[Fox 26] Texans give Sharper, Foreman permission to seek trade

Look, the ILB's in the 3-4 CAN blitz! People in every board I read make it seem like the ILB's can ONLY tackle and drop into coverage. That's not true..they can indeed blitz. It's this fact that sets up the premise for the 3-4. The 3-4 is designed with the intent of the defense having NO idea where the blitz is coming from and for the athletic LB's to make plays injstead of the DL's.

Basically, if you were to stack the line with EVERYONE and then drop back who you want, that is what causes the 'havoc' for the O.

So, if you can pick up a guy that runs a 4.5. and CAN TACKLE, you get him...right?? (And then trade Sharper for the PACE!)

 

No one said that you can't blitz from the inside. Everyone knows that, but you are not going to get a consistent PASS RUSH from the inside backers. Blitzing is different than pass rushing, and yes, we've have seen blitzing from the inside, outside, and from the secondary.

 

Foreman is gone. Bradford is exploring other teams.

Texans ready to part with Foreman
Leading tackler in '02 expendable after team signs LB Greenwood
By JOSEPH DUARTE
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

The fallout from the signing of free agent Morlon Greenwood continued Friday with the Texans giving inside linebacker Jay Foreman permission to seek a trade.

Thursday, the Texans signed Greenwood to a five-year deal worth $22.5 million, and gave three-year starter Jamie Sharper permission to seek a trade.

"I'm blindsided by the whole thing, really. I really don't know what's going on," said Foreman, who led the team in tackles in 2002. "It's just one of those deals. In this business, you can't be surprised by anything."

Texans general manager Charley Casserly declined comment.

Although both of the Texans' starting inside linebackers are on the trading block several scenarios are possible:

• The Texans could trade both players, only one, or decide to retain both, although the latter appears unlikely.
• The team could place added emphasis on selecting an inside linebacker during the early rounds of the April draft.
• Another inside linebacker could be acquired during free agency.
Sharper, 30, the team's leading tackler each of the last two seasons, is scheduled to count $6.13 million against the salary cap in 2005. Foreman, 29, a three-year starter recovering from an ankle injury, will have a $2.21 million cap hit.

Also Friday, the Texans hired University of Virginia assistant coach Mike London as defensive line coach. London spent the past four years working as defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator for Virginia, which uses a 3-4 defense, and previously worked for four seasons with Boston College. The position has been vacant since Todd Grantham left last month to become defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns.

The Texans also signed a pair of unrestricted free agents. Fullback Moran Norris, 26, agreed to a three-year deal worth $1.9 million, including a $600,000 signing bonus, and cornerback Jason Bell, 26, signed a one-year deal worth $540,000 with a $25,000 signing bonus.

"I'm real glad to get this over," said Norris, the primary blocker the past two seasons for 1,000-yard rusher Domanick Davis. "It took a lot of stress off me being a free agent."

Receiver Corey Bradford is scheduled to meet with the Detroit Lions early next week.

joseph.duarte@chron.com

 

Restructuring contracts in the NFL is the one sure-fire way to get yourself into salary cap hell. However, you are right about Foreman.

 

I'd like to see Jamie stay also.

 

Gotta trade Sharper if you can. His skills are going to start eroding severely. He's got great name recognition and would probably be a good influence for a team making a superbowl run, and he's making the $$$.

NFL cap management is all about signing guys to big, backloaded deals, and knowing when to get rid of them.

In related news, the Texans resigned Seth Payne, and probably got a good deal because of his late season injuries.

BTW, David Pollack worked out with the LB's at the combine and was apparently strong as an ox, but only average on his 40's. Draft David Pollack, keep workman-like Foreman, move Wong inside and mix the two up with Greenwood, and teach Antwan Peek to calm down once the whistle blows so he can contribute.

In other draft news, Antrel Rolle did just about every drill (rare for a top player), looked awesome accross the board, and will probably be top 10 again and the 1st CB taken, despite his past character issues.

 

In the interest of doing what's best for the future of the team, trading Sharper probably isn't a bad idea. It might hurt initially, but if it means cap flexibility to bring in a younger version (No, I'm not saying Greenwood is a younger version) and get Peek on the field more, then do it. You do have to wonder if this is posturing to get DJ at 13, if's he's there.

 

I like Sharper, but he has trade value, and since we arent expected to be in the Superbowl next year, might as well get as much young talent in there as possible.

I really really want to see the OL improved. However we can do that in rounds 2 and 3. Its looking more and more likely that the top 3 WRs and Alex Barron will be gone by 13, so I think we go defense with #13.

 

In the NFL, a 31 year old LB with a 6m cap number doesn't exactly ooze trade value.

 

Sorry....he has better trade value than Foreman.

 

Still could get a 3rd rounder for him. Thats good enough for me.

Although he is a great asset to this defense, I wouldnt say that he is critical to its success. I think he can be replaced without too much of an effect. Therefore, Im all for getting rid of his cap hit and moving on in a different direction. He is a FA at the end of next season anyways, so you may as well get something for him now and begin the process of moving on.

 

No. Keep Jamie Sharper. I don't wanna see him go; I got attached to him and wanna see him win with the Texans on the way to this year's first round.

 

Uh, maybe a 3rd round arena league pick.

 

I think if Drew Henson a player that hadnt played in a few years and you knew was a project could draw a 3rd rounder then I have to believe that there is a team out there that might need a sound ILB. I think Jamie Sharper still has at least 2 years left in him.

 

I hope, for your sake, that you are kidding.

 

No, a third round arena league pick would be WAY too much to part with in the cap conscious NFL for a 31 year old LB with a large cap number.

"giving a player permission to seek a trade" is a euphemism for "we're about to cut you, and we're not going to bother trying to shop you around but if you can find some sucker, we'll take almost anything we can get" Thus rendering the trade market for that player (and his contract) very, very, very limited.

 

The Texans wont cut him, what would be the point of that? They have the cap space necessary to keep him. Therefore, either Sharper gets traded or he remains on the team.

At worst, we will get a 4th rounder. However, there are teams out there that want to win now and could possibly toss us a 3rd rounder. For instance, the Vikings are 31 million under the cap. They have a horrible defense. Why not use Sharper as a one year rental? They have the cap space and could very well use it to bring in a veteran linebacker.

 

6.13 million is a VERY expensive rental - especially for a position that is pretty disposable for a guy who is solid but not spectacular. Anyway they brought in Napoleon Harris from the Moss trade so I don't know if they are in the LB market anymore.

NFL contracts aren't guaranteed I don't think, so the Texans stand to gain 6.13 million if they cut him .

 

Henson is a QB who has his entire career in front of him, Sharper is an LB who has his most productive ones behind him (and a 6.13 million number). One is something that you're a lot more likely to invest a first day draft pick in.l

 

If we cut him, we would only gain 4.X million in cap relief because we still have to pay the portion from his bonus.

Besides, even if we cut him, there arent players out there that we would use the money on. It would be completely pointless, at this point, to cut him. Unless, of course, we just want to have unused cap space for next season just for the heck of it.

*Edit*

Personally, I would like to use the 13 and Sharper to move up in the draft to get DJ. That way, we will have a stud linebacker, with a better contract, replacing Sharper.

Ideally, #13 + Sharper for a top 8 pick + 5th rounder