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Texans left tackle Duane Brown emerged last season as possibly the best tackle in football. He was named to the first-team All-Pro list for the first time in his career in 2012 and has been protecting Matt Schaub's blindside since 2008, but ankle surgery threatened his offseason and ability to be ready for training camp.
Brown reportedly says that won't be a problem, and plans to be ready when the Texans open camp on July 31, according to Mark Berman of Houston's Fox 26.
The Texans drafted Brown with the 26th overall pick in the 2008 draft after a very good career at Virginia Tech. He was immediately placed at starting left tackle, and though he may have only been described as "average" over the first three years of his career, Brown started to break out in 2011 when he avoided a single holding penalty and did not allow any sacks.
Houston rewarded Brown with a six-year, $53.4 million contract extension with $22.08 million guaranteed, and Brown reciprocated last year with perhaps the best season of his career, ending in his first Pro Bowl selection.
He underwent ankle surgery on June 5 to shave down a bone spur and was expected to be out for about a month. It now looks like that timetable is safe, and that he will be ready to go on the 31st.
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