It may be. 2006 draft has 3 Pro-Bowlers in Mario, DeMeco, and OD. Eric Winston is a good starter. Mike Brisiel has started a lot of games. David Anderson is decent. Charles Spencer looked like a future Pro-Bowler before he got injured. For the 2009 draft, I forgot James Casey. He is a beast on special teams and I think he is still going to find a way to help on offense sometime in the future. I think Barwin will come back strong and help this as a pass rusher. The bottom line is Texans have done a very good job at drafting since the Kubiak/Smith era. Just look how bad some other teams have drafted in the same period.
Rick Smith is one of the most savvy GMs in the league IMO. Our player acquisition has been nails since he got here. OD may be done as a Texan, but you can't really count injury against the Texans choices, that's just bad luck. I think Casey will be special, Foster looks like he's headed for several all-pro teams, and Cushing may be the 2nd Texan in the HOF at this rate. Either way, damn it feels good to be a Texan.
Rick wasn't here for the 2006 draft but he has done a good job drafting players. Even his "busts" are not that bad. Okoye hasn't lived up to his status but he is still a starter. Molden has been injured a lot but he led the Texans in special teams tackles one year. Texans have hadn't much success in free agency with guys like Anthony Weaver, Jacque Reeves, Dan Orlovsky, Andre Davis, and Ahman Green but that is true for every team for the most part.
You're right, that was Casserly's last gas in '06. However, I have been a big fan of how Smith has handled business around here since. Namely clearing out the old trash from the Capers era, sending Dumbta packing, and ponying up the bucks to 'Dre and Demeco.
What's crazy is as good as Cushing may have been last year, right now it looks like Matthews Jr. might have been an even better pick.
Not really. He was kept on to help with organization and stuff, but anyone who's actually connected has always said that Kubiak ran that draft. Casserly gets credit for Mario on some of the stupid radio shows where the hosts are very well connected, but I think all the media people with real connections with the Texans would say that Kubiak has run this team since he got here and Casserly was just an adviser in 06.
I think it's a little unfair to say that given the circumstances. Let Cushing get back on the field before we knock him down a peg.
Funny, I've heard just the opposite. (But I wouldn't doubt that your explanation is correct, despite that)
Disagree. Totally different types of players. Matthews plays in a 3-4 system which caters to his skill set as rush linebacker. Cushing is in a system which fits his skill set better which is 4-3. Both are very good players but Texans picked the right guy. I think Cushing is the better overall player and fit for this system.
