I was actually one of the few who liked the Williams pick from the start, mostly because I felt the Texans were quite a ways from being even a respectable team and felt the easiest road to get there was through defense and in particular the front 7. Plus, as good as Young and Bush were in college and as good as they looked as NFL prospects, they didn’t have extremely rare measureables or talent for their position. There have been plenty of players before and since they’ve come into the league that were comparable in ability.

Mario Williams was another story. He has a body that’s about as big and strong as DEs get in the NFL but also has the speed and agility of the 250lb edge rushers. His physical attributes were just off the charts for his position, and while he wasn’t as big a star in college as Young or Bush, he had/has near limitless potential. Also, DEs tend to have much longer careers than RBs and QBs who rely more on their scrambling ability than their arm. He’s already probably one of the 5 best DEs in the NFL now and has a good 10-12 years left in his career.

The better suporting cast that Smith has assembled coupled with the fact that as good as Mario has been for the past 2 seasons, he is still young and learning lead to only one logical conclusion; “We have not yet seen the best of Super Mario” (and IMO not by a long shot). I think Mario is plenty capable of multiple seasons with 18-22 sacks. If the Texans continue to add front 7 talent, Mario has the potential to compile numbers that will one day land him in Canton and be mentioned among the all time greats.

After so many years of seeing mediocre Texans defense, I am really excited at the prospect (on paper at least) of a defense that can actually win games for us. Last year, if Schaub, AJ, Slaton, et al were not clicking on all cylinders we had no chance of winning. This year I hope to see some consistent pressure on opposing QB’s and a run defense that will force some 3rd and longs.

GO TEXANS!!!!!!!

For those of you that watch the Chappelle shw I have a great Analogy for the upcoming season. Mario Williams is Charlie Murphy and Peyton Manning is Leonard Washington (Dave Chappelle). Mario is gonna tell Manning “Get Buttnaked!!” Manning wil be a cocky premadonna and tell Mario “Watch it son, I’m Peyton Manning, you want this football, your gonna have to kill me.” Then Mario shrugs his shoulders and says “OK”. He throws the offensive line aside and goes Lawrence Taylor on Joe Thiesman. After Peyton’s leg snaps he screams “OH GOD DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

I forgot it’s the world series of dice episode. :)

After having some turf toe in his 1st season… what a bust so upset, then to find out that the go who wanted him drafeted step down months later.. so mad,
 come 07 season i was eating my words mans a beast …on of the best picks we have made in the 1st round… and he should not be mention with bush or vince,, his a 1st picker…

ll