never said he was not a GOOD coach but the movement to GREAT . . . i am kind of luke warm on Once they went off the Tape [AKA STOPPED CHEATING] their record has been good .. . . i.e. Peyton Manning in Indianapolis type of good but not Superbowl calibre every year like it was before . .. when they were cheating With out the tape . .. is is another good coach with the tape . .. . he great Rocket River
Additionally, I gave a B grade to Pagan because of his upside and if you get that many high grades from the higher draft rounds, then even F's from the bottom rounds won't have the power to drag those grades out of the A's. The overwhelming consensus of critics concur that Texans had a very good draft and are always mentioned in the top three. I think their opinion matters more than armchair critics.
FYI, those "critics" are armchair critics. What do you think they get paid for? Being seen as right in 3 years or generating clicks now? If they knew anything they wouldnt be writing on websites.
Do you mean "high ceiling" players or "impact" players...??? I believe you may mean "impact" player... Game changers at skill positions. Clowney and Savage are the only players at important impact positions they drafted IMO. Nix may be one as well but you have to take into account he may only be a two down player and if they run as much nickel as they say they will it may be less than that. And that's if his knee holds out. Great value pick if it does. Bad decision trading two picks for him "in this particular draft" if he doesn't and or he can't stay on the field. I believe they missed out on players at more impactful positions in the 2nd and 3rd round. But it all depends on one's perception of the team going into the draft.
You realistically only traded one as it turned in to a third round pick from a 4th round pick. You basically gave up a 5th for the best NT in the draft.
Yeah I don't understand those fans who call into question what we did to get Nix. I figured we may have a shot at him at the top of the 2nd and that's about it. It's very hard to find really good NTs. Nix has as much upside as Poe did the other year, if not more. How can anyone be anything but ecstatic with what the Texans did getting Nix?
Correct. We have to grade on the value of players per the NFL grading system. Look at it another way, if you had to grade purely on BPA, Texans actually come out on top of the whole draft. For example, #1 ranked pick overall Clowney. #1 ranked OG top three ranked TE #1 ranked NT Just those there are enough to give it to us.
B+ I liked the general philosophy of taking the the best talent at a given position, even if it wasn't the biggest need. The only downside of prioritizing "value" like that was that we ended up not appropriately addressing our biggest need (QB), which is why ended up with a B+. 1. Clowney - Even though I was hoping for a trade down, this was the right pick. He was head and shoulders above the rest with regards to talent. I was relieved they didn't force a QB pick here on someone they didn't feel was special. My only reservation is how he will fare as a 3-4 LB when he seems like a natural 4-3 DE. Sticking with Watt will take care of any motor concerns. 2. Su'a-Filo - I wasn't too excited about taking a guard this high, but I thought back to how San Francisco took Iupati a few years back and it has really propelled their team's offense. The philosophy of having a tough, nasty offensive line is appealing, and this guy sounds like he was the best OG in the draft. 3. Fiedorowicz - Seemed like a bit of a reach at the time, but I think they see Gronk-like potential in him. He's got the size and the blocking down. It sounds like he has the tools to be a good pass-catcher, but he is not nearly as advanced as Gronk was at this point. Still, a 2-dimensional TE can really open up the offense. 3b. Nix - Right now, he looks like the steal of our draft. 1st round talent at a position of need. I liked the trade up to make sure we got him. Hope his knees hold up. 4. Savage - After missing out on Bridgewater and Garropolo (IMO), I felt that whoever they picked here in round 4 would be a project. So, if BOB thinks he can develop Savage into a starting QB in a year or two, then great. He's got the tools, just not the experience. I think it says more about how they felt that there was no cornerstone QB in this draft, and thus I agree with just waiting it out until a stronger QB draft next year. But I was really looking forward to a new QB after suffering through last year, and I wasn't expecting it to be Ryan Fitzpatrick. 6a. Pagan - Looks like he could be a sleeper. I like targeting talented guys who drop due to prior injuries. Needed DL help too. 6b. Blue - I was puzzled by their choice of RB. With Foster and Brown on the roster, why not draft a scatback/3rd-down type specialist at this point to add some diversity to the offense? I would have preferred addressing secondary here. 6c. Prosch - Once again, getting someone who seems like the best at his position is a good philosophy. FB is under-appreciated, but we remember how effective Arian was with Leach and how it hasn't been the same since he left. 7a. Hal - About time we drafted a DB. Not sure if he's talented enough to make a difference though. 7b. Ballentine - About time we drafted a S. Not sure if he's talented enough to make a difference though.
Nice post man, generally agree with what you said, even about Pagan and Prosch. I too lamented not taking a nickelback earlier but we had just too many holes to fill with a limited amount of high picks. Your point about blue - taking him says to me he could be Foster's eventual replacement, or they don't trust Foster's injury history. The other thing about a scatback, we still have Johnson on the roster - not quite as small as a Darren Sproules, but still small enough to hide behind the bigger guys.
Definitely not a fan of who we picked up besides clowney and nix until we realize that you cant win in this league without a legit to decent QB youre not going anywhere regardless of whos out there on defense.
Ravens - Average Joe Seachickens - Russell Wilson I don't know why the idea that teams need dominant QB's persists, but it's clearly still out there.
Am I the only one thinking that we will have a winning season & go deep in the playoffs? Am I the only one that remembers that 2 seasons ago we were regarded as the no1 team, & it was only the injuries (and Schaub's addiction to throwing puck sixes) that derailed last season? Now with the depth added in this draft, I'm giddy about watching this season. I might even shell out for NFL pass again. Go Texans!!! Draft Grade: A
It wasn't QB play that derailed last season, it was a lot of bad things all happening at once. No O line, no run game, lost the defensive captain, no pass rush outside of Watt causing a need to blitz every down, bad start to the year by our rookie kicker, AND fairly bad QB play. However, there is reason for optimism though, the Ravens had worse QB performance last year than we did and they almost made the playoffs. Also of note, the Texans lost 9 games by one TD or less, improve the run game, defense, and special teams and they probably win all of those games putting them at 11 wins even with the poor QB performance. The Texans need Foster to return to form, the defense needs to pressure QB's more than they did last year, and fat Aggie needs to perform the entire season like he did at the very end and they could win the (weak) division.
I think our 2 successful seasons are a bit hard to replicate. Those teams played a certain style that relied way too much on a dominant running game. Basically everything was predicated on having one of the most dominant OLine in the NFL plus a healthy Foster. The fact that we had the best running game in the NFL led to better redzone success, Matt Schaub not getting touched despite being slow with no downfield threat, high TOP, allows defense to be aggressive which is Wade's forte, and lead to easy pass rush situations when ahead. It also covers up all of our downside, like Schaub's lack of escapability, defense's gambling, overall bad skill talent in the passing game outside AJ, pass rush that relied on opponent being behind rather than talent, etc. Foster is no longer Foster. Our OLine's no longer filled with multiple pow-bowl caliber players, AJ's even older, Fitz is not as good as prime Schaub, and defense still lack pass rushing talent unless Clowney instantly becomes a stud(possible but unlikely just yet). The only way I can see us being back to contending is if Clowney and Watt becomes the most dominating pass rush combo the in the NFL and allow us to generate pressure with 4 players. I'm not sure this can happen in year 1. Perhaps in a couple of years.
Like I said... If his knee holds up and if he can stay on the field and if he can be effective in 4 man fronts since they say they're going to run a lot of nickel _ great value pick.
This... People don't give Foster the credit he deserves. He made this entire team look better (along with the O-Line _ especially the 1st playoff year). He controlled time of possession. He moved the chains and put points on the board. The best defense is one that doesn't have to get on the field. Charles did the same for KC last year. Everyone thought they had a dominant defense but they were playing a lot of back up QB's and 1st time starting QB's during the 1st half of the season. Different story the 2nd half of the season. It's not many good quarterbacks in the NFL. A defense never really gets tested until they run up on one of the good ones. Like when we ran up on Brady and Rodgers.
Keep in mind Fosters best seasons came behind Leach. The addition of Prosch suggests a run heavy orientated Offense, which is wise when you don't have a quality passer. They are giving the QB and the RB the best chances of succeeding. Throw to score, run to win.
Drink some kool-aid ... Harris: Draft speaks "volumes" It’s inevitable. Each and every year, the NFL’s annual player selection meeting reaches an end. It feels like we’ll never get to that point, but it happens every single year. Then, when it’s over, I look up and wonder…okay, what do I do next? I’m basically lost with what to do with my time. I studied these draft prospects for years, but truly started grinding on analysis back in early June. June of 2013, mind you. But, this “day after” has a much different feel, to be honest. The Texans 2014 draft class spoke volumes as to the direction of this organization. That direction started truly taking shape on Thursday night and continued on into Saturday. What did we learn? Glad you asked. These aren’t your older brother’s Texans Back during the 2000s, there were two games that I always mentally circled on the NFL calendar. The Ravens v. The Steelers. They met two times a year and will do so for as long as the NFL exists. But, what made those games so special was not just that the two teams battled for conference supremacy, they hated other. That football hatred made for some of the best football we saw during that time. But, most importantly, we all knew that the game wasn’t for the faint of heart. Guys got hit. Hard. Every play. It was football the way us old-schoolers wanted it to be. Both teams copped to the fact that they brought just a little extra to each and every tackle and hit. They played at a physical level that other teams just couldn’t match. Those of us distraught with how the league was transforming into a pass happy, pseudo-finesse league knew that a Ravens/Steelers matchup brought us back to the primal aspects of football. Not to mention, their dominance proved the old adage that the most physical teams always took home the nicest trophies. Even more so, teams dreaded seeing the Ravens and/or Steelers on the schedule because it was going to be a brutal 60 minutes. They’d be feeling that game long into the following week, physically and mentally. The ability to overpower teams physically and get in their heads mentally because teams didn’t want to face THAT on Sunday afternoon gave those two teams an undeniable advantage. So, how does any of that relate to the Texans in 2014? Well, to answer that question, we, first, have to look at what the Texans were. I’d never call an NFL team soft or finesse, but the Texans reputation throughout the league wasn’t one that elicited fear of being physically manhandled for 60 minutes. Many thought the zone blocking scheme exacerbated that reputation, regardless of how erroneous those thoughts may have been. That all changed after this draft was over. The Texans draftees are big, fast and physical, stressing the big, fast and physical parts. UCLA G/T Xavier Su’a-Filo was the best run blocking interior lineman I studied. Iowa TE C.J Fiedrorowicz was the best Y (in-line, tradition) tight end on the board and clearly the best run blocking tight end in this draft class Notre Dame NT Louis Nix is 330 pounds, give or take a few biscuits, and when healthy, he’s the best nose tackle in this class and it’s not even close. Auburn FB Jay Prosch was so highly thought of as a blocker that Auburn ran nearly its entire offense behind him. I saw him bury linebackers at the Senior Bowl, but more importantly, I HEARD it. You can hear physical players and teams; you don’t need to see them. And, I haven’t even mentioned the guy that went number one who’s pretty good, too. I seem to remember a hit that he had that more than proves my point. All ten selections may not make the team and it’s a near impossibility for all ten to be here two or three years into the future. But, that’s not the point. Teams around the league took notice of what Rick Smith and Bill O’Brien did throughout this draft. You coming to Reliant/NRG Stadium this year? Gear up, buckle up and ice up…it’s going to be a long day. I like that. A lot. Presto change-o Months ago, after Bill O’Brien’s first press conference, I did an out of town radio interview and was asked how I thought the Texans would be different under O’Brien’s leadership. The first thing that hit me was the word “versatility”. For the next five months (yeah, it was a long off-season), I stressed to anyone who would listen that the Texans wanted versatility in, well, everything. As a start, examine the players they drafted. Su’a Filo can play guard and/or tackle. Fiedorowicz can put his hand in the dirt or be on the move as an H-back. Nix can play two gaps over the center’s head or be a penetrating one-gap tackle. Vanderbilt’s Andre Hal can play on the perimeter or move inside to the slot corner position. But, the versatility the Texans can display with personnel groupings, on each side of the ball, is now outstanding. The Texans can line up in the same formation on two different plays and have completely different personnel in the game, providing two completely unique looks. They can play three tight ends in passing situations and play three tight ends in short running situations. They can play a traditional 3-4 defense on one play, leave the same personnel on the field and line up in a 4-3 look on the very next play. When O’Brien said that the Texans would be able to adjust week to week, he wasn’t joking. The versatile pieces they added allow him to stay true to his word. A chip the size of a dorito Johnny Manziel isn’t the only player to have a chip on his shoulder the size of a dorito. That fact hit me when our Texans Radio crew caught up with Vanderbilt’s Hal on Saturday just after he was drafted. He was expectedly emotional but when asked about potentially being passed over as a high school recruit and then lasting until the 216th pick in the seventh round, a switch flipped. He talked openly about teams passing on him in college and then what the team had done at Vanderbilt in his last three years. He’s lived a football life doing nothing but trying to prove himself to his coaches, his teammates and his opponents. That rang true in the five minutes we spoke with him. Pitt’s Tom Savage worked in construction in the 1,000 days he spent away from the game. Three schools, two transfers and some steel-toe boots are in his past, but go ahead and doubt him, he’d love for you to do just that. O’Brien spent five years of his coaching career around the one player that has the biggest chip on his shoulder and that player carries that with him wherever he goes. Don’t believe me? Just ask Tom Brady what six quarterbacks were selected in front of him in the 2000 NFL Draft. He knows them by name, rank and social security number and that slight stokes his success to this day 14 years later. This class strikes me the same way. “Doesn’t work hard” “Been away from the game” “Was only a three-star recruit in high school” “Didn’t start in college” Just keep fueling the fire, people. Will this class be the best in Texans history? Well, we can have that discussion years from now, but it’s hard to argue with the fact that this organization NEEDED this draft class in the building. It’s a start and a good one at that.
^ I agree with this dude in that this draft class represents the seismic shift in philosophy, but in terms of how well it will translate to the field, we'll just have to wait and see.
