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Chron: Ex-UT linebacker a Chief concern for Texans

Discussion in 'Houston Texans' started by JamesC, Nov 18, 2005.

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  1. JamesC

    JamesC Member

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    Rookie a Chief concern
    Texas product poised to make Texans wonder if they passed over the better Johnson
    By JOHN MCCLAIN
    Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle




    Kansas City rookie outside linebacker Derrick Johnson is going to be so pumped up Sunday night at Reliant Stadium that the roof may need to be closed to keep him from floating away.

    Johnson, who grew up in Waco and starred at the University of Texas, wanted to play for the Texans. He thought there was a good chance they would select him.

    "Yeah, I did (because) they had the 13th pick and knowing they were going to pick up a defensive player and I would most likely go in that 10-to-15 range, the Texans were in the hunt," Johnson said. "I don't hold any grudges against the teams that passed me up."

    Before the draft, Johnson moved to Houston, where his father and many members of his extended family reside. His agents, Vann McElroy and Jeff Nalley of Select Sports Group, are based in Houston. To prepare for the draft, Johnson worked out at Danny Arnold's complex in Stafford.

    "It would have worked out either way, but I'm happy where I am," said Johnson, who turns 23 on Tuesday.

    Johnson had an incredible workout for NFL scouts. At 6-3, 242, he ran the 40 in the 4.4s and excelled at the agility drills.

    "We liked him because he's a rare athlete for a guy his size," Texans coach Dom Capers said. "He's big and athletic, and he can run. But we had an opportunity to trade down and get an extra third-round pick."


    Trading down
    Rather than draft Johnson with the 13th pick, general manager Charley Casserly traded it to New Orleans for the 16th selection and a 2006 third-round choice.

    The Chiefs selected Johnson with the 15th pick. The Texans took defensive end Travis Johnson one spot later.

    "They picked who they wanted to pick, and the Chiefs picked who they wanted to pick," the linebacker said. "Hopefully, things will turn out well for their first-rounder, things will turn out pretty well for me and I can go down there and show them what they're missing."

    Johnson should send the 1-8 Texans a thank-you card for not drafting him. The Chiefs are 5-4 and trying to earn a playoff spot.

    Would the Texans' record be better if Johnson played linebacker for them? In a 3-4, the linebackers have to stop the run for the scheme to be effective. The Texans have allowed six 100-yard rushers.

    "He's an outstanding player, a player who'll be a perennial All-Pro outside linebacker," Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said. "He's big, fast and instinctive. I think he's a candidate for defensive rookie of the year."

    Johnson's performance in the NFL doesn't surprise Longhorns coach Mack Brown.

    "He made spectacular plays," Brown said. "What he would do is change games by the type of plays he made. He's got so many signature plays. He made 'wow' plays."

    Johnson was wowing coaches and teammates since he first arrived in Austin.

    "He's the athlete of all athletes," Longhorns defensive tackle Rod Wright said. "You can start him anywhere and he'll get the job done."

    After the Chiefs drafted Johnson, there were comparisons to one of the greatest defensive players in franchise history — the late Derrick Thomas.


    "He's a little different (because) he's more of a true linebacker than Derrick Thomas was," Vermeil said. "Derrick (Thomas) was a great pass rusher, maybe one of the finest to come up in the past 20 years or so. (Johnson) can rush the passer, but he's a linebacker."

    In passing situations, Johnson often drops into coverage rather than rush the quarterback. He has one sack and eight quarterback pressures, and he's second on the team with 73 tackles.


    'Positive pressure'

    "I think of it as positive pressure to be compared to Derrick Thomas," Johnson said. "But that's not something I'm thinking about on Sundays. I'm just taking it in stride knowing that I've got a lot of people supporting me."

    Before the draft, Johnson had a lot of critics as well as supporters. Some said he wasn't physical enough, that he wouldn't take on blockers and that he was more of a finesse player.

    "Yeah, I heard that negative talk," he said. "My coaches (at Texas) told (the scouts) that I made plays without really having to take on blocks. The Chiefs have plenty of film of me taking on blocks.

    "I'm very coachable. I can take on blocks any time. That's not a problem. But sometimes in college I'd use my speed and athleticism to make the play instead of running through somebody."

    When the Texans have the ball, Johnson might be taking on blocks and terrorizing quarterback David Carr and the running backs.

    When the Chiefs have the ball, the Texans might wish they had him to help prevent Larry Johnson from becoming the seventh back to roll up 100 yards against them.
    link



    Personally I hope DJ has a hell of a game against the Texans. I pissed when they let Sharper and Foreman go, then passed on him. That's when it all started to go downhill in my opinion.
     
    #1 JamesC, Nov 18, 2005
  2. pgabriel

    pgabriel Educated Negro

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    He didn't fit the system.
     
    #2 pgabriel, Nov 18, 2005
  3. gucci888

    gucci888 Member

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    ^ What? Why do you say that? DJ is a defensive beast, I've watched him for 4 years at UT and he can literally play almost any position on defense. He's fundamentally all there and as the article said, he ran a 4.4 40 as a LB. I was really disappointed when we passed on him. He could have anchored our D for years to come.

    Our linebacking core is pretty bad, especially when you consider the lack of a true pass rusher we have.
     
    #3 gucci888, Nov 18, 2005
  4. Svpernaut

    Svpernaut Member

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    What system? The system that is going to be completely overhauled at the end of this season? I was pissed when they passed up DJ, and am still pissed. Luckily it was probably the move that cemented the coaching staff's and GM's demise, so I can't be too mad about it.
     
    #4 Svpernaut, Nov 18, 2005
  5. pgabriel

    pgabriel Educated Negro

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    sarcasm. should have added a :rolleyes:
     
    #5 pgabriel, Nov 18, 2005
  6. gunn

    gunn Member

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    In the meantime our first round pick gets spot duty.

    Excellent move by the Texans. Drafting based on need versus adding playmakers. Sounds like what's being discussed in other threads.
     
    #6 gunn, Nov 18, 2005
  7. gucci888

    gucci888 Member

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    delete
     
    #7 gucci888, Nov 18, 2005
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2005
  8. gucci888

    gucci888 Member

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    "We liked him because he's a rare athlete for a guy his size," Texans coach Dom Capers said. "He's big and athletic, and he can run. But we had an opportunity to trade down and get an extra third-round pick."

    You're right, Capers should go with the rare athlete for a guy his size. Players like DJ and D. Ferguson (I'm sure that's who you're talking about) don't come around very often, if they fit the hole, we should get them.

    But let's not try to derail the thread. :)
     
    #8 gucci888, Nov 18, 2005
  9. gunn

    gunn Member

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    You're asking to derail this thread.
     
    #9 gunn, Nov 18, 2005
  10. ima_drummer2k

    ima_drummer2k Member

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    What are you guys complaining about? We didn't need a linebacker, we have Babin...

    I hate all that "well he's not a 3-4 linebacker" nonsense. Great players can play in any system. It will be pretty ironic if (when) Capers is axed this offseason and he takes the 3-4 with him. It will be like when the Oilers scrapped the run-n-shoot and had no tight ends on the roster.

    This team/organization is a mess.
     
    #10 ima_drummer2k, Nov 18, 2005
  11. u851662

    u851662 Member

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    I agree, playmakers are playmakers. No and's, if's or but's about it.... We should have drafted him...
     
    #11 u851662, Nov 18, 2005
  12. gucci888

    gucci888 Member

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    :confused:
     
    #12 gucci888, Nov 18, 2005
  13. Rockets34Legend

    Rockets34Legend Member

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    Damn I hate Capers and Casserly. Why do we always end up w/ the crap picks? This team just f'n pisses me off... :mad:
     
    #13 Rockets34Legend, Nov 18, 2005
  14. Summer Song Giver

    Summer Song Giver Member

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    I'm not pissed we didn't draft DJ

    /adds another needle to the Casserly voodoo doll
     
    #14 Summer Song Giver, Nov 18, 2005
  15. NJRocket

    NJRocket Member

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    A Chief concern? I think their Chief concern is that they are 1-9 or whatever. If they had this guy, they would still be 1-9 and looking for answers.
     
    #15 NJRocket, Nov 18, 2005
  16. MadMax

    MadMax Member

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    i knew you were being sarcastic the first time i read it. i share your feelings on that...drives me crazy that we're sooooo married to this system that we can't seem to find anyone to fit in to. meanwhile, we let talent pass right on by...because the system is more important. that baffles me.
     
    #16 MadMax, Nov 18, 2005
  17. Hey Now!

    Hey Now! Member
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    what it tells me is that our coaches suck.

    in 2002, while sold on carr, i was extremely intrigued by peppers. he just looked like a beast in college. but he didn't really ever seem to register here, and, supposedly, it was because capers didn't feel he fit his system. but if you have guys as naturally gifted as peppers, freeney, johnson... why can't they be molded? by saying they don't fit your system, aren't you in essence saying, "we lack the capacity to make them fit our system. ergo, we're not very good coaches beyond the limiting capacity of our little system. (which, FYI, is an across the board failure.)"

    now, obviously, if the idea is to turn pass rushers into nose tackles, peppers, et al, aren't right for the system. but if you're looking for guys to get after the QB... (sigh) it's just mind boggling how massively this regime has botched things.
     
    #17 Hey Now!, Nov 18, 2005
  18. MadMax

    MadMax Member

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    ric --

    i heard casserly on sportsradio this morning say that you couldn't draft Freeney to play the 3-4. it sounded TO ME like he was saying it to prove a point...like, "see how my hands are tied here, guys??" that kind of thing. but it frustrates me to see them sooooo devoted to the 3-4.
     
    #18 MadMax, Nov 18, 2005
  19. Master Baiter

    Master Baiter Member

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    You obtain talent and build a system around it. Not the other way around.
     
    #19 Master Baiter, Nov 18, 2005
  20. Hey Now!

    Hey Now! Member
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    casserly's unquestionably in full-blown spin mode and, likely, will win out this offseason. i think he'll stay and use this kind of circular logic with mcnair - hey, i REALLY wanted freeney, but capers said he wouldn't fit the system... also, iirc, freeney came out in '02. the proper answer, if you're casserly, should be: we determined carr was the best player and feel we made the right choice. but since he can't even make that determination, nor does he want to concede that he may have, in fact, made the wrong choice, he deflects blame off himself. he's a snake oil salesman.

    on a tangent, i'm at a loss how they could determine babin was a fit and freeney wasn't. isn't the idea to take a smaller DE in college with speed and convert them?

    (bigger sigh.....)
     
    #20 Hey Now!, Nov 18, 2005
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