<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Mid-round prospect MT <a href="https://twitter.com/Rand_Getlin">@Rand_Getlin</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Duke?src=hash">#Duke</a> WR Jamison Crowder's name is buzzing. Has workouts sched. w/ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bucs?src=hash">#Bucs</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Panthers?src=hash">#Panthers</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Patriots?src=hash">#Patriots</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash">#Texans</a></p>— Adam Wexler (@awexler) <a href="https://twitter.com/awexler/status/578318034248470528">March 18, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This is easily Texans 2nd best offseason ever to date, bested only by 2011’s additions of JJ, JJo & DManning I’m genuinely excited that we are 1 “core” draft class away from really turning the corner BoB cannot have a repeat of last year … he really needs to find 2-3 IMPACT players to keep this positive momentum and make a significant jump forward this season If Clowney and/or Nix rebound with solid soph years, the D front could be dominant, but you cannot count on either at this point Part of me is still convinced the best use of this draft would be solidifying the O-Line as top priority With DBrown no longer elite at LT (now top 10 instead of top 3 at his peak), this team does not have even 1 elite O-Lineman Brooks and Newton should be solid on right side, and Brown has at least 2 more useful years in him, but the 'safe' move to stay put certainly paid off well for Dallas last year in the same spot And nothing helps a young QB more than a wall up front to give him time in the pocket and take the pressure off with a strong running game Andrus Peat seems like an ideal marriage of value and need in mid-1st rd Peat could spend 2 years as bookend at RT, then shift over to left side in 2017 when Duane becomes a cap cut Meantime, Newton should be able to bump inside and become a solid LG, and you let Xman and BJones battle all offeason for C Since they just paid Newton decent T $, very doubtful they view G as option for him at all, and hard to justify using top 15 pick on bench player for team looking to turn the corner NOW …. So moving on … I have now become obsessed with the idea of moving around to net 2 picks in the #25-40 range With those 2 picks my goal would be to walk away with a big, athletic Dre-replacement at WR and a fast, athletic Cush-replacement at MLB Ideally I’d want Jaelen Strong & Paul Dawson, but I’d settle for Shaq Thompson & Sammie Coates They are in a great spot for a trade-down from #16 to somewhere around #30-40, and I’d look for somebody’s 2015 #2 (top 40) + 2015 #3 (top 70) + 2016 #3/4 (top 100) as compensation Then I’d take Texans’ 2015 #2 + one other top 100 pick to try and move up about 10 spots for a second 2015 pick in #25-35 range In the end, this would be my perfect 2015 draft class for BoB: #26 (1) – WR Jaelen Strong (trade w BALT) - A future big, physical WR to start opposite Nuke in a year and eventually replace Andre as new #1 #42 (2) – LB Paul Dawson (trade w STL) - A new starting ILB with speed to help in coverage and, eventually, replace Cushing as the 'nasty' physical presence in the middle of the D #80 (3) – RB Mike Davis - An instant upgrade over Blue as Arian's backup with potential to replace him in a year or 2 as starting RB #112 (4) – CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu - A potential steal with injury concerns who can redshirt for a year before competing to replace JJo as starting RCB next year #144 (5) – WR Stefon Diggs - A speed demon at WR who can immediately push D Johnson as the slot WR and also become a major weapon as return man #176 (6) – CB Quandre Diggs - A physical CB who can cover the slot right away in nickel lineups and another player to compete for RCB next year #208 (7) – TE EJ Bibbs - An athletic receiver type at TE who brings a different skill set that complements the 2 TEs already on the roster Then go sign another 2-3 FA leftovers for depth: OLB Anthony Spencer – with Hardy in the fold, unlikely he returns to Dallas, and provides insurance for Clowney G Davin Joseph – tons of talent, still young, and a vet to compete at LG and provide good depth inside S D Manning – cheap, familiar option resumes role as backup S and emergency KR If so, the lineup below would be a legit playoff contender, assuming at minimum they can just get a repeat of 2014-level play from Mallet at QB: *(new players) OFFENSE QB – R Mallett / B Hoyer RB – A Foster / M Davis / A Blue WRx – D Hopkins WRz – C Shorts / J Strong WRs – D Johnson / S Diggs TE – CJ Fz / G Graham / E Bibbs LT – D Brown LG – X Sua-Filo / D Joseph C – B Jones / J Ferentz RG – B Brooks RT – D Newton / D Quessenberry DEFENSE LE – JJ Watt NT – V Wilfork / L Nix RE – J Crick / J Pagan LOLB – J Clowney / A Spencer LILB – B Cushing / M Bullough RILB – P Dawson / J Tarpinian ROLB – W Mercilus / J Simon LCB – K Jackson / D Morris RCB – J Joseph / I Ekpre-Olomu NCB - A Bouye / Q Diggs FS – R Moore / D Manning SS – D Swearinger / E Pleasant
I've seen Dorsett's name bounced around, and I love the kid, but Jamison Crowder IMO is better value. I saw a majority of both their games, and they are extremely similar. Excellent speed, good hands (Dorsett slightly better), decent routes (again, Dorsett slightly better) - I'd rather get BPA in the 2nd, and grab Crowder in the 3rd or 4th.
Are these cap cut assumptions the normal mentality? It's weird to me that good/great players we currently have seem to be wanted off the team because they make the most. Isn't that the point? To pay your great players? Especially ones that we don't have a clear successor for
That's how it works in the NFL with the current cap structure. Players who are no longer worth their cap figure and on the decline typically get cut or restructured. People expected that to happen with AJ and Chris Myers this year. It happened with Wilfork. It doesn't mean that can't play anymore, they are just not worth their current cap figure.
All these best off-season talk will change if Kareem gets injured, Newton regresses, Moore gets suspended, and Wilfork gets arrested.
I guess Seattle won't contend for a Superbowl either if Wilson regresses, Marshwan gets suspended, the entire legion of boom gets arrested, and Pete Carroll gets suspended by the NFL for his stupid superbowl call.
A better analogy is if Jimmy Graham never plays a down for the seahawks, they didn't win the off-season.
I honestly don't care about the analogy, I'm just saying that you can really make any situation un-optimistic if you try to. I understand being pessimistic from a fan standpoint, It braces you for the worst, but there is really no point just dwelling on the negatives of every transaction made. Just try to be positive as much as you can, even though the QB position makes god awfully hard sometimes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Utes?src=hash">#Utes</a> defensive back Eric Rowe workouts for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash">#Texans</a> <a href="http://t.co/8oiKnJOLWO">http://t.co/8oiKnJOLWO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLDraft?src=hash">#NFLDraft</a></p>— PDS (@PatDStat) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatDStat/status/578605841542029312">March 19, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The point is not dwelling on the negative, the point is you can't grade an offseason until the players acquired actually contribute. Aside from Wilfork, the players acquired aren't sure-fire pro-bowlers. No one would be too surprised if they don't play as well as expected. The 2011 off-season worked out because of the performance of the newly acquired players.
You technically can, even though I get what your saying. It's just like a Draft Class. You can give your opinion on if you felt that particular pick was good or bad at the time, but you can't really judge the player or draft class until usually two to three years. If you really think about it, grading an offseason initially is more like just your first impressions of it.
That's not entirely true. You can certainly grade an offseason based upon expected production, and then obviously you can look back and grade the offseason based upon actual performance. Assessing past performance SHOULD give you a pretty damn good idea what to expect, these are for the most part seasoned vets, not rookies. Grading drafts at the time of the draft, I agree, is pointless.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Alfred State RB Rasheed Williams ran for a 4.46 40 in a private for the Houston Texans today.</p>— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) <a href="https://twitter.com/davebirkett/status/578627132244377600">March 19, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The second time the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash">#Texans</a> have talked to Utah OLB Nate Orchard. Senior Bowl was th first time.</p>— PDS (@PatDStat) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatDStat/status/578645688906424320">March 19, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Posted in the OffSeason thread; should have posted it here first: Texans prospect list: PLAYER POSITION SCHOOL NOTES Jamison Crowder WR Duke Private Workout Terrell Watson RB Azusa Pacific Private Workout Tony Lippett WR Michigan State Met at NFL Combine Chris Conley WR Georgia Met with Bill O'Brien at Pro Day Tavaris Barnes DT Clemson Met more than once. Pro Day. Deshazor Everett CB Texas A&M Met at TAMU Pro Day Quandre Diggs CB Texas Had contact at Senior Bowl Taiwan Jones ILB Michgan State Pro Day plus workout Keith Mumphery WR/RB Michgan State Indivdual Workout Malcom Agnew RB SIU Private Workout Benardrick McKinney ILB Mississippi State Workout Ty Montgomery WR Stanford Workout Josh Shaw CB/FS USC Workout in Houston Chad Hamilton OL Coastal Carolina Workout in Houston Cedric Thompson S Minnesota Private Workout in Minnesota Damarious Randall S Arizona State Private workout in Houston. Trey Williams RB Texas A&M Met a Pro Day Keon Williams RB UT-Chattanooga Met a pro Day Faysal Shafaat TE UT-Chattanooga Met a pro Day Marcus Mariota QB Oregon Met at NFL Combine Jameis Winston QB Florida State Met at NFL Combine Ifo Ekpre-Olom CB Oregon State Informal at NFL Combine Jeremiah Poutasi OL Utah Met at NFL Combine Andrew Donnal OL Iowa Informal at NFL Combine Devin Smith WR Ohio State Met at Senior Bowl Garrett Grayson QB Colorado State Met at Senior Bowl Danny Shelton NT Washington Met at Senior Bowl Takoby Cofeild OL Duke Met at NFL Combine Bryce Petty QB Baylor Met at NFL Combine Jamon Brown OL Louisville Met at NFL Combine Bryan Bennett QB Southeastern La. Met at NFL Combine Brandon Bridge QB South Alabama Met at NFL Combine Phillip Dorsett WR Miami Met at Senior Bowl Eric Rowe DB Utah Had workout with the Texans. Rasheed Williams RB Alfred State Had private workout with the Texans. Nate Orchard OLB Utah Met with at Senior Bowl worked out by Texans. http://hou.scout.com/story/1528951-2015-houston-texans-draft-prospect-list?s=116
I like the Ifo Ekpre-Olomu idea in the 4th round. It's worth burning a 4th round pick with the hopes he recovers. Maybe even a third.
