The locked down tackles include Newton who is a Free Agent. I would also note that Kubiak (except for XSF) built this line for his scheme. OBie wants his OL to run zone and power blocking. I suspect that OBie wants to add some beef to the line and will draft replacements for C and T. Myers is expensive and "small" and Newton is a FA (who OBie may want to keep if there is money for it).
If these rankings are accurate, OBie might be tempted to draft a QB in the first, Hundley or Mariota. <hr>Braddock's Early Top 20 QB Rankings My NFL prospect rankings take only on-field talent into account. I grade these players off what they did in game action. I leave the fluctuation in draft position based on injuries, character issues etc. to the 32 NFL teams that have to make the selection. 1. Jameis Winston - NFL Body, mobile, but not to a fault. Great pocket mobility to buy time for receivers. Mobility to beat a defense with his feet, but also very accurate on the run and throwing from outside the pocket. Passes with incredible anticipation. Has done so since his first season in college. Velocity shows up mostly on zip passes within 15 yards. Accurate passer, ball placement is outside hashes on "Go" routes. Capable with progressions, but occasionally stares down first read. Long throwing motion, 3/4ths that of Byron Leftwich. Tons of NFL throws, moment not too big for him. Thrives with back against the wall. His anticipation on hitches is a deadly weapon. Struggles with bracketed coverage. Biggest weakness is dropping linebackers. Fear that his throwing motion will not only lead to fumbles and interceptions, but also injuries. Leaves his body exposed while defenders can close for 2+ yards during throwing motion. Confidence in his abilities lead him to attempting throws with poor mechanics, lacking usual zip. Pro style QB that needs a mature locker room and a patient offensive coordinator. He can start day one, but will have struggles early. He's a franchise quarterback. Top 5 pick 2. Brett Hundley - Has a tendency to stare his primary read down at times. Appeared to be coached to conservativeness with the ball in 2014. This led to unnecessary sacks. Needs to progress in the NFL with regards to elapsed time before release. Has to be willing to check down. He's extremely comfortable in the pocket and shows the ability to step up and clear it, instead of stepping out to avoid it. He's an accurate, progression passer with capable arm strength. When the game was on the line he would speed up his decisions. In the games I viewed, he showed a comfort on 3rd downs. In 2012 he threw an interception every 43 pass attempts. In 2013 he threw one every 41 attempts. His last college season saw that number almost double, to 78. His performance in games seemed to look less attractive at first glance due to poor routes and hands by his receivers. Three year college starter. His 2012 film looked like that of a 7th round pick at best. In 2013 he molded into a 2nd/3rd round prospect. In his final season at UCLA, he became a 1st rounder. An NFL starter that can take a team consistently to the playoffs. He performed up to the tasks that his college coaching staff asked of him. He protected the ball and showed the ability to flip a switch mentally and physically when the game situation called for it. Alex Smith comp with a higher upside. Mid 1st Round Grade. 3. Marcus Mariota - Straight line runner in a crease and good speed to the edge. Ability to make defenders miss in a crowded backfield. Ball handling issues on read options on several occasions. Quickly looks to abandon the pocket for the comfort outside the tackles. Inconsistent body mechanics. Lots of back leg, arm throws. Ability to "click" to "scan" thru progressions. Stays in pocket with exceptional protection. Production heavily benefits from zone read and mobility. Struggles with accuracy at times and none more than the 15 yard out. Rare to see NFL throws on his film. He's at his best when throwing "seam" or "Go". No throws with anticipation in 2012-2013, finally started making these throws in 2014. Mobile quarterback that lacks "pocket mobility". Always looks to escape and never to clean the pocket. Benefits from huge windows, confusing the defense, speed of plays. Floats 30+ yard throws instead of sticking them in. Nasty habit of sailing skinny post far too often. Needs to be placed in the right offense. Will have to learn to play with his back to the defense, three, five, and seven step drops. Players with a similar skill set to him in the NFL are Russell Wilson, who is a much better down field passer, more accurate and has a smooth scan thru reads, and Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick has a much stronger arm and an insane work ethic. Mariota could take a defensive minded team with playmakers on offense to the playoffs. If the offensive plan is to get the ball out quick and allow him to use his legs, he'll flourish quickly. He'll also find the routine of throwing jump balls to big receivers on seam and go routes come to him quickly. Colin Kaepernick comp with better progressions and a weaker arm. Late 1st round grade.
If we are going to be The Patriots we need our Gronk. http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.co...pects-te-maxx-williams-film-scouting-analysis
Hmmm, even with this analysis, some people are still going to complain about how there are no "worthy" QBs in the draft, Almost as if they have to be Andrew Luck good in order to take them lol. I guess if we are waiting for a QB heavy draft like Luck's, we might as well never draft another QB again. (Side Note: If it don't apply, let it fly)
I don't fully understand the OT need some are calling for. Newton seemed to improve and if he can take another step like he did from the prior year, then I think he a definite keeper. Maybe you look for a Brown replacement, but even though he had a down year, he's still one of the better in the league and only 29. This teams has plenty other of needs to address rather than trying to replace 2 roles with pretty decent starting quality guys....especially with early round picks. ILB is a must. The lack of depth and speed was a big weakness. They need to get secondary help at safety and CB. Then for offense, another WR in the slot. I'm disappointed posey didn't have a good year and that he got so little rep. After that, BPA is fine by me.
By what metric? Going purely by yards and points, Offense was 17th and 14th. Defense was 16th and 7th. I'd say that one concern with the defense is that they forced a lot of turnovers and that was the key to their success. While that's good, the ability to force turnovers doesn't always stay consistent from year to year. And if they don't force turnovers, they're very average, just like the offense. You can't presume or rely on them forcing as many turnovers next season, so I do think you still need to look at trying to increase the talent on that side of the ball as well.
He has the exact same build and scouting report as C.J, i think we're fine with the tight ends we got. Griffin is a legitimate td threat with Mallett and if Cj works on his hands we would have our Gronk
Yeah I had forgotten that Newton was a FA, as to power blocking, XSF and Brooks are perfect for that and Duane Brown isn't going anywhere, so like you pointed out that would only leave center and RT assuming we don't keep Newton. I don't think there is any way we draft a center prospect before the 3rd round so really it comes down to RT.
Heck... I think BPA in any round. Is there any position or area that we are so strong that we couldn't use an impact player? Perhaps not RB, but if there was a sure impact WR would you say no? A sure impact LB? CB or S? TE? QB? Whoever we draft in rounds one, two, and three need to contribute right away (for a change)... so draft the BPA and raise our talent level.
I'm going to go a different direction and say Melvin Gordon/Todd Gurley. We aren't finding a franchise QB next year so lets just run the ball down everybody's throats. Arian is getting older and theres always a chance he could miss some games. Two years left on his contract...
We should draft this guy if he falls that far. <iframe width='560' height='354' src="//www.maxpreps.com/widgets/video.aspx?id=843c0cf2-aa1b-459f-8553-2fc2b4e3111b" frameborder='0' allowfullscreen ></iframe>
I don't say this often, but i just have this genuine feeling that this guy could be one of the best in the NFL. I for one, think that he'd make a great Robin to our Cushing.
VanderMOCK 1.0 Posted 2 hours ago Marc Vandermeer @TexansVoice Here it is. For entertainment purposes. My very first seven round Texans mock draft of 2015. The picks and thoughts are mine. Sure, I might have glanced at the Harris 100 but that’s too complex for me. These are my picks without any consultation with the Texans staff (for some reason, they never ask my opinion on these matters). First Round – Trae Waynes, CB Michigan State Look, Kareem Jackson is a free agent and I have no idea if he’ll be back so let’s go with a corner. He’s big (6’1’), can run and he’s got NFL-ready dreads. He’ll probably be the first corner off the board. He’ll need to grow into a top level NFL CB but there’s no Patrick Peterson this year, so there. Second Round – Denzel Perryman, ILB Miami Brian Cushing is entering his 7th season (what?) and the Texans got great contributions from Mike Mohamed, Akeem Dentand Justin Tuggle last season. But it’s time to draft a linebacker and Perryman’s name comes up. UCLA’s Eddie Kendricks is gone at this point (and that’s too bad because I love The Temptations. Oh, wait). John Harris in the Harris 100 said Perryman hits like a Mack truck. And I like the sound of that. Third Round – Donovan Smith, OT Penn State Derek Newton is a free agent and Tyson Clabo is a year and a half away from being old enough to run for President. It’s February and without knowing the fate of Newton, I’ll take a right tackle, please. Smith is huge (6-6, 342) and Bill O’Brien already knows his address. Fourth Round – Bryce Petty, QB Baylor You thought I forgot, didn’t you? Ryan Mallett is a free agent and I need to make this pick so John McClain will still talk to me. I just watched one of the greatest Super Bowls ever with a third rounder vs a sixth rounder at QB. So don’t tell me Petty has no shot. Sure, he’s a project but that’s probably how my wife looked at me at one point (still does). Fifth Round – Deontay Greenberry, WR Houston This could be one of those Saturday ‘he’s right down the street, so come on in’ press conferences ala James Casey in 2009. He blew it up with the Coogs (over 70 catches in two different seasons) and makes one-handed catches (that’s very ‘in’ right now). He’ll need to add to that 6-3, 200 pound frame but as J.J. said on NFL Honors, we have “lots and lots of food” here. Sixth Round – Jean Sifrin, TE UMass I know I used to be their voice, so I’m biased. But bear with me. The kid is 6-7 and 250 pounds. Forty two catches might not seem like a lot but he averaged over 15 yards per catch. He made a one handed grab against Colorado that made Sports Center. I also feel it’s not a complete Texans draft without taking a tight end somewhere. Seventh Round – Malcolm Brown, RB Texas Brown has done a nice job in the 40 acres backfield for a school that hasn’t been scaring anybody through the year lately. It’s the 7th round and it’s time to throw caution to the wind. Brown is 222 and can move the pile. He has a chance to learn from the best and grab a few carries while he can. Plus, it’s about time the Texans reloaded a Longhorn onto the roster. Leave your comments below. I bet you’re wondering how I’ve done in years past. No Comment. Actually, I usually get most of the position groups right and within a round or two (or three, or four). And last year I had them taking Savage at some point. http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/VanderMock-10/00c694e9-5104-4d0f-9cad-41c6dffbfac6
Unfortunately, you are lucky to get a stud starter day one from the draft so free agency gives you the best chance to pick up known quality and Texans are not flush with cap space.
doh, pressed submit by accident! To finish, my own personal opinion for results now, would be to get another strong player on the D-line to help Watt force the QB to rush his throws and those seem to more readily translate to the Nfl, but I am clinging to the hope that they can fix Nix. DB's seem to take a season or two to make the change so I dont see a quick fix there. The best hope for Texans imho, is that Mallett is what we saw against Cleveland and that heals our O woes, but then again we have the aging Foster problem so a quality RB would be key to Texans - especially when you consider their game is heavily predicated on the run game. So logically, a high draft pick would seem necessary for one of thise. One could make many arguments for many positions on this side, but QB is the absolute key in my book so I suggest signing Mallett and if he is cheap, sign Nick Foles as well. That way we have maximized our chances to succeed at the most important position.
Agree. We saw last draft the top five were snapped up pronto and I see abigger demand this go round so thetop five or six will once again go licketty split.
