You're comparing a 30-something, oft-injured Bob Sanders to Amobi Okoye? In the middle of a lockout, no less, when you haven't been able to sign free agents and add additional resources to your talent pool? There's nothing wrong with seeing if Amobi might reach his potential with better coaching. I think everyone on this defense deserves that chance. He's 23, emjohn. That's not insignificant and we can't pretend it's not relevant. It's likely he won't make the team (or be bench fodder) - but to outright release him before finding out if Phillips can salvage his career seems silly. Again, he's 23. We have several rookies this year that are his age - what is the net benefit of releasing him?
Just curious: Why do you continue this "easy schedule" rhetoric? It is not, as of this month, an easy schedule. It's actually rather difficult, especially it's first half. A good team could easily go 2-4 through that first six weeks, which is, by any measure, a brutal stretch.
Signed, Ryan Leaf, Lawerence Phillips, Vernon Gholston, JaMarcus Russell, and Mike Williams Benefit is, you know this guy is garbage, you know the odds of him panning out as a 3-4 end are somewhere along the lines of Lindsay Lohan passing a drug test, and you know the chances of you signing a competent journeyman backup 3-4 end aren't bad at all. McManis is garbage. Barber is garbage. Moldon is garbage. McCain is garbage. Demps is garbage. Footwork and technique (in a truncated offseason, no less) isn't saving these guys. They are trash and need to be thrown out. Fill their spots with competent players on the cheap and move forward. This isn't little leagues or a development league. We're going to lose most of the offseason and preseason and already have to switch over to Wade's scheme. There's no time to waste trying to resurrect the career of a 5-year deadbeat vet on the fly (at a new position no one thought he'd fit at, no less). This was a Hall of Fail defense, and you can't pin it all on Bush/Gibbs. They stocked up on junk talent and it showed. This needs to be an overhaul, not a salvage job. Bring in some seatwarmers for depth that already know what to do until you can replace them with a long term solution.
Oh, come on - Gholston's a fair comparison, sure. But are you really suggesting Okoye's in the same class as Leaf, Phillips and/or Russell? That's remarkably disingenuous. Phillips is in jail, for heaven's sake. Isn't Mike Williams the poster child for why you *shouldn't* give up on Okoye? Interestingly, all of those guys (who are secondary guys, so I'm not sure their relevance to Okoye) are older than Amobi. And none were ever considered top prospects or viable starter candidates (outside of desperation). Again, I think you're comparing apples to oranges here. I mostly agree. I'm not advocating a "We'll just improve what we have" approach at the expense of bringing in fresh blood (though they may be forced to do that more than they'd probably like). And I'm not suggesting they should set themselves back by investing in a summer-long Okoye resurrection project. But to outright release a top 10 pick who just turned 23 before your new and highly respected defensive coordinator can get on the field with him? I just think that's silly.
Kollar has over 20 years of experience, but I guess since he hasn't progressed past DL coach in all those years he's petered out?
briancushing56 Brian Cushing I've flown cross country trying to convince my boy @A_Cromartie31 to become a Texan. What you think Houston?
The guy draft by the Bills and was out of the league in about 4 years? He may have gotten a job again with the Skins, but that hardly means the Bills were wrong to dump him. We've had 5 years to see what we've got with Okoye. FIVE. Just because the Texans reached to pick him high in the draft, just because he's 23, doesn't change the fact that we've watched him waffle on the line for 5 years. Can't get penetration, can't move blockers. Worthless. Simple question - would you rather Okoye back up the ends or a FA backup 3-4 end with 5 years experience? Who would you trust to get the job done? If Okoye had a position in this offense, it would be at nose. He's got as much chance to do well at end as he does ILB.
I think he's talking about the WR Mike Williams that bombed and then came back with a productive year last year.
Doesn't that guy have like 20 kids with 20 different women? Yeah, I'm sure Bob McNair will be all over that deal.
Ahhhhhhhh.... yeah, as DM noted: I was referring to the WR. Yeah, *that* Mike Williams was not very good…. But here's the thing: Williams, like Russell, was, by all accounts, LAZY. All cap'ed - they cashed checks and were done. I would never argue in defense of Okoye's performance (though I also wouldn't term him "garbage") but I don't believe I've ever heard that he doesn't try and give maximum effort. So, again – we’re not talking about a self-inflicted bust here. We’re talking about a guy, possibly mis-evaluated and overrated four Aprils ago, who hasn’t lived up to his potential. Only in hindsight is he a reach; he was generally considered a top 10-15 pick. Turns out he was uncharted territory and I don't think anyone could have anticipated how not NFL-ready he was. Am I holding on to a pipe dream? Yeah, probably. I just don’t think it’s that unfathomable that he simply needed a lot longer than we ever could have known to reach his potential, and I’d sure hate to see the Texans give up on him before he got a second chance with a new coaching staff. He was a 19-year old rookie. (BTW, it’s been four years. FOUR.) Is there only one back-up slot available? Don't they generally carry 7-8 DL? I'd be curious to see if Okoye is salvageable before giving up on him. I don’t know how old you are, but that 18-22 range is a big one, and you grow a lot – physically and mentally. If he was a *true* 4-year vet and 25-27-ish, or whatever: Sure, I’d be much more inclined to move on. But 23? I’m not ready to cut bait yet.
This is why you don't draft a 19 year old kid to play a full grown adult's position. Even if he sucks butt, you still end up holding onto him too long by sheer virtue of the hope it'll eventually start clicking.
Agreed. Although it hasn't sunk them the way it did Casserly, this regime has been much too prone to draft projects. (Or trade for them - ie Schaub.) Even Mario was a bit of a project (granted, at 2-14, they had room to do so then). I think they've gotten wise to it and been a little better the past 3 drafts, at least in terms of looking for more NFL-ready guys. Doesn't mean they picked the *right* NFL-ready guys - but it's a good course correction, IMO.
I'm curious how Cushing and Cromartie are "boys" They played at colleges on opposite coasts, drafted in different years, never played on the same team.... They both apparently work out here: http://www.defrancostraining.com/pro-clients.html Still rooting for AJ convincing Asomugah to sign with the Texans.
The negativity continues after an impressive draft. Let's see what we do in free agency. The Texans are closer to a championship than the Rockets or Astros.
On paper maybe, they are still the worst run organization in town, so I would put them right in line with the other 2 teams
Last I checked the Rockets were closer to making the playoffs than the Texans were. The Rockets offensive-wise were very similar to the Texans, both were near the top of the league in offensive rankings. The Rockets were 3rd in points per game and 6th in Hollinger's offensive efficiency. The Texans were 3rd in total yards and 9th in total pts scored. The big difference was that the Rockets defense was merely mediocre (18th) while the Texans were dead last by a wide margin. The Texans def would have to jump at least the 15-20 range to sniff the playoffs and closer to 10th best to advance once. They really are that bad on defense right now.
I heard Adam and Matt talking about this today on 790. Adam said (paraphrased), "Aside from being a first round draft pick, what has Okoye done that's of any value on the football field. Had he been taken in the 5th round, he'd already be cut. Nothing on the field justifies him having a roster spot."
