http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1348736.html Former Packer, Texas agree to three-year deal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Len Pasquarelli ESPN.com The expansion Houston Texans don't have a starting quarterback yet. When they get one, he'll at least have a wide receiver to hit. The Texans have reached a contract agreement with unrestricted free agent Corey Bradford, ESPN.com has learned. Bradford, who played the first four seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers, will sign a three-year, $5.25 million contract with a $1.8 million signing bonus. The base salaries are $525,000 (2002), $1.25 million (2003) and $1.675 million (2004). Bradford, 26, was also pursued by the Packers and the Detroit Lions. He visited with Houston officials last week and decided he wanted to be a part of the new franchise in its debut season. The Lions still wanted him even after signing Az-Zahir Hakim last week, whereas in Green Bay he would have competed for a starting job opposite Terry Glenn. With the Texans, he is already penciled in as a starter, and the team didn't select a wideout in last month's expansion draft. "Going into free agency our objectives were to sign an outside linebacker, center, and wide receiver," Texans general manager Charley Casserly told The Associated Press. "Not only did we fill these needs in the first week of free agency, but we filled them with our first choices at each of these positions." Last week, the Texans signed former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Kailee Wong and former Indianapolis Colts guard Steve McKinney, who has said he's open to a switch to center. Bradford, a former Jackson State star, selected by the Packers in the fifth round of the 1998 draft, has great potential but his career has been hampered by injuries. In 2001, he was limited to only two appearances, first by a fractured left fibula sustained in preseason, then by a strained quadriceps that landed him on the injured reserve list. Blessed with superior straightline speed and prototype size (6 feet 1, 197 pounds), Bradford is an explosive performer when healthy, and has averaged 16.8 yards per reception in his career. He is capable of the acrobatic catch, as he demonstrated in a first-round playoff victory over the 49ers last year, but needs catch the ball with more consistency. He has played in 42 games and logged 10 starts, and has 71 receptions for 1,190 yards and seven touchdowns. His best season was in 1999 when posted 37 catches for 637 yards and five scores.
Foiled again!!! I was about to post this. Great pick up...hopefully we can become more consistent in Houston.
I hate this. The more the Texans keep getting their hands on better than average players the higher my hopes are for a good season. How many of you already have higher expectations for them than you did before the expansion draft? os
I do, but Ric keeps trying to dampen my enthusiasm. Let's see. On defense, we have 2 of 3 starting linemen, 2 of 4 starting linebackers, 2 starting cornerbacks, & 1 of 2 starting safeties. That's 7 out of 11 starters so far. Cool. On Offense, we have 5 starting linemen, 1 & possibly 2 starting receivers, if they plan on using Lewis as a starter. We just need a starting QB, RB, FB, TE, & possibly another starting Receiver. Then we can add depth in the draft. Every time we sign another quality free agent, it can only help us recruit more players. I loved the comment that Wong made during the press conference to announce his signing. If you didn't hear it, he stated that he knew of quite a few other players that wanted to find a way to come to Houston, because the Texans had marketed themselves very well. McNair sure beats the h*ll out of Buttlick Adams, as owners go.
I saw Wong mention that, too. Sounds like he might be a better recruiter for the Texans than Mack Brown is for UT! os
i take it most people have disowned the titans for the texans? I can't lie, i will love the texans, but the titans, who obviously WERE the oilers, are still my team when the two play. It's the same team i grew up on, and it's not the players' fault that they left h-town. I don't see myself budging on that at all until AT THE LEAST eddie george, kearse, and mcnair leave.... But that's just me. anyone else still hold allegiance to the titans, even over the texans? I wouldn't be surprised if no one does, but i can't exactly blame you, either.
I grew up watching the Oilers from the early 60s on. I even worked for them one summer at training camp. I railed about the Mike Renfro non-catch. I died with the collapse in the Buffalo Bills playoff game. I don't live in Houston (not in Texas even), so the OIler move to Tennessee wasn't quite the shock to me that it was to some of you. HOWEVER, I feel this real sense of excitement about HOUSTON pro football. My sense is that the Texans will become my favorite team. I was starting to feel that way even before the terrific expansion draft. Kind of surprising really.
os My expectations have gone from hoping to win 2 games to knowing we can win at least 5. I am trying to be conservative and realize no matter how well we look on paper we still have to go out and play. I am very excited about this team and if the front office continues to upgrade at each posistion and get some depth this team can be dangerous in a few years. I cannot wait for football season
OS I agree. I was so prepared for them to be god awful, but the more they do the more I can't help but raise expectations. My pessimistic side says I'm setting myself up to crash but what the hell. It can't get any worse than Buffalo. When our Oilers sucked in the 80s (reeeeeeeallly sucked) it wasn't worse than Buffalo. Buffalo uffalo uffalo .......aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhh. Go Texans!
jungle --- my first principle in life is to never root against a team that has Houston in their name!! second...you say it's not the players' fault....i agree...the problem is, the players there today didn't really play in Houston...they've all made their names in Nashville....I feel no connection with these guys at all....gone are the Dishmans, the Matthews, the Munchaks, the Moons, the Childress', etc. The team I grew up on is all gone now...retired. third...this team isn't even called the Oilers anymore...new uniforms...new name...new logo....new town...new fans...none of it has anything to do with the houston oilers...the only thing that's the same is the owner, whom I never liked anyway which leads me to my fourth point...I can't wait to watch Bud get punked by the Texans....it will eventually happen, and it will be a sweet, sweet day!!! franchises mean nothing to me...my hometown means everything. If it's the Houston Texans, then that's my team. Plus, this team makes it very hard to root against it...they're first class all the way. Quite the difference from the old Oilers...
Now that's comedy! Seriously, though, I worry about Bradford's pass-dropping prowess. DrewP mentioned that Bradford's inability to catch the ball might be related to Favre's penchant for zipping the ball to the receivers... hard. However, according to the combine reports, Carr is also a flame thrower. So you see, I worry...
For me it's like this 1. Bears 1.01 - Texans 3 - Cowboys 4. Titans The Texans look really good. I will root hard for them. The Draft looks really good too (Carr).
Ill be a Texans fan, but I will never root against the 'boys. I will live an die a cowboy fan... Not even Jerry Jones himself will stop me.
