**Houston Texans Offseason Debate Thread**

[Mike]

With the Texans officially starting their off-season what moves need to be made to help get them the the next level?

New Coaching?
New QB?
Get healthy?
Stay the course?

Tell us your thoughts on the subject....

[CardAmbassador]

Don't let Kubiak call plays
Hire an OC.
Don't draft a QB this year, wait till next year when there are better options
Get players healthy on defense.

PRACTICE A 2 MINUTE DRILL!

[sgtmfoster]

Yeah....They actually had too good of a season to warrant any changes. They need to go after a #1 or #2 receiver, and sure up that secondary with some real killers out there.

[NickKBTV]

I think they have the pieces in place. Cushing coming back will help at the LB position. Always can use another pass rusher. Need to draft a WR since Posey will be out for a while. Maybe go after a Free Agent Safety to help the secondary out. Schaub and Johnson will be a year older but can still produce at a high level. As long as they don't lose anyone to free agency, I don't see why this team can't go 10-6 or 11-5 next season.

[Mike]

Yeah....They actually had too good of a season to warrant any changes. They need to go after a #1 or #2 receiver, and sure up that secondary with some real killers out there.


Andre isnt a spring chicken either. Just sayin.

[eagle eye]

It's hard to say. Today's game was impacted by a couple of plays, or non plays, by TE John Casey. On the Texans first drive he flat dropped a sure TD and then a ball caromed off his hands that was picked off by NE. Guys just need to make plays and they are not. Schaub has looked anything but stellar in his two playoff games. In fact he hasn't looked all that good for over a month now.

You know that Kubiak isn't going anywhere. The owner has a man-crush on him. I am not a big fan of GM Rick Smith especially since he allowed the right side of the O-line to leave. Well, actually he let RG Mike Brisel test free agency and he signed with the Raiders and he flat cut right tackle Eric Winston. Do you think Matt Schaub could have used those two in the playoffs?

You gotta scratch your head but they did play the Patriots and they are not chopped liver. Nice season but here is some thoughts from NFL.com about the Texans that I agree with.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000126212/article/houston-texans-a-good-team-still-far-from-being-great

[casey4972]

I think if Cushing doesn't get hurt this year it would have been a different outcome all around. His play isbsecond to none on that side of the ball. He is the q.b. of that defense. He is the Ray Lewis of that defense. I would however promoters Vance Joseph to co-d.c. before you lose him. Kubiak needs to step aside and bring in some new blodd in play calling. They need to draft a big time w.r. this year. Other than that i think they are solid all the way around.

[eagle eye]

The biggest shame of all in this game was the loss of Devier Posey. The guy is fast and was just coming into his own as an NFL player. Posey torn his Achilles tendon and was carted off the field in the 4th quarter. Damn shame.

[mitchhardt]

The Texans need to get more athletic both offensively and defensively. Here are some guys to target and most won't cost you a great deal.

QB: Colin Klien, EJ Manuel, Matt Barkley, Denard Robinson. All have upside and all are winners and Shoelace would be a great last pick.

RB: Kenyon Barner, Geovani Benard, Andre Ellington. Benard will go a little too early but Barner's lack of size would make him an attractive mid round selection.

WR: Tavon Austin, Terrance Williams, DeAndre Hopkins, Robert Woods, Marquees Wilson, Bernard Reedy,

Defense in a bit.

[Mike]

Mitch-- u see Klein as a NFL guy?

[mitchhardt]

Five years ago I wouldn't have but the rules have changed the game. I think he could be a great project.

[Mike]

His throwing motion may be the only major QB's who's rivals Tebows. You could be right but I'm not sold on Klein at QB in the NFL. I agree he'd be a big project.

[casey4972]

They must get a quarter back that can throw and run the dang ball. Kubiak's previous quaterbacks all have been able to run. Elway, Young, Plummer. Slobs great stats come when the games are out of control. He cant get a rythm going when he throws the ball 20-30 times. He has big stats when he is throwing 305-45 and defenses are playing soft. He's got to go

[eagle eye]

Good ole Gary Kubiak is liable to stick with Matt Schaub until they both retire together. That said, on Mike and Mike the other day ESPN's Ron Jaworski said that Matt Schaub is NOT and elite level QB. He has issues of consistancy and he has not performed up to his potential in big games. I sort of agree with Jaws.

Do you all think Houston should persue a guy like West Virginia's Geno Smith would be a guy Houston should try to target in this year's draft? I totally disagree about Colin Klein for Houston. He's a good college QB but I don't think he'll make it as an NFL QB. I wonder if Houston actually needs a RB per mitchhardt's post. Maybe they will if the Texans can't hold on to Ben Tate and Justin Forsette to work behind Arian Foster. I agree with MH about the need for a wide receiver and the candidates he lists are all good candidates. Houston is hoping LeStar Jean will develop but I think it would be a push to expect DeVier Posey back before 2014 with that torn Achilles. I will be very interested in who MH targets for the defensive side of the draft. Do the Texans need LB help? Or anyone on the D-line? You got to think they would use some help at DB position.

[eagle eye]

An ariticle from NFL.com features an interview with Texans safety Jonathan Joseph. Joseph has one opinion about his Texans and NFL.com's writer has another. The article sort of ticked me off.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000127200/article/johnathan-joseph-texans-not-far-away-from-patriots

[eagle eye]

Houston seemed like all it was going to do was lose players when free agency began two weeks ago. Glover Quin, James Casey, Connor Barwin. It was making me sick seeing these good players go. I have a voodoo doll of Texans GM Rick Smith that I began sticking pins in last year because it seems like he's a guy who can't take success. The Texans are finally good and he seems to be facilitating their trip back to mediocrity by letting some of the best players go. I'll give him the Mario Williams deal--$100mm was not a sum Houston could pay for a guy who never really lived up to the first pick in the draft expectations. Williams was solid and he was a better pick than Vince Young or Reggie Bush would have been but.......But now I am a little happier. I even took a few of the pins out of the voodoo doll. Why? You know the main reason why, he signed All Everything NFL safety Ed Reed. Even though Reed is late in his career and he won't have the longevity Quin has I like the signing. Reed has struggled with injury issues the last couple of years but he's the standard by which ALL safeties are judged. Nice pick up and for 5 mil a year Houston and Rick Smith got a real bargain. But this is fairly old news.
Now, yesterday, Houston signed a guy who many call the best punter of his generation, Texas A&M's own Shane Lechler. A few years ago he signed the richest deal ever accorded a punter but Houston got him fairly cheap. Three years for $5.5 mm with a million dollar signing bonus. Not bad for a guy who has been in the NFL 13 years earning 7 Pro Bowl nods as well as 9 All Pro selections and lead the NFL in punting average 5 times. At 36 the three year deal he got should be about right as punters and kickers can be effective into their late thirties and Lechler is 36. So, I took a couple more pins out of the voodoo doll this morning. Despite an off year in 2012 many people feel Lechler will bounce back and again, like the Ed Reed deal, three years is about the right length of contract considering their relative ages.

[eagle eye]

JJ Watt was in Afghanistan earlier this week with other NFL players on a USO tour. It is an NFL sponsored tour which is touring the Middle East this spring. Watt describes the tour as an honor to do and a very humbling experience. He said that all he hears are our troops thanking them for being there and for their support. Here's a link to the Texans podcast page with video of the Ed Reed signing and Watt speaking from Afghanistan among other videos as well.

http://old.houstontexans.com/news/PodcastCentral2.asp?AUTO=Y&EID=2788

[eagle eye]

The Texans have signed FB Greg Jones to be the lead blocker for Arian Foster. Jones is a nine year vet who has been with Jacksonville his entire career. Here's an article from Texans.com that gives fans a little look at Jones and why he was signed.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-sign-FB-Greg-Jones/7a0a7646-9d26-402d-903d-41ec2df00513

[eagle eye]

Here's the official Texans 2013 schedule which was released yesterday.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Houston-Texans-2013-schedule-announced/05619b8f-11ed-4cb5-9ea0-39423094b1b1

[eagle eye]

I like the Texans pick. They've really needed a guy who isn't a project at WR. We had hopes with Keshawn Martin and Devier Posey and it looked like Posey was really coming around when he torn his Achilles tendon. With the pick of DeAndre Hopkins from Clemson you have a guy who is a polished route runner and is terrific after the catch. His 4.49 combine 40 is a little iffy but when you look at tape on this guy you see a player with great hands. He doesn't trap the ball against his body he snatches it with his hands. I really like that. And as I said before he makes plays after the catch. A much better pick at this point than Corderelle Patterson.
Now Houston needs to address needs at linebacker and cornerback.

[eagle eye]

The Texans addressed some needs tonight in the 2 and 3 rounds of the draft. In the 2nd round they picked SS D J Swearinger from S Carolina and in the 3rd they got OT Brennan Williams from N Carolina (I guess they have the Carolinas covered) and with their compensatory pick at the end of the 3rd round they took LSU DE Sam Montgomery who was actually ranked as a second round pick who has some off field issues so player-wise they got real good value for him. The Texans still need help at linebacker and cornerback but not a bad day especially if Montgomery turns out to be as good as projected.

[eagle eye]

Here's a recap of the Texans 9 draft picks selected this weekend. GM Rick Smith is elated with how well the Texans did in the draft beginning with first round pick WR DeAndre Hopkins from Clemson. For the record, I think Houston did a great job of drafting. This team is going to a lot better this season which is saying a lot! Who hates Kubiak now?

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-add-nine-players-in-2013-NFL-Draft/507a52b8-5ca3-4012-90d4-3196799341b3

No word as yet on the Texans web site about any UDFA's they have or will sign. Will get back on this ASAP.

[eagle eye]

Houston went absolutely nuts with signings of undrafted free agents on Sunday! The Texans signed a whopping 24 UFA's. 14 of the UFA's were on offense including Heisman candidate from Kansas State, QB Collin Klein. A Heisman candidate? A UFA? Yep and Houston got him. Here a whole list of UFA signings from Texans.com.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Report-Texans-agree-to-terms-with-24-undrafted-FAs/7141a0f2-ee8b-4b3f-850f-c8a3b47f0002

[eagle eye]

I get so tired of the drivel on ESPN radio's afternoon show "The Drive" with AJ Hoffman and Fred Fauer. All they ever seem to talk about is betting on stuff and their favorite TV shows. Since Carl Dukes, Dave Tepper and Julie Takahashi left the show it has been little more than a waste of my time. Yesterday they actually answered a sports question from a fan who wanted to know if Collin Klein had a shot at playing this year. It's a fair question considering Klein was a Heisman Trophy finalist and a guy Mitch Hardt said was a sleeper player to watch in 2013. It seems that the boys on "The Drive" don't think much of Klein or last year's UFA QB Case Keenum. Matt Schaub has two more years at least as Houston's starting QB just because of his contract but it doesn't mean either Klein, Keenum or current backup TJ Yates can't step up. Hoffman and Fauer are so busy being dicks that they don't offer any entertainment value or foster any desire to join the show. I can't, for the life of me, understand why they are so popular in Houston.

[eagle eye]

Collin Klein was not an undrafted free agent signee by the Texans even though that was what was first reported. Klein came in as an invitee on a tryout basis. Imagine that, a Heisman Trophy finalist not even drafted. Earlier this year BRI's Mitch Hardt listed Klein as a player to watch in fantasy football and the fact that he wasn't drafted or even signed as an UFA was amazing to me. But, it seems Mr Klein has not pouted or taken his football and gone home. He reported to Texans rookie mini camp and shined. In his press conference following the last mini camp practice head coach Gary Kubiak gushed over how well Klein did. Admitting that Klein had some mechanical issues to iron out he said that Klein was impressive and his improvement from Friday's first practice to the final practice on Sunday was eye opening. Kubiak said that Klein had likely earned a roster spot going into off season OTA's and mini camps and training camp. There are currently 4 QB's on the Texans roster Matt Schaub, T J Yates, Case Keenum and former Cowboys backup Stephen McGee. It's very likely Klein will replace one of these guys on the roster. My guess would be McGee. We'll see how things shake out but for a guy everyone has sort of written off it makes you sort of root for the guy to succeed. Sort of like how I rooted for and continue to root for Case Keenum. T J Yates may need to watch his back with these two over achievers nipping at his heels.

[eagle eye]

Some news and notes from Texans rookie mini camp;

Houston has now signed their fourth round pick LB Trevardo Williams. That's brings the number of signees to 5 because 6th rd picks T David Quessenberry, WR Alan Bonner, DT Chris Jones and TE Ryan Griffin. This leaves only four of the nine Houston draft picks left unsigned including first round pick DeAndre Hopkins. With the rookie salary cap signing all nine players should be signed and ready to go by training camp.

Houston has signed RB Deji Karim and C Tyler Horn to their roster. Both players were in the rookie mini camp on a tryout basis. Karim was with Jacksonville in 2010 and 2011 and he played for the Colts in 2012. He is the fourth RB vying for the 3rd spot behind Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Along with Karim, rookies Ray Graham, Dennis Johnson and Cierre Wood will battle for a roster spot. Tyler Horn spent most of 2012 on the Tennessee Titans practice squad in 2012 after going undrafted last year.

[eagle eye]

The Texans begin their first full team OTA's this week beginning today at the practice facility across from Reliant Stadium. Here's an article from Texans.com by Nick Scurfield who suggests five things to watch during these OTA's.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Five-things-to-watch-Texans-OTAs/57852011-a8cb-459d-8691-605856f220ca

[eagle eye]

Houston has been conducting their first full team OTA's this week. They are taking today off but they will finish up this first round of OTA's tomorrow. Here is an article from Texans.com's Drew Dougherty about Houston WR DeAndre Hopkins and the positive impression he's making so far.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/DeAndre-Hopkins-making-early-impact-for-Texans-in-OTAs/228fccea-cb1a-4e4c-a4de-7bc3b40aebf7

The Texans expect free agent signee Ed Reed to be ready for the regular season. Here's an article from Texans beat writer Nick Scurfield about Reed.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-expect-Ed-Reed-to-be-ready-for-start-of-season/31e825b6-dac8-4373-b40b-bd5f358b3381

[eagle eye]

It's not that I am neglecting the Texans but if your a fan you have to like the fact that there isn't the drama, real or concocted, surrounding the Texans unlike that team up north on I-45. They concluded their mini camp Thursday and they will be on hiatus until their training camp begins July 28th.

News from Texans mini camp:
> Gary Kubiak is very impressed with 1st round pick WR DeAndre Hopkins. Admitting he struggled early he emerged as a very good receiver catching "everything in sight". Finally, a worth compliment to Andre Johnson!

> Gary Kubiak is concerned about his right tackle situation. The two top candidates to play RT have not been on the field due to injuries. Derek Newton, a 7th round pick in 2011, started 14 games last season before a knee injury ended his season. He is recovering from off season surgery to repair his patellar tendon. His is on schedule to be ready for training camp but he has missed all of the Texans off season work. Brennen Williams, a 2013 3rd round pick from North Carolina, injured his knee in rookie mini camp. He too is expected back for training camp but being a rookie the off season work he missed really puts him behind everyone else. During OTA's RT has been manned by Ryan Harris and David Quessenberry.

> Brian Cushing wants to be a Texan. That is the good news. The bad news is Cushing is coming off a devastating knee injury suffered in 2012 and he is going into his final year of the rookie contract he signed in 2009. It's an important year for Cush and you can't bet he's itching to get back on the field. If Houston is smart they will sign Cushing to a deal now while his value as a player is in question and as a result the price to sign him will be cheaper.

> Speaking of getting Cushing back on the field it was reported on Texans.com that he will be cleared to play by NFL uber-doctor Dr. James Andrews on July 17th Andrews is the man who performed the surgery to repair Cushings ACL that he injured last October 8th vs the Jets ending his season before it really got started. Cushing made the announcement at Reliant Stadium today and he says he will be in pads when training camp begins 9 days later. He can't speak about his work load during camp but he wants to play in at least one preseason game so he can knock the rust off before the season begins.

[eagle eye]

[color=navy]The Texans are continuing their ho-hum off season. I say this because there is a decided lack of controversy surrounding the Texans. This is the norm not the exception and it's pretty nice. The only news of note is the following;

> All nine of the Texans rookie draft picks are attending the NFL rookie symposium in Canton, Ohio. The event began on Sunday and conclude tomorrow. It is a three day event for all NFL rookies that was championed by former Dallas Cowboy Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin who proposed the event to give rookies an appreciation for the history of their business by visiting the Hall of Fame and attending meetings with former players and coaches who try to convey the pitfalls and the traps that can befall players making the transition from college to the pros. This is the 12 annual edition of this event.

> Duane Brown, who had bone spurs removed from his ankle recently said today that the surgery would not impair his participation in Texans training camp. This is great news for the Texans who depend on Brown to anchor their O-line.

> The Houston Texans will host the 3rd Annual Running of the Bulls 5K, presented by H-E-B, on Sunday, Sept. 22, the team announced today. The competitive 5K run will start at 8:15 a.m. CT, followed by the non-competitive 5K run/walk and preceded by the TORO

[eagle eye]

Good news, although they knew it was coming, the news was made official today as LB Brian Cushing was cleared to play today by his doctors and the team. It was reported that he would be cleared today a few weeks ago but nothing is certain until it happens and today it happened.

On ESPN's "The Blitz" yesterday they were talking about Matt Schaub and they reported that GM Rick Smith said that Schaub needed to show up more in big games. That's the rub with Schaub. He's a pretty good fantasy QB but when it comes to taking the biggest stages and showing up big for his team Schaub has yet to really do anything when the pressure is on. "The Blitz" guys were happy Smith put it out there that Schaub needs to step up his game this year if the Texans are going to do anything significant when it comes to the playoffs. I don't agree with Hoffman and Faour very much but I think I agree this time. For the Texans to get to the next level Schaub has to not disappear in the big games. If Schaub is who he has been this year it may be time to trade him and get some value for him and see what T J Yates can do. Or maybe even Case Keenum or somebody else. Schaub needs a Joe Flacco type of breakout season. I hope he has it because I would really like the Texans to go to the big dance while they have the team to do it.

[eagle eye]

JJ Watt is all over the place these days. To prove my point here is a link to Texans.com about Watt's latest commercial for Yahoo Fantasy Sports. Click the link in the article for a kind of funny commercial.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/JJ-Watt-stars-in-Yahoos-latest-commercial/492a76d7-d33a-41b2-b374-dd1e7c94245b

Or check this video of JJ Watt's athletism from NFL.com.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000218861/article/houston-texans-de-jj-watts-incredible-vertical-leap

[eagle eye]

After a pretty decent rookie season the expectations for LB Whitney Mercilus are escalating. Not just for Houston coaches and certainly not just for Texan fans but with Mercilus himself. Mercilus is taking this season very seriously and his own expectations are to be a force for Houston in 2013. Great news for all that have a vested interest in the Houston Texans to hear this. Instead of taking the past few weeks off at the close of the mini camp in June Mercilus took 3 days off and then he went to Phoenix Arizona and trained his ass off at API, Athletes Performance. Coming out of that intense 3 week training session Mercilus says he's stronger, faster and more fluid and he feels ready for training camp beginning this coming Friday. Named the starting weak side linebacker this off season Mercilus will become the featured pass rusher a-la DeMarcus Ware. Texans fans can only hope he's that good.

[Big T]

I really like Mercilus and think he will not only become a force for the Texans but a star in the NFL. This guy has endless potential as a pass rusher but needs to work on the run stopping aspect of his game. If he is able to get that down then he has it made. Plus he has the best name ever for a pass rusher.

[eagle eye]

The Texans began training camp yesterday and it was good to see the team back on the field. Well, I didn't exactly see them but you know what I mean. It's good to get football kicked off for real now and I know all of us Texans fans are hoping for big things from the team this year.

> Arian Foster and Ed Reid began the season on the PUP list. It was expected that Reid, who is recovering from hip surgery this off season would be out until Week 1. No biggie there. Foster was a bit of a surprise to me.

> Here is a list of players and their status to begin training camp.
http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Arian-Foster-to-start-camp-on-PUP-other-moves-made/14070677-3441-48ec-a005-07983def96dc

> Brian Cushing says he is "full go" as training camp begins. Nice to have Cush back on the field.


> DeAndre Hopkins said he was happy to begin training camp and he feels comfortable in the offense but obviously he has a ways to go before he is really up to speed, NFL speed, before he can be considered a success story.

[eagle eye]

The Texans put on pads for the first time since last season and to a man they were happy to be hitting. Here's an article from Texans.com about the first practice with pads.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-enthused-after-first-practice-in-pads/edbabbc7-0078-4c5f-bcd4-e986b80afa93

When asked who impressed him this first week of training Danielle Manning never hesitated, "Keshaw Martin". Here's an article from Texans.com about an forgotten man in the Texans WR corps. Most of the news about 2nd year WRs is about DeVier Posey who went down last year with a torn Achilles. Martin is right in the wheel house of NFL WR development where the light goes on. Usually, in year 3 or 4 WR's seem to "get it" and Martin is coming into his own in this year's training camp.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Keshawn-Martin-impresses-veteran-safety/8ecb6be4-896c-4c4b-b117-01f84c4a71a7

Here's some random thoughts from Texans beat writer Marc Vandermeer.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Vandermeers-View/2613bbc1-43b0-4fda-bc51-a59fea17c573

[eagle eye]

The full impact Ed Reed will have on the Houston Texans won't be fully realized until he is able to get on the field which will hopefully be in Week 1 but it doesn't mean he isn't able to contribute during training camp. The fact is Houston has maybe the best safety in NFL history on the sidelines helping his teammates get better. With Reed you know what you're getting but it doesn't mean that he doesn't need the reps in a new system with a new team. But, so far, he's keeping engaged with his rehab and as an asset on the sidelines. Here's an interview with Reed from Texans.com;

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Ed-Reed-meets-with-media-talks-hip-and-more/39f69680-d85c-4ad4-82c4-8c0af2065ee3

Staying on the defensive side of the ball Houston signed former Denver Broncos LB Joe Mays. Mays is entering his sixth season in the NFL so Houston gets a guy who's started games in the NFL and has been a good special teams player. To me, it's a nice addition to the squad to add depth to a linebacking corp that could use some depth.

Brian Cushing was interviewed on Texans.com giving his views on the linebacking corp as a whole and the signing of Joe Mays yesterday.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Brian-Cushing-sounds-off-on-ILBs/fa0f3dc1-e1dd-4893-9287-4019d4cfbccd

[eagle eye]

The Texans have been predictably low key so far in training camp. The biggest news in Arian Foster has been out with an injury so far in camp and Ben Tate had missed time with a slightly pulled groin. He returned to practice today and Gary Kubiak said he will start this week's first preseason game vs Minnesota. This is all depending on how he comes out of today's practice. Don't expect Tate to get a lot of carries though. Undrafted free agent Dennis Johnson, who has impressed so far in camp, will get a lot of work. Deji Karim, Cierre Wood and Ray Graham will vie for the rest of the touches.

JJ Watt injured his elbow but it wasn't much to speak of. The team said Watt will wear a brace in practice for the rest of training camp.

Andre Johnson will not play vs Minnesota as well as several other, as yet, unnamed players. Johnson isn't injured but Gary Kubiak knows what he has in Johnson and he needs to see the other WRs get the reps.

Whitney Mercilus will miss the game vs the Vikes as he's nursing a hamstring and Brooks Reed has returned to practice but will not play either. The starting LBs will be Justin Tuggle and Bryan Brown. I almost look for Gary Kubiak to do what Dallas' Jason Garrett did vs Miami last Sunday and that's sit a lot of starters. At this point coaches need to see their backups and draftees and FA's in game situations with a lot of reps as first cuts won't be far off.

[eagle eye]

I heard a debate on ESPN radio yesterday about the backup QB spot. I seems like there isn't too much faith in T J Yates in Houston radio-land. There are some who would rather see Case Keenum be the No 2 man behind Matt Schaub. Most people, me included, would like to see a veteran guy with some NFL starts under his belt. Preferrably a guy who's had some success in the NFL. Those guys are out there but you never know. Until he was signed this past week by Green Bay I would have liked to see Houston pick up Vince Young. VY was a productive QB when he played for Tennessee and he has matured over the last couple of year which includes being completely out of football in 2012. Young sort of pulled himself together and got in shape and even had a pro day at UT this spring and he did a nice job in the workout. I'm interested in what you BRI folks think. Is T J Yates the right guy? Do you like Keenum better? Or is there someone out there you'd like to see Houston pick up?

[Big T]

I think that TJ Yates and Keenum are both third string QBs and if Schaub goes down then the Texans are sunk. I really want to see them go get someone like Alex Smith. Of course them going and getting Smith as a second QB is just a very nice fantasy.

[eagle eye]

I think that TJ Yates and Keenum are both third string QBs and if Schaub goes down then the Texans are sunk. I really want to see them go get someone like Alex Smith. Of course them going and getting Smith as a second QB is just a very nice fantasy.


Yes it is expecially considering that Alex Smith is the starting QB in Kansas City and by all reports doing very well under Andy Reid.

[eagle eye]

Tonight the Texans face off against the Minnesota Vikings. I'll be looking forward to seeing this game. It will be my first look at RB Dennis Johnson who has been very impressive in training camp so far. I want to see how Brooks Reed looks after coming back from an injury as well Justin Tuggle playing opposite from Reed. I want to see DeAndre Hopkins and I'd like to see something from Keshawn Martin as well. Here's a link to the Texans Drew Dougherty's 5 things to watch in tonight's game.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/5-Things-To-Watch/99f20c5d-9a76-4976-a1ad-dc840b4e0fee

[eagle eye]

A lot of starters sat and the rest didn't play very long. The defense gave up more than I thought they should. I was not all that impressed by T J Yates even though he threw the TD to DeAndre Hopkins. On that play Yates put the ball the only place it could be without being picked off of batted away but it was Hopkins acrobatic catch that made it special. Hopkins looks like he's the real deal and all the chatter from training camp appears to be accurate.
Dennis Johnson wasn't as impressive. He is quick but he's no Arian Foster, yet. The RB with the real impressive night was Cierre Wood. Wood is an undrafted free agent from Notre Dame where he enjoyed some success but his career there was uneven and clouded with a suspension of two games for violating team rules in 2011. He was solid in his effort vs the Vikings and could earn a spot on the final roster.
I thought that Case Keenum has a nice outing. I thought he was more impressive than Yates and he showed pocket awareness, the ability to evade the rush and he can throw pretty accurately on the run.

Here's a link to Texans.com's Marc Vandermeer's notes from the Texans first outing of 2013.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Vandermeers-View/24b42b7a-4360-4eb6-9208-2d68596aef17

[eagle eye]

The post 1st preseason game for the Texans has been eventful. There has been some movement, some surgery and a return so let's take a look.

Case Keenum out performed T J Yates in last Friday's win at Minnesota. Yates wasn't terrible leading Houston on a TD drive of 85 yards capped by a 34 yard TD pass to DeAndre Hopkins. His stat line was 13-for-21 for 151 yards, one touchdown and a quarterback passer rating of 99.5. Keenum had more success leading the team to 2 TDs and one field goal. His stat line was 13-for-18 with 125 yards, one touchdown, and a passer rating of 109.7. The Texans web site is wondering if Keenum passed Yates on the depth chart, at least for this week. What do you think?

The Texans-Vikings game marked the 2013 debut of K Randy Bullock. Remember him? 2012 5th round pick from Texas A&M. Leg like a trip hammer. First kicker ever drafted by the Texans. Missed the entire 2012 season due to a torn groin muscle just shy of one year ago as he competed with Shayne Graham for a spot on the roster. Yeah, you remember. Against the Vikings, Bullock went 2-3 missing a 54 yarder with :05 seconds left in the 1st half. The biggest knock on Bullock by the announcing team was that his kickoffs weren't deep enough. He also was 3-3 in extra point attempts. This year Shayne Graham is not in camp and the job is Bullock's to lose. I'd say his first game back was a success.

Gary Kubiak announced that all the starters will play in their two preseason games at Reliant Stadium. It's a grass surface and it will enable all the players to get much needed game reps prior to the beginning of the season. When asked if that meant JJ Watt would play Kubiak reiterated that ALL starters will play Saturday vs Miami.

Brian Cushing could make his first game appearance this Saturday. Cushing was cleared to participate in training camp back in July but he has practiced fully so far but he was held out of the Vikings game along with 8 other starters. Cushing is recovering from a torn ACL last season and he has been a beast in camp so far. As a Texans fan it will be good to see him back in the lineup. The final decision on Cush's status for Saturday's game will be made Thursday.

Reliant Stadium has undergone a pretty big list of improvements this off season including the upgraded video boards in the stadium itself. Here's a link to an article about what those improvement are from Texans.com.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Updates-at-Reliant-Stadium/8959ea1c-7e08-4d5a-ac3c-3a6f67d18cd5

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The Texans unveiled their new video boards in Reliant Stadium today. Here's a link to Texan.com video of the unveiling. Click on the link "Texans unveil new video boards" and check it out

http://www.houstontexans.com/

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Texans fans probably know this already but the game tonight between the Texans and the Miami Dolphins will start at 7:00 PM on KBMT the local NBC network. I'm not giving a channel because the channel number is different depending on your TV provider.

I'll be looking at the battle for No 2 QB. Last week it appeared as though Case Keenum inched past T J Yates but things often are different from week to week. It's possible that Keenum will get some time with the 1's this week especially with Matt Schaub just coming back from missing a couple of days earlier this week due to the death of his grandfather. Schaub probably doesn't need a whole lot of work and the backup QB job is an important one to get right.

Arian Foster won't play because Houston is taking a very cautious approach to his calf injury. I wouldn't be surprised if the Texans just don't want to expose Foster to a preseason injury. Not playing the preseason didn't hurt Adrian Peterson last year and I don't believe it will hurt Foster this year. This will allow more reps to Ben Tate and especially to Dennis Johnson, Cierre Wood, Deji Karim and Ray Graham. Johnson was the one who has been most impressive during camp up until last week's game vs Minnesota but he was disappointing in the game. Cierre Wood showed up to play last week so it will be very interesting to see if roles reverse this week. Deji Karim is a veteran and he really needed to be better than he has been to secure a roster spot.

Here's a link to Texans.com's Drew Dougherty column on the 5 things to watch in tonight's game.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/5-Things-to-Watch-Texans-vs-Dolphins/b2653899-8956-4044-8fe1-8748b523134b

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The Texans were hoping Arian Foster would be back to practice today but that was last Saturday before the Miami game. Team doctors feel he needs more rehab time and so he is still day to day. He got an injection in his back before training camp to relieve soreness in his back and since he has had discomfort in his legs. I've had some experience with pain relieving shots like that and it's very easy to aggrivate a nerve it you hit the wrong spot. And believe me, a pissed off nerve is something you can't ignore.

The Texans had some good news. After sending S Ed Reed to the Atlanta, Ga specialist he's dealt with as he rehabs his hip the news from the doctor was that Reed is ahead of schedule in his recovery. Gary Kubiak said that Houston is doing everything possible to aid in the recovery of Reed's hip surgery. As time goes on getting nearer and nearer to opening day it seems like the injured players are making it back on the field, or soon will be.

DJ Swearinger has been asked his feelings about the devastating knee injury Miami TE Dustin Keller received as a result of a low, but legal hit after a Keller reception. Swearinger has replied that he feels bad for Keller because he wasn't trying to injure him but despite that he has to move forward because "that's just football". It's really the only attitude Swearinger can have because it wasn't a cheap shot and his intent was only to tackle Keller, not injure him.

I can't find any more mention about the head injury and possible concussion to DeAndre Hopkins in Saturday's game. He was pulled a few plays after Hopkins was tackled after a reception and hit his head on the turf pretty hard. After a miscommunication on a route Hopkins ran that resulted in an interception Matt Schaub was quoted a saying he knew there was something wrong with Hopkins because the mistake was not like him. He was then pulled from the game citing a concussion sympoms as the reason. Hopefully, Hopkins won't miss much time.

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Antonio Smith found out today he will be suspended the last two preseason games as well as the Week 1 game plus a game check which, for Smith, amounts to a hair over $350K. No chump change here plus a fine which will be determined. In case you weren't aware, in the game vs Miami, Smith had an altercation with Miami OL Richie Incognito in which Smith ripped off Incognito's helmet and then swung at him. Ever since the game the question wasn't whether the NFL league office would discipline Smith it was how bad the punishment would be. All things considered, Smith got off light.

Gary Kubiak said today that he expects Arian Foster in the lineup on opening day in three weeks. He is basing his opinion of seeing Foster work on the side with trainers and just seeing him work every day. Kubiak is staying positive and hopeful Foster will be well and healthy enough to be in the opening day lineup.

WR DeAndre Hopkins missed practice today still feeling bad after suffering a concussion in the Texans game last Saturday. The Texans won't rule out Hopkins from playing in the game this Saturday vs the Saints but it doesn't appear likely at this point.

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Good news is all over the place as the 3rd and most important preseason game is approaching. Why is the third game so important? Because, it is the so-called dress rehearsal game when the starters play the most minutes of the preseason and it is also the game that should be played before your fantasy drafts. Why? Because it is the last time the starters play significant minutes in a game and it is the last time in preseason a starter is subject to a season ending injury. Say you draft after preseason game two and during game 3 one or more of the stud players on your roster is lost because of a torn ACL or Achilles tendon. What may have been a nice looking roster suddenly makes you an also-ran. See what I'm saying? So, if your draft is this week you may need to drink heavily to calm your nerves enough to get through the games this week.

On to happier news.

According to Texans.com Ed Reed's return is imminent! Reed is in the last stages of his rehab for hip surgery. Reed visited his rehab specialist in Atlanta last week and got an all clear and this week he will travel to Vail Colorado to visit his surgeon Dr Marc Phillipon for a final visit with him. After that, according to Gary Kubiak, Reed will start working to get back on the field. He will need to start running and preparing for contact in practice. If that isn't great news I don't know what is! This gives Reed over two weeks to prep for Week 1. Reed may not be ready for Week 1 but that's been the target date all along but it will be great to see Reed back on the field.

This may not be great news but DeAndre Hopkins will be out for this week's game due to the concussion he received in last week's game. It is being reported that Hopkins is still in Phase 1 of the NFL's concussion protocol which will rule him out of this week's game. Evidently, Hopkins is still feeling the effects of the concussion he received in the first of half of the game vs the Dolphins. Hopkins was at practice on Thursday but he didn't participate in any drills. Get Well Soon D-Hop, we need you!

This is great news, Arian Foster returned to practice on Wednesday on a limited basis and in Thursday's practice he did more than he did Wednesday going from about 10 reps on Wednesday to around 20 on Thursday. Foster said he is feeling fine after the past two days of work and the Texans are saying that he is coming along nicely. Houston is ruling Foster out of Sunday's game which would be too soon to put him on the field anyway. The Texans and Foster agree that he likely won't see any game action in the preseason. They are targeting a Week 1 return and that's fine with me as long as he comes back the way Adrian Peterson did last year.

What is really great to see is the battle between T J Yates and Case Keenum for the backup QB role. Keenum has made great strides since last season and it's a heckuva battle between them as both have been impressive in the preseason. One thing for sure, the way both are playing they are making Gary Kubiak consider keeping three QBs on the roster. The guys on ESPN's The Drive don't like Keenum because he isn't the prototypical 6'5" guy NFL teams prefer. They are tired of Keenum being compared to Drew Brees as another short QB who is succeeding in the NFL. I think the guys on The Drive need chill out a bit. The comparison to Brees coming out of college is pretty fair. Brees was a pretty good college QB coming out of Purdue who was drafted by the Chargers and he was supplanted by Phillip Rivers after a shoulder injury to Brees made him expendable. We all know what Brees has done in New Orleans but the point here is Brees was criticized for being too short as well. Now, you have Keenum, who is the all time leading passer in college football history, who is bucking the same knock about his height. Keenum went undrafted in 2012 but he was good enough to keep on the practice squad and the strides he's made this past off season have been dramatic. Yates has game experience which gives him a leg up on Keenum but Keenum's pocket presence and his ability to move and throw on the run are pluses Yates has a little of but not like Keenum. Both Yates and Keenum both seem to be, in the words of Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, the right kind of guys. Quality players with a great work ethic and quality people as well. I'm glad Houston has them both. I honestly think at some point Keenum has more upside and he could very well pass Yates up. It just may not be this year. I'm hoping the Texans keep them both and may the best man end up the primary backup to Matt Schaub. We will get to see a lot of both of them the next two weeks. It's exciting to think we may be seeing the successor to Matt Schaub develop right before our eyes.

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[color=navy]DL Antonio Smith lost his appeal of his Week 1 suspension by the NFL league office today. He will actually miss the last two preseason games as well. Gary Kubiak said today that the team was disappointed because they felt like they had a good case but he also said the NFL is fair and they look at all aspects. The actual rule that is the basis of the suspension reads like this; Smith's helmet swing violated Rule 12, Section 2, Article 16 (page 71) of the NFL Rule Book, which states: [i]

[eagle eye]

Houston lost to New Orleans on Sunday afternoon but didn't it feel better than that? I mean Ben Tate showed he's back to his 2011 breakout season with 11 carries for 74 yards including a one yard TD where he seemingly effortlessly bulled his way into the end zone.

Then there was the seven catch 131 yard receiving day for Andre Johnson and you nod knowingly and say wow. Consider WOW because it was in only a half of play!

Matt Schaub looked pretty good getting the ball to Johnson and the plethora of receivers he spread the ball around to. Schaub's line was 15 of 26 for 213 yards and 0 TD's and 0 INT's for only a half of work.

The pass defense needs work but Drew Brees will do that to you.

All in all, Houston did a nice job and especially when you consider they failed on two 4th and short plays inside the Saints red zone.

Thursday's finale against Dallas will probably be the game that decides whether the No 2 QB job goes to T J Yates or Case Keenum. They shared the 2nd half snaps with Keenum going 10-14 for 79 yards, no picks, no TD's. Yates went 7-9 for 73 yards and a TD. Still gotta think Yates' experience will put him over the top but Keenum is certainly intriguing. Another year and Yates may want a starting job of his own or another team will be willing to trade for Yates which will be great for Keenum because he'll be ready to step up his game too.

The kicking game is well manned. Shane Leckler had two kicks and both were perfect for what was needed. Randy Bullock is routinely booting kickoffs out of the end zone and he has flashed why he was an important draft pick last year with his field goals seemingly never out of his range.

One last thing. I've watched the 3 games Houston has played so far and one thing seems pretty clear. TE Garrett Graham is better than he was last year when he made people forget ole whatshisname that left for Denver. Just in case you think I forgot, whatshisname is Joel Dreessen. I think Graham will be very important to Houston's passing game this year. Maybe even surpassing Owen Daniels.

Is it really important to beat Dallas with only backups playing?

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Houston showed why they need to be considered a top contender for the Super Bowl this year. This team has depth and it showed last night as the Texans backups dominated the Cowboys backups. In a game that didn't really mean much unless you are a Texans fan AND a Cowboys hater it was clear that Houston is on a different level than the Cowboys talent wise. The final 24-6 score was totally indicative of the talent gap between these two teams. Houston was just flat better.

Nobody got hurt and that's a blessing. Now the cut to 53 will be done on Saturday and the countdown to their Monday night debut vs the San Diego Chargers will commence. Houston has the featured game in the Monday double header being the second game but it also means I'll be one tired boy on Tuesday. Being the second game of the double header Houston's game won't be over until 12 or 1 AM. But for opening day of Houston's season I am happy to suffer a little bit.

It was cool to see DeVier Posey in the game last night and it continues to amaze me how fast these players with torn Achilles are coming back off what used to take 2 years to fully recover from. Is it me or do all the Houston receivers go 6'5" and 220? Every receiver dwarfed the Dallas cornerbacks. It's awesome to see how freaking deep the Texans receiving corps is. Running back is pretty well represented too. Cierre Wood and Dennis Johnson are definite keepers and with Arian Foster's health in so much doubt it's nice to see quality depth at the position.

Am I crazy? Maybe so but mentioning Arian Foster reminded me of one of my fantasy drafts this past week. I had the third pick and I had Foster available but I couldn't pull the trigger on him. My mind told to pick him but my gut wouldn't because you just don't know if Foster is healthy enough to play. He has been taking injections to relieve pain in his back that caused his legs to go numb. Holy crap! For Foster's and Houston's sake I hope I regret passing on Foster but maybe if I get the chance again I say WTF and take him anyway.

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The Texans are going to be pretty darn healthy going into their season opener vs San Diego a week from Monday. They came out the last preseason game vs Dallas virtually unscathed and they look to get even healthier this coming week.

Actually, the Texans got good news yesterday with the return to practice of Whitney Mercilus. Mercilus has missed all of training camp and all the preseason games with a hamstring he tweeked on July 29th. He has been working on the side with trainers throughout training camp but he's missed valuable reps with the team and the work he really kind of needed in games. Beginning only his second year in the NFL Mercilus really missed a lot by missing out on regular training camp activities. However, return with a full nine days before the opening night is way better than not having him at all. He is slated to start at outside linebacker opposite Brooks Reed now that Connor Barwin is long gone to Philadelphia.

The mystery if Ed Reed will be able to start for the Texans when the season begins Sept 9th will be over soon. Gary Kubiak said yesterday that Reed will be back from the rehab specialist who helped recover from the similar surgery that Reed had on a torn labrum in his hip 4 months ago today. He will likely begin field drills with Head Athletic Trainer Geoff Kaplan on Monday and Tuesday. Kubiak said he will make the call early next week about whether or not Reed will play in the Monday night opener.

Arian Foster will be back on the field against San Diego but Gary Kubiak cautions that fans should not expect a 30 carry night in his first game action since last season's playoffs with no off season or training camp work to prepare for the season. Foster will share carries with Ben Tate but that was going to happen anyway expecially since Tate is back healthy and has looked like the BT who was so good in 2011 gaining nearly a thousand yards while Foster led the league in rushing.

The hardest choice Houston has to make with final cutdowns due at 6 o'clock today will be how many of the running backs they will keep on the final roster. Veteran Deji Karim will likely make the squad as the 3rd down back but because Cierre Wood and Dennis Johnson played and practiced so well cutting either of them will be hard. To be honest Cierre Wood performed better in games and the muffed punts that Johnson had in the Cowboys game wasn't good. We'll see but it looks like somebody outside of Houston is going to get a nice running back after the cutdowns tonight.

With Ed Reed out all of training camp it has given Houston a long look at some young players on the roster that will be needed for depth this year and to step in at safety as the incumbent after Reed retires. One player has stepped up and taken hold of that position and that's D J Swearinger. Swearinger has been in the spotlight all preseason. In the first game he was hammered for missing a tackle on a play that resulted in a 61 year TD run and against Miami he made the hit on TE Dustin Keller that ended his season and maybe his career. Through it all Swearinger has stayed focused and has gotten to be a very good prospect which is something a second round draft pick should be. Even if Ed Reed is unable to play in the season opener the Texans should be alright with Swearinger playing free safety against San Diego.

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As the Texans finished up their third practice with LB Whitney Mercilus on the field and Mercilus has declared he is back and ready to go when they finish off Week 1 with a late Monday Night Football matchup vs the San Diego Chargers. Mercilus missed all of training camp after injuring his hamstring on July 29th but he has been working on the side and on this past Friday after the Cowboys game he was back on the practice field. Great news for the Texans.

Here's a link to Texans.com who give us their list of players they signed to their practice squad. Unfortunately, from my point of view, they were not able to sign RB Dennis Johnson to the PS. As I posted the other day I believed that somebody was going to get a good player when Houston made it's final cuts. As it turns out the Cleveland Browns snapped up Johnson as well as fellow RB from the Ravens, Bobby Rainey. The Browns have definitely upgraded a very thin position at what is a definite loss by the Texans.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/8-make-Texans-practice-squad/2dd206be-81f9-4166-80f8-7457db0c1d15