That's true. Good point. The Texans were never even considering drafting a quarterback with that #1 pick. It was between Bush and Mario and they did the unpopular, ballsy thing, and it is proving to be a great decision.
Peter King has a pretty good article about Mario over on SI.com. Check it out. Texans Got It Right Williams vindicates Houston for risky No. 1 pick in '06 Vindication should be Charley Casserly's. It's still early, and we can't judge the top of the 2006 draft after 1 3/4 seasons, but the last major decision Casserly made before being nudged into the CBS NFL Today studio show (where, by the way, he's doing a thorough, cool and insightful job) has turned out to be brilliant. The Texans had many needs before the 2006 draft, and they had the first-overall pick. Who to choose? Houston quarterback David Carr was failing, and hometown kid Vince Young was available. The Texans had no gamebreaker in the backfield, and electric Heisman winner Reggie Bush was sitting there. They had no franchise tackle, and a bright and quick D'Brickashaw Ferguson could be had. They had no great pass-rusher, and 20-year-old raw prospect Mario Williams was available. Who to choose? Casserly, eight days before the draft, told me something owner Bob McNair echoed: The Texans loved all those other players, but what they were thinking about most was the ability to impact the defensive side of the ball. They wanted someone to put pressure on the Colts' Peyton Manning, who they'd have to face twice a year for the next decade. I didn't know if they were trying to sell me a bill of goods (you never know before the draft who's trying to send you on a misleading trail to create leverage), but they were telling me the absolute truth. They wanted Williams, and they took him. Now we're near the end of year two. Still too early, particularly with a quarterback, to say one team team screwed up and one was brilliant, but Casserly clearly made the right call. Williams, still just 22, is one of the best right defensive ends in the game right now. He is second in the AFC among defensive ends with 9.5 sacks, and he has 5.5 sacks and 23 tackles in his last four games. Contrast Williams' numbers to his competition. Bush, picked second by New Orleans, is likely out for the last month of the season with a strained knee ligament, but his production has been mildly disappointing: 82 yards per game in his first 28 games, and only 3.7 yards per rush in 312 carries. The breakaway plays from scrimmage have been nonexistent, other than his remarkable catch-and-run touchdown in the NFC championship loss at Chicago. He hasn't had a 25-yard rush in his first two seasons. Young has looked indecisive and inaccurate (56.5 completion percentage), and has 10 more interceptions than touchdowns. To be fair, a quarterback adjusting to a new offense in the NFL, which Young is doing, is much tougher than the adjustment of any player at any other position. But he's been a C-minus player so far, even for a young player. Ferguson, picked fourth by the Jets, has been an average left tackle, and not as good at his position as later pick Nick Mangold has been at center for the Jets. "I don't worry about things like [vindication],'' Casserly said today. "I'm happy for Mario that he's playing so well. You're always happy when you're associated with guys who end up playing well in the NFL. But even though we live in a society of now, I never really worried about the pick and how he would be compared to other guys. When we brought all those guys in for interviews before the draft, Mario was the most impressive. He was smart, he had a good work ethic, and he was going to do what it took to get better at this level. As we've gone along, I think what he's gone through is tougher than what any first-round pick has gone through, with all the attention paid to the top of that draft. And he's handled it magnificently.'' On Monday, I gave Williams three chances to talk about whether he feels like his play has justified the Texans' faith in him on draft day, particularly since the other top guys have not been great yet. Each time, he answered with some variation of "I don't worry about things like that. I just play football.'' "He's always going to have pressure on him,'' said his position coach, Jethro Franklin. "That comes with where he was picked in the draft, and the other guys in the draft, obviously. He's handled it well. I really don't think he pays much attention to it.'' Last year, Williams' development was hurt by how much he moved around the line, and that he played much of the season with a sprained foot. In the first quarter of the season, Houston used him at either of the two defensive tackle spots in their 4-3 front. Then he moved outside for much of the last half of the season. Still learning and struggling with his mobility, he played stiff and not instinctively for much of November and December. "Last year, I was an experiment all season. I just never felt like me,'' Williams said. "For a player, you have to see things and just make plays. Last year, I was a rookie, I had the foot problem, and I was moving all over the line.'' This year, the Texans have played him for about 80 percent of the defensive snaps at right end, opposite (theoretically) the best offensive lineman on each opponent, the left tackle. He's also played a few snaps per game on the other side, depending on the matchups. "I think it's helped that he's practicing with more intensity,'' Franklin said. "You play like you practice, and he's come out and played hard in both practice and in games. I can tell you this: There's no ego-tripping with him. He's a hard-worker in practice and in meetings. I can get on him the same way I get on any other player on our line, and he takes it well.'' I always wonder how a kid handed $28 million at age 21 can come to work every day and retain the motivation you have to have to play football successfully -- especially in the trenches. Deep down, Williams has to know he's financially set for the rest of his life. But watching him several Sundays this fall, I see a player with a good motor, good hands to bat away the massive forearms of left tackles trying to get a grip on him and push him wide, and good-enough speed at 293 pounds to pressure quarterbacks for four quarters. He hasn't been dominant yet, but he might be. "Money never really enters into it for me,'' he said. "The reason I play football is I love it, and I don't see that changing.''
How many 2nd year QB's are starting and having a better season than Vince? How many are playing on winning teams? 3rd year QB's? Cutler and...........
Are you talking about right now or over the last decade, two decades, etc...? If you are talking about right now, well, we really dont have many options to choose from. Jason Campbell is in his 3rd year...but he didnt take one snap his first year. Career numbers of: 58% completion 22 TD 17 INT 77 QB rating Derek Anderson, like Campbell, is a 3rd year player who sat out the rookie year entirely. Career numbers of: 57% completion 31 TD 22 INT 82 QB rating Philip Rivers had played in 4 career games before starting his 3rd year last season...92 rating. 22 TDs and 9 INTs as a 3rd year player with very little previous on field experience. Actually, looking at the list of QBs...there are very many that had very good 2nd and 3rd years. Its really not that uncommon.
It's definitely a good thing seeing Mario get positive run by Peter King, whom I pretty much always thought it was taboo for him to say good things about the Texans but ... hey you can't argue with the results right? Mario all the sudden getting love from all over the media. Hey, he's second or third in AFC now in sacks? Funny how we heard all this gibberish that his motor and desire to compete wasn't always consistent and then, we get the Peter King take on Mario in interview. Amazing aint it? All that money and he just loves the game! That tells me that Mario is definitely gonna put alot of smiles on Texan fans faces for many years to come! Say it loud, say it proud, "SUPERMARIO!" Luigi of course being Okoye!
Yeah great interview by Mario! Good to see he is humble, can take criticism from coaches, and plays for the Love of the game. Very nice read.
True, what is very uncommon is for a QB to be a rookie of the year. The completely unexpected event for VY was the positive impact he had his rookie year. Another unexpected event was than a Tenn Titans team that was the worst in the AFC over a two year period (95, 96) and into third (97)--a NFL worst stretch of 9-26, has been 16-12 and in the playoff chase since VY took over. But we all know that was because of Pacman (of wait, he isn't here this year or part of last year), Travis Henry (oh wait, he plays for Denver now), Chris Brown (of wait, he didn't play much last year), LenDale White (ditto), Albert Hayensworth (oh wait he was suspended during the Titans best stretch last year). The bar isn't low for Vince, but it is important to compare him to other top 5 QB type picks arriving to 3-13 type teams and with dog crap around him. And it is a farce to try to conclude anyone from last years draft, Williams and Cutler included--neither of which came to teams on as bad as 2+ year stretch as VY did and neither of whose teams are ahead of VY's in last year's standings OR this year's--is the right player/pick over the guy who won rookie of the year that same year and is into year 2 . The fact that VY has improved in some areas (comp %) though taken more downturns in others (fewer TDs in the air and ground, more ints, fewer plays with his legs) in the second year of the most difficult but also most important position in football is hardly buyers remorse.
i don't doubt that Vince Young will be a great player in the NFL. it just makes me giddy that he's sucking so bad that the VYOF finally shut the hell up.
How so? I have always stated that he is ahead of the curve for a 2nd yr QB. I have yet to see anyone show me otherwise. The difference between this season and last season are less big/game winning plays and more turnovers. If you want to go with the silly argument that some biased fans (mainly here) claimed he was the games best QB (even though most outside of this board/Houston said he was a project QB) then go right ahead. But also diss those that think Yao is the best since Hakeem, Mario = Reggie White, and all other homeric comments that we can find on this board.
Come on, Icehouse. When VY was winning games by himself last year, I didn't hear ANYONE ANYWHERE calling him a project QB. All I heard was how stupid the Texans were for not drafting him. I know this because people here posted every single national article about him on this bbs and constantly tried to rub it in the face of Texan fans. Can you blame us for wanting to get just a little 'I told you so' now? LOL, I don't think I've heard anyone say Mario = Reggie White after last year...
But is he ahead of the curve for a 2nd year QB? Look at the list of current starters in the NFL and check their stats after having played 1 season. There are many good ones...at least with a QB rating above 70 and a 1:1 ratio of TD:INT. I think this season was not too kind to Vince...he really needs to step it up next year or the "bust" label will slowly creep into the picture.
Not to make excuses, but the Titans did nothing to help VY during the offseason. He easily has the worst supporting cast (in terms of offense) in the AFC south and I can't really think of another team that has worse receivers (49ers, Raiders, maybe Ravens?). For the record, I thought it was completely moronic for anyone to use the term "bust" this season and especially last season. This guys are still young as hell and will only get better. Once again, I'm not making excuses, but there is one thing everyone has to admit...QBs have the biggest learning curve in terms of coming into the NFL. I think next season will be a very good indicator of how good these guys can become, I'm just glad that Mario is showing his stuff because we barely saw any of it last season.
True. I think next year is the "show me" year for Vince. I'll give him 2 years to gain some experience, but next year, there shouldnt be any excuses. He needs to improve. I would think that the Titans will find him a solid receiver, so hopefully he'll have the luxury of having a good wideout. The jury is still out until at least the end of next season.
frankly, none of the top 3 should be labeled a bust yet. but when Texans' fans have been bombarded with stupid comments of "Mario Williams sucks! The Texans organization is a joke. They'll never win anything b/c they passed on Vince Young. VY is the Micheal Jordan of the NFL" since the draft, i just think it's funny that the performances of the MW and VY have basically flip flopped and those people have either not posted much or are actively defending VY with "he's a project." or the like.
