http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3224321 Switching center to guard a viable option for Texans By MEGAN MANFULL Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle With so many questions still surrounding the offensive line, the Texans are considering moving center Steve McKinney to left guard. A center since joining the Texans in 2002, McKinney may return to the position he played in college at Texas A&M and during the first four years of his NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans are leaving that option open during an offseason in which they have been trying to tweak an offensive line that has struggled to protect quarterback David Carr for three seasons. Because the Texans haven't done much personnel-wise in the offseason to bolster the line, the coaching staff is trying to find a successful combination by moving around the players they've got. "(Moving McKinney) is something we know that we can do," Texans coach Dom Capers said at Monday's mini-camp. "But we haven't done much of that through this camp. As with all these guys, you'd like to have as much flexibility as possible, because you only have seven guys active on game day." If McKinney moves to left guard, Chester Pitts likely will return to left tackle. Pitts spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons at left tackle before moving to left guard last year. However, that would leave a question at center. Todd Washington, an eight-year veteran, likely would start there. He was primarily used on special teams last season and hasn't played a full game at center since 2001 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Washington said he is unsure how the situation will unfold, but he is trying to prepare himself if he is asked to start. "Whatever they give me, I have to work with," Washington said. "And whatever I don't get, I have to watch film and understand the actual plays so that when I have to go in there, there won't be any drop-offs." Rookie Drew Hodgdon also has taken a number of snaps at center in the offseason and impressed Capers with his quickness, but he likely needs more time to grasp the system. McKinney has yet to practice at left guard in team drills but has done a little work there in individual sessions. He said he does not expect such a move to happen soon. "That's a last-case scenario," McKinney said. "I'll do some in training camp, just working at it. But that's a last-case scenario." McKinney had never played center in his football career until he joined the Texans. At the time, the Texans had a scheme that called for an athletic center with the ability to move. With McKinney's experience at guard, they were confident he would fit in well. But last season when Joe Pendry took over the offensive line coaching duties, the Texans' scheme changed to zone blocking, which McKinney didn't know much about. The Texans' line struggled again last year, raising Carr's sack total to 140 in three seasons. They've spent much of the offseason looking at having Pitts and Seth Wand trade places on the left side. Wand started at tackle last year and has tried out guard for the first time in his career. During Monday's two practices, however, Wand was back at tackle, and Pitts was at guard. But that will not be the last combination the Texans look at before the season gets under way. Veteran tackle Victor Riley, in his first year with the Texans, will also likely see time on the line, as will guard Milford Brown. McKinney, who is entering the fourth year of a five-year, $15.5 million contract, said he will be open to moving to guard if needed. "I'll do whatever," he said. "Probably by me moving to guard, I can make more money. If they want me to move to guard, I have no problem with it but it's not something that's necessarily a plan. It's Plan B." megan.manfull@chron.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TEXANS SUMMARY Gaffney, Johnson watch Wide receiver Jabar Gaffney and defensive lineman Travis Johnson were held out of Monday's minicamp workouts, while linebacker Antwan Peek had his workout scaled back. Gaffney and Peek are both recovering from offseason shoulder surgeries. Gaffney, who underwent his surgery later than Peek, likely will not join team drills until sometime in August. Peek continued the same routine he had during the coaching sessions, taking part in minimal contact drills. "He participates in the 7-on-7 drills, but when we go to team or if it's anything competitive from a team standpoint, we've held him out," Texans coach Dom Capers said. "If you know anything about Antwan, he only knows one speed, and we don't want to take a chance of him diving, ending up on the ground and setting that shoulder back. "If we had to play, he'd be ready to play right now. This is just more of a precautionary thing than anything." Johnson is sidelined because of his sprained elbow. While he ran sprints and watched every drill, Capers doesn't want Johnson risking anything by participating in these offseason practices. "We have a lot of time," Capers said. "This will be more of a mental camp for him than a physical camp, because we just don't want to take a chance of him going in there and setting that thing back. "I think you'd always like to have a young guy out there. But I think you have to be smart. I mean, why put him out there and risk right now when he's not 100-percent." Walker injured Defensive lineman Gary Walker left practice early Monday morning with a pulled hamstring that he injured on the team's first drill of the day. Texans coach Dom Capers said he expected Walker would be fine but ordered a pre-cautionary MRI to make sure. Coleman absent Safety Marcus Coleman was one of the few players who did not attend Monday's minicamp. The three-day session is the first mandatory workouts of the offseason, but players can receive excused absences. Coleman was excused from Monday's workouts, as were quarterback Dave Ragone and kicker Chris Snyder, who have just returned from NFL Europe. Ragone and Snyder are expected to join the team today. MEGAN MANFULL
