This seems a slippery slope. I mean, you used a 5th round pick on a kicker, which is pretty high for a kicker. You bring in this competition who could potentially outplay your draft pick. If he does, do you keep your draft pick so as not to admit you screwed up? But I suppose the converse is people b**** and moan about annointing a rookie as the starter without a tryout. Still, it would be really irritating if we got rid of Bullock because he got beat out by some FA kicker acquisition after the fact.
i doubt they would cut him. If nothing else, Bullock could mysteriously tweak his knee and be placed on IR for the year
Smith said in the 790 interview following the draft that he intended on bringing in a veteran kicker to "compete" with Bullock because the team doesn't believe in giving away jobs. Wants competition at all spots, etc. Fact of the matter is that Graham has been on four teams in the last two years and you invested a fifth-round pick in Bullock, so the writing is on the wall. Graham is desperate for any camp invite (exposure) he can get, and the Texans want emergency insurance, so it's a good temporary match.
Quotes from Bob & Gary (& Schaub) at the Texans Charity Golf Classic: Texans Owner Bob McNair Spoiler Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak Spoiler
Troy Nolan restructures his contract. http://www.macsfootballblog.com/2012/05/texans-safety-troy-nolan-takes-pay-cut.html
For frame of reference: The Texans cut 2011 fifth round pick Shilo Keo prior to the start of the season, only to re-sign him to the practice squad later. Fifth round picks get cut in training camp. It happens. Just saying, is all.
I think they're doing the smart thing and forcing him to earn his job. Graham's no real threat, but you risk fostering an entitled attitude and lazy work ethic if you roll out the carpet for a rookie.
ESPN Insider Request pleeeaaaasssseeee it has a picture of schauby..... its the pivotal players on the NFL page..
Eidt: The_Dream beat me to it... Spoiler Bill Polian: Then ten most important players in the NFL for 2012 [rquoter]To be a true Super Bowl contender, a team must have its key contributors performing at a very high level. Should they fall short of that expected performance, it's almost inevitable that disappointment will follow. This season, there are a number of pivotal players who haven't performed up to the elite level required to make their teams legitimate title threats -- yet. Here's a look at 10 key players who, given a leap in performance, could make their teams serious contenders in 2012: 1. Mark Sanchez, QB, New York Jets Sanchez has endured more scrutiny in the past two seasons than most players in their entire careers. That speaks to the pressure cooker that is the quarterback position in a major market like New York, but it also speaks to his essential role in making the Jets into the Super Bowl threat their coach believes them to be. I believe Sanchez has the tools to be a successful NFL quarterback, but he needs room to grow, and I wonder if he'll ever find that room with the Jets. It's a tough road to grow as a QB in the NFL, and the Jets' situation makes it even more difficult for Sanchez. And I'm not even talking about trading for Tim Tebow, who I do not believe will threaten Sanchez's status as a starter. In terms of reaching his potential, Sanchez faces a very high degree of difficulty because of the Jets' approach. Rex Ryan wants to "ground and pound" the ball. That means running the ball up to 35 times per game (ideally with a lead), controlling the clock and playing solid defense. But inevitably there will be times when the Jets need to throw the ball, whether it's when trailing late in a game or when facing third-and-long. The similarity that both of those situations have in common is that the defense knows exactly what's coming. By only utilizing Sanchez as a passer when he must be one, the difficulty escalates because the defense has a good sense of what's coming. If you take away the element of surprise, you're handicapping your QB's chances of success. For the Jets to achieve their Super Bowl goal, Sanchez must continue to grow. But for him to improve under the circumstances mentioned above, it'll be a high hurdle. 2. Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Josh Freeman could certainly stand to improve from last season, but I believe the most important player to potential big-time success in Tampa is Martin. I base this off the way new coach Greg Schiano operated at Rutgers. Martin has to be Ray Rice. Last season's workhorse, RB LeGarrette Blount, was a battering ram, but he did not stay healthy and had some fumbles, something Schiano noted this offseason. Martin has more shake-and-bake to his game, and he can be effective on passing downs. Not only can Martin catch the ball out of the backfield, but he also knows how to block from his time at Boise State. A solid running game will take pressure off Freeman and give his bolstered WR corps space to operate. When Schiano was at Rutgers, Rice was the key to the Scarlet Knights' success … and they didn't have a QB anywhere near as good as Freeman. 3. Nick Fairley, DT, Detroit Lions Fairley could be the missing piece in making the Detroit defense dominant. If the big Auburn alum can reach his potential, a trio of him, Ndamukong Suh and the emerging Corey Williams could make the Lions' D-line extremely hard to handle up the middle and wreak havoc on the pocket (which will help an improving secondary). I still think the Lions need more from the running back position to be legitimate title contenders, but if Fairley steps up, an already improved defense will be taken to another level. [+] EnlargeSchaub Bob Levey/Getty ImagesMatt Schaub must stay healthy if the Texans want to make a run. 4. Matt Schaub, QB, Houston Texans Schaub has been injury prone and has never won in the playoffs, and there have been times when -- by design -- the Texans have taken the ball out of his hands. With Arian Foster in the backfield, the Texans can absolutely run the ball, and the defense became one of the NFL's best under Wade Phillips. But if you want to win a Super Bowl, there will be times when you need your QB to win games for you. You only need to look back to the Texans' loss to Baltimore last postseason to find an example of that. Schaub was sidelined for that game, of course, which leads me to say that Schaub's most important ability in 2012 will be his availability. 5. Torrey Smith, WR, Baltimore Ravens You can make an argument that the Ravens will need a big contribution from whoever replaces Terrell Suggs, but the defense in Baltimore is not the problem. Between Sergio Kindle, Courtney Upshaw and Paul Kruger, the Ravens will find an answer on that side of the ball. The offense, however, needs a deep threat in the passing game, and Smith is the guy best suited to fill that role. For years the air attack has not been as reliable as the other facets of the team, and if Smith can be consistent catching the ball and making plays downfield, it will be the last piece in an otherwise well-rounded contender. The Ravens seem to believe in him since they didn't address their receiving corps in draft. They did sign Jacoby Jones in free agency, however, and he could add another speed element. 6. Chris Hairston, OT, Buffalo Bills It could ultimately be another lineman at left tackle for the Bills, but I'm assuming it will be Hairston. Whoever it is will have to step up and keep QB Ryan Fitzpatrick upright. Buffalo is thin under center and has no one else who can play at Fitzpatrick's level if he's injured. If that happens, the offense is going to have a very hard time staying on the field and an upgraded defense featuring DE Mario Williams will get worn down in a hurry. 7. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons Considering the price they paid to acquire him, the Falcons better hope that Jones can become a star. To make the Falcons' offense truly explosive, Jones must become a consistent big-play threat opposite Roddy White. Defensive efficiency is yet to be determined as Mike Nolan implements his scheme, but Atlanta can put a lot of points on the board if opposing DBs must divide their attention between White and Jones, who has big-time breakout potential. 8. Ryan Mathews, RB, San Diego Chargers When the Chargers were at their best in recent years, they were driven by the performance of LaDainian Tomlinson. QB Philip Rivers and his new receivers will need time to get on the same page, and Mathews will need to buy that time for them. He can't fumble (he had five last season), and he must improve in the passing game, not just as a receiver (50 receptions for 455 yards in 2011) but also as a blocker. For the Chargers to reach their potential, Mathews has to be as consistently explosive as LT was. After all, they envisioned him as LT's successor when they took him at No. 12 overall in the 2010 draft. 9. Ziggy Hood/Cameron Heyward, DEs, Pittsburgh Steelers There is going to be a changing of the guard in Pittsburgh, but it starts up front. Casey Hampton is aging, Aaron Smith is gone, and Brett Keisel isn't getting any younger. Elsewhere, defensive mainstays like Troy Polamalu and James Harrison aren't getting any younger, either, so the defensive line has to step up. I mentioned Heyward as one of my cornerstone picks in my three-year draft evaluations. I believe he has room to grow even though I already think he's part of the backbone of the Steelers' D. Hood is similarly gifted with potential. For the Steelers to stay among the league's elite, those two will need to be as reliable as ever. 10. WRs, San Francisco 49ers I'm cheating a little bit here because the 49ers' passing game needs to improve and there are a few potential candidates, but not a clear-cut option. Heading into the season, it's hard to tell who will emerge here, but someone must in order for the Niners to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. They have an excellent TE in Vernon Davis and Jim Harbaugh's offense can utilize him wonderfully, but the Niners need a second option. I don't know if it can be Randy Moss. When I last saw him in action for Tennessee, it didn't appear he had much burst left, but even if he did, Moss is a receiver who built his career out of using his speed and height to haul in deep balls from big-armed QBs. I don't think he can simply reinvent himself as a possession receiver. Michael Crabtree, Mario Manningham or even 2012 first-round pick A.J. Jenkins are better suited to take the San Francisco passing attack to the next level.[/rquoter]
don't get the injury prone label on schaub. if brady had someone roll on his knees, after he has thrown the ball, he would get hurt, probably more than five games, maybe a year. Schaub is pretty tough;he can take hits. If he was "injury prone" he would have torn his hamstring wiping his butt. =/
Not injury prone? Fair enough... but tough?! The guy goes down if you blow on him. He's hardly tough. Still on board with Shaub but he's not tough.
