Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb Here's where I disagree with you: 1) He quit on the Marx Brothers (Bush/Gibbs). 2) The Texans apparently learned NOTHING from the Dunta saga, and I'd argue that Pollard as a SS was doing better than Robinson as a #1 CB. 2a) Unlike Dunta, it's not as if Pollard was pushing for mega-millions. Unlike Dunta, they didn't even consider talking about a deal 2b) Why not at least tender him with no intention to match? At worst you sign him to the tender or get a pick for your trouble. 3) #22 in the league in tackles, #3 among safeties. He stunk in coverage, but he had a place on the team. 4) The team finally admitted going so young in the secondary was a big mistake....and know they just tossed away the only worthwhile starter that qualified as a vet. Glover Quin's going to lead the squad with his seasoned leadership??? 5) "Doesn't fit Wade's system" is either horse**** or Wade is even less of a coach than I thought. This system has 4-5 guys going upfield every down....having a box safety to blitz, play the run, and/or watch the TE release doesn't fit that scheme??? I'm all for limiting Pollard's role on the field (yank him in any nickel/dime situation), but he's very useful filling LB voids. 6) In a typical draft, you can reasonably expect to come away with 2, maybe 3 starters. Unless you're picking high and grab one of the few studs ready out of the box, secondary is iffy - as we all know courtesy of Jackson. Now we have 3 secondary holes we need to fill, and it was already a stretch to land Amukamara. No safety prospects are tickling scouts to death this year. Also, this is a team that still has yet to pick a safety earlier than the 4th round despite a glaring need throughout its history. 7) This team, of all teams, is going to replace both safety positions through free agency? We either a) vastly overpay for a fringe starter, b) get burned badly by legit starters, or c) rummage through the scrap pile and trot out castoffs. OH! and don't forget that this year, of all years, we'll be most likely dealing with a lockout that truncates the offseason and hampers FA movement. 8) Pollard "wasn't that good of a player"....if we cut every defensive player (starter/backup) that fit that description, we'd be left with what? 5 out of 22? THIS WASN'T THE TIME. We are not the Packers. We are not the Pats. We need to upgrade the disaster positions, then worry about the "we could do better" positions. Why in heaven's name, when you already are under pressure to shore up no less than 5 of the 11 starting spots are you adding a sixth hole? Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb
Stopped reading right there. Dunta >>>>> Pollard. I get Pollard hits hard but so does Dunta - plus he's a corner that can cover decently.
emjohn...you're getting a little carried away. 1) quitting is quitting. Doesnt matter who its for...and to make a claim exactly who he is quitting on is a pure guess. 2) That's ridiculous. 2b) No one was/is going to give up a draft pick for Pollard. 3) he is a tackling machine...unfortunately that doesnt help if the guy he is tackling already burned him in coverage and gained 20 yards. 4) worthwhile starter is what's very debatable here. 5) he needs to be a safety, not a LB. 6) they dnot have to fill safety needs via draft. 7) for better or worse, they will probably only have to replace one safety via FA. But, Pollard was scrap...so if you really think he is that good then your argument falls apart there. Adding a sixth hole? Safety was a whole while he was here. It won't be much different if he isnt. I love pollard's passion, fire and hitting ability. But hitters are a dime a dozen, as MattJ stated.
Even if they were a penny a dozen, I'd be surprised if the Texans managed to bring in one at/better than Pollard's level this offseason. Dunta was a lot better than Pollard...in 2006. In 2008 and 2009, Robinson was terrible (TERRIBLE) - unable to stay with any top receiver and reduced to blatant downfield holds to prevent big plays. All he could do was big hits and became overly preoccupied with them (the infamous Colts game).
Maybe so, but I still see no sense in throwing out even a subpar starter when you need to replace so many holes. Like I said, I'm all for reducing his role - and he's useful on first and second downs. I agree that I don't want him protecting the backfield in passing downs. But this isn't Eugene Wilson. This is a guy that got you 111 tackles last year. You can't make use of that guy? You can't even lowball him? $20 to the tip jar if the Texans field a better SS next season. I'll happily put it in even if it's a close call.
For me, it not any one thing. I care about the results, not the method. Try to not start 5-7 for once and then we'll talk.
Texans Agree to New Contract With Owen Daniels #NFL #Texans #Hounews http://sbn.to/hfeW7G 10 minutes ago*from SB Nation http://mobile.twitter.com/zepp1978/status/43361842801803264
As far as the safety situation, as mediocre as Pollard is, who in the history of the Texans has been better at SS? CC Brown? Glenn Earl? Nick Ferguson? If guys like Pollard really are a dime a dozen, I still have no faith that the Texans will find one.
I hope we get OD from the first half of 2009. Pollard was a nice and loved the attitude but he had become Roy Williams, safety who could hit and that was about it. I DO HOPE this means they are serious about going out and upgrading the team because they just got WEAKER in the secondary.
Very happy to see that. Hopefully he's himself again from here on out. His importance to the passing game was pretty clear after this past season. This is my concern, especially when facing a limited offseason and a boat full of holes already.
Apparently when Wade told Bob that he could fix the defense without changing the personnel, he was only talking about adding, not subtracting players.
If guys like Bernard Pollard are a dime a dozen, why is Pollard the best safety this franchise has ever had? If it was as easy as you say to replace him, why have they never found a better player? there are enough holes on the defense, now they need 2 new safeties
The way you described Dunta's worst years reads like Pollard's scouting report - just change 'top receiver" to "anybody" and everything else is spot on.
Except that you WANT that from your SS - they are supposed to come forward and help with the run game and act as a fill-in LB if you send one on a blitz, a role he was fine at. He was also the only guy last year, along with Cushing, that covered TE's tolerably (not saying he was great at it). Toss in the fact that Pollard had more tackles last year than Dunta's last two years with us combined. A CB that can't cover is a killer. A FS that can't cover ground and break on the ball to make a play (Wilson) is a killer. Pollard did his job as a SS, but was exposed badly as a poor cover guy surrounded by a poor secondary. Upgrade FS and CB with two guys that aren't overwhelmed and Pollard's warts diminish quickly. Yes, you don't want him on the field when its third and long, or when you are up 4 with 55 seconds left to go. Yank him in your nickel/dime packages. I was saying that all fall. Doesn't change the fact that he was our 5th best defensive player last year (at least) and throwing him out when we already need to bring an alarmingly high number of capable starters is a dubious strategy at best. And again, I don't get how ANYONE feels comfortable about this franchise going out and installing two upgrades at safety when Pollard rates as the best one they've brought in over the course of the franchise's history. Let's hope the 5th round is a magical pot of gold this time!
