DGDB&D: a Texans blog.

David Carr is mercifully absent from this post

Jul 1, 2007 Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Jerome Mathis got hurt reading this, Offensive (punch)Line, Preview, Ron Dayne likes pie

The offensive side of the ball is a little more settled than the defensive side, so we’ll lump the special teams question marks into this post as well.

Position: WR2
Incumbent: Eric Moulds (no longer with team)
Players involved: Kevin Walter, Jacoby Jones, Andre Davis, Keenan McCardell (?)
Analysis: The story over the past six weeks has been that Kevin Walter is our second receiver. Of course, the team then turned around and worked out Keenan McCardell, so I’m not sure how sold they are on K-Dub.¹ I know that I’m not sold on him. Rookie Jacoby Jones has impressed in college all-star games and possesses serious, game-breaking speed. One can argue that such speed would be better utilized in the slot, and maybe that’s true, but given the choice between Jones and Walter, I still lean to Jones. Veteran malcontent Apostrophe Davis is the dark horse here. I mean, he was brought in for a reason and I’m pretty sure that reason wasn’t “to play the fourth receiver role.” So, I look for him to either win the #2 slot or be cut–I can’t imagine keeping him otherwise. Jerome Mathis does not figure into this discussion.
Prediction: Unless McCardell signs with the team, Davis wins the job early on and gets supplanted by Walter or Jones later in the season.

Position: LT
Incumbent: Ephraim Salaam
Players involved: Charles Spencer, Salaam, Jordan Black, Eric Winston
Analysis: Let’s be real clear about something: This is Charles Spencer’s position as soon as he is healthy enough to play it. Now, while Carmine Pirone told me via email that Spencer was working hard and was going to give it a go at the beginning of camp, other writers at the Chronic have suggested that Spencer is going to start the season on the PUP list. If he can’t go, it’s primarily between Salaam and Jordan Black and Kubiak has been pretty clear that he prefers Salaam. The darkhorse is Eric Winston, who played LT at The U and has gotten some reps over there this summer. Physically, he’s probably the best of the rest (not counting Spencer), but that would be asking him to play a new NFL position this year and would thrust rookie Brandon Frye into a starting role as well (or require Salaam and Black to switch sides… I don’t like either alternative). If Spencer never comes back, maybe Winston is the long-term answer, but not this year.
Prediction: Salaam, until Spencer comes back. Winston in 2008 if Spencer is still PUP.

Position: RB2
Incumbent: Technically, Samkon Gado
Players Involved: Gado, Ron Dayne, Wali Lundy, Darius Walker
Analysis: I’ve avoided most of the backup battles, but the RB2 will get plenty of touches in this offense, so it’s worth discussing. As of this instant, Ron Dayne is penciled in. Problem is, Ron Dayne is pretty much awful. I don’t care that he led the team in yards last year; 612 yards doesn’t even give me a semi. Gado showed flashes in Green Bay, but Harvey Williams once showed flashes in KC–it doesn’t always translate to continued success. Lundy was supposedly going to be the man after Domanick Williams (nee Davis) went down, but that never really happened. Walker was an undrafted free agent², but who knows if he will even make the team? It’s not like we are going to carry five RBs. In the end, this battle becomes the equivalent of being the prettiest girl in Clovis, NM–not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Prediction: Dayne in Week 1, but more or less a carousel all season.

Position: KR/PR
Incumbent: Jerome Mathis
Players Involved: Mathis, Jacoby Jones, Dexter Wynn, Wali Lundy, David Anderson
Analysis: Mr. Glass has likely seen his last reps as a Texan. Kubiak seems incredibly fed up with Mathis’ inability to keep from hurting himself and also seems enamored with Jones’ breakaway speed in the return game. Currently, the NFL.com depth chart lists Dexter Wynn as both the KR and PR, but I don’t think that matters much (with his 22 YPR on kickoffs). And, If Lundy really is in the mix for the RB2 position, I don’t figure him to be also returning kicks (especially since he can’t return punts), though he’s probably a better choice than Anderson.
Prediction: Jacoby Jones, unless/until he takes over the WR2

¹ It’s possible I’m the only person who refers to him as this.
² Probably should have gone back for another season, eh Darius?