Texans Down 'N Dirty: Dunta's March To The Sea Edition
by Jake on Feb 16, 2011 5:24 AM CST
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I started writing for Battle Red Blog about the Houston Texans late in the 2008 season. That offseason the topic de jour was what should be done about unrestricted free agent Dunta Robinson. After suffering a horrific injury in 2007, Dunta managed to rehab and return for the end of the next season, although he was obviously not close to 100%. Some fans were in favor of rewarding Robinson for being the emotional leader of the defense for some time with a long-term deal. Some were in favor of applying the franchise tag, which would surely anger the former first round pick, while others were in favor of letting him walk all together.
In the end, General Manager Rick Smith opted for the franchise tag, there were barbs thrown out by both sides through the media, and shoes were written on. Dunta went on to have an underwhelming season to say the least, and was allowed to walk and eventually sign with the Atlanta Falcons the next offseason. Dunta was not met with rave reviews from his new home in Georgia this year, as by almost all accounts he was regularly exposed by opposing quarterbacks and was outshined by Brent Grimes.
Some good will come of the Dunta situation though, right? He left to sign a relatively huge deal and started almost the whole season for the Falcons, which would earn the Texans a high compensatory pick, an unheard of phenomenon in Houston. Rivers McCown thinks not, and his logic is pretty solid. Even if he is wrong and the Texans get higher than a seventh round pick, it won't be much higher I'm sure. For news that won't make you finally throw away your limited edition "Pay Me Rick" kicks in the garbage, follow the jump.
Glover Quin is the only cornerback on the roster that played alongside Dunta in the 2009 season. It has been widely hypothesized that GQ will be moved to free safety, and in an interview with Drew Dougherty he stated that he was willing to do whatever the coaching staff asked him to in transition to the new 3-4 defense.
If Quin is in fact moved to safety, at least one corner will have to be added to the roster to replace him, but hopefully more than that, given that the secondary was so terrible last season. Tom Gower broke down the entire AFC South to include the Texans in terms of roster deficiencies and how they might be fixed through the draft and free agency.
One option as a free agent corner is former Washington Redskin Carlos Rogers. As Diehard Chris points out in his latest free agent file, Rogers is using the deal the Falcons gave Dunta as a measuring stick for what he's looking for. Yeah.
Daniel Charles took his first stab himself at how the Texans might select players in the draft with his first seven round, Texans mock draft. I personally like the Sione Fua and Jeron Johnson picks.
While Daniel had the Texans selecting Missouri DE/OLB Aldon Smith in the first round, another possibility is UCLA OLB Akeem Ayers. Doug Farrar wrote a scouting report on the Bruin linebacker, and for a more Texans-centric look, you can check out Alan Burge's latest draft watch installment on Ayers. I personally would like the Ayers pick... a lot. More to follow shortly.
Lastly, Patrick from the Texans Tribune caught up with the Bulls Eye Tailgaters, who recently won the inaugural Bing Tailgating Championship. Kudos to the BET crew for representing Houston fans so well.
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Geography lesson
Atlanta is not near a large body of water. Houston is one of the largest seaports east of the Mississippi….
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Not to be a douche or anything...
but isn’t Houston west of the Mississippi?
"Each day is better than the next" ~ Dom "Woogie" Woganowski
we've gone over this LoneSpot
There is no room on the Internet for logic. It gets in the way of the porn.
There's porn on the internet?!?!
How come anybody never told me this??
Who was the first to see a cow and think "I wonder what will happen if I squeeze these dangly things and drink whatever comes out?
Dang Lonespot
I guess I can’t punk you….
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
by Rip Jersey on Feb 16, 2011 2:38 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Metaphor Fail
I was trying to make a comparison to the famous “Sherman’s March to the Sea” during which he ransacked the South, especially Georgia.
I’m surprised you didn’t get that, Rip.
Writer for Battle Red Blog - Twitter
History Lesson
Sherman marched from Atlanta to Savannah applying the scorched earth approach to war, which took away the South’s industrial ability and their psychology to wage war. So, who is General Sherman and who is the South in your metaphor?
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Dude, I already have to live with Dunta being on my other team
Why do you have to continue to give me a paper cut and pout lemon juice on it?
by Mike Kerns on Feb 16, 2011 8:20 AM CST reply actions 2 recs
To go with the salt & tequila we'll pour on it next
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
by The Night Owl on Feb 16, 2011 12:03 PM CST up reply actions
pout lemon juice? Some fucked up tear ducts!
We are all important to each other, and because of this we have a purpose. - Daniel Black (Yes, that's me)
I thought you were trying to say spout....
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Ayers is probably the one player in the draft I absolutely don't want.
I’m extremely wary of Aldon Smith, too, but I’ve watched what I can of him over the past couple of weeks and would be slightly more comfortable with him than I had originally though… but Ayers is a very bad idea.
Reading and seeing youtubes of both, they appear very similar
Fast and athletic, biting on fakes, sometimes getting out of position, but often making big plays. I would say its a toss-up between Ayers and Smith. Which one will be better at grasping the pro game, is the one that should get the nod.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Watching a cut of all Ayers' plays against Stanford on YouTube
Made me fall out of love with him.
"Each day is better than the next" ~ Dom "Woogie" Woganowski
I've posted it on here before...
… but my biggest gripe is that he plays soft. He has all the athletic ability in the world and just watching him, it looks like he’s afraid to hit sometimes. He doesn’t have a whole lot of aggression, which just doesn’t make me feel comfortable with him. He leaves a lot to be desired in some of his techniques and play diagnosis, too.
I really feel as though Ayers is probably the worst first round “lock” not named Ryan “Leaf/Russell/Jones” Mallett.
That falls in line with my biggest concern with him
At times, the guy looks incredible (see: against Texas)….then he disappears and can be blocked out of a play. If he had some more consistent aggression and a 10-15 more pounds on his frame, I’d be over the moon for him.
"Lord, beer me strength."
My gripe at least...
Is that he hasn’t played full-time as a pass-rusher. That doesn’t mean he won’t be an exceptional 3-4 OLB (see Clay Matthews), but for some reason, I feel more comfortable with a 4-3 DE than a 4-3 OLB when it comes to making the transition to 3-4 OLB. Obviously Von Miller is the ideal candidate, having excelled as a 3-4 OLB in college. But between these 10th-20th pick prospects, I find myself liking Kerrigan more and more.
Im with you
Kerrigan has a nasty streak in him and his motor goes all day as far as what ive seen from the tapes available. Ayers and Smith arent bad players just bad picks at #11 overall IMO
by theSpaceCityKid on Feb 17, 2011 7:49 AM CST up reply actions
That's if you think Ayers plays thw WOLB and not SOLB
For SOLB, Kr’s concerns are right…can he be aggressive and physical enough to handle the run?
As for Kerrigan, the guy looked lost at 3-4 OLB at the Senior Bowl. Absolutely lost. He seems like a LDE in the 4-3 to me.
"Lord, beer me strength."
On a consensus poll
Could the Texans go wrong with the 11th pick of the draft?
They would have to totally fall asleep at the wheel, IMO.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
They can go wrong on it
The situation that makes me nervous is…who do they take if Amukamara, Dareus, Quinn, J Jones, Miller are all gone?
I just don’t wanna see them Babin themselves by taking someone like Ryan Kerrigan or mega-reaching.
"Lord, beer me strength."
by TexansDC on Feb 16, 2011 9:37 AM CST up reply actions 3 recs
They should trade down
if all are gone.
and the clouds opened up and God said "I Hate you Texans Fans."
Very true. Only 2 reasons to trade up....maybe 3
A) Some team really wants to leap Miami and grab Mark Ingram
B) Some team desperately wants their pick of the OTs.
C) If Julio Jones inexplicably falls to 11 and some team has their eyes set on him.
"Lord, beer me strength."
Yes, getting just the right circumstances to happen would be the key
Now, who could drop that the Texans would have no interest is, but others would? Maybe one of the QBs that are being mentioned in the top 10.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Minnesota is at No. 12, just after the Texans at No. 11
They need a QB. If Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert fall to No. 11, that opens up a possibility for someone else who needs a QB to move up. The Seahawks might be happy to wait for Jake Locker at No 25, or they might want to move up and get Newton or Gabbert, whichever one was there.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
They should trade down.
Period.
Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
Never use a long word where a short one will do.
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Never use the passive where you can use the active.
Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
-Orwell, Politics and the English Language
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by tehGrindCrusher on Feb 17, 2011 1:04 AM CST up reply actions
Would that be Babining yourself or Casserleying yourself?
I have to ask the tough questions…
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
by Rip Jersey on Feb 16, 2011 3:03 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I guess they fell asleep at the wheel.
by Ryan81 on Feb 16, 2011 11:54 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
Not really
Remember they swapped 1st Rd picks with Atlanta to get Schaub (also sent them two 2nd Rd picks). I don’t think they were asleep at the wheel, just intoxicated from the celebration of kicking David Carr to the curb & getting a real QB
Also, The Falcons took Jamaal Anderson with the pick we gave them, so I think we could have done much worse
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
by The Night Owl on Feb 16, 2011 12:09 PM CST up reply actions
I thought he'd be good, until I looked at it...
It seems the REASON he’s being released is because he couldn’t play NT or DE in the 3-4 Buffalo switched to. It’s what the article said, anyway.
Bacon tastes good... Pork chops taste good.
He wasn't that great last year in their 4-3 either
Some people think that they can outsmart me...maybe, maybe. I've yet to meet one that can outsmart bullet.
dream draft
1 – robert quinn
2 – quinton carter or jerrel jernigan
3 – Ian Williams or sione fua
4 – rashad carmichael
You know what's real sad?
That Quinton Carter hit is probably a penalty in the “No Fun League”.
by Ryan81 on Feb 16, 2011 2:49 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Can we trade
Trindon Holliday and a 6th to the BE-SF’s for Mark Mariani?
They dont deserve to have class acts in Meth town
I Want to Believe
With the way they're hiring coaches,
I wouldn't be entirely surprised if the Traitors make that deal.
I am a visionary, I am a genius, and now I am angry! Now help me find my pants!
I have a plan, and it's so cunning you can brush your teeth with it!
by UprootedTexan on Feb 16, 2011 4:06 PM CST up reply actions
along with half of Nate Newton's personal marijuana stash
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
by The Night Owl on Feb 16, 2011 5:21 PM CST up reply actions
Two
A.J. Green should be one of the first three off the board
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
by The Night Owl on Feb 16, 2011 5:25 PM CST up reply actions
fairley, bowers or peterson then.
You have the bills. Could take green. Could take newton. If I was them I’d take dareus
by AllenOU on Feb 16, 2011 6:19 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
First three overall, or first three for the Texans?
- Rivers McCown, From Mom's Basement | Twitter | SB Nation Houston | Battle Red Blog
by riversmccown on Feb 16, 2011 7:31 PM CST up reply actions
In that case I hope so
Except I do like some WRs like the 2 JJs, jones and jernigan
by AllenOU on Feb 16, 2011 7:39 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Again, Two
DT/NT 1st Rd
FS 2nd Rd
WR possible 3rd Rd
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
by The Night Owl on Feb 17, 2011 9:10 AM CST up reply actions
thats what i was thinking too TDC
our first three picks have to be on the D whats sad is say we draft all the players to fill those roles and free agency comes and they stay happy with what they drafted. There is no way we should be just sitting down when free agency comes around if it comes around. seems like alot of players we wanted are getting franchise tagged so any other guys we want? i am still wanting manny lawson.
while we have no idea what the cap will be...
the Texans are currently due more salary than most other teams are for 2011. Even after kicking Apostrophe and EW to the curb.
We may not have the choice of being overly aggressive in FA. Looks like we’ll be drafting for “needs”.
I'd be fine with us taking either Aldon Smith or Akeem Ayers.
Both are supreme athletes with great upside, just a bit raw for now.
I’d give the edge to Ayers as the more polished player. He has good instincts.
However, Smith has the better physical tools. He has very long arms and quick feet to go with his athleticism. Smith is the better pass rusher, but Ayers is better at virtually anything else.
Again, I’d be ok with either pick.
"Hakeem couldn't kick your ass cuz you were too
close kissin his!"- Sir Charles to Kenny Smith.
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