Texans Down 'N Dirty: Combine Begins Edition
by Jake on Feb 23, 2011 9:40 AM CST
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PrintToday marks the official start of the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine. The Combine was created in order to give NFL teams a centralized event to evaluate players medically, but it has evolved into so much more than that. The Combine is a place that is still used to poke and prod potential draftees, but it is also used to judge prospects' athletic ability, interview players and as a place to talk shop with other NFL scouts, coaches and executives. It has also become a media circus for countless outlets, most notably the NFL Network, which covers the event on television.
Much is made about the evils of the Combine because of what it has grown into. NFL people sometimes allude to annoyance with the level of scrutiny that they now receive, but they shouldn't. The fact that a scouting event can rate higher ratings than other sports' games shows how wildly popular the NFL has become, and it is that popularity that allows the NFL to garner $9 billion in revenue annually to argue over.
Pretty much any draftnik that has a decent amount of pull has received media credentials to the Combine and is spending today traveling to Indianapolis. Due to this migration, there isn't as much draft-specific stuff today. I will have a list of Twitter users that I suggest you give a follow to as they will be covering the Combine up later today. In the meantime, follow the jump for all Houston Texans related happenings.
The man with perhaps the biggest stage at the Combine is NFL Network's Mike Mayock. Mayock published his third edition of his Top 5 players at each position yesterday, which had some notable changes. Among them, Mayock has Robert Quinn as his number one DE (he was initially fourth, if memory serves me), Muhammad Wilkerson as his third rated defensive tackle and Akeem Ayers as his second outside linebacker.
As has widely been the subject of Texans conversations, Eugene Wilson was released on Friday, along with four other players. John Hallam wonders if John McClain's claim that Glover Quin will be moved to free safety is based on sources or conjecture.
Rivers McCown thinks that such a move would be a cheap way out, and I agree. The fact that OJ Atogwe has presumably not visited the Texans yet is inexcusable, given the complete lack of depth. More on this later.
Patrick from the Texans Tribune added his two cents about Wilson and Quin, plus his opinion on the current labor mediation with the NFL and the NFLPA.
John McClain writes that DeMeco Ryans will stay busy this offseason with rehab as well as being the NFLPA rep for the Texans.
Alan Burge noted that Ben Tate has been cleared to participate fully in workouts by medical personnel, a nugget that he found on Tate's Facebook. Tate also made the announcement on Twitter yesterday.
Chris kept his free agent series going at Houston Diehards. The latest installment was Chargers safety Eric Weddle.
My time to post is being cut short by my real job, but if you find anything worth linking, leave it in the comments.
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if we draft prince
im dis-owning the texans and becoming a full fledged rams fan.
we need VETERANS in the secondary
and we need a bad ass OLB in the first, there should be plenty available.
i can just see quinn on the board, and then we end up taking ayers or kerrigan
Your hate-on for Prince is well-documented
I wouldn’t mind Prince if the Texans signed a veteran and moved Quin to FS. Unlike everyone else, I don’t think Atogwe will save us and think he’s being overrated.
"Lord, beer me strength."
I think Prince has proven that he is a player at the NCAA level
I might compare what is happening here is the same thing that happened to Joe Haden last year. He ran a relatively average Combine 40 and talk emerged that he was overrated. He turned out to be a good player as a rookie. I can see the same thing happening with Prince. Football minds will have to rate him. If he ends up in the Texans’ lap, I will wait and see, but I think he could be a very good player.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Comparison
I’ve heard Allen’s beef with Prince, and it’s very similar to the things that were said about Malcolm Jenkins a couple of years back.
All warranted, mind you, but still, Jenkins is turning out to be solid.
Bacon tastes good... Pork chops taste good.
These are players that have football smarts/instincts
Teams need to have a head for identifying those players, the players that make plays and may not have the fastest straight line 40 time or the most bench presses at the Combine.
But, if I had the opportunity to sit in front of a TV and watch the Combine for hours on end, I might just do that…..
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Oh, do it, if you have the chance...
Mayock is a straight up wizard, and it amazes me how long the whole crew is able to keep it interesting. Mad props to Eisen and the NFLN.
Bacon tastes good... Pork chops taste good.
It's not all about 40 times
Prince has a history of struggling in man coverage against fast recievers, and there’s little but fast recievers in the NFL. A corner can have a 4.6 40 time and still be a good cover-corner, but when you don’t have “elite” speed and also have trouble changing direction without hitch… people start to wonder if you wouldn’t make a great FS in the NFL.
I'm beginning to wonder if....
people are overrating OJ Atogwe due to the need at FS as opposed to what he brings on the field. People should be crying more for Nnamdi Asomugha than Atogwe…and yet, all I see is “OJ Atogwe.”
"Lord, beer me strength."
Because
You can get Atogwe NOW. In a year like this, that’s rare uncertainty before the draft. Allows to actually establish some plans rather than saying “I hope we sign (fill in the blank)”
Plus, Atogwe has forced 44 turnovers in the last 5 seasons. Without knowing for certain, I don’t think the Texans secondary has 44 turnovers since 2005.
Writer for Battle Red Blog - Twitter
by Jake on Feb 23, 2011 10:53 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
This
I can’t cry out about the Texans not making any moves on Nmandi yet because he’s not actually free to speak to other teams yet.
But I’m sure those posts will come.
- Rivers McCown, From Mom's Basement | Twitter | SB Nation Houston | Battle Red Blog
by riversmccown on Feb 23, 2011 11:17 AM CST up reply actions
I think some of that is based on the thinking that we have no chance at Scrabble
and that OJ would be easier to sign. I don’t think OJ’s a world beater..but he’s a good player who would be a huge upgrade over Ewww.
I’m not terribly upset there’s been no indication the Texans are interested for a couple of reasons. One with the CBA situation I would understand if there is a desire to wait things out a little. Two, there could be interest behind the scenes we just don’t know about. Third, They could be making the decision to move Quin to FS and throw there free agency money after a stud CB or two.
"Well, at least our players kept their helmets on, so that showed some intelligence"-Bob McNair
To be fair...
Anyone’s an upgrade over EWWWW. I don’t think there were many safeties worse than him last season (if someone wants to verify that with a PFF ranking).
"Lord, beer me strength."
We have to trust our eyes, too
I saw a player that was often out of position and allowed big plays and when he was in position, he missed his chance to make an impact. Isn’t the opposite of that, what a Safety is supposed to be?
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
The saddest part...
Is that we ran a bend-don’t-break defense and still lead the league by a wide margin in passing plays of 40+ yards surrendered. If that doesn’t speak to having the worst free safety in the history of football, I don’t know what does.
by Nashmeister on Feb 23, 2011 11:37 AM CST up reply actions
Second that
His inadequacies were uncovered and further magnified by the scheme.
Why are we still talking about EWwwww? Oh, that’s right. Someone has to take up the void left behind….
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
It also speaks to the brilliant tactical decision
to have Bernard Pollard roam the deep zone….the opposite of what he’s good at.
"Lord, beer me strength."
I checked PFF
He was the fourth worst safety overall(83rd). Third worst for coverage….but I don’t think anyone with half an eye for football needed to look at the numbers.
For reference Atogwe was 15th overall, and 35th for coverage. Eric Weddle (who I really wanted in the draft) 3rd overall, 22nd in pass coverage.
"Well, at least our players kept their helmets on, so that showed some intelligence"-Bob McNair
And thanks PB for throwing out the name I've mentioned for possible FS for weeks now...
Eric Weddle.
"Lord, beer me strength."
I feel pretty confident that he will end up with the Chargers
Otherwise I would have been banging that drum as loud as possible. I had a huge man crush on him going into that draft.
"Well, at least our players kept their helmets on, so that showed some intelligence"-Bob McNair
PB threw it out? BITCH I WROTE A BLOG ENTRY ON IT!
Chris - www.HoustonDiehards.com
by HoustonDiehards on Feb 23, 2011 9:36 PM CST up reply actions
Hey!
I think it was 1560 where I heard it. Think is was Lance. He dropped your name for your draft site compilation!
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
There needs to be more mentions of Eric Weddle.
If the Texans were super ambitious….I’d say go after Weddle as a SS and Atowge as a FS…..but if I had to pick one, I’d go Weddle. Younger, better, and worth it.
"Lord, beer me strength."
The difference is, we actually have a CB or two.
Quin is good, and as much as Kareem Jackson sucks, there’s at least the possibility that he improves. After all, he was a first-round pick… At free safety though? Absolutely nothing. It’s a position that, if filled by a speedy ballhawk like Atogwe, will immediately make every CB on our roster look better. Especially since ours seem to lack recovery speed. And without any premier CBs last year, the Rams allowed five passes of 40+ yards against them. The Texans were last in the league, allowing a mind-numbing eighteen (and numerous long drops come to mind), even while attempting to bend and not break.
We have a lot of problems on defense, but until we have a free safety who can keep plays in front of him, we’re essentially going to be spotting the other team seven points every game.
by Nashmeister on Feb 23, 2011 11:35 AM CST up reply actions
I'm willing to put money down on KJ being better this season
I hope he is spending the offseason working out on his footwork and dexterity. Like all the D-backs, he was also hurt by the scheme, but he didn’t do a lot to rise above it. I think he has the physical talent to be a lot better than we saw. But, he has to work on some fundamentals to do it.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
KJ's problem
Is that they filled his head with a ton of bullshit about being “NFL ready.” They made it sound like it was going to be easy for him and it became obvious pretty quick that his head was swimming.
With a total re-focus on fundamentals and a new overall coverage philosophy, there is no reason why he shouldn’t improve……at the very least to a Dunta Robinson level of respectability.
I'm a man!! I'm forty!!
Scheme or lack of
As has been pointed out many times on here (yes, I have been lurking), you cannot have an effective pass rush if the db’s drop back 20 yds, because the QB will release the quick pass before the rush gets to him. Secondly, the lack of safety support has not allowed our db’s to gamble much (also often pointed out).
I think it is premature at this point to discount KJ’s ability to play until he has been given a chance in a real defensive scheme. This applies to several other players as well.
I also think it must have been very discouraging for a rookie db to line up opposite AJ every day in camp and preseason, because there is no way you will contain him. It would seem like nothing you tried would work. Had to hurt the confidence level.
But, the one time you do get the knockdown in front of AJ's outstretched arms must give you a big boost in confidence
…along with a little butt-slap from AJ, or course
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
yeah, but...
You try the same thing again, and he beats you the next 5 times…
What the.....????
Back to back positive comments about KJax, no less, from YOU TWO??
What kind of bizarro universe have I stepped into today
Wednesday still Opposite Day??
In summary… I agree wholeheartedly with the two of you.
Bacon tastes good... Pork chops taste good.
Hey now
Just because I defend a person’s right to be negative doesn’t mean I’m one of them. ;)
I'm a man!! I'm forty!!
Word.
Just lumped you in the group. Apologies.
Best buds award recipient. haha Put that shit on the mantle!
"Fixed the NOOL POST!!"
Bacon tastes good... Pork chops taste good.
He's one of us
I remember Hydroshock crying for forgiveness during the initiation hazing…
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
FORGIVE ME PLEASE!!
Nah seriously, it’s actually pretty surprising how much my opinions have changed over time. I spent sooo much energy trying to save the .com boards from the doom and gloom crowd (yeah, that was a lost cause). It amazed me how ignorant people could be about the difficulty in building an expansion franchise from scratch. I did a whole lot of arguing about negativity back in those days, but at that time it was just unrealistic to expect much more than we got.
Things changed when Kubiak and Co. came to town. As the team got better my expectations got higher, and when we regress it frustrates me. However, I’ve watched a TON of football in my life so I’m always grounded in reality. I know what it’s going to take for the Texans to get over the hump and I get frustrated when we keep shooting ourselves in the foot. But Just because I get frustrated doesn’t mean I get irrational. I just point out the obvious, good and bad. And I get the same impression from most folks here too.
I'm a man!! I'm forty!!
You're forgiven...
We’re all in the same boat, Hydro. Some days we are all good. Some days we go all Travis on each other. In the end, the bandwagon will be awfully crowded with ALL of us when this team finally gets over that hump you talk about.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
by Rip Jersey on Feb 23, 2011 10:09 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
We've spent alot of time humping the hump...
And who could blame us?
Bacon tastes good... Pork chops taste good.
You seem to think I should conform to your way
That would be a dull world if we all agreed with Cut Block
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
I never said that, Rip
In fact, I regularly enjoy a great deal of your comments and thoroughly respect your right to state whatever style of opinion you choose to present here. Whether it’s optimistic, pessimistic, or troll. Either way, I really don’t care.
Sorry for taking you to task about something you posted which was obviously pretty “tounge in cheek”. I wanted more insight into your opinions, and you weren’t willing to give them. That’s cool.
So, back to having fun. No hard feelings, dude.
Generally when I post something in a FanPost, I don't like to tell the whole story
and that’s on purpose. I do that because I like to leave room for other commentators to add their pieces of the story. If I said everything about a subject from A to Z, then I feel I’m taking the fun of commenting away from others. That’s why I leave some things unsaid.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Just being sincere
If you find that hilarious, then I guess you are a true friend.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
It's impossible to overrate Atogwe
When the best we’ve ever had is Eugene Wilson.
I'm a man!! I'm forty!!
Marcus Coleman would like to have a word with you
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
by The Night Owl on Feb 24, 2011 2:57 PM CST up reply actions
I don't think coleman ever really bought in completely to the switch to safety
He was better as a CB than he ever was at safety…and his last year here as a Safety wasn’t pretty either. He was definitely better than most safeties we have had, but that’s like having the deepest voice in the room when the only other person there is MDC.
"Well, at least our players kept their helmets on, so that showed some intelligence"-Bob McNair
by papabear on Feb 24, 2011 3:03 PM CST up reply actions 3 recs
a half hearted Coleman was still better than Ewwww
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
by The Night Owl on Feb 24, 2011 3:05 PM CST up reply actions
Ewww last year was probably only marginally better than me
But the drop in Wilson’s play from 2009 to 2010 was staggering. From middle of the road, perfectly average kind of year in 2009 to OH MY FUCKING GOD YOU ARE THE WORST PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE AND I WOULD RATHER WATCH BFD AND TIM MAKE OUT THAN BE FORCED TO SEE YOU TAKE ANOTHER SNAP in 2010.
"Well, at least our players kept their helmets on, so that showed some intelligence"-Bob McNair
by papabear on Feb 24, 2011 3:12 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Trust me
I’ve seen it. It’s not near as hawt as you would think it is.
"Well, at least our players kept their helmets on, so that showed some intelligence"-Bob McNair
I never said it was hot
Just implied it wasn’t a “bad thing”. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
The Texans' D-backfield hasn't been commented on much by the team this offseason
I imagine that is because there are a lot of unknowns. Drafing players and picking up free agents is probably all on the table until they say it isn’t anymore. I’m all for bringing in quality bodies right now. I think Glover Quin will be in the mix, but where he ends up will depend on who they bring in. Cheap, economical, smart, educated, best, “only thing possible” are all words that might apply to what happens.
Good news on Ben Tate!
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Do you guys know if the combine will be viewable on nfl.com?
MCM's Coolest Person. See, I have Ice in My name!
-0ne
Wasn't it last year?
I know the Network does show it….in theory, the .com should have some, Haven’t checked today.
"Lord, beer me strength."
yeah, but i'm in a college dorm. So basic cable
And i dont have nfl net on my labtop either.
So i’m hoping its on nfl.com
also Atdhe.net was seized by ICE
MCM's Coolest Person. See, I have Ice in My name!
-0ne
by Ice0ne (CAJ) on Feb 23, 2011 2:47 PM CST up reply actions
I'm sure it will be
at least big parts of it.
"Well, at least our players kept their helmets on, so that showed some intelligence"-Bob McNair
tomorrow
"Well, at least our players kept their helmets on, so that showed some intelligence"-Bob McNair
Maybe McClain is finally reading BRB
A Texans fan. Really. No, I'm not kidding.
http://www.battleredblog.com
"Blind fandom is all I got left." - LoneSpot
You mean he can read?
Unofficial counter-troll of Battle Red Blog.
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 23, 2011 2:34 PM CST up reply actions
I will never accuse Pancakes of stealing our ideas, though...
yet
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
As much as I like Ben Tate's projected abilitiesL...
I find it hard to believe that if the Texans, having the #1 rusher in the backfield, that they would need to keep that type of trade bait on the team. If you can trade Tate, with Foster playing so well and having such good catching ability out of the backfield in this offense, to pick up a defender for the system that you need then I would be all for it.
Maybe we could showcase Ben Tate during the preseason
And trade him for a CB like clinton ports – champ Bailey.
by fgp on Feb 23, 2011 1:26 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
In today's NFL...
You need 2 backs. Have to have it with injury concerns and keeping their legs fresh for the full season.
Ward’s likely headed elsewhere, Slaton is the forgotten man…Foster and Tate could be special like DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart were/are in Carolina.
"Lord, beer me strength."
by TexansDC on Feb 23, 2011 1:35 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
this htis this this htis htsishissldkfj;lsakdfj;lsadjf THIS
Jebus how badly where we freaking out every time they didn’t use Foster in a seemingly critical situation?
Is it better to live as a monster or die as a hero?
He would have to see the field and prove he's got mad skills in a hurry
before we could shop him as trade bait this season. There is absolutely zero NFL game film proving he can play at this level yet, so he hasn’t had time to build up any real value.
I'm a man!! I'm forty!!
We need to keep Tate.
Because I’m pretty sure Slaton is on the way out and Tate was supposed to be our number two back last year.I’d rather him work himself back into the number two spot instead of Ward.I’d trade Ward for a draft pick or a defender but not Tate.Besides having multiple good RB’s is a good thing especially since Kubiak is dead set on running a balanced offense no matter what.
by Ethan Matz on Feb 23, 2011 8:12 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Noob rec, if bfd didn't get you
I see you’ve been posting for a month now.
I’m not sure what’s going on with Ward. I know he gave the Texans a quality backup to Foster last season. I agree on Slaton. Based on the last two seasons, Slaton’s run is likely going to end this season. Injuries are probably the only thing that will save him. He is a commodity until Tate has a setback or Foster tweaks something. Then it will be a good thing to still have him on the roster. I do agree with what you say about Tate. If he can solidify himself as a good second, then the Texans have themselves a very potent RB lineup.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
About Ward
If I’m not mistaken he only signed a one year deal so he’s a free agenct, is he not? That poses a problem then because Tate is locked in for 3 more years. In order to keep Ward he would no doubt be looking for a long term deal, and since he’s a seasoned vet he’s going to want more than Tat, but less than what Foster is going to get (which is gonna be big money). And by default he’s going to want to be 2nd on the depth chart.
So that poses a question. Would they invest the money to keep Ward and make their 2nd round stud sit? I dunno. As much as I’d like to see Ward stay the logistics don’t add up. Especially when you consider how much money will need to be invested on the D side.
I'm a man!! I'm forty!!
Does it matter when he signed? If it does, did he sign mid-season? Can't remember.
I’ll let the FO handle the money. I too, would like to see Ward stay.
The million dollar question. How will they fortify the defense and how much will it cost? That is a question we will see get answered for the next, what is it now, 6 months???
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
No, they picked him up off the scrap heap after the preseason
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
by The Night Owl on Feb 24, 2011 3:00 PM CST up reply actions
Ward has hinted that he doesn't really plan to be back
He wants to try and go somewhere where he can be the # guy….or at least get a larger share of carries than he will ever see here. He might not get any offers that he likes and could end up back here, but from what I’ve heard he’s not planning on being back in Houston. I’m fine with that. Teams need to continually bring in fresh meat for the RB position.
"Well, at least our players kept their helmets on, so that showed some intelligence"-Bob McNair
agreed, Rip
especially when you consider that we previously had no defensive scheme to speak of… maybe it could be a cheap salvage job?
Ward is a free agent and has indicated....
He’d like to go somewhere where there’s more carries. This is also his, likely, last contract so he’ll be looking for cash.
I don’t mind this because I like Tate more.
"Lord, beer me strength."
ok then
I guess it’s safe to assume Ward is on his way out then. As long as Tate recovers then he’ll get Ward’s carries and be our #2. Does that mean we’ll keep Slaton for depth then? Ugh.
I'm a man!! I'm forty!!
Possibly, unless we find some nice speedy RB in the late rounds to replace him
which I don’t think there’s even one in this draft class
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
by The Night Owl on Feb 24, 2011 3:04 PM CST up reply actions
why do we even have to draft one?
Jeremiah Johnson could be the answer, for example.
Besides, it may yet take quite a while before Tate is anywhere near 100%. Don’t pencil him in for a major role, not so fast!
Slaton is garbage. Replacing his spot on the roster is a priority.
I think Jeremiah is a Bronco, now
After he left the Texans in 2010, he made the rounds with the Redskins, Panthers, and Broncos. I think they still have his rights.
But, you know? There are guys out there all the time at the RB position. Look at the Saints last season. They had injury after injury to their RBs. They were picking guys up and inserting right to the end and they had some good performances.
So, the Texans have a proven commodity in Foster. They have Tate, who will be training as soon as he gets back from his trip. And, that third spot has lots of options. Slaton and Ward are possibilities. And, the Texans seem to grab a rookie FA just about every year for the practice squad. Then, if they get desperate with injuries, there are other guys out there floating around all the time.
I didn't do anything wrong!.... and, I won't do it again.
Anthony Aldrige still out there?
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
by The Night Owl on Feb 25, 2011 11:23 AM CST up reply actions
I like that kid.
Sign him all the time in Madden. Wasn’t he at Denver for a period?
Bacon tastes good... Pork chops taste good.
I don't know, Selvin Young was
Is he also available?
Murphy’s 20th Military Law:
If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid
by The Night Owl on Feb 26, 2011 12:17 AM CST up reply actions
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