Per ESPN Insider (a link won't do you any good if you don't have a subscription): Houston Texans Houston's biggest decision in free agency appears to already have been made. All indications are that QB David Carr, who is due a huge bonus this spring, will remain the face of the franchise. The Texans have salary-cap room and have been willing to spend in the past. The team needs to rebuild the offensive and defensive lines and find a way to better protect Carr. None of Houston's own free agents are sure keepers, but many are serviceable role players who could return at the right price. The big question: Who will be making those personnel decisions -- consultant Dan Reeves, GM Charley Casserly or new coach Gary Kubiak? Guard/Tackle: Houston has the league's worst offensive line, especially in terms of pass protection. LT Chester Pitts is decent, but should be a right tackle. RT Todd Wade has durability issues. OGs Fred Weary and Milford Brown are unrestricted free agents who are merely adequate depth guys. The Texans need a new starting left tackle and guard. Defensive end: The team likely will switch from a 3-4 scheme to a 4-3, which will require changes at this position. Gary Walker is injury-prone and might be cut. Houston's other ends -- Robaire Smith, Junior Ioane and Travis Johnson -- are two-gap types who won't fit the new scheme. The Texans need an athletic edge rusher capable of double-digit sack production. Tight end: The offense has lacked a pass-catching tight end who can create mismatches and prevent opponents from doubling WR Andre Johnson on the perimeter. Current starter Mark Bruener can handle the blocking but isn't any kind of threat downfield. Anyone with speed and hands could give Houston a big upgrade. Wide receiver: Corey Bradford and Jabar Gaffney are unrestricted free agents, but only Gaffney figures to be back. Gaffney should start opposite Johnson, but the team needs depth and a reliable third receiver to push Jerome Mathis and Derick Armstrong for playing time. Running back: This isn't a pressing need, but the chance to draft Reggie Bush could change the Texans' priorities. Backup Jonathan Wells probably will be allowed to leave as a free agent, and No. 3 back Vernand Morency likely will be traded. Bush and Domanick Davis could give the Texans some creative packages, but depth behind them will be needed. If Kubiak has personnel power, expect his first draft to net Bush with the No. 1 pick. But he still will have countless holes to fill. On the offensive line, the Texans likely will let Weary and Brown go. Gaffney and LB DaShon Polk, on the other hand, should return. With four of the first 65 picks in the draft, a lot of free-agent money to spend and a new defensive scheme to implement, Houston is poised for an active and potentially fruitful offseason.
Huh? The article says that they are going to get rid of Wells & Morency but they need depth behind Davis & Bush? Isn't that contradictory?
Well, we kept one of the merely adequate depth guys. Hopefully he pans out under the Kubiak regime.... http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3666177.html Also, the Texans re-signed guard Fred Weary to a two-year deal. Weary, a 6-foot-4, 306-pounder, started the last four games of the 2005 season. He was inactive for 10 games. The third-round pick in 2003 started every game as a rookie, but he played in only two games in 2004.
Pros & Cons for new coaches http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2330164
The Travis Johnson pick still irks me. I know Scouts Inc rated him the highest ranked DT in the draft, but I wasn't impressed. Shoulda grabbed Pollack. (My SEC bias is showing)
VesceySux- I would be interested to see what is says about the other three teams. Could you post that, if you don't mind? Thanks
Pretty solid analysis. In reading this, everybody should realize that this might take more than 1-2 years to fix.
Its an accurate analysis as the Texans will suck for the next couple of years...We will win more games than 4 next year, but not much more...
If we draft Bush to share time with Davis, Wells will stay. JW is 1 of the few players to have any heart. Gary Walker needs to go.
2006- Texans win 8 or more games- Kubiak is a genious 6-7 games- We are going to be a contender soon 4-5 games- It's his first season as coach, got to give him some time 0-3 games- McNair might wake up and realize Charlie C. is the problem. I think Kubiak is a better fit for this team than Capers. I do not like the way Casserly has managed the roster at all!
As someone mentioned earlier. Could someone post the entire article showing the analysis of each of the AFC South teams. Thanks!!!
This is nonsense about both Robaire and TJ. These guys are really one-gap penentrating DT and a switch to a 4-3 will benefit both of them. Remember how good Robaire was while with the Titans and running a 4-3. Johnson was never a 3-4 type of player and I always wondered why the genious Casserly took him. Just look at his scouting report coming out of college. Travis Johnson DT | (6'3", 290, 5.1) | FLORIDA STATE Strengths: Is a quick, penetrating one-gap DT with adequate size for his type. Will show closing burst as a pass rusher. Shows excellent initial quickness and burst. Anticipates the snap well. Fires out of his stance quickly and with good leverage. Has been much more effective disrupting the run than he has been rushing the passer. Can be extremely disruptive as a one-gap penetrating DT versus the run. Light really came on as a senior. Is at his best vs. the run when allowed to penetrate as a three-technique type. Plays with adequate leverage. Is at his best on the move. Does a good job of finding the ball once he has gotten through the LOS. Motor was much improved as a senior. Is an above average athlete. Is quick and mobile. Has a strong upper body. Is a powerful hitter with good open-field tackling skills. Will pursue and make plays from behind versus the run. Weaknesses: Has adequate size for one-gap DT but isn't massive or overpowering. Will struggle at the POA when reached by bigger OL. Lacks ideal lower body strength to anchor. He has trouble getting off of blocks when reached and needs to show more moves as a pass rusher. Has decent recognition skills but not great. However, he will take himself out of some plays by getting too far upfield. Also needs to show better awareness as a pass rusher. Needs to get his arms up and do a better job of obstructing the QB when he's not going to get to the QB on the rush. Overall: Johnson played in 11 games in 2001 and was a part-time starter from 2002-'03 before taking over as a fulltime starter in 2004. Johnson's draft stock improved greatly thanks to his breakout senior season in 2004, when he finished with 50 tackles, 18 TFL and 2.5 sacks. Johnson is a one-gap defensive tackle prospect with very good initial quickness, mobility and short-area power. He also has adequate-to-good size for that type of DT prospect. Durability and off-the-field issues slowed his development as a junior in 2003; he had a shoulder injury that required surgery and went through a sexual assault case that eventually he was acquitted from but naturally occupied his time and energy. Healthy and on the straight-and-narrow, Johnson was rededicated and played the best football of his career as a senior in 2004. His motor was running at an all-time high and he emerged as one of the biggest impact defensive linemen in the country. Those aforementioned injury and character issues in the past could still haunt him on draft day but Johnson should still be the top defensive tackle taken in 2005, likely in the middle of the first round. I'm interested to see how both of these guys do next year.
Oh, all right. Indianapolis Colts The Colts lack the salary-cap room to be aggressive in free agency, and they will have enough trouble bringing back all their own key free agents, particularly RB Edgerrin James and WR Reggie Wayne. The Colts can franchise only one of the two, and retaining even one might prove too costly. The Colts are among the best franchises in the league at drafting and developing young players, so GM Bill Polian isn't afraid to let pricey veterans go. If Indianapolis can merely keep together the nucleus of a 14-2 club, it will have been a successful offseason. Running back: The salary cap will force the team's hand here. Bringing back unrestricted free agent Edgerrin James might be impossible without using the franchise tag on him again, which could anger James and affect team chemistry. Dominic Rhodes is a capable backup but isn't physical or durable enough to start. This won't be a pressing need if James returns. Outside linebacker:Unrestricted free agent David Thornton might be allowed to walk. Backup Rocky Calmus also is unrestricted, and Gilbert Gardner isn't good enough to start. Cato June is solid, but the Colts might need an athletic playmaker to start opposite him. Defensive end: Pass-rush specialist Robert Mathis is only a restricted free agent, but the demand for his services might be high enough to make him too costly to keep. And because the Colts' defensive line uses a rotation system, the team always is on the lookout for athletic edge rushers. Guard: RG Jake Scott is adequate, but LG Ryan Lilja is undersized. Indy's interior offensive line gets pushed around too often by physical defensive linemen. The Colts need an aggressive mauler who can hold up at the point of attack and push Lilja for a starting position. Wide receiver: Wayne, an unrestricted free agent, will get some excellent offers if he is allowed to hit the open market. But the Colts might decide to franchise him instead of James. Brandon Stokley is a fine No. 3 but would be a less-than-ideal starter opposite Marvin Harrison. Beyond James and Wayne, the organization faces other hurdles. Unrestricted free agent DE Raheem Brock has developed nicely as a pass-rusher and is needed back. Because Mathis could be a hot property, the Colts might be forced to give him a first-round tender. Both backup running backs -- Rhodes and James Mungro -- are free agents, so losing James could leave Indianapolis' backfield in the lurch. Prolific K Mike Vanderjagt is probably gone. The rest of the free agents are role players. Keeping their own young, impact players and adding quality draft picks will be critical for the Colts. Tennessee Titans Salary-cap issues finally caught up with the Titans last season, and they probably will bite the bullet again in 2006. Bad personnel and contract decisions have left the organization a year away from having the flexibility to make any noise in free agency. Tennessee's first order of offseason business: figure out what to do with QB Steve McNair. He is due a $50 million bonus this spring, but McNair will never see the money. The Titans will restructure his current deal, release him or "encourage" him to retire. Once that's settled, the picture will become clearer, and the team probably will focus on re-signing its own free agents. Quarterback: McNair continues to play through injuries but is near the end of a great career. The Titans like Billy Volek but aren't sure if he is a long-term solution. Both likely will return in '06, perhaps giving a draft pick -- Matt Leinart or Vince Young? -- a year to learn the ropes. Matt Mauck is a solid developmental No. 3. Middle linebacker: The Titans want more speed and athleticism than starter Brad Kassell, an unrestricted free agent, has to offer. Backup Robert Reynolds is a two-down run defender who isn't a candidate to start. The team would love to bring in an athletic guy to build around. Running back: Starter Chris Brown is effective but doesn't provide many big plays and has been extremely brittle. The same goes for backup Travis Henry. Both are serviceable runners, but Tennessee will be in the market for an explosive youngster to groom for the future. Safety: SS Tank Williams is an unrestricted free agent with a reconstructed knee. The Titans want him back, but can they depend on him to hold up for 16 games? The backups are nondescript. The team would like to find a safety who can step in and start, in case Williams leaves or isn't healthy. Center: Starter Justin Hartwig, an unrestricted free agent, probably can get more money elsewhere and will be difficult to re-sign. The Titans don't have a backup ready to take over. Even if Hartwig returns, the team will still target a reserve swing interior lineman. If Hartwig doesn't return, finding a starter will be imperative. After the Titans settle the McNair situation, more challenges await. OG Benji Olsen, Tennessee's best offensive lineman, is owed a $5 million bonus the team probably can't afford. LBs Rocky Boiman and Brad Kassell are role players who will be back only at the right price. Free agents Henry and Tank Williams have value, but both are expendable. The one player Tennessee will go out of its way to keep is DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, a rare playmaker on this defense. The Titans will need to look to the draft, not free agency, to fill holes. Jacksonville Jaguars Smart personnel decisions have put the Jaguars in excellent salary-cap position. The team will have roughly $10 million to spend in free agency this offseason, in part to re-sign its own free agents. If recent history is any indication, Jacksonville will pay for the right players and accurately identify its most pressing needs. The talent and depth on this roster already is good, so the Jaguars likely will target a difference-maker or two. Restructuring contracts and locking up core players has been another strength of the club, which is a good thing. Stud DT John Henderson probably is due a new long-term deal. Cornerback: Starter Kenny Wright and nickel back Terry Cousin are unrestricted free agents who could return at the right price, but neither is a shutdown corner. No. 4 Scott Starks is undersized and isn't a potential starter. Jacksonville needs a good man-to-man cover guy to likely replace Wright and eventually start opposite Rashean Mathis. Outside linebacker: Coach Jack Del Rio wasn't pleased with this group last season. Conveniently, starter Akin Ayodele and backups Jamie Winborn and Greg Favors are unrestricted free agents. Ayodele might be back, but not likely as a starter. The Jaguars would like to find an athletic starter who can deliver the big play. Tight end: Blocking specialist Kyle Brady could be a cap casualty. Even if the team brings him back for '06, a pass-catching tight end who can stretch the field and create mismatches is needed. Current backup George Wrighster isn't the answer. Guard/Tackle: Del Rio was disappointed in the play of his offensive line last season. OG Vince Manuwai probably will be replaced, and fellow starter OG Chris Naeole lacks quickness. RT Maurice Williams had an off year, and backup LT Mike Pearson is an unrestricted free agent. The Jags would like to land a starting guard and a tackle to push Williams and eventually start opposite LT Khalif Barnes. Defensive end: Reggie Hayward is a quality starter on the left side, but the outlook here is bleak. Backup Marcellus Wiley is an unrestricted free agent who is probably gone, and starter Paul Spicer and backup Bobby McCray aren't difference-makers. An impact edge player who could eventually start opposite Hayward is needed. All of Jacksonville's unrestricted free agents are expendable, though Wright, Ayodele, Cousin and DT Rob Meier might return for the right price. The Jaguars' concentration in free agency figures to be on defense, specifically a top cover corner and a playmaking linebacker. The team probably will let several of its lower-tier free agents walk in an effort to upgrade its depth. Del Rio and GM James Harris should be very active once the free-agent signing period begins.
y not just say the whole team? We also need 2 safeties, 1 corner, LB's that will fit the scheme and be productive.
Why do why need 2 safeties? I thought Brown played well for a rookie. He should play even better in his second year.
