Houston Texans 2017 Offseason

It’s a good thing that all those rumors of Bill O’Brien opting out of his contract were unfounded. How can you let a coach walk who has yet to have a losing season as a head coach? How can you let a guy walk who has led the team to 2 division titles in his 3 years as head coach? The supposed rumors that O’Brien and Texans GM Rick Smith couldn’t get along may or may not be true but apparently, if the rumors are true, they have mended fences and are pressing on. I don’t like Smith very much but you can’t deny he has done a good job building the team. The Texans have the No. 1 defense in the NFL and that’s without JJ Watt taking a snap. They have added a stable of skill players on offense that need two things, well three. 1)They need to improve the offensive line, 2) they need to teach Will Fuller how to catch a freaking football and 3) they need to quit dicking around with half-assed quarterbacks. Matt Schaub was a decent QB for a couple of years but he was a bit of a shocking signing when Houston picked him up because he really had done nothing in the NFL. He was a backup in Atlanta for goodness sake. But if you were disappointed in Schaub look at what the Texans have fielded since Schaub’s final season as the Texans starting QB in 2013. In fact the QB carousel began in 2013 when Schaub got benched in favor of former Houston Cougar Case Keenum. Bill O’Brien was hired in 2014 and this is who Rick Smith has given him to work with at QB, Keenum, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mallet, Brian Hoyer, TJ Yates, Brandon Weeden, Tom Savage and Brock Osweiler. O’Brien started 3 different guys in his first year in 2014, 4 different QB’s in 2015 and two last season and he still went 9-7 all three seasons. No, you can’t let that guy go, you help pack his bags and make sure he has everything he needs as he travels to Mobile this week for the Senior Bowl.

 

Seriously, Rick, you need to get this man a quality starting QB and quit trying to catch lightning in a bottle with these half assed jokers you keep saddling him with. You might have to eat some salary but Brock isn’t the guy. He came in back in March and did and said all the right things. He did everything he could to bond with the team. Brock showed tremendous leadership skill off the field which gave us all hope for this past season. Unfortunately, Brock didn’t show the same skills on the field. He turned the ball over way too much, he missed throws badly at times and his field vision was just awful which led to many of his picks. You wanted to give Tom Savage a shot but he couldn’t make the conservative play calling work because the Texans O-line was just so bad at all the wrong times.

 

Rick, here’s a thought. Work out a trade with the Cowboys. Tony Romo will want out of Dallas after Jason Garrett fucked him over this past season. Dallas will need a backup because they can’t hang their hats on either Kellen Moore or Mark Sanchez. Brock would be a good backup for the Cowboys even though he probably wouldn’t like it. Tough beans if he doesn’t like it, Rick, this is business. The upside is you get Tony Romo who is still a top 5 QB at 36 years of age. He will be 37 in April but Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre played until they were 40 and Brady is going to a freaking Super Bowl! Manning Won the SB in his final season and Favre got busted for sending selfies of his junk to a secretary when he was with the Jets. C’mon Rick, the sky’s the limit here. You bitch about Romo’s injury history but the thing that set him back the last two seasons wasn’t soft tissue problems like a pulled groin or hamstring, it wasn’t a torn ACL, Achilles tendon or rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder. No, it was broken bones. The surgery Romo had last year to shave down his shoulder joint in his left shoulder is supposed to have fixed forever his collarbone issue. The stress fracture in his back that cost him his job this past season is healed and if you buy a slip-n-slide for him and his boys to play with this spring it will also serve to help Romo learn how to slide properly and he should be good to go. After all, it a piss poor slide that led to the broken back when Seattle DL Cliff Avril power slammed Romo in the turf causing the stress fracture of his vertebra. Use the slip-n-slide Tony, if you had gotten down properly instead of sitting down Avril would never had hit you and you don’t lose your job and have to eat shit by making an embarrassing concession speech that Dak Prescott had taken your job. Rick, Romo is hungry and he’s itching to prove he’s not done as a starting QB in the NFL. If Houston had Romo this past season I have no doubt the Texans would have finished 12-4 or 13-3 and they would have had a better than even chance to beat the Patriots in the playoffs. The Texans have the weapons on offense and Romo has never had a defense like Houston’s in his years in Dallas. Going to a Super Bowl is not beyond the realm of imagination with Tony Romo under center. He’s got 2-3 prime years left and a championship is not an absurd notion. Also, if Tom Savage needs more seasoning he finally has a true mentor to learn the game from in Romo and it doesn’t stop you from drafting a guy to develop. Rick, do this deal, I promise you won’t regret it.

Because the Super Bowl is in Houston there is going to be the inevitable tidbits about connections between the Patriots and Falcons and the home town Texans.

 

On the Patriots-Texans side there is the obvious connection between Texans head coach Bill O’Brien and the Patriots. O’Brien was the Patriots staff from 2007 through the 2011 season. He began as an offensive assistant and he worked his way up the staff ladder to become the OC in his final year with the Patriots. He was on the staff for two Super Bowl appearances in 2007 and 2011. Both times the Patriots lost to the New York Giants despite being heavy favorites in both games. It was the relationships he developed in his 5 years in New England that lead O’Brien to hire former Pats linebacker Mike Vrabel as his LB coach. Since the conclusion of the 2016 season the Texans have promoted DC Romeo Crennel to Assistant Head Coach-Defense and Vrabel has been promoted to the defensive coordinator. These promotions have received a vote of approval from another former Patriot, Vince Wilfork. Wilfork came to Houston in 2015 and he’s been a part of both division championships under O’Brien. Wilfork claimed, when Houston lost to New England in the divisional round of the playoffs, that he was going to retire but as of today he is crawfishing on this and has not officially announced his retirement. Yesterday the Texans announced the hiring of yet another former Patriot, Wes Welker. Welker with an offensive/special teams assistant as he’s getting his first opportunity as a coach.

 

On the Atlanta side there isn’t much of a connection except for one player, Matt Schaub, who had some very good seasons in Houston. The last season Schaub played for the Texans it wasn’t pretty. He just seemed to have that proverbial “switch” flipped to the off position when he couldn’t seem to do anything right. The Texans even lost a couple of games because of inexplicable pick-sixes that got him benched. That 2013 season was so bad it cost Gary Kubiak and Wade Phillips their jobs as they began the season winning the first two games but they went 0-14 the rest of the way with that 2-14 record earning the Texans the first overall pick in the 2014 draft. The other 5 years of Schaub’s tenure were pretty good including his leading Houston to their first two division championships in 2011 and 2012 and their first two playoff appearances. So what is the connection to Atlanta? Schaub was the Falcons 3rd round draft pick in 2004. Houston traded for Schaub prior to the 2007 season and for the 5 years he was very productive. His favorite receiver during his time in Houston was arguably TE Owen Daniels. Schaub threw a lot of ball to Andre Johnson but it was Daniels who was his security blanket when he needed a play. The symbiotic relationship between Schaub and Daniels has been compared to the relationship between Dallas’ Tony Romo and Jason Witten. It is a very fair comparison because they all came into the league at roughly the same time with Romo taking over as the Cowboys QB in 2006 at midseason and his first full season as a starter was 2007, the same year as Schaub. Witten was drafted in 2003 and he was already making a name for himself as an NFL player but his career really blossomed with Romo at QB. Eight of Witten’s 10 Pro Bowl appearances came with Romo chunking the rock. Witten made either 1st or 2nd team All Pro every year from 2007 through 2012 missing only the 2009 and 2011 seasons. Owen Daniels was drafted by Houston in the 4th round of the 2006 draft and his last season in Houston was, like Schaub, in 2013. Both Schaub and Daniels were 2 time Pro Bowlers. Schaub made it in 2009 and 2012 and Daniels in 2008 and 2012. Schaub was also the NFL leader in passing yards in 2009. Daniels, who retired after the 2015 season from the Denver Broncos after winning Super Bowl 50 in Peyton Manning’s final season as a player, commented this week he will be rooting for the Falcons because his friend Schaub is on the Falcons team. It seems as though Schaub has come full circle ending up his career right where he started. It seems ironic that Daniels and perhaps Shaub have the one thing that Romo and Witten don’t have and that’s a Super Bowl ring. The one thing that all have in common is that they will all end their careers on different teams than the one they became famous together with. According to Daniels he is not the only former teammate of Schaub’s rooting for him to get a ring. As for me, I can’t decide. On one hand I would like to see Atlanta win because even though they were in a Super Bowl before they didn’t win. But, I would really like to see Roger Goodell hand the Lombardi Trophy to Belichick and Brady and Robert Kraft. That would be the text book definition of poetic justice.

The City of Houston and the Houston Texans just had a helluva Super Bowl. Likely to be billed as the best Super Bowl ever considering the record 25 comeback win by the Patriots and the first SB to go into overtime how anyone say anything different that it's the best SB ever!!! Yeah, okay, so the Atlanta Falcons and their fans probably don't this it was all that great but we can understand those feelings, right? As for Houston, well, they got a win-win-win ad infinitum. The weather wasn't perfect but it wasn't too hot or too cold and the sun actually peaked through some during SB week. If you were hoping for a good game you pretty much got it. The boom in the Houston economy had to be enormous and most of the traffic in the city didn't have to go through 290 West which is a cluster-you-know-what. Bets are now being taken for which decade all the road construction will finally be complete on 290 West and Beltway 8 interchange. I'm tired just thinking about that perpetual traffic jam.

 

The NFL season is truly over now and you can't complain too much about the outcome considering the bust that was Brock Osweiler. To make it to the divisional round of the playoffs was pretty good and at least you can say that you lost out to the eventual SB Champs is a bit of a face saver. 2017's outlook should be even more rosy considering the Texans will get JJ Watt back. You would ask how could the #1 defense in 2016 get better in 2017 and the answer is getting the 3 time defensive player of the year back. With the breakout season Jadeveon Clowney had this past season this defense will only get better. On offense the return of Nick Martin at center after he missed his entire rookie season because of a foot injury will help the O-line and the Texans should add to that in the draft. According to CBSSports.com this draft class is weak at offensive tackle so if Houston gets one it will need to be early. The fortunate thing is this seems to be a deep class for guards so Houston can really hit the jackpot. Lamar Miller will be back and he is definitely THE new and improved Arian Foster. The guy is a beast and with a better line, look out his 1,200 yards rushing could turn into 1,800 in a heartbeat. Of course you've got DeAndre Hopkins to lead the WR's but rookies Will Fuller and Braxton Miller will only be better in 2017 (especially if they teach Fuller how to catch the freaking ball!). The Texans have a nice one-two punch at TE with breakout seasons by CJ Fiedorowicz and Ryan Griffin. Folks, you'd better pull out your shades because 2017 is looking pretty bright from my seat. Especially if Bill O'Brien is right and Brock is much better in his second year as the Texans QB. That is IF he can beat out Tom Savage and IF Houston doesn't work out a trade or just pick up Tony Romo outright. Talk about bright future if the Texans get Romo! Mark my words, if Houston acquires Romo this offseason the Texans will automatically be vaulted into the top 5 teams favored to make the SB next February. The most logical spot for Romo to end up is Houston. He could end up in Denver but I doubt Kansas City even though Alex Smith is a free agent. I really think (and hope!) there is a good chance Tony Romo can end up in Houston by April, if not sooner.

Okay here is the latest rumor, probably suggested by a fan of the Texans who was less than impressed with Brock Osweiler's first season in Houston. The Texans trade JJ Watt to Dallas for Tony Romo. The reasoning being that Houston's defense was the #1 unit in the NFL without Watt and only look to get better after free agency and the draft. What Houston didn't have was consistent QB play. Romo would be a great fit in Houston but if you think that the Texans will part ways with the 3 time defensive player of the year you would be officially certified as "crazy". Actually, the best move would be to trade Brock Osweiler to Dallas to be Dak Prescott's backup and get Romo in return. The cap hit is almost the same for both players. Romo's cap his is $24.7MM while Osweiler's is $19MM. Right now the Texans have $24MM in cap room so they could absorb the extra 5 mil of Romo's contract. This deal would immediately make the Texans viable Super Bowl contenders for at least the next two years while retaining Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden as backups. This would not preclude Houston of pursuing a QB in the 3rd or 4th rounds as they look for their own Dak Prescott. From the Cowboys perspective they get a veteran backup with starting experience and save $5MM in cap space and they get rid of a potential locker room problem if Romo remained on the team.

 

The combine begins next week so all this Romo to Houston talk can die down for a little while anyway.

 

Here is Houston's draft survey mock 4.0 from the Texans.com website. In this article they get a weigh in from a bunch of different sources on who the Texans will select in the first round of this year's draft. There are also links to the previous 3 surveys if you are interested.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Mock-Draft-Survey-40-Pre-Combine/1921e466-9bfd-4c1d-b47c-e9058ad47800

The Texans brain trust is heading to Indianapolis this week for the NFL Scouting Combine as the go about the process of putting together their draft board. It began in earlier this month at the Senior Bowl in Mobile Alabama -- well, truth be told, it began a long time ago as the scouting department started looking at this draft class at least a couple of years ago. The time invested in scouting players might boggle your mind but for the armchair GM’s out there the Senior Bowl is as good a place as any to begin. Take a look at most of the best senior football players in the college game from 2016 to see how they stack up peer to peer. Check. Now comes probably THE most important part of the scouting process this week in Indianapolis. The very best draft eligible prospects will gather and be poked, prodded, interviewed and tested. That’s even before they step one foot on the field for the 40 yard dash, the vertical jump, the broad jump, the bench press and all the position drills they will go through to showcase their speed, athleticism and agility. Upwards of 335 players will be in Indy for six days, from arriving today until the last of the position workouts and Rich Eisen’s annual slow white guy 40 yard dash next Monday. For all the draft geeks this is Christmas in February-March and it’s been the venue to make guys like Mel Kiper Jr, Mike Mayock and Todd McShay famous, or infamous, depending on your point of view.

Rick Smith, Bill O’Brien and the coaches and scouts from the Texans will be on hand to try to figure out what to do with their 25th pick in the 1st round as well as the rest of their draft selections. Houston has one selection in each of the seven rounds of the draft this year. Below is the latest Texans mock draft done by Randy Gurzi from FanSided from the NFL Spin Zone.

 

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/2017-nfl-draft-houston-texans-post-season-7-round-mock-draft-011817

 

I am not sure if I agree with Mr Gurzi’s mock. I Think the Texans have two good TE’s in Ryan Griffin and CJ Fiedorowicz and they are going to need to think about replacing 30 year old Brian Cushing. There is a guy from Wisconsin who compares favorably with Cushing’s former USC teammate Clay Matthews III and that guy’s name is TJ Watt. Yep, JJ’s bouncing baby brother has become an All Big Ten LB and he is a big of a beast rushing the passer. You know the bloodlines are good with big brother being a 3-time defensive player of the year and I think we all know the work ethic is there and he could be available at #25. This is gratuitous pick, TJ is a damn good player and he would fill a need on the roster. Especially in a 3-4 scheme where the old saying is, “…you can never have enough good linebackers”. The pick makes much better sense than OJ Howard. Now, Ryan Griffin is a UFA, or will be on March 9, so maybe Howard is the way to go but I still like Watt. In all likelihood Howard won’t be around at 25 anyway but Watt could. The aforementioned Clay Matthews was drafted #26 in 2009 so who’s to say Watt won’t be there at 25?

After the 1st round Houston needs to get better on the O-line. They drafted Notre Dame’s Nick Martin last year but he was lost for the season after he injured his ankle so badly it required surgery to repair. He will be back and should be an upgrade for the Texans. Houston needs tackles and guards, period. The one true weakness of the Texans team was their O-line and it needs to be addressed. Duane Brown is the anchor at left tackle but he is starting to break down after a hard 9 years in the NFL. On the opposite side Derek Newton was struck down when he tore the patellar tendon in both knees last year. Some say his career may be in jeopardy so I agree with Gurzi’s 2nd round pick of Fla State OT Roderick Johnson. The bad thing about this year’s OT talent is that it isn’t a deep class at the position so Johnson could be your best option late in the 2nd round.

The next position of concern is cornerback. Houston is looking at a key player that will become a free agent on March 9th, AJ Bouye, who had a terrific season in 2016. Houston has cap room and should sign Bouye if at all possible. S Quentin Demps is also a UFA but the Texans have enough depth they could allow Demps to test the FA market. One FA that Houston could, and maybe should, resign is OLB John Simon. If the Texans decide to let Simon walk then drafting TJ Watt would be an imperative.

Below is a list of all the Texans free agents and you can decide for yourself who Houston should try to keep or let go.

 

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/houston-texans/

 

One last item, since the Scouting Combine begins today I figured why not give the Texans fans a primer on the top players in the draft and what better source than Texans.com’s own John Harris. Linked below is Harris’ annual Harris 100. This is his player rankings from 1 to 100. Check it out and it will get you ready for the on-field stuff at the combine beginning on Thursday.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/draft_prospect_report.html

This is going to be posted on both the Texans and Cowboys offseason threads because it is so much about both the teams. Of course I’m talking about Tony Romo. I went into detail about the scenarios around Romo yesterday on the Cowboys thread so no rehash here. What is happening is the latest on what is happening with Tony in relation to his status in the NFL.

It was reported Wednesday that Dallas was going to release Romo when the free agent signing period began at 3:00 CST on Thursday. That was Jerry Jones doing the right thing for Romo to allow him ample time to find a new team. When it was clear the Cowboys were moving on from Troy Aikman back in 2001 Jones did the right thing as the best business decision for the Cowboys by not releasing Aikman until after June 1st. By that time free agency and the draft were completed and any opportunities for Aikman to catch on with another team had dried up and blown away. Considering Dallas decided to move on from Aikman because of concerns over numerous concussions he suffered, especially in his last couple of seasons in Dallas it might also have been Jerry doing the right thing for Troy Aikman’s long term health.

Just before 3:00 o’clock yesterday Tony posted a thank you to Dallas fans on Instagram which sounded like a goodbye if I ever heard one. Tony thanked fans for their love and support while listening to Bob Dylan’s “These Times They Are A-Changin’” on his Iphone.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/watch-tony-romo-says-thanks-to-cowboys-fans-with-sad-music-playing/

 

After the free agent signing period began Houston worked out a deal to send Brock Osweiler and their 2018 2nd round draft pick to Cleveland. The link below from NFL.com analyzing the winners and losers of this deal sums it up pretty well. Note that Houston only gets rid of Osweiler and his salary with virtually nothing in return and that Cleveland gets a QB who is arguably better than RGIII at this point plus a 2nd round draft pick. The only thing bad about the deal for Cleveland is having to eat Osweiler’s contract but considering Cleveland is required to spent a lot of money to meeting the minimum salary requirements NFL teams have to pay, this isn’t such a bad deal at all--for either team.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000792045/article/winners-and-losers-from-brock-osweiler-trade

 

The deal sending Osweiler to Cleveland is, as noted in the article above, is a win for Bill O’Brien because he didn’t want Osweiler in the first place and he wanted him even less seeing his performance on the field. The main thing about the deal is Houston has dusted off the red carpet and they are free to welcome Romo to Houston. Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden, who Romo is familiar with since their time together in Dallas, would be the backups and Houston would have the best QB situation maybe in franchise history IF Romo goes to H-town.

 

The fly in the ointment is that Dallas DIDN’T release Romo as reported yesterday. In his Instagram post Romo never actually said goodbye but he did say the previous 48 hours had been crazy. So, maybe Romo knew Jerry wasn’t going to release him yesterday but he knows he won’t be in Dallas in 2017. Maybe this Romo doing the right thing by allowing Jerry a little time to work out a trade so the Cowboys can salvage something of his salary cap hit Dallas will take when Romo is gone. Adam Schefter said this morning on Mike and Mike that he thinks Romo will be free sooner rather than later but the Cowboys are trying desperately to get something for Romo via a trade. Schefter also said he thinks it is highly unlikely any team will agree to a trade because the Cowboys have no leverage. Schefty thinks teams will just wait for Dallas to release Romo and then pounce on making a deal with him rather than agree to a deal which will require them to bear the brunt of Romo’s $24 MM cap hit. It is just good business.

 

On Wednesday the Cowboys brought in Josh McCown for an interview. McCown would be an ideal backup for Dak Prescott. He’s a veteran guy and a career backup so he knows his role on a team. McCown was released by the Cleveland Browns a few weeks ago which, if Dallas ends up signing McCown, would complete the symbiotic cycle of recent events that would complete the Houston-to-Cleveland-to-Dallas-to-Houston cycle that was set in motion with the Osweiler deal yesterday. Of course Houston would have to strike a deal with Romo but this almost feels so Karmic that it is almost a case of manifest destiny. The only thing left to do for the Texans is buy Tony Romo and Slip-n-Slide to help him learn how to get down without somebody breaking his back and a get Will Fuller III a part of super sticky gloves so he can catch the damn ball and the Texans become a favorite to win Super Bowl LII.

 

Houston Free Agent Losses

S Quentin Demps signed by Chicago to a 3 year $4.5 MM per year deal

CB A.J. Bouye signed by Jacksonville to a 5 year $67.6 MM deal (This gives the Jags two really good CB’s in Bouye and last year’s 1st round pick Jalen Ramsey. This is a big loss for Houston and yet another mistake by GM Rick Smith IMO.)

Dallas Free Agent Losses

DL Jack Crawford signed by Atlanta to a 3 year $10.3 MM deal which includes $3.75 MM due the first year.

OG Ronald Leary signed by Denver to a 4 year $35 MM deal. This is a big loss for Dallas IMO as I believe he is better than La’el Collins who missed most of this past season due to injury. A big blow to the Cowboys O-line.)

Rumored to be close to a deal is S Barry Church coming to terms on a deal that will send him to Jacksonville.

Another player said to be close to a deal is DT Terrell McClain and the Washington Redskins. Neither of the previous deals are official and Dallas could still opt to keep one or both players if they can match the offers of those teams. In truth, Dallas has no cap space and will likely lose both. Losing both these players would be huge blow to the Cowboys who have been trying to build a good defense for 20 years and have failed to do so.

 

Dallas did sign WR Brice Butler to a deal the terms of which have yet to be made known. With Dallas facing the prospect of losing Terrence Williams to free agency they signed Butler on the cheap to maintain some semblance of stability to the Cowboys WR corps. Butler is a poor man’s Will Fuller III, a guy who can run fast but has questionable hands.

 

Wow, lots going on. Like rust in that Neil Young song the NFL never sleeps.

The Texans biggest need is undoubtedly QB. Yeah, I know, the Texans have Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden but Savage can’t stay healthy and Weeden isn’t your long or short term solution for QB. Houston has paved the way for Tony Romo to join them if, or when, the Cowboys get around to releasing him. The Cowboys seem to be holding out hope that someone will be dumb enough to trade for him but it just isn’t going to happen. Dallas is going to have to eat his salary and all the dead money that goes with it because they mishandled the Romo -Dak thing last fall. Romo should have gotten his job back when he got healthy and he would have led the Cowboys to an NFC East title and maybe he would have gotten the Cowboys off to a faster start in the divisional round of the playoffs that Dak did. The bottom line is Romo should have been the QB for the last 5 or 6 games of the season in 2016 and he should be the incumbent starter heading into 2017. That way Dallas has an experienced QB who making starter money with the QB of the future biding his time on the bench until Romo retires. In a perfect world that is how things should have gone but this isn’t a perfect world and here we are in March wondering what Tony Romo’s fate will be. Since this a Texans thread the obvious hope of this writer is that Romo ends up a Texan and leads the team to a win in Super Bowl LII next February where he is interviewed after the game and he can put his tongue between his lips and blows making that all-to-familiar raspberry sound followed by “…suck it Jason and Jerry!” Just like an ump in baseball who cleans off home plate so he can call balls and strikes more easily the Texans swept off Brock Osweiler and his big contract to Cleveland to make it easier to bring in Romo. They are just waiting for Jerry to release Tony so they can make it all happen. If and when the Texans sign Romo I’m sure you see pictures of the Texans receivers and running backs walking around with big bulges in the their pants as they excitedly await a true franchise QB to start throwing and handing them the ball.

Draft experts weigh in at the NFL combine as to what the Texans biggest needs are going into the 2017 season. Most agree O-line is the biggest concern but there are a few surprises here and there. Check out the video on the same page. You get to see Texans.com reporter Deepi Sidhu interview the experts. I don’t miss a chance to see Deepi, I think she’s hot and for a woman to be THAT hot AND like football it’s like every guy’s fantasy come true!

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Experts-share-opinions-on-Texans-biggest-2017-need/052d9f61-1270-4b38-90a9-a76e2ff430c2

Also from Texans.com there is an article with these same experts with the accompanying video featuring Deepi that makes predictions about the Texans defense in 2017. Spoiler alert, they all say Houston will be better in 2017 simply because JJ Watt will be back. (Sidebar, how amazing would it be to go out on a date with Deepi AND NFL.com’s Alex Flannagan? You have the exotic Deepi with her dark hair and dark eyes and you have blonde haired Arizona Sun Goddess in Ms Flannagan……holy crap I need to go take a cold shower!)

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Experts-agree-Texans-defense-in-17-will-be/6491f455-ffbe-428c-949c-0de83d395303

I wonder if you all realized that Houston has won the AFC South division title 4 of the past 6 years. Did you realize that? It's absolutely true and somehow it doesn't seem like they have had that type of success. Did you also realize that Houston has advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs 3 of the 4 years they won the division? I know, but it's true!!! The only time they failed to advance past the Wild Card round was in 2015 when Brian Hoyer had the worst ever game against the Kansas City Chiefs. A testament to Bill O'Brien's coaching is the face that he has taken his teams in the past three seasons since he became head coach of the Texans to identical 9-7 records. Houston just missed out on the playoffs in 2014 by a tie breaker and they have won the AFC South the other two times with the same record. All this with a mind numbing carousel of starting QBs. With the talent Houston has on both sides of the ball all that's missing is a good QB to get them to the next level. They have paved the way to get one by dumping Brock Osweiler on the Cleveland Browns. It also cost the team a 2018 2nd round pick but it was worth it to get rid of him. Brock came in on the heels of success in Denver saying and doing all the right things but his play on the field was lousy more than it was good. O'Brien didn't ask for Brock and he made due with Thim during the 2016 campaign but even that broke down as O'Brien and Osweiler nearly came to blows over a disagreement in the locker room. Brock was clearly done in Houston and it may even have been a case of O'Brien telling GM Rick Smith, "Either he goes or I go." because there were rumors that O'Brien was not going to be Houston's coach going forward. The expectation is that Tony Romo is going to Houston but as yet no move has been made over the status of Romo's next job. There is speculation that Jerry Jones is waiting until after this weekend's NFL Owners meetings in Phoenix to see if he can work out a deal with SOMEBODY so Dallas can get out from under the huge dead money the Cowboys are looking at if they release Romo. The only possible way I see Romo back in Dallas is if they promise him a shot at starting and I don't see that as a viable option. The Cowboys are Dak Prescott's team now so Romo is gone because he still wants to start and he's fully capable of starting. Houston appeals ready and willing and able to wait for Jones to poop or get off the pot and the Texans, nor anyone else in the NFL, will not make a trade for Romo when they can get him much cheaper when he's released.

 

Houston has the 25th pick in the first round of the NFL draft and the primary need for the Texans is O-line or possibly CB. Rick Smith should have paid AJ Bouye instead of letting him go via free agency but I suppose he figured the Texans would be getting Kevin Johnson back from IR to take Bouye's spot. According to overthecap.com Houston has over $30MM in cap space which would allow them to keep Bouye AND get Tony Romo with plenty left over but we will see and time will tell if Smith made yet another miscalculation or not. This is not a tackle deep in talent in this draft but there are a couple of guys who are still good. The question is, will either of them be there at 25? The top tackle prospect is Wisconsin's Ryan Ramczyk but he is coming off hip surgery and he lacks experience at the D-I level only playing at Wisconsin for one season. The next guy is Utah's Garrett Bolles with the next best guy being Alabama's Cam Robinson. The question is whether either of them will be around late in the first round. I suppose I hope the guy I want most is Robinson. You just can't go wrong with an Alabama guy in the Nick Saban era. Fortunately, the draft is deep in guards so Houston should be able to pick up one or two in the middle rounds. They will also be getting 2016 2nd round pick Nick Martin back after he missed all of the 2016 season with a bad ankle that required surgery to repair.

 

It's about 5 weeks until the draft and I am already on pins and needles.

In the Texans latest Mock Roundup, a crap-load of media types who do this sort of thing all the way up to the draft, the overwhelming consensus is that Houston will take a QB. Any of the top 5 will do according to the survey of this week’s mocks but the clear favorite is Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes II. Will any of the top five be there at 25 where Houston picks? Who knows but QB is the way most see the Texans going with their first pick in April’s draft. There are 3 draftable OT’s in this draft according to those same experts and all three made the list of mock draft possibilities. Here’s the article from Texans.com.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Mock-Draft-Survey-QB-overwhelming-pick-for-Texans/93764649-858d-4c24-960b-c0622e9237e1

As a possible look toward the future the Texans promoted DC Romeo Crennel to assistant head coach and they promoted LB coach Mike Vrabel to DC during the early stages of this offseason. Crennel is going to be 70 years old this June and who knows how long he will want to coach? So, the Texans retain Crennel as a defensive consultant basically so he can continue to mentor Vrabel who has only been coaching in the NFL since 2014 after spending 3 years as an assistant coach at Ohio State under Urban Meyer. Vrabel is seen as a coach on the rise and he elected to stay in Houston even after he was offered the DC job in San Francisco prior to the 2016 season and he turned down an offer from the Rams for the same position earlier this year. Vrabel is definitely a coach on the rise and the Texans are determined to keep him in the fold with money and/or promotions. Vrabel and Bill O’Brien were on the same team with the New England Patriots and the Texans staff has a lot of ex-Pats on their staff.

 

Last Friday was the pro day at TAMU. Here’s a look at that event according to Texans.com that includes a video recap from the website analyst John Harris.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Observations-from-Texas-AM-pro-day/dc86447c-0fa4-4d18-9b68-978d6003c55f

 

There is a poll question on the Texans homepage on their website that asks which position should Houston concentrate on with their first round pick. The options are: DE, LB, OL, QB and other. If you picked QB you won because 48% of those who answered the poll chose QB. 2nd most was OL with 42% leaving the other 3 choices in single digits. Apparently, Texans fans have no faith in either Tom Savage or Brandon Weeden going forward. Fans apparently don’t care that Houston could get Tony Romo because they are looking for their own version of Dak Prescott.

Houston lost only four unrestricted free agents this off season but they were pretty important pieces. Pieces that helped Houston end up being the #1 ranked defense in the NFL. Here's the list of free agent losses;

> LB John Simon

> SS Quintin Demps

> CB AJ Bouye

> G Oday Aboushi

 

The Texans need offensive linemen and if they know what's good for them they will dedicate draft picks early for quality players. The Texans will also get last year's 2nd round pick Nick Martin back after he missed his entire rookie season to an injury. The loss of Simon and Bouye are huge. Simon was the right OLB, the one expected to rush the passer, and he had rounded into a really good player. Houston had the cap space to keep Simon especially after they dumped Brook Osweiler and his big salary on Cleveland. Time will tell if that is yet another bonehead move by GM Rick Smith. He will hear it if they don't replace Simon and if they don't replace Bouye who had a monster season for the Texans. IMO Smith should have signed, at very least, either Simon or Bouye but he let them both go. If the Texans have to burn a draft pick on a QB in the first round you can chalk it up to Smith again. They could have been set for 2 or 3 seasons if they could have enticed Tony Romo to come to Houston. Now they are stuck with Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden as the stars of the Texans depth chart at QB. A lot of 'experts' are mocking the Texans to take QB Patrick Mahomes from Texas Tech with their 1st round pick. Personally, I think if the Texans fail to take a OT or CB with that pick they will end up regretting it.

I think that Rick Smith could be mistaking Mahomes for Dak Prescott, they do sort of look alike but there are some significant differences between the two. For starters, Mahomes only started one season at QB for the Red Raiders where Prescott played out his eligibility at Mississippi State starting at least 3 seasons. The next big difference is that Prescott played in the much tougher defensively SEC conference while Mahomes played in the defensively challenged Big 12. As a junior Prescott had MSU ranked #1 in the nation at one point Mahomes TT team never were ranked. Despite setting NCAA records for yards in a game (819 against Oklahoma) and passing yards in a game (734 also against Oklahoma) the Red Raiders only managed to finish with a 5-7 record.

Another big difference is that there is a big difference in the Air Raid offensive scheme that TT runs and a true NFL offense. Mississippi State ran a more traditional offense that prepared Prescott for the NFL. The learning curve for Mahomes trying to run the complicated Bill O'Brien offense is steep as hell. Another interesting note, no Texas Tech QB coming out of this system, including former TT QB and current head coach Cliff Kingsbury, has made even the slightest dent as an NFL QB. Those guys have big numbers in college running basically a run and shoot offense with one read and then run the ball are system QBs who have failed miserably in the NFL.

Houston needs to replace aging offensive tackles and they should try to get a top notch tackle with their first round pick. The top 3 tackles in the draft are 1) Ryan Ramczyk from Wisconsin, 2) Garrett Bolles from Utah and 3) Cam Robinson from Alabama. Ramczyk is coming off hip surgery in February and there is a worry he a bit of a one hit wonder of sorts since he only started one season for Wisconsin but experts agree the tape on his work is impressive. Ramczyk is 6'6" and 314 lbs with good feet. If I had my druthers I believe I'd rather have Cam Robinson if he's available at pick 25. You just can't go wrong with an Alabama kid in the Nick Saban era. Robinson is massive at 6'6" and 322 lbs but he does lack the agility you need at left tackle. As much as Derek Newton has been hurt in the last couple of years Houston could use a reliable right tackle. Trouble is, you don't normally draft a right tackle in the 1st round. It would probably be best to draft either Ramczyk or Bolles but either way until Duane Brown retires they would be playing RT to begin with anyway.

The experts say this is a deep draft for CB's and G and C so no matter which way you go there you can't go wrong. In the 2nd round I really think, if he's available, TJ Watt is your best bet to replace John Simon. Watt isn't as good as his brother JJ but he's good enough to be considered a 1 round pick in some circle. Of course he's going to have the Watt work ethic and with his brother motivating him this could be a dream match up for the Texans. TJ is fast and agile enough to play in coverage as most 3-4 LB's have to do but he excels at rushing the passer as he did at Wisconsin. When was the last time a team selected a player from Wisconsin in both the 1st and 2nd rounds of the draft? Probably never but because of the needs of the Texans it could happen.

The draft is just 5 days away!!!!

It's draft day Texans fans! Buckle up because it's going to be a wild ride. Houston picks #25 in the first and most of the subsequent rounds. They have a pick in each of the first 4 rounds and they have 2 picks in the 4th. The Texans don't have a pick in the 6th round and they have one pick in the seventh round. 7 picks, 7 chances to get better. All we can do is hope Rick Smith doesn't fuck it up. Like last year sacrificing this year's 6th round pick to move up one spot from 22 to 21 in a deal with the Redskins. There was no indication that the Redskins were in the market for a WR but Smith obviously panicked and gave away a draft pick to move up one spot. This year the consensus is that Houston will select QB Patrick Mahomes from Texas Tech but Houston has too many holes to fill to waste a pick on a QB coming from a gimmick offense from the Big 12 when history tells us QB's from that system just don't make it in the NFL. Houston needs to replace LB John Simon and CB AJ Bouye and there are players at both positions that will be available at #25. Houston also needs to upgrade the O-line and there could be a top OT available as well. Rick Smith went after and signed Brock Osweiler last year which was a guy head coach Bill O'Brien obviously didn't want from day 1 and that relationship was fairly toxic from the very beginning. Reaching for a QB in the first round when the general consensus is that there isn't a QB worth taking in the 1st round in this draft would be foolish which is right up Smith's alley. Like the Cowboys, the best move would be to trade down if they can find a taker and get some more picks. Houston needs O-line help as well as LB, CB and S help to cover losses by the team during free agency.

 

I'm excited about the draft tonight but I'm scared about what Rick Smith will do. There is hope because Smith did draft some other good offensive players including Braxton Miller, Tyler Ervin and Nick Martin as well as defensive players S KJ Dillon and DT DJ Reader so Smith is not a total fool. We have to trust that Smith and his staff and Bill O'Brien are all on the same page and do the right thing.

 

Here is the last Mock Draft Roundup from Texans.com and there is no consensus but generally speaking the draft guru's mocks have Houston either taking an O-lineman or a cornerback or a QB. I think Houston Chronicle writer John McClain is a dufus and I tend to think just the opposite of him. McClain seems to think TT QB Mahomes is the guy Houston will select so I am totally against the pick. I don't want a QB who comes from a gimmick college offense that bears no resemblance to an NFC offense. I don't want a QB who has only 13 starts in college like Mitch Trubiski. The only guy I would take if available is Desean Watson from Clemson and the likelihood he's available at pick #25 is slim and none. I would love it if Houston got TJ Watt at pick 25 but if an OT like Ryan Ramcyzk or Garrett Bolles is available I snatch him up like a chunk of gold at Sutter's Mill. I would then pray Watt is still available at the next pick in the 2nd round. There is an interview with former NFL head coach Brian Billick and I like his thoughts on what the Texans should do with their pick.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Mock-Draft-Survey-The-2017-FINAL-edition/17b7ce3c-7d12-4499-9c4a-f6d89ec91d1b

 

Here is my final 7 round mock using the draft simulator on fanspeak.com's On The Clock. Enjoy the draft and I will be very interested to see how close I come to predicting how the Texans will draft tonight and the rest of the weekend! Y'all have fun and enjoy the draft!!!!

 

1. Pick 25 - OT Ryan Ramcyzk Wisconsin - Can play RT if Derek Newton is injured and will replace Duane Brown in time.

2. Pick 57 - S Obi Melifonwu UConn - Smart athletic guy who is athletic enough to play corner or safety.

3. Pick 89 - OLB Ryan Anderson Alabama - Can't go wrong with Alabama guys in Nick Saban era. Good replacement for John Simon.

4. Pick 130 - WR Chad Hansen - Compared to Jordy Nelson. Gives Houston a dynamic young receiving corps.

5. Pick 142 - CB Howard Wilson Houston - Good young CB that will fit the Texans system.

6. Pick 169 - OT Eric Magnuson Michigan - More of a right tackle guy who could play guard.

7. Pick 243 - G Avery Gennesy TAMU - More depth on O-line.

 

I showed you mine, you show me yours!!!

Wow, was I ever wrong about Houston's first round pick. I don't think anyone would have predicted the Texans would trade up 13 spots, from pick #25 to pick #12, to select Clemson's DeSean Watson but that is exactly what they did. That move wasn't as expensive as you might thing either as it is being reported that all Houston gave up was next year's 1st round pick. The Texans website said terms of the trade weren't released by the team and NFL.com was the one to report Houston surrendered their 2018 1st round pick. I tend to think it should be more expensive than that to move up 13 spots in the 1st round but we'll see. Including the deal that sent Brock Osweiler to Cleveland the Browns now own Houston's first and second round picks in next year's draft. The only move that was bigger last night was Kansas City making a deal with the Buffalo Bills to move 17 spots, from pick # 27 to pick # 10, so they could draft Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes. It cost the Chiefs dearly though as they had to give up a third round pick this year and their first round pick next year to move up those 17 spots. Mahomes is not a plug and play QB and he will have the benefit to sit and learn behind Alex Smith for a couple of years before Andy Reid throws him to the wolves. DeSean Watson may not have as much time to sit and learn the NFL game because Houston doesn't have a veteran QB the caliber of Alex Smith to learn from. All Houston has is oft injured Tom Savage and 1st round draft bust Brandon Weeden. The common thought for Houston is that Savage will start the season at QB but if his health or a lack of production causes a need for a change Watson could assume the Texans starting role as early as Week 8 or 9 or sooner is Savage is Tony Romo'd and gets hurt in the preseason. It would be at that point that Bill O'Brien and the Texans fans pray to the almighty that Watson has more than a little of Dak Prescott in him.

I don't understand Rick Smith. For everything that he does that I'm happy about he does two that make me wonder what the hell he was thinking. I was okay with the trade up to get DeSean Watson and I'm okay with the Texans 2nd round pick Zack Cunningham from Vanderbilt. With is size, speed and athleticism Cunningham could step in for the free agent departure of John Simon or he could be groomed to replace Brian Cushing over time. Cunningham was the 4th ranked OLB by CBSSports.com behind Hasaan Reddick, TJ Watt and Takkarist McKinley who were already gone by the time Houston made their 2nd round pick. Here's the pre-draft scouting report by CBSSports.com linked below.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/2079823/zach-cunningham

 

Here is an article from Texans.com with an interview with Cunningham after he was selected with the 57th pick in the draft last night.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-take-Vanderbilt-ILB-Zach-Cunningham-in-Rd-2/573cfdb2-812a-424a-89e8-e0d130f3dcb0

 

The real head scratcher to me was the Texans third round pick. They have serious needs at cornerback, safety and especially the O-line and Rick Smith chose a RB. Running back should have been way down the Texans list of priorities but Smith apparently has a man-crush on 3rd round pick D'Onte Foreman from UT. For the record, Foreman is the 8th ranked RB by CBSSports.com but considering you already have Alfred Blue why waste a pick on his clone? With so many players available and so many other holes to fill why, Rick Smith, would you pick a G**dang RB? Cornerbacks were falling like flies in the 3rd round of the draft but there were still a lot of nice players to pick. There were even safety's to be had. Don't let me get started with how many good guards that were still on the board. Here's the scouting report on Cunningham from CBSSports.com, not that I give a damn what it says. Damn, Rick Smith, DAMN!!! Hey Bob McNair, would you please fire this stupid Mother F**ker!!!

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/2139847/donta-foreman

The Texans finished off their draft with one 4th round pick, a pair of 5’s and 7th round steal to close out their 2017 draft class.

As much as I hated the Texans decision to draft a so-so Texas RB in the 3rd round I sort of like the rest of the draft. We’ll see if RB D’Onte Foreman will add anything to the Texans attack I’m sure their 4th round pick will get every chance to develop into a 10 year OT. Julie’n Davenport comes from small little Bucknell but that is the only thing small about him. At 6’7” and 308 lbs he has the size and quick feet you look for in a left tackle. Mike Mayock said at the time when Houston turned in their card for him that he has the tools and raw ability that could make him a franchise left tackle in the NFL. Getting to sit and learn from Duane Brown and Derek Newton Davenport looks like an excellent value pick.

With the first of two 5th round picks Houston selected DT Carlos Watkins. Again, this is a terrific value pick for Houston. Watkins was the 12th ranked DT by CBSSports.com and he was projected to go in the 3rd or 4th round. If Vince Wilfork actually does retire he will be able to slide right in with Houston’s 5th round choice from last year and former Clemson teammate DJ Reader at the defensive end spot opposite JJ Watt. Clemson has had perhaps the best D-I football program in the country the last couple of years that includes the 2016 National Championship. IMO Watkins is a great pick and will fit in nicely with the Texans D-line.

The Texans other 5th round pick is DB from Oregon State named Treston Decoud. CBSSports.com has him ranked fairly low as a CB but at 6’2” and 206 lbs he might be better served as a strong safety. What is concerning is that Decoud ran a 4.62 at the scouting combine and his pro day. He didn’t do but 11 reps on the bench and his verticle jump (31”) and his broad jump (9’7”) were not impressive at all. With all the corners in this draft and especially the ones that they could have been taken in the 3rd round instead of the Texas RB this is one pick that looks like a total stinker.

The Texans made a strong comeback with their 7th round pick. They took a player who was ranked fourth among all the centers in the draft and a guy who was projected to be a 4th round pick and they got him in the 7th round. That pick is center Kyle Fuller from Baylor. You have to love the value of this pick. I can’t explain why Fuller would fall so far in the draft but I’m glad he was available when he was. I think that Houston addressed their basic needs in an okay fashion but they should have taken a guard or a better quality cornerback in the 3rd round. I am fairly sure there were better defensive backs available in the 5th round when they drafted Decoud. I hope I’m proved wrong but Lamar Miller is the Texans bell cow and he will be, barring injury, for a few years to come plus Houston has a stable of quality RB’s backing up Miller. I think the Texans wasted a valuable 3rd round pick on a RB when need dictated they go another way. Also, Treston Decoud isn’t the answer for a departed AJ Bouye or Quintin Demps. All things being equal the quality of this draft looks like it has been diminished by the Texans 3rd and 5th round draft picks. Of course the whole draft will be looked upon as either a success or a total failure depending on what DeSean Watson becomes in the NFL. If Watson is a hit it won’t matter if Foreman or Decoud are busts. If Watson is a bust AND Foreman and Decoud are as well, this will go down as a terrible draft for the Texans.

The Texans drafted Texas RB D'onte Foreman in the 3rd round of the draft so unless something happens that won't allow Foreman to play in 2017 like an injury or a failed drug test of a felony of some kind he will definitely make the Texans final roster going into the regular season opener in September. So who is the odd man out? For sure a familiar face will be losing his job, figuring out who that will be is the hard part of this.

The RB's currently on the roster are Alfred Blue, Tyler Ervin, Akeem Hunt and of course Lamar Miller. Miller is the bell cow, he's not going anywhere. Tyler Ervin was drafted last year and he found his niche as a kick returner with limited use in the run game. Akeem Hunt was an undrafted free agent in 2015 but he has proven useful as a 3rd down back. He is good coming out of the backfield in the passing game and he is a good ball carrier who has quickness and speed. Does Houston feel they need two 3rd down backs on their roster? Then there is Alfred Blue, Houston's 6th round pick in 2014 is the power change of pace back which is exactly what D'onte Foreman projects to be. My guess is it will be Blue to get the boot. There is no guarantee someone is getting the old heave ho because you can substitute Jonathan Grimes, whom the Texans also carried last year, with Foreman and the RB room will not lose any seats.

 

Check out this article from Texans.com that comes from a the on going series Football 101. The article discusses how D'onte Foreman's running style will pose problems for opposing defenses.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Football-101-DOnta-Foremans-running-style/5566f019-1360-41e3-8711-f5bdd3a32b1b

The Texans officially signed 20 undrafted free agents as they headed into their weekend rookie mini-camp. Here is the list of players along with an accompanying video featuring Bill O'Brien and Rick Smith.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/OFFICIAL-Texans-sign-20-college-free-agents/0ce73e00-7f22-4739-a09e-8882b2f04f88

 

The title of the article from Texans.com by Deepi Sidhu askes the question, What do Rookies do at mini-camp?

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/What-do-rookies-do-in-minicamp/d1eca43e-ef01-4125-b45a-a5d50ebc7133

 

Houston also signed 6 of their 7 draft picks. Only RB D'onte Foreman has yet to sign.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/OFFICIAL-Texans-sign-six-draft-picks/d0cafc7b-feaa-4205-aa9d-29be0e9cf7d2

 

Quotes from Day 1 of rookie mini-camp;

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-quotes-Rookie-Minicamp/f2156fe7-fa29-4c54-9dde-7db31bcbef03

The Texans completed their rookie mini-camp Saturday and by all accounts it was a very nice weekend. In the article linked below from Texans.com Bill O’Brien talks about the mini-camp and specifically how he has ‘shifted gears’ since he fired his OC George Godsey this past January and he took over the OC duties as well as his head coaching gig.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-Bill-OBrien-shifts-his-methods/4a912138-1bec-4262-b5d4-53d55b4eca05

 

The Texans, last Friday, acquired 3 year veteran cornerback Marcus Roberson. Roberson was an undrafted free agent out of Florida who was signed by the St Louis Rams in 2014. He played 2 seasons for the Rams playing in 25 games for them. Last September in the final cuts before the beginning of the season Roberson was let go. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills a couple of days later and he spent last season up and down between the active roster and the practice squad. Last Thursday he was waived by the Bills and Friday Houston claimed him off waivers.

 

The Texans website drives me crazy sometimes in cases like a news item from last Friday. The Texans announced they placed RT Derek Newton on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) but that was it. No explanation, no details, nada. So, I went to the Houston Chronicle website and they had some information. Sometimes I think the Texans website is only concerned with the TV media stuff and social media stuff and they can’t be bothered with football stuff. Anyway, Aaron Wilson for Chron.com gives us the lowdown on Mr Newton.

 

http://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/Texans-place-Derek-Newton-on-PUP-list-claim-11142931.php

The one thing I have a gripe about is the lack of actual coverage of the team that is available on Texans.com especially when you compare it to how deep a dive is made on DallasCowboys.com. Personnel moves are analyzed and you get details on the moves on DC.com but all you normally get on Texans.com is a list with some stats and no explanation or information. That is frustrating as heck. So, where do you go for more in depth coverage? I have gone to several sources like the Houston Chronicle sports web page, Bleacher Report, Monday Morning Quarterback, and Pro Football Focus.

I get very frustrated over the Texans website’s sparse coverage, other than stuff analyst John Harris does. Most of what they publish is from their TV shows that air on FoxSportsSouthwest. They seem a lot more invested in their TV and social media endeavors than their website coverage. They are even starting a series to introduce their website staff to fans but even that is lacking. The article linked below is a profile of Deepi Sidhu whose job title is Texans Insider/Lead Writer and Integrated Media Manager. I like Deepi but even this profile is whack. Unlike the Cowboys website which is busy profiling undrafted free agents, analyzing how the rookies did during the rookie mini-camp or looking ahead at how teams on their 2017 regular season schedule have improved this offseason the Texans are giving us lame profiles on their website staff.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-Get-to-Know-Deepi-Sidhu/6dce96d7-17dd-469e-9efe-c9a809462d9d

If I want to pass along a sound bite from a player or coach Texans.com is the go-to location but if you want relevant day to day coverage, especially in the off season, you need to go someplace else. Another thing that isn’t the Texans fault but it's not helping make the website more interesting is the lack of drama on the team. When the hardest questions you have to answer are ‘Will Vince Wilfork retire or won’t he? or ‘Who will start in Week 1, DeSean Watson or Tom Savage?’ it’s not compelling reading. linked below is an example of the typical look at a typical personnel moves made by the Texans. It’s a joke to call this an article, it is just a press release with no explanation of why the moves were made. C’mon Texans.com give me some background on the 10 year veteran OT you signed, Breno Giacomini, like who has he played for, has he made any starts in the NFL, does he have all 10 fingers or toes, is that too much to ask? Why do you make me go to another website to find out this stuff? Why don’t you give me something I can use for goodness sake?

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-sign-T-Giacomini-three-college-free-agents/4935d766-0f2a-4528-a29b-2f03aa9cdb25

See what I mean? Sheesh.

The Texans will begin the first of their OTA’s that will take place over the next 3 or 4 weeks next week. Most of the NFL will also be involved in their OTA’s which lets us know summer is about to begin and it’s only 3 more months until football is back and better than ever. Texans.com football analyst John Harris takes a look at what he will be watching for when OTA’s begin. Yesterday I bitched about the lack of coverage on the team and lo, and behold, we’ve got meat on the bone at last!

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-OTAs-are-coming/c4fcf90b-3347-4722-a7b5-13a4c82f1351

 

Who is the fastest man on the Texans squad. That question was answered when the 3 guys who are definitely speed burners decided to race at the Texans practice facility. No spoilers here. I hope the video plays from this link. I’m writing this on my company computer and the security on the server won’t let it play anything from Instagram. Enjoy. Oh, to be able to run that fast!

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/The-Texans-Speed-King/d1b92bb8-41cd-4e67-af32-9e52cc9cc63b

 

As I posted last week, the Texans lost their Director of Player Personnel Brian Gaine to the Buffalo Bills who will work under new GM Brandon Beane and new head coach Sean McDermott. It was a lateral move by Gaine who either got enticed by more money or future advancement to leave Houston for Buffalo doing the same job. Either that or Gaine is just sick and tired of Rick Smith. Anyway, Houston filled Gaine’s position along with several others listing in the article linked below.

 

https://www.google.com/#q=bills+head+gm&spf=1495217898451

 

Finally, DeAndre Hopkins is just 24 but he’s already recognized as one of the best WR’s in the NFL. How did he get so good in such a short amount of time? Check out the link below to the article and video of how Hopkins answers this and other questions in a press conference recently.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Which-defensive-player-helped-DeAndre-Hopkins/8d0b12ad-fe50-4a78-880e-745b29bccaa1

The first week of OTA's was weird. All we heard was some odd quotes in Week 1 of OTAs from players who wouldn't comment on teammates at all. DeAndre Hopkins was asked about Tom Savage and he said he couldn't comment his on-field performance but he's a nice guy who is working hard. Tom Savage was asked about WR Will Fuller's progress from year one to year two and his reply was almost exactly the same as Hopkin's quote. Just weird stuff like that. Maybe that is Bill O'Brien's edict for players not to make comments about teammates. Who knows but it's nothing short of boring. Or maybe it's a sign that nobody is happy with anyone else. Answer B is not likely while Answer A is more likely.

 

Texans.com's John Harris does his usual multi-multi takeaways from either a game or practice and, in this case, OTA's. He says there are 18 observations and I believe him!!

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/18-observations-from-TexansOTAs/207b5ed4-37c2-4357-a2b3-4b21a5a8cdf8

 

One thing I have admired about Bill O'Brien and the Texans is that they have always stood by OL Dan Quessenberry in his 3 year battle with cancer. Most teams would have moved on from him just as a business decision. Houston has stood by Quessenberry through thick and thin from the time he was diagnosed during his rookie training camp until he took his first practice reps since his rookie season as he prepares to begin his 5th season in the NFL even though he hasn't played a down. Quessenberry is an offensive lineman and that is a position everyone agrees has been in need of a facelift for several years now. If Quessenberry does make the team and plays significant snaps in 2017 he's my candidate for the Ed Block courage award and I doubt anyone would argue about it. Being a cancer survivor is impressive and even more so when you play a professional sport. Check out the article and video linked below. I am definitely going to be watching his progress this summer and I hope he succeeds.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/O’Brien-Quessenberry’s-return-“unprecedented”/198abc58-2b02-41c4-bb1e-2ff011bbe742

 

Right before the draft Houston announced that they had hired ex-Patriot, ex-Bronco Wes Welker who, for a time, was the best WR in football. Not just the best slot receiver--the best WR in football. O'Brien got to coach Welker during his time on the Patriots staff and when he needed a WR coach O'Brien looked no further than Welker. The guy who will likely benefit most from Welker's coaching is slot receiver Braxton Miller. Miller did okay in his rookie season in 2016 but he was hurt by being a rookie and then by injury that kept him out of games down the stretch.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Braxton-Miller-leaning-on-Wes-Welker-for-slot-tips/87b1bc25-8dde-4ba9-bb7c-93c693a8bf6e

 

Vince Wilfork still hasn't decided if he's retiring. Maybe he's waiting to see if Tom Savage is going to be a boom or a bust. We're all wondering about that. My personal hope is that before training camp Tony Romo gets an offer he can't refuse from Houston and he exercises an out clause in his contract with CBS and comes to H town to lead this team to a Super Bowl. (All things considered, that isn't likely going to happen. Romo still has not officially retired so there is still hope!)

Here's a link to Texans.com and an article that features a couple of social media posts by players during OTA practices.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Checking-In-for-OTAs/743a28d3-4175-4f15-a0ca-88506cda25ce

 

Week 2 of OTA's is in the books and here are some article links to the Texans website talking about a couple of players who are entering their second offseason with Houston like.................

 

Will Fuller V

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Will-Fuller-V-comfortable-in-Year-2/403e4c66-2dd8-4a59-9514-bf7a8815086c

 

Tyler Ervin

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Tyler-Ervin-seeks-improvement-in-2017/afe49447-17d4-4791-9eda-1feaa34dc7bc

 

.... and a look at the Texans first round pick DeSean Watson. When you see the article there is a video or two with the article and one of those videos features Watson's teammate from Clemson and now with the Texans, DJ Reader, who talks about how Watson is doing in OTA's.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Deshaun-Watson-making-progress-in-OTAs/bcabe482-9b17-4aa0-80a2-92ceed568922

The Texans made it through their OTA's and mandatory mini-camp with little to no fanfare as usual. But, I figured I would share some news as we wait out this interminable 5 weeks until training camp.

 

The Texans are saying that Tom Savage had a great offseason and he will be the starter as the Texans head into training camp. It doesn't stop the media from asking questions about first round draft pick DeSean Watson from NCAA National Champion Clemson.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-Deshaun-Watson’s-rookie-learning-curve/3fd7b8b4-db8a-48ce-85e5-f0e5cd985aa1

 

After replacing departed Arian Foster as the featured running back and gaining a 1000+ yards and being a factor in the Texans passing game it stands to reason he is the alpha male in the running backs room as Houston speeds toward the 2017 season.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-Lamar-Millers-leadership/e05e5d6a-24b2-43dc-aa71-e16538b23e59

 

The expectations for the Texans receiver corps is expected to take a jump. Of course you have DeAndre Hopkins leading the group but the Texans have a couple 2nd year guys who the Texans to step up big time in Braxton Miller and Will Fuller III.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-OBrien-expecting-big-jump-from-/b7329f06-c676-4d72-b5e5-8665d1b78dc4

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/How-Braxton-Miller-hopes-to-make-Year-2-leap/12c228bb-1cde-4512-8902-6465ca32eb97

 

Last Saturday the Texans completed signing the last of their 2017 draft picks when they agreed to terms with 3rd round pick D'Onta Foreman from Texas. In interviews after the signing Foreman says he will concentrating on losing some weight before training camp. He was listed as weighing 233 lbs at the NFL combine earlier this year but he played last season at 249 lbs as he led the nation in rushing with 2,049 yards. He is expected to be the primary backup to Lamar Miller.

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/06/17/texans-complete-draft-class-by-signing-donta-foreman/

 

Last but not least is this article from Bleacher Report that talks about Tom Savage as the star player in the Texans offseason.

 

Quarterback Tom Savage

Like any Houston fan is paying attention to anything but the brewing battle at quarterback between incumbent Tom Savage and 2017 first-round pick Deshaun Watson.

As ESPN.com's Sarah Barshop reported, all three Houston quarterbacks (if Brandon Weeden wins the job, I'll eat my hat) have had their moments in camp. But Savage has at the least held his own, and he remains the team's starter.

"Tom's No. 1," O'Brien said. "He knows, like I said from day one, he's got to earn it every day."

By no stretch of the imagination did a few weeks of non-contact practices settle this matter. This is a storyline that will be hammered daily between now and September. But every day that Savage fares well is another day the Texans don't have to consider rushing Watson into action before he's ready.

Don't you think the lack of news about JJ Watt is a good sign? I do. When it comes to rehabbing from back surgery no news is definitely good news when you consider the only news to report would be bad. No setbacks and no issues so far is nothing but excellent news. With Jadeveon Clowney healthy as of last season and the emergence of former Clemson nose tackle DJ Reader the Texans defensive front is in good hands. They will plug and play some veteran guys and they drafted a couple of studs at DL and LB. You might worry about their defensive backfield some but their front seven looks pretty imposing to me. I know it's early but they do look good. Who knows, maybe Vince Wilfork will decide to stay just one more year after all. If Houston is really and truly happy with Tom Savage that's awesome but all eyes will be on Desean Watson in training camp. After all Houston gave up a lot to move up and take him with the 12th overall pick.

 

It seems like Bill O'Brien is trying to assemble the New England Patriots South coaching staff. Romeo Crennel, Mike Vrabel, Larry Izzo all have ties to the Patriots and O'Brien. Now the Texans newest staff member is former Patriots great Wes Welker. The guy who led the NFL in receiving for several years can do nothing but help 2nd year receivers like Braxton Miller and Will Fuller. Here's an article from Texans.com about the positive impact Welker has had in Houston already.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-Wes-Welker-off-to-good-start-in-coaching/bf26a202-7e4b-4668-9e31-9ef58729ff2e

The most controversial news surrounding the Texans since the final mini-camp practice in late June was JJ Watt's new men's clothing line release. Watt will have his own line of high end clothes made by Mizzen+Main. High end meaning dress shirts that cost in $125 dollar range and polo style shirts retailing in the $85 range. How about a pair of Chinos costing $135. Houston's "man of the people" has some pretty expensive taste!

 

We can forget about all this fluff as Houston's 2nd round pick from Texas RB D'onte Foreman. Foreman was arrested at his alma mater when campus police arrested him for unlawfully carrying of a hand gun and possession of marijuana. Reports are, the gun was owned by Foreman and he told the officer on the scene it was in the car. He claimed he did not own the marijuana and he did not smoke any weed either. He gave a urine sample to prove he had not smoked any marijuana. Results of the urinalysis have not been released as yet. Don't worry, this won't be front page news because the Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott has managed to screw up again as he was involved in an incident at a Dallas area bar. It's always something with the Cowboys and it seems like no matter what Houston does, Dallas does it bigger. In this case I'm glad.

The Texans are just over a week away from training camp. They have a lot of questions to answer going in like what will this offensive line be like? If Houston doesn't get a satisfactory answer to that question it won't matter who starts at QB because they both will get smashed. Or how will this defense to with the new faces competing for jobs? Or how will Mike Vrabel handle being the offensive coordinator? Fortunately these and other questions heading into training camp will get answered by the Texans.com writers.

 

Being less coy about answering questions than the writers at DallasCowboys.com Texans lead analyst John Harris didn't take two weeks to answer one question at a time. He identified his top 11 and in this link Harris' "Ultimate 11" gets answered all at one time.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Ultimate-11-Questions-by-position/3cb4f484-aa66-4eb5-8cac-15ffe55e13b9

 

Deepi Sidhu has a discussion with new first time defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel as she tries to get a handle on whether Mr V is ready for this next step in his coaching career. Here Vrabel tell it, he's more than ready.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Mike-Vrabel-Ready-to-lead-Texans-defense/c74c1186-1c4f-454b-8722-23bc1774a589

 

Bill O'Brien is making a change that involves himself. At the end of the offseason the Texans fired offensive coordinator George Godsey and O'Brien is taking over the play calling duties and will be more involved in coaching his offense than in years past. Promoting Romeo Crennel to assistant head coach and allowing him to oversee the defense under new DC Mike Vrabel allows O'Brien to concentrate on what he is most known for, offense. It is telling given the offseason moves made by the Texans and criticism leveled at the Texans offensive coaches by former starter Brock Osweiler this offseason that a change was needed. The QB position has definitely held the Texans back the last couple of seasons and with a new starter needing to be decided O'Brien needs to take control of the situation. Whether O'Brien goes with incumbent Tom Savage or the first round pick in this year's draft, DeSean Watson, remains to be seen but whoever it is needs a good OC to keep him on track.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Bill-O’Brien-A-change-in-2017/c030ae2a-de76-4e26-aa64-780b53ddffa3

 

Finally, here is a look by Texans.com at 5 players to watch in training camp as told by Drew Dougherty.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/5-Campers-to-Watch-Texans-on-defense/859d69d4-8fe7-4bdc-b532-a7f9d44d5d22