NFL and Houston Texans Superthread: Are we ready for some football?

It's not all bad. Dopey is available to come back to Houston now....

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/raiders...aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--

If Trae Waynes is still available at 16 J-Jo may not be long for the Texans. That would free up another 8 million in cap space.
We''re gonna need someone to fill Brooks Reed's shoes. He was a better Stong Outside LB than he got credit for. They aren't going to get a lot of sacks because they have to play run first, then cover, then rush the passer if the other responsibilities are covered. I like Mike Mohamed but I'm not sure he's got the speed to play outside. He's a hard nosed inside LB though.

I still think they need to draft a WR at 16. This class has some Andre Johnson types. Amari Cooper probably won't be there but Devante Parker or Dorial Green-Beckham should be. At 6-5 235# Green-Beckham could be a monster with his physical abilities. He's got some knocks for being lazy though.

At 6-5 235# Green-Beckham could be a monster with his physical abilities. He's got some knocks for being lazy though. Originally Posted by boardman

From http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profil...ham?id=2552491

Enrolled at Oklahoma in 2014 after being dismissed from Missouri football team following two seasons with program. Ineligible to play in 2014 due to transfer rules. Was dismissed from Missouri program after being subject of burglary and assault investigation by police. He allegedly pushed a female down some stairs during the incident that was investigated. He didn't face charges from the incident. Was arrested twice for m********-related incidents. In January 2014, he was arrested along with two other men after police found a pound of m******** in their car. No charges were filed. In October 2012, he was arrested along with two teammates after they were allegedly caught smoking m********** in a campus parking lot.

I'm hoping a good pass rusher is available. Bud. Dupree of Kentucky could be there at 16 It would be nice if Beasley is there but he will likely be long gone.

WR is a big need. But we can probably get a fill in guy in later rounds.

It will be intriguing if we have our pick of Gurly or Gordon at 16. Makes Philosofoster available for trade and frees up cap room. We need OL help as well.

We already have Dopey II as our GM!!!!!

RB's are deep in this draft. If you (Houston) wants either of your suggested rb's, both should still be there at 16 (unless) a team with eminent needs at that position trades up to snag one or the other. And neither look like enough of a game changer to give away a second (or third) just to move up 8 to 12 slots.

It will be intriguing if we have our pick of Gurly or Gordon at 16. Makes Philosofoster available for trade and frees up cap room. We need OL help as well. Originally Posted by Daddio

It will be intriguing if we have our pick of Gurly or Gordon at 16. Makes Philosofoster available for trade and frees up cap room. ! Originally Posted by Daddio

Never going to happen. Running backs just don't have the same value they once did. No one would do that deal. And both Gurly and Gordon will be there at 16 and well past it.

JJ Watt just restructured his deal. It frees up another 8 million in cap space this year.

I'm hoping a good pass rusher is available. Bud. Dupree of Kentucky could be there at 16 It would be nice if Beasley is there but he will likely be long gone.

WR is a big need. But we can probably get a fill in guy in later rounds.

It will be intriguing if we have our pick of Gurly or Gordon at 16. Makes Philosofoster available for trade and frees up cap room. We need OL help as well.

We already have Dopey II as our GM!!!!! Originally Posted by Daddio

Dupree has the ability to play the strong side. He'd be a good pick.

I still would rather see them take a big receiver. I don't think he has to be able to stretch the field, although that would be nice, he just needs to provide a big target and have sure hands kinda like D-Hop. We've got a slot receiver now. TE is a question. We don't really know what we have in Graham because he just didn't get targeted that much last season.

With this restructuring of Watt's contract and another 8 million in cap space they've got some money still left for a big time player or two.
Brandon Spikes would be a good addition at ILB. If they could sign him they could move Mohamed back to outside. Jason Ankrah can also play that strong side.

They can still free up more cap space if they get solid corner in the draft and can cut J-Jo. That's another 8 million.

With the Watt resigning and J-Jo plus the roughly 4 million they had still left they are at potentially 20 million in cap space. That will pay for 3 or four Journeyman free agents (The studs for the most part are signed.) and allow them to enter the draft without HAVING to fill any position but able to take the best draft choice based on talent not need. Not a bad position to be in.

I'm Ok with the starting O line as it is projected today. It took most of the season but they finally got it going the last few games. Keep in mind that O-line is the most interdependent group on the team. They have to work as a single unit. It takes time for them to learn each other's strengths and weaknesses, learn how to cover each other and develop that all important chemistry. Kind of like the starting 5 on a basketball team.
Tackles are set. Newton had a turnaround year. His last four games he graded at the top of the league for OT's. I think he finally gets it. Ben Jones is going to start at center and will be a better fit for this offense than Myers was. TE play going across and down the seam will improve with an interior line that can get to the ILBs.
Brooks will start at RG and Sua Filo at LG. Depth is lacking though. If they have a stud guard capable of beating Brooks or Sua Filo out available in the 2nd or third round then I'm OK with them taking him. Otherwise you draft for depth on projects in the later rounds and use the early rounds for skill positions.

Plus we got another 3 compensatory picks for this year.

I wouldn't draft a RB any higher than 3rd round. To me Gurley just isn't worth a first round pick. Not with the injury. You can't really expect to see him until 2016 so why not wait and pick a RB next year if that's your option. Foster and Blue are good backs and better than most.

There will be some strong competition for backup spots this year in training camp and maybe even a surprise or two at starter.

Great thoughts there Boardman. From what BoB has been saying lately it seems that Louis Nix is about to be another bust. That would be another third round bust from Rich Smith. As Lance was explaining last week what will kill the Texans is wiffing on all the rounds past the first as Rick has. Then you have nothing but first rounders on the team and the rest are free agent signings which kills your cap and causes you to release people before you would like. The Texans absolutely cannot have another draft like 2013 and 2014 where very few other than the first round stay on the team. In a few years they will be faced with the prospect of releasing JJWatt because of no cap space if this continues.

Speaking of Lance Z the difference between him explaining about college players and guys on 610 explaining about college players is HUGE.

Great thoughts there Boardman. From what BoB has been saying lately it seems that Louis Nix is about to be another bust. That would be another third round bust from Rich Smith. As Lance was explaining last week what will kill the Texans is wiffing on all the rounds past the first as Rick has. Then you have nothing but first rounders on the team and the rest are free agent signings which kills your cap and causes you to release people before you would like. The Texans absolutely cannot have another draft like 2013 and 2014 where very few other than the first round stay on the team. In a few years they will be faced with the prospect of releasing JJWatt because of no cap space if this continues.

Speaking of Lance Z the difference between him explaining about college players and guys on 610 explaining about college players is HUGE. Originally Posted by BigLouie

Actually the terms of Watt's contract are very conducive to keeping him through it. His highest cap hit will take place in either 2017 or 2018. The last year of his current contract will only cost the Texans around 8 Million in cap space I believe. It's a contract that is about as close to a win-win as you can get.

Anyone that thinks the Texans are not committed to winning needs to look at the Watt restructuring. If they were really considering this a rebuilding year they would have taken the full hit on that $10 million bonus this year and rode it out. Instead they freed up more cap space by restructuring that bonus and spreading it out 2 million/ year for the next five thus freeing up the additional 8 million this year. Sure it adds a little to the cap over the remainder of the contract but 2 million is nothing to overcome as we've seen this year.

Yes, the Texans need to do better in the draft. With BoB's input I think that will drastically improve. Not only because he might be better at evaluating talent but also because they've put themselves in a position, and give Rick Smith some credit too, to be able to approach this draft differently than they have any other since Smith has been here. We don't have to draft any particular position which means we can draft the best possible player regardless of position. There are a few positions we aren't going to take in the 1st because there is no room for a first round pick say at OT. Those guys are signed. We obviously won't be drafting a QB and probably not a Safety or Running back. That leaves CB, LB, WR and interior line as the four positions that we can expect to see drafted early but not necessarily a must. If a Leonard Williams or a Landon Collins were to fall into their laps you damn sure take him.

It's too early to label Nix or Clowney a bust. What BoB said about Nix was in one statement he said he didn't know anything about what Nix was doing or how he was doing. He thought he was working out in Florida and he wasn't doing anything wrong by not reporting in. That's his prerogative according to his contract. The next statement was, when asked what he expected of Nix in training camp was for him to be able to make it through an entire practice. Combined, those two statements were definitely a shot across Nix's bow but I didn't hear that as BoB saying he was a bust.

Now the fact that BoB is having to communicate that through a press conference is a little concerning. Considering his track record Nix should be taking it upon himself to let the team know what's going on, but again he's not required to. I like that BoB sent the message. The signing of Wilfork sent a bigger message though. Hopefully Nix gets it loud and clear. If not they now have time to cut him and maybe draft a guy next year.

The other thing that is impressive is that we've retained some key FA's this year that we wouldn't have previously. They went ahead and resigned here instead of getting more money elsewhere. KJ, Newton and definitely Mallet could have gotten more elsewhere. That tells me there is a winning attitude and they want to be a part of it. The talk coming out is that these guys really like BoB and think they can win. Ted Johnson keeps comparing the things that BoB does to those of Belichick. Not that he learned it from him but that they are very much the same type of coach.

Really the only FA we've lost was Brooks Reed. I don't think he got enough credit for the position he played but I also don't think he was worth the deal he got in Atlanta so I get why they let him go. He chased the money. Atlanta isn't going to do anything.

A couple holes need to be filled. They now have the money, thus the option of doing waiting to see what they get in the draft and spend that money on some journeymen veterans. One place that second line of players will show significant progress will be in special teams. When special teams are top 10 in the league you know you have some solid football talent depth.

I got tired of Lance a few years back, glad he moved from 610. He has a unique perspective because of his background but he isn't a coach, his dad is. Most of the time Lance comes across as having more knowledge than he really has. Ted Johnson is my go to guy when it comes to hearing someone's opinion on talent and coaches because he's been there and understands a locker room. He's also personally bottomed out and come back which I respect tremendously. Sure, he's raw on the air but he's getting better.

With the resigning of Akheem Dent they likely won't be entertaining any other offers to LB's, including Brandon Spikes. What that means is the with the exception of Reed, the LB corps looks very much like it did last year. Cushing, Mohamed, Tarpinian, Dent, Clowney, Mercilus. Tuggle and Ankrah.

Nice post Boardman, but Zierlign from 790 (good fiend of John Harris, whose a good friend of BOB) pretty much confirmed yesterday that BOB thinks Nix is gonna be a bust, he said he'd just like to see him "make it through a full practice" and made a point of how the guard we drafted in the second round last year was their every day, and working harder to get better.

Second rounders should produce and be hungrier than the first rounders. Plus, they reach free agency a year ahead of the first rounders. There is plenty of time for all the teams to restructure, release, and sign players. There will most likely be a couple of large contract restructures/reductions in the coming months.

Damn, if Clowney had Watts drive there would no QB standing at the end of games. I hope I am wrong, but I believe Clowney does not have the want-to to be a star. When he comes up on his contract year he will turn it on and sign a big contract, and then just coast.

Great thoughts there Boardman. Originally Posted by BigLouie

I agree! It is great to see a reasonable, objective opinion in this forum.

Nice post Boardman, but Zierlign from 790 (good fiend of John Harris, whose a good friend of BOB) pretty much confirmed yesterday that BOB thinks Nix is gonna be a bust, he said he'd just like to see him "make it through a full practice" and made a point of how the guard we drafted in the second round last year was their every day, and working harder to get better. Originally Posted by TheDon

I seriously doubt that BoB said anything of the sort to Harris. If he did, it will be the last time.
Lance likes to throw names out and make himself look like he's got more inside connections than he really does. I would imagine that because of that most people with good info stay away from him because he'll drop their names in a heartbeat.

Nix may very well be a bust. No coach that has made it to the NFL is going to say that about a player that is essentially a rookie. It does no one any good. Not Nix, not BoB and certainly not Rick Smith who he would be throwing under the bus knowing he's already walking on eggshells.

BoB put a shot across Nix's bow to motivate him. If he's healthy and doesn't respond then BoB should cut him and move on. He's got to give him that chance first.

Second rounders should produce and be hungrier than the first rounders. Plus, they reach free agency a year ahead of the first rounders. There is plenty of time for all the teams to restructure, release, and sign players. There will most likely be a couple of large contract restructures/reductions in the coming months.

Damn, if Clowney had Watts drive there would no QB standing at the end of games. I hope I am wrong, but I believe Clowney does not have the want-to to be a star. When he comes up on his contract year he will turn it on and sign a big contract, and then just coast. Originally Posted by pyramider

It's a big concern. First it was bone spurs, then a sports hernia, now the knee. I think the Texans did him a disservice by not letting us know what was really going on with him early on. They were scared of the initial public blow back of drafting him. Clowney now has to overcome the physical issues and a doubting public that is questioning his drive not whether he is healthy enough.

If the injury was bad enough to take such drastic measures to try and repair then it was understandable that he couldn't play. By not letting the public know early on what the problem was it just fueled the speculation about his drive.

A healthy Clowney will be a beast. If he is healthy he will be coming into camp essentially a rookie. Provided he stays healthy we won't see what he is capable of until late 2015 or into 2016. He will be looking to stack on that payday come 2017.