The 49ers look scary at times, but I'm not ready to buy their stock just yet... although their division will almost assuredly put them in the playoffs (and I will most definitely use their big 3 in fantasy) The Texans are going to be a chic pick next year, and I can't see any reason they would disappoint.
While watching NFL Total Access tonight on NFL Network it was mentioned that Chester Taylor would be an unrestricted free agent. They said that the Texans would be a good fit for him. I was wondering what the experts here thought about that. Even though Taylor will turn 31 in September he is a low-mileage back spending most of his career as a back up, first to Lewis in B'more and then to Peterson in Minny. I think for the right price he could be insurance if Slaton isn't 100% or if he continues his fumbling problems. Getting Taylor would mean the Texans wouldn't have to spend a low round draft pick on a running back. They could use those valuable picks on the D-line, secondary and shoring up the O-line.
Taylor would be a viable option, if we got him at a decent price for a year or two. He's got decent hands, and is a pretty tough runner with decent speed. He's an good backup, and makes for an average starter...
I like Jamie Dukes. He seems to always have decent things to say about the Texans. I've said it here before...with a couple of well-placed moves in the off-season and draft, I could see the Texans making the Super Bowl. We're really not as far off as you'd think. We only had one game that wasn't close (the first game of the season). A few calls going the other way, a few made field goals, a couple 1 yard plunges, yada yada, and so the story goes. We weren't too far from winning 12 or 13 games last year. Now, our schedule could be tough, but that's no excuse. I'm sick of making excuses for this team, and towards the end of the year, it looked like they were sick of making excuses for themselves. But if that defense continues to improve, if Daniels comes back healthy, if we re-sign our free agents (Demeco, Owen, Dunta, and Walter, the last two on the cheap), and the running game gets righted, watch out....
Adam Schefter was just on ESPN doing a report on the AFC South, and just about the only thing he said when talking about the Texans (quick blurb for each team) was to expect the Texans to take a running back high... Throwing that out there, FWIW. I still say we don't go Running Back high. I say we're fine with picking up a Toby Gerhart-type bigger back in the fourth round or so...
With Steve Slaton's 08 success still fresh on their minds I'm sure the Texans are confident they can find gold in the 3rd-4th round. And Kubiak probably still thinks he can make a 1000 yard back out of any pick with his zone blocking. But things are finally coming together on defense. The kind of hopes we had for our growing offense a few years ago is the same kind of hope I think a lot of us hold for the defense. And if the next pick contributes as much as Cushing did ideally, we not only come out with a top 16 defense, but a physical smash mouth defense, no more finesse garbage.
I can only dream about striking gold in the secondary, the way we did with Cushing. We'd be a top 10-15 defense, I think.
I can't wait to see Earl Thomas bust some heads. We've been lacking a ballhawk back there since 2002.
I think the Texans will make a splash in free agency, maybe get nick leckey, center from the saints. The Saints can't resign their entire OL. Or at least invite kevin mawae to tour Houston. We definitely need an upgrade at the Center spot. Not wanting to sound like that writer from chicago, obsessed with a tmac trade, but I would love to trade this year's 3rd round pick along with next year's 3rd round pick for Shaun Rogers. It will help both teams. For the Draft, I have a crush on earl thomas like everybody in here. All we can do is pray that he falls to 20. Usually we can count on Al Davis selecting someone who doesn't even belong in the first round, thus bumbing everyone down a spot..won't happen this year.
Id rather start Caldwell (3rd round) or even Myers 1000 times before giving the chance to Mawae. He's dirty as hell with the leg whips not to mention he's a titan. Antonio Smith's no pacifist but he must have punched that ******* for a reason.
