Texans off-season thread

[Texansfan713]

On ‎4‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 12:19 PM, EliteTexan80 said:

Nonetheless, it's not like he's going to steal snaps from Dez, who is the superior player. He's on a cheap deal, so you're not losing anything if he gets beat out.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/23316175/wide-receiver-dez-bryant-turns-multi-year-contract-offer-baltimore-ravens

 

Article says he wants a one year prove it deal like we gave Honey Badger.  Get it done Gaine!

[ET80]

29 minutes ago, Texansfan713 said:

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/23316175/wide-receiver-dez-bryant-turns-multi-year-contract-offer-baltimore-ravens

 

Article says he wants a one year prove it deal like we gave Honey Badger.  Get it done Gaine!

Very interesting - surprised the Ravens didn't give him a one year deal. There's interest.

[jch1911]

Rest of off-season

Free Agents / Trades (can take or leave any of these)

RB Adrian Peterson (AZ – 1 year, up to $2M)

WR Dez Bryant (DAL – 1 year, up to $4M)

TE Marcedes Lewis (JAX – 1 year, up to $2M)

TE Dwayne Allen (NEP) à conditional 2019 6^th (if Allen starts 8 games or more, moves to a 5th)

T Austin Howard (BAL – 1 year, up to $3M)

T Bryan Baluga (GB) conditional 2019 5th (if Baluga starts 10 games or more, moves to a 4th)

CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (NYG – 1 year, up to $3M)

 

Draft

3-68 RB Nick Chubb (Georgia)

3-80 TE Ian Thomas (Indiana)

3-98 T Brandon Parker (NC A&T)

4-103 OLB/DE Tyquan Lewis (Ohio State) [or Ade Aruna (Tulane)]

4-128 DE PJ Hall (Sam Houston State) trade 6-177 + CB Kareem Jackson to SF for 4-128

5-146 S Troy Apke (Penn State) or Tarvarius Moore (S. Mississippi) trade 6-211 + WR Braxton Miller to Seattle for 5-146)

6-214 CB Andre Chachere (SD State) or Emmanuel Moseley (Tennessee)

7-222 QB Chad Kanoff  (Princeton)

 

UDFA / Practice Squad

QB Ryan Burns (Stanford)

RB Trenton Cannon (Virginia State)

FB Julian Allen (Southern Mississippi)

Any of the following WRs

- WR Derrick Willies (Texas Tech)

- WR Jacob Sannon (Idaho)

- WR Saeed Blacknall (Penn State)

- WR Teo Redding (Bowling Green)

T Gerhard de Beer (Arizona)

T Tyler Howell (Missouri)

G / C Patrick Morris (TCU)

G / C Evan Brown (SMU)

G / T Korey Cunningham (Cincinnati)

DE Sebastian Joseph (Rutgers)

NT Du’Vonta Lampkin (Oklahoma)

LB Jacob Pugh (Florida State)

CB Keion Crossen (W. Carolina)

S Jon Owens (Missouri Western)

 

[jch1911]

Where is the shock emoji?

Quote

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports that the team has dismissed assistant general manager Jimmy Raye III, director of college scouting Jon Carr, assistant director of college scouting Mike Martin, college scouting coordinator Matt Jansen and college scout Seth Turner.

https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-changes-personnel-department-191750658.html

https://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/Texans-dismiss-scouting-execs-Jimmy-Raye-Jon-12873074.php

 

[Pastor Dillon]

So Peter Kalmabayi is 6ft 2 and 252 pounds and ran a 4.57 at the combine. Thats some impressive stuff. He could be a special teams player for us. 

 

[Pastor Dillon]

So post draft depth Chart looks something like this?

QB: Watson / Weeden / Webb
RB: Miller / Foreman / Ervin / Blue
FB: Prousch
WR: Hopkins / Ellington / Miller
WR: Fuller / Coutee / Coats
TE: Griffin / Akins / Anderson / Thomas
LT: Davenport / Lamm
LG: Fulton / Fuller
C: Martin / Mancz
RG: Allen / Kelemete
RT: Henderson / Rankin

 

DE: Covington / Dunn
DT: Reader / Watkins
DE: Wyatt / Heath
OLB: Mercilus / Ejiofor
ILB: Mckinney / Cole
ILB Cunningham / Kalambayi
OLB: Clowney / Scarlett
CB: Colvin / Jackson
CB: Joseph / Johnson
S: Hal / Reid
S: Matheau / Moore

we still have a lot of questions in the secondary and on the O-line. LT is still up in the air, as is a true #1 shutdown CB. The secondary has the chance to be good if Matheau can live up to his potential, Colvin can transition to the outside, Johnson could ever live up to his draft spot, JJoe hold up another year and Reid really becomes a steal in the draft. Lots of Ifs. The o-line is the same. Lots of potential with guys like Davenport and Rankin, but totally unproven. 
 

[ET80]

2 hours ago, jch1911 said:

Where is the shock emoji?

https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-changes-personnel-department-191750658.html

https://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/Texans-dismiss-scouting-execs-Jimmy-Raye-Jon-12873074.php

 

Eh, not too much of a shock, IMO. These guys were dead men walking, holdovers from the Rick Smith era. You didn't want to start from scratch on player evals, so you keep the guys from Smith's regime until you're done with the draft.

[jch1911]

10 minutes ago, EliteTexan80 said:

Eh, not too much of a shock, IMO. These guys were dead men walking, holdovers from the Rick Smith era. You didn't want to start from scratch on player evals, so you keep the guys from Smith's regime until you're done with the draft.

That's why I had the ninja emoji - swift, silent, ruthless, efficient  

[jch1911]

 

Quote

 

Texans re-signed RB Alfred Blue to a one-year contract.

After striking out on a running back in the draft, the Texans are bringing back Blue to bolster their depth. He should serve as the No. 3 option when Lamar Miller and D'Onta Foreman are healthy.

 

 

[jch1911]

Welp... cross him off the list.  After this weekend, I am thinking a deal could be struck for Bulaga (maybe KJax for Bulaga?)

Quote

 

TMZ Sports reports Raiders LT Donald Penn is a "suspect in a domestic violence incident."

According to TMZ, the police were called to Penn's home in Los Angeles on Sunday evening after an altercation in which he allegedly poured a drink on his wife's head and grabbed her by the wrist. Penn was allegedly not at the scene when police arrived. TMZ reports the incident is currently under investigation.

 

 

[Texansfan713]

31 minutes ago, jch1911 said:

 

 

i wished we drafted a rb in the draft to make him expendable.

[dsorc]

8 hours ago, Pastor Dillon said:

So post draft depth Chart looks something like this?

QB: Watson / Weeden / Webb
RB: Miller / Foreman / Ervin / Blue
FB: Prousch
WR: Hopkins / Ellington / Miller
WR: Fuller / Coutee / Coats
TE: Griffin / Akins / Anderson / Thomas
LT: Davenport / Lamm
LG: Fulton / Fuller
C: Martin / Mancz
RG: Allen / Kelemete
RT: Henderson / Rankin

 

DE: Covington / Dunn
DT: Reader / Watkins
DE: Wyatt / Heath
OLB: Mercilus / Ejiofor
ILB: Mckinney / Cole
ILB Cunningham / Kalambayi
OLB: Clowney / Scarlett
CB: Colvin / Jackson
CB: Joseph / Johnson
S: Hal / Reid
S: Matheau / Moore

we still have a lot of questions in the secondary and on the O-line. LT is still up in the air, as is a true #1 shutdown CB. The secondary has the chance to be good if Matheau can live up to his potential, Colvin can transition to the outside, Johnson could ever live up to his draft spot, JJoe hold up another year and Reid really becomes a steal in the draft. Lots of Ifs. The o-line is the same. Lots of potential with guys like Davenport and Rankin, but totally unproven. 
 

Always good to look at this, particularly in regard tho where an UDFA might make the roster. Right now you have it as 28 on offense and 22 on defense. I think 25/25 is more likely. I would drop Webb, Miller, and Kyle Fuller on offense. In general, it looks like we will have plenty of competition at WR/TE/RB and the final offense spots could fluctuate between those positions. On defense, Kalambayi is an OLB and I would expect the last 3 spots to go to DBs and LBs that will also contribute to special teams. Probably Ben Heeneny, Jermaine Kelley, and Johnson Bademosi right now. Training camp should be interesting with a lot of position battles, particularly with regards to depth and the major story line of the OL alignment.

[jch1911]

Texans cut tight end Zach Conque, cornerback Bryce Jones, tight end Ryan Malleck and linebacker Gimel President.

[Apollo Stallion]

I downloaded a post-draft update from my go-to Madden franchise guy today (Real2018 by "That Franchise Guy" on XBOX if you are interested).  Honestly, I can barely even stand the neglected simplistic franchise mode of this game which has been stagnant for a decade as EA monetizes stupid MUT crap I have zero interest in, but it's always fun to plug in a new roster and fiddle around.  BTW - He puts a ridiculous amount of man hours into overhauling the ratings for the entire league with particular emphasis on realistic ratings separation from the tops and bottoms of rosters and free agents.  Madden also slots rookies by draft position instead of talent which is silly as you'll never convince me Terrell Edmunds is a better safety than Justin Reid despite 2 rounds difference.  Anyway, some interesting insights for whatever it's worth:

QB - 15 Pt gap between Watson and Weedon is big, but far from the worst dropoff.  R. Wilson - Morris (34), Brees - Savage (27), Roethlisberger - Rudolph (26),  Newton-Gilbert (23), Rivers - Geno Smith  (22), Garoppolo - Beathard (20), Brady - Hoyer (19),  Rodgers - Hundley (19), Stafford - Cassel (18),  Ryan - Schaub (17),  Carr - Manuel (16).  Personally, I think he has D. Watson rated too low and our history under O'Brien certainly underscores the need for 2 quality backups, but fully 1/3 of the league is as screwed as we are if the starter goes down.  I sure would love to see us make a move to get Bridgewater, Hundley, Kizer, RG3, Gabbert, Landry Jones, or Hoyer.  Josh Dobbs would make a nice PS project.

O-Line Ratings - Fulton (79), Martin (76), Kelemete (72), Allen (71), Quessenberry (71), Mancz (71), Slade (71), Lamm (70), Henderson (69), Davenport (69), Fuller (67), Ranken (67),  Rodgers (58).  Personally, I don't think Fulton is that much better than the rest and Quessenberry, Slade, and Lamm are each 2 or 3 points too high.  It gives us great marks for strength with Henderson, Allen, Mancz, Fulton, Kelemente, Martin, Davenport all 85+, but only 2 80+ Pass Blockers (Fulton/Martin), and Davenport at 76.  Henderson is top Run Blocker at 79, followed by Lamm, Martin, Fulton.  My starting lineup l->r would be Davenport - Fulton - Martin - Kelemete - Henderson.  Other options include Ranken - Fulton - Martin - Allen - Davenport, or probably my favorite long-term Davenport - Ranken - Martin - Fulton - Henderson. Just for reference, the Titans line goes 88-79-85-81-82, Jags 72-89-87-77-77, Colts 84-86-82-82-70.  Our depth has improved and we've got some upside potential vs. dead weight in XSF/Giacomini , but on paper, this remains the worst o-line in football and it isn't even close.  Seattle and Cinn's right sides are a mess and the AFC East group of Buffalo, NYJ, and Miami are the only other one's besides ours to not have a player rated above 80.   

[Apollo Stallion]

Defensive Insights from updated Madden ratings:

Our front 7 is just scary good.  96-83-76,  88-84-77-91.  Backups are 77-73-72-72-72-71-70 which is better than our starting o-line.  I know everyone thInks Ejiofor is likely just Mercilus' backup at LOLB, but I really think he could be a big cog that could enable us to have Clowney play more RE opposite JJ or play there himself, not to mention moving JJ inside more which will reduce the strain on his back/knees with the spin/swim moves. 

CBs - Joseph (76), Colvin (75), K. Johnson (74), K. Jackson (74), Bademosi (71), Decoud (68)

Safeties - Mathieu (84), J. Reid (73), Hal (72), Moore (71), Drummond (62), Campbell (62)

Interestingly Mathieu has higher man coverage ratings than all of them and Reid has highest zone coverage and they are also our two fastest and best hands, tacklers. Much like o-line, I think this secondary are pretty interchangeable parts and it wouldn't shock me one bit if Mathieu and Reid see more time at CB than Kareem or Kevin Johnson especially in Crennel's preferred cover 1 where Hal can be deep FS. Personally, given our injury history and miles of cap space, I'm fine keeping Kareem around, but both he and Jeff Allen are most definitely trade bait should the right player or draft pick be offered up.