i thought the same thing. Some people think it puts the writing on the wall for smith but i don't buy that as he has been the most consistent Dlineman. Depth is one obvious answer. If earl can improve from last year a rotation of mario, smith, watt and earl has some promise. Another could be playing antonio, watt or even Mario at NT at times. It's grasping at straws, but with wade not necessarily using his NT as a space eater, but rather a penetrator...i'm curious if they might move smith or watt inside on 3rd downs.
I can understand the concerns about character but the dude is a mean badass and that's what I want to see in a NT. Completely agree with you about Quinn's medical concerns.
I personally think Antonio is overrated. He's solid but doesn't make many plays and I can't stand how often he jumps offsides.
Can't speak for anyone else, but I went into that draft not wanting any of the USC trio because they were all such obvious juicers. Cushing's quite a player, but he got busted. I was watching and expecting the exact opposite. I don't think anyone was touting Prince as a stud like they were Peterson....but the issue is we've got to fill 3 secondary positions with capable starters. The pricetag for that on the FA market is nose-bleed high, and McNair has never spent big dollars for high level vets. Unfortunately, the organization has been very open in saying that front 7 comes first and they'll mop up with secondary if they get around to it. They also were very clearly petrified of Prince becoming KJ2. They weren't going to touch Fairley just like they didn't even put in a fun call about Haynesworth. Better to have nice, ineffective guys like Cody in the middle. Quinn they were also scared of (medical) but also probably wrote off because of the violations. I haven't seen anyone call Watt a bust. I think he'd be a great bookend opposite Smith in a classic 3-4. If the franchise has secretly, silently realized that Mario is a pure 4-3 end that isn't going to last in Wade's system, than the pick is fine. But the frustration everyone has is this pick does little to no good in improving the defense on the whole. The frustration comes from the Texans never putting themselves out there and making the big play. This franchise has demonstrated over the past decade that they are incompetent when it comes to team building. The Song Remains the Same. Too bad this isn't a church league. I hope they do prove me wrong. It'll be a welcome change.
I'm pretty sure you're first of all is a total FAIL. 2nd round and he's still there, and you wanted him at 11. I think Robert Quinn woulda been a better fit but hey, it's not my decision to make.
He an above average LT. Good, not great. He is what he is, a solid late-first round pick. I wouldn't include him in the list of busts or underachievers, but he's not the first name that should come to mind if you're trying to prove the Texans have a good track record. I'm not knocking the guy but he was suspended for 4 games and the Texans continued to put up good stats in 3 of those games, including two excellent offensive performances against Oakland and KC.
Wow, may have already been posted, but just in case. Link 2011 NFL Draft Results: An A+ Pick, Houston Texans Select J.J. Watt If you've been following along with my 2011 NFL Draft thoughts or my 2011 NFL Mock Drafts, you won't be surprised that I've awarded the Houston Texans an 'A+' for selecting Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt with the 11th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Watt is a monster. He is the undisputed best five-technique end in the 2011 NFL Draft class. But as powerful and stout as he is, he's not just one-dimensional either. He can get after the passer. He can disrupt plays. He has a solid all-around arsenal of moves. The Texans essentially had a choice between Watt and North Carolina's Robert Quinn, a five-technique or a 3-4 edge rush linebacker. Smartly, they went with Watt. Wade Phillips is still attempting to build a 3-4 defense in Houston essentially from the ground up. Several of the leftover parts from Frank Bush's previous 4-3 defense don't fit particularly well in a 3-4 defense. Phillips is essentially starting from scratch, and if you're going to start from scratch in a 3-4, you want a dominant defensive lineman. Ideally, that guy is a nose tackle. But the only first-round nose tackle in the 2011 NFL Draft is Baylor's Phil Taylor, and he isn't top-15 pick quality. So the next best thing is a five-technique, a bookend who will anchor the defensive line for years to come and force running backs to cut back into the teeth of the defense. Watt may not show up well on the stat sheet his rookie year, and he likely won't be a candidate for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. But believe me, his presence will be felt. He will open up the game for the rest of the front seven, particularly the linebackers, and give a guy like Mario Williams some free shots at the quarterback. This is one of my favorite picks in the first round. I originally had Watt going to the Washington Redskins at number 10 (before they traded with the Jacksonville Jaguars, of course), so this is right around where I expected Watt to go and just a fantastic selection by the Texans. Grade: A+ Pugs
BLEACHER REPORT is BLEACHER REPORT The Texans were saying immediately that they will try Watt at nose in 3rd and long situations, let him compete for time with Smith at left end, and relieve Mario at times at right end (and when they have Mario standing up)
http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playerbreakingnews.asp?sport=NFL&id =6469&line=203562&spln=1 Wade Phillips likens JJ Watt to Phil Hansen
If he is still fighting for a roster spot when his contract rookie contract is nearly expired, then he's a bust!!!....signed Amobi Okoye and Travis Johnson
Watt Press Conference: Wade: I think a lot of you are saying the same thing: Wow I didnt realize he is that big. He is 6'6. Had largest hands at the combine. Wears size 16 shoe. Hes a big man. He'll get bigger. Happy to be a Texan. Throw that out there. Biggest adjustment from college level? Seeing better competition everyday. This is the NFL.. Has it hit you yet? Started to. When I started to land and saw the stadium, it hit me. Cant wait to make this city proud. People used the word solid and ok. How would you respond? Thats fine. I heard about the disappointed people too. Thats fine with me. Coaches have confidence in me and I have confidence in myself. We'll be just fine. Wade: You can say ok but 37 vertical just isnt ok. Thats extraordinary. Size and mobility arent ok stats. This guy is a really good athlete. He is humble. As good as athlete as was up there. You know Wade has had success. Thoughts on playing for him? Excited. Cant wait to work with him. Got a great D mind. He knows what hes doing. Cant wait to fit in. Being from Wisconsin, how much of Packers 3-4 have you watched? Watched a lot of it, every chance I got. It was effective. Where is the ring from? Big 10 championship ring. Want a much bigger one. Wade: We want to go to one bowl game. Talk about your journey and ending up here. I wanted to play football. Didnt matter where. Didnt get many scholarship offers. Walked on to the Badgers, earned scholarship before stepping foot onto the field. Started 2 years and then declared. Texans had problems on D. Trying to get things fixed, how do you feel about being part of it? Excited. They have trust in me and I'll work my tail off to prove they made the right choice. How much hard work do you try to translate into leadership? Anyone can talk, but you have to walk the walk too. HS coach compared you to Howie Long. Idol to you? Hes pretty darn good. Would love to be compared to him. Watched a lot of film on him. Agent speak to Pizza Hut guys yet about endorsements? All for it! Wade, what did you see on film that you liked? All those things combined. The total package. His production....a big factor. When you play that position and are 2nd leading tackler and 2nd leader in passes defended, thats an area D linemen shouldnt be leading in. This guy is a productive player. Made some big plays. What was it that caused you to transfer? Wanted to play in the NFL. Wasnt going to happen in the MAC catching 8 passes. Some people are just happy playing Division I football. I wanted something much bigger. I took all or nothing shot and it has paid off. Wade, can you see JJ down, Mario standing up on same side? Sure. Part of the plan? We'll go into it more but gives us versatility with Mario we didnt have before. -------------------- Was also on SR610 just now but didnt recap it unfortunately.
Lol and Watt....A guy that walked onto Wisconsin and asked his coach "What do I have to do to get a scholarship?" and after his coach's response said "I'll have one by the end of the year." just isn't a go getter. This guy took a big chance, he was a good player for Central Michigan and put his dream on the line by walking onto Wisconsin. It's not that we should want guys that get in trouble, they will get suspended. Fairley seems like a guy who will only be motivated by getting a paycheck. This is the LAST type of guy we want.
don;t know if this has been posted, but it's a pre draft segment. one dude says he thinks he would fit in with the new england patriots. they really speak well of his character athleticism. http://www.cbs.com/sports/video/?pid=3PPrEUJYFezUBojAkZa4JPYx6CdVnyIy there is a commercial before the vid
LOL! Just had to post this. That first guy obviously knows us, and J.J. Watt too well <object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Eo5c_t4dmPM?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Eo5c_t4dmPM?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></object> Pugs
