Stephen Davis and Kyle Turley to the Texans???

Good news, I guess. Landing "big name" free agents for your team is always cool. Hope it works out.

Ric, maybe I missed it, but I'd be very interested in heraing your analysis of Turley specifically, and what you would do with the offensive line problems.

 

re: davis and turley -- if the money's right, sure, they'd both be upgrades. davis is really intriguing, imo -- even last year, an "off" year, his numbers certainly didn't look like a guy in decline (4.0/ypc, 1100-yard pace). his # of carries declined, but his production certainly didn't. if he's healthy... he would be a terrific addition.

turley comes with more questions: is he sane? can they extend his deal? what happens if boselli comes back? will houston be overrun by zealous 'roid dealers/tat artists trying to cash in on turley's arrival?

i have a pretty decent source in NO who says the texans are definitely talking #3 for turley and one of NO's 1st round picks. i imagine HOU is gonna want turley's deal extended before they pull that trigger. he has a cap-friendly base salary of under $4M for 2003, but then he's a FA. it would be waste to trade the #3 pick for one year of turley.

but a line of turley, pitts, mckinney, brown and wiegert looks good on paper, and even better ifyou can throw a healthy boselli into the mix (which i don't think you ever will, but....)

 

I LOVE OLmen, but I'm not too crazy about this deal, particularly this early in the FA period.

 

Stephen Davis is a 1400 yard back given the pill and at very least a decent O line.

Let me give you an idea of his season last year under Spuddier.

Rush for over 100 leading to a win.

The following week, hed get 7 rushes.

In one game, the entire Redskins stadium, pissed at Spuddier's inability to use a pro bowl back, rained out chants of "Just rush the Ball"

The previous year, S Davis had Marty ball to contend with. Marty gave him the pill alot, but his offense was sooo bland, and his passing game sooooooooo weak (Tony Banks was the yearly starter if that tells you anything.) that teams stacked the line 8 strong all game long. And Davis still lead the league in rushing.

Davis is a great back. He even improved his all around game last year by proving he is a capable out of the backfield receiver. And he Blocks extremely well.

His flaw is that he has fumbled in crucial situations. Not alot, but as a fan it kills you. He doesnt fumble much either. He also plays in pain. He only sat most of those games last year because Spurrier made him.

 

This is interesting. However, I think we could get more than Turley & the 17th or 18th pick for the 3rd pick.

Based on the article below, I'm thinking we could do this trade:

Houston sends our #3 pick/second rounder(35th)/later round pick or future 3rd round pick to N.O.

N.O. sends Turley/17th/18th/NO's 2nd round pick (49th?) to Houston.

Of course, Turley would have to be signed to a contract extension first.

That would allow us to package the 17th & 18th picks to move back up, or just pick 2 players at those positions. With the late 2nd round pick, I'd take a chance on Maghee, since rumors are indicating that the Raiders won't wait until the 3rd round to take him. Is this a realistic trade?

http://www.nola.com/saints/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1047192946140445.xml


Turley's destination remains a mystery

Saints asking for first-round pick in NFL draft

Sunday March 09, 2003

Jeff Duncan

It's no longer a question of if the Saints will trade offensive tackle Kyle Turley but when they'll do it. And to whom.

The club has discussed a deal with a handful of teams during the offseason.

The asking price is a first-round draft pick. The Saints probably will have to settle for a second rounder, with a conditional future pick thrown in for good measure.

For a player of Turley's caliber, that's a great deal. It's a poor year for tackles in the draft, and the best free agents are off the market. No team will find a better tackle than Turley in the second round. That's why the trade market for Turley is healthy.

The Saints' primary goal is to acquire another high pick, so they can maneuver on draft day. With six picks in the first three rounds, including Nos. 17 and 18 in the first round, the Saints would then have enough booty to trade into the top 10, maybe even the top 5.

Houston (No. 3), Dallas (No. 5), Minnesota (No. 7) and Jacksonville (No. 8) are among several teams interested in trading down.

The Saints feel the draft is eight to 10 players deep in "difference makers." Only three or four of those play defense, where the Saints need the most help. The prime targets are defensive tackles Jimmy Kennedy and Dewayne Robertson and cornerback Terrence Newman.

But first, the Saints must deal Turley.

In the spirit of today's Louisiana Derby, here's how the field should be handicapped:

St. Louis (2-1): The Rams have problems at both tackle spots. Left tackle Orlando Pace has wrankled management with exorbitant contract demands. Right tackle has been a revolving door in recent years. Some officials at Rams Park believe Turley would add much-needed toughness to the line. An added bonus: Jay Zygmunt, president of football operations, has a close relationship with Turley's agent, Tom Condon.

San Diego (5-1): The Chargers have put together an impressive group of young talent. Running back LaDainian Tomlinson, quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver David Boston, a recent free-agent signee, are all 24-years-old or younger. Turley would be an upgrade over left tackle Damion McIntosh or right tackle Vaughn Parker. Moreoever, Turley, a native of Mission Beach, Calif., wants to play there.

Chicago (6-1): The Bears are desperate for tackle help. They recently cut veteran right tackle James "Big Cat" Williams and were so decimated at left tackle this past season former Tulane standout Bernard Robertson, a natural guard, started several games there. Turley would team with 2002 first-round pick Marc Columbo to give the Bears a solid tackle tandem.

Jacksonville (8-1): The Jaguars don't have a lot of cap room, so they would have to restructure Turley's deal. He's entering the final year of a six-year contract and is scheduled to earn $3.3 million in base salary this season. The Jaguars could use a veteran presence in their young line, and Turley would be reunited with former Saints teammates Chris Naeole and Daryl Terrell.

Denver (10-1): The Broncos are not happy with the play of left tackle Matt Lepsis and might be willing to cut ties for a player of Turley's caliber. With new quarterback Jake Plummer under center, the Broncos need help up front. They, like most teams, would need to restructure Turley's deal because they don't have much cap room.

Houston (12-1): Despite reports, insiders insist the Texans aren't interested in Turley. Nonetheless, Charley Casserly is a known wheeler dealer and Tony Boselli's health remains a major question mark.