When last we left OTAs¹, the rookies were learning the ropes, the veterans were adapting to some new facets of the playbook, Kevin Walter was blackmailing Kubiak with nudie pictures in order to get the WR2 job², and there was a battle going on for starting SLB. Typical stuff, which is why I didn't spend a lot of time on it.

Today, however, Kubes mixed things up a little bit. Former heavyweight champ [Author's note: He was actually much better at cruiserweight.] Evander Holyfield visited the team and did some motivational speechifying. The ever-modest Holyfield mused

They showed appreciation for what I’ve accomplished and it’s good for coaches to try to find someone to exemplify what winning is all about.

Kubiak echoed this assessment and was apparently so awe-struck by Holyfield that Gary struggled to develop coherent thoughts.

It’s amazing looking in the faces of those young players and the intrigue and what he’s accomplished.

Obviously, I'm being flippant and somewhat facetious about this whole thing. Reading the article, it does sound like the players enjoyed meeting the former champ and that they understood his message of staying committed to winning. Which is good, I suppose. Moving on...

From the same article, it seems there are some positive developments in the secondary. First, rookie Fred Bennett is making strides and looking like he will eventually be able to play both corner at safety at this level. I still think his size (6'1"/195) and ability to deliver the big hit make him an intriguing prospect. I'm not completely sold that he will develop into a starting CB2, but he might develop into a difference maker at nickel. We'll see.

The other development is that Kubes is making the guys in the defensive backfield earn their playing time and starting slots. Sayeth Sir Suck

There are a lot of people in different positions competing for the job. It gets the competition up high and it’s intense out there. Guys trying to make the team and trying to be the guy. It’s good for me because I like being in that kind of situation because it makes me work harder.

So that's what it takes! Yay... I am so glad we have figured out what it will take to make Faggins work harder at not sucking. It sounds to me like Kubiak's master plan is working, well, masterfully.

Finally, I've read in various places that Sam Adams has already met with the Texans. I have not, however, read any reports as to how that meeting went or if he is close to making a decision. If anyone knows anything about the meeting, why not fill the rest of us in? And, Sam, if you are reading this... call me, we'll talk.

¹ Carmine Pirone is still at it with the misused apostrophes. Not to be all Grammar Nazi and shit, but when your job is "Staff Writer," I feel like you should have a grasp on simple things like punctuation. Carmine, on the other hand, throws apostrophes around all willy-nilly, using them to pluralize both "OTA" and "Sunday." And, yes, this footnote was mainly an excuse to use "willy-nilly" in a sentence.
² I am guessing.

Labels: Demarcus Faggins sucks, Gary Kubiak, Preview, Sam Adams, Secondary issues are primary, The Fred

Posted by matt at 2:22 PM | Permalink | links to this post

Frequent DGDB&D commenter stacy emailed this story about Mark Cuban starting his own AFL/WFL/USFL/XFL/whatever. Apparently, Cuban has decided that there is far more demand for professional football than there is supply, stating

We think there is more demand for pro football than supply.

See? Told ya.

Anyway, part of the plan for this league is to lure practice squad guys and third stringers from the NFL by paying them slightly more. I'm only slightly exaggerating.

That would allow the new league to fill its rosters with players taken lower than the second round, as well as late NFL cuts and free agents who escape the NFL draft.

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't that make the as-yet-unnamed league similar to a minor league? I mean, how in the world is this league going to "compete" for the attention of football fans any more than the Buffalo Bison compete with the Cleveland Indians?

Oh... they are going to play on Friday. I get it; they are going to put subpar football up against high school football. I suppose this plan is better than trying to play on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. Still, I hope they don't plan on putting any teams in Texas, Florida, New Jersey, and anywhere else there is a big high school football culture. I can't imagine too many people are going to stay home to watch minor league football instead of seeing Junior lead the Fightin' Alma Maters to victory over the Othertown Hated Rivals. Maybe that's just me, though.

The bottom line is this: Unless this league can pull a USFL and lure some bona fide stars, I don't see how it will rank even above the Arena League in terms of drawing fans. At least with Arena Football, you have high scoring short-attention span theater during real football's offseason. With this league, you will see David Carr throwing to Devard Darling while Ahmad Carroll defends.¹ Yee. Haw. Maybe Art Shell could find a third life coaching one of these teams. And I'm sure He Hate Me would be interested in some kind of special teams role.

SO... I suppose this is typical Cuban. He's really just a more personable Donald Trump crossed with George Steinbrenner. At the end of the day, he likes to hear himself speak. This time, though, maybe he should stick to basketball. Or computer nerderation. Or at least something that isn't a guaranteed flop. Because he has European basketball players taking enough flops for all of us.

We now return you to your reguarly scheduled Texans-centric blog, already in progress.


¹ Or, more likely, Teddy Lehman would blow past Robert Gallery and sack Carr. Also, I get some kind of bonus points for the Devard Darling reference.

Labels: David Carr has Post-Concussion Syndrome, Non-NFL football, Teams that aren't the Texans

Posted by matt at 1:05 PM | Permalink | links to this post

For the second time this month, I find myself linking to a Seahawks Huddle post regarding the Texas. Odd. Really, though, the only reason I'm linking to it is for this line regarding Manchild.

All indications are that he will start next to Mario Williams on the right side.

Um... what? The Texans depth chart on NFL.com currently shows Amobi at the Under Tackle position, alongside Anthony Weaver, with Maddox playing the Nose. The Texans' own website says the same thing. If such early charts indicate anything, it's that Okoye is likely NOT going to be playing beside Super Mario.

Do you know why these two depth charts have Okoye at the under position? Because Victor Petersen's alignment is stupid. And even the Texans try to avoid do stupid things on purpose.¹

[Author's Note: The following discussion of defensive tackle positioning and technique is going to be simultaneously tedious and--for many of you--common friggin' sense. Still, to make my larger point here, I feel like I need to lay out exactly why the Amobi-by-Mario alignment would be wrong.]

Okoye is a prototypical under tackle. He's a fast (for his size), penetrating, one-gap player. Such players almost always line up off of the center. Wait... let's start with a visual aid.

(clicky to embiggen)

OK... back to Okoye. Players of his size and skill set are best suited to line up away from the center, usually a half-step past the guard (toward the respective tackle). This is the 3-technique and makes him a one gap player. The 3-technique tackle's job is to shoot that gap, create penetration, and either disrupt the running play or sack the QB. In Okoye's case, he will almost certainly play the under tackle in the 3-technique position over the offense's right guard.

Anthony Maddox, on the other hand, has a completely different skill set as a defensive tackle.² He is a traditional 0- or 1-technique DT, meaning he will line up over the center, one half-step toward the left-guard. In this position, a tackle will see frequent double-teams from the center and left guard, with the left guard engaging first and the center picking up. [Author's note: Technically, this off-set alignment is a 4-3 Over and not a straight 4-3.]

[/End of tedious football 101 recap]

So, this configuration, with Maddox next to Mario makes sense now, doesn't it? The goal in drafting Okoye was not to have him take blockers off of Williams; the goal was to have him take pressure off of Williams, by forcing the opposing offenses to account for two quality pass rushers. Now, Weaver (or Babin) might benefit from getting more one-on-one matchups with TEs if teams try to double Okoye. That would benefit Mario, too, as he would be solo on the offense's RT without TE interference. If that's how teams want to play the front four, then I suppose Okoye has technically taken a blocker off of Williams, but not in the manner suggested by the above quote.

For argument's sake, what would happen if Petersen's lineup were used? Okoye's primary skill--interior penetration--would be negated as he would be trying to draw a second blocker on every play. Maddox's primary skill--playing the 0-technique as a run-stuffing two gap player would also be negated, as he would be lined up to plow through the B gap without reacting to the actual route taken by the running back. While Weaver is a good run defender from the 6-7 position, there is only so much he could do in this configuration. Moreover, teams could basically run through the right-side A gap at will, as Maddox lacks the mobility to read-and-react from the 3 position consistently.

In the end, it's hard to fathom an argument for putting Okoye alongside Williams. Either Petersen knows something NO ONE else does, or he's just talking for the sake of talking. One thing is for certain, though... the only "account" that suggests this alignment is Petersen's. Thankfully.

UPDATE: You might wonder how this discussion relates to my "Babin at LE" post.³ Well, here's the deal: Despite the fact that Weavs is more or less entrenched in Kubes' mind as an end, the truth is Weaver is a 'tweener. He is a little too be to be a 4-3 end and he's a little too small to play nose tackle. He's a good run defender from the end, but a better pass rusher from tackle. The team knows this to an extent--Weaver did play some tackle in passing downs last season. In my Babin-centric theory, Weaver would be relegated to playing some under tackle when Amobi needed a break as well as playing backup to Babin. In effect, he would be playing the same two positions he played last season, but in a reserve capacity. In theory, he could also play a few snaps at nose, if the team wanted to go small or play a pure 4-3 stack (all linemen playing one-gap). Bottom line: I stand by the Babin post, dammit.


¹ I choose to believe that this is true.
² Sam Adams would also play this role. Please come to Houston, Sam. Please?
³ I choose to believe that this is true, too.

Labels: Amobi Okoye is 19, Football 101, Gary Kubiak, Jason Babin, Preview, Sam Adams, Super Mario

Posted by matt at 5:56 PM | Permalink | links to this post

One of the highlights of writing this blog for the past month has been emailing with other bloggers and even some national sportswriters. I have been shocked, really, at how accessible Matt Mosely and KC Joyner of ESPN have been (not to mention Will Leitch of Deadspin and most of the people at Chron.com) to a goof-ball blogger who writes about the Houston freakin' Texans.

So, when my buddy Sid suggested a while back that I should do a breakdown of Dunta Robinson to see if he was as good as we all believe him to be, I thought someone like The Football Scientist, KC Joyner might have some good insight.

First, though, I wanted to see what the raw numbers looked like:

16 G	87 Tot	73.0 Solo	14 Ast	3 Sk	6 Int	146 Yds	0 TD	13 PD
16 G	88 Tot	69.0 Solo	19 Ast	1 Sk	1 Int	1 Yds	0 TD	9 PD
16 G	82 Tot	69.0 Solo	13 Ast	0 Sk	2 Int	9 Yds	1 TD	10 PD

Not bad. I mean, he's not Champ Bailey, but who is?¹ Still, given the drop off from 2004 to 2005/2006, it seemed like the numbers did not tell the whole story. So, I emailed Joyner.

I was kicking around the idea of breaking down Dunta Robinson in comparison to the elite corners and, possibly, figuring out how much the lack of a good CB2, SS, and FS hurts Dunta. Then, I was reading your latest column regarding corners, and I wondered if I could get your take? Overall, where would you rank Dunta among other corners? Top 15? Also, is it possible that, given even a decent supporting cast in the secondary, Dunta could actually turn in a better YPA than he has thus far?

Somewhat surprisingly, KC replied with a good bit of detail.

Dunta had one of his better years this past season (7.4 YPA) and yet teams still targeted him quite often despite the presence of what would seem like more appealing target options. Robinson does often cover the other team's best WR and he most certainly isn't a shutdown corner, so that's a lot of the reason he is targeted. In previous years Robinson has been dreadful in coverage and I think that accounts for more of his targeting than anything. The lack of good safety play may hurt him some on deep passes and improvements back there could help his YPA some.

Interesting. This seems to fly in the face of what we (meaning both Texans fans and random talking heads) believe about DR. When you look at his rookie numbers, he seems to stack up against some of the better CBs out there, but, to hear Joyner tell it, those rookie numbers belie what was poor overall play. I followed-up with KC.

[Following your column and reply,] I had [some] suspicions about Dunta, mainly because being the best DB on the Texans is like being the prettiest leper in the colony. I am happy with the Okoye draft pick,[...] but there is no doubt that 2008's first rounder will almost have to be a DB.

You say that he's been dreadful in coverage over the past years, but he did have pretty good overall stats in 2004. Did those cover up some mediocre metrics?

Joyner, ever patient with the needy blogger, clarified.

I've been on numerous Texans players bandwagons the past few years (I honestly thought Carr was going to be the next great NFL QB) but Robinson's bandwagon is one I've not been on. To give you an idea of some of my earlier thoughts on him, check out my comment from Scientific Football 2005:

I was rather surprised to see the Dunta Robinson fan club develop so strongly by the end of last season. [...] My early impressions of him were summed up thusly: "Robinson is the rookie I've been telling you about all season, and this week should be another chapter in Robinson's book 'Toast 2: The Second Coming of Elvis Patterson'." As it turned out he wasn’t nearly that bad, but he wasn't great, either. He had some decent performances, but he never really shut anybody down.

Just take a look at his rankings. He's tied for 68th in completion percentage and 63rd in tight/good coverage percentage. He was 61st in deep completion percentage and 74th in short completion percentage. [...]

The key to all of this is his yards per attempt. Despite his lackluster completion percentage rates, he still ranked tied for 17th in yards per attempt. The reason this number is so low is that Robinson didn't allow receivers to get much on short passes. He allowed 52 short completions but only on 13 of those did the receiver end up getting more than 10 yards. [...] He may give you room to throw under him but he's going to tackle you quickly.

[...] He wasn't a top-notch CB last year, but he would've won the most improved in-season award if there were one.

I don't think he was as good last year as people made him out to be, but I think he has a very good chance of being that good this year. His early career popularity may bring his Pro Bowl berth a year earlier than usual, but I don't think it'll be quite this early.

His performances over the past two years have probably been better than his year one performance, so that's in his favor. I'm still probably down on him in part because a lot of the TV talking heads keep saying how great he is and he simply isn't (emphasis added).

That bolded line jumped out at me (which is why I bolded it, fool!); Dunta has actually played better the last two seasons despite a drop off in INTs, tackles, sacks, and passes defended. This is as counterintuitive as it gets, but I trust KC's evaluation. Mainly because I have nothing to suggest that he is incorrect. I suppose one could argue that his job is INTs and PDs and, thus, 2004 was the better year. I think that is overly simplistic, though, and ignores way too many variables. So, unless I see something to contradict Joyner, I'm going to stick with his evaluation.

So, what does this tell us? Well, for one thing, we might only be looking at Robinson as a top-flight CB because he's being compared against some guys who are awful. Much the same way Ahman Green might look like Earl Campbell to us at times this season.

For another thing, it suggests--at least to me--that the Texans need a very good safety as much as (or more) than they need a second CB. I mean, sure, they need a CB2 no doubt. But, seeing as how a dramatic improvement at safety (either one) would make Dunta and the other CB better, that might be the way to go. Otherwise, short of drafting the second coming of Prime Time, the glaring need at safety is going to make any CB we draft less valuable.²

Finally, just as a note to Texans fans, Joyner says "I hope you do remind your readers that I'm not a Texans-basher."

Duly noted, KC. And many thanks.

¹ Other than Champ Bailey, of course.
² Less valuable when compared with his own abilities, not less valuable than Demarcus Faggins.

Labels: Batman, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Dunta Robinson, KC Joyner, Prime Time, Secondary issues are primary

Posted by matt at 6:54 PM | Permalink | links to this post

Two stories regarding the Texans are bouncing around the internets today, which I suppose makes today a busy news day, at least compared to the past four.

The first story is that Sam Adams is supposed to visit with the team, possibly as early as right now. Now, granted, Adams is entering his 14th season and is not the same player he was when he won a Super Bowl with Baltimore. That said, I still think this move makes sense. I mean, obviously you get veteran leadership for a very young defensive front seven. What you also get, though, is a two-gap DT (playing the 0 or 1 technique) who could (a) stuff the run, (b) free Manchild to play more of a 1-gap 3 technique DT, and (c) keep offensive lineman off of DeMeco the same way he did for Ray Lewis.

Would he give you 30 snaps per game? Of course not. He would give you 20 or so, though, which is enough to make an impact on run defense. He could be spelled by Maddox (or Weaver on clear passing downs), while still providing fantastic mentoring for Okoye, et al. Most importantly, however, is that even at this age, he is a clear upgrade in our run defense.

The biggest criticism people seem to be voicing over this news is that the Texans already have too many DTs as it is. While this might be true now, it is highly unlikely that the team is unwilling to cut one or more of those guys during camp. Travis Johnson and Thomas Johnson should probably be a little concerned.

The second story/rumor is that Kevin Walter has pretty much locked up the WR2 position. Without rehashing all of the stuff I've written about this position, I'll just say that I am less-than-thrilled with Walter. I hope he proves me wrong, I really do, but I just don't think he is our best choice to play second fiddle. Still, this news isn't surprising (as Kubiak seems to have a mancrush on Walter). Really, I just mentioned it to throw this theory out there: The Jacksonville fans over at Big Cat Country seem to think that Ernest Wilford will not be a Jag at the end of camp. If their suspicions turn out correct, I just want to be the first to cast my vote for signing Wilford. He's a big, physical receiver who would be a perfect compliment to Andre Johnson's skills and would let Walter or JJ play the slot (where I think they would both be better, at least in the short term). He would also likely relish the idea of playing against his old team twice per season.

Labels: Amobi Okoye is 19, Andre Johnson, Athletes who don't stab people, DeMeco Ryans, Gary Kubiak might be high, Sam Adams, Teams that aren't the Texans

Posted by matt at 10:01 AM | Permalink | links to this post

I (finally) have a post up at Texans Talk that doesn't also appear here. Granted, it's another "Matt sticks up for the O-line" entry, but whatever.

Labels: Charles Spencer, Offensive (punch)Line, Overexposure

Posted by matt at 10:12 PM | Permalink | links to this post

Lending credence to the theory that no good deed goes properly reported in the NFL, I'll bet you haven't heard about this: DeMeco Ryans is running a FREE football camp for kids in and around his hometown of Bessemer, AL.

Just months after establishing the DeMeco Ryans Foundation, the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year will kickoff the first of many foundation sponsored events on Friday, June 29 in his hometown of Bessemer, Alabama. The DeMeco Ryans Football Camp will give area youngsters the opportunity to directly interact with Ryans and other camp coaches. If the thought of learning fundamentals from an NFL star isn’t enough maybe the fact that Ryans’ camp is FREE of charge is convincing enough for youngsters to attend. The goal of the first DeMeco Ryans Foundation Football Camp is clear. 'We not only want to teach the kids the fundamentals of the game but also give them the fundamentals of a successful life,' explains Ryans. 'When they leave the camp Friday afternoon we want them to realize that character matters and is huge to personal success.' The camp is limited to the first 100 to register and is open to youngsters entering the fifth through tenth grades (emphasis added).

Obviously, there are more than a handful of NFL players who would be well served to attend DeMeco's camp, if only for that underlying message. But I'm sure Ryans is not the only player who does stuff like this during the offseason. Not that you ever hear about it. When I lived in Kansas City, Deron Cherry and Neil Smith did something similar for inner-city kids up there. I've heard that a couple different St. Louis Rams do a camp as well. But these things are buried in the back of Wednesday sports pages in the middle of summer. I don't know what that says about society as a whole or about the NFL specifically, but, whatever it is, it is pretty messed up.

Still, between this and the Batman-Simmons thing, it feels good to be a Texans fan right now. Suck it, Cincinnati.

Labels: Athletes who don't stab people, Batman, Big dudes doing the little things, DeMeco Ryans, Teams that aren't the Texans

Posted by matt at 9:03 PM | Permalink | links to this post

Megan Manfull has an article over at Chron.com about Mario Williams' personal and professional maturation since last year and his expectations for the upcoming season. According to the article--the Lambo Incident notwithstanding--Super Mario has been pretty much perfect this offseason. He has followed the rehab for his foot to the letter. He has hit the weight room with intensity and focus. He is showing maturity in the wake of the YouTube fiasco.

But it's just one of those things that bring you back to reality and let's you know you can't even do any little thing now.

This attitude is the underlying point of the article--that Mario is more mature than last season and this wisdom should translate into better play.

I don't disagree with that premise, I suppose, but I think the most exciting part of the article for Texans fans should be this throw-away line:

He also is making strides in his technique. He is working on improving his footwork and improving the way his hands work with his feet.

Now, I am already on record as a Super Mario fan who thinks that the Williams draft pick was completely justifiable. That said, I'll be the first to admit that he relied too heavily on sheer athletic ability as a pass rusher. When his foot got injured and his athletic explosiveness was limited, his lack of a repertoire of defensive moves made him almost non-existent in the pass rush. (His run defense was still surprisingly good--teams actively ran away from him for much of the second half of 2006--but that's not really what he's here for, you know?)

One of the hardest things to do in life is to admit that you are lacking in some area. This is doubly true in sports, where machismo reigns, and probably even more true when that deficit is a facet of the thing that you are expected to do. That Mario can objectively look at his game and see a need for technique improvement speaks more to me about his maturity than his reaction to some YouTube video.

I already expected big things out of Mario this season; I'm thinking it might already be time to upgrade those expectations.

*********
For those of you who have checked out my appearance over on Texans Talk, thanks. I am still trying to get a feel for that place--frequency of posting, seriousness of topics, annoyance at footnotes--so you'll have to bear with me for a while. I still say that I will (at some point) get some stuff up over there that you won't find here; it just might take a little while before I figure something out.

*********
Also, I assume that most of my readers who don't also know me in real life are from Texas. That being the case, I was hoping one of you might give me a good recipe for a brisket rub. Email me at mattycamp -at- gmail.com (or you can just click the link in the upper right).

Labels: Big dudes doing the little things, Overexposure, Preview, Simulpost, Super Mario

Posted by matt at 10:34 AM | Permalink | links to this post

In the less-than-one-month existence of DGDB&D, a constant theme has been the skewed perception of the quality of Houston's offense line play. To recap, these posts usually involve me claiming that the line was nowhere near as bad as people mad it sound last year and that a goodly number of the sacks of David Carr were due to the ineptness and utter lack of pocket presence of David Carr. By that rationale, of course, replacing the inherently-flawed Carr with a QB possessing better presence, better football intelligence, and less estrogen would greatly improve the team.

So, following the trade for Matt Schaub (and the courtesy-flushing of Carr), the question from anyone¹ who bought into the above assertions was usually, "yeah... but what makes you thinks Schaub is actually better than David Carr?" Fair enough--considering Schaub's career numbers, such a question was valid, at least on its face.²

Thankfully, Stephanie over at Fanhouse brings us news of this video from the NFL Network. [Author's Note: The picture of Carr on that post is great.] In said film, Brian Baldinger (with help from his weird, weird pinkie) breaks down all the ways in which Schaub is superior to Carr. Basically, at least according to the video, Schaub reads defenses better, has a better pocket presence, possesses the ability to run if need be, is not footballtarded, and rescues burning puppies in his spare time.³ I have a hard time believing that someone could watch that video and conclude that the Matt Schaub era is not looking more and more promising.

It's not all bad for Carr. I mean, Schaub may have won the starting job, but David still has his awards to fall back on.

(Honestly, I can't imagine tiring of that picture.)


¹ Read: Non-Texans fans.
² Unless you had watched Carr over the past few seasons, in which case you probably wondered how anyone could think Schaub wouldn't be better.
³ Baldinger doesn't come out and say this last one, but I have my suspicions.

Labels: David Carr has Post-Concussion Syndrome, Offensive (punch)Line, The Schaub Experiment

Posted by matt at 11:30 PM | Permalink | links to this post

Lost amidst the hub-bub of Keyshawn's departure was that OTAs¹ continue in Houston. (They probably continue in other places as well, but I don't pretend to care about that.) As the second week of activities comes to a close, Kubes had a couple insights and a bunch of platitudes about many of the new players. From the mundane "Matt speaks the same language that we’re speaking here"² to the suggestion that the rookies are all pretty much what they were drafted to be, there is nothing in that article that is overly surprising.

Unless, that is, you read deeper meaning into the quotes. Which is what I like to do.

I've taken the liberty of bolding the parts of the quote that contain hidden messages, as Coach Gary speaks about rookie WR Jacoby Jones:

Jacoby has been extremely impressive as a returner and as a receiver he’s kind of up and down right now but that’s to be expected[.] He’s been very impressive as a returner.

Now, combine that effusive praise with (a) the fact that Jerome Mathis is injured AGAIN and (b) that Kubiak already basically called Mathis out as needing to be a full-time performer, and you starting to see the (unwritten) writing on the wall. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2007 starting kick and punt returner... Jacoby Jones.

UPDATE: Steph's protestations aside (see comments), I still think Gary is hinting more about losing Mathis unless things change drastically, rather than trying to get a rise out of Jerome in some sort of motivational ploy. From this story on Texans.com,

It’s critical because we’re at a point [in Mathis'] career where he had a great rookie season, but last year he dressed for two games for us I think and he struggled physically, Kubiak said. [Mathis] has been out here everyday, he’s practiced everyday, he had some issues with tightness today, but our football team is very competitive right now and the good thing is that our football team is going to be tough to make and I think Jerome sees that going on and it’s important that he’s out here (emphasis added)[.]

END OF UPDATE.

Other notes from the world of OTAs, bulletpoint style:

• Coaches Jethro Franklin and Frank Bush are making an impact in camp, apparently by engaging in witty repartee. Think "Tango & Cash meets The Waterboy." Or "Last Boy Scout, minus the inexplicable horse-riding scene." I'm rambling.
• Mike Flanagan is healthy, which puts Steve McKinney's future with the team in question. The guys at Battle Red Blog explain why.
• Shawn Barber has "no problem being a starter, [...] a Pro Bowler, team captain, coach, (general manager) , whatever." That's great, Shawn. But, really, we'll just settle for "productive backup."

¹ Memo to whomever runs the Texans' website: The plural of OTA is NOT "OTA's." Lose the damned apostrophe already.
² English? Texan? Igpay Atinlay?

Labels: Gary Kubiak, Injury bug, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Offensive (punch)Line, Shawn Barber for President

Posted by matt at 10:11 AM | Permalink | links to this post

I love this.

Apparently, Ron "Why, Yes, I'll Have Another Pie" Dayne was so inspired by his "strong season" in 2006 (Yahoo!'s words, not mine) that he is motivated to really prove that he can be a good NFL running back.

Great plan, Ronnie--get inspired after your team signs Batman to be the bona fide RB1 (and the year after the team gives you an outside shot at being the man, I might add). That's like David Carr coming out next week and saying he's inspired to become a real leader in Houston.

All kidding aside, I suppose it's good that Dayne feels this way. This attitude is definitely in keeping with the overall positive atmosphere that has, thus far, accompanied the Matt Schaub era.

'I'm out here having fun and just trying to get better,' Dayne said. 'I'm glad we got Ahman and I think we've got a good-looking team.'

Despite his struggles, the NCAA's career leading rusher said he never lost confidence and was excited to contribute last season. He hopes for continued success this year and that his work can help the team succeed as well.

'I don't really set goals for myself,' he said. 'I just want to do better than I did last year and help the team win. That's all I want to do. Win more games.'

Whether Dayne can actually turn into the back that people expected out of Wisconsin is unlikey, but at least comments like this illustrate that he knows what his role with this team will be. That's good, because Kubes made it perfectly clear that Green is the starter, with Dayne getting some change-of-pace carries.

[T]hat's a great 1-2 punch, because they're different type of players. When Ahman comes out of a game, to have a big guy like Ronny come in is a nice complement.

You know... even though "Thunder and Lightning" was a huge bust in NY, "Batman and Rubenesque" might just work in Houston.

*************************************************

In somewhat related news, I have been invited to blog over at Texanstalk.com. The co-authors there seem like a fantastic group and I look forward to working with them over the coming months. I am still working out the kinks of using their posting interface, so you might have to bear with some visually unappealing entries for a few days, but I should be running at full power soon enough.

Fear not, though, loyal readers. (All nine of you.) This version of DGDB&D will stay up and running, with updates and new posts coming as frequently as they have so far. I will just be writing over there as well. There will be some overlap (simulposting!), but there will also be some original content at my new address that you won't find here. So, I invite you to check both blogs from time to time.

We now resume your regularly scheduled blog, already in progress.

Labels: Batman, Gary Kubiak, Preview, RB free-for-all, Ron Dayne like pie, The Schaub Experiment

Posted by matt at 8:27 PM | Permalink | links to this post

Wow.

This Titans-Keyshawn thing is a veritable treasure trove of ridiculousness. First, we learn that Keyshawn wouldn't be "playing for $750,000, $850,000, $1 million or $2.5 million." Instead, he wanted $12MM over two years. If that is the prevailing market rate for inflated sense of self-worth, I want $250,000 per year to write DGDB&D.

Hold on; it gets better (at least if you are a Texans fan).

So, when Tennessee were courting Johnson, I opined that it was an act of sheer desperation on the part of the Titans' front office. Adding some support to that position, we hear that the Titans are now in talks with Eric Moulds.

2006 Houston Texans 16 Games 57 catches 557 yards 9.8 YPC 29 long 1 TD

Yes, that Eric Moulds. Seriously, how sold can you be on your young wideouts when you have been looking to overpay a glorified possession receiver and--failing that--a guy who was so lousy, the Texans cut him and then signed Andre Davis?

You know what? I'm done with this subject. I hereby declare a moratorium on Keyshawn Johnson, the desperation of Jeff Fisher's mustache, or the Titans' continued acts of dummy-osity. There is no need to turn a perfectly happy Texans blog into a chronicle of Titan failures.

Vince Young Wonderlic jokes are still fair game, however.

Labels: Desperate times call for desperate MEshawns, Jeff Fisher's Mustache, Teams that aren't the Texans, Vinsanity

Posted by matt at 11:23 PM | Permalink | links to this post

When we were in England last fall, the wife and I went out to breakfast at this little place near the house. We asked the waitress what she would recommend and she immediately replied with "The Traditional Breakfast. It's the best in all of Warwick!"

Either she was lying, or the word "best" means something totally different. (Kind of like how "bad" meant "good" in the 80s.) The meal was--honest to goodness, no hyperbole--the worst we had during our entire honeymoon. In fact, as I write this, I can picture the eggs attempting to sail away on a river of grease and pork-and-bean sauce. Eww.

I was reminded of this meal today when I heard that Keyshawn Johnson chose to retire rather than succumb to the wiles of Jeff Fisher's mustache. Johnson always held himself out as one of the best receivers in all of football, but there was little evidence to support him.

Consider: Key had one season with more than 90 catches. He had 10 catches of over 40 yards in his entire career. He had one season where he reached double digits in TDs. He did have 552 catches for a first down, however. This makes sense; Keyshawn was nothing more than a possession receiver with a gift for self-promotion.

Consider further: Rod Smith, who came into the league the year before Keyshawn and is a similar receiver in terms of size/speed/strength, has two seasons of 90+ catches, two seasons of double-digit TDs, 21 catches of 40+ yards, and 570 grabs for a first down. He also bests Johnson in 1000 yard seasons, putting up eight to Johnson's four. Even if you grant that Smith might have played in a better system,¹ it is hard to argue that he was not a better WR over the last decade than Keyshawn. (Another similar receiver, Hines Ward has three 90+ catch seasons, three double-digit TD seasons, 15 catches over 40 yards and 407 first downs. He also caught a 5 balls for 123 yards and a TD in the Super Bowl and was Super Bowl MVP, as opposed to just having 6 catches for 60 yards and no TDs.)

Which is not to say that Keyshawn was not at what he did; in fact, as possession receivers go, he was one of the best for a number of years. However, methinks that the Jets were not drafting a possession receiver with the first overall pick in 1996.² Keyshawn knew this and tried to promote himself as more than he was in order to--I suppose--avoid being looked at as a less-than-stellar draft choice.

Somehow, he managed to convince a lot of the mainstream media of this alleged greatness.

Keyshawn Johnson retired Wednesday, ending an NFL career in which the outspoken receiver was once one of the game's biggest threats.

Oh, yeah? Point me to one season where you would rather have had Johnson than Rod Smith (to say nothing of the true great receivers like Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, Torry Holt, etc.) Heck, since 2002, show me a time when he was the biggest threat on his team. Go ahead... I'll wait.

Give up?

It can't be done. Keyshawn knows this, too. As I listened to him today on the Afternoon Blitz on Sirius, he made sure to mention--ad nauseum--that he wasn't about "numbers."³ Instead, he could hang his hat on what he'd done--like being a Pro Bowler, winning a Super Bowl, etc. That is apparently his new approach; he will talk about all the "team" accomplishments he earned while trying to deride guys whose numbers are better. That will make for some real "tell it like it is" journalism, I'm sure.

How does this relate to the Texans? Well, while it never got legs like the Titans' pursuit did, there was some conversation about whether Houston should sign the egotist. Thankfully, common sense prevailed. (Did you ever think the Texans would be a more sensible organization than the Titans? Me neither.)

Anyway, that's the story with Keyshawn. If he was half as good as he thinks he was, he'd be ten times better than he really was. That's, like, algebra.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to go watch the greatest movie in the history of cinema.

UPDATE: Today, a friend and I were discussing Keyshawn as he relates to his contemporaries and we came up with at least 16 WRs who were better (some arguably, most clearly) than Keyshawn. The only rule was that their career had to overlap Keyshawn's by at least a couple seasons. So, along with some of the guys listed throughout this post, you have Randy Moss, Torry Holt, Marvin Harrison, Herman Moore, Chad Johnson, Terrell Owens, Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, Henry Ellard, Tim Brown, Steve Smith, and Sterling Sharpe (we bent the rules slightly for him). Even if you disagree with one or two, it's hard to make a case that Keyshawn was one of the top 10 WRs of his own generation.

¹I say "might have" because, aside from two years as the go-to receiver in John Elway's offense (in which he was at best option B1 behind Terrell Davis), Smith played with such luminaries as Brian Greise, Chris Miller, Bubby Brister, Gus Frerotte, Jarious Jackson, Steve Beuerlein, Danny Kanell, Jake Plummer, Bradlee VanPelt, and Jay Cutler.
Johnson played with Glenn Foley, Frank Reich, Neil O'Donnell, Vinny Testaverde, Ray Lucas, Rick Mirer, Shaun King, Brad Johnson, Rob Johnson, Drew Bledsoe, Jake Delhomme, and Chris Weinke. That is, at worst, a wash. You might even give a slight edge to Johnson, seeing as how he has five QBs with Super Bowl experience in his list.
²Then again, it is the Jets.
³Which, if true, makes one wonder how he ever got the name MEshawn.

Labels: 1996 Draft, Desperate times call for desperate MEshawns, Jeff Fisher's Mustache, Overrated, Posts that list too many players, Simulpost, Teams that aren't the Texans

Posted by matt at 7:24 PM | Permalink | links to this post

As is generally the case with young teams, several positions are in flux as OTAs and minicamps begin. With the Texans, there is competition for WR2, LT (until Charles Spencer returns), KR/PR, CB3 (nickel), and--apparently--SLB.

This year, the Texans are giving [Charlie] Anderson another opportunity to become a starter by pitting him against Shantee Orr at strongside linebacker. Orr, who has started the past two years, has had to battle for his job every offseason.
[...]
Orr is athletic with pass-rush ability. In the 3-4 alignment in 2005, he set a team record with three sacks in one game and led the Texans with seven total sacks. Last season was Orr's first in the 4-3, and he was rarely used to blitz. [Author's note: That was a mistake on Kubes' part.] He finished with 1 1/2 sacks and 32 tackles.

Anderson, who signed a one-year contract in the offseason, is a talented athlete who is waiting for his first start after three seasons with the Texans. He has 36 career tackles, many of which have come on special teams.

I am on record as being an Orr fan. I liked him at Michigan, I like his motor, and I think he makes the perfect 5th rusher in this defense. With him behind Weaver and Manchild, you create a great opportunity for (a) one of those three to get free and (b) the opposing RB to be occupied with that side of the line, thereby ignoring Super Mario.

Still, the coaches have apparently seen something in Anderson that they dig. If there is one knock on Orr, it's that he is less than stellar in pass coverage/zone awareness. Maybe Kubiak has seen something that suggests Anderson would be the better all-around LB. I dunno. Anderson is four inches taller than Orr and slightly faster, so that might play into the decision as well.

In the end, I think that Orr will win the starting job. However, if Kubiak is not going to blitz from the Sam position very often, Orr's contribution is going to be significantly diminished. In that case, I would mind them going in a different direction and seeing what Anderson can do.

Either that, or see if Lance Briggs is interested in wearing battle red.

Labels: Gary Kubiak, Lance Briggs' open invitation, Michigan Wolverines, Super Mario, Training camp 2007

Posted by matt at 11:23 AM | Permalink | links to this post

In every season in which he's started at least 11 games, Ahman Green has rushed for a minimum of 1059 yards. Other than 2005, when he played only five games due to injury, Batman has carried the ball at least 259 times every year since 2000. These are good numbers. However, given the chatter around the league that he is "washed up," the following comparison really stood out:

2000 season: 263 carries for 1175 yards
2006 season: 266 carries for 1059 yards

That is some remarkable consistency* and it is something that the Texans have needed for a while now. If he can just continue to get those kind of numbers, he will make life easier on the entire offense. From the news coming out of OTAs, the importance of Batman is not lost on the other players.

'I'm blocking for 1.8 seconds and the next thing I know I see a flash with a 3 and a 0 fly by and that helps a lot as an offensive lineman,' says Ephraim Salaam. [...] Last year we didn't have that explosiveness, Ron Dayne came on late in the end, but we needed those big chunks, instead of 15 and 20 yards we needed 40-50 yard touchdowns and I think we have that with Ahman.

That might be the first time "explosiveness" and "Ron Dayne" have ever been equated.** Salaam is correct, however--Green's longest run last year was 70 yards; Dayne's longest was 19. Wali Lundy's was 35. Sam Gado's was 34. Chris Taylor's was 17.

Yuck.

I realize that Batman is never going to be an 1800 yard back again. That's not the model of Green we are expecting, though, so such realizations do not concern me much. What concerns me is Kubiak getting Ahman 250+ carries and Houston finally having a running game that defenses need to respect when gameplanning for the Texans.

Hello, Vinny. It's your Uncle Bingo. Time to pay the check!


[Author's note: I also realize that his fumble "problem" is greatly overblown. He put 4 on the ground last year and lost 2 of them. Steven Jackson did the same. Larry Johnson lost 2 as well. The most Green has ever lost in a season is 5 (in 2003, when he also had 355 carries and 1800+ yards); Tiki Barber had back-to-back seasons with 6.]

*It is "remarkable" sort of by definition, as I am remarking on it. Still, you know what I mean.
**Outside of an all-you-can eat restaurant context, of course.

Labels: Batman, Gary Kubiak, Offensive (punch)Line, RB free-for-all, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment

Posted by matt at 9:05 AM | Permalink | links to this post

There are a number of things I think about on a daily basis. Where are my keys? How do the Wolverines look this year?* Could Eric Winston actually be our most talented Left Tackle and Right Tackle? Who the hell is going to be the Texans' starting WR2? No, really, where are my keys?

Well, it seems that Gary Kubiak and I have at least one concern in common. From the article:

Pro Bowler Andre Johnson is set on one side. But a sea of receivers suddenly has a new outlook for the other starting job.

That was obvious to Andre’ Davis when he was deciding where to go as a free agent. Davis and returning backup Kevin Walter are the leading candidates for that job, but players like Jerome Mathis and Charlie Adams, not to mention rookie Jacoby Jones and David Anderson, all feel they have a shot at the job.

I've been pretty clear that I am excited about the prospect of JJ overtaking Kevin Walter at WR2. I think Jones' athleticism and speed, along with his amazing showing at the Shrine Game, make him an exciting addition to an offense that really needs some playmakers.

That said, I am starting to think that Andre' Davis might be the best short-term solution to this conundrum. Yes, I realize that he's never even cracked 600 yards in a season. Yes, I realize that his single-season career high in receptions is 40. And, yes, I understand that he has 11 catches and 1 TD total over the last two seasons.

So why--WHY?!--would I be trumpeting him? Simple. He (a) allows Walter (or, preferably, Jones) to play the slot receiver position, better utilizing their size/speed in mismatch situations, (b) he is less likely to become the malcontent that we have seen over the course of his career if he feels he's the second option in the offense, (c) he has fantastic speed (sub 4.4 at times)** that could stretch the field and open things up for Schaub, and (d) he provides some additional veteran experience on the starting offense--combining with Johnson and Batman to give Schaub some wizened help, which is never a bad thing. (Also, let's not overlook what would be point (e)--Walter had 17 catches for 160 and no TDs last year; it's not like he set the world on fire.)

I also have to admit that I like this mindset from 'Dre Redux:

But Davis knows it won’t be easy to win that spot. Among other challenges, Davis feels he has to basically forget everything he has learned in his five years in the NFL.

“You know guys who have been here have an upper hand on me,” Davis said. “They’ve been in the system. They know what the coaches expect. So I’m coming in kind of at a disadvantage, even though I’ve been in the league five years.

This is what you want to hear. Unlike certain self-centered USC-bred WRs currently being courted by Jeff Fisher's mustache, Davis accepts that he has to actually, you know, EARN a starting spot, regardless of who his competition is. Even if it's only lip-service on Andre's part, I still like it.

SO... if I had my druthers, the real battle right now would be between Jones and Walter at WR3. I would also understand why Darcy Maeda and David Carr were equals.***

*I realize that, within the confines of my own blog, I am probably alone in this one. Also, it's unlikely that you know where my keys are.
**See, e.g., his record-tying 99-yard TD reception a few years ago.
***Seriously.

Labels: Andre Johnson, Batman, Desperate times call for desperate MEshawns, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Jeff Fisher's Mustache, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment

Posted by matt at 9:53 PM | Permalink | links to this post

At some point prior to the preseason games, I plan on doing a 2007 preview, both in terms of the Texans schedule and of the NFL as a whole. I want to get a better handle on some of the teams as they go through real camp and not merely OTAs, though, so I am holding off for the time being.

"So what," you say?

Well, the guys at Seahawks Huddle have already done one for the Texans. (How's THAT for a nice segue? Oh yeah, baby... you know you like the way I lead a story. I'll shut up now.)

I have to say, I agree with many of their premises, including the idea that Jacoby Jones was a very good pick and that Manchild might wind up being even better than anticipated.

They also suggest that the Texans might finally be poised to turn the corner and--possibly, if the fumbles bounce just right--turn in their first non-losing season. This is pretty much what the guys at Battle Red Blog and I have been saying ad nauseum. Still, it's nice to see the same conclusion from someone who has no reason to be biased toward the machine that is Kubiak's Texans.

Speaking of non-biased analysis, KC Joyner offered this nugget in his latest ESPN chat (Insider only):

With the addition of Schaub and with the other moves Houston made, I like their chances a lot. I'm not sold on their secondary** and banking on Ahman Green is a bit risky, but I could see Houston putting up 7-8 wins this year, maybe 9 if things bounce right for them.

People outside the US also seem more knowledgeable than the random Screaming Heads on your television, at least when it comes to the Texans. From the same chat:

Randy (Greenich, England): You know what... I am sick and tired of the media claiming the same old excuse that the Texans have no line. The truth is that the media has no clue because they don't even pay attention to the Texans. The Texans have drafted numerous linemen over the past few years and last year they were pretty solid although banged up. David Carr was the problem because he has ZERO pocket presence. Can you please be one media person who can actually look at their off-season and see a little hope? Shaub, Green, nice draft, good value free agents and a solid young core defense should be better than 4th worst. What do you say?

KC Joyner: Randy, I agree with you on Houston being an up and coming team. I see 6-8 wins out of them this year, including another win against Indy.

Sure, no one in his right mind is talking Super Bowl. (PLAYOFFS?!?) Still, it's nice to be entering a season where a winning record is a realistic possibility. It's even nicer to be hearing the same thing from people who are on the outside looking in.

And, with that, I'll stop kicking Barbaro. For a little while.

*Who is?

Labels: Amobi Okoye is 19, Barbaro is dead, Batman, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Gary Kubiak, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Offensive (punch)Line, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment

Posted by matt at 8:32 PM | Permalink | links to this post

Call it variations on a theme.

It's time for everyone's FAVORITE gameshow--XTREME QB COMPARISON DEATHMATCH BOWL! [Insert lots of explosions and a voice yelling "EXTREME!" in an Asian accent.]

Let's meet today's contestants.

Quarterback #1's 2006 statistics:
Rating: 66.7
Comp-Att: 184-357
Yards: 2199
TDs: 12
INTs: 13
Rushing Yards: 552
Rushing TDs: 7
Fumbles: 11 (3 lost)
Sacks: 25
Wins: 8

Quarterback #2's 2006 statistics:
Rating: 75.7
Comp-Att: 204-388
Yards: 2474
TDs: 20
INTs: 13
Rushing Yards: 1039
Rushing TDs: 2
Fumbles: 9 (3 lost)
Sacks: 45
Wins: 7

Now, which QB would you rather have? Looking at the numbers, it appears that QB2 was superior in nearly every category, despite playing behind what was apparently an awful line. (For comparison, everyone's posterboy for bad lineplay, David Carr was sacked only 41 times last year.) Yet, fans of QB2's team have derided their signal caller as "a glorified running back" and a "below average QB." Fans of QB1, on the other hand, are patently convinced that he is Jesus in a helmet.*

What gives?

Obviously, the two QBs in question are Vince Young and Mike Vick. But, putting aside any preconceived notions of "shoulda been drafted first" and "two dogs enter, one dog leaves,"** if you merely had the numbers above and I told you that QB1s supporting cast (at least on paper) was downgraded at both WR slots and at RB, while QB2's team brought in Joe Horn, which player would you expect to be better in 2007?

Exactly.

Now, obviously, as a Texans fan, I have bore witness to the talent that lies with Vince Young. One need look only to a certain OT TD run to recognize that VY has talent in spades. Still, when you look at the rather pedestrian numbers he put up over the course of an entire season, one has to wonder where the expectations of playoffs (or even a match of last year's 8 wins) come from.

And that's without even mentioning the fact that QB1 will certainly fall victim to a certain curse this year.

Postscript: Two other points of comparison for you.
David Carr was 302-442 for 2767 yards, 11 TDs, and 12 INTs. He also had a rating of 82.1.
Randall Cunningham, in his first year as a full-time starter, went 223-406 for 2786, 23 TDs, and 12 INTs. He also rushed for 505 with 3 TDs. Oh, and he did all of this IN 12 GAMES.

*And without sandals; even Jesus needs cleats when he plays football. It's in the Bible.
**After all, the first rule of Doggy Fight Club...

Labels: David Carr has Post-Concussion Syndrome, Mike Vick, Offensive (punch)Line, Randall Cunningham was a Tecmo god, Teams that aren't the Texans, Vinsanity

Posted by matt at 12:54 PM | Permalink | links to this post

So far, it has been my goal to discuss Texans' news almost exclusively and to bring up other teams only as they relate to the Texans' news I am discussing at the time. Along with just generally not caring enough to write about them, this "Texans only" policy is why I have not opined on Mike Vick v. PETA, random Bengals arrests, or Plaxico Burress bailing on his tab when it didn't look like he would get some funk on hangdown.

That said, this whole "Keyshawn to the Titans" angle merits some words on my part, if only because it reeks of such incredible desperation. (Also, it relates to the Texans, so I suppose it doesn't violate my policy too badly. Moving on...)

As of this moment, the Titans starting WRs are Brandon Jones and David Givens. Who? Exactly. I imagine Demarcus Faggins looks at the Titans roster and thinks, "wow...even I can cover those guys, and I suck something fierce."*

Luckily for Titans fans, Jeff Fisher is smart enough to realize that Ben Troupe and/or Bo Sciafe are not enough to create a passing game. Luckily for Texans fans, Fisher did not come to this realization until after the NFL draft. With Dwayne Bowe still on the board, the Titans took a safety, Michael Griffin. (Here is where a Titans fan will likely jump in with something "we were losing Pacman and we needed a DB!" Really? You needed a DB more than you needed someone for Vince Young to throw to? Interesting. I would think that a complete lack of offensive weapons would be something you'd want to address for your young franchise QB.)

With Steve Smith still on the board in the second, the Titans took a RB, Chris Henry. I don't dispute that the Titans needed a back--LenDale White is trying to convert himself into an offensive lineman and Travis Henry is receiving his mail in Denver now. Still, Chris Henry is not Reggie Bush; if anything, C. Henry is a project with good upside but little ability to step in and make a difference right now. Unlike, say, a WR who played on National Championship teams in a pro-style offense.

In the third, Fisher and Co. finally took a WR when they selected Paul Williams out of Fresno State. A quick look at the Scouts, Inc., report for Williams offers the following flags:

(D: DURABILITY) Player that can't stay healthy (M: MENTAL) Does not retain and learn the system (U: UNDERACHIEVER) Player that doesn't play up to ability

We also get the always fun

There is speculation that he'd rather be playing DB and he spent some of his senior season complaining about being forced to play offense.

Nice. He complains about playing the position they drafted him to play and he would rather be keeping other people from catching the ball than catching it himself. This can only end well... from a Texans perspective.

The Titans also spent a sixth round pick on WR Joel Filani, who Scouts graded at a whopping 49. (Which I think means he's roughly as good as Andre Johnson... if you stabbed Johnson repeatedly in the kidneys with a rusty screwdriver.)

Given all of this, you can see why the Titans would suddenly find themselves desperate for a real WR. If this were, say, 2001, Keyshawn would be an excellent option. You see, back then Keyshawn was only 29 and had the ability to do amazing things like outrun LBs. In 2007, though, signing Keyshawn gets you the equivalent Wayne Chrebet--only with enough (undeserved) ego to have earned the nickname MEshawn.

I'm not in rental mode. You're not going to rent me for six months because someone with my career warrants more than that," Johnson said Thursday. "I just laugh when I read that stuff. [...] I'm not playing for $750,000, $850,000, $1 million or $2.5 million. You can write that down.

Wow. Not only are the Titans considering overpaying for a washed-up, egocentric possession receiver, they are apparently considering doing it for more than one year. Brilliant!

So, why are they doing this? Like I said earlier, it is almost certainly out of desperation. They are desperate to find something (anything!) that will force defenses to at least consider respecting the passing game. They are desperate to cobble together an offense around VY after failing to do so in the draft. Most importantly (from the team's perspective), however, they are desperate to sign a name that fans recognize--even if that name offers next to nothing in terms of value or production--so that they can point to said player as "proof" of a commitment to win now.

As a football fan, I find these moves puzzling at best.

As a Texans fan who is often derided for his team's failure to draft Vince Young, I find this somewhat poetic.

But, more than desperate or puzzling or poetic, I find this whole thing incredibly amusing. Go Texans.

*I suppose it is possible--likely, even--that Demarcus does not think he sucks. However, in my imagination, all of the Texans think on a very existential level. This probably illustrates something wrong in my head.

Labels: 2007 Draft, Andre Johnson, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Desperate times call for desperate MEshawns, Jeff Fisher's Mustache, Reggie Bush, Super Mario, Teams that aren't the Texans, Vinsanity

Posted by matt at 8:45 AM | Permalink | links to this post

It is possible that the following is only of interest to Jason Babin and a few of his relatives.

Anyway, though I don't think I've just come out and said it, it's my not-so-radical theory that the starting defensive line will be Super Mario, Manchild, and Dos Anthonys*. I am generally ok with this. However, it does raise one interesting question: ¿Dónde es Jason Babin?

Fans may recall that Babin was the second of two first-round picks by the Texans in the 2004 draft. A defensive end out of Directional Michigan, Babin ended his collegiate career with 299 tackles (including 202 solo and 75 for a loss) and 38 sacks, despite missing all of his senior season with a broken leg. He was described in various scouting reports as "one of the fastest down linemen in the game of football" and having "tremendous potential as a pass rusher."

At the time Babin was selected, the Texans were still running Dom Capers' 3-4 defense. Babin was therefore converted from defensive end to outside linebacker; Capers apparently assumed that a pass rusher was a pass rusher, regardless of where he lined up. (Gee, I wonder why Dom wasn't successful...)

So it went for the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Babin put up 63 tackles and 4 sacks in his first year, then followed that up with 37 and 4 (and 2 forced fumbles) in '05.

Prior to 2006, as the team converted from a 3-4 to a 4-3, Babin was unconverted back to defensive end. Of course, by this time Babin was a man without a starting slot (he started only three times in '06). Still, now that he was being asked to do what he was actually drafted to do**, he turned in a career high in sacks (5) regardless of his diminished playing time.

And my point is?

I suppose the underlying point is that Babin has talent and loads of untapped potential, thus it is far to early to relegate him to permanent backup. However, the point of this post is this: I propose that the starting d-line should be (from the right) Williams, Maddox , Okoye, and Babin. Weaver would still get plenty of reps spelling Babin and Okoye (and possibly playing Nose Tackle in certain situations).

Crazy? Hardly. Weaver is a solid run-stopper and he has played tackle on passing downs numerous times before. More importantly, this line would (in theory, at least) give the Texans a very strong pass rush from the front four, meaning the LBs would be free to assist in short pass coverage. Given our secondary of "Dunta and these friggin' guys," ANY assistance from the LBs would be worth its weight in cliches.

I realize that the biggest possible question mark in this scenario is how the line would fare against the run. Weaver as an outside run stopper was probably the best on the team last year. I think this question is the wrong way to look at things, however. The biggest problem facing this defense right now is the complete lack of a dependable secondary; having a dominating pass rush would alleviate this. There is no reason to think that the downgrade in run defense from Weaver to Babin would even come close to outweighing the upgrade in pass rush ability. Besides, with Orr (whom I fully admit my bias toward... Go Blue!) behind Babin, you have the ability to run blitz with effectiveness. (Side note: That Orr holds the team single game sack record with three is sad, but illustrates the pressing need for a real pass rush.)

Will my plan be implemented? Unlikely. Kubiak is a fan of using Weavs primarily as an outside rusher. Moreover, it appears that Babin has--in Kubes' mind--established himself as a 'tweener, relegated to spot duty at a couple different positions.

Bother.

That means, this is probably all just an exercise in wishful thinking. That does not make it incorrect, however.

*That would be Anthony Maddox and Anthony Weaver.
**Novel concept, eh?

Labels: Amobi Okoye is 19, Demarcus Faggins sucks, DeMeco Ryans, Dunta Robinson, Jason Babin, Michigan Wolverines, Secondary issues are primary, Spanish, Super Mario

Posted by matt at 10:43 AM | Permalink | links to this post

Considering the amount of griping I've been doing lately regarding the national press' general malaise toward the Texans, it would be hypocritical of me to ignore this story. To be fair, though, I wasn't ignoring it; I simply thought the guys at Battle Red Blog and Fanhouse did a fine job of covering it.

The gist of the article is this: Jason Simmons wore number 30 last year (and in all previous years of the Texans' existence). Batman wore number 30 in Green Bay. Batman wanted the number as a Texan and, as is typical in the NFL, he offered to pay Simmons for it. Simmons agreed, but with a twist--he wanted Green to "make a down payment on a single-parent home through a foundation or charity."

Now, if I had been the first Texans blogger to discuss this story, here is where I would put the somewhat sanctimonious stuff about how the NFL needs more of this type of behavior and less of the [pick your favorite Bengal or Bear]-type behavior. I can muster righteous indignation with the best of them.* However, since I am late to the party, I'll just say that Simmons' behavior is refreshing not just to me as a fan, but to me as a human being. Kudos to you, JSim.

*For instance, I guarantee that this story will be mentioned roughly once for every fiftyleven times someone at the Worldwide Leader says the words "gun charge," "Pacman," or "smacked up his babymama."

Labels: Athletes who don't stab people, Batman, Teams that aren't the Texans

Posted by matt at 11:59 PM | Permalink | links to this post

I understand that, as the perennial AFC South doormats, the Texans don't get the press coverage of, say, the Cowboys or even the Sam Houston State University field hockey team. I am generally ok with this.

Still, an article about the ten draft picks likely to have a big impact with their respective teams should almost certainly include Manchild, shouldn't it? You are talking about someone who (a) is a gifted interior pass-rusher and can also play the run; (b) will take double-teams off of Super Mario, almost guaranteeing that he will break double-digits in sacks; and (c) makes life easier for ROY DeMeco Ryans (which should be a frightening thought for AFC South RBs).

I fail to see how this kind of impact will be less than a pass-catching TE who will rely on Rex Grossman's arm or a defensive end who is being converted to tackle in order to play the run in the NFC West. Both Olsen and Carriker will likely disappear for long stretches, both within a single game and over the course of the season. Manchild, on the other hand, will make an impact on nearly every defensive snap in one (or more) of the three ways listed above.

Shit, I feel like a damned parrot at this point. BRRAWCK PEOPLE ARE IGNORING THE TEXANS BRRAWCK! PRETTY BIRD PRETTY BIRD!

Labels: 2006 Draft, 2007 Draft, Amobi Okoye is 19, Athletes who don't stab people, Broken Record, DeMeco Ryans, Super Mario, Teams that aren't the Texans

Posted by matt at 9:34 PM | Permalink | links to this post

Memo to Eric Allen: When Joe Theismann comes off as more intelligent that you, it might be time to consider never writing anything ever again. Seriously.

From the latest ESPN burning questions:

Will the Texans be able to protect Matt Shaub?
Allen: I think the Texans are going to have the same protection problems they've had in the past. Houston doesn't seem to understand the importance not only of surrounding the quarterback with playmakers but also of making sure he has the protection to get the ball to those playmakers. There will definitely be times this season when Schaub will wish he was still in Atlanta not taking some brutal hits.

Really, Eric? Schaub is going to wish that he was still on the bench in Atlanta, instead of being paid an asston* of money to throw to Andre Johnson as a starting QB? I call bullshit. (Also, other than Johnson and (possibly) Ahman Green, who are all these "playmakers" that the Texans have surrounded their QBs with? Last I checked, the big knock on the Texans--besides not having a living offensive lineman--was that they DIDN'T draft Bush/Young, DESPITE NEEDING playmakers.) Next, you'll tell me that the biggest problem facing the Texans is that they won't draft defensive linemen and linebackers to take some of the pressure off their All-Pro secondary.

Remember way back at the beginning of this post, when I suggested that Joe Theismann was sensible? Well, that's only compared to Eric Allen. Still, Joe accidentally stumbles onto a nugget of truth in his answer when he offers

I don't think protection will be as big of an issue because coach Gary Kubiak probably will try to run the ball as much as possible. That will provide protection for Schaub and also create space for receiver Andre Johnson on the outside in play-action situations. Kubiak is a brilliant offensive mind, and he's going to find a way to make sure that Schaub stays on his feet this season.

Um... running the ball is certainly a way to open up passing options. No argument there, Joe. But running the ball successfully requires an offensive line, doesn't it? So, if you are saying that Kubes will try to utilize Green in a ground-heavy attack, then you must be saying that there will be adequate blocking to accomplish such tact. On that point, we agree. Now we must never speak of this moment again.

*"Asston" is a metric measurement. That's why you don't recognize it.

Labels: Andre Johnson, Batman, Broken Record, Gary Kubiak, Offensive (punch)Line, Reggie Bush, The Schaub Experiment, Tony Boselli is dead

Posted by matt at 5:58 PM | Permalink | links to this post

Argh. I feel like I am bashing my head against a brick wall.

Ignore, for a moment at least, that the article ranks the Texans as the fourth-worst team in the NFL.* Ignore also that they seem to think Washington, Tampa, and the Cleo-Lemon-led Dolphins are also better than Houston. ** Finally, ignore the band-wagonish journalistic laziness that permeates the entire article. (Really, guys, Pats over the Colts? Wow... you really took a stand there.)

What I want to focus on is the blurb that accompanies the Texans' entry. This is where I would be clearing my throat and reading aloud if the blog format allowed for such theatrics. (I have taken the liberty of italicizing the dumb shit for you. I am nothing, if not helpful.)

Matt Schaub is doing all the right things early and adding Ahman Green will help. Just one small detail the Texans forgot: get a few big guys who can block.

I am annoyed. Exasperated, even. For the last time,*** THE LINE IS NOT AWFUL ANYMORE. I've covered that multiple times in the short life of DGDB&D, including this post, which I think is my best version of the argument.

I suppose this is not unlike the people who seem to think Brett Favre is still an elite QB--if it was true once, it must always be true! Huh? To paraphrase Nice Guy Eddie, just because you repeat something as gospel, "that don't necessarily make it fucking so."

The real annoyance is there are ways whomever wrote that blurb could have ended it to at least make it correct. For instance, "one small detail the Texans forgot: to try and find two safeties that aren't brutally awful." Or even, "figuring out if Matt Schaub can be a starting QB before signing him to a contract worth the GDP of Kyrgyzstan."

I should not be surprised that a company that allows Colin Cowherd to forcibly sodomize the concept of "funny" on a daily basis would also allow some mental pablum to be posted on their website as well. I am surprised, however, that good football writers like Len Pasquarelli allow their names to be quoted alongside it. Live and learn.

I feel like I am beating a dead horse here. Which has nothing to do with Charles Spencer, as we have already established.

*No fucking way.
**See above.
***Obviously, this won't be the last time. I just like that particular sentence construction.

Labels: 2007 Draft, Batman, Broken Record, Charles Spencer, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Offensive (punch)Line, Secondary issues are primary, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment

Posted by matt at 8:40 AM | Permalink | links to this post

Charles Spencer is not a horse.

Given the fickle nature of equine leg injuries and the itchy trigger finger of horse trainers, this is a good thing. It is also a good thing because, to my knowledge, horses are unable to read newspapers and completely incapable of feeling like they've been disrespected.

Because he is not a horse, Charles Spencer has none of these limitations. He is healing. He is reading newspapers. And, most importantly, he is using what has been written about him as motivation.

I read everything, and I use it every day for gas in my system[.] I cut everything out, and it's sitting in my office in my house. As long as they keep writing them, I'll keep putting them up. I've got a lot of anger. It's been awhile, so I'm a little excited to get back.

I cannot think of any possible off-season development that would be bigger for this team than getting a healthy Charles Spencer back at left tackle. At 6'4"/352, Spencer has the build and skillset to be a dominant left tackle in the NFL. Jordan Black and Ephraim Salaam, on the other hand, have the build and skillset to be short-term fill-ins for a dominant left tackle in the NFL. My sources tell me that it is much better to have the actual dominant left-tackle in that situation.

Because we (meaning myself and whomever is reading this) are also not horses (assumedly), we have fingers. And we will be keeping them crossed that Spencer is ready to go on opening day.

Labels: Barbaro is dead, Charles Spencer, Offensive (punch)Line

Posted by matt at 10:51 AM | Permalink | links to this post

One of the stranger things about being a Texans fan* is that the stuff fans of other teams would ignore is generally the only stuff we even have to talk about. [Author's note: I realize that was an awful sentence. Just move along.] What do I mean? Well, while Cowboys fans are talking about Romo developing as a leader and having a certain swagger about him, we are discussing whether Matt Schaub should or should not wear number 8 due to the baggage that number apparently has. (My answer? Yes, he should.)

While Chicago beat writers are lamenting the Lance Briggs situation and wondering if he is an expendable part of a Super Bowl defense, those who cover the Texans are spending 1,200 words on the impending retirement of Kailee Wong.**

Such dichotomies are to be expected, I suppose. Lions fans probably deal with the same thing (obviously punctuated by jokes about Matt Millen, wide receivers, and The Curse of Wayne Fontes). And it's not like we never get real news--this story about Mario Williams being healthy and happy and enamored with Manchild probably qualifies as newsworthy--but it would sure be nice to read something along the lines of "Texans add offensive firepower following first-round playoff exit."

Someday, I guess.

In other news, the NFL is considering shortening the amount of time each team gets to make draft picks. I think this is a fantastic plan and I hope it happens sooner rather than later. Fifteen minutes has always seemed brutally long, not to mention unnecessary, ESPECIALLY for first round picks. I mean, shouldn't teams have a pretty clear picture of who they want in the first? That would seem to be the round where teams would be the MOST prepared. I understand the idea that fifteen minutes is partly so that teams have time to make trade, but it's my sneaking suspicion that most trades either happen or don't within the first five minutes. If you can't hammer the deal out in ten minutes, I highly doubt the extra five is going to create a miraculous breakthrough.

*I mean "strange" in a somewhat positive way. This is different than the "strange" that refers to "constantly defending the Mario Williams pick" and "wondering if we can get to .500 this year."
**Hold up. The ALL-TIME sack leader for the Texans has 15 sacks? Um... Super Mario could theoretically become the single-season and career sack leader for this team this year, in his SECOND season. File this factoid under: Why we've never made the playoffs.

Labels: Amobi Okoye is 19, Ha ha... you like the Lions, Super Mario, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment

Posted by matt at 9:57 AM | Permalink | links to this post

From KC Joyner's latest ESPN column (insider only):

The Texans have issues at two positions in the secondary. DeMarcus Faggins' 10.0 YPA in 2006 strongly suggests he may not be capable of holding down a starting job, and Dexter McCleon's history indicates he is a big question mark at nickel back.

The Texans signed Jamar Fletcher in free agency, but his 11.4 YPA indicates he might not be much of an improvement. Fred Bennett, a fourth-round draft pick out of South Carolina, may help the secondary, but he has some durability questions. None of the veteran backups on the Houston roster -- Roc Alexander, Von Hutchins, Chris McKenzie and Dexter Wynn -- is worthy of a starting job.

Joyner's first paragraph is pretty much what I've been bitching about since the end of last season. In fact, it boggles my mind that people continue to incorrectly harp on the Texans' offensive line situation while simultaneously ignoring that the Texans have exactly one good DB (Dunta Robinson). Petey Faggins is beyond worthless and Dexter Mc hasn't been good since the last years of the Clinton Administration.

The player Joyner overlooks in this whole mini-rant is non-drafted free agent signee Brandon Mitchell (S, Ohio State). A converted CB, Mitchell is 6'3"/205 and turned in a 4.5 40. He was also a second-team All Big Ten selection. If he can make coverage easier for Petey by helping over the top, this would be the same as getting an upgrade at CB2. (Of course, it is my opinion that a half-eaten ham sandwich would be an upgrade over Faggins...)

Finally, durability issues aside, Fred Bennett is a solid candidate for nickel back. He has size, he's a big hitter, and he is paired with another former Gamecock (Dunta) in the secondary. (I firmly believe that such relationship can be an asset.) He could also work his way into a starting position at CB2 in 2008.

Labels: 2007 Draft, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Dunta Robinson, Secondary issues are primary, The Fred, Undrafted Free Agent watch list

Posted by matt at 1:22 PM | Permalink | links to this post

It's not as exciting as the regular season. Or the preseason. Or training camp. Or even mini-camp, I guess. But--especially when you are trying to write an off-season blog about the fourth most popular team in the AFC South--the beginning of Organized Team Activities* is most definitely newsworthy.

At this point, none of us has any clue whether the Matt Schaub deal will wind up being "worth it." That said, his approach to damn near everything has been above reproach (and, more importantly, has been the polar opposite of David Carr's approach to most things).

Schaub started working out with his teammates six weeks ago, and often has been the first one in the locker room and the last one to leave.[ ]He even has beaten coach Gary Kubiak into Reliant Stadium on occasion.
[...]
Schaub has spent much of the past few weeks working out on his own with teammates at the practice facility. Schaub is becoming comfortable with Andre Johnson, as well as the other receivers, running backs and tight ends. All of them have practiced timing and routes with Schaub. "The ball comes on time," Johnson said. "He has a strong arm. We're just trying to get the timing down.

This attitude is everything we could have asked of our new QB thus far. David Carr, despite always seemingly having the support of teammates and ownership, did little (if anything) to endear himself to anyone. In fact [Note: beating of a dead horse to follow], even after teammates praised him for showing class following his unceremonious release, Carr ran his mouth about the Texans' lack of talent and how unhappy he was in Houston.

Schaub, on the other hand, is saying and doing all the right things. Don't be surprised if, behind an offensive line that is almost healthy and has shown real talent, Schaub puts up some very good numbers. Including, of course, beating Cover Jinx Vince twice.

*I love the phrase "organized team activities." It immediately makes me think of scheduled activity time at some kind of youth camp. And, really, is there anything funnier than the thought of 300 lb men doing potato sack races and making macaroni jewelry? I'm rambling.

Labels: Andre Johnson, David Carr has Post-Concussion Syndrome, The Schaub Experiment, Training camp 2007, Vinsanity

Posted by matt at 10:42 AM | Permalink | links to this post

Head coach Gary Kubiak was on Sports Radio 610 in Houston this morning, talking about all the upcoming OTAs and what he needs/wants/expects from the team this season. Nothing overly surprising or ground-breaking in that interview, I suppose, but there were a couple of points that could at least be characterized as "interesting." For instance, Kubes basically called out Travis Johnson and Jerome Mathis by saying that both needed to become "full-time contributor[s]" to the team. Between this statement and Kubiak's simultaneous praise for Anthony Maddox and Manchild, I am guessing that Travis has probably been relegated to second-team for both interior defensive line spots.

Other highlights from the chit-chat:

• Ahman Green is in great shape and has been working incredibly hard this offseason, as if he still has something to prove to the Green Bay front office that so unceremoniously let him go. Batman relishes the opportunity to play for Mike Sherman again and he is clearly the starter barring something catastrophic. This is great news for a team that desperately needs opposing teams to respect the running game.
• TE Owen Daniels role is going to be greatly expanded in an effort to work the deep-middle and better utilize Daniels' abilities. (I am assuming it works like this: if Batman can indeed establish a ground game, Daniels should not be forced to block as much, which makes life easier for Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub.)
• Despite my hopes that JJ would win the battle for WR2, it looks like Kubiak is a big Walter fan. Walter "reminds [him] of Ed McCaffery." I have no idea what that means.
• Finally, based on Gary's comments, I look for veteran malcontent Andre Davis to have a big role, at least until he pisses someone off, in three WR sets. He showed some flashes of real talent in Cleveland, so maybe this will actually work.
  

Labels: Amobi Okoye is 19, Andre Johnson, Batman, Gary Kubiak, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Super Mario, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment, Training camp 2007, You remind me of ____

Posted by matt at 11:23 AM | Permalink | links to this post

I was bored a work a little while ago, so I did what any non-obsessive-compulsive sports fan would do: I started Googling our draft picks and non-drafted signees. I was looking for some sort of tidbit that would make me like each of them more or help me decide that they were a completely wasted pick. I am fickle like that. Anyway, over at Battle Red Blog, I found this little nugget regarding WR Jacoby Jones.

Beck and Rowe were by far the best there, but there was only one player on field that everyone was watching intently. I swear to god it was Jacoby Jones. First, because he was a late addition, he wasn't in the program. It looked like Randy Moss had snuck into the game and they weren't telling anyone. This dude is bigger than Moss though, he looked like a man amidst the small [corners] and safeties. He was faster, bigger and more charismatic than everyone who tried to cover him.
[...]
I don't think he ever connected on a long pass play, but they that's because he outran the throws from the QBs. He would be 60-70 [yards] downfield constantly, but no one could get him the ball.

Color me officially excited for the prospect of JJ overtaking Kevin Walter at WR2.

Labels: 2007 Draft, Jacoby Jones is unheralded

Posted by matt at 1:26 PM | Permalink | links to this post

Odds to win the 2008 Super Bowl	Odds
Arizona Cardinals	35/1
Atlanta Falcons	45/1
Baltimore Ravens	18/1
Buffalo Bills	90/1
Carolina Panthers	18/1
Chicago Bears	12/1
Cincinnati Bengals	18/1
Cleveland Browns	90/1
Dallas Cowboys	20/1
Denver Broncos	15/1
Detroit Lions	90/1
Green Bay Packers	38/1
Houston Texans	90/1
Indianapolis Colts	8/1
Jacksonville Jaguars	25/1
Kansas City Chiefs	50/1
Miami Dolphins	50/1
Minnesota Vikings	55/1
New England Patriots	2/1
New Orleans Saints	18/1
New York Giants	25/1
New York Jets	30/1
Oakland Raiders	90/1
Philadelphia Eagles	18/1
Pittsburgh Steelers	20/1
San Diego Chargers	6/1
San Francisco 49ers	20/1
Seattle Seahawks	18/1
St.Louis Rams	48/1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	38/1
Tennessee Titans	35/1
Washington Redskins	38/1

The above odds come via some random Las Vegas online sportsbook. (Note: Odds are provided for entertainment value only. DGDB&D does not condone illegal gambling.)

What does this tell us? Well, apparently, the Texans are in the same class as the Raiders, Lions, Browns, and Bills. This class can properly be described as "short-bus riding retards."* Meanwhile, Washington, Tampa, and Arizona--all of whom had fewer wins than the Texans in 2006--are all in at less than 40-1 (i.e. more than twice as likely to take home the Lombardi trophy this year). Insulting? You bet.

Now, of course I don't think the Texans are going to win the Super Bowl in 2008. Hell, I don't even expect them to make the playoffs (which, as I understand the rules, is sort of a prerequisite to winning the Super Bowl). That said, I do think a case can be made** that they are much closer in talent to the 35-1 group than the 90-1 group. I assume that, like this guy, Vegas just assumes that the Texans don't "get it" (whatever that means) and that the offensive line will allow Matt Schaub to be sacked twice per play and that Super Mario is a bust and [insert random commonly held belief about the Texans].

Whatever.

The truth is, only a handful of those wagers would be worth taking, regardless of the odds. Realistically, whether Tampa is 38-1 or 3800-1, they still aren't going to win the Super Bowl. Still, lumping Houston in with the Raiders and Lions is ridiculous. In fact, I'm willing to go out on a limb right now and say that Houston finishes 7-9 at worst. So there. Suck it, Vegas.

*Not that I am biased against retards. Some of my best friends are retards.
**This is a different post. Which I will get around to writing at some point. Probably.

Labels: Offensive (punch)Line, Super Bowl 2008, Super Mario, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment

Posted by matt at 8:40 AM | Permalink | links to this post

Obviously, any article written about offensive lines in the NFL is going to find some way to mention the Houston Texans. Writers like easy columns, and discussing the needs of a unit that allowed roughly 2342937203* sacks over the past five years certainly fits into that category. The latest column by Len Pasquarelli is no exception.

Of the 32 projected starters at the primary pass-protection tackle position in 2007[...], all but four are with the franchise that originally drafted them. That number could be reduced by one if Houston Texans second-year left tackle Charles Spencer successfully rehabilitates from the broken leg he suffered last season and is ready for training camp.
[...]
The point is that, if you're going to have a standout pass protector in your lineup, he likely will come from the draft.

Len also (correctly) characterizes Spencer's replacement last year, Ephraim Salaam, as "the consummate short-fix guy," and (incorrectly) assumes that he will be the starter on Opening Day 2007. (I say incorrectly because of two things: First, that job will probably fall to free-agent signee Jordan Black if Spencer is not ready. Second, there is news that Spencer's rehab is coming along quickly and that he could be ready to go sooner rather than later. (link goes to TexansTV video)

That means that the unit that takes the field September 9 will probably look like this:
Left Tackle: Jordan Black
Left Guard: Chester Pitts
Center: Mike Flanagan
Right Guard: Fred Weary
Right Tackle: Eric Winston

Winston is a monster. People forget that he was widely considered one of the top offensive linemen in college until an ACL injury made his draft stock slip. (He still managed to run a 4.93 at the combine, months after completing rehab.) He and Fred Weary should anchor the right side as well as any two-some in the AFC.

The third starting lineman to miss serious time last year (along with Spencer and Zack Weigert), Flanagan missed 7 games last season after fracturing two ribs against the Jets. He returns to replace Drew Hodgdon and Steve McKinney (thankfully). The importance of this upgrade cannot be overstated.

On the left side, Black won't be a better stop-gap than Salaam was. However, this team definitely needs Spencer back as soon as possible. Pitts is solid, if not spectacular, so getting Spencer and a healthy Flanagan back will mitigate Pitts' weaknesses.**

So, just by virtue of getting the starters back, this unit cannot help but be better (something I'm sure Matt Schaub is happy about). However, there is also reason to believe that Gary Kubiak's new system might be taking hold. In the last four games of last season, the offensive line (complete with Hogdgon and Salaam) allowed only 7 sacks, including NONE against the Indianapolis Colts. In fact, over the last 8 games of the season, there were only two games in which the line allowed more than three sacks. Think about that... this line, using only 2/5 of the first string unit, allowed less than 2 sacks per game over the last quarter of the season.

Knowing all of that, I think there is good reason to believe that the Texans line will keep Schaub upright long enough to let us see just how good he can be. (As an aside, one should not underestimate the number of sacks of David Carr that were due to Carr's own reluctance to throw.) No one will ever mistake this unit for the mid-90s Cowboys, but, hopefully, no one will mistake them for the 2003 Texans, either.

*An estimate.
**There is also talk that the two rookies (Brandon Frye and Kasey Studdard) could make an impact, with Frye being a project at Center and Studdard being a likely replacement for Chester Pitts at Left Guard.

Labels: David Carr has Post-Concussion Syndrome, Offensive (punch)Line, The Schaub Experiment

Posted by matt at 6:52 PM | Permalink | links to this post

Without looking, guess how many teams are ranked ahead of the Texans in this initial CBSSportsline Power Ranking. Go ahead, guess.

Did you say "29?" Because, if you did, not only are you a jerk-off, you are exactly right. (At least according to Pete Prisco. I just think you're a jerk-off.)

The reasons for ignoring the Texans' 6-10 record of a year ago (ahem... 4 wins better than the previous year) and relegating them to the level of the Browns are generally:

• Their offensive line is horrible/awful/non-existent, so Matt Schaub will die. This is a statement that ignores a couple important points and, really, deserves its own post. So I will do that at some later date. Just know that I don't agree.
• Their draft was horrible. False.
• They only have one weapon on offense. Somewhat true, but not really. Yeah, Andre Johnson is the man, but the team has brought in five RBs, thinking that one of them (probably Green) will be able to establish a running game. More importantly, anyone they put at the #2 receiver is going to be more productive than Eric Moulds was last year. Andre is still option 1, but that doesn't mean there won't be an option 2. Besides, how many options do the Packers have? The Titans? The Raiders?
  

Anyway, I'm just ranting. No need to kill the buzz that is DGDB&D. So I leave you with a short, heart-warming clip of DeMeco Ryans leveling (non-drafted) Chris Leak.

Labels: 2007 Draft, Athletes who don't stab people, DeMeco Ryans, Offensive (punch)Line, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment

Posted by matt at 5:33 PM | Permalink | links to this post

In case you needed any more proof, Andre Johnson is special. Of the 31 receivers taken in the first round between 2000 and 2006, 'Dre is one of very few who are still with the team that drafted them. More importantly, he is part of the very small group (5 other guys, tops) who can be called true #1 receivers.

So, no surprise, drafting is not an exact science, especially when it comes to WR. (I have to admit completely airballing on David Terrell and Charles Rogers. I thought both would be stars from Day 1. Of course, the former can probably be chalked up to homerism.) Still, for all the questions the Texans have had about their drafts in recent years, you have to give them credit for 'Dre. Somewhere, Matt Schaub is smiling.

Labels: Andre Johnson, Michigan Wolverines, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment

Posted by matt at 7:21 PM | Permalink | links to this post

The Texans have signed Notre Dame RB Darius Walker. Now, I may have an active dislike for Notre Dame football (not to be confused with my all-consuming hatred for anything even tangentially related to Ohio State), but I like this move. Walker joins the Texans' logjam at RB (Ahman Green, Samkon Gado, Ron Dayne, Wali Lundy, Chris Taylor), so there is no guarantee that he will even make the team. This is still a nice low-risk/high-reward move.

An undrafted junior (d'oh!), Walker rushed for 1267 yards and 7 TDs last season. He also caught 56 balls for 391 and another TD. Granted, most of his big games came against the service academies, but he did put up 128 against an LSU defense that dominated the Irish. (Happy Author's Note: Michigan held him to 25 yards while serving a hot plate of ass-kicking to the Domers. Suck it.)

Labels: 2007 Draft, Batman, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State makes baby Jesus cry, RB free-for-all, Undrafted Free Agent watch list

Posted by matt at 12:30 PM | Permalink | links to this post

Because I am one of America's best-known political analysts,* random strangers often approach me on the street and ask things like "Who should I vote for" and "If Mitt Romney is Mormon, does that mean that he wants to eat my children?"** "I dunno," is usually my response to these queries, as that generally allows me to slip away without further discourse.

Today is different, however. Today, if asked today whom someone should vote for, I would have to answer truthfully. I would look them square in the eye and say, "Amanda." This would undoubtedly cause them to look at me like I had just shat upon their living room rug. Because what they would not know (and what you likely didn't know until now)*** is that you can vote for the final Houston Texans cheerleader.

Don't you just love Democracy in action?

*This is not true.
**This might be true. My knowledge of Mormonism is limited.
***Christ, this was a long-winded and obtuse way to post a puff piece.

Labels: Boobies, Fluff, Mormons

Posted by matt at 8:50 AM | Permalink | links to this post

When I was in Miami two weekends ago, my friends and I went out to a club. It was at this club that two things happened: 1. we ran up a ridiculous bar tab and 2. I (apparently) thought it would be a good idea to drink most of a bottle of champagne. Directly from the bottle. Thus adding all sorts of unfriendly carbonation to my bellyfull of gin, mexican beer, rum, orange juice, and Red Bull. Roughly thirty minutes after finishing the bubbly, I threw up in a cab. After getting back to my hotel room, I managed to throw up primarily in the toilet (with but one pit stop on the floor by my bed).

The next morning (predictably) was pretty rough. Looking back, I instantly realized the foolishness of adding champagne (a liquid that, to my knowledge, has never done anything good for anyone, anywhere) to an already dicey situation. This, my friends, is the beauty of hindsight. However, it would be disingenuous and revisionist of me to say now that I knew when I was drinking the champagne that it was a horrible idea. Which is to say that the situation at the time I was drinking must be considered and, in that instant, drinking it was a defensible act.

What does all of this have to do with the Houston Texans? A few things, actually. First, I was in Miami to watch the draft with friends. Second (and much more germane to the big picture here) is that my tale has some parallels with the choice of Mario Williams over Reggie Bush and Vince Young in the 2006 draft.

Consider:

• As of Draft Day 2006, the Texans were still convinced that David Carr was the QB of the future. Granted the whole "pay roster bonus, trade too much for Schaub, cut Carr a year later" plan was not well conceived. However, if you believe (as I do) that Kubiak really thought he could turn this team into a winner with Carr (and turn Carr into Brian Griese), then there is little reason for them to have used that pick on Vince Young.
• Speaking of Vince, revisionists look back now and pretend like they knew all along how good he would be in the pros. However, if you recall March and April of 2006, people all over were talking about whether he'd be smart enough for the NFL (based on that Wonderlic fiasco), whether his unorthodox throwing motion would hinder him at the next level, and whether his seemingly "run first" attitude would wind up getting him killed and/or turning him into a less talented Mike Vick. Granted, the answers to those three questions as of right now are "Yes. No. No." That was not so clear a year ago.
• Mario's numbers going into the draft: In the 2005 season at NC State, he had 62 tackles (24 for a loss), 14.5 sacks, 15 hurries, a safety, and a blocked kick. At the combine, he ran 4.73 (at 6-7, 290), had a 40.5 inch vertical, did 35 reps, and had a 10 foot broad jump. In fact, Mario was so dominating at NC State, John McCargo, who had no business even sniffing the first round, got drafted at 26. He made the ENTIRE d-line better. (You can also make the argument that Mario's play helped boost Manny Lawson's stock.) For a Texans team with a ghastly d-line, this was a hard thing to overlook.
• The team also had what they (again, wrongly) thought was their RB of the future in Domanick Williams (nee Davis). He had shown ability (see 2004, when he rushed for over 1100 yards and 13 TDs), despite running behind the same line that had treated Carr so horribly.
• As good as Bush has turned out to be, at least some of the reason for his success is the more fluid, more dynamic offense that New Orleans runs. Remember, Reggie didn't really establish a ground game until the last quarter of the season; he was being used primarily as a receiver. (In fact, a lot of people were jumping from his bandwagon like it was on fire around week 4.) Which isn't to say that he couldn't have been good in a similar role for Houston. Still, the Texans offense was not near as potent as New Orleans' (even if you leave Reggie out of the equation) and the idea that he would have had the quality downfield blocking with Houston that he had with the Saints is laughable. Using the first pick on a guy who is going to have to block more than he ever has and is probably going to have to create everything for himself is not exactly shrewd.
• Mario Williams, while he didn't have the eye-popping numbers people were expecting, actually played well. He was double-teamed more often than not and played most of the season with a serious foot injury, but he still showed a good motor and an ability to make plays all over the field.
• Reggie Bush had more or less said that it was going to cost the Texans more to sign him than it would other teams. And he wasn't just talking about the difference between the first and second pick; he was pulling a Eli and trying to avoid going to the worst team. Knowing that he had no desire to be there, why would the organization take him? More importantly, why would they take him over Mario when defensive line was actually a more glaring need, at least in the team's eyes, than RB (or QB)?
  

I know this sounds like I am some sort of front office apologist. I guess I am, at least in the sense that I don't think taking Mario was some sort of mortal sin. As I look at the team right now, would I rather have VY (or Reggie)? Maybe. Then again, if they take VY with the first pick, they probably go d-line instead of DeMeco with the second... so, I dunno.

Labels: 2006 Draft, Athletes who don't stab people, DeMeco Ryans, Reggie Bush, Super Mario, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment, Vinsanity

Posted by matt at 9:40 AM | Permalink | links to this post

This just in: Über-competitor David Carr is thrilled-- THRILLED! --to be playing the role of clipboard caddy. One of the perks of this job, it seems, is it affords David ample time to run off at the mouth.* Says Dave:

As far as the talent on this team, it's something I haven't been around. It's fun for me, just coming out here and playing with a group, both offensively and defensively, that has (so) much skill. [...] If you're not having fun, it's going to be like what I had the last couple of years where you almost don't even want to come to work.

Now, look, I always liked David Carr. I thought he got a bum rap, considering that the best offensive lineman he had prior to last season was the Corpse of Tony Boselli. I also thought he was a stand-up guy for showing up everyday and just playing, without screaming about the team or demanding to be traded. That said, when your career is such that the team (whether wisely or not) cuts you so they can pay through the nose for a heretofore-only-been-a-backup QB, maybe you shouldn't go popping off about the lack of "talent" you just left behind. That's the sort of thing that will make DeMeco angry, which could lead to Delhomme getting murdered** in week 2. This, in turn, would force you back into the starting role, thereby eliminating (a) Carolina's playoff hopes and (b) the free time you are currently using to be a prick.

I'm just sayin'.

*Judging by the photo in that article, he also has lots of time to work on his Gordon Gecko hairdo. Greed is good.
**Fanhouse seems to think that this is the plan.

Labels: Athletes who don't stab people, David Carr has Post-Concussion Syndrome, DeMeco Ryans, Houston Chronicle, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment, Tony Boselli is dead, Tremendous Busts

Posted by matt at 10:56 AM | Permalink | links to this post

From Len Pasquarelli's latest tip sheet (Insider only):

One slot can mean a significant financial difference in the first round. And from a perception standpoint, it apparently can mean a lot, too. The Miami Dolphins, and in particular first-year coach Cam Cameron, caught incredible grief from their fans and the media when they chose Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. with the ninth overall pick in the draft. Miami fans, of course, wanted the team to stop the free fall of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn at that point. But had the Dolphins not taken Ginn, who is still recovering from the mid-foot sprain he suffered in the Fiesta Bowl after being mobbed by teammates when he returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, Houston would have grabbed him with the No. 10 slot. And the guess is that long-suffering Texans fans, tired of seeing the team field a bunch of stiffs at the wide receiver spot opposite Pro Bowl pass catcher Andre Johnson, would have had a much kinder reaction.

Ginn was the guy the Texans wanted, and one look at the wide receiver depth chart after Johnson shows why. As was the case for the departed David Carr, there aren't a lot of inviting targets for new starting quarterback Matt Schaub. Arguably the most surprising choice in the top 10 of the 2006 draft was another former Ohio State player: safety Donte Whitner, who was chosen by Buffalo with the eighth overall pick and had a marvelous rookie year for the Bills. The Dolphins can only hope their Buckeyes' surprise in the top 10 this year turns out as well.

I am trying to figure out on just how many levels I would have been pissed had this happened. First, there's the fact that they would have been passing on Manchild. Second, they would have been passing on him to take the modern incarnation of Jermaine Lewis. Third, they would have been drafting one of the players I absolutely despise. (Again, I realize that my hatred for all things OSU can be irrational at best some times. I do not apologize for this.) So, yeah... three levels. At least.

The irony here is that, while I was giving Kubiak mad props (as the kids say) for drafting Okoye, he really only did it because Ginn (who, I think we can all agree, would not have been a good pick in any sense of the word) was off the board. (I picture Kubiak looking at his assistants the first day of minicamp, saying, "Normally I wear protection, but then I thought, 'When am I gonna make it back to Haiti?'") Adding to this stupidity, drafting Ginn would have eliminated the need for Jacoby Jones, who is bigger and actually, you know, plays wide receiver in addition to being fast. So, thank you, Cam Cameron. By taking a player who completely pissed off your fan base, you managed to improve Houston's first AND third round picks. Nicely done. Your fruit basket is in the mail.

Labels: 2007 Draft, Amobi Okoye is 19, Bad Idea Jeans, Gary Kubiak might be high, Ohio State makes baby Jesus cry, Teams that aren't the Texans

Posted by matt at 9:31 AM | Permalink | links to this post

I suppose this is only tangentially related to the Texans, considering they never gave him more than a cursory glance, but Justin Gatlin is back in the news. This time, he is sprinting through Tampa Bay's minicamp, trying to make the Bucs as a wide receiver.

I also suppose this is only noteworthy (to the extent that it is) because of Gatlin's track suspension, which came on the heels of a positive testosterone test at the Kansas City relays. I mean, it's not like he is the first track star to try out for a football team. Still, I find it humorous that a league so currently concerned with public image and policing player behavior would sign off on a guy who has already been banned by another sport. Somewhere, Pacman Jones is pissed off. Which means no one is safe. Allegedly.

Labels: Pacman Jones' gunrack, Teams that aren't the Texans, Training camp 2007

Posted by matt at 12:47 PM | Permalink | links to this post

One of my favorite bits of NFL (or any sport, for that matter) writing is the human interest puff piece. Not because I need to be reminded that the people on my television are, in fact, actual human beings, mind you. Rather, I like them because they are full of completely useless nuggets of knowledge that you can later drop in casual sports conversation, thus making you seem like an extremely knowledgeable fan. (I realize that this appearance of knowledge may apply only within my group of NFL-obsessed friends. Whatever. I'll take what I can get.)

I think we can all agree that pieces don't get much puffier than this one about Manchild. There's nothing really new in this article, but it neatly sums up every Amobi-Okoye-related tidbit we heard last weekend. (It also reminds us, in case we recently suffered tremendous brain damage and have forgotten everything (in which case, I doubt we could still read) that Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans do, in fact, play defense for the Houston Texans. Good to know.) Anyway, to recap some of the article's highlights:

• Manchild was walking a 7 months old and was pushing a chair across the room for fun by 1. (Oh, those wacky Nigerians... is there ANYTHING they won't do for fun?!)
• Manchild started high school at 12, was an all-state football player as a 14-year-old senior, enrolled at Louisville at 16, and earned a Psych degree in 3 1/2 years.
• Manchild is 19. Still. That, apparently, has not changed since the draft.
• Manchild once smoked weed, though he regrets it. He does not regret being honest about it, though. He may or may not regret other things.
  
• Manchild will be an upgrade on the interior of the Texans defensive line. (This is good to know, because I would be upset if we had intentionally drafted a downgrade.)

The article says something else about Manchild's dad having lived in Houston and his mom not being surprised that Manchild was the youngest player ever drafted. Consider yourself learned in the history of Manchild.

To answer your other question: Yes, I used this entire post as an excuse to beat the new nickname into your brain and hope it sticks. Manchild.

Labels: Amobi Okoye is 19, Athletes who don't stab people, DeMeco Ryans, Fluff, Super Mario

Posted by matt at 1:30 PM | Permalink | links to this post

As I scoured the interweb this morning, looking for Texans-related stuff, I realized something: Starting a blog for a NFL team the week after the draft is a lot like flying a kite on a windless day. Oh, sure, it can theoretically be done, but it requires substantially more effort on my part. Which is fine, I suppose, since I am doing most of this on company (read: government) time. As long as I am being paid to write this, even if it is only in the most technical sense, I cannot complain. Much.

*********

The NFL released the minicamp schedules earlier this week. As I write this, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, and Washington all have at least their rookies, um, minicamping. (What exactly goes on at minicamp, anyway? I imagine that, for the rookies at least, it's not a lot more than "here's our playbook" type stuff. For the veterans, though?)

The Texans go camping June 11 through June 13. The latter date is my birthday, though I am reasonably sure the team did not know this.

Labels: Teams that aren't the Texans, Training camp 2007

Posted by matt at 9:26 AM | Permalink | links to this post

Looking back over that list of undrafted free agents, I realize that I completely blanked on Jon Abbate. You may remember him from such heart-strings-tugging pieces as this one about honoring his late brother. Or, perhaps more relevantly, you might remember him (as I did... finally) as the guy who had 15 tackles--including one for a loss--and a fumble recovery in Wake's 24-13 loss to Louisville in the FedEx Orange Bowl.

Anyway, Abbate apparently decided to skip his final year of eligibility (the first player ever in the... uh... illustrious (?) history of Demon Deacon football to do so) and go pro. Considering that he wasn't among the 255 players taken, that was probably not the wisest decision. Still, he did lead the Deacs in tackles in each of his three seasons, was second in the ACC in tackles, and was on the Bednarik watch list to start the '06 campaign. No, I don't think he'll become a starting linebacker--because, seriously, who is he going to displace? --but I do think that this guy could be a special teams beast.

Labels: John Abbate likes to tackle, Undrafted Free Agent watch list

Posted by matt at 8:24 PM | Permalink | links to this post

According to the Houston Chronicle, the Texans have come to terms with or received commitments from the following undrafted free agents:

• QB Jared Zabransky (Boise State)
• LB Jon Abbate (Wake Forest)
• FB Cory Anderson (Tennessee)
• WR Onrea Jones (Hampton)
• CB Derrick Roberson (Rutgers)
• DE Deljuan Robinson (Mississippi State)
• FS Brandon Mitchell (Ohio State)
• TE Luke Smith-Anderson (Idaho)
• DE Victor DeGrate, (Oklahoma State)
• WR Terry Richardson (Arizona State)
• C Enoka Lucas (Oregon State)
• OT Tavo Tupola (Utah)
• P Eric Wilbur (Florida)

Of these (and despite my intense hatred for everything OSU), Brandon Mitchell is the one I am most interested in. A converted corner, Mitchell is 6'3"/205/4.5 and a technically solid tackler. He was also a second-team All-Big Ten selection.

Tavo Tupola is also somewhat interesting. Apparently, Tupola was recruited out of high school as a 186 lb safety. After one year at Utah, he left for two years to serve his mission (which, I suppose, means he's either Mormon or special forces). When he returned, he weighed somewhere north of 290. "When I went to Tuscon, it affected me a lot. I gained a lot of weight," says Tavo. Gee, ya think?

Labels: Bill Brasky, Houston Chronicle, Jared Zabransky, Mormons, Ohio State makes baby Jesus cry, Undrafted Free Agent watch list

Posted by matt at 1:43 PM | Permalink | links to this post

Much like the draft post, I am a little late to the party with this. Still, I would be remiss if I didn't post the video of Super Mario driving his Lamborghini at roughly the speed of sound. I am probably remiss anyway.

Labels: Cool dudes with cool cars, Super Mario

Posted by matt at 1:27 PM | Permalink | links to this post

Yeah, yeah. I'm a few days behind the curve on the draft recap. I know this. You know this. Let's just leave it at that.

Anyway, bouncing around the internets, it seems people are not overly thrilled with the Texans' draft. See, e.g., here, here, and here. [Author's note: Screw you, Paul Zimmerman.] Then again, other than the Browns (and, I suppose, the Pats, if you want to count Randy Moss as part of their draft), no one really wowed me. That said, I liked Houston's draft for one simple reason: They addressed needs with every pick. While this is not a novel concept, it is certainly one that is lost on many, many NFL heads.

On to the picks.

• Round 1, pick 10. Amobi Okoye. I admit it--I love this pick. I went into this draft wanting Okoye only slightly less than Joe Thomas. And, we weren't ever in a position to get Thomas. (Hey, did you hear that Amobi is 19? I wonder why the networks didn't mention that a little more.) Okoye (in addition to being 19), is 6'2"/285 (or 300, depending on who is reporting) and, more importantly, should immediately be our best interior lineman. Given that Mario Williams faced double-teams pretty much every down, Okoye should be a welcome sight along the front four. He will also free up DeMeco Ryans even more, which, you know, is good. Plus, he's 19. Not sure if that got mentioned.
• Round 2, no picks (due to the Matt Schaub trade). I still like the trade. Of course, when next year rolls around, Schaub better have played well enough to make me not unhappy about the lack of ANOTHER second round pick.
• Round 3, pick 73. Jacoby Jones. My first thought was "who?" My second thought was "where the hell is Lane College?" (Jackson, TN.) Jones is the "reason" some people are knocking the Texans' draft, saying that the team reached to take him this high. Hell, maybe they did. Then again, this is a team that needed a #2 receiver, since the Slug Formerly Known As Eric Moulds has been released. In Jones, they got a 6'4", 210 lb wideout, with good speed (4.5 at pro day, on grass). The kid is athletic as hell (ran track and played basketball in college) and is apparently a workout warrior. Said Jones about his workout habits following an impressive pro day showing: "I will train twice a day, every day. I will train from 9AM to 11AM, break for lunch, then get back at it for another two hours." I'll take that.
• Round 4, pick 123. Fred Bennett. Two things were apparently brought to Gary Kubiak's attention before the draft. First, due to his continuing inability to bend the space-time continuum, Dunta Robinson can only cover one receiver at a time. Second, Demarcus Faggins and Dexter McCleon and Von Hutchins combine for a Suckfactor* score of roughly 9--a number that Jamar Fletcher is unlikely to bring down. While the big knock on Bennett is that he doesn't play the run particularly well (and, perhaps, that his tackling form is not great), Fred is big, physical, and has good closing speed.
• Round 5, pick 144. Brandon Harrison. This is the one pick that I am not overly optimistic about. This team really needs a good safety (no offense to CC Brown or Glenn Earl). Harrison, however, is likely to go the way of Cato June and become a linebacker at the next level; he's 6'1", 227, and has room to add another 10 pounds or so to his frame. Also, from what I've read, he seems to be afraid of making a big hit, which is never good. He might wind up being the best nickel linebacker in the league, but that still doesn't address the team's needs the way a true ball-hawking safety would have.
• Round 5, pick 163. Brandon Frye. The other Round 5 Brandon is, apparently, a mutant. 6'4", 302, with a 690 lb squat and a 445 lb bench press to go along with a 4.79 40. He may be raw (actually, that's not true... he IS raw), but he seems to have the tools to become a good offensive lineman. He finished the season at VT playing some left tackle, but I am guessing he will move to the interior of the line, perhaps displacing Fred Weary in a year or so.
• Round 6, pick 183. Kasey Studdard. Meh. Kasey has some solid NFL lineage (his dad and uncle both played O-line in the pros) and, by most accounts, he's strong and has a bit of a mean streak. Other than that, most of the things I've read about him (granted, that's not a huge volume of stuff) say that he's slow and has poor balance. That pretty much limits him to spelling the other two guards for a few plays per game. Still, it's the sixth round. We'll take what we can get on the offensive line at this point.
• Round 7, pick 218. Zach Diles. Let me be really clear about something: If my last name were "Diles," you can bet your sweet ass that I would name my sons "Croco" and "Sun." Also, why can I never find Hostess Chocodiles at the store? Those things are awesome. (As for Zach, he plays DeMeco's position. Hopefully he's adept at punt and kickoff coverage.)

Speaking of "grading" the drafts, let me just say that I find the whole process asinine. The two most important things in a draft should be (a) filling needs and (b) taking the best available player to fill those needs (with an eye on not drafting a player too early). Unfortunately, most people seem to grade the draft by guessing what the drafted players will do in the NFL. Teams that get the Can't Miss players automatically "score" higher. But, for every Reggie Bush, there are multiple Can't Miss guys like Robert Gallery, Charles Rogers, and Joey Harrington. Even more to the point, there are plenty of guys in this and every draft taken after the first round or two who will become stars. So, when Kiper says that the Raiders did well because they got a "franchise QB" in JaMarcus Russell, he's talking out of his ass. Which probably also has fantastically groomed hair.

*Suckfator explained: (The number of times I scream "you SUCK!" at the player while watching him * pi)/total losses. It's science.

Labels: 2007 Draft, Amobi Okoye is 19, Athletes who don't stab people, Chocodiles, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Dunta Robinson, Mel Kiper's Hair, Suckfactor, Super Mario, The Fred, Tremendous Busts

Posted by matt at 9:23 AM | Permalink | links to this post