He's stated on several talk shows that the Texans get first claims on all players cut by other teams. However, I've read where Ellis Johnson & now, Greg Biekert have agreed to contract terms with other teams. Am I missing something, or did the Texans just decide that they didn't want either one of them? Are the players we have in place now, that much better than these 2 players? Does anyone know how this works? Sincerely, Confused http://sports.excite.com/news/09022002/v4639.html Vikings agree to terms with Biekert Sep 2, 1:53 PM (ET) EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) - The Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms Monday with veteran linebacker Greg Biekert, who was cut by Oakland Sunday. Biekert, released after not agreeing to take a large pay cut, provides a veteran presence at a position where the Vikings lack experience. Minnesota cut 8-year veteran Lemanski Hall on Sunday. Biekert is expected to start at middle linebacker. The Raiders had asked the 10-year pro to take a cut of $1.5 million from the $2.5 million he was scheduled to make this season. Biekert was a seventh-round draft pick by the Raiders in 1993 out of Colorado and led Oakland with 108 tackles last season, starting in all 16 games.
Yeah, I wouldn't want Biekert. Ellis Johnson, however, is another story. Casserly missed the boat on this one. Imagine a defensive line with Greg Walker and Ellis Johnson. Oh well, we will be an awful team but it will still be fun to watch (for 1 year anyway)
He should have signed Darrick Vaughn and have him on kickoff returns with J. Lewis and then he should have signed Terry Fair move Marcus Coleman to Free Safety and start Eric Brown at Strong Safety.
i'm doing everything i can, but for some reason, i can't picture greg walker on the texans' defensive line.... as for johnson, one of the worst defensive units in football last year released him, so let's not get carried away here; warren saap, he's not. the real surprise, imo, is that they let desmond clark slip by. highly productive and young TE; i bet carr wasn't too happy about that.
Gary, Greg, you know who I meant (or maybe you didn't) Who else on our roster is a better defensive lineman than Ellis Johnson? There are good players on bad teams.
Watching the last Texans game I was astonished to learn that Gary had originally broken in with the Houston Oilers. I did not know that, instantly he shoots to the top of my favorite Texans list along with David Carr and Jabar Gaffney Edited to read OK I did not know it was that Gary Walker, back then he was behind Ray Childress and a young sparkplug.
well, gary walker, for one, is much better. and johnson probably isn't appreciably better than seth payne, who's a year and a half younger. johnson posted decent numbers in 1998, with an emphasis on decent, but has seen those numbers decline every single year since; in 2001, he was contributing 2 tackles a game and a sack every 8th game -- quick, somebody call canton. that is reason enough to stay away, imo, but that the 31st ranked defense in all of football last year released him is the giant red flag. hell, fangio was his coach, he has experience in this scheme... and they still passed. missed the boat? maybe, but it sure seems like the boat has a giant hole in it and is taking on a lot of water.
I will predict the Texans (really going out on a limb with this one) will be the worst defensive team in the entire league this season. No safeties, no depth on the defensive line, the linebackers will be worn out by midseason. I know, I know, Rome wasn't built in a day, but we aren't building Rome are we. Half the Texans coaching staff is from this area (Dunmore) so I know a little about them.
i don't know... the safeties concern me, yes, as do the corners, but i think there's depth along the defensive line. walker, payne, flowers, hill and deloach can all play -- 5 man rotation for a 3-4 scheme is certainly doable. and i'll take your bet; the 2000 ravens they won't be, but it may not even be the worst defense in the division. capers is just as capable a defensive coach as tony dungy and has certainly equal defensive talent. meanwhile, the jags have a wretched LB corp and a suspect, at best, secondary. the jury's still out on fangio, sure, but come on... if a guy makes plays... why would a defense hurting for playmakers let him get away? because they had an abundance of playmakers on the pratice squad?
Yeah, I forgot about the Jags. They will be pretty bad too. If Capers has a major hand in the defense, I will agree with you, they may not be the worst. However, if he allows Vic to run the show, the Texans will finish last in defense. That has been Jim Mora's downfall in New Orleans as well as Indy. He allowed Fangio to have complete control of the defense.
well, at carolina, under capers, fangio had a pretty damn good defense. fangio was never the saints' defensive coordinator.
Don't see it answered anywhere else in the thread so here is the answer... Any player released that has over 4 years experience automatically becomes a Free Agent. If they have less than 4 years then the Texans have the first chance to claim them. CK
But he was their linebackers coach: THE FANGIO FILE Coaching experience: Dunmore (Pa.) High School, 1979-81; Milford Academy 1982; North Carolina, 1983; Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars, 1984-85; New Orleans Saints, 1986-94 (linebackers coach); Carolina Panthers, 1995-98; Indianapolis Colts, 1999-2001. ·Did you know? 13 of Fangio's 17 years of professional coaching experience have been spent with Jim Mora.
oh-kaaaaaayyy.... uhm, he still didn't have complete control of the defense in new orleans, as you claimed -- so how was he responsible for mora's fall there? his first DC job was with the colts, if i'm not mistaken; first professional DC job, at least.
