Texans News, Notes & Mocks

by Jake on Apr 13, 2009 7:29 AM CDT in News Comment 14 comments

Sorry BattleRedBloggers, this weekend was a slow one in the world of the NFL, and there is only so much Draft speculation I can engage in before you realize that Rick Smith probably doesn't care what I think. That being said though, there are some nuggets around the world wide web regarding the Houston Texans or the NFL at large that you might find interesting. Less than two weeks to the Draft, and it can't get here fast enough.

Paul Myerberg wrote a short state of the franchise summary for the Texans that won't tell you anything new unless you're a new fan, but hey... it's the NY Times.

John McClain wrote a draft summary article this morning that is pretty succinct. In it, he details that the Texans are looking for an immediate impact from their first round draft pick, and Rick Smith might try to trade up or down depending on who is available at 15. By the way, water is wet.

Alan Burge of the Examiner does a pretty good job of breaking down the Texans by position and hypothesizing whether the team will try to augment those positions in the draft.

Lance Zierlein of the Chronicle wrote a list of defensive draft prospects that the Texans might be interested in, and categorized them by which round they will likely be drafted in. I'm not sure whether Zierlein knows for a fact that the Texans are interested in these players, but it is the most robust breakdown of possible draftees that the Chronicle has published to date.

In case anyone missed it at Mocking the Draft, four prestigious NFL writers published their first mock drafts at the tail end of last week. Among them are Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News, Sam Farmer of the L.A. Times, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune, and a compilation of authors of the Kansas City Star. There seems to be an interesting trend emerging among the mocks, which I'm not sure exactly how I feel about. I'm interested to get your take.

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Those four mocks

were surprising. I didn’t read through them to see if other teams all had the same player picked for them, but I still thought it was kind of weird that they couldn’t all agree on 1-5, but they agreed on 15.

Aside from the fact that these writers have almost certainly jinxed the Texans getting Jenkins, it will at least make Draft Saturday more interesting knowing that there’s a chance that he could fall.

One thing that makes me think that Kubes might not draft him is that Kubes keeps talking about how the first round pick needs to be an immediate starter. I don’t think that Jenkins (Or Smith for that matter) will be the starting CB2 or FS. Both of those guys may impress and take over for either Jacques or Eugene, but they’re not really expected to. Well, maybe Jacques will lose his spot to a rookie, but I don’t see Jenkins or Smith as an immediate upgrade at either position.

by Tailgate Andy on Apr 13, 2009 9:31 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Wrong link

For LZ’s chron article, you used Burge’s Examiner link twice – just a heads up.

by Superdave532 on Apr 13, 2009 1:59 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks

Let's get the Texans a better fight song.

by Jake on Apr 13, 2009 2:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

don't use Gooslin as an example of ANYTHING

He couldn’t pick his nose, if his momma helped him. He ignores Peria Jerry, Rey Mamuluga, Malcolm Jenkins and a host of others sitting there @ 15…his genius pick ……15. Houston Texans:
Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee, Here is Mr Know-Nothing’s steller reasoning. Pro Bowler DE Mario Williams had 12 of Texans’ 25 sacks….John McClain your long lost son is Rick Gooslin of DMN

Calling Battle Red on Dallas Cowgirls in 2010

by Texans_00 on Apr 13, 2009 2:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Sports writers who don't pay attention to the free agency

Should be fired, plain and simple. I don’t care if it isn’t your city, if you are going to get paid ridiculous money to write mock drafts you should at least know which positions have already been addressed by teams.

Currently Listening to: VAST - Touched

"I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that." - Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice

by last texans fan on Apr 13, 2009 2:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ayers is not a bad pick

What’s with all of the hate? It’s just a mock draft. A lot of people have Ayers rated as one of the best defensive players in this draft including Mayock who thinks he may be THE BEST defensive player in the entire draft! And Gooslin is very well respected and does one of the best mock drafts EVERY year. Criticizing anyone because he picks someone you don’t like is silly. And it is perfectly good reasoning to go for a pass rusher when everyone on the Texans not named Mario Williams combined for 13 sacks.

by danger man on Apr 14, 2009 2:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

Ayers isn’t my first choice only because he wouldn’t play until third down, but I wouldn’t be hugely dissapointed either. Especially if Jenkins and Matthews were gone or the Texans found something on either player that they didn’t like.

Let's get the Texans a better fight song.

by Jake on Apr 14, 2009 6:03 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry but no way

A pure DE is like 16th on our need list and drafting for skill isn’t really an option here either considering there are alot more physically gifted players on the board. He has average speed, average strength, and he started for only one year in college…he is another player who “flew up the draft boards” durring the offseason from midrounder (!) to first rounder, an almost always tell tale sign of over inflation.

You are right, there is nothing wrong with going with a pass rusher, which is why at BRB we have been talking about Matthews who is a pass rush specialist, and I could also see taking Perria Jerry to replace TJ at DT or Tyson Jackson who is big enough to spell both Smith and TJ on various downs, if Matthews and Jenkins are off the board. But going with a pure right end like Ayers when the biggest free agent move you made was to sign a talented and expensive right end? Don’t give me any crap about depth or insurance or how one down will be improved, because the Texans have holes elsewhere you could drive a truck through on every down.

Currently Listening to: VAST - Touched

"I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that." - Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice

by last texans fan on Apr 14, 2009 8:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The D Line is one of our biggest problems

And correct me if I’m wrong, but Ayers plays D line. We didn’t sign a pure RE in free agency, we drafted our RE in 2006, his name is Mario, you might have heard of him. Ayers is big enough that scouts say he can play end from either position, and is even being talked about as a 5 technique (DE in a 3-4). Lack of depth is one of the things that has always killed us, so if Smith and Kubiak decide he is the best player left at 15 I have no reason to question their logic. Ayers would be in on thrid downs when Antonio Smith could kick inside with Amobi, but you’re also looking past the crucial fact that he could spell both Mario and Antonio if they needed, not to mention any injuries.

Let's get the Texans a better fight song.

by Jake on Apr 14, 2009 9:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

XD ok so I'm dyslexic

But regardless my point still stands and you did exactly what I said you would: “Don’t give me any crap about depth or insurance or how one down will be improved, because the Texans have holes elsewhere you could drive a truck through on every down.”
Everything you said was depth and insurance, when we don’t even know if we have a safety or OLB who can be productive at the NFL level on our team! You may as well draft Wells at pick 15 with that logic, at least he would add not only depth but another dimension to our game. Unless you think that by the end of the season Ayers will have outplayed Smith or Williams and earned a starting spot, drafting him here doesn’t make sense. If you want to improve the D-line take a DT or a player like Jackson who can play both.

Currently Listening to: VAST - Touched

"I feel like I'm the best, but you're not going to get me to say that." - Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice

by last texans fan on Apr 15, 2009 8:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm down w/ this logic

But the problem w/ this philosophy is that it may cause u to “reach.” Which is quite dangerous, IF Ayers is the best defensive player available on the board, there is NO reason to reach and draft an inferior safety or OLB. If Matthews and Jenkins are gone by 15, trading down is CRUCIAL b/c then taking Cushing at 20 or Ayers at 20 is an easier pill for us to swallow. But the draft hardly works that way, we’re gonna get stuck w/ the 15th pick and we’ve gotta pray to the good Lord that Jenkins and Matthews slip to us.

by wiseonekms on Apr 15, 2009 2:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You have to balance

You have to balance need and best talent available. If the Texans believe that Ayers is more talented than any OLB or S prospects, why wouldn’t they take him?

Another thing, I think you’re not thinking about a certain fact of men that are or are nearly 300 pounds… they get tired. We have Mario and Smith who we feel are starting quality, but who do we have to spell them? If you get another starting caliber DE, than you have a constant rotation of quality pass rush, which is necessary for what Bush says he wants from his defense.

If Smithiak feels that said quality rotation is better than any FS, OLB, SS or DT that is left on the board, than it is in the Texans best interest to take a guy like Ayers. Don’t get me wrong, Ayers is not my first choice, but if other prospects were taken before us and they felt it was THE MOST BENEFICIAL FOR THE TEAM, I wouldn’t think that was even close to the wrong choice.

Let's get the Texans a better fight song.

by Jake on Apr 15, 2009 2:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Additionally

Here’s Dicky Justice’s brilliant take on the Texans.

P.S. Spagnuolo is now the head coach of the St. Louis Rams.

Let's get the Texans a better fight song.

by Jake on Apr 13, 2009 2:38 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Justice

I had to thank him for those comments, not b/c the article was great or anything…but I appreciate that it looked like he worked (even if it lacked dilligent research) and that he gave Smith an ounce of credit…which caught me off guard.

by Smittybaby on Apr 13, 2009 7:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs