Houston Texans sign DE Mario Williams (1 Viewer)

[Z-Dog]

I agree with Irvin on this point:

"You don't pass on Michael Jordan to draft Patrick Ewing."

Irvin has no sense of history (or clue); Jordan and Ewing weren't even drafted in the same year. In addition, Ewing was everyone's top prospect in 1985. In fact, there were allegations that the lottery had been rigged to give the Knicks a better chance to get Ewing. If Irvin wanted to make a meaningful analogy, he could compare Jordan and Olajuwon, but Irvin would still be wrong. Jordan was a good college player, but no one knew he would become what he became; Olajuwon was a more sure-fire prospect. (And in fact is a two-time NBA champion and a Hall of Famer in his own right).

Now, if Irvin wants to argue Jordan vs. Sam Bowie, he might have something useful to say.

I'm having a hard time following the analogy for a ton of reasons. What exactly makes Mario Williams = Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, or well, any NBA center?

you're missing the point, He's saying Bush is that once in a lifetime player and Mario is a great player...that's all.

I think he's saying more than that. He's saying that Williams may be a good centerpiece for a franchise, Bush IS the franchise.

 

[msommer]

This thread has 10,000+ Views.....that is an amazing stat.

After 600 posts, we can start to hide our pr0n in here....

So, where is it?

 

[Jason Wood]

Still baffled at people's unwillingness to accept that the Texans think Mario Williams is the better player. You can disagree and pan them for that, but trading down, any lower than 2nd, simply an option that made any sense for them.

 

[-OZ-]

Still baffled at people's unwillingness to accept that the Texans think Mario Williams is the better player. You can disagree and pan them for that, but trading down, any lower than 2nd, simply an option that made any sense for them.

And if the rumors that Bush doesnt want to play in NO are true, that wasn't an option. It would have taken a 3 team deal, which I imagine is difficult to pull off.

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

I am one who thinks the Texans shouldnt have taken Bush. I cant see any NFL team sinking 80 Million into their backfield. I do however feel they should have taken D'Brick and never worried about Davids blind side again.

 

[JAA]

Still baffled at people's unwillingness to accept that the Texans think Mario Williams is the better player. You can disagree and pan them for that, but trading down, any lower than 2nd, simply an option that made any sense for them.

people seem to forget, we are still talking about prospects here ... not proven commodities

 

[Jason Wood]

I'm also surprised so few people are giving Casserly credit for having cojones. The EASY pick, the SAFE pick, the one most pundits and fans would've patted him on the back for would've been Bush. Casserly is putting himself on the line here, telling the world HE believes Williams is better even though he knows that's not the consensus.

More GMs should go with their gut and try to avoid the court of public opinion. The great ones usually do (not that I'm saying Casserly is a great one mind you).

 

[Traders2001]

As a Saints fan,   

We either get Bush, or trade the pick to the Jets or 49ers for loads of picks and still get an elite player. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!

Want some real EXCITEMENT. If Bush is there at #4 and the Jets pass for a QB there could be a riot in NY.

Why!!! The Texans passed on Bush for a reason, they are smart he will be one of the biggest bust in NFL history . He has this written all over.It s so obvious.........................

 

[Toxic Gatorade]

The problem people don't think of Jason is that Casserly had just as much input on this player/pick as Gary Kubiak did.

So if there is going to be a goat, they will both share the noose....not just Charlie.

 

[Statorama]

If the Texans were going against the grain with the first pick, they should have went with Ferguson. Like Jason said above, you plug Brick in there and give Carr at least one guy that can stop a pass rush.

What a total gift for the Saints though. I'm not very confident they'll handle negotiations with Bush well, and I anticipate a looooooooong holdout if they select him....but you've GOT to take him there.

 

[Jason Wood]

If the Texans were going against the grain with the first pick, they should have went with Ferguson. Like Jason said above, you plug Brick in there and give Carr at least one guy that can stop a pass rush.

What a total gift for the Saints though. I'm not very confident they'll handle negotiations with Bush well, and I anticipate a looooooooong holdout if they select him....but you've GOT to take him there.

I didn't say that about Ferguson...must've been someone else. Pretty clear that Bush and Williams were the top two guys on virtually every board, it was just about which guy was 1 and which was 2. For the Texans, it wouldn't have made much sense to grab Ferguson at 1...HE they could've had at 3 or 4, but not Williams likely.

 

[BassNBrew]

I'm also surprised so few people are giving Casserly credit for having cojones. The EASY pick, the SAFE pick, the one most pundits and fans would've patted him on the back for would've been Bush. Casserly is putting himself on the line here, telling the world HE believes Williams is better even though he knows that's not the consensus.

More GMs should go with their gut and try to avoid the court of public opinion. The great ones usually do (not that I'm saying Casserly is a great one mind you).

Well the proper move would have been to trade #1 for the Jets #4 and #29. They could have had a franchise player and another solid player to boot. Even if Williams is Peppers good (who disappears at times), he's still not as good as a theoretical Bush on the eve of the draft.

 

[BigRed]

WOW

Houston just lost a LOT of money. Reggie Bush immediately increases ticket sales, jersey sales, etc. In the long run they are losing money even if they paid Mario less.

It could end up working out for them, but Houston definitely took a risky move without much upside.

No, in the long run they (probably) MADE money because they're a better team w/Mario than w/Bush. All are HOU fans this blind?

 

[The Dude]

I'm also surprised so few people are giving Casserly credit for having cojones. The EASY pick, the SAFE pick, the one most pundits and fans would've patted him on the back for would've been Bush. Casserly is putting himself on the line here, telling the world HE believes Williams is better even though he knows that's not the consensus.

More GMs should go with their gut and try to avoid the court of public opinion. The great ones usually do (not that I'm saying Casserly is a great one mind you).

I don't know that he's necessarily saying Williams is better than Bush. I think he's saying Williams would at least have as much impact to them as Bush would - not that Williams is necessarily a better player if both were put into prime spots.Also, I don't think you can call GM's out for lacking cajones and not going with their gut when you're purely speculating that is what they have done at times. I agree it's probably happened but there is no way of accusing any GM of doing so in any specific situation without having intricate knowledge of their decision making - which I am guessing you don't have.

 

[cowboyz]

can mario williams be richard seymour?

 

[ericttspikes]

Still baffled at people's unwillingness to accept that the Texans think Mario Williams is the better player. You can disagree and pan them for that, but trading down, any lower than 2nd, simply an option that made any sense for them.

people seem to forget, we are still talking about prospects here ... not proven commodities

I totally agree. Bush may very well be a great NFL talent, but there is no such thing as a "can't miss prospect", players like Kajana Carter, Leaf, Akili Smith immediately come to mind. I have to believe for every high first round rookie that does make an impact and go on to be a Pro Bowler that there are 10 that bust out. High first round picks seem like crap shoots to me, regardless of hype. Like FF, the NFL drafts are won by getting great talent in later rounds.One thing I really hate about the NFL draft is how much money these first round rookie picks ask for and get. I really think there needs to be some sort of cap. These rookie contracts are getting to the point where it is hurting the NFL IMO. Why not cap the slots and make performance based contracts? It seems to me the Texans not taking Bush has to do more with being able to get Williams in camp and signed than not wanting to take Bush, I could be wrong.

 

[ericttspikes]

WOW

Houston just lost a LOT of money. Reggie Bush immediately increases ticket sales, jersey sales, etc. In the long run they are losing money even if they paid Mario less.

It could end up working out for them, but Houston definitely took a risky move without much upside.

No, in the long run they (probably) MADE money because they're a better team w/Mario than w/Bush. All are HOU fans this blind?

I agree here too. If the Texans where only thinking about jersey sales they would of taken Young. Since it appears the Texans couldn't trade down it looks like they took the guy they could sign and get on the field who also happens to address a big need. The Texans aren't just Reggie Bush away from making the playoffs, these guys need help in a lot of areas. To pay these top guys as much cash as they are asking for they HAVE to get in camp and produce right away, Williams has that chance. Playing games with Bush and his agent all summer is a waste of cash especially if he just ends up splitting time with DD and can't be an every down, carry the load RB from game 1. It's not like Williams is a reach, he is the top rated player at his position like Bush.

 

[Statorama]

If the Texans were going against the grain with the first pick, they should have went with Ferguson.  Like Jason said above, you plug Brick in there and give Carr at least one guy that can stop a pass rush.

What a total gift for the Saints though.  I'm not very confident they'll handle negotiations with Bush well, and I anticipate a looooooooong holdout if they select him....but you've GOT to take him there.

I didn't say that about Ferguson...must've been someone else. Pretty clear that Bush and Williams were the top two guys on virtually every board, it was just about which guy was 1 and which was 2. For the Texans, it wouldn't have made much sense to grab Ferguson at 1...HE they could've had at 3 or 4, but not Williams likely.

Sorry J-Wood...still a touch hungover here I guess Edit: Credit should go to Buddy Ball 2K3 on the Brick idea.

 

[Otis]

49ers are my bet.

Without hijacking this, I don't think so. They really like Gore.

Please tell me you're kidding...San Francisco wouldn't consider Reggie Bush because of FRANK GORE

I think the point is that the 49ers have many needs, and RB is not one of them. Hell, why not trade up for Ferguson?

 

[Norseman]

Interesting contract, 6 years and $54 million. Alex Smith got 6 years and $45 million. Is a 25% bump year over year for the #1 pick right? People keep saying that the negotiations and what Bush wanted played a factor in Houston taking Williams. It doesnt look to me like they got him cheap at all.

I can't believe this isn't being mentioned more. Both Alex Smith and Eli Manning got 6 year $45 million contracts. It seems that Houston over paid for Mario, IMO.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Interesting contract, 6 years and $54 million.  Alex Smith got 6 years and $45 million.  Is a 25% bump year over year for the #1 pick right?  People keep saying that the negotiations and what Bush wanted played a factor in Houston taking Williams.  It doesnt look to me like they got him cheap at all.

I can't believe this isn't being mentioned more. Both Alex Smith and Eli Manning got 6 year $45 million contracts. It seems that Houston over paid for Mario, IMO.

Maybe just rumors, but I thought that people have been saying that Bush's agent was also throwing around the figure of $40M guaranteed money. THAT is a big difference over the other contracts.

 

[Chase Stuart]

Here's a pretty amazing stat:

Mario Williams weighed in at 296; Reggie Bush at 201.

Mario Williams and Reggie Bush both had vertical leaps of 40.5"

Still pretty dumbfounded about this. Has there ever been a 300 lb guy with a 40" vertical?

 

[Chase Stuart]

I agree with Irvin on this point:

"You don't pass on Michael Jordan to draft Patrick Ewing."

Irvin has no sense of history (or clue); Jordan and Ewing weren't even drafted in the same year. In addition, Ewing was everyone's top prospect in 1985. In fact, there were allegations that the lottery had been rigged to give the Knicks a better chance to get Ewing. If Irvin wanted to make a meaningful analogy, he could compare Jordan and Olajuwon, but Irvin would still be wrong. Jordan was a good college player, but no one knew he would become what he became; Olajuwon was a more sure-fire prospect. (And in fact is a two-time NBA champion and a Hall of Famer in his own right).

Now, if Irvin wants to argue Jordan vs. Sam Bowie, he might have something useful to say.

I'm having a hard time following the analogy for a ton of reasons. What exactly makes Mario Williams = Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, or well, any NBA center?

you're missing the point, He's saying Bush is that once in a lifetime player and Mario is a great player...that's all.

I think he's saying more than that. He's saying that Williams may be a good centerpiece for a franchise, Bush IS the franchise.

I got that far, I guess I was just wondering why couldn't Mario be MJ?What was it that made Bush be the franchise and Williams a centerpiece. Then, again, this is Irvin we're talking about.

 

[Will Grant]

I'm also surprised so few people are giving Casserly credit for having cojones. The EASY pick, the SAFE pick, the one most pundits and fans would've patted him on the back for would've been Bush. Casserly is putting himself on the line here, telling the world HE believes Williams is better even though he knows that's not the consensus.

More GMs should go with their gut and try to avoid the court of public opinion. The great ones usually do (not that I'm saying Casserly is a great one mind you).

Well the proper move would have been to trade #1 for the Jets #4 and #29. They could have had a franchise player and another solid player to boot. Even if Williams is Peppers good (who disappears at times), he's still not as good as a theoretical Bush on the eve of the draft.

This presumes that the Jets wanted to give up those two picks to move up and get Bush... I admit that I haven't watched every single minute of NFL pre-draft coverage... but I haven't heard anything from the Jets that would indicate that they were THAT hot and heavy to move up to #1... If the Jets are happy at #4.. taking whoever falls to them, they could keep their #29 pick and still land a solid OL, DL or QB at the #4 position... the Jets need more than just one guy... it's a smart play at thier position to let the dust settle a bit before seeing what can give them the most bang for their bucks..

 

[Chase Stuart]

can mario williams be richard seymour?

He's got much better measurables than Seymour. Not comparable in that respect.Seymour: 6-6, 299, 24 reps, 1.8 (10 yd), 4.92 (40 yd), 32" vertical

Williams: 6-7, 295, 35 reps, 1.6 (10 yd), 4.7 (40 yard), 40.5" vertical

 

[Christo]

The problem people don't think of Jason is that Casserly had just as much input on this player/pick as Gary Kubiak did.

So if there is going to be a goat, they will both share the noose....not just Charlie.

Buried somewhere in the previous 13 pages is a post where it was said that Casserly was interviewed and he said that while he took input from everyone in the organization concerning the pick, it was his choice and his choice alone.Whatever the outcome: Casserly has Big Balls

 

[Chase Stuart]

I'm also surprised so few people are giving Casserly credit for having cojones. The EASY pick, the SAFE pick, the one most pundits and fans would've patted him on the back for would've been Bush. Casserly is putting himself on the line here, telling the world HE believes Williams is better even though he knows that's not the consensus.

More GMs should go with their gut and try to avoid the court of public opinion. The great ones usually do (not that I'm saying Casserly is a great one mind you).

Well the proper move would have been to trade #1 for the Jets #4 and #29. They could have had a franchise player and another solid player to boot. Even if Williams is Peppers good (who disappears at times), he's still not as good as a theoretical Bush on the eve of the draft.

This presumes that the Jets wanted to give up those two picks to move up and get Bush... I admit that I haven't watched every single minute of NFL pre-draft coverage... but I haven't heard anything from the Jets that would indicate that they were THAT hot and heavy to move up to #1... If the Jets are happy at #4.. taking whoever falls to them, they could keep their #29 pick and still land a solid OL, DL or QB at the #4 position... the Jets need more than just one guy... it's a smart play at thier position to let the dust settle a bit before seeing what can give them the most bang for their bucks..

Considering all the teams frantic to try and move up to get Bush now, this further shows that Houston erred in my opinion. Maybe Casserly just was a poor negotiator this time around.

 

[Norseman]

Interesting contract, 6 years and $54 million.  Alex Smith got 6 years and $45 million.  Is a 25% bump year over year for the #1 pick right?  People keep saying that the negotiations and what Bush wanted played a factor in Houston taking Williams.  It doesnt look to me like they got him cheap at all.

I can't believe this isn't being mentioned more. Both Alex Smith and Eli Manning got 6 year $45 million contracts. It seems that Houston over paid for Mario, IMO.

Maybe just rumors, but I thought that people have been saying that Bush's agent was also throwing around the figure of $40M guaranteed money. THAT is a big difference over the other contracts.

I'm comparing Mario's contracts to previous years 1st picks. And they are QB's. Aren't qb's supposed to get a bigger deal than other positions. It just seems that they could have signed him to a 6 year deal closer to the $45 million than the $54 million.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I'm also surprised so few people are giving Casserly credit for having cojones. The EASY pick, the SAFE pick, the one most pundits and fans would've patted him on the back for would've been Bush. Casserly is putting himself on the line here, telling the world HE believes Williams is better even though he knows that's not the consensus.

More GMs should go with their gut and try to avoid the court of public opinion. The great ones usually do (not that I'm saying Casserly is a great one mind you).

Well the proper move would have been to trade #1 for the Jets #4 and #29. They could have had a franchise player and another solid player to boot. Even if Williams is Peppers good (who disappears at times), he's still not as good as a theoretical Bush on the eve of the draft.

This presumes that the Jets wanted to give up those two picks to move up and get Bush... I admit that I haven't watched every single minute of NFL pre-draft coverage... but I haven't heard anything from the Jets that would indicate that they were THAT hot and heavy to move up to #1... If the Jets are happy at #4.. taking whoever falls to them, they could keep their #29 pick and still land a solid OL, DL or QB at the #4 position... the Jets need more than just one guy... it's a smart play at thier position to let the dust settle a bit before seeing what can give them the most bang for their bucks..

Considering all the teams frantic to try and move up to get Bush now, this further shows that Houston erred in my opinion. Maybe Casserly just was a poor negotiator this time around.

Or maybe the #2 is CHEAPER than the #1???

 

[Don Quixote]

I agree with Irvin on this point:

"You don't pass on Michael Jordan to draft Patrick Ewing."

Irvin has no sense of history (or clue); Jordan and Ewing weren't even drafted in the same year. In addition, Ewing was everyone's top prospect in 1985. In fact, there were allegations that the lottery had been rigged to give the Knicks a better chance to get Ewing. If Irvin wanted to make a meaningful analogy, he could compare Jordan and Olajuwon, but Irvin would still be wrong. Jordan was a good college player, but no one knew he would become what he became; Olajuwon was a more sure-fire prospect. (And in fact is a two-time NBA champion and a Hall of Famer in his own right).

Now, if Irvin wants to argue Jordan vs. Sam Bowie, he might have something useful to say.

I'm having a hard time following the analogy for a ton of reasons. What exactly makes Mario Williams = Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, or well, any NBA center?

you're missing the point, He's saying Bush is that once in a lifetime player and Mario is a great player...that's all.

I think Irvin was also going at the offense/defense argument. Irvin made this analogy after saying "defense wins championships" was a load of crock, and the Cowboys won all their titles because of their offense. Ewing = shot-blocker = defense = Mario. MJ = scorer = offense = Bush.Of course, this forgets that MJ became one of the best defenders in the league.

And it also ignores that basketball and football are two different sports. With the NBA more of an individual sport and the NFL more of a team sport.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Interesting contract, 6 years and $54 million.  Alex Smith got 6 years and $45 million.  Is a 25% bump year over year for the #1 pick right?  People keep saying that the negotiations and what Bush wanted played a factor in Houston taking Williams.  It doesnt look to me like they got him cheap at all.

I can't believe this isn't being mentioned more. Both Alex Smith and Eli Manning got 6 year $45 million contracts. It seems that Houston over paid for Mario, IMO.

Maybe just rumors, but I thought that people have been saying that Bush's agent was also throwing around the figure of $40M guaranteed money. THAT is a big difference over the other contracts.

I'm comparing Mario's contracts to previous years 1st picks. And they are QB's. Aren't qb's supposed to get a bigger deal than other positions. It just seems that they could have signed him to a 6 year deal closer to the $45 million than the $54 million.

I guess Houst figured that he was still a bit cheaper than Bush would've been, and he was able to get the contract done pre-draft which seemed to be their #1 goal.

 

[Chase Stuart]

I'm also surprised so few people are giving Casserly credit for having cojones. The EASY pick, the SAFE pick, the one most pundits and fans would've patted him on the back for would've been Bush. Casserly is putting himself on the line here, telling the world HE believes Williams is better even though he knows that's not the consensus.

More GMs should go with their gut and try to avoid the court of public opinion. The great ones usually do (not that I'm saying Casserly is a great one mind you).

Well the proper move would have been to trade #1 for the Jets #4 and #29. They could have had a franchise player and another solid player to boot. Even if Williams is Peppers good (who disappears at times), he's still not as good as a theoretical Bush on the eve of the draft.

This presumes that the Jets wanted to give up those two picks to move up and get Bush... I admit that I haven't watched every single minute of NFL pre-draft coverage... but I haven't heard anything from the Jets that would indicate that they were THAT hot and heavy to move up to #1... If the Jets are happy at #4.. taking whoever falls to them, they could keep their #29 pick and still land a solid OL, DL or QB at the #4 position... the Jets need more than just one guy... it's a smart play at thier position to let the dust settle a bit before seeing what can give them the most bang for their bucks..

Considering all the teams frantic to try and move up to get Bush now, this further shows that Houston erred in my opinion. Maybe Casserly just was a poor negotiator this time around.

Or maybe the #2 is CHEAPER than the #1???

We could argue this all day, because we'll never have a concrete answer. But I think a lot of GMs would have been able to figure this one out a lot better than Casserly. His asking price was likely way too high.

 

[Gopher State]

I like the signing by the Texans of williams. First Bush was running his mouth about wanting to be paid like a QB?, and now the NCAA is looking into his off field issues of housing for his parents, etc. Bush is a great talent, but who wants to draft someone with growning "off the field issues", and a mouth to match. I never heard Williams say he had to paid like a QB, or even the #1 defensive player in this year draft. I hope this sends a message to other star players, going #2 or later should cost Bush some$$$$$

 

[KarmaPolice]

I'm also surprised so few people are giving Casserly credit for having cojones. The EASY pick, the SAFE pick, the one most pundits and fans would've patted him on the back for would've been Bush. Casserly is putting himself on the line here, telling the world HE believes Williams is better even though he knows that's not the consensus.

More GMs should go with their gut and try to avoid the court of public opinion. The great ones usually do (not that I'm saying Casserly is a great one mind you).

Well the proper move would have been to trade #1 for the Jets #4 and #29. They could have had a franchise player and another solid player to boot. Even if Williams is Peppers good (who disappears at times), he's still not as good as a theoretical Bush on the eve of the draft.

This presumes that the Jets wanted to give up those two picks to move up and get Bush... I admit that I haven't watched every single minute of NFL pre-draft coverage... but I haven't heard anything from the Jets that would indicate that they were THAT hot and heavy to move up to #1... If the Jets are happy at #4.. taking whoever falls to them, they could keep their #29 pick and still land a solid OL, DL or QB at the #4 position... the Jets need more than just one guy... it's a smart play at thier position to let the dust settle a bit before seeing what can give them the most bang for their bucks..

Considering all the teams frantic to try and move up to get Bush now, this further shows that Houston erred in my opinion. Maybe Casserly just was a poor negotiator this time around.

Or maybe the #2 is CHEAPER than the #1???

We could argue this all day, because we'll never have a concrete answer. But I think a lot of GMs would have been able to figure this one out a lot better than Casserly. His asking price was likely way too high.

Well, that's probably b/c they really wanted Mario. Therefore they didn't want to drop far in the draft or wanted somebody to pay a king's ransom for the pick.

 

[bigbottom]

Good pick or bad pick, people in Houston are so pissed off, I'm hoping to score a good deal on season tix. As much as I would have liked to see Bush here, I'm still happy with the Texans' off season moves and lord knows we need some defensive pressure on the QB.

 

[Bri]

What if the Saints wanted Mario and now Casserly is talking trade with the Saints?

Newsflash, Mario looks to be a done deal:The Houston Texans signed NC St. defensive end Mario Williams to a six-year, $54 million contract, making him the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

$26.5 million is guaranteed. The pick is a gutsy parting shot by GM Charlie Casserly. On paper, it makes a lot of sense. The Texans have an extra pick in the third round and plan to trade up to draft a running back. Coach Gary Kubiak comes from Denver, a team that has done very well plugging in any running back into their zone blocking scheme without using a high draft pick. Freakish defensive ends are much harder to find and Bush's recent scandal may have been the final straw. Owner Bob McNair better hope Williams is real good, real fast, or his fanbase will revolt. Apr. 29 -

I know this there's 12 pages of this. I was saying what if Casserly knew the Saints wanted Mario and he's talking to them about trading Mario to them now. That would be an odd twist to this

 

[GregR_2]

Good pick or bad pick, people in Houston are so pissed off, I'm hoping to score a good deal on season tix. As much as I would have liked to see Bush here, I'm still happy with the Texans' off season moves and lord knows we need some defensive pressure on the QB.

I'm more numb than pissed.

I feel like a kid at Christmas who was expecting a Deluxe GI Joe with Super Kung Fu grip, but instead got all sweaters.

I guess I think Houston had Bush rated higher but not higher enough to make up for the greater contract demands Bush had. I don't have a problem with them taking Mario if they had him rated that high. My issue is that I think Mario is less likely to reach that high level of special player than Bush is. The lack of consistent production in college for Mario worries me.

But what really is worrying me is that the talk of taking a RB with the next pick, or maybe even trading up today, might be real and not a smoke screen. The only reason I see to have been looking at RB in day 1 was Bush's once-in-a-generation ability. There are too many other good players in this draft to be looking RB other than Bush.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I don't get saying that Casserly had guts for making this decision.

It's already been said before this happened that he's going to be out of that job within the month.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

I think the point is that the 49ers have many needs, and RB is not one of them. Hell, why not trade up for Ferguson?

They signed Jonas Jennings to a pretty significant contract 1 year ago to play LT for them. RB is as big of a need as LT is.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Interesting contract, 6 years and $54 million.  Alex Smith got 6 years and $45 million.  Is a 25% bump year over year for the #1 pick right?  People keep saying that the negotiations and what Bush wanted played a factor in Houston taking Williams.  It doesnt look to me like they got him cheap at all.

I can't believe this isn't being mentioned more. Both Alex Smith and Eli Manning got 6 year $45 million contracts. It seems that Houston over paid for Mario, IMO.

Maybe just rumors, but I thought that people have been saying that Bush's agent was also throwing around the figure of $40M guaranteed money. THAT is a big difference over the other contracts.

I'm comparing Mario's contracts to previous years 1st picks. And they are QB's. Aren't qb's supposed to get a bigger deal than other positions. It just seems that they could have signed him to a 6 year deal closer to the $45 million than the $54 million.

I'm guessing the huge increase in the salary cap this year had something to do with this.

 

[simey]

My issue is that I think Mario is less likely to reach that high level of special player than Bush is. The lack of consistent production in college for Mario worries me.

I don't see any reason why Mario would be less likely to reach a very high level. Last season was the first season Mario started out not as dominate as usual. Mario wasn't the only person on the team though that could dominate on defense. Manny Lawson is very good, and when teams doubled Mario, Manny was more than capable of taking over. McCargo and Hudson were punishing too. Mario became an unstoppable beast from the mid season to end. Peppers usually starts slow every year for the Panthers. Mario starts spotty one season, and people are worried? Mario is also very young. He graduated from high school a year early, and from college a year early. He is extremely gifted, and will only get better and stronger, and he is already freakishly athletic now.

 

[Christo]

I don't get saying that Casserly had guts for making this decision.

It's already been said before this happened that he's going to be out of that job within the month.

Is he retiring? If he is, then you're right. But if he's still planning on working then it was still a bold move whether or not he's staying in that particular job.

 

[Texican]

I just woke up looking forward to watching the draft.......this is very depressing.

Why? Why? Why?

 

[guru_007]

I'm also surprised so few people are giving Casserly credit for having cojones. The EASY pick, the SAFE pick, the one most pundits and fans would've patted him on the back for would've been Bush. Casserly is putting himself on the line here, telling the world HE believes Williams is better even though he knows that's not the consensus.

More GMs should go with their gut and try to avoid the court of public opinion. The great ones usually do (not that I'm saying Casserly is a great one mind you).

Casserly did not make this pick, McNair made the pick.

 

[Texasmouth]

I just woke up looking forward to watching the draft.......this is very depressing.

Why? Why? Why?

It isn't sad, not here. You are safe here. You are among friends....

 

[Texasmouth]

5 minutes and counting.........

 

[myhousekey]

Friend of mine that is involved in Saints ticket sales says he has sold 27k in season tickets this morning alone. Now that's why you pick Bush.

 

[meanjoegreen]

Friend of mine that is involved in Saints ticket sales says he has sold 27k in season tickets this morning alone. Now that's why you pick Bush.

The Saints games in the past are usually blacked out because of poor ticket sales. They needed something to spark interest in them.

 

[RKMoney]

I don't get saying that Casserly had guts for making this decision.

It's already been said before this happened that he's going to be out of that job within the month.

His ### should have been canned so long ago it spoke volumns to me on how their organization is being run. Great draft giving up your picks to TEN champ. at McNair thinking the Texans had a shot at a SB by year 5.

 

[Sidewinder]

Friend of mine that is involved in Saints ticket sales says he has sold 27k in season tickets this morning alone. Now that's why you pick Bush.

The Saints games in the past are usually blacked out because of poor ticket sales. They needed something to spark interest in them.

The Saints sold out 36 straight games from 2000 through late 2004. Season ticket sales for this year were going well even before today.