handle most of the blitzes from the linebackers.

Role players like Adibi, Connor Barwin and Darryl Sharpton will be allowed to be just that, role players.

Makes Room for J.J. Watt

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In previous seasons, it would have been tough for a rookie defensive end to break through. Mario Williams was firmly entrenched at one spot and veteran Antonio Smith, for better or worse, held down the other side.

The move of Mario Williams to outside linebacker will allow rookie J.J. Watt to step in and start right away. That's great news for the pass rush. Watt promises to be a force, Antonio Smith has his moments and Mario Williams and Brian Cushing will be breaking into the backfield with reckless abandon.

That's to say nothing of guys like Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed, both hybrid outside linebackers/defensive ends, who might get more of a shot at defensive end with Williams moving around.

Good Teacher for Brooks Reed

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Brooks Reed is another rookie on the roster who will benefit from Mario Williams' move to outside linebacker. Reed, a pass rush specialist out of Arizona and will play a similar role for the Texans.

He is a natural outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense, but you could see him play some defensive end from time to time. Who better to show him the ropes of being a young pass rusher than Mario Williams? Williams could mentor him well enough even if he wasn't switching positions, but since he is, it will give Reed someone to empathize with.

These two will be learning the defense together and you have to feel a lot better about Reed's development with a guy like Mario Williams working right beside him all the time.