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

Stop it Gucci,

No one wants to hear from a coach in the NFL about how good Vince Young is......

I mean why listen to Rhome, Walsh, or Don Shula, when you can listen to IC2000?

DD

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/peter_king/02/19/mmqb/index.html


"With the first overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans ...''

-- NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, 68 days from today.

MONTCLAIR, N.J. -- ... do one of three things.

First off, welcome to 2006 NFL draft coverage. As I've said many times before, we put far, far too much emphasis on it, but in the immortal words of Bill Belichick, it is what it is. And we're going to start covering the draft in earnest this week at the NFL Scouting Combine -- I'll be there, along with your favorite SI.commer, Don "Donnie Brasco'' Banks -- looking over 330 new victims ... I mean, prospects, beginning on Thursday.

The first question on everyone's mind is this: What will the Texans do? As I said, they've got three choices:

1. Trade the pick. (The least likely scenario. Maybe a five percent chance. Only way they'll do it, I think, is if they could trade down a few spots and still get a stud like 10-year left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson in addition to a sick draft-pick haul.)

2. Draft USC running back Reggie Bush. (The most likely scenario. Probably a 75 percent chance. And from what I hear, new coach Gary Kubiak is already quietly telling good friends like Mike Shanahan that the Texans will take Bush.)

3. Draft Texas quarterback Vince Young. (Not a good chance. Maybe a one-in-five shot. Maybe. But if he's really good in his workout in Austin on March 22, and Kubiak loves him, I suppose it's possible they could pick Young and either trade David Carr for a very good draft pick or hang on to Carr and trade him next year.)

Now, there's one issue from the end of the season, when it was widely reported that the Texans had determined internally that they were definitely going to take Bush, the exciting Heisman Trophy winner. And it concerns whether the Texans and their new coach are solid on Bush. You get the feeling that GM Charlie Casserly and the Texans' scouts love the kid, and now that Kubiak is on board, he's come to love him too. But that feeling, Casserly told me with conviction on Friday night, is premature.

"There's been no guarantee that we'll take Bush,'' Casserly told me. "We're wide open. We're wide open for trades for the pick. The way I see it, here are our options. Keep David Carr and take Reggie Bush. Keep David Carr and draft Vince Young. Take Vince Young and see what we can get in trade for David Carr. And trade down. We're going to visit with people at Indianapolis and take our time. Nothing will get done, I wouldn't think, until the week before the draft.''

My biggest question about Bush has been -- and continues to be -- this: Can he be an every-down player in the NFL? This is a guy who rushed more than 20 times twice in a three-year USC career and who, playing at around 198 pounds, will have massive durability questions in the NFL.

"It's the same question we're asking ourselves internally, quite frankly,'' said Casserly. "He didn't do it in college, and you don't know if he can do it in the NFL. I guess here's what I would say: Is Randy Moss, ability-wise, worth the No. 1 pick in a draft? I think you'd have to say yes, based on ability and nothing else -- and he'll touch the ball eight or nine times in a game. Sometimes you have to look at how a guy can affect a game. When I came back from scouting him, I told [owner] Bob [McNair], 'The coach will have to go on the board and tell us how he's going to use him.' If he's a 17-touch-a-game guy [touching it 17 times rushing, receiving and returning combined, on average], is he worth it?''

It's clear Casserly thinks Bush is. "When I came back from scouting him, I thought he was one of the better players I've scouted in my career. It's like some college coaches have told me: You look at the tape and he's really good, and then you see him in person and he's faster. His separation from linebackers is unique. He'll create a really difficult matchup problem for defenses out of the backfield or split out.''

Not many people know this yet, but a slightly different Bush will show up at the Combine this week. He's put on eight pounds since season's end. He weighs 207, more than he ever weighed as a college player. He's put the weight on using a personal chef and working out to bulk up. "He knows what people are saying about him,'' someone close to Bush told me. "They're saying he's not big enough to take the punishment in the NFL. He's out to combat the idea that he won't stand up to the punishment.''

Bush will be hard for the Texans to turn down. He really wants to play in Houston. The players he's spoken to say it's a good place to play, with a strong owner and coaches ... and with no state income tax. That could save him several hundred thousand dollars of his guaranteed money, which will be somewhere around $22 million. He'll be pretty bulletproof, even to the most right-wing of NFL conservatives. No tattoos. No cadre of hangers-on. Personable. Bright. Loves football. Interviews well. Unselfish.

Houston's pick should not be in much doubt, even with the push to take Young. It'll be interesting to see how intense the local pressure will be to take the hometown kid, Young. I can't see it making McNair's decision for him. But lots can happen in 68 days. Let the game begin.

 

Nice article. Casserly is a bad poker player. IMO, he wants Bush.

 

Randy Moss- exactly what I have felt.

That is the type impact Bush can have.

Is that enough is definately the question using the #1 pick in the draft.

 

Hell no Randy Moss is not worth the number one pick in the draft. How many times has he led his team to victory?

This is exactly why Charlie Casserly is destined to fail.

 

If it wasn't for Moss's character issues he'd definitely be worth the #1 pick.

 

We are just going to have to disagree, I don't think a guy who touches the ball 8 or 10 times a day is worth the first pick in the draft.

Give me someone who effects every single offensive or defensive play, and then you got me.

Jerry Rice is the only receiver in history I would consider taking number 1 overall.

DD

 

I hear what you are saying, BUT guys like Moss, TO, Chad Johnson ect... cause defenses to have to game plan for them making it so much easier for others to make plays. If you took the bad attitudes of these guys away they both TO and Moss be worth number picks.

 

guys like Andre Johnson, too. but you see how quickly that can be neutralized when the other options suck.

 

Moss affects way more than 8-10 plays a game. Not only has he had 3 years of 15+ touchdowns, he's also had tons of yards and commands lots of defensive attention.

I could see where people would shy away from taking away a WR though. They can be neutralized, like Steve Smith in the playoffs.

 

Just one more minor point-

A WR making 3-4 big plays a game

and a RB making 3-4 big plays a game are 2 very different things to consider.

Here is what you want out of running back if you picking #1-

1. Be able to make 20 quality carries per game (as defined below)
2. Score in the red zone- short yardage
3. 4.5+ yd avg. (carry)
4. Short yardage 1-2 yd convert first downs
5. Pick up blitz- block
6. Game breaker- runs over 30 yds.
7. Scoring- at least 15 td rushing

These stats are comparable to Shaun Alexander and L. Tomlison

If I knew I was getting one of those two guys I would be OK with Bush.

I haven't seen Bush meet all that in college. So he is a risk.

 

Bush is a RB anyways, right? ok good.

The defenses will have to key in on bush or he will destroy them. They have to account for him at all times.

 

I didn't really have to account for him on 4th and 2.

Signed,
Michael Huff

 

or the 3rd down play before that

or the 2nd down play before that.

 

Didn't Bush make a big run in the closing seconds to push USC up the field?

 

that's right. it was a catch out of the backfield if i remember right.

listen..i think bush will prove to be a good pro. it's the conclusory sort of statements like, "you have to key on him or he'll destroy NFL defenses" statements that draw responses like the one i posted.

 

Not on 4th, 3rd or 2nd down.

 

But after they draft Reggie, the other options *won't* suck.

 

rhester, very well outlined.

And yes, most drafts a Randy Moss or Owens talent with Jerry Rice or Marvin Harrison's work ethic and team mentality would go number 1. This draft, with two superb franchise QB prospects, one of whom different than any QB we have seen before in raw ability, more difficult call.

But VY--freakish combination of size and athleticism, is more Randy Moss than Reggie Bush is. The upside comparisons one wants to do with Bush is more like Faulk or Steve Smith, or at the ultimate peak, Barry Sanders. But Bush is no Bo Jackson or Randy Moss in terms of unheard of combinations of size and athleticism.

Yes MM and RM95 good call on "you have to key on him or he'll destroy NFL defenses". Considering Drew Kelson could cover him pretty well on downfield pass routes and on all but 1 run play (after LenDale and their brutal oline had softened up the middle) Texas kept Bush from the corner, I just think pro team just might have personelle that can hang with Reggie Bush in pass plays or when he tries to get the corner with very modest tweaking at most. Bush is going to have to make a lot of adjustments to his game to be a great pro player (e.g., thrive between the tackles, be able save his QB from a SS/LB blitz, become stronger and be durable carry after carry, run crisp and precise timing routes, be able to read defenses and adjust to plays on the fly), he might be able to make some or all of them adjustments (all things Faulk worked tremendously hard on to round his raw Bush-like ability into a great pro player), but no sure thing at all.

 

Agreed...I think Bush will make a fine NFL player and will be on ESPN Highlights all the time, but will we win with him...