Please tell me something positive about the Texans' draft

[GrandeDavid]

Really, its 100% destruction of the Texans organization by the media and fans. And, I admit, I'm a verrrrrrrrry disappointed Texans fan. No, correct that, I'm livid and disheartened. But somebody must be able to spin this at least somewhat in the Texans' favor...right? Or not?

It can't be because they are cheap, after all, the Texans have overpaid for a number of bust free agents in their short history. What the hell could they have honestly seen in Mario Williams over Reggie Bush...or Vince Young or D'Brickashaw Ferguson...and was it impossible to trade the hell down to the Jets!?

Help!

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Something positive about their draft? They didn't take a kicker with the #1 pick :lol

[Horry For 3!]

They just got 2 solid offensive linemen in the 3rd round and got 2 solid defensive players.

[Horry For 3!]

I think they came out pretty good even though not getting Reggie Bush, after the 4 picks.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

You cannot come out good in the draft when you pass up a gamebreaker like Reggie for a defensive end :td Automatic F for the Texans.

[Horry For 3!]

They made their team better on both sides with their first 4 picks.

[GrandeDavid]

As I thought, there's not much positive about this, although it seems the Texans appear to have done very well from the 2nd round on. Still, its tainted. Ugh.

But what about Mario Williams? I've been living overseas the past few years and, unfortunately, do not get to follow too much of the college game outside of, say, the Top 10 teams. Does this guy really seem to have the goods? Can he really impact the Texans' woeful "defense".

[Horry For 3!]

As I thought, there's not much positive about this, although it seems the Texans appear to have done very well from the 2nd round on. Still, its tainted. Ugh.

But what about Mario Williams? I've been living overseas the past few years and, unfortunately, do not get to follow too much of the college game outside of, say, the Top 10 teams. Does this guy really seem to have the goods? Can he really impact the Texans' woeful "defense".
He could very well turn out to be like Julius Peppers

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

They could have picked up Reggie, kept their next 3 picks like they already were, and been even better off for them.

They have no playmakers on that team. Any of their WRs can be shut down M2M, and Davis gets hurt every year. Carr is on his back half the time.

Reggie would have completely changed their offensive dynamic - teams currently just tee off on the guy because they're not afraid of anyone else Houston has at the RB or WR position. Good luck getting Carr more time with Williams out there. Oh wait, he plays D, nevermind.

And finally, they talk about the Colts. They need to worry about the rest of their division before they worry about the Colts, and they could have made themselves better with Bush out there.

Stupid...

[GrandeDavid]

I've found something positive, hang on...

[Horry For 3!]

They could have picked up Reggie, kept their next 3 picks like they already were, and been even better off for them.

They have no playmakers on that team. Any of their WRs can be shut down M2M, and Davis gets hurt every year. Carr is on his back half the time.

Reggie would have completely changed their offensive dynamic - teams currently just tee off on the guy because they're not afraid of anyone else Houston has at the RB or WR position. Good luck getting Carr more time with Williams out there. Oh wait, he plays D, nevermind.

And finally, they talk about the Colts. They need to worry about the rest of their division before they worry about the Colts, and they could have made themselves better with Bush out there.

Stupid...
They drafted a OG and OT to protect Carr.

[GrandeDavid]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft06/columns/story?columnist=smith_michael&id=2426963

Williams right fit for Texans

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Michael Smith
ESPN.com

Reviewing the big stories from round one of the NFL Draft ...

Mario goes to Houston

If you read my column last Monday, then you already know my feelings -- and obviously the Texans felt the same way -- about Houston taking Mario Williams over USC's Reggie Bush. So the only thing that surprises me is that more people don't agree.


I guess people are just having a hard time comprehending how the Texans could take a player most fans and many in the media (including myself, in all honesty) never had heard of before the scouting combine over one who we had watched in amazement for two years. Nobody seemed to believe Houston, but it's obvious now that the Texans were serious about going one way or the other.
They went the right way.

It's not about Williams being a better player than Bush. That's debatable. It's about who's better for the Texans. That's been my point all draft week. It's about the more valuable, more impact position -- defensive end. It's about having a potentially explosive offense or a competitive defense. Houston gave up the most points in the league last year. Opposing quarterbacks put up MVP-type numbers against Houston: 65 percent, 24 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, a 100.0 efficiency rating. Unless Bush was going to play cornerback, too, he wouldn't have helped the Texans in that department. And thus he wouldn't have helped Houston add a Super Bowl championship to the national title the state's university won this year anytime soon, because defense wins ... well, you know.

Houston never has beaten Indianapolis in eight tries. If the Texans are to ever overtake the Colts they have to start harassing Peyton Manning the way the Chargers, Patriots, and Steelers do. And now the Texans have to deal with Vince Young in the division. They see Byron Leftwich twice a year. Williams made more sense.

And while we're on the subject of cents (and dollars), believe me when I tell you that Williams over Bush was not a financial decision, either. Take that back, finances had a little something to do with it. The Texans had reservations about paying $9 million a year to a player who they weren't certain was going to carry the ball more than 15 times a game. Sure when he's on the field he has to be accounted for but, in Houston's mind, it's questionable accounting to invest so much in a player out of whom a team may get the most if his touches are limited. We'll soon see. And don't think the Texans didn't notice Bush standing on the sideline at key moments of the Rose Bowl.

Back to Williams. A lot of people like to point out that all but one of his 14½ sacks came in NC State's first four games and that he had a sack in only 16 of his 36 collegiate games. Well, how many players have a sack in every game. Production by an end can't always be measured in sacks. The Texans studied the film and saw how often Williams pressured the quarterback out of the pocket or drew double teams and extra attention or penetrated the backfield (52 tackles for loss along with 25½ sacks in his career). The Texans didn't have a defensive player that teams feared, and Williams' presence should make not just Houston's defensive line but also its young secondary better.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

They drafted a OG and OT to protect Carr.

That's great, so who does he get to throw the ball to that can do something with it once they catch it?

[GrandeDavid]

Andre Johnson, Eric Moulds and Dominick Davis are all playmakers once the get the ball. Well, Johnson and Moulds are strong possession receivers, so I guess that's somewhat of a stretch. Whether the Texans may or may not have some guys who can make plays with the ball is irrelevant at this point, because the problem has been getting the ball to them. The Texans' O-Line has been a hideous disgrace to professional football in their short history.

[ducks]

very good article

bush was on the sideline alot in title game
bush 15 carries a game is nothing
lt has 25-30 a game

[ducks]

especially for the kind of money he wants

[ducks]

one more thing the saints are already planing to keep their other running back
just like trojans
so they already no bush is not a running back for every down

[samikeyp]

I think Mario Williams will be a very good player for Houston but I just think Bush was the better pick. Who knows Dave, maybe it will turn out to be the right move.

[Horry For 3!]

That's great, so who does he get to throw the ball to that can do something with it once they catch it?
Ever heard of Andre Johnson, Eric Moulds and Kevin Walter?????? Also, Davis is a good receiving RB.

I guess you do not know football.

[A-Train]

Ever heard of Andre Johnson, Eric Moulds and Kevin Walter?????? Also, Davis is a good receiving RB.

I guess you do not know football.

Don't forget Jeb Putzier, TE, formerly of the Broncos. The Texans' offense is going to be pretty explosive given the current talent. In free agency they picked up a solid center in Mike Flanagan and now they have two good prospects for the offensive line. Sherman should be able to put together a significantly improved line next season and I expect that the offensive production will be greatly improved next season. Adding Bush to that mix, though, would've been awesome.

It was a bad pick at #1, but that decision will not set back the Texans from having an above average offense soon.

The Texans made the pick, in part, because of the assumption that Kubiak can replicate what he had in Denver in which any back plugged into the offense was a 1,000+ yard rusher. Their decision was that the incremental value of Bush to them was a little less than for other teams. The defense does need some work, as it sucked hard last season, but in my opinion you don't pass up the opportunity to match up Bush with the offensive mind of Kubiak. It's also not like the team had ignored the defense in free agency. The Texans better end up with a top 5 defensive line now.

[Slinkyman]

Texans actually did pretty well if those picks pan out, too bad they would have had the best draft of any team if they would have just used their common sense. Those other 3 picks were solid, then add bush to that and i'm thinking they could make the playoffs. Don't think so now, but i do now realize David Carr has no more excuses. He has Johnson, Moulds, Putzier as well as a revamped Oline so if he doesn't produce this year he is officially a bust!

[scott]

I like the Wali Lundy pick. He could be a good third down back.

[2centsworth]

Demeco Ryans is a stud, best player on the best defense in college football.

Charles Spencer is a Chris Landry favorite. Was Awesome at the senior bowl against top talent.

Eric Winston- Late first round talent.

The 3 are all awesome prospects. Then add Mario Williams who would have been the consensus #1 without Bush.

I love what the Texans did. They are committed to defense and a strong O line.

[fyatuk]

I think they did more to improve their team than anyone else.

Bush would not have improved the team as much as Williams does, and the Saints would have gladly taken Williams at #2.

Granted I think they would have done better by trying to trade down and draft D'Brick and addressing the DL later, but I would have been extremely disappointed in the Texans if they had taken Bush instead of doing things that can make a much bigger difference.

[theMUHMEshow]

it was better than the Lions

[TheTruth]

I would have taken Bush with the #1 pick, but as a HUGE Broncos fan (and someone who has watched Kubiak work over the years) I don't think he will be missed as much as people think after D. Davis rips 1500 in Kubes offense.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

He could very well turn out to be like Julius Peppers

Or Andre Wadsworth. The Texans receive an F strictly for passing up the best player in the draft.

[2centsworth]

Or Andre Wadsworth. The Texans receive an F strictly for passing up the best player in the draft.
That's ridiculous. One player does not make a team like it does in the NBA. I thought Houston should have traded down and picked up additional picks. Nevertheless, Demeco Ryans, Charles Spencer, and Eric Winston make their draft way above average. Add Mario Williams and Houston has gone from 2 wins to 6 - 8 wins.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

That's ridiculous. One player does not make a team like it does in the NBA. I thought Houston should have traded down and picked up additional picks. Nevertheless, Demeco Ryans, Charles Spencer, and Eric Winston make their draft way above average. Add Mario Williams and Houston has gone from 2 wins to 6 - 8 wins.


They get an F because they stayed at 1 and didn't draft the best player available. What's the point of having the 1st overall pick if you decide not to take the best overall player at the time? Bush is more of proven commodity now than Mario Williams.

I didn't like their draft after that either. For a team with a horrendous line, waiting until the 3rd round to address it is flat out stupid. Justice was an excellent value at 33 yet they passed on him. Adding a 5th TE(Daniels) at pick 98 made zero sense, especially with guys like Gilles, Whimper, Toledo, Scott, etc. still on the board.

Williams, Justice, Alston, Winston would have been a home run for the Texans. Bush would have made it a GS...

[2centsworth]

They get an F because they stayed at 1 and didn't draft the best player available. What's the point of having the 1st overall pick if you decide not to take the best overall player at the time? Bush is more of proven commodity now than Mario Williams.
I would have taken bush over williams too, but in the NFL drafting for a need sometimes works out better. It's the reason why teams like the Packers and Niners past on Leinart, they didn't have a need for a QB.


I didn't like their draft after that either. For a team with a horrendous line, waiting until the 3rd round to address it is flat out stupid. Justice was an excellent value at 33 yet they passed on him. Adding a 5th TE(Daniels) at pick 98 made zero sense, especially with guys like Gilles, Whimper, Toledo, Scott, etc. still on the board.

They needed quality OL picks and they got them. For you or I to think we know for certain which 2 or 3 rd OL pick is going to be much better than the other is unrealistic. Spencer and Winston are high quality picks. Giles and Justice would have been nice too.


Williams, Justice, Alston, Winston would have been a home run for the Texans. Bush would have made it a GS...
Kiper gave them a B+ and so did Chris Landry. Not to say those guys know it all, but Houston had far from an F draft.

[chode_regulator]

ive said it before and ill say it again
the texans didnt need reggie bush
granted he WAS a playmaker in COLLEGE, doesnt mean he'll be a good pro. not saying he wont be but....
they had a back that almost rushed for a 1000 yds and a franchise qb that hastn done good. why do you think that is? bc the o line blows and they dont have any receivers. and they dont win games bc their defense sucks.

edit:though they should have traded the pick. at least go dwon to 2, that way you still get mario and im sure you could have gotten away with a ludicrous offer for the no 1 pick. thats the only reason i see them fucking up