Texans coach Gary Kubiak said Monday that Derek Newton has beaten Rashad Butler for the starting job at right tackle. The 6-foot-6, 318-pound Newton was a seventh-round draft pick out of Arkansas State in 2011. Butler, entering his sixth season with Houston, was sidelined much of last season with a left triceps injury. Kubiak met with both players on Monday before announcing his decision. "Looking at the body of work, it was very, very close," Kubiak said. "The thing that moved us toward Newton is watching his progress, watching where he was in the last year, going through the offseason, going through camp -- a young player we think is ascending." Kubiak said Newton showed major improvement late last season. "He's come a long way from Arkansas State," Kubiak said. "We just see things that give him a chance to be a great player. We've got to get him consistent, and those types of things, but if that was the case, he'd have already been there. There just comes a point where you say, `Hey, we're going to work him through this stuff and he's the best guy for us.' I really like his commitment to what we're doing." Source: Pro Football Weekly
