Do we really need to go over this again? Almost every team the Texans are in direct competition with for a playoff spot have added a key player, a playmaker, a true difference maker. Miami got Marshall, New York got Cromartie and Holmes, Baltimore got Boldin, etc. The Texans didn't go after Jones, they made a meager attempt at Bodden, they went after no lineman of significance. I never said they are not trying to win, but when the teams that beat them out last season are making more upgrades, you have to wonder what the texans are doing
They upgraded at WR, which isnt really a position the texans needs to worry about. Jets did get cromartie, but hell, their defense was already #1 and really i'm not too bent out of shape about not getting him. But i still don't get this notion that the texans havent done anything. They actively pursued a couple of guys who ended up just returning to their teams....you can't make someone sign with you. They passed on an aging Jones and I think we can all understand the texans being overly cautious to older RBs. They added an interior lineman who certainly cant be worse than what they already had. Resigned Walters and Ryans.
What lineman of significance did you want? Also, how do you know it was a "meager attempt"? Bodden seemed like the classic case of testing the market to establish a price. He was never leaving NE.
Those teams needed receivers, so they went out and got them. Which big time guys did they actively pursue besides Bodden who I still feel like they did not push very hard for? I heard nothing about them pursuing someone like Haynesworth who they should be all over. As for JOnes, he was one of the leading rushers in the NFL last season, he has at least a year left in the tank considering he did not become a full time player till late in his career
This is where you lose it. Marshall, Holmes, and Boldin were of little/no concern to us. We have bigger needs and don't need to be spending money on luxuries like them when there's other more fundamental problems to spend money and picks on. Cromartie was had for a 3rd rounder, and quite frankly, I'd say that is overpaying for him. And "meager" attempt at Bodden... are you seriously trying to editorialize on that? You know as much as we do about it, and that ain't much. Besides, as someone already said, you can't *force* somebody to sign with you. You can't make claims like this, and that the Texans aren't "trying to win" (as the original poster who started this discussion said), unless you have some evidence to back it up or you can actually say "this is what they should have done" and they didn't. You offer no alternative, you just grouse and whine. And that is getting really old. The Texans did what they could, and should, have reasonably done given the FA market this year. Hell, bringing in Rackers and signing Demeco/Pollard/Walter alone make it a winning off-season so far. But unless the Texans draft Donald Duck to be long snapper and Mickey Mouse as the water boy, I'd say you should bite your tongue for now.
Interior offensive line is the biggest weakness for the Texans. I'm not sure what to think of Wade Smith, but I hope he pans out because he got a lot of green.
More like, the teams that traded the WRs wanted to rid themselves of knuckleheads. Do you think the Jets/Dolphins approached the Broncos/Steelers blindly? Or do you think that the bronc & steelers were shopping 2 players that they did not want? I tend to believe the latter. WHy don't you feel they made a hard push for Bodden? what is a "hard push" anyways? He was here for a few days negotiating....it doesnt get much more hard than that. By hard push do you mean overpay? I can't remember the other person they talked to that signed somewhere else. Also, which big time, unrestricted, guys did you want to go after ? As for Haynesworth, 1) its pure rumour that he is on the block 2) how do you know a call wasnt made? At least a year left...they said that about ahman green as well. But still, its easily understandable why they would not want him. Hardly something to be so up in arms about and hardly a big time guy. Afterall, he ended up on one of the worst teams. Obviously, not a lot of people were knocking down his door. No one is saying that the front office is perfect, but its overly critical to bash the texans for what's gone on so far this offseason. They havent had a huge splash, and the teams that have made a splash have done so at positions the texans dont need to spend more money on, i.e. WR & DE. There is the secondary questions, but they obviously tried with Bodden and who knows who else they have talked too. As i mentioned earlier, Cromartie i can live without and again, maybe they did call but unwilling to sacrifice potential 2nd round pick for him. They added depth to their interior line, which is all they can address since the outsides are locked up. And hell, the draft isnt even here yet. So i just have a hard time being completely disgusted with what the texans have done.
yeah, i'm cautiously optimistic. Also, it will be interesting to see if caldwell can step up because he has the talent to be pretty good. whats also nice is that caldwell and Smith can both play C. these things can't be overlooked. Texans would be in a tight spot if they lost any of these guys
Great post. This sums up my exact feelings so far for this off-season. The signing of Rackers, and the retention of our free agents has made this off-season a success for me up to this point. Of course, I think everyone here will agree that next Thursday might just be the most important day in franchise history in terms of winning, so we're just gonna have to wait and see what the Texans do with their draft picks. Personally, I haven't been this excited for a draft since Mario.
The Rackers signing alone will get us an additional 2 wins. And if we can somehow manage to get Donald Duck as the long snapper, that would be frickin sick. The Texans have always had a terrible record within our division. This is the one area that we need to improve upon if we want to get into the playoffs. As far as Im concerned, no other team in our division has done anything this offseason that worries me. We are in a good spot.
The texans also aren't competing for a playoff spot within the division. The Colts will win it and the Texans are going for a wild card spot. The Jags aren't close to a playoff birth and depending on what Titans team shows up, they might not be competing either.
Hell, the Titans, Texans, Jags, Phins, Jets, and Ravens were all 7-9, 8-8, or 9-7. They are all pretty damn close to each other, honestly.
I didn't say otherwise, I said they had competition outside of their own division they need to worry about. The Colts will most likely win the division, so they are competing with the rest of the AFC for the wild card spots. My point was that just because teams within the AFC South may not have upgraded, there are other teams to worry about.
38% of the games we play are against our division...so yes, it is absolutely critical that we win these games. I'd be much more concerned about teams in our division than a team in another division. Our division record by year: 2009: 1-5 (1 more win and its playoffs) 2008: 2-4 2007: 1-5 (going .500 would have meant playoffs) Things wont be any different for 2010. You win within your division, chances are that you will be in the playoffs. Therefore, it doesnt matter what baltimore, ny, or miami decides to do (to a certain extent)...but our main concern is our division. We take care of our division and we'll be in the playoffs. Failure to do so will mean another season ending prematurely.
I dont know what people still saying that the texans front office, are not doing anything. they re-signed big players that keeps this team in a fight fora playoff spot, also considering how many games the texans lost, because of the kicker, neil rackers was a nice addition. I think (I cant be sure) that the texans offered Bodden a good contract, but he wanted to stay in NE, and if the texans offered him 80 millions for 2 years, (a random number I just made up) bodden would have accepted, but that its overpaying, and you were complaining about it. the cowboys (which the texans play against this year) havent done anything, just releasing two players. the texans doesnt need new WRs, especially if they want to be the No.1 receiver and just creating bad chemistry like Marshall and Boldin.
Yes, and the this has what to do with the performance of the Texans this offseason again? You keep shifting your point around. So the Texans didn't have a good offseason because other teams got players like Anquan Boldin and Santonio Holmes? What? Who was the "difference maker" or "marquee player" the Texans should have gotten? Yeah, other AFC teams have added players this offseason, but guess what, so have the Texans. Just like those other teams, mostly in our areas of need. Walter, Rackers, and Smith. Coincidentally, all players who address some of our biggest concerns this year in Place Kicker and Interior Linemen. (And personally, I'd be scared s***less to let Jacoby be our 2nd WR) And like I said before, if this doesn't please you, feel free to lay out some kind of alternative or reasonable explanation of what should/could be done that we can evaluate, cause so far we haven't heard much. About the only legit gripe someone can have with this franchise is letting go of Dunta. That was something completely within their control. We've gone over it a billion times, so I'll just leave it be as the calculated risk we all know it is. Personally, I wanted Thomas Jones, but I'm not going to get all pissy about it because the Texans decided to err on the side of caution with an aging running back, especially since that is likely something we will target very high in the draft. With as shallow as this FA market is and as deep as this draft is going to be I'd hesitate to evaluate any team's offseason until after April 24th. We know what we need. Let's see where it goes before we start complaining. The Texans under Smith and Kubiak have had a good eye for player acquisition, so I'm willing to trust their judgment on the decisions so far because they've earned it. I'm not going to editorialize about what they have done or haven't done since we know only what John McClain tells us, which is wrong 90% of the time apparently.
well put. Texans need to do well in their division, first and foremost to have a chance at the playoffs.
