You make a very sound point. MW is definitely growing on me and I think adding him will be our quickest way to winning now and putting butts on seats. We missed Peppers - I hope MW will make up for it. I'll take great D every day of the week - great suple teams have been built on it minus abbearations like The Rams.
You gotta think they are going offense with the first pick. Whether its a RB, O-lineman, TE, or (extremely unlikely but I will say it to keep the Longhorn alumni happy) QB....Kubiak is an offensive-minded coach and he wants to show his stuff.
With a journeyman DE like this and a 3rd down back in the draft - the Texans are poised to dominate next season. BTW, if Peek was a supposed beast on the end, then why didn't he flourish in the 3-4 set at OLB? I don't see how moving him, a speed player, closer in to the line in a 4-3 set is going to help his game too much.
Because they made him pass/zone cover more than blitz. We saw, when they let him loose, how destructive he was.
Do you even freakin watch games, or do you spend most of your time spitting venom on the I-net? Have you ever played a down of football in your life above the level of pee-wee?
No, steve, my glasses kept falling off and it interfered with the chess club meetings - but I'm waiting for you to regale me of your glory days on the gridiron and the insight that it provides you with. I'm merely echoing the sentiment expressed above - because Big Daddy Casserly got a "sleeper" like Weaver (I should say, his resume is quite impressive - I mean who wouldn't be excited about this ? Mario Williams can only hope he is one day so successful) then a guy like Williams should be ruled out? Well, then, I guess that means that Reggie Bush is unneeded since they have Davis at his spot, right? It's easy to be a critic, you're right - but the team being criticized deserves it. Why? Because it sucks, due to its own mismanagement. Not a hard thing to comprehend - maybe for you, but not for me.
It took Casserly 4 yrs to totally lose my trust.... It will probably take alot more than these signings for me to feel good about the personnel we will have next season.
I sure hope the Texans haven't ruled out trading down because they signed Weaver. I don't know much about the guy but he doesn't seem all that impressive to me. Since Peek has been released, our need for a pass rushing DE is even greater IMO. I don't think Babin is the answer.
I am not a Casserly fan however, I will give the guys he signed a chance before I start dropping labels on them. A player doesn't have to be a stud to contribute to a winning team. If Weaver eats up blockers and allows the LBs behind him to make plays then he has done a terrific job. His stats may not be eye popping but that doesn't mean he hasn't been a key cog in the machine. Wiliams is a stud but given that Kubiak is an offensive guy, I think he will add some fire power to an offense that sorely needs it. If you've watched alot of the Texan games you would already know why Peek hasn't had more success as a rusher. Somebody already mentioned that he was forced to dropped into to coverage far more often then he should have been. That is why our former coaching staff isn't here - they did not properly utilize their talent. I asked about your background because often guys that have never played make sweeping statements because they don't understand the game as well as those that have at least some playing experience. Not trying to take a shot at you, I was just curious.
Definitely neither of the above. Weaver is an above average DE, a player that can definitely be a positive addition to what we already have in place. You can't purely go off of numbers, as a lineman in a 3-4 defense doesn't rack up those stats that everyone is so enchanted with. Take a look at Pittsburgh's DE...Aaron Smith and Kimo von Oelhoffen, they combined for 5.5 sacks. You cant look at numbers of a DE in a 3-4 system. Weaver is much more equipped to play DE in a 4-3 system...even though he was a solid 3-4 defender. He was one of the top DL in free agency this year, playing a position that we are desperate for. Now, is he going to come in here and turn the defense around? No...but, he will definitely shore up that part of the line and make it "good enough". The only thing I didn't like about the signing was the bonus money...a few million less, and I would have been more content. In any case, thats one of the few Casserly moves that I am happy with. Playing the 4-3 should open things up a little bit more for him, although, he will be playing the strong side, so he will be double teamed many times. Its important that the player opposite him (Babin, Peek, rookie, etc...) come up big.
I agree, but CC's history of giving out big contracts to "no-name" players already makes you skeptical. Like I said, I don't know much about Weaver but a 5-year deal + 12M bonus for a DE who has only had 14 sacks his entire career doesn't seem like the best move, especially when considering how badly we need a good pass rushing DE. Unfortunately, we don't have LBs behind him to make those plays. We've used quite a bit of our $$ so far and we still need a MLB, WR, Offensive Lineman, and possibly a safety. I think there is still a good possibility that we trade down, I also think this is the best way to go.
Read my previous post...dont judge a DE in a 3-4 system based on # of sacks. Thats like looking at Steve Francis's numbers as a Knick and saying he is an average NBA player.
Is Steve not an average NBA player now? Anyway, Charlie C. really worries me - I really do not know what Bob sees in him. Dadakota could be a better GM than CC (I'll put $100 on that one).
I agree, but like I posted, just looking at CC's track record of FA signings and large contracts, it's hard not to be skeptical.
I hear what you are saying about Weaver's $$$, but that is the inherent problem with FA - typically you have to overpay to get the guys you want. I think our LB corp will be average - provided that Wong comes back - and he should. I believe he had an avulsion fracture and this is much easier to recover from then say an ACL. Greenwood should be ALOT better at WLB. Putting him inside at his size was moronic. Remember, we won't be able to get everything we need in this off season, unless we trade down and get REALLY lucky. I also think Babin will make an average to above average DE. He is pretty explosive, and guys that are explosive can add size really easily. Remember he played SLB in our 3-4 and that means he got chipped alot by the TE. His play dropped last year due mostly to injury, and his problems on the field were more coverag4e related than pass rushing related.
Another thing to consider about the recent signings is that you know that Casserly isn't the only one doing the evaluations on these guys. I'm willing to give Reeves/Kubiak the benefit of the doubt for at least one off-season.
