Things To Look For in OTAs Without The Word "Cushing" Involved...
by Mike Kerns on May 17, 2010 8:09 AM CDT
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I am pretty confident when I make the statement that most of Texans nation is pretty sick of hearing about the Brian Cushing saga. Well, with Organized Team Activities starting today at approximately 10:45 a.m. Houston time, you would think we could actually get to talk about football for a change. But I doubt it. Like I said in my podcast this weekend, I am about sick of hearing about it and I just want to talk about some football already.
This is the first time I can recall members of ESPN and the national media planning to be in attendance at a Texans' OTA. And we all wish it was for different reasons, but we should know better. All you're going to hear about is Brian Cushing. But, there's hope for us actual Texans fans because there is plenty to talk about and watch out for that doesn't involve Cush at all.
First, there is an opportunity to see Kareem Jackson, Ben Tate and all of the Texans' 2010 draft picks get their first action in as official members of the team. It'll be interesting to see Jackson's early cover skills as well as seeing if Ben Tate's play is as enthusiastic as he has been about it on Twitter since being drafted in the second round. Then there is Trindon Holliday, the pick that lots of fans have shown a keen interest in. It will be interesting to see what happens when he hits 88 miles per hour.
Another story will be to see how Steve Slaton looks in his first action since season-ending neck surgery last year. He won't be participating in contact drills, but just seeing if he looks healthy should be something. I think he's done, but I am hoping to be dead wrong. Also, reports on the progress of the trio of tight ends coming off surgery (Owen Daniels, Joel Dreessen and Anthony Hill) should provide some discussion.
One of the stories I will be most interested in is the battle for the right to be the Texans' field goal kicker in 2010. Kris Brown had a nightmare of a season in 2009 and who knows if he'll ever be able to shake that off. He had a horrible year in 2005 and shook it off to become almost automatic for three years straight before last season's meltdown. But with the signing of former Arizona Cardinals Pro Bowl kicker Neil Rackers, it should be a fiery competition. If I was a betting man, I'd bet on Rackers. I loved Kris Brown, but he certainly looked like he just lost it last year. Hard to come back from that. But who knows? That's what camp is for.
So, as you can see, there are plenty of things to look out for today as OTAs start that don't involve the C-word (...Not THAT C-word, BFD...). Anything else in particular you guys will be looking out for? Sound off in the comments below.
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question.
does anyone know what time the evening session starts?? i may stop by after work. those are open to the public, right?
There is a master key and a spare key for the office. Dwight has them both. When I asked, "what if you die, Dwight? How will we get into the office?" He said, "if I'm dead, you guys have been dead for weeks."
http://www.twitter.com/doobieman21
by chrisd21 on May 17, 2010 8:13 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
OTA's are not opened
If you listen to Eric Winston’s video post, he says OTA’s are not opened to the public.
it'll be interesting
to see who will be our starting o-line as well. also, im really excited to see what kind of player earl mitchell will prove to be thru OTAs. we need him to be big whether we think he will be or not..
by theSpaceCityKid on May 17, 2010 10:34 AM CDT reply actions
That's what interests me the most...
the battle for starting LG, C, and RG. It’ll be something I watch all summer.
"Lord, beer me strength."
Both lines
We have to win in the trenches this year, and we have to finish getting to the QB, not just pressures.
A Texans fan. Really. No, I'm not kidding.
http://www.battleredblog.com
by bigfatdrunk on May 17, 2010 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions
The DLine has its starters though
Unless Connor Barwin (and Earl Mitchell) make a lotta noise in OTAs/Training Camp.
I do wanna see something from Okoye though. It’s time to take off the kid gloves with him.
"Lord, beer me strength."
Do you remember
the Jacksonville game when Garrard converted like four consectutive 3rd and longs by having WAY to long to throw and then just running for the first. I cant not stand watching stuff like that. Im hoping Barwin will be an answer and Mitchell will be a catalyst to Okoyes performance on later downs.
by theSpaceCityKid on May 17, 2010 3:25 PM CDT up reply actions
Think Barwin on Mitchell.
Limited exposure this year, and pretty much only on passing downs. It should be interesting to see how the competition goes between him and Okoye though.
Maybe just as interesting....
Mitchell as FB on goal line situations…think about it.
I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?
Why Mitchell vs Okoye?
We still have Shaun Cody starting at one DT. That position should be more in jeopardy.
"Lord, beer me strength."
Just because Okoye was drafted higher...
Does not make him the better player. Feel free to write it off as a small sample size, but he played considerably better than Okoye last season.
Okoye was brought in to rush the passer, and he does a piss-poor job of it. Mitchell was brought in to rush the passer as well, and with Antonio Smith manning the other DT position on passing downs, that only leaves one spot for him.
by Nashmeister on May 18, 2010 10:43 PM CDT up reply actions
My question is what will happen at TE
has Daniels signed his tender yet (been busy so I haven’t been able to keep up)? Are they trying to replace Daniels? Will we try to trade Daniels even though we probably would not get good compensation with him coming off his third ACL injury.
by theaxeeffect4311 on May 17, 2010 10:54 AM CDT reply actions
Daniels signed a waiver so that he could participate in OTAs
As an act of good faith. He has the same agent as DeMeco and apparently there were some good vibes when Smith and the agent talked a while back.
I'll eliminate you like I eliminate gluten from my diet.
by tehGrindCrusher on May 17, 2010 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions
my biggest story of interest is the K
had his sorry tail had any heart and made clutch FG’s against TEN and Indy we coulda won those games
Kris Brown has to go if not we’re doomed for another heartbreak
its something terribly wrong when a guy sits on his ass an entire game and trots out in the end to decide the outcome for guys who fight kick and claw for 60 minutes
According to Football Outsiders
It’s very common for field goal percentages to vary widely from year to year. In other words, don’t be surprised if Kris Brown keeps his job as the starting kicker, and don’t be surprised if he has a perfectly good season.
I'll eliminate you like I eliminate gluten from my diet.
by tehGrindCrusher on May 17, 2010 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
unfortunately my gut tells hes goin to more than likely 'win'
his job back this offseason, but his problem isnt OTA’s mini and training camps its the regular season when games are on the line and he shrinks like a loser
he shouldve been cut when the season ended, no matter how great his percentage is in preseason he’s still a fragile mentally weak K thats gona blow FG’s attempts, hell we have to hope he doesnt miss exra point attempts, jus sad
I think
your being overly harsh.
Kris Brown has won a lot of games for the Texans since 2002.
He has one bad season and suddenly everybody hates him, badmouths him and thinks he sucks.
Did he have a bad season and blow some games last year? Yes. Did it hurt? Yes.
Can he recover? I certainly hope so, not just because he has been good in the past but also to shut up all the people with only short term memories.
I'm the best there is at what I do.
Kris Brown's troubles were in the middle of the season, LAST YEAR!
They should have cut him and brought in another body to take his place. Anyone can miss field goals! Why keep a guy you know is going to miss before he steps on the field?
I agree that kickers careers vary from year to year. Smithiak should have given him the rest of the season off to fix himself and told him, “We’ll see you next year after you have fixed your issues!”
I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?
I'd like to see a raging bonfire
Lit under the asses of Xavier Adibi and Frank Okam.
And I’d like to see some real competition for interior line positions on both sides of the ball.
I'll eliminate you like I eliminate gluten from my diet.
by tehGrindCrusher on May 17, 2010 11:55 AM CDT reply actions
Tate vs Slaton.
I hink this battle will have the most impact on our team
by b0ng on May 17, 2010 12:26 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
Supposedly Slaton has really been working hard to get back to form since the surgery.
Heard an interview with Chris Meyers and he mentioned that Slaton has really been busting his ass and apparently looks really good for where he is postsurgery.
"An open mind is like a fortress with it's gates unbarred and unguarded."
The ROSENFAIL : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAKAKE-uq-8&feature=related
by TexansForever on May 17, 2010 2:07 PM CDT up reply actions
He's cradling it
Like it was a baby.
I'll eliminate you like I eliminate gluten from my diet.
by tehGrindCrusher on May 18, 2010 11:21 AM CDT up reply actions
OH NO!
McClain_on_NFL
Andre Johnson missed first ota cause he’s unhappy with contract that has five years left.
Die hard Texan fan from the heart of Denmark!
I hope that's a horrible joke...
because that doesn’t sound like Andre.
However, if the Texans wanted to lock him down for his career…..may as well use the uncapped year and be creative with the finances.
"Lord, beer me strength."
any1 knows
The facts about Andres contract?
He got a 7-year deal couople of years ago, right? But.. how is it compared to Brandon Marshalls new one in Miami?
Die hard Texan fan from the heart of Denmark!
ahh.. here it was - according to chron
Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson has five years remaining on his contract and will make a base salary of $5.8 million in 2010.
Die hard Texan fan from the heart of Denmark!
Confirmed by 610am
Andred was no show.
You can't fix Dumb or being a VYFB
by Texans-Brocos on May 17, 2010 1:14 PM CDT up reply actions
New Post On 'Dre's Absence Up On Main Page
I’m not worried.
Looking forward to a day when being a Texans fan doesn't mean that April is the highlight of my season...
I want to see..
Some good work outs by our OL, DL and LB corps… and Cushing lol… just to piss you off!
"Your mother is a hamster and your father smells of elderberries! Now Go away or I shall taunt you a second time!"
Go Texans!
From LanceZ tweet.
Lance Zierlein: In case you were wondering, Cushing isn’t any smaller than before.
"Your mother is a hamster and your father smells of elderberries! Now Go away or I shall taunt you a second time!"
Go Texans!
I take it
Lance cupped his balls?
Be judgmental about the actions of the past, be hopeful about the actions of the future. -The Homers Creed
in his mouth
Winning season... Check. Higher expectation bar... big Check.
by BattleRedHusker on May 17, 2010 9:00 PM CDT up reply actions
Don't be jealous BRH
Cushing will give you a chance someday but there is a long line!!!
"Your mother is a hamster and your father smells of elderberries! Now Go away or I shall taunt you a second time!"
Go Texans!
Oh, nuts! I don't have a number....
I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?
Regarding Neil Rackers
There is a reason he was available. It should be a good competition between two kickers who have tasted the highs and lows of the profession…
I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?
I think koobs
Will make them think they are kicking for a Job, but keep bothe of them on the roster come season time, so that he can have a backup if the winner, gets the shanks.
You can't fix Dumb or being a VYFB
I hope not
There are too many position players that need to have a spot on the roster.
I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?
theres no room on a 53man for 2 kickers
Be judgmental about the actions of the past, be hopeful about the actions of the future. -The Homers Creed
This was happend most years in Denver when Koobs was there.
So I wouldn’t bet against it here.
You can't fix Dumb or being a VYFB
by Texans-Brocos on May 18, 2010 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions
I want to see
Owen Daniels and Joel Dreesen… OD is a big part of what we do, we need him to bounce back.
Slaton and Tate… If Slaton is healed up and Tate is as good as I think he is the Texans will have a good 1-2 punch. Maybe the best in our franchise history. God I hope so anyways.
I would like to watch both the O-Line and D-Line… we need better performance from both. I was upset that we didn’t get a big NT in the draft.
Kicker… I want Kris Brown gone. It wasn’t just last year that he sucked. Don’t forget 2005 when it looked like we were throwing games to get the 1st pick. Brown needs to hit the road.
Dan Orlovsky… can this guy show us anything. It was a bad sign when he lost the backup role to the Sex Cannon. Usually you are out of the league after that. He has a big contract for a backup and he needs to show us something this year.
All the draft picks… Kareem, Tate, Mitchell, Holliday, Dickerson, are the ones that I think will get some playing time but I have a feeling that only KJ, Tate, Holliday, and Dickerson will help us this year.
Orlovsky is a project
There was never any intention of putting him near the field during year one of his stay in Houston.
Sit back. Relax. Kubiak is well ahead of the curve, when it comes to QBs.
oh yea, go Mitchell!
LanceZierlein
I knew new Texan def lineman Earl Mitchell had quick feet but watching his quickness in OTAs was impressive.
Die hard Texan fan from the heart of Denmark!
Start eating crow, bfd!
There’s some you can start on in another thread….
I suppose if all of the stars, moons and planets align it could be possible, but what are the chances of that?
Holiday will dazzle at OTA's
He’s always open. He catches a lot of balls. He’s un-guardable, no matter how old he is
They better let BoneCrusher hit something or at least dance
He’s always open. He catches a lot of balls. He’s un-guardable, no matter how old he is
oooohhhh
"Your mother is a hamster and your father smells of elderberries! Now Go away or I shall taunt you a second time!"
Go Texans!
by Taco Joe on May 18, 2010 11:57 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
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