Former Colts OL coach Chris Strausser to join the Texans, per report

The Colts are experiencing a shift on the offensive coaching staff under new coach Shane Steichen.

The latest departure comes on the offensive line, as Chris Strausser has agreed to become the Texans' new offensive line coach under Demeco Ryans, Aaron Wilson of KCPR in Houston reported.

Strausser led the Colts' highest-paid position group since 2019, his first full-time job as an offensive line coach. The Colts surged to start his tenure, with Anthony Castonzo playing next to Quenton Nelson and Ryan Kelly to build out one of the league's better lines. Pass protection slipped once Castonzo retired following the 2020 season, but the Colts became the league's top rushing team without him, as Jonathan Taylor took home the rushing title in 2021.

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But last year, the line fell off a cliff despite one of the cleanest bills of health for any group in the league. The Colts fell from No. 1 to No. 31 in rushing, per Football Outsiders' DVOA metric for efficiency. They went from 32 sacks to 60, resulting in a separated shoulder for Matt Ryan, as well as a high-ankle sprain for Jonathan Taylor that cut his season short by six games.

After constant shuffles of the starting combination in the first half of the season, the Colts locked in with a regular group of five for the second half, with interim coach Jeff Saturday working closely with the unit. They saw improvement but never came close to the levels they had shown in previous seasons.

Now, the Colts will hire a new pair of line coaches under Steichen, as assistant offensive line coach Kevin Mawae also departed to become the head coach of Lipscomb Academy. Joining them in departing this offseason are assistant quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier, who became Carolina's passing game coordinator under former coach Frank Reich; and running backs coach Scottie Montgomery, who took the same role with the Lions.

Eagles assistant coach Roy Istvan is a candidate for the Colts' opening. Indianapolis has made a few reported additions to the staff already, with Jim Bob Cooter as offensive coordinator, Tom Manning as tight ends coach and DeAndre Smith as running backs coach. They have yet to hire anyone on the defensive side of the ball.

Contact Colts insider Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Former Colts OL coach Chris Strausser to join the Texans