Sporting News: Watch out for Antwan Peek!

[nWo34Life]

From the January 27th, 2006 Sporting News:

Dan Pompei's Inside Dish:

The Texans already know they will be switching defenses next season, going from a 3-4 to a 4-3. That means Antwan Peek and Jason Babin almost certainly will move from outside linebacker to end and the team likely will need more linebackers. The Texans also will have a glut of defensive tackles - players who had been ends and nose tackles in the 3-4 - and could look to trade someone such as Gary Walker.

Inside the AFC

The Texans are expected to switch to a 4-3 next season, which could be good news for OLB Antwan Peek. Peek probably would be come a pass-rushing end, which would allow him to focus on his biggest strength; pressuring the quarterback.

[SamFisher]

So which is it - he's staying at OLB or moving to end?

:confused:

Oh yeah, I'm sure teams are lined up around the block to trade for Gary Walker btw.

[VooDooPope]

Oh yeah, I'm sure teams are lined up around the block to trade for Gary Walker btw.

I'm sure New Orleans will give up the second pick in the draft for him so everyone can be happy when the texans draft both Young and Bush.

[Groogrux]

So which is it - he's staying at OLB or moving to end?


Both snippets indicated he would move to end.

[emjohn]

I have a feeling it will be good for Babin. He looked good to me whenever he rushed as an end. Playing linebacker takes a ton of quick decision making and he didn't seem ready for that at all.

Evan

[MadMax]

clearly we're the greatest team ever now. :)

[pgabriel]

watch out he doesn't impregnate you.

[RocketMan Tex]

I'm happy the Texans are dumping the 3-4. Since the team's inception, they never really had the linebackers on their roster to make it work, and when they lost Jamie Sharper, you could really see it.

[rrj_gamz]

They never had the right personell for the 3-4...Btw, has anyone heard if Capers is interviewing for DC jobs?

[EddieWasSnubbed]

They never had the right personell for the 3-4...Btw, has anyone heard if Capers is interviewing for DC jobs?
Actually, he flew into Buffalo last night to interview for their HEAD COACHING job. :eek:

[Baqui99]

What about that bum, Travis Johnson. We passed on Derrick Johnson, Jammal Brown, Alex Barron, and David Pollack to draft this loser. How the hell does Casserly stay employed?

[justtxyank]

What about that bum, Travis Johnson. We passed on Derrick Johnson, Jammal Brown, Alex Barron, and David Pollack to draft this loser. How the hell does Casserly stay employed?

Not sure how anyone can call him a bum considering he was playing an unfamiliar system and was only a backup. :confused:

While we can all probably agree there seems to have been better options, I'm not sure we can say that definitivley until Travis is put into a 4-3 DT spot where he can pressure the QB from a 3 technique spot.

[DieHard Rocket]

What about that bum, Travis Johnson. We passed on Derrick Johnson, Jammal Brown, Alex Barron, and David Pollack to draft this loser. How the hell does Casserly stay employed?

I'll hold off too much judgement on Johnson for another year, but looking back taking a DT in the top half of the first round is just plain stupid. DT is probably the least important position on the field, and maybe the easiest to filll.

I'm sure the new coaching staff would have absolutely loved to have Johnson or Barron there. Casserly better be on zero tolerance at this point.

That leaves us with Gary Walker, Seth Payne, Robaire Smith, Travis Johnson, Jason Babin, and Peek on the D-line. I say we get what we can for Walker and Payne, or cut them altogether, and let the other 4 start.

[gunn]

What about that bum, Travis Johnson?

At this stage, you can't have an accurate assessment of him as a player. He came from a Florida State program that ran a 4-3 where his role was that of a pass-rushing defensive tackle, to a system here in Houston in which his role became that of a defensive tackle, which by design, was to take up blockers to allow the linebackers to make plays.

[Baqui99]

Based on Casserly's poor track record with draft picks, I'm going to go ahead and call Travis Johnson a bust. He looked slow and had difficulty coming off blocks. He didn't log significant time on the worst team in the NFL.

[ima_drummer2k]

He didn't log significant time on the worst team in the NFL.
Neither did Steve Foley or Marlon McRee. Based on how they performed in our wonderful 3-4 scheme, they were both let go. I'd say they're both doing fine now. What a shock!

[DonnyMost]

I'm not sold on Babin as a defensive end at all.

Peek would KILL folks as an end..

Trade Walker, he is overpriced and never wanted to be here anyway..

[RocketJedi]

I think Travis Johnson will be a beast if the Texans switch to a 4-3. He'll be our Rod Coleman. If there is anyway we can get a draft pick for Walker, I'd do it in a hearbeat. Walker still tears it up when he's on the field, but he's been oft-injured and makes a ton of money. We have too many tackles for a 4-3 with Walker, Payne, Smith, Johnson, and perhaps Alfred Malone. I think the run defense will benefit from a change to the 4-3 as well.

[SamFisher]

Both snippets indicated he would move to end.

dyslexia

[Buck Turgidson]

I'm going to go ahead and call Travis Johnson a bust.
And we all know Baqui's personnel pronouncements are golden.

Sincerely,

"Luther Head is a piece of crap."

[SamFisher]

Peek would KILL folks as an end..


Run right at him.

[RocketFan007]

Based on Casserly's poor track record with draft picks, I'm going to go ahead and call Travis Johnson a bust. He looked slow and had difficulty coming off blocks. He didn't log significant time on the worst team in the NFL.

He's a natural 4-3 DT, he'll look a lot better next season assuming we switch from a 3-4.

[Baqui99]

Maybe Johnson will turn out to be decent. But with all the holes on the Texans' roster, to reach on a DT projected to go in the late-1st, early 2nd round in damn irresponsible.

[binhie]

passing on derrick johnson was just plain stupid

[rezdawg]

passing on derrick johnson was just plain stupid

But Johnson's strengths arent suited for a LB playing in a 3-4 defense, remember?

:rolleyes:

[Miguel]

But Johnson's strengths arent suited for a LB playing in a 3-4 defense, remember?

:rolleyes:

You'll never win going against the UT fans. Believe me, I tried. "OMG HOW CAN YOU CHOOSE REGGIE BUSH?"

[MadMax]

But Johnson's strengths arent suited for a LB playing in a 3-4 defense, remember?

:rolleyes:


so we pass up great talent to continue to be married to a system we didn't have the personnel for, anyway. brilliant.

[IROC it]

And we all know Baqui's personnel pronouncements are golden.

Sincerely,

"Luther Head is a piece of crap."


Classic. :D

[IC2000]

But Johnson's strengths arent suited for a LB playing in a 3-4 defense, remember?

:rolleyes:

This was clearly sarcasm , mocking our 3-4 defense and mgmt

[pgabriel]

Its like Palilo says, the texans didn't take good players who they feel wouldn't play well in the 3-4, so they take crap players instead.

[gucci888]

Bump.

I was just thinking about this morning when McClain was talking about how bad we need a pass rusher at DE. He said finding one through free agency will be tough since teams don't let the good ones go. There seems to be a couple of highly rated DEs in this years draft, but I wouldn't mind giving Peek a chance. Would be interesting to see how Babin might play in his original position.

What kind of made me laugh and mad at the same time was the fact that we passed on DJ because he didn't fit the 3-4 scheme (not sure how he doesn't, the kid is a beast), yet Casserly didn't hesitate to trade up for a DE to play out of position the year before.

[Stack24]

I like Peeks quickness and size and i think once we are in the new scheme this year he will be good. He has shown flashes of it when he did come in and play end and rushed the passer.

Babin, i will say needs a bit more work, but who knows since he is going back to his original position and might feel more comfortable.

Kind of hard to pass judgment or say how any of these players are going to do in a new system, when all we have seen from them is playing out of position in a scheme that is crap to me.

Babin was taken that high becasue he did have the skills in the position he played in college but was converted to a LB and had to learn a whole new style of play...i definently think that the new scheme is going to change how a lot of the defensive players play.

[candlegreen]

Well, in passing up DJ, we did end up with a high 3rd round pick that Casserly better make good on. Travis Johnson will need more time to be evaluated accurately. I'll wait until then to pass judgment.

[swilkins]

Peek is a pass rusher. He's not a 3-4 linebacker (drops back into coverage).

I think he'll look great in this new defense.

I love his intensity.

[gucci888]

Peek is a pass rusher. He's not a 3-4 linebacker (drops back into coverage).

I think he'll look great in this new defense.

I love his intensity.

Agreed. It'll be interesting to see what Babin/Peek can do at their original positions. There are also a couple of highly touted DEs in this year's draft. I thought we missed out bit last draft when we passed on DJ, Spears, and Pollack.

Could we be seeing a DL of:

NT: Seth Payne
DT: Gary Walker/Travis Johnson
RE: Antwan Peek
LE: Jason Babin?

Doesn't seem that bad on paper, imagine if we had Peek and Spears at both ends, that would have been sick.

Any word on the linebacking crew? Will K. Wong be back next season?

[Possum]

You'll never win going against the UT fans. Believe me, I tried. "OMG HOW CAN YOU CHOOSE REGGIE BUSH?"

The thing is not everyone who wnats VY over RB is a Longhorn fan. Im sick of that argument.