It's been too long since I visited with Eric Winston, and thanks to the Texans PR department I had a good conversation with the right tackle this afternoon.

We talked a bit about his matchup Sunday against the Titans, when Jevon Kearse will line up across from him.

In his first season back with Tennessee, Kearse hasn't been "The Freak" but he has been steady -- he has 42 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 15 quarterback pressures and six tackles for a loss. He's started all 13 games and has not dealt with any injury issues, when a lot of his critics expected he'd have durability issues.

"I've got a good test this week, Kearse is playing probably as good as he's played in his career," Winston said. "It's going to be a lot to handle, but I am excited about it. It's a good challenge for me and I need to prove [I'm worth] my paycheck."

Winston said Kearse looks much like he did when the Texans visited the Titans back in Week 3.

"Not really different, which is surprising," he said. "I wouldn't say he's an older guy, but a guy that's had some injuries and stuff, sometimes they start wearing down at the end of the season. But he doesn't seem like that, he seems like he's coming off the ball just as hard, he's playing just as fast, he's running around doing the things I think everyone expects Jevon Kearse to do.

"He's a really a really tough load to handle for a right tackle because they are not used to seeing a guy like that on their side. I mean he's usually a guy who's over the left tackle. I think that gives Tennessee a big edge having a guy like that over the right tackle and having [Kyle] Vanden Bosch over on the left. It's a two-sided monster with those guys like that."

Vanden Bosch didn't practice Wednesday with a recurring groin injury, and could be rested Sunday. If he is, Dave Ball and Jacob Ford would team up to replace him and Kearse would stay put.

Winston, who got a long-term deal earlier this season, said he feels like he's really gotten better under the tutelage of Alex Gibbs, who coordinates the run game, and offensive line coach John Benton.

"Coming into the season I would have definitely tell you I was a better pass blocker," Winston said. "Being a left tackle in college and coming over, I just think that is more of the mindset. I think coach Gibbs and coach Benton have really done an awesome job with me this year, getting me to be a better finisher and to open up more holes. I think it's really opened my game up and I think I am a lot better tackle for it."

Look for much more from Winston on the state of the Texans and how much of a measuring stick Sunday's game is in my column that will be posted Thursday on the AFC South Blog.

(espn.com)

Eric Winston plays right tackle for the Houston Texans.  That is not the stuff that sounds like it would make for very interesting radio.  I mean, how about a running back or a linebacker or Dunta Robinson.  I thought, can’t y’all spice it up a little bit for the radio listeners.  That was my attitude when I learned that Eric Winston would be the player manning the spot for SportsRadio 610’s player show.  To top it off the freakin’ guy went to Miami.  I mean bring Steve McKinney home from Seattle to take on the show. 

To my great surprise, Winston is very well spoken, interesting, and insightful.  Winston is also getting some play for a possible Pro Bowl spot.  Winston had a particularly good game against the Packers.  Winston is in his 3rd year with the Texans and stands about 6-5 and weighs nearly 300 pounds. 

If Pro Bowl voters like Winston as much as I like his radio show, he’ll be in Hawaii this year.  Winston’s show can be heard on SportsRadio 610 from 5-6 every Tuesday afternoon.

(torotimes.com)

Right tackle Eric Winston answered fan questions about how the offensive line will try to contain Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers.
Brooke Bentley (Texans TV): How much cut blocking do you do in games and how do you practice it since it can injure your teammates? (Jose Hasapes)

Eric Winston: First of all, cut blocking is not a dirty technique or it’s not a technique that’s used to hurt people. People see it coming, and it’s just either they’ve got to get out of the way or they have to try to play off of the cut. Either way, to us, it’s beneficial. So, that’s first. But I probably cut, I would say, 40 percent of the plays - anything away from me and anything that’s an outside zone, so anything that’s wide and outside and away from me that I’ve got free reign to cut on. So, anything that’s tight I don’t cut on and we practice it by basically holding up two dummies with a pad underneath and we just practice getting out of our stance from either a depth or from right on the line and cutting it and falling into the pad.

Brooke Bentley: Since your record does not reflect the team's improvement, how do you motivate yourself to continue to perform at a high level?  Is it harder than when you had a good record, like in college? (Jose Hasapes)

Eric Winston: Well, losing’s always tough I think. If you’re a competitor, whether you’re coming from a winning program or a losing program, it’s always tough to swallow. We put a lot of effort in during the week. So, it’s tough to come up short on Sundays. But, we go out there and we just keep fighting. That’s what it’s all about. We know what kind of talent this team has and even though our record doesn’t show it, we know where we’re going. No one’s lost sight of our goals through the long term, and I think that’s what’s important.

Brooke Bentley: How would you grade the how offensive line has performed so far this season? (Anonymous fan)

Eric Winston: Throughout the whole season? I’d give us a B. I’d say we’ve done pretty well. I think we struggled a little early on in some pass pro. Duane (Brown), starting off as a rookie, left tackle is the hardest position. I think it might be the hardest position for any rookie, other than quarterback, the left tackle is the hardest position to play as a rookie. First of all, you’re going against the best rusher every game and, as a rookie, you have nothing to base it off of. So, you’re learning on the go against the best of the best. So, that’s tough. I think we’ve steadily improved and that’s what we’re looking for. I think early in the season, the run blocking and the zone scheme, we were still in the learning phase. I think once we hit about Week 3 or 4, you really saw it start moving up and I think the pass blocking has come along with it.”

Brooke Bentley: Eric, I admired your work at Miami. At least one of the draft gurus had you rated as the second left tackle in the draft. Only D’Brickshaw Ferguson was ranked ahead of you. I was excited when the Texans drafted you; however, I was surprised when you ended up at right tackle. Your footwork has always looked good. Do you think that you would be a good fit at left tackle? (Wally, West Columbia)

Eric Winston: Well, I’d do whatever the team needed me to do. It looks like I’m probably going to be destined to be a right tackle. It was tough for me early on. I had only played left after moving from tight end and I felt really discoordinated playing right tackle from left. You have to use the totally different side of your body. You’re posting with your opposite foot, you’re kicking with your opposite foot and you’re punching with your opposite hand from left to right. So, it’s tough and the guys that do it a lot, guys like Ephraim (Salaam) and guys around the league that are swing tackles and have to do that, are very talented. It is a tough skill to be as good on each side and you don’t find too many guys that are like that. I’m probably destined to stay as a right tackle for the rest of my career. But who knows, if some injuries came up and their needed to be some reshuffling, I’m sure they would probably look at me for a second.

Brooke Bentley: The Brown’s tackle Shaun Rogers looks nasty. How are you guys going to neutralize him? (Anonymous fan)

Eric Winston: Yeah, Chris (Myers) has got his hands full. Everyone just has to help a little bit. Everyone has got to be aware of where he is. I think everyone needs to know where 92 is going to be on the field and just give that little extra help. Chris is a good player. He’ll be able to hold his own, but we’re just going to mix it up. Try to give him a bunch of different looks; try to get after him - just play hard and play the way we play. I think our scheme lends to a lot of success for us and gives us a lot of leeway to make plays. So, we’re going to go out there and just give them everything we have. But he’s a good player and we have to control him.

Eric Winston doesn’t know the Cedric Benson who has made too many of the wrong kind of headlines — on and off the field — in what has been to date an unhappy, unproductive pro career.

The only Benson Winston knows, going all the way back to their fifth-grade football team in Midland, is a good guy, an upstanding teammate and an immensely gifted running back.

“We always sat next to each other on the bus going to high school games,” Winston recalls. “For five hours sometimes we’d have great conversations, not about football but just about life.”

The two former Midland Lee stars, who went their separate ways to big-time college programs after winning a pair of state championships together, will cross paths for the first time in an NFL regular-season game Sunday when the winless Cincinnati Bengals visit the resurgent Texans at Reliant Stadium.

Winston, of course, is entrenched at right tackle for Houston while Benson, out of work when the season began, is trying to orchestrate an NFL do-over for himself with the 0-7 Bengals after failing miserably as a No. 1 draft choice of the Chicago Bears.

“Cedric’s different,” Winston said. “He’s largely misunderstood, I think. He’s soft-spoken. He doesn’t let a lot of people in. He had a lot of mistrust in him, for a lot of valid reasons. All I can say is I liked the guy a lot and he was great teammate, aside from being a great back. We’ll have our hands full with him.

Fall from grace
“I played with a lot of great backs at (the University of) Miami and I’d put him up there with any of them. He was lot like Willis (McGahee). Both were just naturally strong people. Cedric was so impressive. He followed his blockers well. And he always ran upfield. He’s a guy that’s not afraid of contact.

“His senior year (at Lee), we’d lost everybody on offense except me and him. But, man, there were so many games I can remember ... 350 (yards) against Permian his senior year ... Duncanville at Texas Stadium — he dumped about 260 on them. It was amazing. His junior year, he averaged 10 yards a carry. He was unstoppable. He really was.”

Benson had his share of moments at the University of Texas, too, winning the Doak Walker Award as the country’s top back in 2004, enough to convince the Bears he was worth the fourth pick overall in the 2005 draft.

Instead of becoming another Walter Payton for Chicago, however, Benson scuffled from the get-go after a 36-day holdout caused him to miss his first preseason. He never did establish himself as the Bear’s go-to back and, in 35 games, he had as many 100-yard afternoons as he did alcohol-related arrests — two — over a five-week period at the end of his troubled tenure there.

“He’s just a good guy who’s made some bad decisions,” Winston said. “But you could say that about a lot of people. I think he’s learned from it .”

The Bengals, desperate to generate a running game with Chris Perry struggling and turning the ball over, signed Benson three games ago. Although they remain 31st in the NFL in rushing, averaging just 73.9 yards, he had 52 on 14 carries against Pittsburgh’s stingy defense last week.

Embattled Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis is cautiously optimistic about Benson’s hoped-for revival, saying, “He’s doing a good job and becoming more comfortable with the intricacies” of Cincy’s offense, which is considerably different from what the Bears ran.

Still a talent
New teammate Chad Ocho Cinco calls Benson “a super powerful runner. He’s really nice. He had a couple of nice runs against the Steelers, who are really hard to run against. He’s taking advantage of his situation.”

When the Texans started the season with Ahman Green again at less than 100 percent, there was much local fan sentiment for them to give Benson a look, but he was never brought in for a tryout.

Head coach Gary Kubiak admitted considering it but said, “We liked our young guys. We decided to go with Steve (Slaton) and, fortunately, Ahman’s (Green) back now.”

“I would have vouched for Cedric, absolutely,” Winston said. “I remember talking to him after the first preseason game (in Houston) last year and he seemed happy to be starting. Everything looked like it was going OK. Hopefully, he’ll find his niche in Cincinnati. Just to see him on the field again will be really good. I’m always pulling for him.”

(chron.com)

Deal includes $10 million in guaranteed money

Before the Texans left Houston today for Sunday’s opener at Pittsburgh, right tackle Eric Winston signed a five-year, $30 million contract extension.

His deal includes a $6 million signing bonus and $10 million in guarantees.

Winston, the second pick in the third round of the 2006 draft — 66th overall — initially signed a three-year contract that was due to expire after this season.

A Midland native who played at Miami, the 6-7, 315-pound Winston started seven games as a rookie and all 16 last year. He’s on the verge of being recognized as one of the best in the NFL at his position.

General manager Rick Smith, who negotiated the deal with agent Drew Rosenhaus, wanted to extend Winston before his contract expired after the season, which would have made him a restricted free agent.

(chron.com)

The Houston Chronicle reports Texans ORT Eric Winston is getting more and more comfortable at right tackle, and people around the NFL are taking notice. The Texans are happy with the player he has developed into over the past three years. "He's a lot like WR Kevin Walter," HC Gary Kubiak said. "He's turned into a pro, busts his tail every day. Good kid, good technician, should play out there for a long, long time. He's got a lot of respect around this league, and I think the future is very bright for him." Winston, who is starting his third season, says the game has slowed down a lot for him since his rookie season. He took over at right tackle last season when an injury forced OT Zach Wiegert to the sidelines. Winston then started the final seven games and never relinquished the job. "I feel like my first year here, I was kind of all over the place. And then when I got my chance, I took the most of it," Winston said. "Last year, I think I took a big sophomore step in proving myself and solidifying my spot and what I can do there. Now I'm really able to come out here and do something special."

(ffmastermind.com)

13. Eric Winston, RT, Houston Texans: The right tackle spot isn't a strong one in the NFL. Winston has a chance to move toward the top of the rankings at that position. He emerged as the Texans' best lineman last season. He has always been a good pass protector, but he improved his run blocking last season. It's too bad right tackles get overlooked come Pro Bowl time because he's a good one.

(cbs.sportsline.com)

Eric Winston was born and raised on country music in his hometown of Midland. He grew up going to small-venue concerts and listening to Texas originals croon under a starry sky.

Now that the right tackle has become a starter for the Texans, he is getting to see and meet some of the biggest stars in country music. On Saturday, Winston was in Chicago hanging out with Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and LeAnn Rimes, along with Luke Bryan and Gary Allan, before each took the stage in Chesney’s "Poets and Pirates Tour."

“This is my first Kenny Chesney concert, but it’s not my first country music concert,” Winston said. “I’ve been a big fan of country music and his music. This is great just being a part of a concert like this with five great country music artists that get together and have a lot of fun, obviously, and put on a great show in so many stadiums and so many places around the country.”

This summer, Chesney’s tour is hitting 12 NFL stadiums, including Houston’s Reliant Stadium on Saturday, August 16. The show, which features eight hours of live music, will be the biggest concert event in the history of Reliant.

“This is our fourth year doing the stadium shows and it’s kind of gotten bigger and bigger every year,” Chesney said. “We played a couple of nights in Houston last year and Houston has always been a great town for us to come play no matter what venue we are playing, but it’s exciting to come to the Houston Texans’ stadium. It’s hard to believe when you get up there in front of that many people – the energy just hits your right in the chest.”

Getting hit in the chest was something that resonated with Winston, who talked to Chesney at length before the show began at Soldier Field. In fact, the massive right tackle and the most popular tour act in country music found they easily could relate to each other’s lifestyle. 

“I think there is a lot in common as far as that goes - how much work we put in and how much work I’m sure he (Chesney) puts into this,” Winston said. “You can’t become this big or be this good just by going out there. You can have all the time in the world, but you have to put the work in and get it done. I think that is the big bond that a lot of athletes have with performers like Kenny. I think we both know how much we both put into our sports. I think that’s what links us all up a lot of times.”

Aside from living on the road and playing in packed stadiums, Chesney, like Winston, goes through rigorous physical training. The performer also loves the game of football.

“I remember as a kid, I always loved Bob Griese and the Dolphins and I’m friends with his son now, Brian,” Chesney said. “I’ve got a lot of friends of mine that have played pro football. There’s kind of a commonality with pro players and guys that do what I do because we both want to do what the other is doing.”

Winston was a testament to that. The offensive lineman couldn’t hide his excitement during the concert when he was standing offstage with high-profile fans like Nick Swisher of the White Sox and the Cubs' Jim Edmonds, all of whom danced along to Chesney hits like "Summertime," "No Shirt (No Shoes, No Problem)" and "When the Sun Goes Down.”

“Kenny was awesome,” Winston said. “It really was one of the best shows I’ve been to. There is day-long tailgating and then five awesome acts. Nothing beats that.”

(houstontexans.com)

If Eric Winston of the Texans can hit a curveball or splitter, he might have a future in baseball.

I've seen Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza, Sammy Sosa, Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman and several other players have amazing home run displays in batting practice.

Those guys could put on some displays, but nothing quite drew the awes from baseball players quite like all the fuss Winston caused this afternoon at Minute Maid Park.

Winston, Mario Williams and several other Texans were at Minute Maid Park to help raise money for the Boys and Girls Club. In their batting practice, they raised $31,800.

Winston also raised some eyebrows. "Diablo," said Astros closer Jose Valverde after watching Winston drill several shots into the second deck behind the right field wall with his powerful lefthanded swing. "Sign him. Sign him."

"He's getting through the ball pretty well," Oswalt said of Winston. "It's a long ways, especially a guy who hasn't played baseball in a couple years. It shows how much athleticism there is in football, too."

Valverde said he'd feed Winston a healthy supply of splitters if he ever had to really face him, but Winston modestly admitted he wouldn't want any part of Oswalt or Valverde.

"Those guys are so good," Winston said of Valverde and Oswalt. "I'm not even going to get close to come acting like I can hit off one of these guys. The general public has no idea how good these guys are. They're amazing. I'm not going to act like I can come in here and hit off the worst pitcher in Single-A, much less a major-league talent."

That may be true, but Winston really impressed the Astros.

"I think we should (sign Winston)," Cecil Cooper joked. "Tonight. If he can hit the curveball he might have a contract. That was a pretty awesome display. I haven't even seen Berkman hit them up there. So he put a good swing. He put a lot of good swings today. We might have to keep him for a while."

As for Mario Williams?

"Mario, I don't know about," Cooper said.

Either way, the Texans raised some good funds with their Reliant Energy Home Run Derby for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston.

(blogs.chron.com)