Rate our draft

[GroovyTexan]

Your 2009 Draft Class

1 15 Brian Cushing ILB 6-3 243
2 46 Connor Barwin DE 6-4 256
3 77 Antoine Caldwell OG 6-3 309
4 112 Glover Quin CB 5-11 204
4 122 Anthony Hill TE 6-5 262
5 152 James Casey TE 6-3 246
6 188 Brice McCain CB 5-09 185
7 223 Troy Nolan FS 6' 203

My grade is a B-

Pros:
-Addressed our OLB position need with presumably the 2nd best OLB in the draft
-Addressed the speed rusher need with a guy that should become our situational pass rusher
-Addressed the secondary need with back-up players - (quality yet to be determined)
-this draft along with FA signings should materially improve our overall defense
-Two starters - Cushing and Caldwell
-Draft picks have alot of versatility and will bring added competition for starting positions

Cons:
-Didn't address the RB position - a big weakness if Slaton goes down with an injury and something the FO discussed addressing in the draft
-Most of our draft picks have a history of injuries
-High risk bets on defensive backfield. Guys played at small schools, speed concerns.
-Passed on higher rated talent to go with draft room favorites
-Not all the picks were 4 year starters in college contrary to Kubes' comments at the presser

Best Value pick - Caldwell
Worst Value pick - Anthony Hill

Who will turn into this class's best pick (TBD in year 3): Connor Barwin

Biggest Shock: Taking 2 TEs in an area that on paper doesn't look like a need definitely raised my eyebrows.

I would have given us a B or B+ if we had taken a RB like Andre Brown in the 4th.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda draft (hindsight coupled with opinion is twenty twenty, right?)

1 15 Pettigrew TE - Blocking TE, potential OD replacement, and BPA
2 46 Connor Barwin OLB (SAM) Back-up to Diles until he wins job
3 77 Antoine Caldwell OG
4 112 Andre Brown RB - Slaton insurance, big back for goalline
4 122 Lawrence Sidbury DE - rush specialists and DE development project, back-up/Could also have gone with Coye Francies CB - take your pick
5 152 Michael Hamlin SS - Probably wins starting job from Barber
6 188 Ricky Jean Francois DT - 1st round talent, rotational guy, falls because of an injury-rittled 2008
7 223 Troy Nolan FS - Wilson's back-up

What are YOUR thoughts about our draft?

[Whiskeyrbl]

I'm to drained to go into detail right now , but I would give them a strong B,B+. Somewhere in there.

[zanth91]

It's unfortunate that we didn't get a RB. But the players that we picked up are very special. I give us a...

B

[tyhague]

overall i liked our draft. not in love with it, but very pleased.

I loved the Cushing selection, he provides a bit of a nasty streak which has been missing since really the beginning of this franchise. I think he's a 100 tackle a year man and was a very solid pick here.

Connor Barwin was most definitly the guy i wanted in the second round, we didn't need him here, but i think he can definitly be a solid special team player and a situational pass rusher. With him our pass rush could be Mario, Smith, Barwin, Okoye... that's pretty solid.

Caldwell is going to be a solid NFL center especially in our system. I really liked this pick too, so far we were three for three.

In all honesty i don't know much about Quin... so if he gives us something positive i think it's simply a bonus.

Hill was our worst pick in my opinion as far as value goes. And then i really like the Casey selectoin, he'll give us a solid H-back type player and can play all over the field. I know we don't need a TE but he can play everywhere

The last two picks are intriguing, i'm not enamored iwth McCain, but the Nolan pick seems to have gone over well with the scouts, and i've watched him play in person and liked him quite a bit.

Overall i give us a B+ because we did fail to address the RB situaiton, but we might do that in FA after the draft. Also i think that we could have grabbed a safety in the second round instead of taking Barwin, but i like Barwin as a football player so that's kind of a wash IMO. I think Smith and Kubiak did a very nice job and i believe our defense is going to be much improved this season. We could challenge for a top 10 defense i really believe that.

Nicely done guys. Playoffs this season no doubt in my mind if we can avoid the injury bug.

[Boz]

C

Pick 15 is the netherworld; move up or move down, Cushing just gives me the prima donna vibe, Hopefully he will knock Jones-Drew and Chris Johnson out, then he can be a prima donna.

Barwin is just too much of a bust risk for a team still recovering from the Babin experiment.

Caldwell has a great pedigree. Pre-draft reports said he played stiff but he might become the leader of the O line in couple of years and lead it for 4 or 5 after that.

Casey is a home town hero, a feel good story; but he''s just insurance for Owen Daniels. And TE's are never exciting.

The other guys, who knows; probably just new faces for the practice squad.

I don't think we got a lot better really, not compared to say, the Bengals. They got better.

[Wolfscar]

At least a B - there's no player drafted that I don't think will be able to come in and contribute. Really liked the Casey and Nolan picks.

I wasn't sure at all when we took Barwin, but I've been doing a little research and I'm liking it more and more as I learn more about the guy.

There's still talent out there in the UDFA market too - if we capitalise on that then it goes up to a B+ for me, but I couldn't believe we passed up on Andre Brown in the fourth and Sidbury in the 5th. Both of those would have been absolute steals.

[BD88]

Gotta go with BOZ.

C

[Schaubie Love]

B+

Love the versatility and athleticism.

Five players I've got a sense from checking out clips and interviews of.

Cushing is a beast and solidifies the Texans as the best linebacking corp in the NFL. Legit Pro-Bowl caliber.

Love Barwin's speed and ability to get to the QB. Allows us to bring him in on 3rd downs and slot Smith inside. Going to cause havok on opposing QBs. Also he's going to be a special teams assassin.

Antoine Caldwell. Should be a starter by the end of the season. Alex Gibbs continues to get great talent suited to the zone blocking scheme.

Anthony Hill brings us a great run blocking TE to replace Mark Bruener who's retiring. James Casey brings us a good recieving TE who can also line up as a HB, FB or WR and be a long snapper. Both guys are to be great on special teams.

Our team is much improved.

[el toro]

A-

This draft was tilted towards the defensive side of things, which makes sense given where the weakness on the team lies. Not sure why so many are complaining about the lack of a RB among the Texans' picks. Drafting purely for position, rather than considering the overall talent, will result in worthless players, no matter the sport.

The Texans are drafting versatility and athleticism. Most of these picks are not going to contribute right away. Fans always have unrealistic expectations and frankly, don't know as much as their liquid courage fueled rants make them think they know.

If you find yourself steamed because the Texans didn't draft a RB in the 7th round, go rub one out.

[Boz]

The question is (will be) did we draft better than most of the other 32 teams.
Everyone will love their draft, "got who we targeted' but still 16 teams will be 8-8 or better and 16 will worse.

My initial impression is we only drafted in the middle of the pack, or less.

[lilbush]

B-
I believe we added athletic players to our team. My question is why did we draft mulitple players at the same position:
2: TEs/CBs/SAM LBs/

[TexansNutt]

I would have gone Everett Brownin the 1st. Sean Smith in the 2nd. Mike Mickens in the 3rd. Andre Brown and Tyronne Green in the 4th . Sammie Lee Hill in the 5th. AQ shipley in the 6th and either Grahm Gano or Grahm Harrell in the 7th. I do think we will be looking back at this draft in years to come and be happy. Cush is the next Romanowski......without the baggage. Barwin is the net Jared Allen.....without the cheapshot late hits to QB's knees.I like Caldwell to start by the end of the seaon at either C or RG. I liked Hill, just not so early, and the Casey pick was beautiful. I went on u-tube and checked out Troy Nolan and I think he's gonna be the steal of this entie Draft. He will take someones job this year. YEEHAW!!!!! Maybe I gotta change that B to an A!!!!!!:cool:

[gforce365]

B

i figured we would go LB in the 1st round. if we stayed at 15, take Matthews or Cushing. If we traded down, take at the remaining USC LB available, Barwin, or another pass rusher. So i am somewhat pleased that we were able to get both even though i wish we couldve traded down. i was hoping we would get a Center, because i was tired of seeing Myers get thrown around. The first 3 rounds were solid to me.

in rounds 4-7, we added some good players who should help our offense and secondary a lot. plus add some depth and versatility.

my major knock is that they didnt address RB. even though it would only be a complementary back, it would still be nice to see another back. but knowing the Texans, they will wait until someone gets cut.

[Wolf123]

I give us a solid B, my only complaint is we need another couple of young running backs. Lets hope the texans get a bunch of undrafted players in here.

[mydaughters2]

Yes a B overall......hopefully they will adress another running back before TC starts in July......

[CoogBull]

C or C-.

Not sure if we got better in this draft. Passed up a lot of talent. This draft did not leave us poised to take over the AFC South anytime soon.

[BMT TEXAN]

B+
This draft class should be called "Blue-Collar Class" Nothing sexy bout them but guys who all have worked hard on their game. Athlectisism, Versatility & Nastiness is what this group brings. New DC, new philosophy, strategy, attitude & throw in some hungry rookies w/ what we have already, AFC SOUTH fix'ng to take notice. Nice draft Smith & Kubes!!!:cool:

[Otisbean]

I would give them a B+. To address a couple of comments:

It doesn't matter if we draft better or worse then other teams, the only concern should be did we improve our team. I believe we did quite a bit. We got a tough, in your face thumper at SAM. We got an incredibly athletic DE - those that compare this guy to Babin have never seen him play, this kids a beast. We got a solid interior lineman. We got a TE that can actually block and another athletic freak that can fill multiple roles, for those that remember Keith Beyers with the Eagles, Casey could very well be a more athletic version of KB. We have DBs that can run, since we play alot of man you have to have guys that run.

Did we pass up some talent? maybe, but that is assuming these talented guys fit what we are trying to do, maybe they don't and that's why we passed on them.

To go back to the TEs anyone that has watched the Broncos over the years, going back to the Elway days, you should understand how important the TE position is to our system. I think these guys will not only improve our passing game, but dramatically improve our running game as well.

Third, we should have one of the top ST units in the league after this draft, and you should never underestimate the importance of this phase.

Additionally, we aren't done adding players. We have the UFAs and there will be players cut from other teams that will get caught up in a numbers game.

[TEXANBRONCO]

i like most of our picks:D doubling up on TE,S and CB,s is a gr8 thing. KUBIAK seems to be using his mind and developing a new offensive system as well. i am haveing fun trying to think of all the possibilities of all the TE,s that we will be having on the field at the same time:D....i have NEVER heard of a team having 4 TE,s before. so i love what i am seeing.....CUSHING....OH YA BABY......WE LOVE YA only way i givem an A is if we got MATTHEWS too.. a very solid B:D

[houstonsportsfan09]

B-

Cushing: I'm just not high on him. I've already mentioned in other threads of all the "negatives" or questions that come with him.

Barwin: Has boom or bust potential. May be high for him depending on how much he sees the field.

Caldwell: This might be my "favorite" pick of the draft. With some work and experience, he can solidify the O-Line spot at either the guard spot or center spot for some years to come.

Glover: Looks solid on tape from college, let's see if he can translate it into the pro game. Also can play either S or CB like Malcolm Jenkins, who many wanted.(No I'm not saying he is Malcolm Jenkins, but with work and practice, Glover could be a nice addition)

Hill: Many people question and bash this pick but I think it's a good pick. Many people may have forgot that we lost our blocking TE in Bruener. Here is where Hill steps in and takes over. As Kubiak mentioned in the post draft presser, he can be a big help when going against the 3-4 teams. He's not the flashy player who will get you TD's like OD or big name player but I think Hill could be a nice addition.

Casey: This is probably my second "favorite" pick. Of course I say that because he is the hometown player, but also showed versatility in college. We can only hope he works hard and can translate it into the pros.

McCain: Honestly, never really heard of this guy til today. Though, I have heard he has good speed and could help in the ST department.

Nolan: Looks like a ballhawk safety. Reads the QB and "attacks" the ball wherever it goes. In 25 career college games, has 10 ints with half of them being returned for TDs. Pretty good and could be a sleeper pick if he amounts to anything in the next few years.

[Texian]

I have to agree with Lombardi and NFLN, Texans had one of the worst drafts.

[Texan Naija]

B+

Got a lot of guys that could in the future turn out to be great, I am guessing Casey will be groomed to be our Halfback, for goal line situations, so technically that might be short yardage pick. Not sure on McCain but if he is as fast as they say, he might replace or team up with Molden to improve our special teams defense. Barwin also is something of mystery, but he will have plenty of time to learn thanks to the FA signing of Smith.


Overall, I like it, it didn't blow anyone away but you can't expect it too when you have a team as solid as the Texans are on paper, we mostly needed some young depth in the defensive positions.

[chjoak]

- I was disappointed initially by Cushing because I wanted a trade down. I've gotten over that and the pick is growing on me. My only concern is injury history.
- Love Barwin. If we use him properly he could turn out to be the gem of our draft.
- I was disappointed initially by Caldwell because I was expecting a RB (Brown). However, I got over that quickly and really like the pick now.
- Initially I was confused by Quin. I like what I read about him and think he could be a good pick (I think his future is at FS) but I can't help but wonder if we could have gotten him later.
- I like the idea of Hill but I think we could have gotten him much later. This pick should have been Andre Brown.
- Love Casey. Like his versatility and could see him developing into another OD for us.
- McCain is interesting. He will be the next Molden-esque CB project for the coaching staff. hopefully he works out.
- Don't know much about Nolan but he is a 7th so I won't complain.

Overall the only pick that really confuses me is Hill. First, because we probably could have drafted him in the 5th or 6th. Seems to me if we had no intention of getting a RB, we could have traded down with one of our 4ths, picked up an extra pick and still got the same players. Second, I'm thoroughly confused by the drafting of 2 TEs.

[CoogBull]

Everytime I read a spin on this draft I can't help but dismiss it with a wanking motion.

[GroovyTexan]

I have to agree with Lombardi and NFLN, Texans had one of the worst drafts.

all that matters is whether or not we improved our porous run defense, putting pressure on QBs, and red zone/short yardage efficiency. I can't tell you with any certainty that we accomplished any of these major team needs, hence my B- grade. If we accomplished them, then I will be the first to condemn myself for offering a weak grade. I certainly don't want to bet against Rick Smith but I will question this draft until the results speak for themselves.

I would have liked to have seen the majority of our picks targeted at solving our major weaknesses but instead we spent 4 of our 8 picks on pass defense and pass offense (2 CBs, 1 S, and 1 TE). I will put the blocking TE pick in the short yardage situation bucket - even though that position only marginally helps with stuffing the ball up the middle. Instead we could have grabbed the big guy we needed to stuff the ball up the middle. Additionally, I wish we could have at least taken a talented SS like Chip Vaughn or Hamlin (guys that were 4 year starters with solid production) that could help support the run instead of 2 CBs with questionable experience (either in years or competition). I don't think we nailed this draft in any case and it IS THE MOST IMPORTANT draft we have had because we are so close to being a pretty decent team that could make the playoffs vs. an average team.

While I can't predict how well this draft class will perform, I can tell you that we still have a major hole to fill in finding a quality back-up to Slaton during the rest of the offseason. This talk of Chris Brown being the answer is amusing to me. I hope our FO hasn't convinced themselves that he is the answer. If we can add this piece of the puzzle to our team before August (we failed during the draft - due to our own choosing), then I will feel pretty good that we have done about as much as one can in one off-season to improve a team and give the final grade of B+ to our entire off season. A B+ ought to be enough to take us to the playoffs but a B- may just get us one more win or another 8-8 season.

[Hound]

I'd give the Texans a B+ for addressing team needs... but only a C- for addressing some of our dreams.


We didn't get Andre Brown... and his 4.4 YPC average last year. Wow what a disappointment.

But we did just sign RB Arian Foster (Tennessee)... the big banger back we need. And he average 4.4 YPC too...

[tko54321]

I'm disappointed no hammer of an RB was picked, like a Shonn Greene. Not only is Steve Slayton's durability at risk, especially if the NFL goes to 18 games, but our red zone and short yardage run offense remain poor. The last few Super Bowl teams have employed a tandem of backs. Are the Texans behind in this philosophy? Why go after versatile, multi-role players starting with the 2nd pick when there are obvious single-role failures? Will they even try for a tough RB in other ways? The Ahman Green drama makes it seem the Texans cannot evalutate RBs. Is this due to the romantic idea that zone blocking will save everything?

[tko54321]

Try 6-10 if Slayton is hurt.

[bs58]

I would have been happy with a RB in the 2nd round or 1st for that matter. My feeling is the running game is more important than any one player on the defense we picked up in the draft. I think FO is maybe a little too cute in the draft. My feeling on Cushing is well known. I just don't feel he will physically be capable to help us. He will always be nicked or injured enough to not make him able to perform up to what we expected. Or he may just not be able to perform at this level. Draft grade C or D. I hope I am wrong.

[wildroot]

I give it a C.

We picked up a few good players that'll contribute, but IMO just not at the "need" positions we needed to fill that would have sprung us to the next level.

I thought we had to address in this order:

CB/S
RB
DT
maybe LB

Last draft we went in all pretty well agreeing that we needed a LT and a CB/S help. We got the LT and the thought after the draft was we'd get CB/S early in this year.
Slayton was a happy surprise but he had no one to share the load.
So CB/S and RB were the expected priorities.

I wasn't really impressed with Okoye and the LB picture has become a little up-in-the-air lately so I thought DT and LB would be a looked at little lower, mid-rounds.

So Jenkins' gone but there's still alot of talent in front of us; Davis, Delmas, Chung, Moore.
Ok, we go LB. A lower priority, but we picked up a good one. Since we just signed June, couldn't have we picked up a LB later though. Could have had Davis here. Maybe we'll pick up a CB at 46. It's all good.

So now we take Barwin at 46? Mario's the best DE in the league and we signed a top rung player in Smith a few months ago. So why the another DE? Come on guys, we need a DB and help for Sleepy! A quality player, (Barwin) but wasn't there eqaul value to be found in a Shonn Greene or Rashad Johnson that would fill a more immediate need? Right now I'd rather have Greene on our team over Barwin.

Ok, so we get Calwell...great athelete but did we need a OG worse than a DB or RB? Andre Brown was ours to take! I'm thinking Brown and Slayton together is going to get us closer to the "promised land' quicker than adding another O-lineman. I'm sure Kubs and Smith could have found us a player that could bolster our OL in later rounds.

Now we take Quin in the 4th. Not earth-shattering, but may push our CBs and work himself into the lineup. He's going to be hit-or-miss.

Here's where it gets strange...Hill then Casey! We have a pro-bowler at TE, do we really need TWO more! Alright...draft one, but two? Surely we're not entertaining the thought of dealing OD?!?

Mccain may pan out....may have found a jewel-in-the-rough here.

Nolan is a project, doubt will make the team. Not unexpected for this late in the draft.

So while we picked up some good talent this draft, I think we should have upgraded positions that need immediate help to get us to the next level and THEN start backfilling some of these other spots that we need depth for.

I'd have liked to have found a spot for Quan Cosby. I think he could have stepped in for JJ and is a solid reciever who could have seen some playing time.

We'll see how it all works out though. In any event, it was fun.

[GroovyTexan]

I'd give the Texans a B+ for addressing team needs... but only a C- for addressing some of our dreams.


We didn't get Andre Brown... and his 4.4 YPC average last year. Wow what a disappointment.

But we did just sign RB Arian Foster (Tennessee)... the big banger back we need. And he average 4.4 YPC too...

yea. i would put a c- on addressing some of our dreams too.... got me laffing on that one.

Hey, if Arian Foster is true (post the link), then my grade is already inching up towards yours. ;)

[Texan66]

I give r draft class a C. Like the fact of addressin the offensive line, just wish they had taken a rb in the 3rd r 4th round. Hopefully Barwin will turn into a good end for us. Really like the Caldwell pick, hes goin to be a good center for r Texans!!!!

[TheLBCoach]

I give Rick Smith an A-

A big RB would have been nice, but this isn't Rick's first time doing this...he will address the issue beyond Arian Foster.

[houstonsportsfan09]

I give Rick Smith an A-

A big RB would have been nice, but this isn't Rick's first time doing this...he will address the issue beyond Arian Foster.

I hope so. He did sure sound confident in Chris Brown in the post draft presser and said they didnt feel like they needed to come out of the draft with a RB.

[Humble1]

I would grade us a "C" unfortunately.

For the reasons already mentioned, unless there is a trade in the works for Owen, how are the Texans going to carry 4 TE's??? (one of which is our deep snapper also)

And, NO STUD running back to help improve our red zone offense which was terrible last year?????

Oh well, I hope our new LB can stop the Jags new RB that should have been ours!!!!!

[Texans86]

Here is the grade that John Czarnecki of Foxsports.com gives the Texans after the draft.


Houston

Several teams told me that the Texans picked some very athletic players, starting with USC outside linebacker Brian Cushing. Cincinnati defensive end Connor Barwin is a converted tight end who led the Big East with 11 sacks in his senior season. Barwin sounds like the next Mike Vrabel. Alabama's Antoine Caldwell started 34 of his 48 career games at center. He's a great long snapper and can also play guard.

New Mexico cornerback Glover Quin had a record 40 3/4-inch vertical jump while also squatting 500 pounds; he may be the strongest athlete at the position. Quin could end up being a free safety. Anthony Hill is a blocking tight end from North Carolina State, while everyone will be curious about Rice's James Casey, who had 111 receptions last season. Casey is a former baseball player who is a very special athlete. Grade: A

Of course, no grades of this draft are valid until three years out, but he seemed to like ours. One of the highest grades overall. He only gave out five A's.

[johndoe]

I havnt been able to pay attention to the draft since about the 6th round...what good RB's didnt get drafted???

[Texian]

I'd give the Texans a B+ for addressing team needs... but only a C- for addressing some of our dreams.


We didn't get Andre Brown... and his 4.4 YPC average last year. Wow what a disappointment.

But we did just sign RB Arian Foster (Tennessee)... the big banger back we need. And he average 4.4 YPC too...

Where they really screwed up was not getting Shonn Greene and his 6.0+ YPC. Thats why the J_E_T_S were so aggressive.

[GroovyTexan]

Where they really screwed up was not getting Shonn Greene and his 6.0+ YPC. Thats why the J_E_T_S were so aggressive.


or Beanie Wells in the first for that matter....... RB is developing into the same problem we had at OT (no disrespect to Slaton) - which we finally addressed in the first round last year. hint hint.

I loved the "RB didn't materialize" comment from Smith by the way. We had a whole draft starting with our first pick to make it materialize. Can't he say something better than that - like "I was disappointed we didn't end up with a RB so we are going to pursue this aggressively during the rest of FA" or something to that affect. Moreover, we had an extra pick to gamble on Andre Brown in the 4th - even if they did have their concerns. His ceiling is super high and, what do we hear about our ZBS scheme - any RB can run in our scheme or something like that..... Instead, we spent it on another gamble - a blocking TE with a history of injuries - that I will argue would have been there for us in the 5th. How many times a game will we use a two TE formation? Better yet, I guess we are going to use a 3 TE formation now with our newest gimick pick - Casey. Gimick's may work in Rice's conference - but not in the NFL.

Just ranting again while I am secretly rooting for them to put our questionable TE draft picks together to increase our red zone TD ratio.

If we have any type of RB issues this season, this year's draft won't matter in 2009 anyway. It may actually teach the FO a good lesson too and we go ahead and spend that valuable early pick on some top rated value that can run in tight space and move the pile.

oh well, guess it is time to move on (can't seem to make myself move on however) and hope they pull a rabit out of the hat in FA. I am definitely not counting that out (Smith for the most part does an excellent job in evaluating talent) even though any fix may just be another bandaid for a year.

[Wolf6151]

1. Cushing, this was a tough position to draft in and unfortunately there was no trade down. If he can stay healthy Cushing should be a great addition to our LB corp. Good pick.

2. Barwin, I really like the player, very athletic, big, and fast, but I hate the pick for the Texans. I don't understand picking a backup/rotational/situational DE in the 2nd round when there are other positions that still need starters like SS or RB. Good player, Bad pick.

3. Caldwell, I really like this player and pick. He fills a position of need and should kick either Myer or Brisiel to backup status and improve our O-line alot. Very good pick.

4. Quin, I've never heard of this guy and most other football fans haven't either. What's he going to add to our CB corp. that all the other mid round talent can't do? Bad pick.

4. Hill, I like this pick, a blocking TE was a need but this seems a little early to fill such a specialty position. He should help in the short yardage/goalline situations. It's a little early but good pick.

5. Casey, I don't understand this pick. What's he going to do from the bench that our Pro Bowl TE, Owen Daniels, can't already do? I like the player but this was a wasted pick when there were other positions that need attention. I can't imagine that 4th string TE was a real high priority. Good player, but bad pick.

6. McCain, What is a late round CB going to add to our already lousy secondary? This pick makes no sense. Are we really looking for insurance on Dunta with mid/late round CB's? Are we really going to possibly try to replace a 1st round pick/franchise player with a 6th round pick? Bad pick.

7. Nolan, This isn't a bad pick, he does fill a position of need but I wish we had addressed SS much earlier. He should battle with Barber for the starting position. Ehhhh pick.

Overall:
1. We didn't address our needs at RB. If Slaton goes down we're screwed. Do they really expect Chris Brown to be a backup/possible starter? That's a scary thought, and haven't we learned our lesson on injured veteran RB's, there was a reason their old team cut them. This position of need should have been filled in the 4th round and there was, surprisingly, plenty of quality talent left at that point

2. Our secondary was the worst part of the team last year and we didn't do much to change that in this draft. We took 2 mid/late round CB's that few people have even heard of and a SS/FS tweener in the 7th round. Boy I bet Peyton Manning is scared of us now because we got a CB from the powerhouse football program at New Mexico. Our secondary should have been addressed earlier or with better quality players that were still available when we picked.

3. 2 TE's doesn't make any sense when there are other positions of need that still need to be filled. A 4th string TE isn't as important as a starting SS or backup RB.

4. A backup/rotational/situational DE is a nice thing to have but not in the 2nd round where you should be looking for starters at other positions of need. Barwin will probably only see the field about 15 plays per game whereas a starting SS would be in on every defensive play.

I'm very disappointed in our draft and if I didn't know any better I'd sware that Al Davis or Matt Millen was in charge of our draft this year. Maybe we can hire Bill Bilichek as a consultant next year just before the draft because Smith/Kubiak don't seem to have a clue. I give this draft a D or C- at best, very disappointing.

[bayoudreamn]

I posted this in another thread in the bull pen, but it fits here so I thought I'd add it for those looking. It's an early draft rating from Fox Sports.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9501382?GT1=39002

Carnecki didn't even mention Nolan, he's expected to be a steal...even without that he still gave the Texans an A.

[outofhnd]

personally I like the Hill Pick we need to replace bruener the dude is almost tackle size so its like lining up 6 o linemen at the goal line which can help open holes or seal the edge. I wish we would have addressed running back but I feel we did well after the draft to address it. I think Arian Foster could really emerge. He will have a major chip on his shoulder.

James Casey is basically a do it all kind of guy should be a special teams standout and a reliable back up if Daniels or Dreesen goes down.

Caldwell is my favorite pick the dude can play. In my eyes he will be great.

You always draft a couple of corners you can never have too many cover guys. sure they may not be flashy sexy db picks, however in a weak class of defensive back there wasnt any that blew me away at the combine or pro day.

Safety I wish we would have gotten Johnson from alabama bu obviously Bush feels the secondary is good enough if he can put the heat on to play well. I expect Dunta to get a new deal for sure. Daniels has a prove me year or its dreesen and caseys show. Thats the business end of football its not the fans favorite thing but we atleast have him 2 years if the year goes uncapped. all in all we adressed some needs ignored others and may have found answers in the undrafted market.

Of everything I rate the picks like this

1. Caldwell - Player A steal
2. Barwin - Versatile can give our D a ton of hybrid looks
3. Cushing - Intense defender who is also very hybrid look ready
4. Foster - Possibly the dark horse to make this team remember barring injury he only touches the ball 12 times
5. Hill - Adds jumbo to our jumbo package
6. Casey - Hometown kid who adds versatility and could be a longsnapper and reserve TE
7. Quin & McCain - I can live with corner depth lets see what they do in camp before we slam them. McCain has speed so he may be the return man
8. Nolan - We have had luck here before maybe he is Diles 2.0

I trust our FO of all the teams we make the most of our drafts and retain most the players since 06

[GroovyTexan]

5. Casey, I don't understand this pick. What's he going to do from the bench that our Pro Bowl TE, Owen Daniels, can't already do? I like the player but this was a wasted pick when there were other positions that need attention. I can't imagine that 4th string TE was a real high priority. Good player, but bad pick.




My take on the Casey pick is that the Texans were fully expecting to pick up G. Johnson in the 5th - probably have been after they decided G. Johnson in the 5th was better value than A. Brown in the 2nd, 3rd, OR 4TH - and then San Diego out of nowhere snatches him in the 4th. All of a sudden - the nice neat game plan we had to take a big RB was blown out of the freaking water. Afterwards Kubes went brain dead and hit the usual "one bonehead call a game when you have to be thinking clearly" button and decided to take Casey who really was probably the BPA on their board in the 5th (heck they didn't have any better ideas obviously) and then they justified the pick to themselves by thinking he can carry the ball at the goalline, possibly run some other gadget type plays, and may actually be able to replace OD by the end of next year when we have to make a tough decision. Then they phoned in the pick and afterwards sat around at the table staring at themselves for the next hour and asking over and over "did we really just take Casey?" "did we really just take two TEs back to back?"

The funny thing - it all may turn out just fine and the darn pick works out and Casey becomes an NFL superstar for us. How about a reload on the koolaid, bartender? I need some bad to keep thinking this way.

One more thought: did you hear how many times the words "special teams", "versatility", and "athletic" came out of our FO's mouths at the presser? I certainly hope our draft wasn't targeting special teamers first with the hope they could eventually become more.......but that thought crossed my mind after pondering the press conference, especially about our picks from 4 on. I am not going to say yee-haw on McClain's speed alone - that is for sure - and, by their speeches, we should have the best special team unit in the history of the NFL. Well, GAHHDAMM! That is something to get excited about - if you are a coach. :)

Final thought: I think our scouting team is infatuated with finding hidden gem DBs when sometimes the real value are mid-rounders from big time conferences that have started for 4 years and have accumulated a boat load of conference awards to go with their boat load of production (aka. Chip Vaughn, Rashad Johnson, Mike Mickens, Michael Hamlin, and several others). Hey, everyone has to justify their jobs. It would be too easy to pick the latter.

Final Final thought:What is it about going with players with a history of injuries and then passing on players who have a history of lesser injuries (like A. Brown or Mike Mickens or even Beanie)? Anyone else notice this? Serious past injuries are truly red flags that I hope have been very well researched because we took several players that have had some serious injuries.

ok - i need to get some rest. been a long long fun fun day. I hope our team kicks some *** next year and Smith ends up nailing what on the surface looks like a questionable draft.

[GroovyTexan]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft09/insider/columns/story?columnist=kiper_jr_mel&id=4103819&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnfl %2fdraft09%2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist %3dkiper_jr_mel%26id%3d4103819

Kiper gave us a B+. Only 2 teams got an A - Jets and Packers.

[Otisbean]

Gosselin gave us an A+, so some writers who do this full time like our work. I wouldn't worry over the RB situation, Denver has 9-10 RBs on the roster, including some very solid RBs. McDaniels signed a few himself and drafted Moreno. Young or Hillis would make an excellent compliment to Slaton.

[Wolf6151]

Gosselin gave us an A+, so some writers who do this full time like our work. I wouldn't worry over the RB situation, Denver has 9-10 RBs on the roster, including some very solid RBs. McDaniels signed a few himself and drafted Moreno. Young or Hillis would make an excellent compliment to Slaton.


Well this really thrills me with confidence. Yeaaaaaaaa more Denver rejects on our team.

[wildroot]

Well this really thrills me with confidence. Yeaaaaaaaa more Denver rejects on our team.

Could get Travis Henry out on a work release program...

[TheGoaT]

Everytime I read a spin on this draft I can't help but dismiss it with a wanking motion.

funny, thats usually the response your posting invokes.

[TiredofSuffering]

The consensus according to ESPN (they checked about 20 sources) was a C-. That's about where I'll go. Maybe a D+.

1 - Cushing: I think this was a great pick. I would love to have gotten Jenkins, but Cushing is an athlete, he's a proven producer, and he's a smart player. He could be a shade faster but that's splitting hairs. He was a star in a quality conference and filled a need. I'm not sure we could have done any better with this pick.

2 - Barwin: This pick baffles me. Total waste. There were quality safeties available who could have come in and started from Day One. There was still plenty of help at RB available, and if we wanted to go DE there were better options for our scheme. I just think a 6'3", 255 pound guy who played one year of DE is a mistake. He's Jason Babin / Antwan Peek. These tweener ends never make it, and there's no way we drafted him to be an OLB because we have Diles, June, and drafted Cushing. I'm just not a fan of this pick in any way, shape, or form.

3 - Caldwell: Another pick I REALLY like. This guy can play center or guard, and I prefer him at center. He can drive block (even though that's not our scheme) and he has a nice motor. He also played well against STOUT competition. I think we stole him this low.

4 - Quin: This was another wasted pick. This guy is slower than Christmas in a Leap Year if we plan on playing him at corner, and he is not fluid at all. If we plan to play him at safety, he's too small. There were many, many better players out there. There's a reason he was listed as the 18th best safety. Why we took him as the 6th or 7th safety I do not know. If we took him as a corner it's even worse. Total waste.

4 - Hill: I guess this means that we're cashing in our chips on the Bruener/Daniels combo. If we're letting both go soon I guess we had to cover the spots. My idea would be to sign a free agent blocking tight end and re-sign Owen so I'm giving this pick a crappy grade. This might sound crazy but it wouldn't shock me, knowing our OL coach and his tendencies, to see this kid put on 25-30 pounds and be asked to play some tackle. He's at about 270 now and can easily hold another 30. That would be odd but I have a strange feeling about it. There was much more we could have done with this pick.

5 - casey (I typed Hill again here initially, just a mistype - sorry): Once again, we should just re-sign Owen and spend our ****ed draft picks on holes. This bothers the hell out of me.

6 - McCain: Total waste. He'll never play.

7 - Nolan: Watched this kid a lot over the last two years. I do believe we got a steal here. This is a great pick. He's a head hunter, he's faster than he's given credit for being, and he plays relatively smart football. His biggest problem is that he tends to go for the knockout and the highlight instead of wrapping up and playing fundamental football, but he can be coached out of that.

I guess now that I think about it I liked three of these picks and really dislike 5 so I'll give us a C+.

[TheGoaT]

in typical Texans fashion, they draft a few guys who we havent heard of so we assume it was a poor draft. I would rate it a B or B- based on potential and the missed rb need, but I am eager to see how these guys pan out in the next two years as I think this draft class could surprise us and make the picks look very smart in the future.

[TheGoaT]

The consensus according to ESPN (they checked about 20 sources) was a C-. That's about where I'll go. Maybe a D+.

1 - Cushing: I think this was a great pick. I would love to have gotten Jenkins, but Cushing is an athlete, he's a proven producer, and he's a smart player. He could be a shade faster but that's splitting hairs. He was a star in a quality conference and filled a need. I'm not sure we could have done any better with this pick.

2 - Barwin: This pick baffles me. Total waste. There were quality safeties available who could have come in and started from Day One. There was still plenty of help at RB available, and if we wanted to go DE there were better options for our scheme. I just think a 6'3", 255 pound guy who played one year of DE is a mistake. He's Jason Babin / Antwan Peek. These tweener ends never make it, and there's no way we drafted him to be an OLB because we have Diles, June, and drafted Cushing. I'm just not a fan of this pick in any way, shape, or form.

3 - Caldwell: Another pick I REALLY like. This guy can play center or guard, and I prefer him at center. He can drive block (even though that's not our scheme) and he has a nice motor. He also played well against STOUT competition. I think we stole him this low.

4 - Quin: This was another wasted pick. This guy is slower than Christmas in a Leap Year if we plan on playing him at corner, and he is not fluid at all. If we plan to play him at safety, he's too small. There were many, many better players out there. There's a reason he was listed as the 18th best safety. Why we took him as the 6th or 7th safety I do not know. If we took him as a corner it's even worse. Total waste.

4 - Hill: I guess this means that we're cashing in our chips on the Bruener/Daniels combo. If we're letting both go soon I guess we had to cover the spots. My idea would be to sign a free agent blocking tight end and re-sign Owen so I'm giving this pick a crappy grade. This might sound crazy but it wouldn't shock me, knowing our OL coach and his tendencies, to see this kid put on 25-30 pounds and be asked to play some tackle. He's at about 270 now and can easily hold another 30. That would be odd but I have a strange feeling about it. There was much more we could have done with this pick.

5 - Hill: Once again, we should just re-sign Owen and spend our ****ed draft picks on holes. This bothers the hell out of me.

6 - McCain: Total waste. He'll never play.

7 - Nolan: Watched this kid a lot over the last two years. I do believe we got a steal here. This is a great pick. He's a head hunter, he's faster than he's given credit for being, and he plays relatively smart football. His biggest problem is that he tends to go for the knockout and the highlight instead of wrapping up and playing fundamental football, but he can be coached out of that.

I guess now that I think about it I liked three of these picks and really dislike 5 so I'll give us a C+.

it would be helpful when you want to post criticism if you actually did some research, Mark Bruener is retiring, giving us a need at blocking tight end. No one drafted is there to replace Owen Daniels.

[houstonsportsfan09]

The consensus according to ESPN (they checked about 20 sources) was a C-. That's about where I'll go. Maybe a D+.

1 - Cushing: I think this was a great pick. I would love to have gotten Jenkins, but Cushing is an athlete, he's a proven producer, and he's a smart player. He could be a shade faster but that's splitting hairs. He was a star in a quality conference and filled a need. I'm not sure we could have done any better with this pick.

2 - Barwin: This pick baffles me. Total waste. There were quality safeties available who could have come in and started from Day One. There was still plenty of help at RB available, and if we wanted to go DE there were better options for our scheme. I just think a 6'3", 255 pound guy who played one year of DE is a mistake. He's Jason Babin / Antwan Peek. These tweener ends never make it, and there's no way we drafted him to be an OLB because we have Diles, June, and drafted Cushing. I'm just not a fan of this pick in any way, shape, or form.

3 - Caldwell: Another pick I REALLY like. This guy can play center or guard, and I prefer him at center. He can drive block (even though that's not our scheme) and he has a nice motor. He also played well against STOUT competition. I think we stole him this low.

4 - Quin: This was another wasted pick. This guy is slower than Christmas in a Leap Year if we plan on playing him at corner, and he is not fluid at all. If we plan to play him at safety, he's too small. There were many, many better players out there. There's a reason he was listed as the 18th best safety. Why we took him as the 6th or 7th safety I do not know. If we took him as a corner it's even worse. Total waste.

4 - Hill: I guess this means that we're cashing in our chips on the Bruener/Daniels combo. If we're letting both go soon I guess we had to cover the spots. My idea would be to sign a free agent blocking tight end and re-sign Owen so I'm giving this pick a crappy grade. This might sound crazy but it wouldn't shock me, knowing our OL coach and his tendencies, to see this kid put on 25-30 pounds and be asked to play some tackle. He's at about 270 now and can easily hold another 30. That would be odd but I have a strange feeling about it. There was much more we could have done with this pick.

5 - Hill: Once again, we should just re-sign Owen and spend our ****ed draft picks on holes. This bothers the hell out of me.

6 - McCain: Total waste. He'll never play.

7 - Nolan: Watched this kid a lot over the last two years. I do believe we got a steal here. This is a great pick. He's a head hunter, he's faster than he's given credit for being, and he plays relatively smart football. His biggest problem is that he tends to go for the knockout and the highlight instead of wrapping up and playing fundamental football, but he can be coached out of that.

I guess now that I think about it I liked three of these picks and really dislike 5 so I'll give us a C+.

Forgot about Casey?

[TiredofSuffering]

My bad. I meant to type Casey and retyped Hill. I think Casey is picked to replace Owen and Hill is to replace Bruener. I have heard Owen wants a ton of jack and we don't want to give it to him.

[TheGoaT]

Casey was drafted ( in my opinion of course) because of his athletic ability and versatility at various positions. Hes a guy we can bring in wildcat like formations and keep the defense guessing because he can throw the ball, and hes big and fast enough to run it. I dont think he has the route running ability that Daniels has to replace him.

[Whiskeyrbl]

OK Last night I gave our draft a B, or B+. Today I give it a firm B+.In my reasoning I look at the fact that we still have players on our team that are not NFL caliber players and probably would not be in the NFL if not for us. With that being said we are in a process of getting more talent and more football savy players. Today we are a better team than we were last year. So here is my Evaluation.

RD 1 Brian Cushing - OLB - USC 6'3 243 4.74
Top three OLB in this years draft. This guy has one gear and it is GO. This guy brings the attitude and the savy that our defense has lacked since day 1.
He was a 4 year starter at one of the best colleges in the country. He was a captain on his team. He can lay the wood with the best of them, and believes he is the LB in the Country. One other aspect I like is he hates to lose and can play all three LB positions. I believe we would have taken Jenkins here if he would have been available, but love this pick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_vtDlADHJo

RD 2 Conner Barwin - DE/OLB - Cincinnatti 6'4 255 4.65
Some what of a tweener. But is a high motor relentless player. Played one year at DE for the Bearcats and led the conference in sacks and tackles for loss. He is very versatile with a ton of upside. He is smart, intense and competitive. He is excellent on special teams having blocked three punts and he also broke up eight passes in 2008. Made alot of impact plays and it is scary to think how good he can eventually be. I think in year one he will be a situational pass rusher mainly playing behind Mario, with most of his impact being on special teams. Also a captain on his team. Also plays TE. Like the pick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u79CJdrxZbo



RD 3 Antoine Caldwell - C/G - Alabama 6'3 309 5.03
The fourth rated center in the draft. I believe he is a steal in the 3rd. Another four year starter that has and can play all five OL positions. He is said to play swingman this year and I expect him to be a starter next year. This guy also has a high motor, starting to see a trend here, team leader and offers versatility, a very important word and commodity, in this years draft. Two time captain and reciepient of the Mal Moore Leadership Award. Best fit ZBS!!! Love the pick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_Kkxfeo5WA

RD 4a Glover Quin - CB/FS - New Mexico - 5'11 204 4.54
Ranked # 29 0n www.nfldraftcountdown.com for CB's. He has good height and bulk and is a very physical hard hitting player. Also very ....Versatile. There is that word again. He also is said to be a great leaper with good hands and ball skills. The knock on him is injuries in 2004, 2007, and 2008. And that he is not real quick and lacks a burst. He was a team leader, 1st team ALL MWC in his senior year having 53 tackles, 11 PBU's, and 5 interceptions. Also a great special teamer. IMO this guy could potentially be a starter at FS if he shakes the injury thing. However thjis year could provide our nickelback and depth at the FS position and contributing on special teams. Maybe a reach in round four, but fills a need . Also holds the school record for PBU's in a career with 31.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNsxMdxPlSw

RD 4b Anthony Hill - TE - NCST 6'5 262 4.8
A beast at TE. Was rumored to be such a good blocker that he could project to a tackle in the NFL. I really like this pick, with Bruener retirng we lack a TE that can block on the strong side. Well here is the answer. Definetly a better blocker than reciever yet has soft hands and will provide a Red Zone threat. Also will be able to help the run at the point of attack in short yardage, and goal line situations. Also can play special teams. Also a hometown boy. Nice pick up in my opinion.

RD 5 James Casey - TE - Rice - 6'3 246 4.71
Probably the most VERSATILE player in the draft. A projected 2nd or 3rd round pick. We get him in the 5th, a steal if you ask me. This guy can be Mr. Everything.
Casey can play TE, QB, FB, H-Back,and special teams. He actually played 7 different positions in one game against UH. He is 24 years old, and already drafted as a pitcher for the White Sox. Super athletic with superb hands terrific body control and ball skills. He is also a good leaper who high points the ball. He runs good routes and knows how to get open, he can stretch the field and do damage after the catch. He is not afraid to make the catch in traffic. Nice instincs and awareness, mature,and extremely versatile. STEAL OF THE DRAFT!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESygCQmpoqA&feature=PlayList&p=C0C6609C55CE2D02&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=8


RD 6 Brice McCain - CB - Utah - Could not really find anything on him except he is a burner that will lay the wood. Runs a 4.33 40 and rumored to have run a 4.19.Maybe a special teamer or competition for 2nd, or 3rd string CB. Possible PS player this year. Hell its RD6 where it is a crap shoot. Ok with the pick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QThho4ohEao

RD 7 Troy Nolan -S - ASU 6'0 206 4.64

Very athletic with adequate height and bulk that has good ball skills and will lay the BIG HIT. Very tough and physical, he is a team leader and very productive. The knock on him is that he does not have great timed speed or agility, will be over agressive at times and is inconsistent. Can and I believe will compete for a backup role at safety this year. Maybe a sleeper pick here. Like the toughness factor and leadership. Ok with this for a 7th rounder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kbInOFqoLc

I was a little upset with us not getting a RB but after listening to Smith/Kubes that the two they were looking at got picked before them in round 2, I am ok with that. They have since signed two in the UDFA pool and look for them to grab a couple from Denver as they now have 10 RB's on their roster.

[wildroot]

Yeah, the Barwin pick was surprising with all the quality Corners and Safeties still on the board. We have Mario and Smith at DE, what's Barwin going to do? He can come in and spell each of them, but I think a CB/S at 46 could have been a starter that would have upgraded our defense alot more than a 3rd DE. We'll have these teams throwing long on us and Barwin will be for the most part sitting on the bench. I do however believe he's an upgrade over Peek and Babin.

[wildroot]

It's going to be interesting to see what Bruce Matthews' can do with Caldwell. Remember Bruce played all 5 positions on the OL, making the probowl at each.

[TheGoaT]

The key to a good secondary starts with a strong pass rush. Our secondary looks so bad because of how long they are required to try and cover a guy with our horrific pass rush last year. Barwin will help improve this. Kubiak talked about exactly this in the presser, move smith inside and put Barwin at DE for passing plays. Our secondary will look 10 fold better when theres pressure in the QBs face and he doesnt have all day to throw the ball.

[TheLBCoach]

Brice McCain will never play? Be may not be the biggest CB in the world, but his 4.19 40 (on a track) is what got him drafted. He's a special teamer, and will add speed at the Gunner and Returner positions.

[wildroot]

The key to a good secondary starts with a strong pass rush. Our secondary looks so bad because of how long they are required to try and cover a guy with our horrific pass rush last year. Barwin will help improve this. Kubiak talked about exactly this in the presser, move smith inside and put Barwin at DE for passing plays. Our secondary will look 10 fold better when theres pressure in the QBs face and he doesnt have all day to throw the ball.

Yeah but the flip side of that is that the PASS RUSH NEVER GETS TO THE QB because the QB always finds an OPEN RECIEVER DUE TO POOR COVERAGE and can get rid of the ball before he gets nailed. I guess you can look at it from either perspective. I think our less than stellar Pass Rush had more to do with Richard Smith than the players on the D-Line, and poor coverage by our secondary. Looking at the big names we have on our D-Line....Mario, Smith, Okoye, Okam vs the no-names we have in our secondary other than D-Rob, I lean towards the problems being with our secondary. Wasn't Smith suppost to be the guy that bolstered the D-line...help for Mario on the opposite side?

Although Barwin is a quality player, adding a stud in the secondary would have made a greater impact IMO.

[texun]

The key to a good secondary starts with a strong pass rush. Our secondary looks so bad because of how long they are required to try and cover a guy with our horrific pass rush last year. Barwin will help improve this. Kubiak talked about exactly this in the presser, move smith inside and put Barwin at DE for passing plays. Our secondary will look 10 fold better when theres pressure in the QBs face and he doesnt have all day to throw the ball.

This was my thought as well. I wasn't originally happy with the Barwin pick - i think he will be a good player, just not the position we really needed. However, with time to think about the draft picks, I believe the FO feels the answer to the secondary problems is to put more pressure on the QB - which Barwin will hopefully do.

I give us a B-. I'm disappointed we didn't get the RB we need or a big time CB or S.

[TheGoaT]

Yeah but the flip side of that is that the PASS RUSH NEVER GETS TO THE QB because the QB always finds an OPEN RECIEVER DUE TO POOR COVERAGE and can get rid of the ball before he gets nailed. I guess you can look at it from either perspective. I think our less than stellar Pass Rush had more to do with Richard Smith than the players on the D-Line, and poor coverage by our secondary. Looking at the big names we have on our D-Line....Mario, Smith, Okoye, Okam vs the no-names we have in our secondary other than D-Rob, I lean towards the problems being with our secondary. Wasn't Smith suppost to be the guy that bolstered the D-line...help for Mario on the opposite side?

Although Barwin is a quality player, adding a stud in the secondary would have made a greater impact IMO.

how is the QB going to be making these great throws when his receivers dont have time to get down field? If theres pressure in his face it will mostly be hot reads and dump offs he will be relying on. On Smith, hes best for run stopping. Thats why theres alot of talk of moving him inside for passing plays and bringing in guys like Barwin to rush.

[3andOUT]

I thought we had a decent draft. I think we did pretty good early with selecting Cushing and Barwin. Cushing brings a really physical aspect to the defense, Barwin is a bit raw and will probably take some time to develop. I don't see him ever being a 3 down starter at DE though. We were shaky in the middle rounds which leads me to believe we missed on some guys we had targeted.

TE confused me, especially going twice, but I think we got much more than a TE in Casey. He can do anything on the field and has a chip on his shoulder. I don't think we needed a "big time" corner or safety as much as some people think we do. We need some depth, and could definitely afford to add talent in the secondary, but I'm glad we didn't go reach on someone just to try and fill a need.

I give the draft a B-

[CoogBull]

Yeah but the flip side of that is that the PASS RUSH NEVER GETS TO THE QB because the QB always finds an OPEN RECIEVER DUE TO POOR COVERAGE and can get rid of the ball before he gets nailed. I guess you can look at it from either perspective. I think our less than stellar Pass Rush had more to do with Richard Smith than the players on the D-Line, and poor coverage by our secondary. Looking at the big names we have on our D-Line....Mario, Smith, Okoye, Okam vs the no-names we have in our secondary other than D-Rob, I lean towards the problems being with our secondary. Wasn't Smith suppost to be the guy that bolstered the D-line...help for Mario on the opposite side?

Although Barwin is a quality player, adding a stud in the secondary would have made a greater impact IMO.

That is my problem with this draft: We went luxury over need. We came into this draft needing a solution to our red zone problems and our inability to stop teams on 3rd down. We really needed a stud RB who could move the pile and a shutdown corner. In essence, we need two more stops a game and two more touchdowns. I just do not see how this draft puts us over the line.

We did not get either. Cushing I am still dubious on. I like his fire but I have other concerns. I mainly question the picking of two TEs. I know we need to replace Bruener so Hill makes some sense. I can not understand the Casey pick. I have heard people talk about them converting him to another position. We have tried that before and it has not worked out. Draft a guy for a position. We got two CBs but both are undersized.

Actually, I think the gem of this draft will be Caldwell.

[mmtex63]

the way i see it is "we've replaced weaver which is a big plus-now we've got a.smith and-or c.barwin to help out on the other side of mario we have alot more options with these guys than we ever had with weaver. another plus is m. bruenner is gone "finally" we may actually see an opposing OLB get flattened on a running play . which will help our running game alot. Casey can be used as a h-back ' long snapper and special teams ,he'd make one helluva h-back if used correctly ala dallas clark.Center position is an upgrade for sure : and if any of the other picks work out thats a plus------relax we'll find another running back grade A-

[CoogBull]

the way i see it is "we've replaced weaver which is a big plus-now we've got a.smith and-or c.barwin to help out on the other side of mario we have alot more options with these guys than we ever had with weaver. another plus is m. bruenner is gone "finally" we may actually see an opposing OLB get flattened on a running play . which will help our running game alot. Casey can be used as a h-back ' long snapper and special teams ,he'd make one helluva h-back if used correctly ala dallas clark.Center position is an upgrade for sure : and if any of the other picks work out thats a plus------relax we'll find another running back grade A-

I'm just not buying this idea that we will find a RB is FA. We have tried that before and it has not worked out. Slaton is our stud and we got him in the draft. I still think we should have taken Johnson or Jennings, but now we will have to watch Jennings run it down our throats twice a year for the Jags.

[el toro]

When you start drafting for need is when you start to make reaches with your draft picks and when you end up getting nothing out of your picks. You need to match your pick with your needs and with the talent that can justify the pick. I have no doubt that if a RB was available at a pick who had the talent to justify using the pick they would have picked that RB.

Also, in the big picture, the defense needs way more help than the offense. This draft was biased towards the defense in the first 4 rounds. I think they did a good job addressing the real need of this team while matching the picks with talent that warranted using those picks.

Plus, you're not going to have a rushing game if you don't have a good Oline and they made two solid picks to that end in the 3rd and 4th rounds.

[GroovyTexan]

Those that give our draft a B+ or A are basicly saying we selected the absolute top players that we could have AT our draft turn. The key being AT our draft turn. I just don't buy into the fact that we got the best players at our turn, hence my B- grade, and I can comletely undertand why some people would choose a lower grade.

Our draft just kind of went weird beginning in the 4th round with some very suspect picks RELATIVE to what what was available and what our larger needs are. Short yardage RB - stuffing the run - pass rush - you know the things we didn't do well last year. I don't think anyone here is knocking the players we picked - just what the FO chose to do with that pick.

[mmtex63]

dont believe anybody is gonna run down OUR deffences throat!!!!muchless jennings

[Wolf6151]

Could get Travis Henry out on a work release program...


I was thinking maybe OJ Simpson, I know he's old and has many injuries but I think the Texans like their RB's like that. Ahman Green and Chris Brown as an example. I say we post his bond pending appeal, he'll wear and ankle monitor and have to promise not to kill anyone.

[Sportswriter79]

I'm just not buying this idea that we will find a RB is FA. We have tried that before and it has not worked out. Slaton is our stud and we got him in the draft. I still think we should have taken Johnson or Jennings, but now we will have to watch Jennings run it down our throats twice a year for the Jags.

They will identify someone. No problem.

[wildroot]

how is the QB going to be making these great throws when his receivers dont have time to get down field? If theres pressure in his face it will mostly be hot reads and dump offs he will be relying on. On Smith, hes best for run stopping. Thats why theres alot of talk of moving him inside for passing plays and bringing in guys like Barwin to rush.

Great Throws? Who's stopping the recievers? One bump and they're gone past the LBs and into a soft secondary. Look, it's no secret that our secondary doesn't cause our opposition to lie awake at night worrying about how they're going to make a completion.

Just saying a stud CB or S would have helped this team more than another defensive lineman. Yeah, it's a wonderful thing to have Barwin so we can tweek the line on passing downs. But don't you think that before we bring in a luxury like Barwin, the pick would have been better served on upgrading our secondary so they'd at least be moving towards being on the same level, talent wise as the D-Line? Once they get to that point, THEN get a Barwin for your passing downs. But as we stand now, we've still got that glaring soft spot the opposition can exploit.

Just my opinion, which admittedly doesn't count for much in the grand scheme of things.

[wildroot]

I'm just not buying this idea that we will find a RB is FA. We have tried that before and it has not worked out. Slaton is our stud and we got him in the draft. I still think we should have taken Johnson or Jennings, but now we will have to watch Jennings run it down our throats twice a year for the Jags.

I heard Jennings slipped due to concerns about his speed. Or lack of.

[TheGoaT]

Great Throws? Who's stopping the recievers? One bump and they're gone past the LBs and into a soft secondary. Look, it's no secret that our secondary doesn't cause our opposition to lie awake at night worrying about how they're going to make a completion.

Just saying a stud CB or S would have helped this team more than another defensive lineman. Yeah, it's a wonderful thing to have Barwin so we can tweek the line on passing downs. But don't you think that before we bring in a luxury like Barwin, the pick would have been better served on upgrading our secondary so they'd at least be moving towards being on the same level, talent wise as the D-Line? Once they get to that point, THEN get a Barwin for your passing downs. But as we stand now, we've still got that glaring soft spot the opposition can exploit.

Just my opinion, which admittedly doesn't count for much in the grand scheme of things.

Our secondary looks worse than it is because there has been such little pass rush, so we have the impression that they are terrible. Im under the opinion that our secondary will perform better when they arent required to hold their coverage for so long. Basically Im saying they arent as bad as we think they are.

[el toro]

They will identify someone. No problem.

They added Foster and Johnson as UDFAs, who are just as good as someone they could've drafted in rounds 4-7.

[el toro]

Our secondary looks worse than it is because there has been such little pass rush, so we have the impression that they are terrible. Im under the opinion that our secondary will perform better when they arent required to hold their coverage for so long. Basically Im saying they arent as bad as we think they are.

Exactly. First improve the pass rush and stuffing the run and then start using resources on adding star caliber secondary talent.

[outofhnd]

I think you will see a formation with Mario at RDE, Barwin at LDE, Smith and Okoye inside pass rushers on 3rd down. thats a lot of blocking assignment if you ask me. Especially if they bring cushing in on a blitz as well.

[outofhnd]

Also when you grade this draft keep in mind this was a malaise of mid round talent with very little star power.

[GroovyTexan]

http://walterfootball.com/offseason2009den.php

http://walterfootball.com/offseason2009oak.php

At least our draft wasn't anywhere close to being as bad these teams..... Geez! What a mess these teams made of their drafts!

Denver even TRADED UP for a blocking TE making our man A Hill look like a bargain!! :) McDummy loves his koolaid obviously. :p

[GroovyTexan]

4 - Quin: This was another wasted pick. This guy is slower than Christmas in a Leap Year if we plan on playing him at corner, and he is not fluid at all. If we plan to play him at safety, he's too small. There were many, many better players out there. There's a reason he was listed as the 18th best safety. Why we took him as the 6th or 7th safety I do not know. If we took him as a corner it's even worse. Total waste.

6 - McCain: Total waste. He'll never play.

7 - Nolan: Watched this kid a lot over the last two years. I do believe we got a steal here. This is a great pick. He's a head hunter, he's faster than he's given credit for being, and he plays relatively smart football. His biggest problem is that he tends to go for the knockout and the highlight instead of wrapping up and playing fundamental football, but he can be coached out of that.

I guess now that I think about it I liked three of these picks and really dislike 5 so I'll give us a C+.

I agree with you on Quin and McCain. I doubt they are on the team in 2 years. Total waste (note: this is just my opinion). I can see what our FO was thinking but I think they were stretching big time on these two guys.

Quin: I didn't see anything in Quin's highlights to make me get excited about. Not saying he is a bad talent just it was too early to pick him for what he can bring to the field. I view Quin as the biggest waste because we had a ton of value there for many positions at that pick and we picked a 7/UDFA round talent with it. He is not quick and doesn't have a ton of experience. My guess is he will battle it out with the rest of the SS group for a spot on the roster. He didn't look like he had the speed or final burst you want to see at FS or CB. Given his strength, tackling ability, good hands, and adequate speed, however, he could develop into a pretty good SS. I am not unhappy with the pick - just think it was a reach to take him in the 4th as his potential will probably not pan out and we already have 3 guys on our roster just like him - and so therefore I label it as a wasted pick.

Alternatively, McCain got taken for his speed but this is something Al Davis would do, right! I hope we aren't modeling our drafts after Davis' ideals. j/k McCain will never develop into anything - doesn't have the size, hands, or hitting ability to make him special. We could have taken Mike Mickens - CB Cincinatti here if we wanted to gamble - 2nd/3rd round talent with good production in college. We passed him over due to injury concerns I am guessing. There were also several big men to consider - like the DT from LSU and the weakside OLB Folette. In my opinion, the 6th and 7th picks are for gambling on talent with major college production (preferably from bigger schools) that have fallen for any number of reasons. Other than speed, McCain didn't have great college production - and that is a major red flag to me. I doubt he makes the team after our final cuts are in this fall. Hope i am wrong and we are able to put that speed to use somehow.

Nolan - I frankly have never heard of him but he looks like a smart player with a knack for the INT. He has patience and good instincts - a real football player on film. Not sure what his level of competition was but if he can bring the same game on film to the NFL - he will become a solid starter at FS or at least a quality back-up and special teams player. He has just enough of a final burst to make a play on the ball and his angles toward a receiver are perfect - and that is what you want with your FS.

[Cheroqui]

I'm pretty satisfied. You don't want to forget about the people you brought in the year before for a reason. We re-signed Safeties. Still have Dominique Barber. Still have Antwaun Molden, and as long as we don't get eaten up on that left side we're good.
I know what our record could have been after 2 losses to the Colts, 1 to the Vikings, and 1 to the Raiders. We could have easily been 10-6. We have since made moves in the off season to not have multiple urgent positions to fill on both sides of the ball. It wasn't long ago when we had a Lions situation, where the question for draft was to lean Offense, Defense, or balance? Knowing you sure can't do it in 1 year regardless.

I did have in mind a RB that I wanted to see for the goal line bruiser, but with the current news of our 2 new RB's I see a DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan Steward tandem happening. Actually we can probably just give Vonta Leach some carries. Who said FB running has to die?

Last was QB#3... Yes I want to se Alex Brink play one day; I just couldn't help but think what it would be like to reunite Pat White with Slaton. Wildcat? No. That will get old like teams getting new stadiums and copying our retractable roof LOL. I just wanted to see what teams would have done against us with 5 WR's, 2 TE's, 2 RB's and a QB that can take off. Um hmm... Yeah ;-)

[houstonsportsfan09]

I'm pretty satisfied. You don't want to forget about the people you brought in the year before for a reason. We re-signed Safeties. Still have Marion Barber. Still have Antwaun Molden, and as long as we don't get eaten up on that left side we're good.
I know what our record could have been after 2 losses to the Colts, 1 to the Vikings, and 1 to the Raiders. We could have easily been 10-6. We have since made moves in the off season to not have multiple urgent positions to fill on both sides of the ball. It wasn't long ago when we had a Lions situation, where the question for draft was to lean Offense, Defense, or balance? Knowing you sure can't do it in 1 year regardless.

I did have in mind a RB that I wanted to see for the goal line bruiser, but with the current news of our 2 new RB's I see a DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan Steward tandem happening. Actually we can probably just give Vonta Leach some carries. Who said FB running has to die?

Last was QB#3... Yes I want to se Alex Brink play one day; I just couldn't help but think what it would be like to reunite Pat White with Slaton. Wildcat? No. That will get old like teams getting new stadiums and copying our retractable roof LOL. I just wanted to see what teams would have done against us with 5 WR's, 2 TE's, 2 RB's and a QB that can take off. Um hmm... Yeah ;-)

Dominique Barber

[wildroot]

Our secondary looks worse than it is because there has been such little pass rush, so we have the impression that they are terrible. Im under the opinion that our secondary will perform better when they arent required to hold their coverage for so long. Basically Im saying they arent as bad as we think they are.

See, I'm saying our pass rush looks worse than it is because the coverage is bad and the QB is always able to find an open reciever to avoid the sack. I'm saying if the coverage was better the QB wouldn't be able to avoid the rush by getting rid of the ball right before he gets nailed. I hate using the word "bad" when describing a D-Line that has 2 early 1st round picks on it. Now with the addition of Smith we'll be even better, and Smith will flourish with the attention the offense has to put on Mario.

[Cheroqui]

Dominique Barber

Thanks for the "hey hey REDLIGHT!..." alert cause I sure didn't catch it. Lol You know the usual reaction would be "I saw it man, relax" ;-P

[TheGoaT]

See, I'm saying our pass rush looks worse than it is because the coverage is bad and the QB is always able to find an open reciever to avoid the sack. I'm saying if the coverage was better the QB wouldn't be able to avoid the rush by getting rid of the ball right before he gets nailed. I hate using the word "bad" when describing a D-Line that has 2 early 1st round picks on it. Now with the addition of Smith we'll be even better, and Smith will flourish with the attention the offense has to put on Mario.

weak pass rushers taking 5 or more seconds to get to the QB is not the fault of the secondary. If the QB has more than 4 seconds to find a receiver, the pass rush failed.

[wildroot]

weak pass rushers taking 5 or more seconds to get to the QB is not the fault of the secondary. If the QB has more than 4 seconds to find a receiver, the pass rush failed.

That I agree with, but I've never put a clock on it nor have I ever heard Kubiak or anyone else attach that kind of a time to how long it's taking Mario to get to the QB.

I just checked mario on youtube and I'd estimate he's crowding the QB closer to 3 - 3.5 seconds OR LESS.

[Hound]

You have to rate our draft by looking at what we picked up before the draft... and what we signed as undrafted free agents right after the draft. Put the three together and we had a great draft.

I'm very pleased with the RB's and WR's they signed after the draft... as well as the offensive liinemen...

Many complained about picking Connor Barwin instead of a Safety... Well he as fast or faster than the best listed safeties... and jumps better and hits a lot harder... In the right situations you could even put him in the box at SS and blitz him... or he could just kill some foolish WR that came across the middle to catch a pass.

[GroovyTexan]

http://www.battleredblog.com/2009/4/27/855704/congratulations-on-your-draft

here is a rating from a Jags fan.....

[TheGoaT]

That I agree with, but I've never put a clock on it nor have I ever heard Kubiak or anyone else attach that kind of a time to how long it's taking Mario to get to the QB.

I just checked mario on youtube and I'd estimate he's crowding the QB closer to 3 - 3.5 seconds OR LESS.


the time is just my own personal estimation. The problem is Mario is the only one getting there faster, and he just draws a double team because no one else is getting pressure.

[GroovyTexan]

the time is just my own personal estimation. The problem is Mario is the only one getting there faster, and he just draws a double team because no one else is getting pressure.

that's why it would have been nice to pick up Sidbury in the 4th instead of some scrub DB. Imagine the possibilities if you have Smith, Barwin, Sidbury, Okoye, Mario, Ryans, and Cushing as your front 7 on passing downs. U stack Sidbury and Barwin on each side of the RT, smith and okoye in the middle gaps between C and Gs, and mario on the left edge. Ryans in the middle looking for screens or draws, Cush or our nickel over the TE/split end, our 2 DBs on the outside, Nolan and Ferguson as the backfield. Someone going to end up at the QB before he can even get set. If he gets it off, Nolan going to pick for 6 the other way. Give a game ball to the guy that gets to the QB the most in that situation and you talk about a free for all on QBs all season.

oh well...... now back to reality.

[TheGoaT]

Im sure you'd hear alot more crying if we drafted another dline guy in the 4th.

[fdknuckles]

weak pass rushers taking 5 or more seconds to get to the QB is not the fault of the secondary. If the QB has more than 4 seconds to find a receiver, the pass rush failed.

I think the change that will affect this the most is going from a read and react under R. Smith to an attacking front under Bush

[CoogBull]

I heard Jennings slipped due to concerns about his speed. Or lack of.

I was not all that concerned with his speed. I just think he is a guy who can move the pile and turn a 3rd and 3 into a 1st and 10.

[Boz]

Texans boost poor rush defense with solid draft
April 28, 2009
By Clark Judge
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
Tell Clark your opinion!

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/story/11688946/rss

It's almost impossible to ace the NFL Draft, but each year someone comes close -- and this year that someone was the Houston Texans. Nearly everywhere they looked they found value with their choices, with pass rusher Connor Barwin in the second round and multi-purpose tight James Casey in the fifth two examples.

"We feel like we were very fortunate," said general manager Rick Smith. "But we're clear about where these players fit on our team and what they can do for us. In a couple of instances we got some versatility, but we also got a group of leaders who add toughness, athleticism and speed to our team. I like this group."


I do, too. The Texans went into the draft looking to bolster the league's 22nd-ranked defense, and they succeeded -- with three of their first four picks, including first-rounder Brian Cushing, on that side of the ball. They wanted to another running back, too, to complement starter Steve Slaton, but they failed there and so what? They still have Chris Brown, and maybe he's the answer.

Besides, they found a couple of running backs Monday in Tennessee's Arian Foster and Oregon's Jeremiah Johnson, both of whom were signed as undrafted free agents. Foster is a big back with deceptive speed. Johnson is short and shifty and a good receiver out of the backfield. Maybe one of them sticks. But if he doesn't it doesn't change my opinion. The Texans circled the bases when it was their turn last weekend.

"What we try to do is let the process run itself," said Smith, "and we felt good about the picks we made."

Now let him explain why. The floor is yours, Rick:

First round

Brian Cushing, LB, USC (15th overall)

"First of all we love him as a football player. We love his intensity. We love his competitiveness. And we love his versatility. He's a guy who can play all three positions and someone who adds an element to our group and our defense. That's what we liked, and that's what was so great about getting him at 15. We had talked to some clubs about a trade before the draft, and we talked about scenarios where we might want to move back if we didn't like anybody else up there. But those options never materialized because Cushing was someone we identified all along. We felt good about him at that spot, and we were excited when he was there. I know some people say he can't play all three downs, but I don't agree with that. I think he's shown that he has pass-coverage skills, and if you watch the tape you can see he understands route concepts, and he understands underneath zone play. So I do think he could potentially be a nickel linebacker."

Second round

Connor Barwin, DE, Cincinnati (46)

"We were just hoping he would be there. We had him rated as a late first [rounder] and thought he would go late in the first or early in the second. He's a guy who is an unbelievably explosive athlete. We see him as a defensive end, and we're going to have him put his hand down and rush the passer -- which will give us a chance to move Antonio Smith inside in our nickel-rush situations. That was a need for us. We felt like we needed to help our pass rush. That's why we signed Antonio in free agency, and for us to have an opportunity to get this guy at that pick made us really excited. He's going to be dynamic football player. Did we ever consider a trade here? No. As the thing was unfolding, we were wondering if he was continuing to be there. We felt great that he was and turned the card in quickly."

Third round

Antoine Caldwell, C/G, Alabama (77)

"I look at him as a versatile swing guy who can play guard or center. We were looking at a couple of running backs we liked in this round, but those guys came off the board. So at that point we look for value. Our room absolutely fell in love with Antoine Caldwell during the draft process. He's a very good athlete, and he fills a need for us. We were very fortunate last year in the sense that we did not miss any time with our starting offensive line group. But on game day if you have a versatile offensive player who can back up a couple of different positions it allows you to dress some other people. He graduated with two degrees and he did it in three-and-half years. He was a team captain, and he's an explosive and versatile player. We really like him and think he's going to be a pro for a long time."

Fourth round

Glover Quin, DB, New Mexico (112)

"A lot of people had him rated at free safety, and I think that's due in large part to the fact that he's a physical guy with good size. But we think he has the skills to play outside [at cornerback]. More importantly, for our team right now he's a guy who can go inside and play the nickel. He's physical enough. He can tackle. And he has enough athletic skill to cover a man. So that's where we think he may have his best opportunity to help us early."

Anthony Hill, TE, N.C. State (122)

"We felt like there were two blocking tight ends in this draft. Richard Quinn [of North Carolina] was one. Anthony Hill was another. It just depends whom you talk to, but you can argue that this guy was the best blocker. I will say this: There's a lot of talk this year about teams moving to the 3-4 defense, and when you play those defenses if you want to run the football you better have some guys on the edges who can block. This young man is one of those types of players and athletes. We were very, very fortunate to get him."

Fifth round

James Casey, TE, Rice (152)

Texans coach Gary Kubiak needs to find a place for the elusive Casey. (US Presswire)
Texans coach Gary Kubiak needs to find a place for the elusive Casey. (US Presswire)
"This is another situation where we talked about being surprised that a guy was still on the board. When we selected James Casey we had him targeted as someone who was still there, but we had a deal in place if he wasn't. Having taken a tight end with our second fourth-round pick, this was not necessarily a need situation. But when you talk about versatility, work ethic and character, as well as someone who adds value to your team, he was too good to pass up. Obviously, being here in Houston we watched him grow and develop as a player and as a man, and I felt real good about that decision and real fortunate that he was still on the board. I'm not sure where we play him, but I don't think we limit him. You can't decide what he's going to be. You just let it unfold and give him opportunities to go out there. Gary [Kubiak, the Texans' head coach] is a very creative offensive mind, and this guy has the ability to do a lot of things. For us to try to paint him into one position or another would be a mistake -- and I don't think we're going to do that. We'll put him out on the field and see what he can do."

Sixth round

Brice McCain, CB, Utah (188)

"He's explosive and runs a 4.3 [40-yard dash]. He's over 40 inches in the vertical jump, too. But he's 5-9 and 180 to 185 pounds. So he's a smallish, but he has good ball skills, good cover skills and explosive speed. He reminds me a little bit of a guy we took in Denver when I was there but who has passed [on], and that is Darrent Williams. That's who I kept thinking about when I watched this kid. I like him for depth at the position because he's another guy who can go inside. He's a physical defensive back who can go in there and tackle even though he's little. So he gives us another option at the corner."

Seventh round

Troy Nolan, S, Arizona State (223)

"He has good size and he's a very good athlete who started two years there after coming from a junior college. He was very productive, and this is a position where we'd like to add some depth. We were looking at potential running backs in the sixth and seventh rounds because there were some backs still on the board. But we just liked what both Nolan and McCain at those positions and what they could do for our team better than any other guys who were left on the board."

[Texan4life]

Texans boost poor rush defense with solid draft
April 28, 2009
By Clark Judge
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
Tell Clark your opinion!

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/story/11688946/rss

It's almost impossible to ace the NFL Draft, but each year someone comes close -- and this year that someone was the Houston Texans. Nearly everywhere they looked they found value with their choices, with pass rusher Connor Barwin in the second round and multi-purpose tight James Casey in the fifth two examples.

"We feel like we were very fortunate," said general manager Rick Smith. "But we're clear about where these players fit on our team and what they can do for us. In a couple of instances we got some versatility, but we also got a group of leaders who add toughness, athleticism and speed to our team. I like this group."


I do, too. The Texans went into the draft looking to bolster the league's 22nd-ranked defense, and they succeeded -- with three of their first four picks, including first-rounder Brian Cushing, on that side of the ball. They wanted to another running back, too, to complement starter Steve Slaton, but they failed there and so what? They still have Chris Brown, and maybe he's the answer.

Besides, they found a couple of running backs Monday in Tennessee's Arian Foster and Oregon's Jeremiah Johnson, both of whom were signed as undrafted free agents. Foster is a big back with deceptive speed. Johnson is short and shifty and a good receiver out of the backfield. Maybe one of them sticks. But if he doesn't it doesn't change my opinion. The Texans circled the bases when it was their turn last weekend.

"What we try to do is let the process run itself," said Smith, "and we felt good about the picks we made."

Now let him explain why. The floor is yours, Rick:

First round

Brian Cushing, LB, USC (15th overall)

"First of all we love him as a football player. We love his intensity. We love his competitiveness. And we love his versatility. He's a guy who can play all three positions and someone who adds an element to our group and our defense. That's what we liked, and that's what was so great about getting him at 15. We had talked to some clubs about a trade before the draft, and we talked about scenarios where we might want to move back if we didn't like anybody else up there. But those options never materialized because Cushing was someone we identified all along. We felt good about him at that spot, and we were excited when he was there. I know some people say he can't play all three downs, but I don't agree with that. I think he's shown that he has pass-coverage skills, and if you watch the tape you can see he understands route concepts, and he understands underneath zone play. So I do think he could potentially be a nickel linebacker."

Second round

Connor Barwin, DE, Cincinnati (46)

"We were just hoping he would be there. We had him rated as a late first [rounder] and thought he would go late in the first or early in the second. He's a guy who is an unbelievably explosive athlete. We see him as a defensive end, and we're going to have him put his hand down and rush the passer -- which will give us a chance to move Antonio Smith inside in our nickel-rush situations. That was a need for us. We felt like we needed to help our pass rush. That's why we signed Antonio in free agency, and for us to have an opportunity to get this guy at that pick made us really excited. He's going to be dynamic football player. Did we ever consider a trade here? No. As the thing was unfolding, we were wondering if he was continuing to be there. We felt great that he was and turned the card in quickly."

Third round

Antoine Caldwell, C/G, Alabama (77)

"I look at him as a versatile swing guy who can play guard or center. We were looking at a couple of running backs we liked in this round, but those guys came off the board. So at that point we look for value. Our room absolutely fell in love with Antoine Caldwell during the draft process. He's a very good athlete, and he fills a need for us. We were very fortunate last year in the sense that we did not miss any time with our starting offensive line group. But on game day if you have a versatile offensive player who can back up a couple of different positions it allows you to dress some other people. He graduated with two degrees and he did it in three-and-half years. He was a team captain, and he's an explosive and versatile player. We really like him and think he's going to be a pro for a long time."

Fourth round

Glover Quin, DB, New Mexico (112)

"A lot of people had him rated at free safety, and I think that's due in large part to the fact that he's a physical guy with good size. But we think he has the skills to play outside [at cornerback]. More importantly, for our team right now he's a guy who can go inside and play the nickel. He's physical enough. He can tackle. And he has enough athletic skill to cover a man. So that's where we think he may have his best opportunity to help us early."

Anthony Hill, TE, N.C. State (122)

"We felt like there were two blocking tight ends in this draft. Richard Quinn [of North Carolina] was one. Anthony Hill was another. It just depends whom you talk to, but you can argue that this guy was the best blocker. I will say this: There's a lot of talk this year about teams moving to the 3-4 defense, and when you play those defenses if you want to run the football you better have some guys on the edges who can block. This young man is one of those types of players and athletes. We were very, very fortunate to get him."

Fifth round

James Casey, TE, Rice (152)

Texans coach Gary Kubiak needs to find a place for the elusive Casey. (US Presswire)
Texans coach Gary Kubiak needs to find a place for the elusive Casey. (US Presswire)
"This is another situation where we talked about being surprised that a guy was still on the board. When we selected James Casey we had him targeted as someone who was still there, but we had a deal in place if he wasn't. Having taken a tight end with our second fourth-round pick, this was not necessarily a need situation. But when you talk about versatility, work ethic and character, as well as someone who adds value to your team, he was too good to pass up. Obviously, being here in Houston we watched him grow and develop as a player and as a man, and I felt real good about that decision and real fortunate that he was still on the board. I'm not sure where we play him, but I don't think we limit him. You can't decide what he's going to be. You just let it unfold and give him opportunities to go out there. Gary [Kubiak, the Texans' head coach] is a very creative offensive mind, and this guy has the ability to do a lot of things. For us to try to paint him into one position or another would be a mistake -- and I don't think we're going to do that. We'll put him out on the field and see what he can do."

Sixth round

Brice McCain, CB, Utah (188)

"He's explosive and runs a 4.3 [40-yard dash]. He's over 40 inches in the vertical jump, too. But he's 5-9 and 180 to 185 pounds. So he's a smallish, but he has good ball skills, good cover skills and explosive speed. He reminds me a little bit of a guy we took in Denver when I was there but who has passed [on], and that is Darrent Williams. That's who I kept thinking about when I watched this kid. I like him for depth at the position because he's another guy who can go inside. He's a physical defensive back who can go in there and tackle even though he's little. So he gives us another option at the corner."

Seventh round

Troy Nolan, S, Arizona State (223)

"He has good size and he's a very good athlete who started two years there after coming from a junior college. He was very productive, and this is a position where we'd like to add some depth. We were looking at potential running backs in the sixth and seventh rounds because there were some backs still on the board. But we just liked what both Nolan and McCain at those positions and what they could do for our team better than any other guys who were left on the board."

TC needs to come quickly. Excitement is starting to build at an expotential rate.

[TheGoaT]

that was a good read.

[TexanSacDawg]

ok ok ok ive read enough
i kno everyone has an opinion but cmon...
alright if i remember correctly a few years back our FO drafted a player by the name of Mario WILLIAMS and NOT reggie BUSH first overall and alot of yall were complaining about that too and i think yall know how that turned out
so stop complaining about the picks im sure gary and smith have a plan for everything...


just my opinion....