[Official] Reggie Bush or Someone else -- Vince Young out of running

Which games did you watch?

 

Clemson, Texas State, Baylor, Texas Tech, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Texas

 

So what do you think about the dropped passes and how they tried to make him into a player he wasn't?

 

Good chance they would not have been in the Rose Bowl without Bush. Who else would have pushed Leinart into the end zone at ND and not been flagged for it?

 

It didn't help, but it certainly wasn't all that. I saw a guy who struggled mightily reading some of the more complex schemes in pass defense and someone who for whatever reason looked a bit tentative running the ball. I saw a guy who was terribly inaccurate in certain situations and underthrew or overthrew open receivers at least a few times each game.

I did see some potential - clearly, his arm strength and mobility are outstanding attributes for a QB at any level and will get him a shot. And, it's true... his offense didn't do him favors on many occasions with dropped passes. But he had some major issues with inaccuracy at times and also struggled in understanding certain defenses. He'll get his shot in the NFL based on his raw talent, and certainly anything is possible with that talent, but I didn't see much of anything that would make me extremely confident of McNeal's success at the next level. Possible, yes. Probable... different story.

 

Bush is not an every down back. If USC didn't White, I don't believe they would have been as successful. I look at the USC offense as a 3 headed monster. I'm hoping that when the necessary adjustments are made in the offseason, our line will improve.

Having said, I just believe that the Texans could be a 4 headed monster with Bush, Davis, Johnson, and Mathis (not necessarily in that order). Bush can line up in the slot. Mathis as the deep threath (because of his speed). Davis at RB (has decent power and moves), and Bush rotating from slot to RB.

I think Davis is injury prone and having a guy like Bush to split time with him will remove some of the wear/tear on Davis. Sure we could draft a different RB, but no one has Bush's ability and athleticism in dual roles - IMO.

If we draft Vince, we can either continue to rely on our RB core, or pick up another back in the draft. With Kubiak, I'm not as concerned. I really doubt that we draft a WR. If we pick one up, it most likely will be in free agency. I doubt we're going to spend too much more money at that position. We need a 4th receiver (if Bradford is gone). TE is also still in the air.

Then we have defense to think about.

We have 4 picks in the top 60 (or something like that). I think the first 2 should be used at offense. (Bush and a OL), and the second 2 on defense (DE and LB), to accommodate the 4-3. The remaining picks might not yield another starter (at least for 2006). Perhaps we'll have some luck in FA this year.

Desert Scar,

I really wasn't trying to attack you. I was just making an observation. Aside from all the accolades that Bush and Young have received, this team can only move so many players. Fortunately, some of our crappy linemen most likely will not be picked up for next year.

What would you do with the top 4 picks? Who do you see as someone the Texans might have an opportunity to pick up in FA?

 

I agree with most of this. I think he was told not to run as much, I wish they would have just let him play his game (like mack finally did with Vince)

 

This is rediculous.

Realistically, if USC didn't have Bush or White or Jarrett, I can't see them in the Rose Bowl.

 

As for the VY/McNeal debate...

As an Ag, I'm glad for Reggie that he did so well yesterday and hopefully does well in the NFL. Before this season I still fully believed that Reggie was the better QB. But after watching Vince get better and better and better throughout this season, he was hands down the better college QB, even through my maroon colored glasses!

I'm nowhere close to being an NFL scout so I have no idea which one's skill set projects better to the NFL, but it's gonna be awfully hard to beat Vince's leadership skills and his production when the stakes are at their highest(a trait in which Reggie was inconsistent at best).

Why can't we just hope both of these Texans do well? When comparing VY and McNeal, or VY and Bush, why do we often resort to running down one in an effort to build up the one we personally favor? Can't we just offer a critique instead of insulting either one?

 

IC2000,

Quick way to get pwned on a board is to make assumptions. That and your earlier name-calling make it appear that you're new to boards.

My sense is you're prolly ok, but you need to tighten up your posting. Before you post consider whether you would say the same thing if you were looking in the other guy's face. JMHO

 

Although I agree with all of the other comments you've made here, I disagree w/ this one. He did not open up things for SC. Look at the numbers in the first half when they leaned on Reggie and the team was ineffective. It wasn't until the second half when they used White that they started eating up yardage. UT D has more speed than bulk, so it's not surprising.

And when you breakdown his production (as we've done several times), his numbers are unimpressive. (That breakaway TD was impressive, though, as was his speed)

And in the end, it was just one game. Unfortunately for Reggie, it was likely prolly the only one against NFL-comparable speed.

 

Or Leinart or perhaps Latui or perhaps Justice. That offense was so stacked it was ridiculas, and they needed it all (Fresno, ND and ASU).

OK, it was just an odd comment. I have done a lot of research on this and post a lot of stuff for fun, if it persuades others, great.

As for right now, pending surprising combine/workout figures (things that work against VY as a #1 pic), I think the Texans should do the following:

Take VY #1. Trade Carr for a mid 1st (say 18 from the Cowboys plus a future 2nd), draft OT Winston Justice or Latui off of SC's oline. With the 2nd rounder (# 31) take Drew or Calhoun or Maroney or Addai as Davis's back-up and as 3rd down guy. Use the rest of the draft for defense or maybe a late flyer for a WR or OL.

There is no manover with using the #1 pick on Bush and #31 for some other offensive player plus the rest that I think gives the upside of the before mentioned move.

Basically right now I think it comes down I feel pretty strong VY is the right choice to build a team around over Carr or Bush. I am open to unexpected results from the combine or other workouts, but right now VY just has too much upside to pass up.

 

I thought it was clear he did not watch the games, I was wrong. I figured the aggies were so bad this year nobody but a fan would watch their games unless the cat is a closet fan

 

I don't blame you too much for that assumption, IC. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't wasted so much time watching Aggie football given how their season turned out. But, I'm a football nut, and I'm somewhat in the media, so I do watch the Texas teams whenever I can so I can form better opinions.

Also, you might have a point with Franchione telling McNeal to run less. I don't know if that's the case, but something was very different this year... as I said earlier, he seemed very tentative to break the pocket and make the plays with his feet that (given his speed) we know he can. I personally was wondering if he was a little afraid of the punishment at the end of runs... but the coaches directing him not to run is another plausible scenario. I guess we'll see for sure whenever he gets some action in the preseason next August.

 

In my opinion I also think he wanted to get rid of the running QB image also. There were so many times (especially crucial 3rd downs), where it seemed like he could just take off but he would instead choose to try and pass for a first down. Although, I think it was the baylor game where he saved the game by scrambling for like 50 yards.

 

That's exactly my point. Because the Horns were intent on keeping Bush in check, the more USC went in other directions after the half, the more success they had. IOW, the Horns were still keeping several eyes and legs on Bush throughout the game. The threat of Bush breaking big plays opened up the rest.

As for breaking down his stats in this forum, I didn't see that. But I don't understand how 270 or so total yards against UT can be explained away as unimpressive, but maybe I'm missing something.

 

LOL, 3 months Aggee fans were tossing Reggie McNeal under the bus and screaming and crying for Stephen The Savior McGee - now all of a sudden he has been rehabbed and Reggie is a sleeper superstar in the making once again and is retroactively in the Heisman race.

 

It is not that hard AGGIE

Some aggie fans were crying for Steven Mcgee. I never threw Reggie under any Bus. I always argued for Reggie, and he was in the heisman race at the beginning of the season.

 

270 yards? How did you come up with that? 82 yards rushing 90 yards receiving equals 172 yards. Although they are still impressive stats, I think the main point is that Reggie was basically a non-factor in the biggest game of the season.

 

Actually quite often they single teamed Bush in coverage. They would try to have a guy they thought could do the job (e.g., Kelson), but didn't treat him that much different.

USC opened it up when they decided to throw to Jarrett and run LenDale between the tackles. It was irrelevant whether Bush was on the field or not. In fact the last drive Bush wasn't even given plays nor hardley even a decoy, they realized it was better to have an extra TE or fullback blocking. It had been a working formula all 2nd half.

It wasn't unimpressive. Bush had a good game, he is a great player explosive player. But he wasn't a dominant player, nor a relentless player. It is no small stretch to say Leinart, White and Jarrett were every bit as important to SC than Bush was. In turth this was similar when SC faced most of their better comp the last two years.

Further, while it is debatable who the best and most valuable SC player is, there was no doubt who was by far the best player on the field was. There was one guy who did anything he wanted, and he was enough to overcome 4-5 first round skill players and a load of an offensive line on the other side of the field.

If VY wasn't in the draft by all means I lean towards Bush from my observations of him right now. I think Bush has concerns (questions about durability, not so impressive yards after contract, can he block NFL blitzers, can he excell in close space between the tackles), but he has loads of strengths and tremendous potential (great 10 yard burst, great open field moves, great balance, seems like a likable/professional fellow). But VY IS in the draft, and we are talking about a potential franchise QB coming off as impressive run of dominance in college football through his athleticism, arm, size, mind and composure that I and a lot of other long time football watchers have ever seen. The guy was just phenomenal and a man of boys on the biggest of stages, and it capped off how he was been developing as a unstoppable QB over the last 20 or so games.