Texans' Training Camp Open Thread--Day Seven (Part Deux)

Counting this one, I’ve made at least five posts this summer.

I’m not necessarily against it if we get a hometown discount, but I don’t think he is the Panacea that people are acting like.

but I really want to DOUBLE rec it for calling out the word “swagger”. I effing loathe that word.

I hate when people use that word. On another note I think papbear is correct. I’m sure there is a certain…all I can think of is “comfort level” from hiring within a pedigree or coaching system. Definitely when you’ve worked with the coach/personnel before. I suppose I can’t speak in certainties, but if my job were on the line, I’d want personnel I was familiar with. I’d know their strengths and weaknesses and be able to work with that.

As far as players go, that’s a little more tricky. I think Smith and Pemberton are reasonable pick ups. Smith is decent. Pemberton is huge, not the greatest footwork for a tackle, but he could be moved inside.

Picking someone who knows your system simply because he knows your system when there are better or otherwise more talented options out there is always a bad idea. How good a school is Colorado State, again? And why do we keep bringing in their players, season after season, if not for any other reason than Kubiak paying the school a favor for playing his kids?

It’s one thing when your cronyism leads to hiring Ray Rhodes or Alex Gibbs—they’re some of the best at what they did that the game has ever seen. It’s another thing entirely when you’re giving significant playing time to Mike Brisiel (who people seem quick to forget was by far the worst part of our offensive line when he started) or Joel Dreessen simply because they played ball at the same school your kids go to. The likelihood that Ahman Green was going to turn it around and have an all-pro season here after sharply declining was about as certain as Rich Rodriguez lighting the Big Ten on fire at Michigan. As much as I love Duane Brown, the guy was a 2nd-round pick at best (who we took in the first round simply because he fits the system), and I firmly believe that the Rick Smith shot himself in the foot by getting cute with trading back, thinking he’d land Mike Jenkins. The team is going to have a lot of explaining to do if Devin McCourty, Kyle Wilson, and Patrick Robinson blow things and getting burned by Andre Johnson is a preview of how Jackson’s going to play this season. And I’ll go ahead and point out that we had the opportunity to sign Gregg Williams and picked Frank Bush instead, again.

Sorry, cronyism might not always be a bad thing, but it’s not exactly been the best thing for this team. Go out and draft and sign and hire talent instead of picking up low-grade free agents/draft picks simply because Kubiak played with their dad (I’m looking at you, Kasey Studdard).

and “at the end of the day”.

What industry does not show favoritism in hiring practices, with familiarity and previous positive experiences be overwhelmingly dominant factors? It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. That is how the world runs, and it always will be that way.

…see what I did there?