If I were the Houston GM... (1 Viewer)

[Kiddnets]

With Mangini on board I can see the Jets standing pat and selcting Hawk to give them a terrific LB corp with Vilma.

 

[Chaos Commish]

Whitworth and Gilles to play RT and RG, respectively - which would be a potentially dominant right side for 10 years.

Also, the left side in my scenario would be potentially dominant for years. Pitts can run block with the best of them. Period. He is 6-4 and 225, very very powerful, and quick as a cat. He is better than D'Brick and will be for a couple more years. His pass protection this year was unexpectedly terrific. Line up Latui next to him and you give Jones and Hutch a run for their run blocking money. And both are very good pass blockers. The left side can be solidified with one third round pick. It's the rest of the line that stinks.

Didn't I read somewhere that their center actually played pretty well?Those two picks in the third are gold for them. Think of the names that could/should be there -

Tackles: Ryan O'Callaghan ,Andrew Whitworth, Daryn Colledge, Jeremy Trueblood

Guards: Charles Spencer, Jason Spitz, Lutui, Mark Setterstrom

Center: Greg Eslinger, Nick Mangold, Ryan Cook

Probably. The Texans home page was a great source for information on the OL, as it set records for incompetence this year. McKinney is a converted guard (a few years at center now), he is a bright guy, he is very confident in his ability and job security. For those reasons, I suggested leaving him at center. Center and LT are the hardest to develop. Putting a rookie, any rookie, at either position is just asking for more trouble. I'm sold on Pitts at LT. I'm sure a healthy Weigert can be a solid guard for another year or two. McKinney is probably their next best OL, and he is at a position that needs to be smart and experienced enough to call the blocking schemes. So grab a couple beasts to play the other guard spot and RT. Let Kubiak bring some great line coaching from Denver to the mix and the potential is very good despite the incredibly bad years. Injuries really messed this line up early in the season. Fwiw, McKinney really wants Reggie Bush.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Whitworth and Gilles to play RT and RG, respectively - which would be a potentially dominant right side for 10 years.

Also, the left side in my scenario would be potentially dominant for years. Pitts can run block with the best of them. Period. He is 6-4 and 225, very very powerful, and quick as a cat. He is better than D'Brick and will be for a couple more years. His pass protection this year was unexpectedly terrific. Line up Latui next to him and you give Jones and Hutch a run for their run blocking money. And both are very good pass blockers. The left side can be solidified with one third round pick. It's the rest of the line that stinks.

Didn't I read somewhere that their center actually played pretty well?Those two picks in the third are gold for them. Think of the names that could/should be there -

Tackles: Ryan O'Callaghan ,Andrew Whitworth, Daryn Colledge, Jeremy Trueblood

Guards: Charles Spencer, Jason Spitz, Lutui, Mark Setterstrom

Center: Greg Eslinger, Nick Mangold, Ryan Cook

Probably. The Texans home page was a great source for information on the OL, as it set records for incompetence this year. McKinney is a converted guard (a few years at center now), he is a bright guy, he is very confident in his ability and job security. For those reasons, I suggested leaving him at center. Center and LT are the hardest to develop. Putting a rookie, any rookie, at either position is just asking for more trouble. I'm sold on Pitts at LT. I'm sure a healthy Weigert can be a solid guard for another year or two. McKinney is probably their next best OL, and he is at a position that needs to be smart and experienced enough to call the blocking schemes. So grab a couple beasts to play the other guard spot and RT. Let Kubiak bring some great line coaching from Denver to the mix and the potential is very good despite the incredibly bad years. Injuries really messed this line up early in the season. Fwiw, McKinney really wants Reggie Bush.

This was exactly my thinking - Gilles and Whitworth would fit the bill nicely if they don't love D'Brick, and could still give them the #4 pick to trade, use on D'Angelo Williams, or AJ Hawk.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Whitworth and Gilles to play RT and RG, respectively - which would be a potentially dominant right side for 10 years.

Also, the left side in my scenario would be potentially dominant for years. Pitts can run block with the best of them. Period. He is 6-4 and 225, very very powerful, and quick as a cat. He is better than D'Brick and will be for a couple more years. His pass protection this year was unexpectedly terrific. Line up Latui next to him and you give Jones and Hutch a run for their run blocking money. And both are very good pass blockers. The left side can be solidified with one third round pick. It's the rest of the line that stinks.

Didn't I read somewhere that their center actually played pretty well?Those two picks in the third are gold for them. Think of the names that could/should be there -

Tackles: Ryan O'Callaghan ,Andrew Whitworth, Daryn Colledge, Jeremy Trueblood

Guards: Charles Spencer, Jason Spitz, Lutui, Mark Setterstrom

Center: Greg Eslinger, Nick Mangold, Ryan Cook

Probably. The Texans home page was a great source for information on the OL, as it set records for incompetence this year. McKinney is a converted guard (a few years at center now), he is a bright guy, he is very confident in his ability and job security. For those reasons, I suggested leaving him at center. Center and LT are the hardest to develop. Putting a rookie, any rookie, at either position is just asking for more trouble. I'm sold on Pitts at LT. I'm sure a healthy Weigert can be a solid guard for another year or two. McKinney is probably their next best OL, and he is at a position that needs to be smart and experienced enough to call the blocking schemes. So grab a couple beasts to play the other guard spot and RT. Let Kubiak bring some great line coaching from Denver to the mix and the potential is very good despite the incredibly bad years. Injuries really messed this line up early in the season. Fwiw, McKinney really wants Reggie Bush.

Imagine then that Jean-Gilles slips to 2.01 and they get another guy like O'Callaghan, Whitworth, Colledge, or Trueblood at 3.01/3.02. That starts to look pretty good, doesn't it?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Whitworth and Gilles to play RT and RG, respectively - which would be a potentially dominant right side for 10 years.

Also, the left side in my scenario would be potentially dominant for years. Pitts can run block with the best of them. Period. He is 6-4 and 225, very very powerful, and quick as a cat. He is better than D'Brick and will be for a couple more years. His pass protection this year was unexpectedly terrific. Line up Latui next to him and you give Jones and Hutch a run for their run blocking money. And both are very good pass blockers. The left side can be solidified with one third round pick. It's the rest of the line that stinks.

Didn't I read somewhere that their center actually played pretty well?Those two picks in the third are gold for them. Think of the names that could/should be there -

Tackles: Ryan O'Callaghan ,Andrew Whitworth, Daryn Colledge, Jeremy Trueblood

Guards: Charles Spencer, Jason Spitz, Lutui, Mark Setterstrom

Center: Greg Eslinger, Nick Mangold, Ryan Cook

Probably. The Texans home page was a great source for information on the OL, as it set records for incompetence this year. McKinney is a converted guard (a few years at center now), he is a bright guy, he is very confident in his ability and job security. For those reasons, I suggested leaving him at center. Center and LT are the hardest to develop. Putting a rookie, any rookie, at either position is just asking for more trouble. I'm sold on Pitts at LT. I'm sure a healthy Weigert can be a solid guard for another year or two. McKinney is probably their next best OL, and he is at a position that needs to be smart and experienced enough to call the blocking schemes. So grab a couple beasts to play the other guard spot and RT. Let Kubiak bring some great line coaching from Denver to the mix and the potential is very good despite the incredibly bad years. Injuries really messed this line up early in the season. Fwiw, McKinney really wants Reggie Bush.

This was exactly my thinking - Gilles and Whitworth would fit the bill nicely if they don't love D'Brick, and could still give them the #4 pick to trade, use on D'Angelo Williams, or AJ Hawk.

We all need to be hired by the Texans.

 

[Chaos Commish]

With Mangini on board I can see the Jets standing pat and selcting Hawk to give them a terrific LB corp with Vilma.

I projected DeAngelo Williams to the Jets because the coveting of Bush seemed very sincere and Williams would be the next best thing. But, that was me trying to read the tea leaves. If I had fourth pick and the first three went according to Hoyle, I would take Hawk in a heartbeat. I think he and Bush are the two can't miss impact players in this draft. Passing on them is too risky, and I don't care who you have at RB or LB. Hawk doesn't have Urlacher's height, but he sure reminds me of him in every other category.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

With Mangini on board I can see the Jets standing pat and selcting Hawk to give them a terrific LB corp with Vilma.

I projected DeAngelo Williams to the Jets because the coveting of Bush seemed very sincere and Williams would be the next best thing. But, that was me trying to read the tea leaves. If I had fourth pick and the first three went according to Hoyle, I would take Hawk in a heartbeat. I think he and Bush are the two can't miss impact players in this draft. Passing on them is too risky, and I don't care who you have at RB or LB. Hawk doesn't have Urlacher's height, but he sure reminds me of him in every other category.

I like your Houston draft strategy very much as well, by the way. My only fear if were the Texans would be that the premier T/G prospects will be gone before my 3.1 pick (Ferguson, McNeill, Scott, Justice, Winston, Colledge, Whitworth, Gilles, maybe Lutui.) I agree there are some possible steals (O' Callahan and Trueblood will be good players, IMO) but with the depth there is this year, I'd love to get a shot at 2 guys out of that first group I listed.

 

[Buckna]

Cowher, quite stealing my ideas!

Wow, this has been one of the better threads on this topic in awhile. I am warming up to the idea of taking the best playmaker available (Reggie), but here's another idea. Assuming you can swing this trade with the Jets gaining another #1 next year, why not draft Hawk at #4? Afterall, the Texans need lots of help on defense and could use a decent LB'er. Imagine this defense adding Hawk & Abe, plus many of the O'linemen in the 2nd and 3rd that have been mentioned on offense!

Hiring Kubiak has given me great faith in what the Texans end up doing now. He should have the expertise and ability to evaluate our line to see whether we had just bad coaching, bad personnel or a combo of the two.

 

[higgins]

For those that are familiar with the college OL prospects: which of the elite are looked at as smaller, but quicker, and where can they be had in the draft? Going back to AGibbs days, haven't they typically went with the smaller-but-quicker types that are better suited for the zone-blocking schemes?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

For those that are familiar with the college OL prospects:

which of the elite are looked at as smaller, but quicker, and where can they be had in the draft?

Going back to AGibbs days, haven't they typically went with the smaller-but-quicker types that are better suited for the zone-blocking schemes?

And wouldn't that continue under Kubiak, who came from the Broncos who run the same style of blocking scheme?

 

[Buckna]

For those that are familiar with the college OL prospects:

which of the elite are looked at as smaller, but quicker, and where can they be had in the draft?

Going back to AGibbs days, haven't they typically went with the smaller-but-quicker types that are better suited for the zone-blocking schemes?

And wouldn't that continue under Kubiak, who came from the Broncos who run the same style of blocking scheme?

The Texans current run blocking scheme was patterned on Denver's.

 

[Chaos Commish]

I like your Houston draft strategy very much as well, by the way. My only fear if were the Texans would be that the premier T/G prospects will be gone before my 3.1 pick (Ferguson, McNeill, Scott, Justice, Winston, Colledge, Whitworth, Gilles, maybe Lutui.) I agree there are some possible steals (O' Callahan and Trueblood will be good players, IMO) but with the depth there is this year, I'd love to get a shot at 2 guys out of that first group I listed.

Thanks. I don't have an issue with your suggestions where they differ from mine. Your approach certainly guarantees some of the best OLs (but no Bush, who they could certainly live without). Mine sacrifices the best of the OLs for very good ones (but they won't have to regret not having Bush). Either way has great potential. So, watch them get a TE (they need one), and a WR to play opposite AJ! My first suggestion was meant to be compelling, because I wanted to ignore OL after getting Bush and a solid defender (they need help big time on D). It is a possibility. But, Kiper seems to think Winston, McNeill and Scott will be available in the 2nd round. Kiper is wrong about all three of them falling, but maybe one will fall? That would have to be the best case scenario, because those three and Justice are very comparable to D'Brick in potential franchise type potential.

 

[Chaos Commish]

For those that are familiar with the college OL prospects:

which of the elite are looked at as smaller, but quicker, and where can they be had in the draft?

Going back to AGibbs days, haven't they typically went with the smaller-but-quicker types that are better suited for the zone-blocking schemes?

D'Brick is perfect for zone blocking. Top 10 pick, maybe top 5.Justice and Winston are a good candidates (sub 5 40s). Top 20 to top 30.

Colledge is probably the fastest of them all. Late first to mid-second.

McNiell reportedly times faster than D'Brick. This I'll have to see to believe. He is 6-9 and 330.

eta guards

Rob Sims

Davin Joseph

Jason Spitz

Charles Spencer

Fred Matua

All smaller quicker athletic lineman. Bloom is very impressed with Sims from in person scouting this week (an NFL personnel exec seems to think he could play LT). It is impossible to project these guys, but be sure a couple will fall to the second day.

 

[Kiddnets]

Pipe dream on the deal with the Jets with two #1's and J Abe. Houston may be able to grab the #4, J Abe and a 2nd or 3rd rder this year but no way the JEts deal next years #1 with a new young coach on board. Just don't see it happening.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I like your Houston draft strategy very much as well, by the way.  My only fear if were the Texans would be that the premier T/G prospects will be gone before my 3.1 pick (Ferguson, McNeill, Scott, Justice, Winston, Colledge, Whitworth, Gilles, maybe Lutui.)  I agree there are some possible steals (O' Callahan and Trueblood will be good players, IMO) but with the depth there is this year, I'd love to get a shot at 2 guys out of that first group I listed.

Thanks. I don't have an issue with your suggestions where they differ from mine. Your approach certainly guarantees some of the best OLs (but no Bush, who they could certainly live without). Mine sacrifices the best of the OLs for very good ones (but they won't have to regret not having Bush). Either way has great potential. So, watch them get a TE (they need one), and a WR to play opposite AJ! My first suggestion was meant to be compelling, because I wanted to ignore OL after getting Bush and a solid defender (they need help big time on D). It is a possibility. But, Kiper seems to think Winston, McNeill and Scott will be available in the 2nd round. Kiper is wrong about all three of them falling, but maybe one will fall? That would have to be the best case scenario, because those three and Justice are very comparable to D'Brick in potential franchise type potential.

Maybe, but I just don't see it. All 3 of those guys could have been the #1 or at worst #2 T prospect in other drafts. Good Lord, if any of those 3 guys (particularly Winston, who I think just needs to get back into pre-injury form to be the best of the whole lot) were still there when Pittsburgh chooses, I'd be dying for them to take him even without T being a need position for them.This is a deep, deep draft. There are going to be some real talents available in late round 1 and in round 2, especially at LB, T, and WR.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Pipe dream on the deal with the Jets with two #1's and J Abe. 

Houston may be able to grab the #4, J Abe and a 2nd or 3rd rder this year but no way the JEts deal next years #1 with a new young coach on board.  Just don't see it happening.

I originally had the Jets trading their 2nd and 4th rounders this year for a late first-rounder, then packaging that with Abraham and #4 to Houston for #1.