Earl Mitchell Is One Of Your Newest Texans...For Some Reason
by bigfatdrunk on Apr 24, 2010 12:45 PM CDT
Email
Print
Nothing against Earl Mitchell, but I believe this was an awful pick. Let's start with a little analysis by AJ Burge:
Mitchell is a smallish defensive tackle and his selection in the third round seems like a message to Amobi Okoye that the Texans are not satisfied with his production at the 3-technique.
I think AJ nails what this pick is about. Entering his fourth year, the Texans are worried about a 22-year old DT who is just starting to reach both his physical and mental potential. Of course, let's completely ignore the sinkhole that exists at the other DT spot, which is currently manned by Shaun Cody and an unsigned, 58 year old Jeff Zgonina.
But we need to send a message to Okoye? Or do we believe Mitchell is the answer to line up next to Okoye?
So let's take that second, glass mostly empty theory. We drafted Mitchell to play alongside Okoye. That's two barely 300-lb DTs who aren't blessed with great strength who we hope will be able to hold up against the run. Let's look at a couple of scouting reports.
Mitchell's quick burst off the line put college offensive linemen off balance, but that might be a tougher task as a professional.
A position change is a possibility since Mitchell is considered coachable with a strong work ethic and good attitude. While his athleticism is praised, he's struggled to break away from blockers and also batting down passes, making his hands an area of concern.
Strength is marginal. Struggles to hold up at the point of attack in the running game. Still fairly raw.
He could be a steal in the 4th or 5th round. He has a very high ceiling, but is a project. He may be best suited for defensive end in a 3-4 scheme.
Let's remember: this is our 3rd Round pick. If I sound frustrated with the pick, it's because I am. The draft is the perfect time to address problems, and I'm not sure what drafting Mitchell solves when we have so many other weaknesses on the team, especially at DT. If we drafted him to replace Okoye, we just gave up on a 22-year old who has had the likes of Travis Johnson and Anthony Maddox playing next to him. If we drafted him to play next to Okoye, we are weakening the strongest unit on our team: our linebackers.
Allow me to explain. Neither Okoye nor Mitchell could or should be considered stout against the run. Instead of either of these guys taking multiple blockers, we'll allow opposing offensive lineman and fullbacks easy entry to our second level, where DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing will have to deal with a lot more blocking traffic.
But we shouldn't be surprised with this pick, and we shouldn't be surprised by Bill Kollar continuing a string of mediocre defensive lines and an inability to develop undersized DTs. As Jake explained so well, it's been a long damn time since an undersized DT has been successful at creating sacks under Kollar.
I am sorely disappointed in this pick, and I'm just not going to hide it. But I've been wrong before, and I'll be wrong again.
50 comments
|
4 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
However, Mitchell is quick enough to drop back into coverage easy
Thus completing the prophecy of Bryan.
- Rivers McCown, From Mom's Basement | Twitter
It's the only way I see how he fits
A Texans fan. Really. No, I'm not kidding.
http://www.battleredblog.com
I concede to the power of Bryan
let it be his most outrageous claim that holds truth.
by theaxeeffect4311 on Apr 24, 2010 9:29 PM CDT up reply actions
He's a rotation guy
Who’ll be shuffled in along with Okoye & Cody. Depth; we need it.
by carsonwayne on Apr 24, 2010 1:05 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
yep
i like the pick. we needed a new DT to take heat off of Zgonina and Cody.
He's not going to take any heat off those guys
THAT’s the problem.
A Texans fan. Really. No, I'm not kidding.
http://www.battleredblog.com
Bush is gonna play a
5-3-4. He’s gonna free up Amobi’s assignment.
The 5 yard penalty for too many men on the field isn’t so detrimental when you get in close to the goal line.
Dunta's weightspeed was too low
I stand by the
“Give him a chance before casting him to Hell” philosophy
Winning season... Check. Higher expectation bar... big Check.
by BattleRedHusker on Apr 24, 2010 1:24 PM CDT reply actions
I can't deny it. I am on your ...err what's the opposite of bandwagon?
The opposite of the bandwagon effect:
The opposite of the bandwagon effect is just as silly as the bandwagon effect itself. While some of us pride ourselves on avoiding bandwagons, it’s as much folly to avoid bandwagons simply because they are popular.
How do I avoid hopping on the bandwagon or the opposite of the bandwagon?
Try to stop seeing them altogether, and judging the band and parade on their own merit rather than on their popularity or unpopularity. It’s really difficult!
Oh, what’s the use….. Unless this guy has superhuman strength, there’s no way he is any better than Okoye, who as you stated, is just reaching his physical and mental potential and I will add to that; has so far fallen short of expectations.
Third round pick? I want a do-over! …I feel so silly, damn!
I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?
Okay, have I been banned from rec'ing?
I can’t seem to figure this thing out….
I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?
nevermind
I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?
it may have been a horrible reach
but it seems like they had predetermined that they liked alot of these guys and had them rated higher than…well most other teams..
by leacheatsbabies on Apr 24, 2010 1:35 PM CDT reply actions
I've been the Smithiak apologist this whole draft
This one puzzles me the more I find out about it. You make a very good point on giving up on Okoye… I knew he was still young, but 22? Sheesh!
This is way more forgivable than drafting another TE, though.
I feel like
My shadow draft pick of Ghee was about a thousand times better. And I do not take comfort in that.
Seconded.
- Rivers McCown, From Mom's Basement | Twitter
by riversmccown on Apr 24, 2010 2:11 PM CDT up reply actions
I can handle mutliple CBs
but why take a rotational DT in the third? He doesn’t sound like Michael Johnson from last year that slid into the third who had all these freak physical attributes and has not put his game together. It sounds like this is as good as he’s going to get.
by theaxeeffect4311 on Apr 24, 2010 9:36 PM CDT up reply actions
We're weak at DT in general.
Not just NT. Okoye and Cody are mediocre at best against the run, and absolutely fucking horrible at rushing the passer. Zgonina is about to retire. Okam is done by all accounts. That gives us two relatively mediocre DTs on the team and a big heap of shit; what’s wrong with drafting a little depth (especially somebody with a high ceiling, as that scouting report mentioned)? He’ll probably work his way onto the field in certain situations, much like Barwin did last year.
But hell, with the NT fascination around here it could have been Warren Sapp reincarnate and people would still be down on the pick.
An undersized DT doesn't help, though
A Texans fan. Really. No, I'm not kidding.
http://www.battleredblog.com
Doesn't help against the run, I should add.
A Texans fan. Really. No, I'm not kidding.
http://www.battleredblog.com
how much help against the run do we need??
Our run D was top 5 with Pollard. The first 3 games w/o Pollard just killed the season average. Id rather have an undersized DT who can move around over a oversized DT that could be just as bad but have no mobility at all. The Texans drafted speed all over and that has been their philosophy. They dont like fat guys on either side of the ball.
To all Houston sports fans, Houston is the 4th biggest city in America, there will be traffic on the way to your respective sports game. Come Early, Be Loud, Stay Late.
by TexasHoosier on Apr 24, 2010 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
Great point.
Our run D was already 5th with crappy DT’s. I’m sure Mitchell will be an upgrade from cody….hopefully.
A statement to the players of the Jazz and Mavericks: Please stop flopping all over the court.
by Rockets 4 Life on Apr 24, 2010 4:46 PM CDT up reply actions
Fair point
I would also argue that getting consistent pass pressure was the major problem with our d-line last year. I think the hangover of getting gashed for 1.5 billion yards the first few games has somewhat blinded us to the fact that Cushing, beastly as he may be, had more sacks than everyone on the line except Mario. If we want to beat Indy and any of the other prolific passing teams, we have to get to a point where on 1st and 2nd down we can consistently rely on a 4 man rush providing pressure and/or sacks. I don’t know if Earl Mitchell is the answer, but I do think he can provide some situational help, which is better than what we currently have going. Between that, Mario being healthy, and hopefully Barwin’s development pushing Smith inside more often as well, we should be able to provide a pretty nasty 4 man rush while providing maximum coverage.
by Calvin Paquette on Apr 24, 2010 4:48 PM CDT up reply actions
Rec'd
Somewhere I read that the intent was to bring Mitchell in on passing downs when Smith moved inside…
Our run D probably ranked so high due to how shitty our pass D was.
Can’t trust defensive statistics based on yardage. Also, we were often in high scoring games, where passing is more prevalent. FO says pass D was 18th, rush D was 16th.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamdef
I generally agree with your approach, though. Just disagree that we had a top 5 rush D.
In the last 12 or 13 games
our D was 12th in DVOA, and I believe top 5 against the run. I will try to dig up the link. It was in one of Steph’s interviews with the FO guys.
I agree that there is a lot more to defensive stats than yards
but yards do matter. If a team is not gaining yards, they most likely wont be scoring.
Our rush D was 16th because we were on pace to give up an NFL season total record after the 1st 3 games, a.k.a. the games w/o Pollard. It might not have been top 5 the rest of the way in FO, but it was most likely top 8.
To all Houston sports fans, Houston is the 4th biggest city in America, there will be traffic on the way to your respective sports game. Come Early, Be Loud, Stay Late.
by TexasHoosier on Apr 26, 2010 1:09 AM CDT up reply actions
All those guys we missed
If the Texans hadn’t traded around so much, we could be sitting tight with an excellent defensive tackle. But they waited while we watched Lamarr houston, Brian Price, and Linval Joseph fly off to other teams. Could we just for once try to get a big tackle?
Opportunity cost.
We’d be sitting there with a potentially better DT and a potentially worse RB. Perhaps they thought there were better options at DT in the third than there were at RB. All three of the DTs you mentioned would have required a trade-up, anyways…
As for the “big tackle” question, I think we’ve covered that pretty thoroughly.
Is it possible we were too hasty to MF Earl Mitchell
I found a laudatory write-up on Mitchell on BleacherReport. Evidently, the guy compiled a respectable record in playing DT for only two seasons at Arizona, after moving to that position from FB and TE. He raised the interest from scouts at the Combine when he turned in the fastest 40 time of all DTs. And, from the sounds of it, he will be plugged into the DT position next to Mario Williams, which just so happens to be where Amobi Okoye plays…oh, and regarding the “MF” in my comment title; it just so happens that Mitchell’s teammates affectionately called him EMFM! I’ll let you do the math…
I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?
Bleacher Report is horrible...
I’m not anti-Mitchell, but it seems a bit high….
Geno Atkins was gotten in a later round. Can’t imagine he would’ve gone off the board before Atkins.
"Lord, beer me strength."
I shouldn't say anything until we see him play
We should probably give the guy a chance. I thought the EMFM nickname was indicative of what everyone is looking for; a little bit of nastiness to the guy. If he can change the interior line and give it some edge, then that is a good thing. The guy has 3-4 DE speed at 4.75. I would like to see how he does.
I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?
They told us before the draft they wanted to improve the pass rush
I believe that is what this pick is for. Okoye has been decent against the run, but isnt getting a push in pass rush. I think with this guy’s quick first step, they want to put him in during nickel and take Okoye out, so you have Smith and Mitchell at DT with Mario and Barwin on the ends.
Be judgmental about the actions of the past, be hopeful about the actions of the future. -The Homers Creed
mitchell
he’s 6-2/295 runs a 4.8 and had a 33 inch vertical…the guy is an athletic freak…he played FB/H-back his first two years at Arizona so is very athletic and was moved to d-line his last two years….he has a lot of upside and can develop into a starter nicely for us
Texans SB Champs 2009
elevenwarriors.com
It seems like the Kubiak formula for defense
Is to rely on our linebacking corps (plus Pollard) to stop the run and try to get lineman who can get upfield to the quarterback. If you look at it this way it makes sense.
However, I still would have prefered Dan Williams.
I'll eliminate you like I eliminate gluten from my diet.
by tehGrindCrusher on Apr 25, 2010 3:16 AM CDT reply actions
Well, it's the Frank Bush formula, to be honest.
Former LB, former LB coach, you can be sure he’s going to rely on his linebacking core to anchor this defense. And I’m fine by that; it might not be the most dominant defense in the league, but it’ll certainly be fun to watch as long as Cush and DeMeco have free reign.
Well, again
That’s the problem. Our LBs will face a lot more blocking traffic with a smaller set of DTs.
A Texans fan. Really. No, I'm not kidding.
http://www.battleredblog.com
I do not mind the pick
I just hope he can get some pressure from the middle. Personally, I could care less if the pressure comes in form of a big NT who can collapse the pocket, or a quick DT who can shed his block and get to the QB. The end result is the same, that QBs can’t run away from Mario when he comes off the edge.
Maybe our coaches believe that...
… rushing the passer and having speed on defense is the key to success. Our D played pretty good down the stretch last season, but it was volatile at times. Why not add someone to push Okoye and potentially help in 3rd and long situations? As far as stopping the run is concerned: Maybe chaos is what Bush is looking to create. Speedy defenders who can create chaos and allow savvy linebackers and safeties to come up and make plays have a place in this league.
One final note… When we drafted Williams, Ryans, and Daniels the “experts” considered it one of the worst drafts in the league at the time. Looking back, we may have had the best draft of any team that year. Time will tell. I will say it again, time will tell.
Mario > VY > Bush
Schaub > Romo
Go TEXANS!
Go TCU FROGS!
by MFriday on Apr 26, 2010 2:32 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
The thing about expert draft appraisals
Is they often can swing wildly just based on the first round pick and how that player was board rated. The Texans were severely punished for taking Mario over Reggie. Which was silly.
- Rivers McCown, From Mom's Basement | Twitter
by riversmccown on Apr 26, 2010 4:44 AM CDT up reply actions
Reach? Go look at all prospect rankings for 2010 DTs.
I am ambivalent about the Mitchell pick, but let’s dispell the asinine line of thinking that he was somehow a reach. On nearly all draft boards that any of us are going to have access to, Earl Mitchell was ~15th ranked. TWELVE defensive tackles went before him, leaving only Al Woods and Cam Thomas as the other viable options at defensive tackle. I’m tired of hearing Texans fans gripe about not taking Cam Thomas: he was awful in college and was never going to be taken by a team with Bill Kollar as its DL coach, for better or for worse. I don’t think Earl Mitchell vs. Al Woods merits any real debate, either. If the Texans didn’t take DT at this point, they weren’t going to get one worth a damn in this draft, like it or not.
Now I, personally, believe our 1st round pick should have been Dan Williams, but that has little or no bearing on reality. I only mention this fact to eliminate any inklings that I sip the Kollar Kool Aid one bit.
The other error that seems prevalent hereabout is that Okoye plays 3-tech. Okoye played 1-tech for almost all of last season. I don’t know why, but that’s what happened. He’s awful against the run and the pass, so I imagine the line of thinking is that we hoped to get someone who at least excelled at one of these two things. Okoye is a terrible football player. He’s a bust of very high magnitude, and we’d all do best to move on in our hopes for an impact defensive tackle. The best thing the team could do right now is to sign John Henderson… but we know that’s not going to happen.
by krkenney on May 2, 2010 6:42 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Disagree
It’s a reach when you have Cam Thomas and Geno Atkins both sitting on the board. Crap on Thomas all you want, but Atkins is the same smaller DT with the same speed, but he’s got the added benefit of A) surviving the SEC and B) abusing 1st round pick Mike Iupati at the Senior Bowl.
It’s a reach when, despite your DT rankings, he was a projected 5th to 6th round pick while Thomas and Atkins were projected 2nd to 3rd rounders. Yes, it only matters where they went, but Earl Mitchell wasn’t going anywhere in round 3….when we could’ve picked up a FS or a OG or something.
Okoye isn’t a bust nor is he awful. Most people here admitted that he showed progress last season. Heck, he was 4th among DTs in QB Pressures. He led all Texan DTs in stops. He plays well despite being miscast as a run-stuffer. Frankly, the Texans are doing him a horrible injustice and should just cut him and let him play for a team with a good DLine coach.
"Lord, beer me strength."
Geno Atkins would’ve been my preference, as well, but my point was that people need to stop pretending there was a wealth of depth to be had much beyond the 3rd. This class was touted as “the deepest in recent memory,” and I have to agree that when you have over a dozen players at one position go in the first two rounds, you have some serious depth there. However, depth disappears when you have massive runs at that position. It’s not a reach if he’s the next best player available at the position, and you’re not going to be getting him any later. (If you want to talk reach, I point you earnestly toward the Reverend Al Sharpton’s nephew. I’m convinced our man Darryl wouldn’t have been drafted if we hadn’t given him a call, much like Sherrick McManis and Brice McCain).
I also ask that you join with me in fighting what I call “Texans fan syndrome.” The franchise has been so underwhelming that we’re willing to be optimistic about ALMOSTS. Saying “Amobi Okoye is great at rushing the passer; he got a lot of pressures,” is a euphemism for “Amobi Okoye didn’t sack the quarterback.” The kid (and I’ll call him a kid, because he’s my age) is not getting to the QB. According to PFF.com, he’s actually the 3rd worst starting DT in the league versus the run. He’s just not a good football player. Three years in the NFL is three years in the NFL, whether you’re a 19 year old rookie or a 25 year old rookie, and Okoye’s mantra has become the same as the Texans’ “Next year’s our year!”
I’m tired of fans giving him a pass. He is not good. Not against the pass, not against the run. If Mitchell can be this guy’s replacement, we’ve become a better football team.
Honestly...
I wanted Geno Atkins. Dude was a beast in Mobile and at Georgia. If we had to take another “small” DT, I had at least preferred Atkins. Mitchell, I feel like, would’ve been there in the 4th allowing us to take a FS or better guard. In the 3rd, I felt like there was someone (Alabama OG Mike Johnson) that would’ve been able to contibute on an every down kind of level. That aside…
I do hate the almosts, but I’d rather replace Shaun Cody than Amobi Okoye. I don’t think Shaun Cody would start for any other team. Amobi…I think he can be good. I think he’s been misused some. I think he could benefit from cutting his weight (which he has done this offseason). I think his 800+ snaps may be about 100 or so too high because big guys shouldn’t be out there as often as he is. I think there’s hope for Okoye….I don’t think the same about Shaun Cody. The 0-16 Lions had him as a back-up…there’s no reason he should start for us.
"Lord, beer me strength."
Make no mistake, I want Okoye to succeed, but if the kid is not going to benefit this team, then the sooner we recognize it and address it, the better off we are. The reason I was targeting Okoye is because we all actually have expectations of him. Shaun Cody joins a long list of sub-standard Free Agents this club likes to bring in as a piss-poor attempt to appease fans and give the idea that they’re willing to take any free agent risks at all.
Rec'ed
Mostly because I don’t disagree with what you’ve said.
And then I see TDC’s comment pop-up below. :-)
I’d like to clear two things up now, if I can. First, I don’t think Mitchell was a reach, especially if you believe in the MDC Draft Theory. Secondly, I don’t think he was a bad pick, just the wrong pick for what we need.
I will disagree that I think Okoye was playing 3-tech for most of the year, with Cody being asked to play 1. I say this because it did appear Okoye’s primary job was to shoot the gap, thus, he had so many QB pressures. Cody was trying to eat up space, definitely not in his repertoire.
A Texans fan. Really. No, I'm not kidding.
http://www.battleredblog.com
bfd, are you starting to come around on Mitchell? I think so.
Your tune will be sweet half way through the season….
I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
