Did the Texan's make a big mistake?

[DaDakota]

I believe the Texans made a massive mistake by not taking Young or Bush, and wanted to post a poll to see what others think.

I will try to avoid rehashing all the old arguments, and here is an article from the Austin American Statesman that sums it up nicely.

The big mistake

HOUSTON — The Texans got four really good players in Saturday's NFL Draft.

The great ones got away.

So did a chance for the Houston franchise to take the largest step in its history and maybe step out of the Dallas Cowboys' shadow.

The Texans screwed this up about as badly as any NFL team could.

They passed on Vince Young. They passed on Reggie Bush. They passed on greatness.

Houston took a defensive end, signing North Carolina State's Mario Williams, even though the Texans tied for 14th in the league in sacks last season and have so many other problems this team needs an extreme makeover. And probably a psychiatrist.

The Texans also took an outside linebacker and a couple of linemen who have played the position on offense for just three college seasons between them.

But the NFL's youngest franchise lost so much more when it decided not to take one of the two most dynamic football players to come along in decades. Houston forfeited whatever shred of credibility it still clings to and the chance to dramatically energize a totally dormant team.

Oh, and have you seen the Texans' 2006 schedule? Let me know if you can find four wins there.

"I know we've got to show we're a much better team," Texans owner Bob McNair told me in the hallway. "If we don't, everybody's going to say, 'I told you so.' "

Or they might say something worse.

Either Young or Bush would have brought this club so much excitement and momentum for next season that it couldn't have helped but improve on last year's horrid 2-14 record. Either player would have created incalculable buzz in the locker room, on the field, in the stands and throughout the media.

But McNair offered, "Fans get excited when you win. The only way we can win the division is we've got to beat Indy. And to beat them, you've got to put pressure on Peyton Manning."

You say Houston didn't need a quarterback. Young is no ordinary quarterback, but a special player who inspires and leads and wins. The Texans should have shopped David Carr around the NFL and gotten whatever it could for him. Of course, no one was beating down the door to get him, which should have said a lot. Word is Carr's college coach, Pat Hill, has told people that Carr lacks leadership qualities. Nice.

You say Houston didn't need a running back. Well, Bush is an exceptional talent who creates big plays and totally changes the way a defense plays. Maybe the next Gale Sayers. Dominick Davis is a very good running back, reason enough Houston inked him to a five-year deal worth more than $21 million. But he's no Bush.

By not taking Young or Bush, the Texans missed a golden opportunity to make huge strides toward supplanting the downtrodden Cowboys as Texas' team. Forget America's team. One country at a time.

You could fault Houston's choice on several levels.

The Texans failed to capture the imagination of this town and electrify their fan base in the way the Astros did by adding Roger Clemens. If memory serves, the Rocket helped get the Astros into the World Series. You might see a lot of Texan season tickets on E-bay soon.

The Texans didn't get a fast running back to complement Davis. McNair admitted they really wanted DeAngelo Williams, Laurence Maroney or Joseph Addai, but all were gone by their second pick.

It's a shame Williams will receive the brunt of the criticism for the Texans' choice. He fills a big need in the team's new 4-3 scheme and could be an exceptional player, even if he had sacks in only 16 of his 36 college games.

As good as Williams supposedly is, he wasn't even the most valuable player on his college team. That honor went to fellow defensive end Manny Lawson, the 49ers' first choice. Shouldn't the first pick of the entire draft be the best player on his own team?

The fans in Houston, uh, didn't exactly embrace the pick. More than 2,000 crammed onto the third floor at Reliant Stadium and simmered before NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue strolled to the podium to announce Williams as the No. 1 pick.

There was little doubt that the Texans fans centered their blame on Charley Casserly, the franchise's general manager and possibly a lame duck with one year left on his contract.

"Char-ley sucks, Char-ley sucks," fans chanted in unison.

Others offered their own cheer, "Reg-gie Bush, Reg-gie Bush."

So until the home opener against Philadelphia on Sept. 10, the mood may be similar to that expressed Saturday by a disgruntled fan's harsh critique scribbled onto a piece of cardboard.

Houston Choked. Final Grade: F.

The Texans passed on almost everyone Saturday, and they didn't pass the test.

[ima_drummer2k]

Originally Posted by DaDakota Either Young or Bush would have brought this club so much excitement and momentum for next season that it couldn't have helped but improve on last year's horrid 2-14 record. Either player would have created incalculable buzz in the locker room, on the field, in the stands and throughout the media.

Uh...last time I checked, "excitement and momentum" don't automatically translate into wins. When is the last time a team won a Superbowl because of an "incalculable buzz in the media"?

The Texans should have shopped David Carr around the NFL and gotten whatever it could for him. Of course, no one was beating down the door to get him, which should have said a lot.

That's because we weren't shopping him.

Word is Carr's college coach, Pat Hill, has told people that Carr lacks leadership qualities. Nice.

LOL, where did this "word" come from? I'm going to need a little more than "word is..." before I believe that silly statement.

The Texans failed to capture the imagination of this town and electrify their fan base in the way the Astros did by adding Roger Clemens. If memory serves, the Rocket helped get the Astros into the World Series.

If memory serves, the Rocket is a proven future Hall of Fame pitcher and Vince and Reggie are both rookies who haven't played a down in the NFL. Horrible comparison.

The Texans didn't get a fast running back to complement Davis. McNair admitted they really wanted DeAngelo Williams, Laurence Maroney or Joseph Addai, but all were gone by their second pick.

Can't argue with that. But we may still get one.

Shouldn't the first pick of the entire draft be the best player on his own team?

LOL, maybe you should ask Reggie that question. :D

The fans in Houston, uh, didn't exactly embrace the pick. More than 2,000 crammed onto the third floor at Reliant Stadium and simmered before NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue strolled to the podium to announce Williams as the No. 1 pick.

Fans in Phili, uh, didn't exactly embrace McNabb. Fans in Indy, uh, didn't exactly embrace Freeney. Fans are stupid, especially on draft day. That's been proven time and time again.

I'd like to reread this article (and many posts in this forum) in 2 years. Some people are just SO SURE we made a mistake. I'm not saying we didn't, I'm just saying I don't know yet. And neither does anyone else.

[jtotheb]

DD I am so glad you posted this. I thought I was the only one who sought out great pro coverage by reading the Austin American Statesman.

Why don't you try creating a nice little "Official I want To Talk About Vince Young's Career With The Titans Because He's Just Flat Out Better Than Every Person On This Planet And I Would Leave My Wife And Sell My Kids For Him And I Am Now A Huge LenDale White Fan Because He Gets To Play With My Vince Too" thread that will be posted in for years to come as Vince flourishes in Tennessee.

We get it already...you think the Texans made a huge mistake...blah blah blah.

[pugsly8422]

One thing that came to my mind after reading that article....Indy is only one team, unless we're already a great team we can't build our team around beating just one team. Sure, we may have to play them in the playoffs, and it will be nice to have a compliment to their team, but first we have to make the playoffs. Just a hunch, but I think Bush would have gotten us there much sooner than Williams will. I actually feel sorry for Williams, he seems like a great guy and I'm sure he's a great player, but he's not going to be liked around Houston. Unless everything goes right, and the Texans start winning, I could see him leaving at his first oppurtunity because of all of the hate.

One other thing that keeps making me think.....fans want to see offense, not defense. By taking Williams, your not going to put more fans in the seats, by taking Bush you would no doubt have more fans, not to mention a lot more publicity.

D- (the only reason I didn't give them an F is because some (6 out of 26 I believe) other teams had Williams rated as the top player).

Pugs

[DaDakota]

Originally Posted by jtotheb DD I am so glad you posted this. I thought I was the only one who sought out great pro coverage by reading the Austin American Statesman. Why don't you try creating a nice little "Official I want To Talk About Vince Young's Career With The Titans Because He's Just Flat Out Better Than Every Person On This Planet And I Would Leave My Wife And Sell My Kids For Him And I Am Now A Huge LenDale White Fan Because He Gets To Play With My Vince Too" thread that will be posted in for years to come as Vince flourishes in Tennessee. We get it already...you think the Texans made a huge mistake...blah blah blah.

Yes, I think they made a mistake, but that does not mean that everyone does.

You see, a poll allows others to see what the majority of the people think about the Texan's draft, not just want the loudest or people who post the most think.

As for the Austin American Statesman...well, being that I am in Austin and that is the paper I read, I found the article interesting and sums up nicely my "dare to be great" take on drafting.

If you want to be "Captain sensitive" then you have no business in this thread, this is for people to discuss whether or not they think the Texans made the right choice.

For what it is worth, I think they made the wrong choice, but I admire their conviction in believing that their defense was the reason they were so bad, and clearly they are dedicated to making this work.

If Williams turns out to be another Ray Lewis impact player on defense they will have made a lot of us "eat our words".

Now quit whining, and contribute something other than bashing of other posters.

DD

PS. This poll differs in that it is simply a yes or no take, either you agree with the draft or you think they blew it, no in between.

[bobrek]

Originally Posted by pugsly8422 One other thing that keeps making me think.....fans want to see offense, not defense....

The fans that actually care about the team they root for, want to see wins and usually doesn't care how that team gets the wins.

[DaDakota]

Originally Posted by bobrek The fans that actually care about the team they root for, want to see wins and usually doesn't care how that team gets the wins.

Winning is the ultimate goal for a franchise and I hope Kubiak can make the team a winner.

In fact I think they better win fast, and hope that Bush and/or Young does not blow up with their teams, as fans will turn fast if that happens.

DD

[Mr. Clutch]

Originally Posted by DaDakota Winning is the ultimate goal for a franchise and I hope Kubiak can make the team a winner. In fact I think they better win fast, and hope that Bush and/or Young does not blow up with their teams, as fans will turn fast if that happens. DD

Why do you keep worrying about Bush? You kept saying he'd be a scatback like Eric Metcalf and that LenDale White was better.

[RIET]

Originally Posted by bobrek The fans that actually care about the team they root for, want to see wins and usually doesn't care how that team gets the wins.

Unless you win a championship (which we are light years away), fans want to see stars.

Ive seen tapes of Gayle Sayers and even though the Bears never won, Im sure the Bears fans enjoyed watching him play.

Mario Williams might become a great player. But if neither Mario Williams nor Reggie Bush carry us to a championship, I'd much rather watch Reggie Bush.

[solid]

With a new coaching staff I had hoped for a fresh new outlook like losing the "stupid" label associated with Houston sports for decades. Nope, "stupid" still resides in Houston. If there is a bone-headed move to make a Houston team will make it. This may top them all. They will never live this one down, as VY and RB run all over them for years to come.

[bobrek]

Originally Posted by RIET Unless you win a championship (which we are light years away), fans want to see stars. Ive seen tapes of Gayle Sayers and even though the Bears never won, Im sure the Bears fans enjoyed watching him play. Mario Williams might become a great player. But if neither Mario Williams nor Reggie Bush carry us to a championship, I'd much rather watch Reggie Bush.

If you were a Bears' fan, would you have traded Gayle Sayers for a playoff appearance?

Right now, no one knows which pick will benefit the team more, so it is understandable that Bush would be preferred, because we can assume he will bring more immediate excitement.

We will only truly be able to evaluate this further down the road.

[jtotheb]

Originally Posted by DaDakota Yes, I think they made a mistake, but that does not mean that everyone does. You see, a poll allows others to see what the majority of the people think about the Texan's draft, not just want the loudest or people who post the most think. As for the Austin American Statesman...well, being that I am in Austin and that is the paper I read, I found the article interesting and sums up nicely my "dare to be great" take on drafting. If you want to be "Captain sensitive" then you have no business in this thread, this is for people to discuss whether or not they think the Texans made the right choice. For what it is worth, I think they made the wrong choice, but I admire their conviction in believing that their defense was the reason they were so bad, and clearly they are dedicated to making this work. If Williams turns out to be another Ray Lewis impact player on defense they will have made a lot of us "eat our words". Now quit whining, and contribute something other than bashing of other posters. DD PS. This poll differs in that it is simply a yes or no take, either you agree with the draft or you think they blew it, no in between.

Whining? What I said above was not in any way "whining". I also was not bashing you in any way. If anyone is "Captain Sensitive" it's you with your response.

If anything, my post was reactionary. Your thread is redundant. Maybe if you wanted people to see it as an unbiased source of new ideas regarding the Texans' 1st pick yesterday, maybe what you should've started with was your statement:

"For what it is worth, I think they made the wrong choice, but I admire their conviction in believing that their defense was the reason they were so bad, and clearly they are dedicated to making this work.".

If anyone on this board has read any of your prior posts about this entire draft situation, they would come into this thread thinking the same thing I did...which was "oh look...there's DaDakota with yet ANOTHER thread about how the Texans made a mistake and everyone knows it."

So, if anything I made a huge mistake reading that crap.

Now THAT was bashing a poster.

[jtotheb]

Oh, and for the record I think that the Texans made solid choices. I was all for Reggie Bush, but I'm going to differ to the football minds on this one. I'm definitely happy with Mario Williams. He wasn't the "sexy" choice, but he may have been the right one.

[ima_drummer2k]

Originally Posted by pugsly8422 One other thing that keeps making me think.....fans want to see offense, not defense. By taking Williams, your not going to put more fans in the seats, by taking Bush you would no doubt have more fans, not to mention a lot more publicity.

Um, the Texans don't have a problem putting fans in seats. They've sold out every game since their existence. Every single home game in their history has been shown on TV in Houston, which means they've sold out every game by the Thursday before gameday, and that's without some corporation stepping up and buying 5,000 tickets on Wednesday night like the old Oiler days. Even when they were 2-14.

I don't understand this myth about the Texans needing to sell tickets. Their ticket sales are, and always have been, well above average.

And I really don't care how we win. I'd much rather win 6-3 than lose 52-49. Most if not all educated fans feel the same way.

One more thing. I couldn't give a frogs fat ass about gaining more national publicity.

[bigtexxx]

Originally Posted by jtotheb DD I am so glad you posted this. I thought I was the only one who sought out great pro coverage by reading the Austin American Statesman.

Exactly. If I want NFL coverage, I'm not going to read a newspaper from a city that doesn't even have a team.

[Cohen]

Originally Posted by RIET Unless you win a championship (which we are light years away), fans want to see stars. ...

Exactly.


The comment that we have to go through Peyton Manning cracks me up.


Texans won how many games last year? We're concerned about making it past someone in the playoffs? How d*mn silly and embarassing is that???

Make your team the best it can be, then see if your strengths can overcome your rivals' strengths. If not, you tweak it. But by all means build the best team that you can build before that. And once you're competitive, it's easier to attract other good players. It's always hard to get the stars who can change a franchise.

[Cohen]

Originally Posted by jtotheb ... We get it already...you think the Texans made a huge mistake...blah blah blah.

And we get it too, you (and the tiny minority) think they made a great choice...blah blah blah.

[ima_drummer2k]

Originally Posted by Cohen It's always hard to get the stars who can change a franchise.

Perhaps the Texans think Mario is just that star. Why else would they have picked him?

Again, we fans can be really stupid on draft day. How many great players have been boo'ed by the fans of the team when they were drafted? How many times has a team drafted the guy the fans wanted to see only to have him turn into a TOTAL BUST?

[Rocketman95]

Originally Posted by Cohen Texans won how many games last year? We're concerned about making it past someone in the playoffs? How d*mn silly and embarassing is that???

You do realize that we play the Colts twice every year, right? Reggie Bush wouldn't help us increase the pass rush against him.

Make your team the best it can be, then see if your strengths can overcome your rivals' strengths. If not, you tweak it. But by all means build the best team that you can build before that. And once you're competitive, it's easier to attract other good players. It's always hard to get the stars who can change a franchise.

Exactly. The Texans had the worst defense in the league last year. There is no arguing this fact. By adding the best defensive player in the draft, they are doing what they think is helping make the team the best it can be.

[Rocketman95]

Originally Posted by ima_drummer2k Perhaps the Texans think Mario is just that star. Why else would they have picked him? Again, we fans can be really stupid on draft day. How many great players have been boo'ed by the fans of the team when they were drafted? How many times has a team drafted the guy the fans wanted to see only to have him turn into a TOTAL BUST?

Those Philly fans booing the Donovan McNabb pick were so right!!!