2010 Texans Off-Season Thread (1 Viewer)

[High Speed Reject]

I'm going B- on the draft, though the last two picks were probably what salvaged it from being a C+. I didn't think they made any bad moves, but neither did they do much that made me say, "We got a lot of value there". The trade to net an extra 3rd was a good move. So was moving back up to make sure they got a good fit at RB, coming out ahead from the two trades as a whole. And I thought they did well with those late picks finding some guys who they should be able to find ways to contribute. Otherwise, I think they addressed needs decently but not spectacularly.

Well, they didn't address FS... wonder what the plan is there..?Otherwise, I am excited to see how this group turns out.

 

[GregR_2]

I'm going B- on the draft, though the last two picks were probably what salvaged it from being a C+. I didn't think they made any bad moves, but neither did they do much that made me say, "We got a lot of value there". The trade to net an extra 3rd was a good move. So was moving back up to make sure they got a good fit at RB, coming out ahead from the two trades as a whole. And I thought they did well with those late picks finding some guys who they should be able to find ways to contribute. Otherwise, I think they addressed needs decently but not spectacularly.

Well, they didn't address FS... wonder what the plan is there..?Otherwise, I am excited to see how this group turns out.

I haven't heard anything. Maybe they think Eugene Wilson should be good to go and ok for a starter? Though some depth behind him would have been nice even if that's the case.

 

[coolnerd]

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=6133

After the Texans concluded their draft Saturday, general manager Rick Smith and head coach Gary Kubiak met with the media and discussed the crop of rookies. The following is a transcript of their interview.

General manager Rick Smith

Head coach Gary Kubiak

Rick Smith

(Opening statement) "Obviously our portion of the 2010 NFL Draft is done and I feel extremely proud of our group, I think more than anything. I just talked to them and told them how impressed I was with who we chose. We talked in a press conference earlier this week about the fact that we have some continuity and some consistency with our staff and sometimes it's easy to not be attentive and get too comfortable, but I thought our group did an outstanding job of remaining focused. They did an outstanding job of evaluating the class and I think we got a good group. I'm excited about them and our football team is better and that's the ultimate goal of the weekend."

Gary Kubiak

(on drafting several tight ends) "Well really, I see one of them. (TE) Garrett (Graham) is definitely going to play the tight end position, but (WR) Dorin Dickerson, we're going to play him as a wide receiver, that's where he's going for us. I just think he has a great deal of ability. The kid can go all over the place; he's played linebacker, he's played tight end. I see him having a future as a wide receiver in this league, so that's where we're going right away with him. He's got 43 ½ inch vertical and he runs a 4.5 so he's got a chance to be a big receiver, and we're going to line him up behind (WR) Andre (Johnson) and he's going to learn from the best. We've got a long way to come with him, but he's going to be a great project for us."

(on seeing TE Garrett Graham as insurance coming off of offseason surgeries in the tight end position) "Well, a combination of both but we think he's a fine player. We had a little luck catching a tight end out Wisconsin a few years ago. This kid kind of reminds us of (TE) Owen (Daniels). Actually Owen knows the young man, spoke very highly of him. He does a lot of things well, he's played a lot of football, he was the team captain, he's very respected--just the type of kid we're looking for. There is a great opportunity for him here as we head into the offseason because we've got some guys that won't be working. We'll see how far he comes."

Rick Smith

(on whether Sherrick McManis is a more of a cornerback or a safety) "He's got definite athletic skills to play on the edge, and we love his football personality. He's a very intelligent guy, a good leader for that team, and when we talked to the coaches or anybody from that school they rave about him and his abilities. We're excited about him and he can play corner."

(on why the Texans didn't draft a wide body to collapse the pocket) "What we look for as a group on defense, you can have a bigger nose (tackle). We feel really good about (DT) Earl (Mitchell). He isn't a big 360-pound guy, but he is a 300-pounder and he moves and again we talked about the other day in what we look for our guys. We need guys who are athletes and who can play on their feet and can run and chase and also have some gap integrity. We think he can do that."

(on if the Texans are concerned with the health of their tight ends) "Obviously you have a concern when you have so many guys having off season surgery. It's such an important position for our offense and we certainly have all the confidence in the world. First of all (TE) Owen (Daniels) will be coming back and he is ahead of schedule from what I understand in his rehab process. He learned how to rehab that injury. I have a lot of confidence that he will be back and will be fine. (TE) Anthony Hill, he had knee surgery as well and (TE) Joel Dressen had a couple of surgeries. We expect those guys to be back, but we also want to continue to get better and when there is an opportunity to improve your football team you figure out a way to get good football players out on the field. That's our philosophy and that's why we acquired the players that we have."

Gary Kubiak

(on the emotional phone conversation with RB Ben Tate) "All these kids are passionate when you call them with their families. It's a great day in their lives and you catch in an emotional time. These kids worked extremely hard to get picked in one of these three days. You're just happy for them and their families. You feel good about them coming to your organization when they are sitting there with that type of passion for the game. He spoke very well with our coaches and is excited to get going. He's a very talented young man. He played big time football in the SEC and led the SEC in rushing last year. He knows we have a need for him to help this team very quickly. The phone call was a very good start."

(on what fit RS Trindon Holliday will be for the Texans) "We think we have a returner that can change the field for us. As punt and kick returner we think he could do wonders for our football team. I think we could teach him the back position and certain wide out positions."

Rick Smith

(on OG Shelley Smith) "He's a great young man and a four-year starter and captain. You can tell football is important him and he is very passionate about the game. He's a very intelligent guy and I'll think he'll fit well with our group."

Gary Kubiak

"I know the young man and we've some success in the later rounds with some of these kids. He's very athletic. He played very well in his first three years in college. He played with a high ankle sprain last year. I think it set him back a little bit. I think he has the ability to play center and guard in this league. Skill-wise I think he has everything you could look for. I think he could fit very well in our group."

Rick Smith

(on why they chose CB Kareem Jackson ahead of other cornerbacks) "It was a comprehensive evaluation; obviously a lot of things come into play. First of all he has great skill and he's a tough guy. We talked the other day about how you continue to add toughness to our football team and we felt like he (CB Kareem Jackson) does that. He has great ball skills, great speed, played in a big time conference, was a three-year starter and was a productive player. All the things you look for really set him apart for us. Obviously we had those guys sitting there, so clearly we had him rated as our guy that we felt could best come in and help our football team. I'm really excited about this young man and what he can do for us."

(on the overall draft and filling the team's needs) "I think in a lot of respects we filled some needs. The way I approach the offseason, I don't think you can always fill every need that you have and I think it's unrealistic to think that you do. Because a lot of times you make mistakes if you try to reach or do something to fill every need. But I think we were successful at addressing the areas on our football team that we needed to improve and it is up to these guys to go out there and coach them up."

Gary Kubiak

(on what he likes about RB Ben Tate) "I think he had four offensive coordinators in four years. He's been through a variety of systems. He excelled this past year, carried the ball more than he ever had. Not only a big back, which we were looking for some power there from that standpoint, but this guy is 4.4 also — shows the ability to make big plays. It will be a little different for him — down in the I-formation and going that way but like his make-up. Throughout the interview process, we listened to him talk football and we think we can make a lot of progress from that standpoint — real quick. We just think he fits exactly what we want to do. Like his size but it's always nice to have someone who can hit a homerun when everything works out."

Rick Smith

(on the likelihood of pursuing an offensive guard in free agency) "We just added to our football team from a free agent perspective. We're always constantly looking and if there are guys that are available or come available and could help our team and we will always consider those guys. Right now we feel good about our group."

(on depth at safety) "I think we have two of our starters back from last year. The surgery that Eugene Wilson had, I think he is recovering well. I think he played extremely well for us and obviously (Bernard) Pollard's addition during the season last year — he's back. I think our safety postition is a good one. We have two starters returning. I think Dominique Barber is a good one. I think he has a lot of promise. I did like what I saw early from Troy (Nolan) but he was injured early last year, so he has to go prove that he could go play at this level. But I like what he brings to the table."

(on not drafting an offensive tackle) "I think Rashaad (Butler) did an outstanding job as a swing tackle. We only had three of them and Ephram (Salaam) has moved on and we will move on. So that is a place that we could have helped our team. Didn't have that position with a player in terms of value during the last few days, so we didn't. "

Rick Smith

(on if it was easy to pass RB Toby Gerhart for RB Ben Tate or if there was discussion) "We had a lot of discussion. I know (Texans offensive coordinator) Rick (Dennison) talked about that and how we had those guys evaluated and graded. There were things that we loved about Toby and things we loved about Ben. There were a lot of things that go into those evaluations—injury history, production, how they fit—all kinds of things that we talk about. Then as you look at the draft, if you can improve your football team in value and maybe pick up more picks and still feel like you can get a guy if you've got them rated pretty similarly. The one guy is always going to have things about them that you like better than the other guy, but if you've got them rated fairly similarly, then you feel like you can move and pick up additional picks to help your team, then you do it. That was really the thought process in the move."

Gary Kubiak

(on if any of the six corners might become safeties) "I don't see that right now. I don't."

Rick Smith

(on what positions they are looking for in undrafted free-agents now) "That's what we've got to do here once the draft is over. We will start the process of calling young men who were not drafted and really, that's just a product of looking at the roster and obviously these picks that we have and look at the lines and see where we can continue to improve or what we need to go to training camp. But again, I'm not big on just signing players to fill lines. We want to go and try to find guys that can come in and compete and have a legitimate chance to make the team. So that's what we've got to do here as soon as we go back downstairs."

Gary Kubiak

(on if Sharpton will play in the middle of the line) "We think he can play the Will linebacker, he'll work as a back up Mike linebacker as well. One of the things that was intriguing about this pick was the fact that he's a very smart young man, good special teams player. We think he'll be able to handle all the spots for us as a swing player and compete possibly to be a starter on the team."

Rick Smith

(on what they thought of the new three-day draft format) "I liked it. I felt like it was just a ton of excitement on Thursday night. I mean you could tell--I don't know if I've ever seen players so excited when their name got called, and some of the reactions and I think that was a little bit a product of the environment and what was happening there in Radio City. And I think it was useful for us because we were able to regroup a couple of times like we talked about, make some phone calls and anticipate some things that would happen. And so I thought it was good for the League."

Gary Kubiak

"I do too. I like the way we got a chance to regroup each night, talk about which direction you were going to head. And I think it was good for Football, too. I think it was great for our League and great exposure for all the young men who've worked so hard and I hope they keep it that way. I thought it was very good."

 

[coolnerd]

The Texans are interested in guard Alan Faneca, who was released by the New York Jets on Saturday.

The 33-year-old Faneca, who played at Lamar Consolidated High School, is a nine-time Pro Bowl player who spent his first 10 years with Pittsburgh and the last two with the Jets.

“I think everybody in football's going to be interested in him,” coach Gary Kubiak said today. “We're going to check him out to see what he's interested in doing at this stage of his career, what direction he's headed.”

General manager Rick Smith will let Faneca's agent, also named Rick Smith, know the Texans are interested in the veteran who played at LSU and resides in Thibodaux, La.

In 2008, Faneca signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the Jets that included $21 million guaranteed. At the time, he was the highest-paid offensive lineman in history.

Because the Jets still owe Faneca $5.25 million this year, money shouldn't be an issue with his next team.

The Texans' starter at left guard is Kasey Studdard. They drafted Shelley Smith in the sixth round and signed veteran free agent Wade Smith in the offseason. They have Mike Brisiel, Antoine Caldwell and Chris White at right guard.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...nt/6975529.html

 

[Getinthemix]

Would not be real excited about Faneca. He was not that good this past year and I can't imagine his play improving over a year ago.

 

[coolnerd]

Would not be real excited about Faneca. He was not that good this past year and I can't imagine his play improving over a year ago.

Yeah, if in an uncapped year the pretty aggressive Jets are thinking we can do w/o paying him, there might be something to his performance not being what it used to be.

 

[GregR_2]

Anyone heard a status on Jeremiah Johnson? Is he on pace to fight for a roster spot this year?

 

[GregR_2]

I was coming in here to post about Henderson as well. It seems like he'd be a good fit at nose tackle with Cody to back him up. You'd think the extra size at NT would help open things up for Okoye or Mitchell playing at the three technique DT spot.

Speak of which, was just re-reading the scouting reports on Mitchell and one on Okoye from last year. It's sometimes easy for me to forget that Okoye is just 22... he's the same age as Mitchell actually. I'd really like to see him succeed, but he hasn't been more than mediocre so far. Hopefully now that he's of an age players start playing in the NFL he'll have grown/gained experience enough to show some improvement over his first 2 season.

Not sure how hopeful I am though. I was just rereading a draft grade for our 2007 draft. Patrick Willis went the pick after us, and Darrelle Revis 4 picks later. Ouch. The wonders of hindsight. Kiper's review of the pick at the time was that we should have taken Leon Hall or Revis with it.

 

[jsharlan]

Henderson doesn't fit their tactic of 2 quick undertackles(not saying I agree with it), they would have drafted a big guy instead of Mitchell if they were interested in that kind of player.

 

[GregR_2]

Henderson doesn't fit their tactic of 2 quick undertackles(not saying I agree with it), they would have drafted a big guy instead of Mitchell if they were interested in that kind of player.

Hmm, I don't know. I certainly agree that they didn't draft a NT candidate in Mitchell. I'm not sure if that is an indication they want to go undersized at NT, or if they just didn't think there was a NT available that would start for them over Cody. I could easily attribute picking Mitchell at wanting some competition for Okoye for the 3 technique DT. Cam Thomas is, I believe, the next DT who was taken who has the size to be a NT, at 330lbs. And he went in the mid 5th. I guess I've still been under the assumption they intend to play a traditional under 4-3 and want a big NT. Drafting Okam and signing Cody had seemed to suggest that I'd thought. If you have seen anything specific on it in any press conferences, I'd be interested in reading it.

 

[coolnerd]

Henderson doesn't fit their tactic of 2 quick undertackles(not saying I agree with it), they would have drafted a big guy instead of Mitchell if they were interested in that kind of player.

Hmm, I don't know. I certainly agree that they didn't draft a NT candidate in Mitchell. I'm not sure if that is an indication they want to go undersized at NT, or if they just didn't think there was a NT available that would start for them over Cody. I could easily attribute picking Mitchell at wanting some competition for Okoye for the 3 technique DT. Cam Thomas is, I believe, the next DT who was taken who has the size to be a NT, at 330lbs. And he went in the mid 5th. I guess I've still been under the assumption they intend to play a traditional under 4-3 and want a big NT. Drafting Okam and signing Cody had seemed to suggest that I'd thought. If you have seen anything specific on it in any press conferences, I'd be interested in reading it.

From post 87 in this thread (on what they would look for in a nose tackle) "He's got to be able to run. We like the big guy. Again, the ideal guy is a big, 300+ pounder who's strong and can hold the point but also can get off the ball and get after the passer. A lot of times you're not going to get pass rush from a nose position, so really the elements that are most important is can he anchor, can he play, can he stay on his feet and run and stand and maintain the integrity of the defense from a gap system standpoint. So those are the things that we look for."

 

[jsharlan]

Henderson doesn't fit their tactic of 2 quick undertackles(not saying I agree with it), they would have drafted a big guy instead of Mitchell if they were interested in that kind of player.

Hmm, I don't know. I certainly agree that they didn't draft a NT candidate in Mitchell. I'm not sure if that is an indication they want to go undersized at NT, or if they just didn't think there was a NT available that would start for them over Cody. I could easily attribute picking Mitchell at wanting some competition for Okoye for the 3 technique DT. Cam Thomas is, I believe, the next DT who was taken who has the size to be a NT, at 330lbs. And he went in the mid 5th. I guess I've still been under the assumption they intend to play a traditional under 4-3 and want a big NT. Drafting Okam and signing Cody had seemed to suggest that I'd thought. If you have seen anything specific on it in any press conferences, I'd be interested in reading it.

I'll dig up some of the interviews from Bush and Kollar when I get home and get a chance, but keep this in mind, Okam was drafted before Bush was the DC and before we got Kollar. This undersized linemen thing is a product of Kollar. Since Kollar we have favored a lineup of Cody(310lb), Zgonina(290lb), Robinson(296lb), hell Travis Johnson was only 303. They favor a smaller quicker NT for shooting the gaps for pass rush, and rely heavily on the linebacker core for stopping the run.

 

[jsharlan]

From post 87 in this thread

(on what they would look for in a nose tackle) "He's got to be able to run. We like the big guy. Again, the ideal guy is a big, 300+ pounder who's strong and can hold the point but also can get off the ball and get after the passer. A lot of times you're not going to get pass rush from a nose position, so really the elements that are most important is can he anchor, can he play, can he stay on his feet and run and stand and maintain the integrity of the defense from a gap system standpoint. So those are the things that we look for."

and yet thats the exact opposite of what they have been using. Smoke and Mirrors?

 

[GregR_2]

Henderson doesn't fit their tactic of 2 quick undertackles(not saying I agree with it), they would have drafted a big guy instead of Mitchell if they were interested in that kind of player.

Hmm, I don't know. I certainly agree that they didn't draft a NT candidate in Mitchell. I'm not sure if that is an indication they want to go undersized at NT, or if they just didn't think there was a NT available that would start for them over Cody. I could easily attribute picking Mitchell at wanting some competition for Okoye for the 3 technique DT. Cam Thomas is, I believe, the next DT who was taken who has the size to be a NT, at 330lbs. And he went in the mid 5th. I guess I've still been under the assumption they intend to play a traditional under 4-3 and want a big NT. Drafting Okam and signing Cody had seemed to suggest that I'd thought. If you have seen anything specific on it in any press conferences, I'd be interested in reading it.

From post 87 in this thread (on what they would look for in a nose tackle) "He's got to be able to run. We like the big guy. Again, the ideal guy is a big, 300+ pounder who's strong and can hold the point but also can get off the ball and get after the passer. A lot of times you're not going to get pass rush from a nose position, so really the elements that are most important is can he anchor, can he play, can he stay on his feet and run and stand and maintain the integrity of the defense from a gap system standpoint. So those are the things that we look for."

Thanks for pointing back to that, though I think I'm still what to make of it as their preference. He says the NT they'd want must be able to run. And the most important thing is that the NT be able to anchor the line. And in between those statements says you don't normally find guys who can do both. So I'm still not sure which way they are shading if they have to choose one or the other, which they seem to be saying is normally the case.In any event, I'd love for them to sign Henderson. Actually, I'd love for them to trade a 2nd for Haynesworth, even a 2nd and a 4th or something like that. I think they could probably handle his presence with the quality locker room they have, and he is a guy who can both anchor a line and get up field. And Washington will have paid most of his contract and taken the cap hit (should we have a cap in the future). I think he'd probably be happy playing with Mario on the line beside him, making double teams a nightmare for the opposition. I realize motivation can be a problem for him, but I had the feeling his beefs in Washington were more legitimate than simple locker room cancer talk, and that they didn't use him the way they said they would when they signed him.

 

[coolnerd]

From post 87 in this thread

(on what they would look for in a nose tackle) "He's got to be able to run. We like the big guy. Again, the ideal guy is a big, 300+ pounder who's strong and can hold the point but also can get off the ball and get after the passer. A lot of times you're not going to get pass rush from a nose position, so really the elements that are most important is can he anchor, can he play, can he stay on his feet and run and stand and maintain the integrity of the defense from a gap system standpoint. So those are the things that we look for."

and yet thats the exact opposite of what they have been using. Smoke and Mirrors?

I think Smith was describing the ideal and admitting w/o directly saying they don't have the perfect NT on the roster at the moment. I don't think its any smoke and mirrors, because here and in other places as you noted they value movement and ability to run first, so they will give up size to get it. If the Texans had the perfect NT it would probably be a bigger guy than the ones they have. In other words, if Frank Okam was any good he would be perfect for them as he has above average athleticism for 6'5 ish 330 ish guy.

In my mind , I think that a younger henderson had above average movement and would also fit. Not sure about him now.

 

[jsharlan]

Rick Smith presser

"He isn't a big 360-pound guy, but he is a 300-pounder and he moves (well)," Smith said. "We need guys who are athletes and who can play on their feet and can run and chase and also have some gap integrity. We think he can do that."

(on why the Texans didn't draft a wide body to collapse the pocket) "What we look for as a group on defense, you can have a bigger nose (tackle). We feel really good about (DT) Earl (Mitchell). He isn't a big 360-pound guy, but he is a 300-pounder and he moves and again we talked about the other day in what we look for our guys. We need guys who are athletes and who can play on their feet and can run and chase and also have some gap integrity. We think he can do that."

Dale Strahm on Earl Mitchell:

Strahm: "What we were looking for inside. 6-2, 300 pounds."

When Kollar was coaching in Buffalo look at the DTs he used: Kyle Williams(306lbs), John McCargo(307), Larry Tripplett(296lbs), Tim Anderson(304lbs), Jason Jefferson(295lbs)

When he started out in Atlanta he used tackles James Geathers(290lbs), Travis Hall(295lbs), Shane Dronett(299)

Interesting article from 2006 when Kollar started in Buffalo:

Defense

Defensive Line: This was a unit that got decent pressure on the QB last season (24 sacks from linemen), but was horrendous against the run (surrendered league-worst 146 first downs via the run, and was second-to-last in the NFL in giving up 137.8 rushing yards per game).

Don't expect them to be any better against the run this year, as their primary run-stuffers, Justin Bannan and Sam Adams, are both gone and were replaced by Larry Tripplet and John McCargo, two players who are undersized and decidedly better pass-rushers than run-stuffers, although their ability to penetrate may help against the run. Still, though, teams will be able to run against Buffalo, and it will be the team's weakness again this year.

http://football.about.com/od/teamsbills/a/06bills_2.htm

Lance Z back when Kollar was hired:

"Kollar's hiring also signals to me that you can throw out the idea that the Texans will be looking for a great big space eater at NT. That isn't going to happen."

http://blogs.chron.com/fantasyfootball/200...s_for_defe.html

The evidence points that Kollar is the driving force behind not getting a big NT, and Smithiak is just publicly going along with it of course. I personally hate the tactic.

 

[coolnerd]

jsharlan good stuff and speaking of the scouting director. Here is take on all of the 2010 draftees

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=6136

This article is part of our 2010 Path to the Draft coverage presented by FOX Sports Houston.

The Texans' scouting department put more than nine months of work and countless miles of travel into preparations for the 2010 draft.

Director of college scouting Dale Strahm, college scouting coordinator Mike Maccagnan, national scout Ed Lambert and the Texans' six regional scouts each did reports on an average of 350 players. Strahm slept in a hotel room for 192 nights, a number he estimates was similar for most of the team's scouts.

Those months of preparation boiled down to three days, seven rounds and nine picks last week. Strahm, a 12-year scout who coached college football for 31 years, raved about the chemistry in the Texans' war room and the draft class that the Texans put together as a result.

"It takes a collective effort by everybody to be successful, and I was so impressed this year by the pro department, our college scouts, Gary Kubiak and our football coaches, the leadership and visionary process that we had from Rick Smith, the cooperation from everybody in regards to what our goals were in trying to fill the needs of our team so that we would get better – and that's what we accomplished," Strahm said.

"You usually have about seven draft picks, one per round. We had so many needs when we first got here together that we had to address those needs. This year we had nine picks, and consequently what that allowed us to do was to go out and get a specialty returner, get some guys that can really help our football team on the special teams side, as well as individual position needs.

"It's an outstanding group. Two-thirds of the guys were captains, 80 percent of them have their college degrees. Over 85 percent have been three-year starters. We have a saying that what we're looking for is a ‘Tough, smart, physical player with high character that has the competitiveness and the passion about the game of football.' That's our motto, and that's what we've found. If you can have those attributes coming in here, you've got a chance."

After the draft, Strahm offered a capsulized look at each of the Texans' nine picks in a special for HoustonTexans.com:

Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama

First round (20th overall)

Strahm: "Comes from Macon, Ga., Westside High School. He attended Fork Union (Va.) for a year in '06, transferred to Alabama in '07. He's an early-out junior. Three-year starter. Very physical player, great passion for the game. His work ethic is outstanding. He's got great football instincts. He's a very tough competitor. He likes to do the dirty work – and by that, I mean on run support, he's active, he's a solid tackler. He's got a big upside. He's got a swagger in his play, and he plays with a lot of confidence. He comes from a complicated system at Alabama, and they have really tough coaching. They really get after you. They have an outstanding program, and he's benefited because of that. He's very mature with his thought process and his technique, so we think he's game-ready."

Ben Tate, RB, Auburn

Second round (58th overall)

Strahm: "He's 5-11, 220, 4.38. From Newark, Md., Snow Hill High School. This guy graduated in three-and-a-half years from Auburn. He's got very good playing speed. He's explosive. He's got very good power as a runner. Has got very good field vision and speed to bounce his runs to the outside. We like his physical skill set and his toughness. He's just got to get in here and get a feel for our running style of what we're looking for, but he's a fine, fine addition to our team."

Earl Mitchell, DT, Arizona

Third round (81st overall)

Strahm: "What we were looking for inside. 6-2, 300 pounds. North Shore High School in Houston. Interesting guy. Very versatile. In '06, he was a tight end and fullback and started six games. '07, they moved him to tight end – H-back kind of guy. They needed some girth, they needed some power in the middle on defense because they couldn't stop anybody, so they asked Earl to come over and play defense and he was a two-year starter at tackle. He's got great quickness. Very powerful. Love his motor. He's a team leader – co-captain. He needs to refine his pass rush skills. He started there 37 out of 49 games, so he's an excellent prospect inside. Big upside because he's so versatile."

Darryl Sharpton, LB, Miami (Fla.)

Fourth round (102nd overall)

Strahm: "Two-year starter from Coral Gables (Fla.) High School. Inside linebacker, 5-11½, 230 pounds. What we like about this guy, he's got a quick trigger. He's a quick reactor to what he sees. He's got great what we call FBIs – football instincts. He's got great keys. He attacks downhill. We love his motor. He puts his hat on the ball carrier. He's an every-down player. Very aggressive in his style of play. Has his degree. Very bright, has a GPA of 3.0. Nephew of Rev. Al Sharpton – I think he was praying for us, because we were praying for this kid. But what he has is what we call body shock. It's like a prize fighter. I mean, when he hits you, boom – you feel it. He's got body shock on contact. We think he's really going to help us on special teams and be a role player for us with a chance to start."

Garrett Graham, TE, Wisconsin

Fourth round (118th overall)

Strahm: "6-3, 247. From Memorial High School up in Jersey. Two-time captain, three-year starter. Has his degree. A very versatile athlete. Full-speed player. Excellent, excellent catching radius. He's got great hands. Shows a lot of production in the passing game. Could be used as a slot receiver, a wing guy, a movement type of guy. He's got natural hands. Very business-like in his approach. Almost a protégé to our other tight end, (Owen) Daniels. Big upside. I think he had over 50 receptions and seven TDs this year. We really like this kid. He's really on the come."

Sherrick McManis, CB, Northwestern

Fifth round (144th overall)

Strahm: "5-11, 190, 4.5. Richmond High School in Peoria, Ill. Captain. 3.0 GPA. Has his degree. Three-year starter. He's got excellent measureables. Had some injury issues this season, which knocked him down in the draft, but we see a tremendous upside with his potential and his ability. Is very tough in his style of play. He's got very good ball skills. We see him as having nickel back potential for us. He loves contact. Very versatile player. We see a big upside with this kid."

Shelley Smith, G, Colorado State

Sixth round (187th overall)

Strahm: "We tried to address this issue in the draft early, but there were very few interior linemen. It was very thin in the position, and we were very fortunate in our sixth round pick to get him. 6-3, 300 pounds, from Westview High School in Phoenix. Three-year starter. Captain. Has got a degree. He's got great toughness. He's athletic. He's got good lateral range with good C.O.D. (change of direction). He can strike and sustain his run blocks. He's got good mobility for a big interior kind of lineman, good in-line strength. He's got power to gain what we call movement off the line, so he'll come out and do that. We see this guy having a chance to soak at that position and eventually help us interiorly."

Trindon Holliday, KR, LSU

Sixth round (197th overall)

Strahm: "To me, there's three things about pro football. Number one, it's about speed, and it's about field position and it's about matchups. When you grade him in those three areas, he gets an ‘A' in all three. This guy is 5-5, 165, but he plays like he's 6-4. There's no fear. He's physically tough, mentally tough. He's from Northeastern High School in Zachary, La. Had the fastest time in the world in 2008 – he was the fastest human being on earth – when he ran the 60 meters in 6.54. Fastest time in the world. In 2009, he won the NCAA 100 meters in 10 flat. That's going over 10 yards-plus once in every second. The guy is amazing to me. I think he's going to bring a special presence to our special teams. He averaged 25 yards in kickoff return per try and he averaged almost 15 yards in punt return, so right now, we've got better field position. Obviously, he's a tremendous threat just because of his natural catching abilities and his raw speed. A great, great pick in the sixth round as a specialist, and in the past we haven't had the opportunities to go get that kind of guy."

Dorin Dickerson, WR, Pittsburgh

Seventh round (227th overall)

Strahm: "This guy is really interesting. For him to be sitting there in the seventh round was unbelievable. Some people had him in the late third, early fourth. We couldn't wait to get him. He's 6-1, 220, and he's not a tight end; we're going to put him as a wide receiver. He's from West Allegheny High School in Pittsburgh, Pa. Extremely versatile athlete. There's nothing that this kid can't do. I'll give you an example: His senior year in high school, he ran for over 1,400 yards and 30 TDs. So his running skills after the catch or anything else are exceptional. Played wide receiver, running back, outside linebacker and tight end. Excellent worker. He's a dynamic athlete and a diverse talent. He needs time on the job at the wide receiver position, but he will come in and make all of our special teams. He's going to be a great contributor on special teams. Has very good playing speed, natural quickness. A hybrid-type player at this stage with a terrific upside. He had a 43½-inch vertical and a long jump of over 10½ feet. I mean, that is exceptional."

 

[GregR_2]

Rick Smith presser

"He isn't a big 360-pound guy, but he is a 300-pounder and he moves (well)," Smith said. "We need guys who are athletes and who can play on their feet and can run and chase and also have some gap integrity. We think he can do that."

(on why the Texans didn't draft a wide body to collapse the pocket) "What we look for as a group on defense, you can have a bigger nose (tackle). We feel really good about (DT) Earl (Mitchell). He isn't a big 360-pound guy, but he is a 300-pounder and he moves and again we talked about the other day in what we look for our guys. We need guys who are athletes and who can play on their feet and can run and chase and also have some gap integrity. We think he can do that."

Dale Strahm on Earl Mitchell:

Strahm: "What we were looking for inside. 6-2, 300 pounds."

When Kollar was coaching in Buffalo look at the DTs he used: Kyle Williams(306lbs), John McCargo(307), Larry Tripplett(296lbs), Tim Anderson(304lbs), Jason Jefferson(295lbs)

When he started out in Atlanta he used tackles James Geathers(290lbs), Travis Hall(295lbs), Shane Dronett(299)

Interesting article from 2006 when Kollar started in Buffalo:

Defense

Defensive Line: This was a unit that got decent pressure on the QB last season (24 sacks from linemen), but was horrendous against the run (surrendered league-worst 146 first downs via the run, and was second-to-last in the NFL in giving up 137.8 rushing yards per game).

Don't expect them to be any better against the run this year, as their primary run-stuffers, Justin Bannan and Sam Adams, are both gone and were replaced by Larry Tripplet and John McCargo, two players who are undersized and decidedly better pass-rushers than run-stuffers, although their ability to penetrate may help against the run. Still, though, teams will be able to run against Buffalo, and it will be the team's weakness again this year.

http://football.about.com/od/teamsbills/a/06bills_2.htm

Lance Z back when Kollar was hired:

"Kollar's hiring also signals to me that you can throw out the idea that the Texans will be looking for a great big space eater at NT. That isn't going to happen."

http://blogs.chron.com/fantasyfootball/200...s_for_defe.html

The evidence points that Kollar is the driving force behind not getting a big NT, and Smithiak is just publicly going along with it of course. I personally hate the tactic.

Great post, and thank you.

 

[Getinthemix]

Really excited about Trindon Holliday. Hopefully his ball security is a little better than Jacoby as well. Every time Jacoby caught a punt, I almost had a heart attack, it seemed like he caused a lot of big plays, both for and against.

 

[GregR_2]

Really excited about Trindon Holliday. Hopefully his ball security is a little better than Jacoby as well. Every time Jacoby caught a punt, I almost had a heart attack, it seemed like he caused a lot of big plays, both for and against.

It looks like he had 7 fumbles and lost 3 in his college career. I'm not sure that's a great number when he had 115 rushes, 7 receptions, 43 punt and 73 kick returns = 238 touches, or a fumble every 34 touches, and lost fumble every 79 touches.

 

[vandyt]

Dorin Dickerson, WR, Pittsburgh

Seventh round (227th overall)

Strahm: "This guy is really interesting. For him to be sitting there in the seventh round was unbelievable. Some people had him in the late third, early fourth. We couldn't wait to get him.

I hate these kind of statements. Obviously you could (and did) wait to get him. You passed over him in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th rounds.

 

[jsharlan]

Dorin Dickerson, WR, Pittsburgh

Seventh round (227th overall)

Strahm: "This guy is really interesting. For him to be sitting there in the seventh round was unbelievable. Some people had him in the late third, early fourth. We couldn't wait to get him.

I hate these kind of statements. Obviously you could (and did) wait to get him. You passed over him in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th rounds.

probably because they had other players higher on their board based on value and positions of need. Its not like we needed to draft a project WR in AJ's spot in the 3rd. I would have been pretty pissed if they did. I love the pick but its a total luxury pick. He never said he was on their board at the 3rd or 4th.

 

[Getinthemix]

Really excited about Trindon Holliday. Hopefully his ball security is a little better than Jacoby as well. Every time Jacoby caught a punt, I almost had a heart attack, it seemed like he caused a lot of big plays, both for and against.

It looks like he had 7 fumbles and lost 3 in his college career. I'm not sure that's a great number when he had 115 rushes, 7 receptions, 43 punt and 73 kick returns = 238 touches, or a fumble every 34 touches, and lost fumble every 79 touches.

That is OK, Jacoby had 7 fumbles in 101 punt returns the last three years. The guys causes me heartburn every punt return. You never know which way the big play is going.

 

[prymetyme25]

Really excited about Trindon Holliday. Hopefully his ball security is a little better than Jacoby as well. Every time Jacoby caught a punt, I almost had a heart attack, it seemed like he caused a lot of big plays, both for and against.

It looks like he had 7 fumbles and lost 3 in his college career. I'm not sure that's a great number when he had 115 rushes, 7 receptions, 43 punt and 73 kick returns = 238 touches, or a fumble every 34 touches, and lost fumble every 79 touches.

That is OK, Jacoby had 7 fumbles in 101 punt returns the last three years. The guys causes me heartburn every punt return. You never know which way the big play is going.

agreed

 

[GregR_2]

Texans town hall chat for fans... conference call with Frank Bush, Rick Dennison and Kareem Jackson. 4:45 pm central time May 4th. Call 877-229-8493 and use pin 15840 to join.

Edit: My bad, it's Tuesday not Monday. Date corrected.

 

[coolnerd]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5172060

I wish I could actually feign surprise here.

 

[coolnerd]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...nt/6995505.html

Some we are disappointed from the Texans brass....

btw the LB in the 4th wasn't just BPA

 

[jsharlan]

As if our schedule wasn't hard enough, lets go ahead and shoot ourselves in the foot. Thanks Cushing, #####.

 

[GregR_2]

Hopefully if he was using this becomes a wake up call for him and he goes clean. Frustrated to have this kind of crap going on on our team.

 

[coolnerd]

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b44qz

Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing was suspended due to a test he took in September and played the entire season under that specter -- a season where he was named The Associated Press' Defensive Rookie of the Year -- and went to the Pro Bowl, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Cushing appealed the test in February and lost -- and was suspended this month by the NFL.

Per an earlier agreement with the NFL and the NFLPA, any player who tests positive for performance-enhancing substances is not allowed to play in the Pro Bowl -- meaning Cushing would not be allowed to play following the 2009 season.

Cushing will miss the Texans' first four games of the 2010 season (Houston's opponents: Indianapolis, Washington, Dallas and Oakland).

Cushing can participate in preseason practices and games.

Cushing, the 15th overall pick in last year's draft out of Southern California, had 133 tackles in 2009. The Texans finished 9-7 last season for their first winning record thanks in part to the improvement of a young defense that features Cushing, star middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans and 2006 top overall pick Mario Williams.

Veteran Kevin Bentley, who appeared in each game for Houston last season but never started, is Cushing's backup at outside linebacker.

Cushing was hounded by rumors of performance-enhancing drug use before he became a pro, but the Texans were undeterred. They said then they found no truth to those rumors in their draft preparations.

 

[coolnerd]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/...lf-100-percent/

Steve Slaton claims to be a 100% and has lost 15 pounds

 

[coolnerd]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...nt/7008821.html

Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson missed Monday's start of organized team activities because he is unhappy with his contract.

Johnson has five years remaining on his contract and will make a base salary of $5.8 million in 2010.

The OTAs are not mandatory like the June minicamp.

The Texans' policy is to not talk about contracts with players who are not participating in team drills.

Texans general manager Rick Smith said he has been in contact with the Pro Bowl receiver and plans to meet with him at some point.

Two years ago, Johnson reworked his contract that was an eight-year deal worth $60 million that included a $15 million signing bonus. He is represented by his uncle, Andre Melton.

Johnson has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times in his seven NFL seasons. He has caught 216 passes for 3,144 yards and 17 touchdowns the past two seasons.

 

[High Speed Reject]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...nt/7008821.html

Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson missed Monday's start of organized team activities because he is unhappy with his contract.

Johnson has five years remaining on his contract and will make a base salary of $5.8 million in 2010.

The OTAs are not mandatory like the June minicamp.

The Texans' policy is to not talk about contracts with players who are not participating in team drills.

Texans general manager Rick Smith said he has been in contact with the Pro Bowl receiver and plans to meet with him at some point.

Two years ago, Johnson reworked his contract that was an eight-year deal worth $60 million that included a $15 million signing bonus. He is represented by his uncle, Andre Melton.

Johnson has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times in his seven NFL seasons. He has caught 216 passes for 3,144 yards and 17 touchdowns the past two seasons.

While AJ is my favorite Texan (which isn't that hard to accomplish given this organization's overall lack of talent since its inception...), I am a little frustrated that he's apparently not going to honor his contract. He signed his current deal before the '07-'08 season, correct..? This is not good timing, if there ever is one.

Texans = one step forward, two steps back...

Cushing, mediocre draft, now AJ... not a very good offseason...

 

[High Speed Reject]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...nt/7008821.html

Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson missed Monday's start of organized team activities because he is unhappy with his contract.

Johnson has five years remaining on his contract and will make a base salary of $5.8 million in 2010.

The OTAs are not mandatory like the June minicamp.

The Texans' policy is to not talk about contracts with players who are not participating in team drills.

Texans general manager Rick Smith said he has been in contact with the Pro Bowl receiver and plans to meet with him at some point.

Two years ago, Johnson reworked his contract that was an eight-year deal worth $60 million that included a $15 million signing bonus. He is represented by his uncle, Andre Melton.

Johnson has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times in his seven NFL seasons. He has caught 216 passes for 3,144 yards and 17 touchdowns the past two seasons.

While AJ is my favorite Texan (which isn't that hard to accomplish given this organization's overall lack of talent since its inception...), I am a little frustrated that he's apparently not going to honor his contract. He signed his current deal before the '07-'08 season, correct..? This is not good timing, if there ever is one.

Texans = one step forward, two steps back...

Cushing, mediocre draft, now AJ... not a very good offseason...

 

[jsharlan]

while I don't agree with it, this is part of the business of the game, and a business the NFL and NFLPA have caused, I can't blame the players entirely. That being said I don't think AJ is the kind of person that would do anything to hurt the team over money, I think he shows up for anything mandatory. As far as the draft, how are you going to call it mediocre before a single player takes the field?

 

[Getinthemix]

while I don't agree with it, this is part of the business of the game, and a business the NFL and NFLPA have caused, I can't blame the players entirely. That being said I don't think AJ is the kind of person that would do anything to hurt the team over money, I think he shows up for anything mandatory. As far as the draft, how are you going to call it mediocre before a single player takes the field?

I actually like the draft they had. I am not sold on Tate, but loved the Kareem Jackson pick. And you know that Andre is going to be there for anything mandatory.

 

[High Speed Reject]

As far as the draft, how are you going to call it mediocre before a single player takes the field?

Well, I personally don't think the Texans FO did enough to address the O-line through the draft (or otherwise). Another project D-lineman in the 3rd round, and tons of question marks.. While Kubiak/Smith gets lots of credit for the 2006 draft (Williams, Ryans, Daniels), the rest of their drafts have been mediocre at best. Just like the draft last month, IMO. OK?

 

[Thomsen]

I think the draft went pretty well, but it's to early to tell.

Just some thoughts:

I think we could have a nice penetrating D-line, with Okoye losing weight to gain explosion, Mitchell being a good penetrator and Williams playing even better with a better inside rush. Our secondary looks OK, not sure about Jackson but he fits the system.

Cushing is a significant loss, but Diles is a very good backup. So I still think we'll have one of the best group of linebackers. Sharpton gives us great depth at middle and weak.

Offensively Tate fits the system but I still think Foster or Slaton will play bigger roles. Not sure about Tates talent. The size/speed is there, but not much else.

Looking forward to see how Dickerson adapts to the WR position, he could be a very good player. And don't forget James Casey, he could be a significant factor this year.

Overall we look like the second best team in the AFC South IMO.

 

[coolnerd]

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Texans...ree-agents.html

Undrafted free agent list

 

[coolnerd]

http://www.houstontexans.com/blog/index.asp?post_id=1178

Texans tight end Owen Daniels was enjoying the best season of his career in 2009 when he suffered a torn ACL in a Nov. 1 road game at Buffalo.

Now, it appears that the 2008 Pro Bowler will not be fully ready for Texans training camp when it begins on July 30.

“If I had to go to one place that’s going to be the sticking point throughout camp as we work... it’s our tight end position, because O.D. and Anthony Hill will not be participating in training camp,” coach Gary Kubiak said after the Texans' OTA practice on Wednesday. “You go carrying six tight ends when you get through training camp, you’ve got other problems at other spots, so we’ve got some work to do from that standpoint.”

Hill, a fourth-round draft pick last year, also saw his 2009 season end early with a torn ACL. His injury came almost a month-and-a-half later than Daniels’, on Dec. 13 against the Seattle Seahawks.

Daniels was on pace for 89 catches, 1,136 yards and 11 touchdowns before the injury to his right knee. He said in March that he had set a goal to be able to run full-speed by June 1, but Kubiak said that keeping Daniels out of training camp has been the plan all along.

"He’s way ahead of schedule, he’s doing very well, but it’s been thought of all the time that if we get to camp that he would do some possible work in seven-on-seven, non-contact type of stuff but (we would) not throw him right back into full banging, so to speak," Kubiak said. "So there’s going to be some maneuvering to do, and Anthony realistically probably won’t be ready until the beginning of the season.”

With Daniels and Hill out, the Texans have four other tight ends on the roster: Joel Dreessen, who replaced Daniels in the starting lineup after his injury last season; James Casey, a 2009 rookie out of Rice; Garrett Graham, a rookie fourth-round draft pick from Wisconsin; and Michael Gaines, a free agent who joined the team earlier this offseason

 

[coolnerd]

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Texans...ck-McManis.html

Another draft pick signed

 

[coolnerd]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...nt/7056674.html

Mostly players who will never matter (needed an excuse to bump this thread)

 

[coolnerd]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_...?urn=nfl,249191

Eric Winston interview

 

[coolnerd]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...nt/7131593.html

Final player has signed and everyone is in camp on time.