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Little written news out there regarding the Texans? No problem, for we have videos and various top 5 lists to keep us entertained. Somewhat.

NFL Network is doing a rundown of who they believe are the top five players at each position entering the upcoming season. As expected, some Texans have made a few of the lists. First business of order is the top five middle linebackers. Somehow this list ended up being six linebackers, due to a tie between Bart Scott from the New York Jets and Brian Urlacher of the Chicago Bears for the fifth spot. The good news is Captain Meco did manage third place on this list, ahead of Scott, Urlacher and Jon Beason of the Carolina Panthers. Landing ahead of DeMeco on the list are Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens and Patrick Willis representing the San Francisco 49ers. Though there's an argument to be had for DeMeco being ahead of Lewis, overall it's a pretty fair list. Part of what makes Beason, DeMeco, and Willis so amazing is their age--all are only 24 years old. Imagining how much these guys will progress in a few years is a scary thought. Let's just hope DeMeco is still wearing a Texans uniform in that time... Hey, Mr. Smith, how are you?

Next up is the top five edge rushers. This list actually fits the rule of being limited to only five players. Surprisingly low on this list is the reigning defensive player of the year, James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers. At number four is the one and only, Super Mario. If this was a list of the best complete defensive ends, our man would certainly be much higher on this list, but in terms of pure speed rushing ability, it's a reasonable placing. In order, Shawne Merriman, Jared Allen (...) and all twenty of DeMarcus Ware's sacks round out the list.

Surprisingly, Dominique Barber managed to find a home at number three on the list of top five safeties. I'm kidding... or am I?

The Texans website compiled a list of what they believe are the top five gutsiest plays in Texans history. In chronological order, they have Billy Miller's touchdown catch (the first in Texans history), David Carr's touchdown dive against the Jaguars in 2003, Kris Brown's game winner against the Colts in 2006, 'Dre's miraculous fourth and ten catch against the Dolphins last year and Matt Schaub's subsequent quarterback draw to win the game. It's a pretty good list, one that's hard to argue with. The real question is, which one is the gutsiest? When I think of gutsy, I think of a gutsy play call, since it's hard to define what exactly gutsy is on the field. Miller did what he was supposed to do when he dove for the end zone, Kris Brown did his job by nailing the obvious field goal try in that situation and 'Dre didn't do anything we don't expect of him. So that leaves us with Carr's dive and Schaub's draw. Since I refuse to believe Carr deserves any place on this wonderful list, I have to give it to Kubiak's decision to go with the draw in a situation like that.

Lastly, SportingNews gives us their Texans season preview. Nothing unusual here. Defense is the key. It's funny to note that according to SN, all of a sudden Eugene Wilson is a SS and Nick Ferguson mans the FS position.

Poll

What is the best "gutsy" moment in Texans history?

5 comments | 0 recs |

OchoCinco Calls Out The Texans Secondary

by TransientTexan on Jul 2, 2009 2:15 PM CDT in News Comment 5 comments

Chad Ochocinco unexpectedly called David Nuño of 1560 The Game in Houston today to give an impromptu interview. Even though I really liked the local guy they bumped to free up room for him, I have to say that the receiver formerly known as Chad Johnson was entertaining. At the end of the interview though, Chad made a point to call out the Texans secondary who he will face later on this year. If you're not an Ochocinco fan and want to hear just that part, scroll forward to the 7:10 mark.

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How Much More "Super" Can Mario Get?

by Mike Kerns on Jul 2, 2009 12:00 PM CDT in News Comment 6 comments

Don’t worry; this isn’t another "Was Mario the right pick?" write up. No, by now that should be a foregone conclusion. All of us that were on the Reggie Bush bandwagon (myself included), or the belief that Vince Young was on a collision course to win multiple Super Bowls, have had our portion of crow by now. If not, it is time to do some serious inner-reflection.

What I want to discuss is has Mario William’s reached his ceiling as an NFL pass rusher?

After an injury plagued war with plantar fascitis and facing more criticism than President Bush during his rookie campaign, he has already rose higher than most expected. A Pro Bowl alternate in his second year and a Pro Bowl starter last season, Mario seems to have risen to the elite of NFL Defensive Ends.

What many of the national pundits neglect to mention is how Mario is doing this while being double teamed on every single play. Yet he registered third in the league in sacks in 2007 (14.0) and sixth in 2008 (12.0) with virtually no help. Yes, I consider the corpse formerly known as Anthony Weaver as no help.

This season, the front office decided to get a bookend opposite Mario in free agent Antonio Smith. Fresh off a trip to Super Bowl XLIII, I am one of the fans who was in favor of this signing. If anything, simply because teams cant just throw two or three guys at Mario on every single snap anymore. Antonio Smith has never been accused of being an elite pass rusher, but he does demand some attention. He also provides experience and veteran leadership to a young defense. This can only help Mario, who is only going to be 24 years old and in his fourth season this year.

I think this is the year that people no longer attach Mario’s name to Reggie Bush or Vince Young. This is the year that his name is mentioned with players like Jared Allen, Dwight Freeney and Julius Peppers. Names that matter. Names that he should be mentioned with.

Do I think Mario has reached his ceiling already? Not even close. With better supporting players around him, I think this is the year that Mario truly becomes "Super."

6 comments | 1 recs |

BRB Radio Spot: Today At Noon

by TransientTexan on Jul 2, 2009 8:33 AM CDT in Events Comment 17 comments

For anyone that is interested, BRB will be represented by yours truly today on 1560 The Game at 12:00 P.M. C.S.T. If you're out of the Houston area like me, you can also stream audio live at the official 1560 website. If you have any topics you'd like to hear us talk about, leave it in the comments section. Hope you guys like what you hear.

17 comments | 0 recs

Texans Down 'N Dirty: Expectations Edition

by DreKeem on Jul 2, 2009 7:00 AM CDT Comment 1 comment

Kevin Walter is dying for some real football. If you think fans are excited for the upcoming season, K-Dub is restless. Walter describes himself as a "hungry guy" who's "ready to get after it." I wonder if Dunta and OD feel the same way. They're out of commission for the time being, so it really must pain them to not even be practicing with their teammates. Of course, it's hard to consider mini-camps the real deal when a no pads policy is implemented, so maybe the two are enjoying the time off. Did I stray off from the original topic? The wait for training camp does that to me.

Walter's production has increased every single year he's been in the league, save for one. We often hear about the guys who barely cling to their teams off of hard work alone. Walter is one of those guys that went through that process, but now is one of the few that become budding stars through sheer determination. Playing alongside the oft double teamed Andre Johnson, Walter amassed 899 yards. The year before when Johnson missed seven games due to injury, K-Dub managed 800 yards as the primary receiving option for those games. In fact, he matched the TD production of AJ with eight in 2008. How much of this was due to hard work and how much was due to pure talent? Do you believe #83 has room to grow or has he reached his peak? How much of his stats do you attribute to the attention Johnson receives on the other side? Fire off in the comments section.

Matt Schaub has quietly evolved into a leader on and off the field for the Texans. It took him a while, over a season even, but as he states, becoming a leader doesn't happen overnight. We're just glad it's happened and so is Schaub himself. If anyone doubts his ability to lead by example, look no further than his coming back from injury much faster than any doctor could have predicted after Jared Allen's cheap shot in week 9. Just four weeks after the hit, Stump the Schaub returned to throw for 414 yards in the memorable Green Bay victory, all while wearing a troublesome leg brace. The man is for real.

Lastly, new fullback Boomer Grigsby is a great guy. Grigsby took time out of his life to visit with kids in his hometown of Canton, Illinois. As Tim mentioned previously, it's hard not to appreciate keeping the needs of others in mind.

Is it training camp yet?

Poll

What do you foresee for Kevin Walter in 2009?

1 comment | 0 recs

Put On Your Smithiak Hat: What Would You Pay DeMeco Ryans, Owen Daniels, And/Or Dunta Robinson?

by Tim on Jun 30, 2009 10:57 PM CDT in News Comment 16 comments

Much has been written, here and elsewhere, about the ongoing contract drama with DeMeco Ryans, Owen Daniels, and Dunta Robinson. What we haven't really delved into, however, is what you, the Houston Texans fan, would pay those guys if you were spending Bob McNair's money. As such, I figure it's high time we put our fanaticism to the test.

So put on your best Rick Smith hat and tell us in the Comments below: What would be the terms of the best and final contract offer you'd make DeMeco, OD, and/or Dunta? Keep in mind that we're talking NFL contracts, so the guaranteed money is the key. As a yardstick, here are what appear to be the current most lucrative multi-year linebacker, tight end, and cornerback deals. Although those deals are not determinative, you know that each player's respective agent is using those numbers as a guide.

Make the call, BRB. If you're Rick Smith, what's your final offer to each of the aforementioned disenchanted Texans?

16 comments | 0 recs |

Travis Johnson--The Tragedy Of

by Bryan72076 on Jun 30, 2009 3:05 PM CDT Comment 9 comments

While commenting on a recent post "Texans down N' Dirty: Ricky Hatton Edition" I became involved in an interesting (to me at least) conversation regarding Travis Johnson and thought I'd touch on the topic again briefly here. A lot of fans are unhappy with Johnson's performance on the field for the Texans so far, so it's natural to just assume that he's "terrible", has no talent, and our previous coaching staff and GM made a huge mistake in thinking he could be a solid player in the NFL. That's all well and good, but I personally feel we're letting Johnson off the hook a bit with that line of thinking.

During the conversation, Johnson's pre-draft weight and workout numbers were debated briefly so I've spent a little time trying to find his "real" weight and 40 yard dash time heading into the draft. In doing so I did find occasions where his listed 40 time was near 5.1 seconds (previously I had only seen him listed at running a 40 in the 4.8s), but I wasn't able to determine which is accurate. What I did find however was that there does appear to be a correlation between his listed playing weight and his 40 time on the sites i've found. What i've found was that on pages where Johnson's weight is listed at 300+ lbs he's also given credit for running a 5+ second 40 time. Likewise sites where he's listed under 300 lbs have him listed running a 40 in the 4.8 range if they have a time listed. The only thing I can guess at being the cause for these vastly differing results is that maybe he had two separate workouts, one where he was lighter and faster and the other either before he trimmed down for the scouts or after he worked out for scouts a bit and was pegged as needing to add a little bulk, so he started hitting Burger King heavily without giving consideration to how it'd affect his physical ability. The one thing all 2005 pre-draft pages have in common is that they all had Johnson listed as the #1 DT available by a comfortable margin, so we can hopefully take that as assurance that at least at some point Johnson was seen to have good measurables and ability in one form or another as DTs generally aren't projected that high for just game tape alone, and even then Johnson was seen as a bit of a one year wonder, as he made a big jump from his Junior to Senior year and had a few off the field issues as well. He had a terrific Senior season, but when you add his other somewhat average 3 years in college and the legal issues off the field, he probably would have been more of the type you'd take a flyer on in the late 2nd to 3rd round rather than a true 1st round prospect unless he was seen to have amazing athletic ability that would not be overlooked by very many teams. He was seen as by far the best available at a position the Texans wanted/needed to address, and 16th was about in the range he was projected to go even after he dropped a little because of the off the field concerns, so it definitely wasn't a case of the Texans reaching for a position of need.

So now that we've hopefully addressed his ability and potential entering the draft, that leaves us with the problem of why Johnson never grew into the player he was projected to 4 years ago. Sometimes rookies have a hard time adjusting to the size of the average NFL playbook and never live up to their potential because of simply not understanding their role and position on their team. Travis Johnson has decent technique and rarely misses assignments that give the offense opportunities to make the big play. When Johnson's task is to block a gap he usually does it moderately well, he doesn't leave any gaping holes in the line as some more aggressive players do at times. That's largely why I feel he's kept his starting job while he's been seemingly outproduced by his own backups. Johnson doesn't make a lot of plays, but he doesn't give up a lot alone either. On a defense that was as much a mess as Houston's has been the past 4 years, consistently *not* screwing up is good enough to hold down a starting gig. Travis Johnson generally knows what he's supposed to do on any given play and does at least the bare minimum that's expected of him most of the time. That also happens to be his biggest failing. While he's managed to stay on the field by not making huge critical mistakes, he hasn't really done much over that "bare minimum" in his four years with the Texans. While that level of dependability is needed on a defense with as many problems as the Texans have had recently, there's a point where it becomes a liability. When backups like Robinson or Bulman are in the game, their aggressiveness at times puts them out of position to make a play but it also puts them in many others when ordinarily they wouldn't be. Johnson for the most part is neither in nor out of the play; he may be standing in the exact spot doing the exact thing he's supposed to be doing, but he's not going after the ball carrier or QB unless they happen to run into him. He just seems to play the game halfheartedly at times, taking care of his responsibilities moderately well but otherwise appearing to be oblivious to the game around him. And then there are the rare occasions where he does actually have a hand in a play and he jumps up and sprints 20 yards faster than we've ever seen him run at any other time during his 4 years here as he dances a jig. If his on the field play matched the intensity of his celebrations between plays or his post game interviews, his stats would likely be doubled across the board.

Furthermore, it's my theory that he also takes his on the field work ethic home with him during the offseason, which explains why there has been very few improvements in his game over his four seasons in the NFL. Johnson and Bulman came into the league as part of the same draft class. Most know by now that Johnson was rated as the #1 DT prospect of that class; Bulman was rated #22-#23 on most boards. As they both came into the league, Johnson was clearly the more talented and contributed to some degree right away with the Texans, while Bulman struggled just to make regular season rosters. Four years later, however, the talent gap between them is much smaller. Many would even argue that they'd rather have Bulman put on a few pounds and start over Johnson now. The gap didn't narrow because Bulman was grossly undervalued while Johnson was overhyped, but rather because Bulman has become one of the hardest workers in the league while Travis likely trains with the same bare minimum principles that he applies during the season. If you could travel back in time and transfer Bulman's work ethic and passion for the game into Travis Johnson's body, we'd likely have a several time All-Pro by now.

Travis Johnson has had a disappointing NFL career so far, but he has no one to blame for it but himself. If he doesn't have the ability to play better than he has so far, there's nothing for him to be ashamed of, as he's just playing up to his ability regardless of where he was drafted. The truth is he came into the league with as much physical talent as any DT could hope for, but has let it go malnourished with a lack of hard work during the offseason and the proper desire and passion for the game that's required of all real NFL players. It's not any scout or coach's fault for his being overvalued in the draft or miscoached on the team. He just doesn't have the heart that's needed to truly make it at this level. Unfortunately he still has all that raw ability, so he will likely stick around for many years just coasting on natural talent rather than desire. He'll never come close to his full potential with this attitude, and unless he changes it he'll never be a fan favorite for any team he plays for. Ultimately fans will almost always prefer the overachieving nose-to-the-grindstone type players like Bulman over the extremely gifted but undisciplined and aloof players of Johnson's caliber.

9 comments | 1 recs

Rice Athletes Helping At-Risk Kids

by gloriousblue on Jun 30, 2009 12:46 PM CDT Comment 2 comments

No, this is not about the Texans exactly. But dare I say, it may be more important.

Rice is hosting a program, the Youth Impact Program, for at-risk sixth and seventh grade kids that has them study everything from English to math to anger management. The kids have potential - they have to be recommended by their guidance counselors - but they are low income kids whose parents aren't college grads. And these kids work hard for the five week program. Studying every morning and afternoon, listening to guest speakers, plus playing football.

The program is free, in large part because of the support from the NFL, the NFLPA, and the Saints (there's a program at Tulane that's been running for a couple years). This is the first year at Rice so support from the Texans isn't there yet, but it'd be great to have the fans' support.

Day 1 at Rice is actually today, so the kids are just getting a feel for the place now.

In case you were wondering, Rice University players helping out include Jake Hicks, Chris Jones, Taylor Dupree, Chance Talbert, Brian Raines, Chris Ptaszek, Ja' Corey Shepherd, Vernon James, Maya Kirk, Kiri Kendall, Tyler Parish, Denzel Wells and Kara Lawrence.

Also - here's a video from last year