Three years later, the welts and bruises have finally disappeared. But Tim Couch still harbors emotional scars from the physical pounding inflicted on him during a 1999 rookie campaign that also represented the first season for the reincarnated Cleveland Browns.

	Tony Boselli is the offensive-line anchor the Texans are seeking.

Starting 14 games, Couch was sacked 56 times that year, an average of four per outing. He was knocked down, by unofficial count, nearly eight times per contest, forced to scramble on 40 other occasions, was enveloped in more postgame ice wraps than illusionist David Blaine during last year's high-profile stunt in Times Square, and nearly shriveled away to nothing from hours in the whirlpool.

Looking back on the experience, Couch recently offered a pithy bit of advice for whoever winds up as starting quarterback for the expansion Houston Texans in 2002.

Good luck.

And, oh, yeah, make sure the insurances premiums are paid.

"It's a tough deal," Couch said of playing quarterback for an expansion franchise. "No matter how thoroughly the front office plans things, the bottom line still is that you're mostly just a bunch of guys thrown together, trying to make the best of it. And even with experienced guys, the continuity on the (offensive) line is hard to develop, especially with so many players coming from a lot of different places."

Indeed, the offensive line might be the most difficult area for an expansion team to develop quickly, even with access to proven veterans via the allocation-stocking draft. In 1999, the Browns started a unit comprised of tackles Lomas Brown and Orlando Brown, center Dave Wohlabaugh and guards Jim Pyne and Scott Rehberg. Some observers suggested, even in training camp, the line might be superior to the existing units of eight to 10 other teams.

Despite the high expectations, that line typically generated anemic results. And with poor play up front, the Cleveland offense sputtered.

The quintet averaged 6.2 seasons of league experience entering the 1999 season. It totaled 389 regular-season starts, and Rehberg was the only member with fewer than 54 starting assignments. Yet the group still surrendered 60 sacks during the Browns' inaugural year, the club ranked dead last in the NFL in total offense and rushing offense, and averaged a paltry 13.5 points per game. Browns head coach Chris Palmer, fired after two seasons and five victories and now offensive coordinator for the Texans, placed plenty of emphasis on the offensive line, but it mattered little.

	Expansion building blocks
	The Houston Texans have a chance to field a solid tackle tandem, particularly if they select Tony Boselli of Jacksonville and the New York Jets' Ryan Young. Here is a look at the starting tackles for the past five expansion franchises:
	Team	Lt. tackle	Rt. tackle
	Browns (1999)	Lomas Brown	Orlando Brown
	Panthers (1995)	Blake Brockermeyer	Mark Dennis
	Jaguars (1995)	Tony Boselli	Brian DeMarco
	Seahawks (1976)	Nick Bebout	Norm Evans
	Buccaneers (1976)	Steve Young	Mike Current

Fact is, the performance of the offensive line in the team's debut season pretty much mirrored the record of blocking units for other expansion franchises. Dating back to 1976, five expansion teams have permitted an average of 46.6 sacks, ranked 27th on average in total offense and averaged fewer than four yards per rush. The past three expansion teams gave up an average of 51.7 sacks, with Carolina surrendering the lowest (38) in 1995.

None of the expansion clubs had a running back rush for more than 740 yards -- the average output for the top tailback from the five teams was 549.6 yards -- and the only quarterback to really make a difference in the first year was Mark Brunell at Jacksonville in '95. And Brunell recalls having "to run for (his) life on nearly every (pass) play" that first season.

Brunell and Steve Beuerlein, who opened the season as the Jacksonville starter, were sacked a total of 57 times. "There were times," said Brunell, who was dumped on 39 occasions that season, "where you were just looking for a place to hide. If there had been foxholes dug into the field, we'd have been in them most of the time. It's kind of a shell-shocking experience."

The history of offensive line woes for expansion teams helps explain why the Houston brain trust of general manager Charley Casserly and head coach Dom Capers is giving extra scrutiny to the players available at the critical positions. Capers and Palmer know from firsthand experience the significance of trying to assemble a solid line, especially understanding the importance of strength at the tackle position.

Cleveland looked solid at tackle three years ago, with Lomas Brown and Orlando Brown, but the two did not play well once the season began. Casserly has said it is "imperative" for the franchise to assemble a respectable line, and with some of the players made available to the Texans, notably Jacksonville left tackle Tony Boselli, the team has a chance to put together the best blocking unit ever for an expansion club.

	“	There are some interesting (linemen), a pretty good mix, and that's a priority for us. You've got to be competitive up front. ”
		— Charley Casserly, Texans general manager

"There are some interesting (linemen), a pretty good mix, and that's a priority for us," Casserly said. "You've got to be competitive up front."

There are 13 offensive linemen on the expansion list who started eight games or more in 2001, and that does not include Boselli, who was limited to three appearances after shoulder surgery. Were the Texans to choose Boselli along with New York Jets right tackle Ryan Young, clearly the best bargain in the expansion draft at any position, they could field a tackle tandem as good as any in the league. Add guards Matt Campbell of the Redskins and Jeremy McKinney of the Browns, and sign a center such as Olin Kreutz of the Bears or Jeremy Newberry of the 49ers in free agency, and the Houston line could be a good one.

One that might actually keep a quarterback from being sacked 50 times in 2002.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.