Random Thoughts Regarding The Houston Texans

by Jake on Apr 28, 2009 6:40 AM CDT in News Comment 18 comments

Staying with the draft theme temporarily, Rick Gosselin, who is considered one of the premier written journalists on the draft, published his grades for the classes selected over the weekend. I’ve gone on record several times that giving grades immediately after the draft is terrible because no one has any idea how players will actually perform in the NFL. Having said that though, I’m a whore for good press and Gosselin gave the Texans an A+. Ehhh. Who are we without integrity?

As a couple of people have noted, the Texans’ selection of Brian Cushing and Connor Barwin on Day One of the Draft might seem to lend credence to the notion that the defense may be switching to a 3-4 in some way shape or form. This was actually my initial thought immediately after the Barwin pick because so many had projected him as a 3-4 rush OLB. After thinking about it though, I don’t think this will happen. As Matt noted in a uh…passionate argument against the switch, Mario Williams is one of the, if not the, best 4-3 DE in all of football, and relying on Travis Johnson to play NT is probably just as smart as being sexually attracted to a wood chipper. I think that Barwin will eventually be developed to stand up but this will be just a misdirection tool. If he was able to get to a point that he could cover a TE or RB, then offenses would never know if he was dropping into coverage and/or whether one of the LBs were blitzing, or if Barwin was using his speed to rush the passer. While Barwin developing LB skills would be great, I don’t think it means switching to a 3-4.

I was just as pissed as everyone else that we didn’t sign a bigger RB during the draft, but then my brother reminded me of something that someone brought up on BRB a couple of weeks ago. Denver is no longer running a one-cut zone running scheme and have now brought in several RB’s that don’t fit that system and drafted one in the first round. The Texans are likely trying to wait until the Broncos start jettisoning the old RBs they no longer need so that Smithiak can pick up some zone experienced backs on the cheap. How awesome would it be to see Ryan Torain in the backfield when Steve Slaton comes out? The answer is very.

Dunta has officially forced me out of his corner. Who would have ever thought that making almost $10 million dollars after what some had considered a career-ending injury would be a bad thing? The latest Dunta demand is that the Texans agree to not use the franchise tag on him again next year or he will not report for offseason workouts, possibly training camp, and may even hold out. Maybe I’m being picky, but I would think he should be more worried about playing well enough to even warrant a franchise tag next year. If he snaps out of this and plays well this year, I’m not saying that I’ll never support him again, but right now he has officially pissed me off.

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I think Dunta being an ass has a big upside.

No wait seriously, hear me out.

If he’s being cocky enough right now to be worrying about next year’s payday and not his injury from this past season it means he’s feeling fully healthy. He isn’t a complete idiot, and he isn’t going to expect to make big bucks next offseason if he isn’t going to perform on the field, so it seems pretty obvious to me that his workouts have him feeling fine and that he has no reason for concern in going into this season.

I don’t know about everyone else, but whining or not, I’m looking forward to hopefully having a 100 percent Dunta back on the field. He isn’t just the best player on our secondary, he is our secondary, and obviously Smithiak agrees as we didn’t touch a DB for the first three rounds.

(BTW guys sorry for being out the past week, was on vacation and didn’t get to join you for the draftapalooza…and from what I take I was one of the few people psyched about our picks too, Barwin and Cushing are going to play shutdown D, I think if we were so hopped up on Matthewroids we’d all feel a little better. I’ll be on more later this week to talk with everyone about all the hijinx. Big shout out to my boy Jason Smith going number 2, Sic ’Em.)

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 28, 2009 8:00 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

re: Dunta

yeah, that argument of just agreeing to his demands will probably help us the most this season. But Smith appears to me to be a guy who’s not gonna cave to demands like that.

So Dunta may be 100%, from games 4-16. At least we’ll have him earlier than last year.

Smushiak will take us to the playoffs in 2009.

by texanphil on Apr 28, 2009 8:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Where did you go on vacation?

Also, Dunta’s demand is beyond stupid. First of all, he’s not in a position to demand anything. Secondly, why should Smith give a guarantee that he won’t franchise Dunta again? Why would Dunta take it at face value if – as he has claimed – Smith already promised him that once, only to go back on his word.

What I don’t get is how Dunta doesn’t realize that it is patently obvious that he has no leverage here. No team is going to pay him better than franchise money, and they’re certainly not going to pay him what Smith is supposed to have offered him. In case anyone has been living under a rock, Dunta has missed basically a season’s worth of games because he suffered a nasty injury. In that time, the team managed to get along just fine without him. And he’s using the threat of a holdout? Why on earth would he think that would work?

If I were giving advice to Dunta, it would be simple: shut your piehole, play your ass off and show that you haven’t lost anything. If these happens, Smith will come to you with a deal. If you don’t like it, you can shop yourself around. Actually, my advice to him would have been to take the offer Smith put on the table and not get franchised in the first place.

What’s going to happen to Dunta if he doesn’t take a deal from Smith, shops himself around, and doesn’t get any good offers from other teams? Is he going to come crawling back to the Texans?

When I'm on the mic, I'm like global warming, you can't ignore me.

by tehGrindCrusher on Apr 28, 2009 9:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Phoenix

I went to visit some friends.

I really think its best just to give him what he wants. I know he is being a crybaby, I would tell him to shut his piehole too, but he’s not demanding a new contract right now he is just demanding we promise not to franchise him again. Fine by me anyway, 1 of two things will happen at the end of the season:

1) Dunta will be spectacular again and will deserve a pricey long term contract

2) The injury will hamper him to the point where he will either demand less money or if he demands the money regardless the Texans will just release him instead of wasting the high price of a franchise tag

Either way the franchise tag isn’t necessary next year. One of these two kids (either Smith or Dunta) needs to stop trying to measure up and just be modest, their goals will take them to the same place anyway.

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 28, 2009 8:42 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

hopefully we run a 4-3

and one of the 3 (Cushing) spends a LOT of time on their side of the line of scrimmage.

I hope they don’t know where the pressure is coming from, and its coming often.

I see picks all over the place.

Smushiak will take us to the playoffs in 2009.

by texanphil on Apr 28, 2009 8:19 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Apparently Dunta

has been taking notes from Haynesworth. Albert got the same agreement Dunta is asking for. If our experience was anything to go by, the upside is you’ll get the best year Dunta will ever play in the league (provided he stays healthy).

Music City Miracles blogger and official Jon Bovi tour manager.

by August West on Apr 28, 2009 10:06 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I sure would like that to be the case

But I don’t think Dunta is going to be nearly as influential on our defene as Fat Al was on yours.

If he is, however, good for us!

When I'm on the mic, I'm like global warming, you can't ignore me.

by tehGrindCrusher on Apr 28, 2009 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dunta

Is a stud. It just seems that he is more about money and less about being a Texan. I hope that is just perception and we get a deal done with him, but who knows. It just sucks!

It takes a big man to walk away, but a bigger man to break his freaking jaw!

by USMC_Texas on Apr 28, 2009 10:35 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm curious why the media doesn't hound the players

to tip their hand (like the Teams do) and make their counteroffers public. I know why the players don’t do it, b/c the public would hate them for suggesting their are worth X dollars. It would expose Dunta as a fraud in his claims of wanting to be a Texan.
But I’D LOVE the media to jump on these fools again and again to make them say what they think they are worth and justify it in terms of production and the overall team best interest? I want Dunta to tell us what he thinks he deserves based on his production, how it is in the Texans best intersts, and account for risk to both sides. Their getting a free pass by the reporters is weak!

by Smittybaby on Apr 28, 2009 12:39 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Dunta's ego is sickening

What the FO offered him was more than he is worth.

His only leverage is having been a fan favorite. He’s losing that at an alarming rate.

I bet his ego is big enough to actually miss games this year – even for almost 600k per game.

by WhiskeyR on Apr 28, 2009 2:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Dunta

I always liked the guy but he is pissing me off. At least owen daniels made the pro bowl, that man deserves more money. The economy is going to shit and dunta is a millionaire getting payed to do what he loves. I think he has forgotten how blessed he really is. Almost 600,000 a game if he doesnt show up, this guys an idiot.Thats 6 yrs worth of work for me. These guys are suppossed to be pros. It just sickens me.

DMUNOZ

by dmunozimatxan on Apr 28, 2009 6:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Get off of Dunta

Dunta has done nothing but play his ass off for the Texans. He is the best defensive back in our history and we are going to need him this year more than ever. Let’s not forget, however, that he has worked his ass off his entire life to get to the NFL, not necessarily play for Texans. NFL players have the shortest careers of all professional athletes and run the greatest risk of getting hurt. If you can’t understand why a player in the prime of his career wants to maximize his value then you have a lot to learn about the economics of football.

Look, would I be happy with $9+ million guaranteed? ABSOLUTELY! But that doesn’t mean that a player, in this case Dunta, has to settle if he thinks he is worth more (which he is) on the open market. Deangelo Hall got $50+ mil ($23 guarenteed) from the Skins after he had openly mailed it in for the Oakland Raiders. The CBA is weighted heavily in favor of the owners (billionaires BTW) and there is never a promise for tomorrow for the players except through signing bonuses. This is a simple employer/employee dispute and it’s unfortunate that we, the fans, are getting the short end, but that’s the breaks. Are you going to stop going to the games? No. Are you going to stop watching on TV? No.

I don’t think Dunta is being unreasonable. If he is willing to sacrifice his own paychecks to make a statement to ownership then he has every right to do so. I would like for him to shut up and take the field, but at the end of the day you can’t knock a guy who is trying to look out for his and his family’s best interests. Every athlete knows that the fans are fickle and they will leave you just as fast as they came to love you. Before we for uninformed opinions here let’s just remember that we’re talking about one of the best, most productive, hard working, high character players in the brief history of the Houston Texans.

www.torotimes.com

by tubbsmoya on Apr 28, 2009 7:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Um,

so you’re an agent?

by knave64 on Apr 28, 2009 9:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

IIRC Dunta was offered money that would have made him one of the top-paid corners in the league

And he turned it down and then got mad when, unsurprisingly, he was franchised.

When I'm on the mic, I'm like global warming, you can't ignore me.

by tehGrindCrusher on Apr 29, 2009 8:21 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also

The CBA guarantees 60% of revenues go to the players. So it is false to say that it is weighted to the owners.

When I'm on the mic, I'm like global warming, you can't ignore me.

by tehGrindCrusher on Apr 29, 2009 8:22 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

maybe tubbs

if he is so great, how many int’s did he have. did he lead the league, no, he didnt. our secondary has sucked. i hope it gets better but in the games ive watched, the secondary has been our biggest weakness. how many times has dunta been a pro bowler, ugh none. if he is a distraction, move him out of the way. it is what it is. no man is bigger than the team. anyone can be replaced.

DMUNOZ

by dmunozimatxan on Apr 29, 2009 2:06 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Dunta is our secondary

Dunta’s unfortunate injury 2 years ago may have set him back both from getting the contract he wanted and also from turning his name into one of the most elite cb’s in the league. I think people are mistaking his “demands” for him being a bad apple. Dunta is clearly not that type of person, and prior to his injury he was entering into the conversation as one of the most elite corners in the league. For those of you who think we can be the same team w/o Dunta, I think you are greatly mistaken. Dunta is one of the few cb’s that is smart enough and physically capable to do EVERYTHING that is asked from him as a corner. He is damn near a shut down corner (prior to his injury), he has the speed to blitz, he’s a sure tackler, and he’s still relatively young. Securing Dunta to a long-term contract as silly as childish and demanding as Dunta may sound is definitely in the Texans’ best interest. I dunno, I’m a big Dunta fan, and I hope both he and Demeco can be fixtures in this lineup for year to come.

by wiseonekms on Apr 29, 2009 3:17 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

and on a completely different note

Holy crap, did u guys see the Eagles’ draft and moves in the offseason? Gun to head, I’m saying this is far and away the best NFC team. McCoy, Maclin, Ingram? Along w/ Jason Peters and Stacy Andrews?? Sure they lost Dawkins, but he’s nearing retirement anyways…not to mention they still have a secondary w/ Asante Samuel, Ikegwonu, Hobbs, and Sheldon Brown? ouch.

by wiseonekms on Apr 29, 2009 3:31 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs