I would love to see the Texans snag UNC DT Marvin Austin in the 2nd round. Big, powerful lineman, quick feet, and very highly touted out of HS. He has some character issues, but has a high ceiling.
Lance Z's first mock draft: 11. Houston - Cameron Jordan, DE, Cal Z-Report Says: I wanted to put Aldon Smith from Missouri or Ryan Kerrigan from Purdue in this spot, but my guess is that the Texans will see the OLB position as a position that they have covered on their roster currently or as a position they can grab a little later in the draft. It is difficult to find 3-4 DEs who can rush the passer effectively and that might end up being what Jordan can bring to the table. Jordan was one of the most dominant pass rushers in Senior Bowl drills and his father, Steve Jordan, played tight end for the Minnesota Vikings and was a 6-time Pro Bowler. Also, LZ thinks we're going to get our CB via FA rather than the draft. I'm sure he'll appreciate the clicks!
Hopefully the team is sensible enough to understand that they need serious difference makers at NT and CB and that drafting guys on the same relative level as Quin/Jackson/Wilson/Okoye/Cody does no good at all. If Prince and Peterson are off the board (as expected), don't reach for a CB several steps down. Fairley's going to be long gone, and Dareus is also supposed to be snatched before us. Paea warrants a look. I'm not dead set against looking at a DE (I don't think Mario will be a good fit in the system) and this is a good year for them. I'm not as eager to grab an OLB. I get that we could probably use one rather than banking on Barwin being healthy and a successful convert. I am more and more liking the idea of Julio Jones or one of the other stud receivers. It's probably best for us to use FA to save the defense rather than have supposed saviors learning on the job. Why not nab a heck of a receiver to blaze opposite AJ?
The lockout couldn’t come at a worst time for this franchise. I really think this draft needs to be a, more or less, seven-round BPA exercise, and that they need to address their biggest needs in free agency. They’ve built through the draft. Now its time to find the final pieces to the puzzle, and that means veterans and proven talent. Hopefully, even if nothing else comes of it, Kareem Jackson has taught them that you cannot go into a season of high expectation with your cart hooked up to a rookie horse – they’re too unpredictable.
Great post, and I couldn't agree more. This team needs to get over whatever fear they have of being aggressive in free agency, and get out their and BID. We're already YOUNG....fill more positions of need through the draft will only make us YOUNGER, and LESS EXPERIENCED. That's the last thing we need at this point. We need veteran leadership in the worst kind of way, and free agency is the only way to get that.
With the money this team already has wrapped up in Mario and Antonio why would they draft another DE? This team needs a NT, OLB, and DB.
not even a similar scenario he didn't but that seems to be the assumption among posters here as well as local sports columnists I just dont understand it, how can you see what Clay Matthews did this season and not put Brian Cushing in the same situation, just insanity imo
Austin would be an absolute steal in the 2nd, but you know the Texans wont draft him due to his character issues
A quick look at the your newest Houston Texan: Name: Eric Peitz College: Colorado State Height: 6-4 Weight: 258 Position: TE Class/Draft Year: Sr/2011 40 Time: 4.83 40 Low: 4.72 40 High: 4.92
Not saying he's Jesus, despite the pics, but you have to admit he wasn't the colossal failure we all expected. There needs to be a maturity version of the Wunderlich for "I've got this with my awesome sauce" guys like Leinart and Grossman. I don't believe it's been ruled out...just that most folks suspect he's a better fit as a SOLB or WILB than WOLB. Basically, staying in his same position. Wade's 3-4 WOLB is virtually a 2 point stance DE every down. Barwin is probably a better fit for the role as a rushing specialist; Cushing there would waste a lot of his talent. At SOLB he would still have primary TE coverage (best on the team with that), run responsibility, and he could still go on a blitz as often as he does now (probably more, given how blitz happy Phillips is). I'd rather we put guys in the place where we can get the most out of their talents, and I think that's SOLB for him, not rush specialist WOLB.
