funny, but still doesnt rule out the fact that football has a cap and the texans are damn close to it, and or right at it.
Still doesn't change the fact that this only proves problematic for teams who want it to be problematic.
teams can alway finagle the cap number, no doubt but again, that still doesnt mean that there isnt a limit and given the texans, there are plenty of other places to spend that money and/or draft picks that a 31 year old WR who had one great year in the nfl and doesnt fit the system well.
Let me start with saying I'm not mad they passed on Lloyd. That said, he was cheap, both in contract and compensation. I also don't see how you could possibly he say he doesn't fit the system well.
Here's how you understand it. You have to start with this premise when the Texans make moves or fail to make moves. The Texans are an NFL franchise. NFL franchises are run by smart people. They made the right decision. When you start with that premise you can work your way back to justifying it.
i'm just basing this off of the idea that the texans have typically gone after bigger WRs. They like physical WR who can block and crack on the LBs. Sure you can point to Anderson but as a 4th wide out but i'm talking more about every down back. Lloyd was pretty cheap but the fact that people are complaining they didnt get this guy and that they are not considering all the circumstances is just silly.
I know everyone thinks we need a #2; but this offense works in a very specific way and I'd wager *they* don't think they need one. For instance, Walter is an integral part of the backside run blocking - can Lloyd fill what would be a void if he displaced Walter? He's had no practice at it; doesn't know the system, the assignments, what to read, how to read... Further, there's a reason Walter isn't often targeted - on most plays, by design, he's the 3rd, sometimes 4th option. Johnson and Daniels are almost always 1 and 2. That's not because Walter is no good; it's because that's how the offense is designed. Think back to Denver's heyday - which two receivers were most prominent? Rod Smith and Shannon Sharpe with Ed McCafferty third. During their two Super Bowl years, Smith caught 156 passes; Sharpe 136; McCafferty 109. In '97, Terrell Davis had just 3 fewer receptions than McCafferty. It's designed around a WR and a TE with a pass-catching RB. Also, uhm, have those who swear we need a deep threat paid any attention to Matt Schaub's deep ball? He doesn't throw it well consistently as is, less so when he's rushed and pressured, which he's seeing more of this year. So Lloyd's best attribute - the deep ball - would not necessarily be something this team could take advantage of. lastly - do you listen to 790? They have Lance's dad on each week, and I'd highly recommend the segment. This morning, and I caught the tail end of it, but I believe he was answering a question about ripping up your playbook and doing something "new" each week to specifically counter your opponent - he talked about how impossible that was during a season; that you're pretty much stuck with what you do because you've built the personnel around it; practiced it, etc. IOW, integrating Brandon Lloyd in week 7 might not necessarily be a snap-of-the-fingers. I think that's why trades are fewer and farther between in the NFL. These systems are so intricate, you can't just throw anyone into it and not skip a beat.
The Eagles already have a boatload of draft picks. They are probably interested in some linebackers or defensive ends.
It started on twitter. It came about because a reporter who was following the Texans in preseason got pretty annoyed that McClain was reporting things/tweeting things that just didn't make sense to someone was actually watching the practices. It became a running joke that McClain's attention must be on other things while he's allegedly at these practices. One of the comments was that he's too busy hitting on girls and another was that he is too busy eating the pancakes. Then some people on twitter started calling him pancakes.
Looks like it's been a relatively quiet trade deadline other than the Palmer and Floyd trades. I don't think any deals get done, especially with the Texans.
Interesting cherry picked stats. Here's some more cherry-picked stats: Total Receiving Yards in the 14-2 Superbowl Year: Smith: 1222 McCaffery: 1053 Sharpe: 768 Davis: 217 So their non-important #2 WR got more receiving yards than the all-important TE and RB that the offense was designed for. And he also played in 1 fewer game and led the team in receiving TDs (along with Sharpe) and in ypc.
They're not cherry-picked; they were designed to quickly give an overview of hierarchy, targets, etc.; to provide an insight into the design of this offense. Note that in the one year all 3 were healthy here: AJ: 115; OD: 70; KW: 60. (And Slaton, FYI: 50). Even through the only 6 games in which they were all healthy in '09: AJ and OD: 30; KW: 22. (Note: I'm not counting '10 because OD wasn't healthy.) Are not the same thing as catches. What a player does after he makes a reception is not relevant to the point I'm making. Ed McCafferty was a much better WR than Kevin Walter. At the same time, they were very similiar - both big, sure-handed possession receivers. Please, please, please - I *BEG* you to point out where I termed *anyone* "non-important." That is such a dead end. I think Kevin Walter is wildly important; so much so I don't think they need to try and upgrade his spot - remember my position here? Yeah... So, again: point out where I termed him, or McCafferty or even Jacoby Jones, for that matter, "non-important." Everyone in this offense is important because they play very specific roles. So while the masses *think* Brandon Lloyd would be an upgrade (and, generally speaking, he probably is) - you have to view him in the context of this offense. And considering Walter has been there for five years with no urgency to remove him, my guess is that the coaches think he's a pretty good fit for this offense.
Umm... The Texans had to restructure some contracts in the offseason just to fit Joseph and Manning to their roster. This isn't the NBA, where you can just pull Mark Cubans all the time and just add salary. There is a point where you really do have to stop. This is why role players that can be had for a few hundred K, ala mid-round picks, are so important. Because you can keep them for little money while throwing big bucks at guys like Andre. Remember when Andre wanted money and McNair gave it to him? Well, you can't have as much of that when you're trading away picks for 1-year rentals.
