2016 Houston Texans Off Season

Okay, I know Hoyer sucked. I believe O'Brien should have pulled him in the second half. We all have to understand that Brandon Weeden wasn't a lock to be better than Hoyer but IMO O'Brien should have given Weeden a shot. I understand O'Brien wanted to give Hoyer the benefit of the doubt and I understand he felt he gave Hoyer an early hook in Week 1 but this was the playoffs, Bill, as in " there's no tomorrow", "pull out all the stops", "go for broke" whatever cliché works for you. This wasn't a regular season game when you can stick with a guy who is struggling just to give him confidence that if he screws up a time or two he won't get an early hook. This was what amounts to sudden death. Win or go home. O'Brien had to recognize that Hoyer just didn't have it and had to come out to give his team a chance to win. Shoot, Houston was in the game until the latter stage of the 3rd quarter. When Hoyer threw that pick when the Texans were on the Chiefs 2 yard line late in the second quarter that should have been the straw that broke the camel's back. As bad as Hoyer was it could really have been worse because the Chiefs dropped two other potential picks in the game. Being responsible for 5 turnovers by yourself should have been an indication Hoyer needed to go sit on the bench. What's done is done but I hope O'Brien learned a little something Saturday afternoon.

 

Here's a presser with O'Brien talking about his exit message to the team. Dang it, I like O'Brien and I hope when Tom Savage gets back this summer he will show he is the guy the Texans need to go to the next level. As for the link below, click on the second button on the main page to see O'Brien's talk with the media.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/

 

The following link from Texans.com is about Houston signing nine players to a reserve/futures contract. This essentially means that players who were not on an active NFL roster can be signed by a team to sort of protect their rights to them during the off season with an eye on the coming season's OTA's and training camp. Most of the players signed to a a reserve/futures contract are players from their own practice squad who they have been working with and see some potential.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-sign-nine-to-reservefuture-contracts/fd420f29-6cf1-449a-847f-1e5ae8ed4041

 

Was it just me or did anyone else think that lining JJ Watt at QB in the wildcat formation was a stupid idea? Watt has been good in the red zone but as a receiver. What makes a successful wildcat play is the threat of the QB being able to run or pass the ball. Everyone in the stadium knew JJ Watt wasn't going to pass the football including the Chiefs who loaded up to stop the run and they did just that. Personally, I would have like to see the Texans put Watt at TE where he's made touchdowns before with Brian Hoyer under center and Vince Wilfork at running back a la William "Refrigerator" Perry for the Bears back in the day. This would have made the Chiefs respect the threat of a pass so they couldn't load up the box and I would give the ball to Wilfork and let him blast his 330+ pounds into the line of scrimmage. Force the Chiefs to make a "business decision" on whether to get in Wilfork's way as he bulls his way into the end zone just like "The 'Fridge" used to do. Never saw "The 'Fridge"? Check this out.

 

The Texans are rumored to be considering releasing Arian Foster soon. Foster is, or was, a really good running back and he helped elevate the Texans to their first playoff runs in 2012 and 2013. The down side of Foster is he has had trouble staying healthy enough to stay on the field. Last summer even Texans owner Bob McNair said Foster was prone to soft tissue injuries. This was before Foster tore his Achilles tendon the first week of training camp. The Texans are apparently happy with the four headed RB monster this season. In the last month both Chris Polk and Alfred Blue began separating themselves from the pack. That is until a young rookie Akeem Hunt starting making eye opening plays late in the season. Hunt is quick and fast with game breaking ability. The rookie out of Purdue began his NFL career as an unsigned free agent signed by the NY Giants. He was released by the Giants and he subsequently signed with Baltimore and after one week the Ravens released him. Houston signed Hunt on November 2nd and promoted him to the active roster on November 21st. Hunt was limited but he showed a playmaking ability. At 5'10" and 190 lbs he won't be an everydown back but he's got the potential to be a Darren Sproles type of player. Sproles is a bigger player but I believe Hunt is faster. Hunt could also be a nice punt and kickoff return guy as well. As the Texans plan for the 2016 draft I don't believe they see the running back position as a position of need. If that's true, I agree.

 

It was nice to WR Jalen Strong prove to be a playmaker. With the WRs that Houston have I don't think it is a position of need in the draft. Except for QB Houston is pretty solid all the way around. What Houston really needs to do is upgrade the O-line. In fact, except for quarterback the O-line is the weakest position group on the team. However, they are good enough not to have to reach for linemen. They are good enough to be able to just take the best player on their draft board in all rounds of the draft. Houston will need to address a replacement for NT Vince Wilfork because I'm not convinced that guy is on the roster right now.

 

After Houston lost last week to the Chiefs they found out they will have the 22nd pick in this year's draft.

 

JJ Watt won the Sporting News Defensive Player of the year award for the second season in a row narrowly beat out Carolina's Luke Kuechly by just 3 votes, 116 to 113. Watt has also been named to the Pro Bowl and also named first team All Pro. Ho-hum, another average year for JJ. I wonder if everyone appreciates the fact that we are watching a player who comes along once in a generation?

The Texans have another player who will be in the Pro Bowl. Long snapper Jon Weeks was selected by one of the Pro Bowl head coaches, Green Bay's Mike McCarthy. Long snapper is one of the positions Pro Bowl coaches are allowed to name as positions of need. Weeks joins JJ Watt and DeAndre Hopkins to represent the Texans in game to be played the weekend before the Super Bowl. LT Duane Brown has been named an alternate but if he does elevate to the Pro Bowl roster he won't play because of the injury he suffered in Week 17.

 

Speaking of Watt and Hopkins they both received some more awards today. The Sportswriters of America awarded their NFL All NfL Team. All AFC Team and All NFC Team. Watt was named to the All NFL Team for the 4th consecutive year which is the longest current streak in the NFL. Watt and Hopkins were both named to the All AFC Team as well.

 

Important dates for this coming off season as posted on Texans.com

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-Important-Dates-in-2016/1473ad87-f450-4532-ac49-b324810e16e9

Houston has been busy this week.

First, they avoided losing linebackers coach Doug Vrabel when he turned down an offer to be defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. Vrabel interviewed with new Niners coach Chip Kelly but in the end he declined the offer and elected to stay with the Texans. Check out this article from the Bleacher Report.

 

http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2016/01/linebackers-coach-mike-vrabel-elects-to-remain-with-texans-despite-offer-from-49ers/

 

Houston also added 3 new coaches to their staff. Larry Izzo (special teams), Sean Ryan (WR's coach) and Anthony Weaver (D-line coach). Here's an article from Texans.com about the new staff members.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-add-Izzo-Ryan-and-Weaver-to-staff/4910cc0d-6ad8-4e84-9087-d4b62a2c7c26

 

On the Cowboys thread I posted links to articles about players their ex-scout Bryan Broaddus suggests we pay attention to in the Senior Bowl next week. In this link is an article about players Texans.com writer John Harris will be suggesting we keep an eye on next week.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Shrine-Game-players-to-watch/9bda588f-bdec-487a-876e-24be03c923e0

 

Talking about the draft brings to mind who people assign grades for the draft in the days immediately following the draft which is just projection because there is no telling how they are going to do in the NFL. Texans.com takes a look back at the 2011 draft which is a good barometer of that draft. It is said you can't grade a draft for 5 years when you know how the players have, or haven't, made an impact in the NFL. This article looks at all the first round draft picks made in 2011 up to No. 11 pick JJ Watt. Of course, Watt worked out okay, right?

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-Reimagining-the-2011-NFL-Draft/54d28147-2d4a-481e-8511-0e672840552f

The Texans have reps at the Senior Bowl this week checking out the talent they will need to evaluate as they head toward the NFL draft in April. In a Breakfast With The Bulls feature are some final thoughts that were taken away from the week's activities. Also, within the article linked below are links to other articles from this past week in Mobile.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-What-we-learned-at-the-Senior-Bowl/d632642b-e65a-497b-81bc-51b2ee67d2ef

 

Houston's Pro Bowl reps DeAndre Hopkins and long snapper Jon Weeks. Both players are on Michael Irvin's team in the PB. Here's an article about Weeks and Hopkin who are both enjoying their first trip to Hawaii. Included in the article is a video of DeAndre Hopkins chatting with Texans.com's Drew Dougharty after practice.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Hopkins-Weeks-revel-in-1st-Pro-Bowl-practice/315c221b-1707-48d4-9309-4ae77f677ef6

 

In the article linked below written by Deepi Sidhu of Texans.com she tells us what Bill O'Brien is looking for in a QB as he watches the Senior Bowl practices. It's no secret that Houston committed suicide by QB in the playoff game against Kansas City. Brian Hoyer was just awful and it's pretty clear he is not the face of the future at QB in Houston. If he stays in Houston it certainly should be as a backup to the guy who will be the face of the franchise. Now Ms Sidhu will tell you what O'Brien says he's looking for but here's what I would be looking for. Is there a guy out there, including a QB he recruited to Penn State Christian Hackenberg, who Houston has a chance of drafting AND who is better than their own Tom Savage. You guys know I won't let this go because I really think Savage could be that guy. Now, let's look at what O'Brien told Texans.com.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/What-Bill-O’Brien-looks-for-in-Senior-Bowl-QBs/7978affa-3332-487a-bd46-ca83544054bd

Just wonder if you knew this but good old Houston will be hosting Super Bowl 51 next year! Yep, it will be the Texans 2nd time to host the biggest game of the year and judging by the first time, it should be a resounding success. Actually, it's the 3rd time. Many people don't realize that the Rice Stadium was host for SB VIII way back in 1974 between the Vikings and Dolphins which Miami won for the second year in a row. What I'm talking about when I say 2nd time is that SB 51 will be the second time the SB has been held at NRG Stadium. Now technically, it was Reliant Stadium back in 2004 when SB XXXVIII was played but the stadium has since been renamed but it is the same venue. Imagine that, the biggest sporting event of any given year will be played just about 90 miles due west of here. I know it's a whole year away and there is the matter of SB 50 to get settled but hey, it IS a pretty big deal!

It's been a while since I checked with something about the Texans. Obviously, it's all going to be about the upcoming draft in late April. Here's a couple of draft related articles from Texans.com that prove that Houston is 100% all about the draft.

 

First up is the Texans.com's main football analyst, John Harris with his top 100 players heading into the NFL draft. This is a link to a slideshow of his rankings. I think it's interesting that his #1 player overall is Ole Miss OT Laremy Tunsil. Harris doesn't have a QB until #5 with Cal's Jared Goff. It's an interesting list.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/The-Harris-100-is-unveiled/77f46d69-341e-4f11-8dc6-d4a4499fad61#c33b7582-d5cd-4c53-8cb1-d3483a39f3a0

 

The next link is to Drew Dougherty's article about Mock Drafts 2.0. He talks about the players that most of the mocks feel will go to Houston. The most predominant player to go to Houston at #22 is Alabama RB Ezekeiel Elliot. The coolest thing about this link is there are links to a bunch of mock drafts by the top guys in the business including Mel Kiper Jr and Todd McShay. BTW I don't think we need a RB. Houston needs help on the O-line, TE, and of course, QB. Y'all know I am a firm believer in Tom Savage but with Bill O'Brien's former recruit at Penn State, Christian Hackenberg, coming out this season it's not hard to project that Houston will look at him long and hard.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-Mock-Draft-Survey-20-yields-RB-/ac4cdfe6-8629-4b4a-ab77-f2932fabbc4c

 

The radio voice of the Texans, Marc Vandermeer, weighs in with his own mock. He doesn't bother with all 32 teams but he does cover all of the Texans 7 rounds of picks. The article is title VanderMock 1.0.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/VanderMock-10/41aa1cc6-ac25-4e3e-98eb-f37644b580d8

 

 

Last but not least is a progress report on LT Duane Brown who was injured in the regular season finale against Jacksonville. The game that won Houston the division and put gave them home field in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Brown was carted off the field with what turned out to be a torn tendon in his right quad ending his season. He is 5 week removed from that surgery and his rehab is going well.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Duane-Brown-“coming-along-great”-in-rehab/37495bd2-f868-439e-9ddf-caa1954fde7b

Did anyone know JJ Watt had surgery this offseason? When it was posted online last week that he has been cleared to practice I'm like, "whaaaaat?". Watt had groin surgery after the season ended and was cleared to start working out again yesterday.

 

I heard yet another stupid thing said on ESPN 97.5 but it wasn't said by AJ Hoffman or Fred Faour. It was said as a matter of conversation with their newsman David Delotte. Delotte said that if Houston wants one of the top QBs in this year's draft they could move up via a trade with Tennessee who is rumored to be in the market to trade out of the first pick. Houston owns the 22nd pick and to move up to the #1 pick they would likely have to mortgage their entire draft in the way Mike Ditka did when he was in New Orleans when he traded every single pick in that year's draft to move up and take UT RB Ricky Williams. It was a terrible move then and if Houston does it too it will be an equally bad move. I still say Tom Savage is someone who can take the helm. He, and the Texans, are doing it old school. They are allowing him to progress slowly, in much the same way Dallas' QB Tony Romo was allowed to sit and learn. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003 and he was allowed to learn and when Bill Parcells felt he was ready he put him in on a Monday night in relief of Drew. Savage showed a lot of improvement this past preseason he could have taken the reins this past season if not for the season ending shoulder injury he suffered in the final preseason game vs Dallas. I think Houston needs to address other areas and not sacrifice their draft for the sake of a QB who may, or may not, be the guy they hope. Man for man I believe Houston is a better football team overall than Dallas. The Cowboys have some serious holes in their roster that Houston does not have. The most glaring hole in Houston is the O-line. They could use some help there but they don't have to mortgage their future to do it.

There is a website called fanspeak.com that allows you to be the GM of any team you choose and complete a mock draft of your own. I have posted a link to the site below that will take you to their On the Clock page where you can choose from a menu of draft ranking sites that include CBSSports.com, Walter Football, Fanspeak's own player ranking board as well as others. You decide how many rounds your mock will cover and then you can get started. They have a premium upgrade that allows you to trade up or down in a round and other features but I haven't done that. I have done a mock for the Cowboys pre-combine and I did a mock for the Texans. Dallas has a total of 9 draft picks. They have a pick in rounds 1-4 and a pick in round 6. They also have a compensatory pick in round 4 (No 38 pick in the round and No 137 overall) and they have 3 in the 6th (No 34/212, 38/216 and 39/217 in the round/overall).

 

http://fanspeak.com/ontheclock/

 

I have posted my mock for the Texans below. They have seven picks in this draft, one in each round except the 7th where they don't have a pick. They have an extra pick from a deal in last year's draft when they got the 27th pick in the 5th round. I'm pretty pleased with this mock. I will be surprised as heck if Ezekiel Elliot falls to the 22nd overall pick but he was there and I grabbed him. I'm very happy with the 2nd round pick DT Vernon Butler from LA Tech. He's a prime candidate to end up being the nose tackle after Vince Wilfork retires. In the 3rd round I took Nick Martin from Notre Dame. You know his big brother, Zack, the All Pro guard for the Cowboys. It is said Nick isn't as talented as his brother but he should be a crackerjack guard and backup center. This ability to multi task is a big plus for the him as it relates to the Texans. This mock draft stuff is a good opportunity to generate discussion here on this thread. If you like playing around with mock drafts the link above is a nice site to do just that.

 

22: R1P22

RB EZEKIEL ELLIOTT

OHIO STATE

 

52: R2P21

DT VERNON BUTLER

LOUISIANA TECH

 

85: R3P22

C NICK MARTIN

NOTRE DAME

 

120: R4P21

WR STERLING SHEPARD

OKLAHOMA

 

159: R5P20

CB JONATHAN JONES

AUBURN

 

166: R5P27

OLB VICTOR OCHI

STONY BROOK

 

198: R6P20

OLB YANNICK NGAKOUE

MARYLAND

Here's my updated mock for the post combine. Again, I used the On The Clock mock program from fanspeak.com and I used the CBSSports.com player rankings. I admit that I passed on Carson Wentz because I felt there was no way he falls to the 22nd pick. It has been very consistent that Elliot has been there at 22 so I took him. I went offense on 4 of the 7 picks because I believe Houston needs the most help on that side of the ball. I was happy to take Chris Jones because he's big (6'6" and 310 lbs) and pretty athletic. He can play defensive end or nose. It's hard to say a guy weighing 310 lbs is light in the ass but at nose in a 3-4 you need more bulk. If Jones could put on about 20 pounds without losing his quickness he would be awesome at nose IMO. I should have gone O-line at lot earlier than the 4th round but after the 2nd round the ranked players on the O-line were way down on the list meaning they would have been a big reach while passing up on better players. I am happy with this draft but I probably like the one I did last week better but that is how the board shook out.

 

22: R1P22

RB EZEKIEL ELLIOTT

OHIO STATE

 

52: R2P21

WR WILL FULLER

NOTRE DAME

 

85: R3P22

DT CHRIS JONES

MISSISSIPPI STATE

 

120: R4P21

G DENVER KIRKLAND

ARKANSAS

 

159: R5P20

FB GLENN GRONKOWSKI

KANSAS STATE

 

166: R5P27

CB JAMES BRADBERRY

SAMFORD

 

198: R6P20

OLB YANNICK NGAKOUE

MARYLAND

 

Here's an article from Texans.com from analyst John Harris and he gives his big winners at the combine and comparisons to current pros.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/2016-NFL-Combine-winners-and-pro-comparisons/d5be39d0-9ca8-4f98-9584-9b0c553362d4

My last two mocks on the On The Clock I have taken Ezekiel Elliot. It seems, if Elliot is available, like Houston will be in the market. It was just announced that the Texans have released Arian Foster. It may be that Houston won't be able to pass on Elliot but they have more pressing needs on the O-line. Trouble is there may not be anyone available at #22 in the first round to help the line. This doesn't seem to be the best year as far as the offensive line prospects go and I'm sure none of us wants Houston to reach for a player not worthy of that high a pick just out of need. I honestly believe that if there is a QB available like Christian Hackenberg or maybe Dak Prescott Houston will take him. I'm still not giving up on Tom Savage though and if there is a really good player like Elliot available, I'd take him in a heartbeat. I have some worry about where Jaylen Strong's head is at. He seems to be another guy who values his chronic over his career. There should be guys like Josh Doctson from TCU, Will Fuller for Notre Dame or Braxton Miller from Ohio State that should be available at 22. Foster will definitely be missed. When he was on the field he was special. Trouble was, he couldn't stay healthy. Houston will save $6.625MM in cap space but they will also have $2.3MM in dead money meaning it is money not available to spend on their own guys or free agents.

Houston made some moves yesterday that surprised me and one that didn't.

> Arian Foster - Was released. Foster will save about $6.6MM on the Texans salary cap but leave the Texans with around $2MM in dead money. Foster was a really good RB when he was healthy but he was able to stay that way. He missed almost all of last season with a torn ACL and that's after missing time early on with a pulled groin. It's very telling when your owner, who seems to think everything and everyone is fine, say that Foster has trouble with soft tissue injuries. Sorry to see him go but it's not unexpected.

> Garrett Graham - Was released. Graham had been with Houston for his entire 6 year career. At 29 he still has plenty left in the tank but I guess Bill O'Brien has seen enough of the player that he felt he wasn't getting the job done and it was time to find another TE.

> Rahim Moore - Was released. At first I was shocked but when I looked at it I saw a player who was clearly not as good as I thought he was. Moore gave up a long pass to former Texan and Baltimore Raven Jacoby Jones for a TD that cost the Broncos a shot at going to Super Bowl XLVII which the Ravens eventually won. He played two more seasons in Denver going to Super Bowl XLVIII but losing to Seattle in the big game. When Houston signed him last year it looked like a big hole in the Texans secondary had been filled but he wasn't all that and 2014 7th round draft pick Andre Hal and 2015 UFA Kurtis Drummond combined to replace Moore in Week 8 and they never looked back. Moore is only 26 so he has a lot of good years left but the question is, is Moore just not that good or does he just not love football enough? I would be will to bet somebody will take a chance on him. Free agent period will begin on Monday. We'll see how active the Texans will be.

The Texans are on the hunt for a RB. Lamar Miller formerly of the Miami Dolphins is on the Texans radar. According to NFL.com the Texans and Cowboys are the front runners for Miller. Since releasing Arian Foster this week it would seem the four guys Houston has under contract aren't the answer, long term, to the RB issue.

 

Earlier this week Houston signed two of it's players to contract extensions. G/T Jeff Adams and CB Charles James to deals this week. James was one of the featured players on HBO's Hard Knocks last summer and he was eventually cut on the final cut down day. He was brought back later in the season when injuries took a bit of a toll on the CB depth chart. He fulfilled the promise he showed during training camp when Bill O'Brien told him on cut day that he saw a lot of potential in James and for him to keep working on his game. He apparently took O'Brien's advice and it has paid tangible dividends.

 

Texans.com's John Harris has published he top 100 players in this year's NFL draft and he is breaking down that list into the top five players at each position. Considering QB is arguably the highest position of need by the Texans he gives us his top 5 QB's heading into the draft in April. It is Harris' list but the article is by Texans.com media coordinator Jesse Clark.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-The-Top-5-DBs-of-the-Harris-100/da310cd2-8655-4799-8ca8-8d2627ef1a9f

 

Here's my 3rd mock draft for fanspeak.com's On The Clock using the CBS player draft rankings. I'm not sure but I think it's my favorite draft so far. Ezekiel Elliot was available but he wasn't the highest ranked player on the board. That was CB Mackensie Alexander from Clemson. There's a saying that goes something like, "you can never have too many cornerbacks". I got a guy in La Tech's Vernon Butler who could be groomed to take over for Vince Wilfork. Then I got busy with some offense. I got Nick Martin from Notre Dame, brother of the Cowboys Zack Martin. He's listed as a center but he could be a guard who can play center. Versatility is the reason Martin is a keeper. You can hardly go wrong with a Big Ten player these days and I'm taking a chance on Ohio State's Nick Vannett to fill a void at TE left by the release of Garrett Graham. With the first pick in the 5th I went with Glen Gronkowski from K-State. O'Brien can't help but take his own Gronk. Trouble is there have been two other Gronk brothers to follow Rob into the NFL. The first two were not good. I guess it can't hurt to take a chance on a guy who is listed as a fullback but can play H-back or even some TE. You'd think either Vannett or Gronk can be the answer to some of Houston's offensive questions. With the supplemental pick in the 5th I couldn't believe it but San Jose State RB Tyler Ervin. Ervin ran for over 1,600 yards as a senior and he caught 45 passes out of the backfield. Maybe not an every down back but you never know. Darren Sproles has been a pretty good RB for a long time and if that's what Houston gets I'll take it. With my last pick I went with defense again. LB Yannick Ngakoue out of Maryland. I really don't know much about him but he was the highest guy on the board except for a kicker.

 

22: R1P22

CB MACKENSIE ALEXANDER

CLEMSON

 

52: R2P21

DT VERNON BUTLER

LOUISIANA TECH

 

85: R3P22

C NICK MARTIN

NOTRE DAME

 

120: R4P21

TE NICK VANNETT

OHIO STATE

 

159: R5P20

FB GLENN GRONKOWSKI

KANSAS STATE

 

166: R5P27

RB TYLER ERVIN

SAN JOSE STATE

 

198: R6P20

OLB YANNICK NGAKOUE

MARYLAND

Day 1 of free agency for the Texans can only be described as BAM!. The Texans answered the QB questions by outbidding the Broncos for Brock Osweiler agreeing on a 4 year $72MM deal that effectively benches last year's starter Brian Hoyer. If Osweiler can't beat out Hoyer Houston would be better off cutting him. It also states unequivocally that Tom Savage has no chance to start this year. I would suggest that Houston offer Savage to Dallas for cash or a late round draft pick. If I'm Jerra I'd take it.

 

The other big deal of the day is that Houston signed former Dolphins RB Lamar Miller to a 4 year $26MM deal that gives a very reasonable replacement for Arian Foster. At 25 years of age Miller is in the prime of his career and coupled with Osweiler could be the catalyst for the Texans making a real noise in the post season in 2016. The Texans were QB challenged last season and still went 9-7. Osweiler is the key. If he's good, he doesn't even need to be great, Houston should be worlds better than last season. Looking at a comparison of rosters between Houston and Dallas Houston is better by a wide margin in my viewpoint. Their deficiencies are at QB and O-line are the main reasons that make the Cowboys prospects better than Houston's. Houston has address QB and upgraded the RB position. Let's see what happens in the rest of free agency and the draft.

 

As for the aforementioned O-line Houston has yet another hole to fill after G Brandon Brooks signed a free agent deal with Philadelphia that was a 5 year deal for $40MM.

Boy oh boy, has the Texans front office been busy so far this week. They get a new QB in Brock Osweiler, a new RB in Lamar Miller and two new offensive linemen in G Jeff Allen formerly with the Chiefs and C/G Tony Bergstrom formerly with the Raiders. The Texans also signed several of their own free agents, K Shane Lechler, K Nick Novak, T Chris Clark, CB Charles James (mentioned this yesterday), G/T Jeff Adams and S Eddie Pleasant. Houston has also made qualifying offers to restricted free agents CB AJ Bouye and OLB John Simon. Here's an article from Texans.com with a little background on the new players and old players resigned.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Flurry-of-free-agent-moves-made-by-Texans/743f6024-69f9-40d5-8e87-4a4f0e8ec785

 

Check out the introductory press conference in Houston with Brock Osweiler.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/Extended-Cut-Brock-Osweiler-Press-Conference/3b395f4d-78b7-469c-8dfc-1962d7c69314

There has already been a jersey sale featuring Brock Osweiler's name and number. In fact the very first Brock jersey was printed and sold to his dad who had the jersey made up as soon as it was announced his boy was going to be a Houston Texan. The funny thing was the Texans pro shop would actually give the elder Mr Osweiler the jersey until his boy actually signed his contract.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/1st-Brock-Osweiler-jersey-sale-a-unique-one/8c02c4c3-229f-43bf-8da3-76f7318b578e

 

To say there has got to be some trepidation over the signing of Osweiler is an understatement. After all, Brock is a four year veteran with a grand total of 7 career starts in the NFL. He may be 5-2 in those starts but still....... To say that if Osweiler is a bust it could be bad for GM Rick Smith's career in Houston is also an understatement. Paying Osweiler $72MM is a huge gamble and if it doesn't pan out might be the straw that breaks even the uber tolerant Bob McNair's back. After all Smith brought in Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer. Mallett was just a pure D bust and Hoyer was a decent QB but his deficiencies showed up in the Texans playoff loss to Kansas City back in January. The price the Texans paid to Osweiler is the kicker here especially when you consider Houston could have a reasonable chance to draft a Paxton Lynch and for sure could have taken Bill O'Brien's recruit at Penn State, Christian Hackenberg or a Dak Prescott from Mississippi State who would have been a lot cheaper to get. I have always had my doubts about Smith's job as GM and this has got to be the gamble of all gambles and Smith's career in Houston could very well be on the line this time.

 

Lamar Miller's signing is due, in large part, to the game Houston played against Miami last season in which Miller and his Dolphins stomped a mudhole in the Texans in Week 7 in which Miller ran for 175 yards and caught passes for another 61 yards. It could be that Miller will be the ideal replacement for Arian Foster and if he is that is a great thing for the Texans.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Memories-of-Lamar-Millers-explosive-day-a-key/3648f301-7d72-4bab-a3a1-10ade4b739bd

Here is my On The Clock mock 3.0 for this week. Since Houston signed Brock Osweiler and Lamar Miller this past week it sort of changed the priorities the Texans needed to address. They even signed a couple of O-linemen which is something that was a major issue. So, a lot of the mock as the "On The Clock" runs through the draft and you watch players you'd really like to draft come off the board so when a guy ranked #6 in the whole draft fall to you you've got to take him, right? Right. That's what happened in Rd 1 as WR Laquan Treadwell from Ole Miss was available I had no choice but take him. Now, all of a sudden the Texans passing game ramped up about 3 notches. Treadwell won't play like a No 1 this season but he's going to do nothing but get better and since WR Jalen Strong has potential legal issues with a marijuana possession charge you immediately don't need to put up with a load of crap from him. Rd 2 saw, arguably, the top TE in the draft available so I couldn't pass on him. It was a position of need for Houston after releasing Garrett Graham last week and he was the best player on the board at the time. That would be Hunter Henry out of Arkansas. In Rd 3 I hadn't addressed the defense as yet and the highest ranked defensive player on the board was OLB Kyler Fackrell from Utah State. Houston was blessed last season by getting a full season from Brian Cushing but depth at LB is always a concern. With two picks in the 4th I went back to the offense and got C Jack Allen from Michigan State for filling in as the swing guard and backup center. By the 4th round there was a slew of WR's to choose from but Allen was the highest ranked guy who wasn't a WR. The 2nd pick in the 4th was also on offense as literally the highest ranked player on the board was Rob Gronkowski's baby bro, Glen. He is listed as a fullback but he could work as an H back or a receiving tight end. I don't see Bill O'Brien with his New England roots pass on a Gronk. The Gronk family is 1-2 as far as the boys making it in the NFL. The youngest Gronk would have the opportunity to even the Gronk record. Round 5 I went defense with CB Jonathan Jones from Auburn. With my final pick coming in the 7th round I ended up taking a guy who could be another player to boost the depth on the O-line in Boise State guard Rees Odhiambo. I'm pretty happy about this draft but the likelihood of Laquan Treadwell being there for Houston at 22 in the first round is slim and none but, in this scenario, he was there and I took him.

 

22: R1P22

WR LAQUON TREADWELL

OLE MISS

 

52: R2P21

TE HUNTER HENRY

ARKANSAS

 

85: R3P22

OLB KYLER FACKRELL

UTAH STATE

 

120: R4P21

C JACK ALLEN

MICHIGAN STATE

 

160: R5P20

FB GLENN GRONKOWSKI

KANSAS STATE

 

167: R5P27

CB JONATHAN JONES

AUBURN

 

196: R6P20

G REES ODHIAMBO

BOISE STATE

It's been a full week since I posted about the Texans and that just goes to show you how quiet it has been at the Texans HQ in H-town. The only roster move Houston has made was done 4 days ago when the resigned their own FA RB Jonathan Grimes. Terms of Grimes deal are unknown. This makes 7 of their own FA's that Houston has signed to date. They have lost a couple of players in free agency and signed a some too. Here's a recap of the moves made by Houston so far.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-re-sign-RB-Jonathan-Grimes/1d112100-e7c2-4f8e-9201-9a0e18c6b4c0

 

It's also time for my "On The Clock" draft simulator mock draft 4.0. I have to say, I am rather pleased with this mock. I didn't strictly go with the best player available I sort of went with the best player available bypassing positions already addressed by free agency. I started out with a CB in Vernon Hargreaves III out of Florida. He was the top player available at #22 in the 1st Rd. Next I again went with the best player available and that was DT Vernon Butler from LA Tech. At 6'3" and 323 lbs he will be groomed to replace Vince Wilfork. in the 3rd I went WR and I took Braxton Lynch over Oklahoma's Sterling Shepard who was ranked a notch higher than Miller. The Ohio State WR is bigger and faster and IMO would be a great compliment to DeAndre Hopkins. I just don't trust Jalen Strong anymore. In the 4th I was able to address the Texans need at TE by selecting Austin Hooper from Stanford. He is the 2nd ranked TE in the draft according to CBSSports.com. In the 5th Rd with the first pick the Texans have in that Rd I took Oregon State G Isaac Seumalo addressing the need at O-line and with the second pick of the 5th I took Minnesota OLB De'vondre Campbell. I closed out this mock with the 6th Rd pick and I selected another CB in West Virginia's Darryl Worley. Worley is sort of my pet mock draft cat. I like his size and he seemed to be a play maker in college. So, with the real NFL draft 37 days away here's probably my favorite draft to date. If Houston was able to draft these players I would not squawk one bit.

 

 

22: R1P22

CB VERNON HARGREAVES III

FLORIDA

 

52: R2P21

DT VERNON BUTLER

LOUISIANA TECH

 

85: R3P22

WR BRAXTON MILLER

OHIO STATE

 

120: R4P21

TE AUSTIN HOOPER

STANFORD

 

160: R5P20

G ISAAC SEUMALO

OREGON STATE

 

167: R5P27

OLB DE'VONDRE CAMPBELL

MINNESOTA

 

196: R6P20

CB DARYL WORLEY

WEST VIRGINIA

It's been quiet around NRG complex this past week. Not a lot of news or happenings taking place. Since the Texans made the big splash early on they have been pretty quiet in free agency. In the past week the Texans made only one signing and that one of their own guys. DB AJ Bouye and that's it. The link below talks about Bouye's signing and lists the move made in free agency so far.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-re-sign-CB-AJ-Bouye/b2a139e3-d1e3-4ab0-bcf4-6ddb2343fb2a

 

It seems like just yesterday I posted my weekly mock draft but it has actually been a whole week. So, here is my mock draft 5.0 that is done on fanspeak.com's On The Clock draft simulator. The free agent signings early on made the priorities change as Houston really no longer needs a RB or QB and the defense is pretty solid. Filling holes on the roster and a definite upgrade in talent on the O-line is what Houston needs. Oh yeah, a wide receiver and a tight end won't hurt either. Let's see what happens this week.

 

22: R1P22

CB VERNON HARGREAVES III - Cannot pass up the opportunity to get the highest ranked CB in the draft!

FLORIDA

 

52: R2P21

OLB JOSHUA PERRY - Quality linebackers are always a must in a 3-4 and Perry is a really good player, besides it's hard to pass up an Ohio State guy.

OHIO STATE

 

85: R3P22

G CHRISTIAN WESTERMAN - Ariz St guy will add quality depth to the O-line and could step in and start in a couple of years.

ARIZONA STATE

 

119: R4P21

TE NICK VANNETT - I saw Vannett at the Senior Bowl and I liked what I saw. Yet another Buckeye to add to the team.

OHIO STATE

 

159: R5P20

C EVAN BOEHM - Kicks like a Missouri mule is an old saying about a guy who is strong and tough. He could be your swing man at guard and center.

MISSOURI

 

166: R5P27

DT MATT IOANNIDIS - Another guy who made a good impression at the Senior Bowl.

TEMPLE

 

195: R6P20

DT D.J. READER - I can't seem to pass up on a Clemson or Ohio State player. Both programs are just too good.

CLEMSON

I have heard people say they are tired of JJ Watt. He's everywhere and he's the most recognizable defensive player in the NFL. Some even say he's overrated. Really? Back to back defensive player of the year awards overrated? These people are just haters. JJ Watt is the best defensive player since Lawrence Taylor and in many ways he's even better. My advice to Texans fans is to appreciate this guy while he's playing because you are watching history unfold. The guy seems to be everywhere but he's no phony and he is the real deal on and off the field. Now, in an article linked below from NFL.com it turns out that Watt earned his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award all the while dealing with 5 torn muscles in his core. The guy is just a flat out beast and I look forward to him getting healthy and earning an unprecedented 3rd consecutive DPOY award for Houston and leading this team deep into the playoffs.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000649241/article/report-jj-watt-played-with-five-torn-core-muscles

 

Jadeveon Clowney received the Ed Block Courage Award earlier this month in the ceremony held in New York. The EBCA is given to a player from each NFL team in a vote by their teammates who are the best role models for courage, inspiration and sportsmanship. After a serious knee injury in his rookie season that involved career threatening microfracture surgery. After missing all of the 2015 preseason Clowney came back and played as well as can be expected. He played in 13 games last season starting 9 and during the course of the year he recorded his first NFL sack ending up with 4.5 sacks on the year. It takes a year to come back from microfracture surgery and we have not seen the best of Clowney yet but he will undoubtedly be better in 2016.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Jadeveon-Clowney-wins-Ed-Block-Courage-award/5435ca90-8b1c-47e6-b106-ccead89b6546

Brian Hoyer recently said he wants to stay in Houston despite the fact that the Texans have paid a king's ransom to bring in Brock Osweiler. Hoyer has to know that he was automatically relegated to 2nd string when that happened and still he says he wants to play football in Houston. In all likelihood Hoyer is just being a good soldier and saying the right things so he doesn't look like a jerk. After all, I'll be he still wants a job and in the back of his mind I will also wager he still wants to start--for someone--in this league. All that is probably moot anyway since the Texans struck a deal with Brandon Weeden. Weeden was signed by the Texans after he was released by the Cowboys just after mid season last year. He became a free agent at the end of the 2015 season and Houston apparently liked what they saw and signed him to a deal on Friday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. This is probably a sure bet that Hoyer is history in Houston.

 

Here's a video of JJ Watt as he goes through rehab evidence that with all the ailments he had last season he's finally getting healthy.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/Watt-updates-injury-with-box-jump-video/30634302-5448-463c-8420-973e2d6939ad

Here is my weekly mock draft version 6.0. I have a very specific target this week which is unlike previous weeks when I sort of took the best available without duplicates or taking a kicker or punter. I am looking for a quality WR and TE to help out my new QB Brock Osweiler. So, let's see what happened.

 

22: R1P22

WR COREY COLEMAN - Best WR in the draft this year. DeAndre Hopkins needs a partner on the opposite side and Coleman is that guy.

BAYLOR

 

52: R2P21

OLB JAYLON SMITH - If he hadn't been hurt in the bowl game Smith might have been the best LB in this draft. Worth taking a chance on with a 2nd round pick.

NOTRE DAME

 

85: R3P22

TE HUNTER HENRY - Highest ranked TE in this draft and said to be the most complete TE in years. There you go Brock and quality WR and TE for you to work with.

ARKANSAS

 

119: R4P21

G SPENCER DRANGO - OBTW Brock here's a stud guard to protect you up the middle. Your welcome.

BAYLOR

 

159: R5P20

C EVAN BOEHM - Ever heard the saying, "Kicks like a Missouri mule."? Here's your mule Brock. Quality O-line depth for your future health and well being.

MISSOURI

 

166: R5P27

DT WILLIE HENRY - Not forgetting the defense here's a guy who could step in and replace Vince Wilfork some day.

MICHIGAN

 

195: R6P20

CB DARYL WORLEY - I don't know why I like this guy other than he's long (6'1") and athletic and he made plays at West Virginia.

WEST VIRGINIA

 

I'm pretty happy about this draft and if it came to pass that this is who Houston takes for real later this month I will be a happy camper especially if Jaylon Smith returns to form. It's being said he won't play in 2016 because he has to have his nerves, damaged when he injured his knee, grow back. If Smith comes back 100% he can play any linebacker spot and make any one of the positions better. As of today there are only 23 days until the draft.

The NFL giveth and the NFL taketh away. Okay, sorry about going biblical here but Houston lost a valuable man this week. DE Jared Crick, who was a free agent, is a free agent no longer. On Wednesday Crick signed a two year deal with the Denver Broncos. I think this is big loss because Crick really stepped up to the plate for an injured Jadeveon Clowney and he played his ass off. Hopefully, Clowney is over his knee issues and can play all 16 games for the first time in his career but it sure is tough losing a guy who has played well. On the other side of the coin Houston did sign a FA of their own when they inked DB Quinton Demps to a deal on Thursday. Demps began his career in Philly where he played two seasons (2008-2009). Houston signed demps and he played 3 years in Houston (2010-2012) before playing 2013 in KC and 2014 with the Giants. Houston signed Demps just before the start of the 2015 season and he played well for the Texans before becoming a free agent again in February. Terms of Demp's deal are not known as yet. Still quiet around Texans HQ as you might expect but the draft is less than 3 weeks away so you can bet your bottom dollar the Texans front office and coaching staff are busy as heck right now.

My weekly mock draft, version 7.0 is revealed here. It is finally getting close enough to start getting antsy about the draft. It is 2 weeks and a day until the NFL will gather in Chicago for the annual college talent cattle call known as the NFL draft. During the past weeks I have been mindful of the Texans needs but I have been taking my own personal wish list into account. The main needs, as I see it, are offensive line, wide receiver, tight end and filling odds and ends on defense. It's time to address those needs as Houston is about to begin off season workouts in prep for the 2016 NFL season. The Texans begin on Monday the 18th with their phase I offseason workout program which consists of strength and conditioning workouts. This is done while the Texans assemble their draft board as the scouts, coaches and GM meet together to plan for April 28th, 29th and 30th. So, here is my mock consisting totally of picks addressing the needs the Texans have going into the draft.

 

22: R1P22

OT JACK CONKLIN - 3rd ranked OT in the draft and he's ready to play if needed. Duane Brown and Derek Newton are both getting older and Conklin is a fit at both tackles.

MICHIGAN STATE

 

52: R2P21

WR WILL FULLER - The speedster from Notre Dame will make a great bookend with DeAndre Johnson for the Texans.

NOTRE DAME

 

85: R3P22

TE AUSTIN HOOPER - Second ranked TE in the draft according to CBSSports.com. Hooper will make the 6th TE from Stanford in the NFL. Apparently, Stanford knows TE's.

STANFORD

 

119: R4P21

C JACK ALLEN - Talk about coincidence! It didn't snap to me until just now that I have drafted college teammates. Talk about continuity! Allen is a little small for an O-lineman

MICHIGAN STATE - but if he can play some guard as well as backup center this won't be a wasted pick. Will need a year in the weight room. He value will be realized in the future.

 

159: R5P20

G ISAAC SEUMALO - Every guy can't be a 1st round pick. Seumalo has the size and athleticism to compete for a starting job. Will be a good backup ready to step in when needed.

OREGON STATE

 

166: R5P27

DT D.J. READER - I chose Reader ahead of Matt Ionnidis (Temple) and Willie Henry (Michigan) because of his size (6'3", 323 lbs) as a good man to groom behind Vince Wilfork.

CLEMSON - I also picked him because I am a fan of almost everyone from Clemson and Ohio State.

 

195: R6P20

CB KEVIN PETERSON - He's a little undersized for the big NFL receivers but he did okay against tough Big 12 competition while at Ok State. His 4.58 combine and pro day 40

OKLAHOMA STATE - times are more conducive of a safety rather than a corner. He may be a nickel back or a backup safety with cover skills in the NFL.

 

I think this is a pretty decent draft. I have addressed the need for depth at O-line including two guys who project as starters in the NFL. I got a top tier WR in Will Fuller who will add speed to the Texans offense and I got a guy who could develop into a top NFL caliber receiving TE.

The 2016 NFL season schedule was released last night and there are a couple of interesting games on the schedule. Games that stand out with some story lines are 1) Sept 22nd on Thursday night Houston travels to New England for a Thursday night game. Brock Osweiler led the Broncos to a late season win over the Pats on their way to winning Super Bowl 50.

2) On Oct 24th Houston will travel to Denver for a Monday night game. It will be Osweiler's first trip back to Denver since signing with Houston. 3) On Nov 21 Houston and Oakland will travel to Mexico City for the first NFL game there since 2005. It will also be the first ever game broadcast on Monday Night Football outside the US. 4) Dec 4 JJ Watt, a native of Wisconsin, will play his first game in his home state when Houston travels to Green Bay to play the Packers at Lambeau Field.

This season the teams from the AFC South which includes Houston will play the AFC West teams and the NFC North teams this season. The remainder of the schedule will be against the Patriots and Bengals. That's the price you pay for a 1st place schedule.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Houston-Texans-2016-schedule-announced/6ff15ae0-1da8-440a-8274-3dd13e13b0d1

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Brock-Osweiler-Texans-head-to-Denver-for-MNF/31d55898-5d1f-46bc-a5c6-e78c567d5122

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-heading-to-sacred-ground-in-Mexico-City/45b9cb7f-b737-47ba-a897-9ba783812bd6

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/JJ-Watt-to-make-NFL-debut-at-Lambeau-Field/0c4b290e-e8bd-46c9-b4ca-778447a7772f

 

Houston has a brutal road schedule when you consider all their division games will be pretty tough because Indianapolis is Indy, Jacksonville is a vastly improved team and Tennessee with a whole new staff from the front office down to the coaching staff should be a lot better especially after all the draft picks they hauled in when they traded their 1st overall draft pick to the Rams. The non-division road games are going to be tough as hell. Their road opponents are, in order, are: New England Week 3, Minnesota Week 5, Denver Week 6, Oakland in Mexico City Week 11, Green Bay Week 13. All five teams were playoff teams in 2015. Houston has got to be ranked near the top of the toughest schedules in the coming season. Needless to say Brock Osweiler will be under a lot of pressure to help the Texans repeat as AFC South Champs considering they went 9-7 and won the division with pretty spotty, at best, QB play. For the money Houston paid Osweiler was paid he will have to be a darn sight better than either Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett and Brandon Weeden were.