I am on record here saying that I wanted them to draft Matt Leinart. I saw him as the most pro-ready QB out there at the time and I had seen enough of Carr to know that he was too damaged mentally to be the answer here at QB. I was perfectly OK with going with Sage last year and this year until he would have been ready. Now, that is not a slam against Mario at all. Had they traded down and had Mario been drafted say 5-10, then none of this controversy would have ever occurred and the forum would be a much more civil place. Again this means that I had him as a first round pick, just not THE first pick.
Mario exceeding expecations helps us succeed. we want him to succeed. we want the Texans to succeed. we WANT to make the playoffs. but we're not making the playoffs b/c our team has been decimated with injuries. Mario is making watching the TExans that more exciting! Good god man...who ever said getting into the playoffs was not important as long as mario is doing well? WE AREN'T VYOF OR YOF.
you thought and still think Matt Leinart should have been THE first pick of the 2006 draft? wow...how can anyone argue with that.
If you can't understand my positions as I have (once again) clearly explained them in detail without malace, then I'm afraid that you have a problem with reading comprehension...Cute stuff on VY however...
I'm glad that I am on the record on this site actually praising this pick. I thought he was gonna be really good and I told all my friends that as well. One key to Mario this year is the fact that he is actually practicing each week and getting better. Last year he had a foot problem that didn't let him practice. He basically just showed up on Sundays and played in the game and it showed. This year he has practiced every game which has really allowed him to gain some experience and knowledge and it's definitely paying off. I'm hoping he takes the sacks lead for the season.
Show me where I did this. Someone doesn't agree with your POV and suddenly they're F'ing with your "catharsis"? Jesus, that had to be one of the funniest things I've ever read. Go back and dig up my old posts on holding Rockets management accountable and READ them. Unlike over here, Dawson, Les & the "committee" have largely escaped blame for what's been going down for the past 12 years all the while using the head coaches as scapegoats. Here, it was refreshing to see people immediately identify Casserly, McNair & Capers as the architects of this disaster. That's why I'm at a loss about all of this Carr hate but folks have the right to feel what they feel so cool.
Mario has been playing VERY WELL as of late. When your DE is near the league lead in sacks you can’t knock his play. In my opinion (and I have stated this numerous times) Mario had to get sacks to justify his draft position. One of the things you expect big-time DE’s to do is rush the passer and make game changing plays…drive killing plays…and those typically occur via sacks. Mario has been doing that as of late.
I felt that at the time because I believed that the Texans's biggest problem was at QB and not DE. Carr just looked finished to me at the end of the 2005 season and here was a draft with 3 very good QB prospects which was somewhat rare. Leinart had the experience, physical qualities, etc. to build an offense around. Anyway, you asked and that's what I thought at the time. On a side note, you'll notice how slim the QB pickings were in the 2007 draft.
HillBoy- I guess the real question is that do you still think that the Texans made a mistake making Mario the #1 overall? You're right in that the controversey could have been avoided at first had they made a different selection, but there isn't much of a controversey anymore IMO. What do you think?
at the time, that makes sense. but you said, no matter how much MW does, you don't think he was worthy of a number one pick...even now. the question is, if that's the case, who should have gone number one?
After reading this thread and considering delving into the craziness that is the Hillboy and his time-tested, unchanging, unquestionably correct views....... I think I'll just say this: Mario is a badass. He's going to Pro Bowl and the Texans long-term prospects have never looked better than now so everyone be happy.
Leinart?!? You wanted Leinart?!? Boy am I glad that you're not the Texans' GM. Also, it was rumored that had the Texans drafted Bush, the Saints would've picked Mario at #2, so he won't be there at 5-10.
QB rating is a biased measure against QBs when produce on the group as well as the air. VY produced 19TDs to 13INTs last year, and 18-10 after his second game. Couple that with all the positive (and at times game winning/saving) plays he made that few other QBs would have, yes he had an oustanding 1st year. Oustanding enough to be a slam dunk offensive rookie of the year--which I believe has only happened one other time in the last 30 years and not with a top 5 type pick (having to start on a sucky team right away). No reasonable unbiased person can conclude he wasn't tremenoudsly impressive and tremendously effective last year. Further, if you watch VY and the Titans it is pretty clear he isn't crappy. He isn't as impactfull as he was last year, no question. But he isn't missing wide open guys and he isn't forcing balls when his team is ahead. His team is still about 500 and squarely in the playoff chase despite the toughest division in football. Is he having as good as year as Mario Williams, absolutely not. But MW didn't have a year like VY's last year either. I still very happy once the Texans isolated Bush and MW as the best players for their needs they went with MW despite all the pressure otherwise. I can confidently say that looks like a wise choice.
Hyperbole, the result of a desperate man. What POV do I have? I'm neutral here. Am I the one complaining about the complainers? You're the one getting in the way of other people b****ing. Posters here have a right to kvetch about Carr if they want to, just like they do about, oh, say, Carroll Dawson. I'm just trying to stop you from stopping them. And yes, I am complaining about the complainers who are complaining about the complainers. This makes your temper tantrums all the more strange. Do you not feel Carr is responsible for the fate of the Texans? If Carr is deserving of blame, then why not let people criticize him? So what if he's not on the team now? His sucktitude and its subsequent effect is still being felt by this team, which makes it relevant. Just like C&C's ineptitude is affecting the Texans today, too. If you're cool with it, then please stop criticizing others for criticizing Carr.
According to HillBoy logic, your entire statement, while true, is completely meaningless. Why, you ask? Because we probably won't make the playoffs this year. Oh yeah, and according to miniming logic, the statement is completely meaningless because next year, theoretically, Mario might decide to record a duet with Beyonce and his sack production could fall drastically.
I don't think it was a mistake per se, as far as they blew the pick on an unproductive player. Mario is clearly making a difference this year. I still believe VY was the better pick based on what he brings on and off the field. My opinion is based on me still thinking VY will become a stud QB, and I would rather have a stud QB than a stud DE. In the 06 draft the team had a chance to get a stud QB that would also unite their fan base.
There isn't much of a controversey about selecting MW over Reggie Bush, no. The Texans also by all acounts have made good decisions POST David Carr extension (closing them off to drafting a QB). The other controversy is a lot less settled and more complicated, if you feel like discussing all the parameters with it--Carr extention, what they could have gotten from the Schaub pick/pick order had they not needed to do that move, what they could have done with freed up money from the prior events not happening, what they might have also been able to get moving down for VY or perhaps Cutler if you want to discuss that--it can be done. Regardless, the Texans seem to be in the right direction. But that doesn't mean the former Houston team hasn't well positioned themselves as well.
I don't have any problem with your opinion, but it differs from every GM in the league. 31 NFL teams had Mario Williams in their top 2, and the 32nd had him #3. Every single one of them valued him more than you do.
You make it seem like Williams had no value to the rest of the league in 2006. You do realize that the Saints were going to pick him second and a lot of other teams had him rated at the top of their boards, right? You are seriously thick if you don't understand the football reasoning behind slotting some positions as more important than others under a salary cap. It's not complicated. It's harder to find dominant defensive ends than dominant running backs. Running backs have a shorter shelf life. If Bush, as electrifying as he seemed to be coming out of college, had contract demands that were too high, you go with a player who is ranked as high at a more valuable position. It was *clearly* more of a "football move" than any other to pick Williams at the time and in retrospect. McNair had every marketing reason to go with Bush, or Young, but he went with the football logic and damn the hysterical press and fans. Turns out the Texans were right.
