DGDB&D: a Texans blog.

When last we left OTAs¹, the rookies were learning the ropes, the veterans were adapting to some new facets of the playbook, Kevin Walter was blackmailing Kubiak with nudie pictures in order to get the WR2 job², and there was a battle going on for starting SLB. Typical stuff, which is why I didn’t spend a lot of time on it.

Today, however, Kubes mixed things up a little bit. Former heavyweight champ [Author's note: He was actually much better at cruiserweight.] Evander Holyfield visited the team and did some motivational speechifying. The ever-modest Holyfield mused

They showed appreciation for what I’ve accomplished and it’s good for coaches to try to find someone to exemplify what winning is all about.

Kubiak echoed this assessment and was apparently so awe-struck by Holyfield that Gary struggled to develop coherent thoughts.

It’s amazing looking in the faces of those young players and the intrigue and what he’s accomplished.

Obviously, I’m being flippant and somewhat facetious about this whole thing. Reading the article, it does sound like the players enjoyed meeting the former champ and that they understood his message of staying committed to winning. Which is good, I suppose. Moving on…

From the same article, it seems there are some positive developments in the secondary. First, rookie Fred Bennett is making strides and looking like he will eventually be able to play both corner at safety at this level. I still think his size (6′1″/195) and ability to deliver the big hit make him an intriguing prospect. I’m not completely sold that he will develop into a starting CB2, but he might develop into a difference maker at nickel. We’ll see.

The other development is that Kubes is making the guys in the defensive backfield earn their playing time and starting slots. Sayeth Sir Suck

There are a lot of people in different positions competing for the job. It gets the competition up high and it’s intense out there. Guys trying to make the team and trying to be the guy. It’s good for me because I like being in that kind of situation because it makes me work harder.

So that’s what it takes! Yay… I am so glad we have figured out what it will take to make Faggins work harder at not sucking. It sounds to me like Kubiak’s master plan is working, well, masterfully.

Finally, I’ve read in various places that Sam Adams has already met with the Texans. I have not, however, read any reports as to how that meeting went or if he is close to making a decision. If anyone knows anything about the meeting, why not fill the rest of us in? And, Sam, if you are reading this… call me, we’ll talk.

¹ Carmine Pirone is still at it with the misused apostrophes. Not to be all Grammar Nazi and shit, but when your job is “Staff Writer,” I feel like you should have a grasp on simple things like punctuation. Carmine, on the other hand, throws apostrophes around all willy-nilly, using them to pluralize both “OTA” and “Sunday.” And, yes, this footnote was mainly an excuse to use “willy-nilly” in a sentence.
² I am guessing.

Frequent DGDB&D commenter stacy emailed this story about Mark Cuban starting his own AFL/WFL/USFL/XFL/whatever. Apparently, Cuban has decided that there is far more demand for professional football than there is supply, stating

We think there is more demand for pro football than supply.

See? Told ya.

Anyway, part of the plan for this league is to lure practice squad guys and third stringers from the NFL by paying them slightly more. I’m only slightly exaggerating.

That would allow the new league to fill its rosters with players taken lower than the second round, as well as late NFL cuts and free agents who escape the NFL draft.

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn’t that make the as-yet-unnamed league similar to a minor league? I mean, how in the world is this league going to “compete” for the attention of football fans any more than the Buffalo Bison compete with the Cleveland Indians?

Oh… they are going to play on Friday. I get it; they are going to put subpar football up against high school football. I suppose this plan is better than trying to play on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. Still, I hope they don’t plan on putting any teams in Texas, Florida, New Jersey, and anywhere else there is a big high school football culture. I can’t imagine too many people are going to stay home to watch minor league football instead of seeing Junior lead the Fightin’ Alma Maters to victory over the Othertown Hated Rivals. Maybe that’s just me, though.

The bottom line is this: Unless this league can pull a USFL and lure some bona fide stars, I don’t see how it will rank even above the Arena League in terms of drawing fans. At least with Arena Football, you have high scoring short-attention span theater during real football’s offseason. With this league, you will see David Carr throwing to Devard Darling while Ahmad Carroll defends.¹ Yee. Haw. Maybe Art Shell could find a third life coaching one of these teams. And I’m sure He Hate Me would be interested in some kind of special teams role.

SO… I suppose this is typical Cuban. He’s really just a more personable Donald Trump crossed with George Steinbrenner. At the end of the day, he likes to hear himself speak. This time, though, maybe he should stick to basketball. Or computer nerderation. Or at least something that isn’t a guaranteed flop. Because he has European basketball players taking enough flops for all of us.

We now return you to your reguarly scheduled Texans-centric blog, already in progress.

¹ Or, more likely, Teddy Lehman would blow past Robert Gallery and sack Carr. Also, I get some kind of bonus points for the Devard Darling reference.

For the second time this month, I find myself linking to a Seahawks Huddle post regarding the Texas. Odd. Really, though, the only reason I’m linking to it is for this line regarding Manchild.

All indications are that he will start next to Mario Williams on the right side.

Um… what? The Texans depth chart on NFL.com currently shows Amobi at the Under Tackle position, alongside Anthony Weaver, with Maddox playing the Nose. The Texans’ own website says the same thing. If such early charts indicate anything, it’s that Okoye is likely NOT going to be playing beside Super Mario.

Do you know why these two depth charts have Okoye at the under position? Because Victor Petersen’s alignment is stupid. And even the Texans try to avoid do stupid things on purpose.¹

[Author's Note: The following discussion of defensive tackle positioning and technique is going to be simultaneously tedious and--for many of you--common friggin' sense. Still, to make my larger point here, I feel like I need to lay out exactly why the Amobi-by-Mario alignment would be wrong.]

Okoye is a prototypical under tackle. He’s a fast (for his size), penetrating, one-gap player. Such players almost always line up off of the center. Wait… let’s start with a visual aid.

(clicky to embiggen)

OK… back to Okoye. Players of his size and skill set are best suited to line up away from the center, usually a half-step past the guard (toward the respective tackle). This is the 3-technique and makes him a one gap player. The 3-technique tackle’s job is to shoot that gap, create penetration, and either disrupt the running play or sack the QB. In Okoye’s case, he will almost certainly play the under tackle in the 3-technique position over the offense’s right guard.

Anthony Maddox, on the other hand, has a completely different skill set as a defensive tackle.² He is a traditional 0- or 1-technique DT, meaning he will line up over the center, one half-step toward the left-guard. In this position, a tackle will see frequent double-teams from the center and left guard, with the left guard engaging first and the center picking up. [Author's note: Technically, this off-set alignment is a 4-3 Over and not a straight 4-3.]

[/End of tedious football 101 recap]

So, this configuration, with Maddox next to Mario makes sense now, doesn’t it? The goal in drafting Okoye was not to have him take blockers off of Williams; the goal was to have him take pressure off of Williams, by forcing the opposing offenses to account for two quality pass rushers. Now, Weaver (or Babin) might benefit from getting more one-on-one matchups with TEs if teams try to double Okoye. That would benefit Mario, too, as he would be solo on the offense’s RT without TE interference. If that’s how teams want to play the front four, then I suppose Okoye has technically taken a blocker off of Williams, but not in the manner suggested by the above quote.

For argument’s sake, what would happen if Petersen’s lineup were used? Okoye’s primary skill–interior penetration–would be negated as he would be trying to draw a second blocker on every play. Maddox’s primary skill–playing the 0-technique as a run-stuffing two gap player would also be negated, as he would be lined up to plow through the B gap without reacting to the actual route taken by the running back. While Weaver is a good run defender from the 6-7 position, there is only so much he could do in this configuration. Moreover, teams could basically run through the right-side A gap at will, as Maddox lacks the mobility to read-and-react from the 3 position consistently.

In the end, it’s hard to fathom an argument for putting Okoye alongside Williams. Either Petersen knows something NO ONE else does, or he’s just talking for the sake of talking. One thing is for certain, though… the only “account” that suggests this alignment is Petersen’s. Thankfully.

UPDATE: You might wonder how this discussion relates to my “Babin at LE” post.³ Well, here’s the deal: Despite the fact that Weavs is more or less entrenched in Kubes’ mind as an end, the truth is Weaver is a ‘tweener. He is a little too be to be a 4-3 end and he’s a little too small to play nose tackle. He’s a good run defender from the end, but a better pass rusher from tackle. The team knows this to an extent–Weaver did play some tackle in passing downs last season. In my Babin-centric theory, Weaver would be relegated to playing some under tackle when Amobi needed a break as well as playing backup to Babin. In effect, he would be playing the same two positions he played last season, but in a reserve capacity. In theory, he could also play a few snaps at nose, if the team wanted to go small or play a pure 4-3 stack (all linemen playing one-gap). Bottom line: I stand by the Babin post, dammit.

¹ I choose to believe that this is true.
² Sam Adams would also play this role. Please come to Houston, Sam. Please?
³ I choose to believe that this is true, too.

One of the highlights of writing this blog for the past month has been emailing with other bloggers and even some national sportswriters. I have been shocked, really, at how accessible Matt Mosely and KC Joyner of ESPN have been (not to mention Will Leitch of Deadspin and most of the people at Chron.com) to a goof-ball blogger who writes about the Houston freakin’ Texans.

So, when my buddy Sid suggested a while back that I should do a breakdown of Dunta Robinson to see if he was as good as we all believe him to be, I thought someone like The Football Scientist, KC Joyner might have some good insight.

First, though, I wanted to see what the raw numbers looked like:

Not bad. I mean, he’s not Champ Bailey, but who is?¹ Still, given the drop off from 2004 to 2005/2006, it seemed like the numbers did not tell the whole story. So, I emailed Joyner.

I was kicking around the idea of breaking down Dunta Robinson in comparison to the elite corners and, possibly, figuring out how much the lack of a good CB2, SS, and FS hurts Dunta. Then, I was reading your latest column regarding corners, and I wondered if I could get your take? Overall, where would you rank Dunta among other corners? Top 15? Also, is it possible that, given even a decent supporting cast in the secondary, Dunta could actually turn in a better YPA than he has thus far?

Somewhat surprisingly, KC replied with a good bit of detail.

Dunta had one of his better years this past season (7.4 YPA) and yet teams still targeted him quite often despite the presence of what would seem like more appealing target options. Robinson does often cover the other team’s best WR and he most certainly isn’t a shutdown corner, so that’s a lot of the reason he is targeted. In previous years Robinson has been dreadful in coverage and I think that accounts for more of his targeting than anything. The lack of good safety play may hurt him some on deep passes and improvements back there could help his YPA some.

Interesting. This seems to fly in the face of what we (meaning both Texans fans and random talking heads) believe about DR. When you look at his rookie numbers, he seems to stack up against some of the better CBs out there, but, to hear Joyner tell it, those rookie numbers belie what was poor overall play. I followed-up with KC.

[Following your column and reply,] I had [some] suspicions about Dunta, mainly because being the best DB on the Texans is like being the prettiest leper in the colony. I am happy with the Okoye draft pick,[...] but there is no doubt that 2008’s first rounder will almost have to be a DB.

You say that he’s been dreadful in coverage over the past years, but he did have pretty good overall stats in 2004. Did those cover up some mediocre metrics?

Joyner, ever patient with the needy blogger, clarified.

I’ve been on numerous Texans players bandwagons the past few years (I honestly thought Carr was going to be the next great NFL QB) but Robinson’s bandwagon is one I’ve not been on. To give you an idea of some of my earlier thoughts on him, check out my comment from Scientific Football 2005:

I was rather surprised to see the Dunta Robinson fan club develop so strongly by the end of last season. [...] My early impressions of him were summed up thusly: “Robinson is the rookie I’ve been telling you about all season, and this week should be another chapter in Robinson’s book ‘Toast 2: The Second Coming of Elvis Patterson’.” As it turned out he wasn’t nearly that bad, but he wasn’t great, either. He had some decent performances, but he never really shut anybody down.

Just take a look at his rankings. He’s tied for 68th in completion percentage and 63rd in tight/good coverage percentage. He was 61st in deep completion percentage and 74th in short completion percentage. [...]

The key to all of this is his yards per attempt. Despite his lackluster completion percentage rates, he still ranked tied for 17th in yards per attempt. The reason this number is so low is that Robinson didn’t allow receivers to get much on short passes. He allowed 52 short completions but only on 13 of those did the receiver end up getting more than 10 yards. [...] He may give you room to throw under him but he’s going to tackle you quickly.

[...] He wasn’t a top-notch CB last year, but he would’ve won the most improved in-season award if there were one.

I don’t think he was as good last year as people made him out to be, but I think he has a very good chance of being that good this year. His early career popularity may bring his Pro Bowl berth a year earlier than usual, but I don’t think it’ll be quite this early.

His performances over the past two years have probably been better than his year one performance, so that’s in his favor. I’m still probably down on him in part because a lot of the TV talking heads keep saying how great he is and he simply isn’t (emphasis added).

That bolded line jumped out at me (which is why I bolded it, fool!); Dunta has actually played better the last two seasons despite a drop off in INTs, tackles, sacks, and passes defended. This is as counterintuitive as it gets, but I trust KC’s evaluation. Mainly because I have nothing to suggest that he is incorrect. I suppose one could argue that his job is INTs and PDs and, thus, 2004 was the better year. I think that is overly simplistic, though, and ignores way too many variables. So, unless I see something to contradict Joyner, I’m going to stick with his evaluation.

So, what does this tell us? Well, for one thing, we might only be looking at Robinson as a top-flight CB because he’s being compared against some guys who are awful. Much the same way Ahman Green might look like Earl Campbell to us at times this season.

For another thing, it suggests–at least to me–that the Texans need a very good safety as much as (or more) than they need a second CB. I mean, sure, they need a CB2 no doubt. But, seeing as how a dramatic improvement at safety (either one) would make Dunta and the other CB better, that might be the way to go. Otherwise, short of drafting the second coming of Prime Time, the glaring need at safety is going to make any CB we draft less valuable.²

Finally, just as a note to Texans fans, Joyner says “I hope you do remind your readers that I’m not a Texans-basher.”

Duly noted, KC. And many thanks.

¹ Other than Champ Bailey, of course.
² Less valuable when compared with his own abilities, not less valuable than Demarcus Faggins.

Two stories regarding the Texans are bouncing around the internets today, which I suppose makes today a busy news day, at least compared to the past four.

The first story is that Sam Adams is supposed to visit with the team, possibly as early as right now. Now, granted, Adams is entering his 14th season and is not the same player he was when he won a Super Bowl with Baltimore. That said, I still think this move makes sense. I mean, obviously you get veteran leadership for a very young defensive front seven. What you also get, though, is a two-gap DT (playing the 0 or 1 technique) who could (a) stuff the run, (b) free Manchild to play more of a 1-gap 3 technique DT, and (c) keep offensive lineman off of DeMeco the same way he did for Ray Lewis.

Would he give you 30 snaps per game? Of course not. He would give you 20 or so, though, which is enough to make an impact on run defense. He could be spelled by Maddox (or Weaver on clear passing downs), while still providing fantastic mentoring for Okoye, et al. Most importantly, however, is that even at this age, he is a clear upgrade in our run defense.

The biggest criticism people seem to be voicing over this news is that the Texans already have too many DTs as it is. While this might be true now, it is highly unlikely that the team is unwilling to cut one or more of those guys during camp. Travis Johnson and Thomas Johnson should probably be a little concerned.

The second story/rumor is that Kevin Walter has pretty much locked up the WR2 position. Without rehashing all of the stuff I’ve written about this position, I’ll just say that I am less-than-thrilled with Walter. I hope he proves me wrong, I really do, but I just don’t think he is our best choice to play second fiddle. Still, this news isn’t surprising (as Kubiak seems to have a mancrush on Walter). Really, I just mentioned it to throw this theory out there: The Jacksonville fans over at Big Cat Country seem to think that Ernest Wilford will not be a Jag at the end of camp. If their suspicions turn out correct, I just want to be the first to cast my vote for signing Wilford. He’s a big, physical receiver who would be a perfect compliment to Andre Johnson’s skills and would let Walter or JJ play the slot (where I think they would both be better, at least in the short term). He would also likely relish the idea of playing against his old team twice per season.

I (finally) have a post up at Texans Talk that doesn’t also appear here. Granted, it’s another “Matt sticks up for the O-line” entry, but whatever.

Lending credence to the theory that no good deed goes properly reported in the NFL, I’ll bet you haven’t heard about this: DeMeco Ryans is running a FREE football camp for kids in and around his hometown of Bessemer, AL.

Just months after establishing the DeMeco Ryans Foundation, the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year will kickoff the first of many foundation sponsored events on Friday, June 29 in his hometown of Bessemer, Alabama. The DeMeco Ryans Football Camp will give area youngsters the opportunity to directly interact with Ryans and other camp coaches. If the thought of learning fundamentals from an NFL star isn’t enough maybe the fact that Ryans’ camp is FREE of charge is convincing enough for youngsters to attend. The goal of the first DeMeco Ryans Foundation Football Camp is clear. ‘We not only want to teach the kids the fundamentals of the game but also give them the fundamentals of a successful life,’ explains Ryans. ‘When they leave the camp Friday afternoon we want them to realize that character matters and is huge to personal success.‘ The camp is limited to the first 100 to register and is open to youngsters entering the fifth through tenth grades (emphasis added).

Obviously, there are more than a handful of NFL players who would be well served to attend DeMeco’s camp, if only for that underlying message. But I’m sure Ryans is not the only player who does stuff like this during the offseason. Not that you ever hear about it. When I lived in Kansas City, Deron Cherry and Neil Smith did something similar for inner-city kids up there. I’ve heard that a couple different St. Louis Rams do a camp as well. But these things are buried in the back of Wednesday sports pages in the middle of summer. I don’t know what that says about society as a whole or about the NFL specifically, but, whatever it is, it is pretty messed up.

Still, between this and the Batman-Simmons thing, it feels good to be a Texans fan right now. Suck it, Cincinnati.

Megan Manfull has an article over at Chron.com about Mario Williams‘ personal and professional maturation since last year and his expectations for the upcoming season. According to the article–the Lambo Incident notwithstanding–Super Mario has been pretty much perfect this offseason. He has followed the rehab for his foot to the letter. He has hit the weight room with intensity and focus. He is showing maturity in the wake of the YouTube fiasco.

But it’s just one of those things that bring you back to reality and let’s you know you can’t even do any little thing now.

This attitude is the underlying point of the article–that Mario is more mature than last season and this wisdom should translate into better play.

I don’t disagree with that premise, I suppose, but I think the most exciting part of the article for Texans fans should be this throw-away line:

He also is making strides in his technique. He is working on improving his footwork and improving the way his hands work with his feet.

Now, I am already on record as a Super Mario fan who thinks that the Williams draft pick was completely justifiable. That said, I’ll be the first to admit that he relied too heavily on sheer athletic ability as a pass rusher. When his foot got injured and his athletic explosiveness was limited, his lack of a repertoire of defensive moves made him almost non-existent in the pass rush. (His run defense was still surprisingly good–teams actively ran away from him for much of the second half of 2006–but that’s not really what he’s here for, you know?)

One of the hardest things to do in life is to admit that you are lacking in some area. This is doubly true in sports, where machismo reigns, and probably even more true when that deficit is a facet of the thing that you are expected to do. That Mario can objectively look at his game and see a need for technique improvement speaks more to me about his maturity than his reaction to some YouTube video.

I already expected big things out of Mario this season; I’m thinking it might already be time to upgrade those expectations.

*********
For those of you who have checked out my appearance over on Texans Talk, thanks. I am still trying to get a feel for that place–frequency of posting, seriousness of topics, annoyance at footnotes–so you’ll have to bear with me for a while. I still say that I will (at some point) get some stuff up over there that you won’t find here; it just might take a little while before I figure something out.

*********
Also, I assume that most of my readers who don’t also know me in real life are from Texas. That being the case, I was hoping one of you might give me a good recipe for a brisket rub. Email me at mattycamp -at- gmail.com (or you can just click the link in the upper right).

In the less-than-one-month existence of DGDB&D, a constant theme has been the skewed perception of the quality of Houston’s offense line play. To recap, these posts usually involve me claiming that the line was nowhere near as bad as people mad it sound last year and that a goodly number of the sacks of David Carr were due to the ineptness and utter lack of pocket presence of David Carr. By that rationale, of course, replacing the inherently-flawed Carr with a QB possessing better presence, better football intelligence, and less estrogen would greatly improve the team.

So, following the trade for Matt Schaub (and the courtesy-flushing of Carr), the question from anyone¹ who bought into the above assertions was usually, “yeah… but what makes you thinks Schaub is actually better than David Carr?” Fair enough–considering Schaub’s career numbers, such a question was valid, at least on its face.²

Thankfully, Stephanie over at Fanhouse brings us news of this video from the NFL Network. [Author's Note: The picture of Carr on that post is great.] In said film, Brian Baldinger (with help from his weird, weird pinkie) breaks down all the ways in which Schaub is superior to Carr. Basically, at least according to the video, Schaub reads defenses better, has a better pocket presence, possesses the ability to run if need be, is not footballtarded, and rescues burning puppies in his spare time.³ I have a hard time believing that someone could watch that video and conclude that the Matt Schaub era is not looking more and more promising.

It’s not all bad for Carr. I mean, Schaub may have won the starting job, but David still has his awards to fall back on.

(Honestly, I can’t imagine tiring of that picture.)

¹ Read: Non-Texans fans.
² Unless you had watched Carr over the past few seasons, in which case you probably wondered how anyone could think Schaub wouldn’t be better.
³ Baldinger doesn’t come out and say this last one, but I have my suspicions.

Lost amidst the hub-bub of Keyshawn’s departure was that OTAs¹ continue in Houston. (They probably continue in other places as well, but I don’t pretend to care about that.) As the second week of activities comes to a close, Kubes had a couple insights and a bunch of platitudes about many of the new players. From the mundane “Matt speaks the same language that we’re speaking here”² to the suggestion that the rookies are all pretty much what they were drafted to be, there is nothing in that article that is overly surprising.

Unless, that is, you read deeper meaning into the quotes. Which is what I like to do.

I’ve taken the liberty of bolding the parts of the quote that contain hidden messages, as Coach Gary speaks about rookie WR Jacoby Jones:

Jacoby has been extremely impressive as a returner and as a receiver he’s kind of up and down right now but that’s to be expected[.] He’s been very impressive as a returner.

Now, combine that effusive praise with (a) the fact that Jerome Mathis is injured AGAIN and (b) that Kubiak already basically called Mathis out as needing to be a full-time performer, and you starting to see the (unwritten) writing on the wall. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2007 starting kick and punt returner… Jacoby Jones.

UPDATE: Steph’s protestations aside (see comments), I still think Gary is hinting more about losing Mathis unless things change drastically, rather than trying to get a rise out of Jerome in some sort of motivational ploy. From this story on Texans.com,

It’s critical because we’re at a point [in Mathis'] career where he had a great rookie season, but last year he dressed for two games for us I think and he struggled physically, Kubiak said. [Mathis] has been out here everyday, he’s practiced everyday, he had some issues with tightness today, but our football team is very competitive right now and the good thing is that our football team is going to be tough to make and I think Jerome sees that going on and it’s important that he’s out here (emphasis added)[.]

END OF UPDATE.

Other notes from the world of OTAs, bulletpoint style:

• Coaches Jethro Franklin and Frank Bush are making an impact in camp, apparently by engaging in witty repartee. Think “Tango & Cash meets The Waterboy.” Or “Last Boy Scout, minus the inexplicable horse-riding scene.” I’m rambling.
• Mike Flanagan is healthy, which puts Steve McKinney’s future with the team in question. The guys at Battle Red Blog explain why.
• Shawn Barber has “no problem being a starter, [...] a Pro Bowler, team captain, coach, (general manager) , whatever.” That’s great, Shawn. But, really, we’ll just settle for “productive backup.”

¹ Memo to whomever runs the Texans’ website: The plural of OTA is NOT “OTA’s.” Lose the damned apostrophe already.
² English? Texan? Igpay Atinlay?

I love this.

Apparently, Ron “Why, Yes, I’ll Have Another Pie” Dayne was so inspired by his “strong season” in 2006 (Yahoo!’s words, not mine) that he is motivated to really prove that he can be a good NFL running back.

Great plan, Ronnie–get inspired after your team signs Batman to be the bona fide RB1 (and the year after the team gives you an outside shot at being the man, I might add). That’s like David Carr coming out next week and saying he’s inspired to become a real leader in Houston.

All kidding aside, I suppose it’s good that Dayne feels this way. This attitude is definitely in keeping with the overall positive atmosphere that has, thus far, accompanied the Matt Schaub era.

‘I’m out here having fun and just trying to get better,’ Dayne said. ‘I’m glad we got Ahman and I think we’ve got a good-looking team.’

Despite his struggles, the NCAA’s career leading rusher said he never lost confidence and was excited to contribute last season. He hopes for continued success this year and that his work can help the team succeed as well.

‘I don’t really set goals for myself,’ he said. ‘I just want to do better than I did last year and help the team win. That’s all I want to do. Win more games.’

Whether Dayne can actually turn into the back that people expected out of Wisconsin is unlikey, but at least comments like this illustrate that he knows what his role with this team will be. That’s good, because Kubes made it perfectly clear that Green is the starter, with Dayne getting some change-of-pace carries.

[T]hat’s a great 1-2 punch, because they’re different type of players. When Ahman comes out of a game, to have a big guy like Ronny come in is a nice complement.

You know… even though “Thunder and Lightning” was a huge bust in NY, “Batman and Rubenesque” might just work in Houston.

*************************************************

In somewhat related news, I have been invited to blog over at Texanstalk.com. The co-authors there seem like a fantastic group and I look forward to working with them over the coming months. I am still working out the kinks of using their posting interface, so you might have to bear with some visually unappealing entries for a few days, but I should be running at full power soon enough.

Fear not, though, loyal readers. (All nine of you.) This version of DGDB&D will stay up and running, with updates and new posts coming as frequently as they have so far. I will just be writing over there as well. There will be some overlap (simulposting!), but there will also be some original content at my new address that you won’t find here. So, I invite you to check both blogs from time to time.

We now resume your regularly scheduled blog, already in progress.

Wow.

This Titans-Keyshawn thing is a veritable treasure trove of ridiculousness. First, we learn that Keyshawn wouldn’t be “playing for $750,000, $850,000, $1 million or $2.5 million.” Instead, he wanted $12MM over two years. If that is the prevailing market rate for inflated sense of self-worth, I want $250,000 per year to write DGDB&D.

Hold on; it gets better (at least if you are a Texans fan).

So, when Tennessee were courting Johnson, I opined that it was an act of sheer desperation on the part of the Titans’ front office. Adding some support to that position, we hear that the Titans are now in talks with Eric Moulds.

2006 Houston Texans 16 Games 57 catches 557 yards 9.8 YPC 29 long 1 TD

Yes, that Eric Moulds. Seriously, how sold can you be on your young wideouts when you have been looking to overpay a glorified possession receiver and–failing that–a guy who was so lousy, the Texans cut him and then signed Andre Davis?

You know what? I’m done with this subject. I hereby declare a moratorium on Keyshawn Johnson, the desperation of Jeff Fisher’s mustache, or the Titans’ continued acts of dummy-osity. There is no need to turn a perfectly happy Texans blog into a chronicle of Titan failures.

Vince Young Wonderlic jokes are still fair game, however.

When we were in England last fall, the wife and I went out to breakfast at this little place near the house. We asked the waitress what she would recommend and she immediately replied with “The Traditional Breakfast. It’s the best in all of Warwick!”

Either she was lying, or the word “best” means something totally different. (Kind of like how “bad” meant “good” in the 80s.) The meal was–honest to goodness, no hyperbole–the worst we had during our entire honeymoon. In fact, as I write this, I can picture the eggs attempting to sail away on a river of grease and pork-and-bean sauce. Eww.

I was reminded of this meal today when I heard that Keyshawn Johnson chose to retire rather than succumb to the wiles of Jeff Fisher’s mustache. Johnson always held himself out as one of the best receivers in all of football, but there was little evidence to support him.

Consider: Key had one season with more than 90 catches. He had 10 catches of over 40 yards in his entire career. He had one season where he reached double digits in TDs. He did have 552 catches for a first down, however. This makes sense; Keyshawn was nothing more than a possession receiver with a gift for self-promotion.

Consider further: Rod Smith, who came into the league the year before Keyshawn and is a similar receiver in terms of size/speed/strength, has two seasons of 90+ catches, two seasons of double-digit TDs, 21 catches of 40+ yards, and 570 grabs for a first down. He also bests Johnson in 1000 yard seasons, putting up eight to Johnson’s four. Even if you grant that Smith might have played in a better system,¹ it is hard to argue that he was not a better WR over the last decade than Keyshawn. (Another similar receiver, Hines Ward has three 90+ catch seasons, three double-digit TD seasons, 15 catches over 40 yards and 407 first downs. He also caught a 5 balls for 123 yards and a TD in the Super Bowl and was Super Bowl MVP, as opposed to just having 6 catches for 60 yards and no TDs.)

Which is not to say that Keyshawn was not at what he did; in fact, as possession receivers go, he was one of the best for a number of years. However, methinks that the Jets were not drafting a possession receiver with the first overall pick in 1996.² Keyshawn knew this and tried to promote himself as more than he was in order to–I suppose–avoid being looked at as a less-than-stellar draft choice.

Somehow, he managed to convince a lot of the mainstream media of this alleged greatness.

Keyshawn Johnson retired Wednesday, ending an NFL career in which the outspoken receiver was once one of the game’s biggest threats.

Oh, yeah? Point me to one season where you would rather have had Johnson than Rod Smith (to say nothing of the true great receivers like Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, Torry Holt, etc.) Heck, since 2002, show me a time when he was the biggest threat on his team. Go ahead… I’ll wait.

Give up?

It can’t be done. Keyshawn knows this, too. As I listened to him today on the Afternoon Blitz on Sirius, he made sure to mention–ad nauseum–that he wasn’t about “numbers.”³ Instead, he could hang his hat on what he’d done–like being a Pro Bowler, winning a Super Bowl, etc. That is apparently his new approach; he will talk about all the “team” accomplishments he earned while trying to deride guys whose numbers are better. That will make for some real “tell it like it is” journalism, I’m sure.

How does this relate to the Texans? Well, while it never got legs like the Titans’ pursuit did, there was some conversation about whether Houston should sign the egotist. Thankfully, common sense prevailed. (Did you ever think the Texans would be a more sensible organization than the Titans? Me neither.)

Anyway, that’s the story with Keyshawn. If he was half as good as he thinks he was, he’d be ten times better than he really was. That’s, like, algebra.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to go watch the greatest movie in the history of cinema.

UPDATE: Today, a friend and I were discussing Keyshawn as he relates to his contemporaries and we came up with at least 16 WRs who were better (some arguably, most clearly) than Keyshawn. The only rule was that their career had to overlap Keyshawn’s by at least a couple seasons. So, along with some of the guys listed throughout this post, you have Randy Moss, Torry Holt, Marvin Harrison, Herman Moore, Chad Johnson, Terrell Owens, Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, Henry Ellard, Tim Brown, Steve Smith, and Sterling Sharpe (we bent the rules slightly for him). Even if you disagree with one or two, it’s hard to make a case that Keyshawn was one of the top 10 WRs of his own generation.

¹I say “might have” because, aside from two years as the go-to receiver in John Elway’s offense (in which he was at best option B1 behind Terrell Davis), Smith played with such luminaries as Brian Greise, Chris Miller, Bubby Brister, Gus Frerotte, Jarious Jackson, Steve Beuerlein, Danny Kanell, Jake Plummer, Bradlee VanPelt, and Jay Cutler.
Johnson played with Glenn Foley, Frank Reich, Neil O’Donnell, Vinny Testaverde, Ray Lucas, Rick Mirer, Shaun King, Brad Johnson, Rob Johnson, Drew Bledsoe, Jake Delhomme, and Chris Weinke. That is, at worst, a wash. You might even give a slight edge to Johnson, seeing as how he has five QBs with Super Bowl experience in his list.
²Then again, it is the Jets.
³Which, if true, makes one wonder how he ever got the name MEshawn.

As is generally the case with young teams, several positions are in flux as OTAs and minicamps begin. With the Texans, there is competition for WR2, LT (until Charles Spencer returns), KR/PR, CB3 (nickel), and–apparently–SLB.

This year, the Texans are giving [Charlie] Anderson another opportunity to become a starter by pitting him against Shantee Orr at strongside linebacker. Orr, who has started the past two years, has had to battle for his job every offseason.
[...]
Orr is athletic with pass-rush ability. In the 3-4 alignment in 2005, he set a team record with three sacks in one game and led the Texans with seven total sacks. Last season was Orr’s first in the 4-3, and he was rarely used to blitz. [Author's note: That was a mistake on Kubes' part.] He finished with 1 1/2 sacks and 32 tackles.

Anderson, who signed a one-year contract in the offseason, is a talented athlete who is waiting for his first start after three seasons with the Texans. He has 36 career tackles, many of which have come on special teams.

I am on record as being an Orr fan. I liked him at Michigan, I like his motor, and I think he makes the perfect 5th rusher in this defense. With him behind Weaver and Manchild, you create a great opportunity for (a) one of those three to get free and (b) the opposing RB to be occupied with that side of the line, thereby ignoring Super Mario.

Still, the coaches have apparently seen something in Anderson that they dig. If there is one knock on Orr, it’s that he is less than stellar in pass coverage/zone awareness. Maybe Kubiak has seen something that suggests Anderson would be the better all-around LB. I dunno. Anderson is four inches taller than Orr and slightly faster, so that might play into the decision as well.

In the end, I think that Orr will win the starting job. However, if Kubiak is not going to blitz from the Sam position very often, Orr’s contribution is going to be significantly diminished. In that case, I would mind them going in a different direction and seeing what Anderson can do.

Either that, or see if Lance Briggs is interested in wearing battle red.

In every season in which he’s started at least 11 games, Ahman Green has rushed for a minimum of 1059 yards. Other than 2005, when he played only five games due to injury, Batman has carried the ball at least 259 times every year since 2000. These are good numbers. However, given the chatter around the league that he is “washed up,” the following comparison really stood out:

2000 season: 263 carries for 1175 yards
2006 season: 266 carries for 1059 yards

That is some remarkable consistency* and it is something that the Texans have needed for a while now. If he can just continue to get those kind of numbers, he will make life easier on the entire offense. From the news coming out of OTAs, the importance of Batman is not lost on the other players.

‘I’m blocking for 1.8 seconds and the next thing I know I see a flash with a 3 and a 0 fly by and that helps a lot as an offensive lineman,’ says Ephraim Salaam. [...] Last year we didn’t have that explosiveness, Ron Dayne came on late in the end, but we needed those big chunks, instead of 15 and 20 yards we needed 40-50 yard touchdowns and I think we have that with Ahman.

That might be the first time “explosiveness” and “Ron Dayne” have ever been equated.** Salaam is correct, however–Green’s longest run last year was 70 yards; Dayne’s longest was 19. Wali Lundy’s was 35. Sam Gado’s was 34. Chris Taylor’s was 17.

Yuck.

I realize that Batman is never going to be an 1800 yard back again. That’s not the model of Green we are expecting, though, so such realizations do not concern me much. What concerns me is Kubiak getting Ahman 250+ carries and Houston finally having a running game that defenses need to respect when gameplanning for the Texans.

Hello, Vinny. It’s your Uncle Bingo. Time to pay the check!

[Author's note: I also realize that his fumble "problem" is greatly overblown. He put 4 on the ground last year and lost 2 of them. Steven Jackson did the same. Larry Johnson lost 2 as well. The most Green has ever lost in a season is 5 (in 2003, when he also had 355 carries and 1800+ yards); Tiki Barber had back-to-back seasons with 6.]

*It is “remarkable” sort of by definition, as I am remarking on it. Still, you know what I mean.
**Outside of an all-you-can eat restaurant context, of course.

There are a number of things I think about on a daily basis. Where are my keys? How do the Wolverines look this year?* Could Eric Winston actually be our most talented Left Tackle and Right Tackle? Who the hell is going to be the Texans’ starting WR2? No, really, where are my keys?

Well, it seems that Gary Kubiak and I have at least one concern in common. From the article:

Pro Bowler Andre Johnson is set on one side. But a sea of receivers suddenly has a new outlook for the other starting job.

That was obvious to Andre’ Davis when he was deciding where to go as a free agent. Davis and returning backup Kevin Walter are the leading candidates for that job, but players like Jerome Mathis and Charlie Adams, not to mention rookie Jacoby Jones and David Anderson, all feel they have a shot at the job.

I’ve been pretty clear that I am excited about the prospect of JJ overtaking Kevin Walter at WR2. I think Jones’ athleticism and speed, along with his amazing showing at the Shrine Game, make him an exciting addition to an offense that really needs some playmakers.

That said, I am starting to think that Andre’ Davis might be the best short-term solution to this conundrum. Yes, I realize that he’s never even cracked 600 yards in a season. Yes, I realize that his single-season career high in receptions is 40. And, yes, I understand that he has 11 catches and 1 TD total over the last two seasons.

So why–WHY?!–would I be trumpeting him? Simple. He (a) allows Walter (or, preferably, Jones) to play the slot receiver position, better utilizing their size/speed in mismatch situations, (b) he is less likely to become the malcontent that we have seen over the course of his career if he feels he’s the second option in the offense, (c) he has fantastic speed (sub 4.4 at times)** that could stretch the field and open things up for Schaub, and (d) he provides some additional veteran experience on the starting offense–combining with Johnson and Batman to give Schaub some wizened help, which is never a bad thing. (Also, let’s not overlook what would be point (e)–Walter had 17 catches for 160 and no TDs last year; it’s not like he set the world on fire.)

I also have to admit that I like this mindset from ‘Dre Redux:

But Davis knows it won’t be easy to win that spot. Among other challenges, Davis feels he has to basically forget everything he has learned in his five years in the NFL.

“You know guys who have been here have an upper hand on me,” Davis said. “They’ve been in the system. They know what the coaches expect. So I’m coming in kind of at a disadvantage, even though I’ve been in the league five years.

This is what you want to hear. Unlike certain self-centered USC-bred WRs currently being courted by Jeff Fisher’s mustache, Davis accepts that he has to actually, you know, EARN a starting spot, regardless of who his competition is. Even if it’s only lip-service on Andre’s part, I still like it.

SO… if I had my druthers, the real battle right now would be between Jones and Walter at WR3. I would also understand why Darcy Maeda and David Carr were equals.***

*I realize that, within the confines of my own blog, I am probably alone in this one. Also, it’s unlikely that you know where my keys are.
**See, e.g., his record-tying 99-yard TD reception a few years ago.
***Seriously.

At some point prior to the preseason games, I plan on doing a 2007 preview, both in terms of the Texans schedule and of the NFL as a whole. I want to get a better handle on some of the teams as they go through real camp and not merely OTAs, though, so I am holding off for the time being.

“So what,” you say?

Well, the guys at Seahawks Huddle have already done one for the Texans. (How’s THAT for a nice segue? Oh yeah, baby… you know you like the way I lead a story. I’ll shut up now.)

I have to say, I agree with many of their premises, including the idea that Jacoby Jones was a very good pick and that Manchild might wind up being even better than anticipated.

They also suggest that the Texans might finally be poised to turn the corner and–possibly, if the fumbles bounce just right–turn in their first non-losing season. This is pretty much what the guys at Battle Red Blog and I have been saying ad nauseum. Still, it’s nice to see the same conclusion from someone who has no reason to be biased toward the machine that is Kubiak’s Texans.

Speaking of non-biased analysis, KC Joyner offered this nugget in his latest ESPN chat (Insider only):

With the addition of Schaub and with the other moves Houston made, I like their chances a lot. I’m not sold on their secondary** and banking on Ahman Green is a bit risky, but I could see Houston putting up 7-8 wins this year, maybe 9 if things bounce right for them.

People outside the US also seem more knowledgeable than the random Screaming Heads on your television, at least when it comes to the Texans. From the same chat:

Randy (Greenich, England): You know what… I am sick and tired of the media claiming the same old excuse that the Texans have no line. The truth is that the media has no clue because they don’t even pay attention to the Texans. The Texans have drafted numerous linemen over the past few years and last year they were pretty solid although banged up. David Carr was the problem because he has ZERO pocket presence. Can you please be one media person who can actually look at their off-season and see a little hope? Shaub, Green, nice draft, good value free agents and a solid young core defense should be better than 4th worst. What do you say?

KC Joyner: Randy, I agree with you on Houston being an up and coming team. I see 6-8 wins out of them this year, including another win against Indy.

Sure, no one in his right mind is talking Super Bowl. (PLAYOFFS?!?) Still, it’s nice to be entering a season where a winning record is a realistic possibility. It’s even nicer to be hearing the same thing from people who are on the outside looking in.

And, with that, I’ll stop kicking Barbaro. For a little while.

*Who is?

Call it variations on a theme.

It’s time for everyone’s FAVORITE gameshow–XTREME QB COMPARISON DEATHMATCH BOWL! [Insert lots of explosions and a voice yelling "EXTREME!" in an Asian accent.]

Let’s meet today’s contestants.

Quarterback #1’s 2006 statistics:
Rating: 66.7
Comp-Att: 184-357
Yards: 2199
TDs: 12
INTs: 13
Rushing Yards: 552
Rushing TDs: 7
Fumbles: 11 (3 lost)
Sacks: 25
Wins: 8

Quarterback #2’s 2006 statistics:
Rating: 75.7
Comp-Att: 204-388
Yards: 2474
TDs: 20
INTs: 13
Rushing Yards: 1039
Rushing TDs: 2
Fumbles: 9 (3 lost)
Sacks: 45
Wins: 7

Now, which QB would you rather have? Looking at the numbers, it appears that QB2 was superior in nearly every category, despite playing behind what was apparently an awful line. (For comparison, everyone’s posterboy for bad lineplay, David Carr was sacked only 41 times last year.) Yet, fans of QB2’s team have derided their signal caller as “a glorified running back” and a “below average QB.” Fans of QB1, on the other hand, are patently convinced that he is Jesus in a helmet.*

What gives?

Obviously, the two QBs in question are Vince Young and Mike Vick. But, putting aside any preconceived notions of “shoulda been drafted first” and “two dogs enter, one dog leaves,”** if you merely had the numbers above and I told you that QB1s supporting cast (at least on paper) was downgraded at both WR slots and at RB, while QB2’s team brought in Joe Horn, which player would you expect to be better in 2007?

Exactly.

Now, obviously, as a Texans fan, I have bore witness to the talent that lies with Vince Young. One need look only to a certain OT TD run to recognize that VY has talent in spades. Still, when you look at the rather pedestrian numbers he put up over the course of an entire season, one has to wonder where the expectations of playoffs (or even a match of last year’s 8 wins) come from.

And that’s without even mentioning the fact that QB1 will certainly fall victim to a certain curse this year.

Postscript: Two other points of comparison for you.
David Carr was 302-442 for 2767 yards, 11 TDs, and 12 INTs. He also had a rating of 82.1.
Randall Cunningham, in his first year as a full-time starter, went 223-406 for 2786, 23 TDs, and 12 INTs. He also rushed for 505 with 3 TDs. Oh, and he did all of this IN 12 GAMES.

*And without sandals; even Jesus needs cleats when he plays football. It’s in the Bible.
**After all, the first rule of Doggy Fight Club…

So far, it has been my goal to discuss Texans’ news almost exclusively and to bring up other teams only as they relate to the Texans’ news I am discussing at the time. Along with just generally not caring enough to write about them, this “Texans only” policy is why I have not opined on Mike Vick v. PETA, random Bengals arrests, or Plaxico Burress bailing on his tab when it didn’t look like he would get some funk on hangdown.

That said, this whole “Keyshawn to the Titans” angle merits some words on my part, if only because it reeks of such incredible desperation. (Also, it relates to the Texans, so I suppose it doesn’t violate my policy too badly. Moving on…)

As of this moment, the Titans starting WRs are Brandon Jones and David Givens. Who? Exactly. I imagine Demarcus Faggins looks at the Titans roster and thinks, “wow…even I can cover those guys, and I suck something fierce.”*

Luckily for Titans fans, Jeff Fisher is smart enough to realize that Ben Troupe and/or Bo Sciafe are not enough to create a passing game. Luckily for Texans fans, Fisher did not come to this realization until after the NFL draft. With Dwayne Bowe still on the board, the Titans took a safety, Michael Griffin. (Here is where a Titans fan will likely jump in with something “we were losing Pacman and we needed a DB!” Really? You needed a DB more than you needed someone for Vince Young to throw to? Interesting. I would think that a complete lack of offensive weapons would be something you’d want to address for your young franchise QB.)

With Steve Smith still on the board in the second, the Titans took a RB, Chris Henry. I don’t dispute that the Titans needed a back–LenDale White is trying to convert himself into an offensive lineman and Travis Henry is receiving his mail in Denver now. Still, Chris Henry is not Reggie Bush; if anything, C. Henry is a project with good upside but little ability to step in and make a difference right now. Unlike, say, a WR who played on National Championship teams in a pro-style offense.

In the third, Fisher and Co. finally took a WR when they selected Paul Williams out of Fresno State. A quick look at the Scouts, Inc., report for Williams offers the following flags:

(D: DURABILITY) Player that can’t stay healthy (M: MENTAL) Does not retain and learn the system (U: UNDERACHIEVER) Player that doesn’t play up to ability

We also get the always fun

There is speculation that he’d rather be playing DB and he spent some of his senior season complaining about being forced to play offense.

Nice. He complains about playing the position they drafted him to play and he would rather be keeping other people from catching the ball than catching it himself. This can only end well… from a Texans perspective.

The Titans also spent a sixth round pick on WR Joel Filani, who Scouts graded at a whopping 49. (Which I think means he’s roughly as good as Andre Johnson… if you stabbed Johnson repeatedly in the kidneys with a rusty screwdriver.)

Given all of this, you can see why the Titans would suddenly find themselves desperate for a real WR. If this were, say, 2001, Keyshawn would be an excellent option. You see, back then Keyshawn was only 29 and had the ability to do amazing things like outrun LBs. In 2007, though, signing Keyshawn gets you the equivalent Wayne Chrebet–only with enough (undeserved) ego to have earned the nickname MEshawn.

I’m not in rental mode. You’re not going to rent me for six months because someone with my career warrants more than that,” Johnson said Thursday. “I just laugh when I read that stuff. [...] I’m not playing for $750,000, $850,000, $1 million or $2.5 million. You can write that down.

Wow. Not only are the Titans considering overpaying for a washed-up, egocentric possession receiver, they are apparently considering doing it for more than one year. Brilliant!

So, why are they doing this? Like I said earlier, it is almost certainly out of desperation. They are desperate to find something (anything!) that will force defenses to at least consider respecting the passing game. They are desperate to cobble together an offense around VY after failing to do so in the draft. Most importantly (from the team’s perspective), however, they are desperate to sign a name that fans recognize–even if that name offers next to nothing in terms of value or production–so that they can point to said player as “proof” of a commitment to win now.

As a football fan, I find these moves puzzling at best.

As a Texans fan who is often derided for his team’s failure to draft Vince Young, I find this somewhat poetic.

But, more than desperate or puzzling or poetic, I find this whole thing incredibly amusing. Go Texans.

*I suppose it is possible–likely, even–that Demarcus does not think he sucks. However, in my imagination, all of the Texans think on a very existential level. This probably illustrates something wrong in my head.

It is possible that the following is only of interest to Jason Babin and a few of his relatives.

Anyway, though I don’t think I’ve just come out and said it, it’s my not-so-radical theory that the starting defensive line will be Super Mario, Manchild, and Dos Anthonys*. I am generally ok with this. However, it does raise one interesting question: ¿Dónde es Jason Babin?

Fans may recall that Babin was the second of two first-round picks by the Texans in the 2004 draft. A defensive end out of Directional Michigan, Babin ended his collegiate career with 299 tackles (including 202 solo and 75 for a loss) and 38 sacks, despite missing all of his senior season with a broken leg. He was described in various scouting reports as “one of the fastest down linemen in the game of football” and having “tremendous potential as a pass rusher.”

At the time Babin was selected, the Texans were still running Dom Capers’ 3-4 defense. Babin was therefore converted from defensive end to outside linebacker; Capers apparently assumed that a pass rusher was a pass rusher, regardless of where he lined up. (Gee, I wonder why Dom wasn’t successful…)

So it went for the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Babin put up 63 tackles and 4 sacks in his first year, then followed that up with 37 and 4 (and 2 forced fumbles) in ‘05.

Prior to 2006, as the team converted from a 3-4 to a 4-3, Babin was unconverted back to defensive end. Of course, by this time Babin was a man without a starting slot (he started only three times in ‘06). Still, now that he was being asked to do what he was actually drafted to do**, he turned in a career high in sacks (5) regardless of his diminished playing time.

And my point is?

I suppose the underlying point is that Babin has talent and loads of untapped potential, thus it is far to early to relegate him to permanent backup. However, the point of this post is this: I propose that the starting d-line should be (from the right) Williams, Maddox , Okoye, and Babin. Weaver would still get plenty of reps spelling Babin and Okoye (and possibly playing Nose Tackle in certain situations).

Crazy? Hardly. Weaver is a solid run-stopper and he has played tackle on passing downs numerous times before. More importantly, this line would (in theory, at least) give the Texans a very strong pass rush from the front four, meaning the LBs would be free to assist in short pass coverage. Given our secondary of “Dunta and these friggin’ guys,” ANY assistance from the LBs would be worth its weight in cliches.

I realize that the biggest possible question mark in this scenario is how the line would fare against the run. Weaver as an outside run stopper was probably the best on the team last year. I think this question is the wrong way to look at things, however. The biggest problem facing this defense right now is the complete lack of a dependable secondary; having a dominating pass rush would alleviate this. There is no reason to think that the downgrade in run defense from Weaver to Babin would even come close to outweighing the upgrade in pass rush ability. Besides, with Orr (whom I fully admit my bias toward… Go Blue!) behind Babin, you have the ability to run blitz with effectiveness. (Side note: That Orr holds the team single game sack record with three is sad, but illustrates the pressing need for a real pass rush.)

Will my plan be implemented? Unlikely. Kubiak is a fan of using Weavs primarily as an outside rusher. Moreover, it appears that Babin has–in Kubes’ mind–established himself as a ‘tweener, relegated to spot duty at a couple different positions.

Bother.

That means, this is probably all just an exercise in wishful thinking. That does not make it incorrect, however.

*That would be Anthony Maddox and Anthony Weaver.
**Novel concept, eh?