For the past two years, Derek Newton has started at right tackle for the Texans. If the 2014 season began today, that would still be the case.
"Derek Newton is our starting right tackle," head coach Bill O'Brien said on Friday. "He's had a good offseason."
Before David Quessenberry was diagnosed with lymphoma, he was presenting a challenge to Newton
for the starting job this autumn. He'll now miss an unspecified amount of time. Nevertheless, O'Brien's been impressed with Newton's preparation in the offseason, and performance during organized team activities (OTAs).
"He's been here since the day that I arrived here," O'Brien said. "He's been working out, and when April 7th hit, he was here every day and he hasn't missed a day. He's been healthy and hopefully in continues that way. I think he's practiced well and we're looking forward to seeing how he does in training camp."
Newton and the Texans will go through a minicamp on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week. They won't practice on the field together again until training camp starts in late July.
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