DGDB&D: a Texans blog.

Old Five And Dimers Like Me

Aug 11, 2008 2008 Season, 2008 Training Camp, Amobi Okoye is an adult, Big dudes doing the little things, Corky Johnson, Daddy's girl, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Duane Brown as Eliza Doolittle, Morlon Greenwood, Okam's Razor, Preseason 2008, President Lyndon Veins Johnson, Super Mario

…aaaaand, we’re back!

Back from where, you ask?  Well, for the first time since Sophia was born back in February, my wife and I were able to escape for a kidless vacation this past weekend.  And how better to spend a romantic weekend than in Houston, eating Mexican food, listening to live music, and watching your Houston JUGGERNAUT in action?

Speaking of live music, if you’ve never seen Billy Joe Shaver in concert, do yourself a favor and make that happen.  The man is a living legend (he wrote 90% of Waylon Jennings’ Honkytonk Heroes album as well as songs for the Allman Brothers, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Bobby Bare) and, even better, completely out of his mind.  He spent two songs explaining how to throw a punch, one song trying to kick a woman in the head, and at least two songs flapping his arms like he was going to fly.  But, regardless, the show was fantastic.  And I defy you to show me another 69-year-old performer who comes on at 11PM and plays until well after 1AM.

Other thoughts about the game and the weekend in general:

• First off, huge thanks to Tim and his better half for taking us to the game and just generally showing us a good time around Houston.  A+ effort as always.
• A separate thank you to Tim’s dad for giving us the tickets.
• He got close last year, but this is going to be the season that Mario Williams makes all the doubters feel silly.  You wouldn’t think he could look appreciably better than he did last year, but you would be wrong.  On one play, Mario shoved Ryan Clady (all 325 lbs of him) back about six feet and snared Selvin Young with one hand, bringing the RB down for a two-yard loss.  The funny thing was Clady was in proper to position to block Mario—he had his butt low and was squared up correctly—yet Mario just flung him out of the way as if he was nothing.
• DeMeco Ryans is very, very good.  This is not news.  What is news, however, is that he seems to have found another gear as well, as he was disrupting plays in the backfield with surprising regularity during the first two series.
• Ninfa’s is really, really good.  It’s so good, in fact, that every time I eat there, I refuse to eat Mexican food in Little Rock for months afterward.
• Is there some reason Jacques Reeves was giving a five- to seven-yard cushion to the slot WRs?  Because I can’t figure out what it would be.  I mean, his one asset is speed, right?  So shouldn’t he play a little closer, knowing that he can keep up stride-for-stride?  Someone needs to answer this.
• Will Demps looks very good in run support.  He is one of five Texans who can claim that praise following Sunday’s game.
• Petey Faggins made one tackle where, before I realized it was him, I said “wow…great hit!”  Then I felt dirty and started to question my own existence.  Thankfully, Faggins then completely lost outside contain on Anthony Aldridge’s run, turning a 4-yard loss into a 19-yard gain.  All was immediately right with the world.
• In other news, Petey tackles very well when he is hitting a stopped receiver from the side.
• Contrary to what some random ‘tards will tell you, there is no QB controversy, nor should there be one.  Matt Schaub looked fantastic on his first four throws and the timing route he fired to Andre Davis was a throw that (a) Zoolander never could have made and (b) our offense has rarely, if ever, featured before.  Schaub threw it to Davis’ back shoulder and the ball was halfway there before Davis ever made his turn.  It is obviously something they’ve been working on, though, as Andre knew without a doubt where the ball would be when he broke.  Impressive as hell.  That throw is also why I think Matt forced the fifth throw into coverage—he’s apparently been working with Davis on a lot of short routes and precision throws and he’s comfortable throwing to Andre regardless of the situation.  Was it a bad throw?  Of course.  It was into triple coverage and David Anderson was open to the left.  But it was an understandable early-season mistake.
• Speaking of QBs, Sage Rosenfels did look good, especially on the throw to Anderson.  But what apparently doesn’t come across on television (as I haven’t seen anyone talking about it) is that Sage has a serious case of happy feet back there.  Oh, sure, he’s nails and he will stay in and keep his eyes downfield, but his footwork is pretty bad.  He made that very nice throw to Jacoby Jones, but he was practically dancing in place before he launched it.  And I can’t recall him stepping up into the pocket much at all.
• Good news!  There was actually a pocket the QBs could have stepped into.  I am already prepared to admit that I was wrong on Duane Brown; that kid looked fantastic Saturday night.  His footwork was nearly flawless, his technique was solid, and he used his hands very well.  Ephraim Salaam just got Wally Pipped, I do believe.
• I am going to tell myself that the injury to Louis Green and the ensuing five-minute delay took the steam out of our drive and that is why they had to settle for a field goal.  I am telling myself this and you can’t convince me otherwise.
• Remember not that long ago when Chris pointed out that Ahman Green’s 2007 injury was hardly a fluke—it was a straight-on hit to the knee, which happens to all running backs multiple times per year?  Well, you know, AT LEAST IT WAS A HIT!!!!  Seriously, you are going to hurt yourself on the VERY FIRST PLAY OF THE YEAR without so much as the defense getting a hand on you?  Really?  Honestly?  I don’t think I am alone in saying that I am fine with the team taking the cap hit and giving Green his walking limping papers.
• Cadillac Bar’s brunch buffet is fan-friggin’-tastic.  It is doubly great when you have 5 or 6 mimosas.  What’s that, you say?  Mimosas are lame?  Good sir, the fact that I am allowed to drink alcohol with breakfast without drawing scorn from others is far from lame.  Plus, you know…vitamin C.  No scurvy for me!
• Was it just me, or did it seem like Morlon Greenwood was trying to make me look like a jerk?  I spend two friggin’ weeks defending the guy and arguing that he’s way better than we give him credit for being and…um…wow.  He was horrid Saturday night.  No one should get owned like that on a Jay Cutler run, yet Morlon did.  And he was abused in the short passing game as well.  NOT GOOD, MORLON.
• Thanks to Lee, stacy, and grungedave recommending breakfast spots.  We tried to go to The Breakfast Klub on Saturday, but the line was around the block.
• The more I think about it, the less problem I have with Jacoby’s second punt return.  Granted, he did everything wrong—he ran backward, he changed directions too many times, he waited too long to switch hands—but he also juked past at least five would-be tacklers and, at the moment he fumbled, was about six inches from beating the last guy and taking that punt to the house.  No, I don’t want to see him doing that again, but I love that he is still that confident in the return game.  That’s the swagger we saw last year until he was destroyed by Hunter Smith.  Just hold on to the ball, son!
• Steve Slaton has ridiculous speed, but could get knocked over by a stiff breeze.  There were three plays where if he had made a real move or ran with a little more power, he could have made something big happen.  On both of the runs, he got arm-tackled by the last possible defender and, on the pass play, he thought he could juke an NFL lineman with nothing more than a head bob.  This ain’t Rutgers, man.
• The interior line of the future, aka Amobi Okoye and Frank Okam, really impressed me.  Amobi blew up a running play early and seemed to be playing with a better motor than at this point last season.  Big Frank annihilated two blockers and blew up a running play of his own late in the game.  Frank is still raw, no doubt about that, but he did nothing to lower my expectations of him.
• Why is food so much cheaper in Houston than in Little Rock?  I don’t get it.
• Dear Travis Johnson, Please stop diving late into piles just to “prove” that you are playing with intensity.  It’s stupid and it is going to cost us yards at some point.  In fact, why don’t you do us all a favor and just leave?  Love, Matt.
• David Anderson: Helluva game from the worst dancer in the history of the world.  I agree with Tim’s assessment, however, that we might have the best receiving corps in the NFL top to bottom.  We definitely have one of the fastest.
• I have no opinion on Chris Taylor getting the bulk of the carries.  Whether it is to see just we he has to offer or simply to keep the other people healthy, I am fine with it.  I would like it, however, if he could actually get 4 or 5 yards/carry in these games.  Whatever.
• Zac Diles: A+.
• OH…I almost forgot to mention this, but Kevin Bentley looks…how can I say this…FAT.  Not at all what I expected from ol’ LVJ.  When he came out for special teams work, he was hopping up and down to loosen up, and you could see a gut jiggling.  NOT COOL, Kevin.  Do you want to lose the bet?  Is that it?!?!
• Did anyone see Antwaun Molden?  Because I didn’t notice him at all.  Also, could we verify that Tim Bulman and Rosie Colvin were actually at the game?
• And, finally, though I already mentioned it once, it bears repeating that Mario Williams is an absolute man.  Be afriad, AFC South.  Be very afraid.

Kickoff (Two-A-Days Version)

Aug 5, 2008 2008 Season, 2008 Training Camp, Amobi Okoye is an adult, Big dudes doing the little things, Kickoff, Stats, Uncategorized

A few afternoon Texans notes:

Vote for the greatest All-Time Texan.  Candidates are Mario Williams, Andre Johnson, DeMeco Ryans, Matt Schaub, and Domanick Williams nee Davis.  The lack of Jamie Sharper or Dunta Robinson, both of whom are better choices than Schaub or Williams, bothers me.

Amobi Okoye fully expects to be dominant this year.  “Hawaii is my goal and it should be everybody’s goal, and in doing that I have to get at least 15 [sacks],” Okoye said. “I know that’s a lot for a defensive tackle, but I think it can get done. I know it can get done.”  Now, while I don’t think he’ll get that many sacks (Darnell Dockett had the most of any DT last year with 9 and Tommie Harris, whose playing style one could argue Okoye’s most closely resembles, had 8), I admire that kind of enthusiasm and confidence.  And, who knows, maybe the kid knows something we don’t and he’ll post a Warren Sapp (16.5) or John Randle (15.5) season.

So…what you’re saying is that DeMeco is even better than we realized?  Interesting article from the Cowtown Morning News regarding how tackles are tabulated in the NFL.  Apparently, the Texans are one of a very, very small group of teams who accept the press box tackle numbers as “official.”  Most other teams have their assistant coaches review the tapes on Monday and submit a new set of tackle numbers.  The problem with this, as you probably guessed, is that logical results are a rarity.  For instance, the Colts’ staff gave the team credit for 891 solo tackles…in 781 plays.  From now on, I am making up my own official tackle numbers.  DeMeco just got three in this post alone.  (Side note: Unfortunately for fantasy football players, most online games use the pressbox numbers.)

Matt has never been so excited!

Jul 10, 2008 Awfulness, Big dudes doing the little things, Teams that aren't the Texans

He’ll get to take a picture of NFL cock:

Arkansas police arrest Jaguars receiver Matt Jones in SUV with cocaine, marijuana

One of the officers walked up to the passenger side rear door and saw Jones sitting inside. The report said he had in his lap a white card with a white powder and a credit card in his hand that he was using to chop up and scrape the powder.

That kicks so much ass.  The only real surprise is that it wasn’t meth.

Matt, get your mouth camera ready!

Chaun of the Dead

Mar 19, 2008 2003 Draft, 2008 Season, Big dudes doing the little things, Chaun, DeMeco Ryans, Dunta Robinson, President Lyndon Veins Johnson, Spin City

Building off of BFD’s last post–or, more accurately, one sentence in the italicized post script to that post–I thought I’d cobble together some information on the newest Texan linebacker, Chaun Thompson. Anyway, the Google pointed me to this series of five articles run by CNNSI.com in the weeks leading up to the 2003 NFL Draft.

It seems that CNNSI decided to follow Thompson through the combine and his pro day, telling the story of the “intriguing” prospect from little-known (in football terms) West Texas A&M. While Thompson was ultimately a second-round pick by the Cleveland Browns, some of the information in these articles is still illuminating. I think. Or maybe I am just looking for column filler.

A native of Mt. Pleasant, Texas, Chaun is comfortable in the warm weather that embraces the Lone Star State.

****

“I really don’t have a preference,” Thompson said of his eventual NFL destination. “Wherever I have to go is OK with me. I just want to be there. Whoever calls, I’m there.

“My mom doesn’t care, either. She just wants me to keep playing. … I love my mom,” he said. “She’s never had nothing; just hand-me-downs.

“I’m just thinking about the opportunity. My mom says not to blow my money, but I’m going to help my mama.”

****

Thompson — a new-age linebacker, complete with size and speed — went man-to-man last week with his fiercest competitor yet. He asked Faith Boyd’s father for his daughter’s hand in marriage. “And you know he had to give me that fatherly talk,” Thompson added. “‘I love my baby, I never harmed my baby … you better not …’

“I was scared,” he admitted, “because when he said ‘you better not’ he was clinching his fists!

“Then he started crying and went inside. … A few minutes later his wife came out asking, ‘What did you do to my husband?’

“I was nervous,” Thompson said, “because they’d never seen him cry. … The Combine was nothing like asking a dad for his daughter’s hand.”

****

“Then I walked in and bench-pressed 225 [pounds] 29 times. I was pumped about that; others didn’t get as many. Those Division I players are just like me; you’ve got to hit the weight room and work hard.”

Despite his impressive workout — his 29 reps at 225 pounds was tied for most among the 12 inside linebackers who participated in the combine drill — Thompson said he remained in awe of his surroundings.

****

A three-year starter at the Division II school, Thompson finished with 104 tackles as a senior and played well in two all-star games.

“All I want — all I can ask for — is that one chance,” Thompson said. “I’m maybe not the greatest, but one team is going to give me a chance. … I’m not going to ask for $17 million after five years; I’ll take a pay cut to get a championship.”

****

“On Dec. 11, an AFC scout saw Chaun at 223 pounds run a 4.44″ in the 40-yard dash, recalls Griffin. “We sent Chaun to San Diego to work out and then he turns up in Indianapolis at 240 pounds and still had his speed.

“It just goes to show that Chaun is willing to work at all costs for this, his dream. He added 20 pounds, kept his speed and he has 34 1/2-inch arms — all of that is what teams find intriguing.”

Like I said, Thompson wound up playing in Cleveland, where he never missed a game in five seasons. He was a starter at SLB in 2004 and 2005, with that 2005 season being his best effort by far (102 tackles, 9 TFL, 5 sacks, 4 QB pressures, 2 FF, 1 FR). He lost the starting gig in 2006, but remained a solid contributor on special teams. Digging around the internets some more, I can’t come up with any particular reason that he lost his starting spot other than Romeo didn’t like him much. That’s fitting, however, because it appears that many, many Browns fans disliked Thompson because he was a second-round pick. I’ve never really understood Browns fans, though. I mean…you know your actual team is in Baltimore, right? Just sayin’.

Anyway, given the incredibly reasonable deal we gave Chaun (2 years, $4MM, $650K guaranteed) and given that his numbers as a starting SLB are as good as anything we’ve had in recent years and given that he is a Texas boy who wanted to come home to be closer to his family, I have to say that this my be my favorite signing of the offseason. Assuming he wins the starting job, I think it’s reasonable to pencil him in for 5-8 sacks, 75 tackles, 2-3 FF, and other numbers in keeping with that. And that is my reasonable, low-ball estimate, because here is the kicker: When he played his best season in Cleveland, he did not have a DeMeco Ryans lining up beside him, freeing him to go after the QB with reckless abandon; and he did not have a Mario Williams in front of him, eating up double teams and creating nice, large gaps for him to blitz through. Maybe I am just doing my usual self-convincing, but I am actually excited about our linebacking corps right now.

Even if he doesn’t win the starting SLB position, either because Kevin Bentley is way better than I imagine or because Zac Diles makes a seamless transition over there, it’s safe to say that Thompson will be a contributor in 2008. He has (as BFD pointed out) the speed and size to be a situational end, which is good because Anthony Weaver apparently died some time in late 2006. He’s a top-notch special teams player. And he can still get reps in nickel packages and as a backup SLB.

As a bonus, he also makes the spelling of Dunta’s name seem slightly less silly.

Bucky Brooks talks out of his ass

Jul 5, 2007 2007 Draft, Amobi Okoye is 20, Big dudes doing the little things, Gary Kubiak might be high, Jason Babin, National Media, Preview, Super Mario, The Schaub Experiment

Other than Peter King, I rarely find a reason to read anything at SI.com. Andrew Perloff is insufferable, Dr. Z might actually be retarded¹, and Michael Silver has never written anything that kept my attention beyond the first paragraph.

Occasionally, however, Bucky Brooks writes something that I not only read, but that I feel the need to comment on. Obviously, if I am writing this, today was one of those days. In his AFC South preview, Brooks lists the key challenges for each team in the conference. Thankfully, not one of his challenges is about the offensive line, as B^2 posits the following:

Challenge No. 1: Make Matt Schaub comfortable in a new offense.

Challenge No. 2: Find another threat in the passing game.

Challenge No. 3: Get better play out of the defensive line.

Now, 1 and 2, I can’t argue with. We’ve talked about both of those ad naseum for the last two months. Schaubby definitely needs to be “comfortable” in the offense, assuming that “comfortable” means “good,” and the WR2 slot needs to be filled by someone who doesn’t play like he is missing one leg and three chromosomes. No surprise.

As for 3, well, I suppose I agree with the sentiment. After all, with the number of first round picks we run out there in the front four, you’d expect for that to be the best third of our defense. The part that stuck out to me, however, was this:

But now with Mario Williams, Travis Johnson and ‘07 draftee Amobi Okoye slated to start, the onus is on this crew to produce some pressure on opposing signal-callers. [...] Johnson’s ineffectiveness as a rusher allowed teams to double Williams without fear. If Johnson can recover from his season-ending calf injury and provide a push inside, Williams should begin to see less of the double teams that he faced last season.

Um… huh? First of all, am I the only person who hadn’t heard that TJ was going to start? I’ve lived the last six or seven months assuming that Anthony Maddox was going to be the starting two-gapper, since, you know, he was MUCH better than TJ last year, in pretty much every way (tackles, sacks, ff, fr, etc.). Besides, Kubiak has pretty much been singing Maddox’s praises since minicamp. So, why, dear Bucky, is Johnson “slated to start?”

In the end–unless I completely missed the memo–this is probably some writer just looking at the current depth chart at NFL.com and basing opinions thereon. Whatever. The bigger question is here is “what if Bucky is right?”

The single most important thing for Manchild is that he isn’t continually double-teamed (like Mario was last year). Teams are going to focus on him early, if for no other reason than the hype that accompanied his selection. Part of the reason that Weaver has already been penciled in at LDE is because he’s a better rusher (supposedly) than Jason Babin. Maddox showed last year that, of the two real options, he is the better two-gapper. You combine Weaver on the outside with Maddox on Manchild’s right (along with a healthy Mario), and Amobi should see nothing more than a single guard (with the occasional clip from the center) all season. This is important–Okoye is at his best when he gets penetration straight up field and can read-and-react to the QB and RB. He is faster in the pass rush than any of our other defensive linemen. If he is forced to fight through double-teams all season, not only will he be hampered, but the entire line will be worse by orders of magnitude. I can’t say this strongly enough–Johnson getting single blockers while Amobi gets doubles make the entire defense worse; Maddox taking on two, even if he never makes a single tackle, frees Okoye and makes the entire defense better. I’m no coach, but I am pretty sure that a better defense is better than a worse defense.

So Bucky, don’t take this the wrong way, but I hope you are just as full of shit as the rest of the national media. Thankfully, if your colleagues are any indication, you are.

UPDATE: The Texans’ own website ran an article yesterday about how Anthony Maddox is the starter and anyone who wants to play that position is going to have to beat him. That’s pretty much what we’ve been hearing and planning for since December, and it looks like Kubes is using some common sense.

It’s not overly surprising that a columnist would just glance at the Texans depth chart on NFL.com and use that to form his “opinion.” I’m sure that sort of thing happens all the time. What is surprising, though, is that he would devote paragraphs to supporting something that was wrong to begin with, while simultaneously failing to mention the secondary as a “challenge” this season. Poor showing, Buckwheat. I now lump you in with the rest of the ‘tards.

¹ Seriously, I cannot stand that guy. How many self-referential mailbags where he talks about wine and his wife being redheaded do we have to endure before he is euthanized?

Todd Weiner… heh… "Todd"

Jun 14, 2007 Athletes who don't stab people, Big dudes doing the little things, DeMeco Ryans, Dunta Robinson, Is Roger Goodell gonna have to choke a bitch?, Preview, Teams that aren't the Texans

For an explanation of what the heck I am doing here, see this post.

Win #2–Week 4 @ Atlanta. I wanted to claim that the second win would come in the second game, as the Texans roll into Carolina and exorcise the final memories of David Carr. I wanted to, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it for a number of reasons. So it is that, in week 4, the Texans will bring their record back to .500 with a victory over Matt Schaub’s former employers.

Why? Well, first, there is the little issue of a certain overrated QB and some dog fighting.¹ Assuming Robespierre Goodell continues his reign of terror on NFL ne’er-do-wells, Señor Mexico certainly faces at least 4 games. And this, children, means that Joey Harrington will be under center. Ballgame.

But what if Vick is not suspended? I’m still calling this one win number two. While the Falcons’ linebackers are good, they are still part of a starting front seven that only totaled 12.5 sacks. Just as importantly, Grady Jackson appears to be rapidly declining as an interior player and there are still some unanswered questions regarding John Abraham’s ability to still be a full-time contributor. (He played in only 8 games last year as was less than effective when he did play.) The defense will also be relying on two rookies from Arkansas–Jamaal Anderson and Chris Houston–at DE and CB. Add an old SS and a mediocre (at best) FS and you have a front unit that doesn’t get much pressure, a shaky secondary situation, and a defensive right side that should be susceptible to the run. The Texans will be able to score in that equation.

When the Falcons have the ball, I look for them to allow DeMeco to spy Vick throughout the game. Also, because Vick is a lefty, Greenwood (or one of the new LBs) will probably keep contain if/when Mike rolls out, allowing DeMeco to defend Crumpler over the middle. Shante Orr and Weaver (switching sides with Mario for this one?)will have run responsibilities (assuming Manchild gets some middle penetration, which should be achievable against Tyson Clabo). That kind of run defense should be enough against a finesse back like Dunn.

When Vick throws, Joe Horn is a couple years removed from being an elite receiver and Dunta matches up well with Horn at this point. Petey will continue to be a question, but with a little help over the top he should be able to adequately defend Michael Jenkins or Roddy White.

Thus, the Texans will end September at 2-2.

¹ Allegedly.

Amobi Okoye has the odds in his favor

Jun 14, 2007 1997-2006 Drafts, Amobi Okoye is 20, Big dudes doing the little things, Preview, Teams that aren't the Texans

Oh. Yeah. I forgot to finish the Amobi hype post. Dang that beer and sun for warping my already-muddled brain.

ANYWAY…here’s the list of defensive tackles taken with a Top-16 pick in the last 10 years.

• Darrell Russell, 1997. Taken by Oakland Raiders with 2d pick.
• Anthony McFarland, 1999. Taken by Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 15th pick.
• Corey Simon, 2000. Taken by Philadelphia Eagles with 6th pick.
• Gerard Warren, 2001. Taken by Cleveland Browns with 3d pick.
• Damione Lewis, 2001. Taken by St. Louis Rams with 12th pick.
• Marcus Stroud, 2001. Taken by Jacksonville Jaguars with 13th pick.
• Ryan Sims, 2002. Taken by Kansas City Chiefs with 6th pick.
• John Henderson, 2002. Taken by Jacksonville Jaguars with 9th pick.
• Wendell Bryant, 2002. Taken by Arizona Cardinals with 12th pick.
• Albert Haynesworth, 2002. Taken by Tennessee Titans with 15th pick.
• Dewayne Robertson, 2003. Taken by New York Jets with 4th pick.
• Kevin Williams, 2003. Taken by Minnesota Vikings with 9th pick.
• Tommie Harris, 2004. Taken by Chicago Bears with 14th pick.
• Travis Johnson, 2005. Taken by Houston Texans with 16th pick.
• Haloti Ngata, 2006. Taken by Baltimore Ravens with 12th pick.
• Brodrick Bunkley, 2006. Taken by Philadelphia Eagles with 14th pick.

So, what do we have? The Good: The late Russell was a two-time Pro Bowler and, his drug problems notwithstanding, was a very good NFL player. Booger was an integral part of a Super Bowl defense and has been a solid contributor throughout his career. Corey Simon was a Pro Bowler and racked up 32 sacks in 5 years in Philly before injuries curtailed his production and playing time. Stroud is a 3-time Pro Bowler and has paired with fellow list member John Henderson (2 Pro Bowls) to form one of the most dominant tackle duos in recent memory. Noted headstomper Haynesworth has become one of the better run stuffing DTs in the game over the past few season. Robertson has not been all-world, but has played well, notching 200 total tackles in 5 years. Williams has also racked up 199 in the same timeframe, but has added 23 sacks, 2 INTs, and 23 passes defended. Tommie Harris has made two Pro Bowls and was second in DROY voting, a he also played a dominant role in the Bears’ Super Bowl defense. Finally, while it’s probably a little premature to call him a success, Ngata has shown the ability to be a big-time run stuffer and has also flashed athleticism that belies his size. That’s 10 in the “success” column.

The Bad: Gerard Warren was drafted ahead of Shaun Rogers and LaDanian Tomlinson. Whoops. Damione Lewis was part of a string of really bad draft picks by the Rams. Ryan Sims has had injury issues and has had only one season that could be called above average. Wendell Bryant is working at a car wash somewhere. Travis Johnson… well… you know. Finally–and again it might be premature–Bunkley was less-than-good last season in Philly. That’s 6 in the “poop” column.

What does it all mean? Well, on pure numbers alone, it looks like Okoye has a better than 50-50 shot at panning out. That’s comforting. Other than that, what is most noteworthy is the disparity between good and bad careers on this list. I mean, there’s not a lot of middle ground (Robertson would probably be the closest to the middle); these guys for the most part either become dominant interior player or they just flat fail. Which, I suppose, speaks to the importance of the position–mediocre just won’t cut it in the middle of an NFL line.

Obviously, nothing here is a guarantee or curse that Manchild will or will not fail. However, when you consider (a) that DTs drafted in the top half of the draft have more often than not become solid NFL players, and (b) that Okoye is highly intelligent as well as gifted athletically, it stands to reason that he has a good chance to live up to his advanced billing.

At least, that’s what I tell myself when trying to sleep at night.

Mark Bruener rolls his hips like Shakira

Jun 6, 2007 Big dudes doing the little things, Fred Weary is dirty, Mark Bruener, Preview

It is not every day¹ that a Texans player is held out as the archetype for his position. At one point, long before he wore Battle Red, I suppose Tony Boselli was the prototypical left tackle. But that was many years and many steroid-related injuries ago. So, when I found this little nugget within a breakdown of NFL TE scouting, I just had to pass it along.

Run Blocking: Run blocking is where tight ends earn their paychecks. Most people look at the red-zone touchdowns as the role of a tight end, but the majority of NFL offenses still teach run blocking over route running. The tight end is the catalyst for most off-tackle and outside runs. Depending on the play called and the blocking scheme, the tight end can be one of the most important people on the field. Run blocking is an unquestioned skill that every tight end must possess or learn immediately. Being an effective run blocker is what keeps most rookies off the field.

Scouting Points: Just as there were a few techniques to look at with pass blocking, there are some with run blocking. I won’t get into steps as much here, but some things to look for follow. The tight end needs to be the first man off the line of scrimmage on every play. He must anticipate the snap count and fire off into his man. Once he has made contact, the blocker must get inside leverage (on the chest plate in most cases) and drive his man in the direction the play calls for. This is where lower-body strength comes into play. The tight end must be strong enough to use his butt and legs to drive the defender. The blocker will take short, choppy steps in an effort to move the defender. This is where the term “rolling your hips” comes from. The blocker should be rolling through his defender by using his legs to drive block.

Pro Standard: Mark Bruener, Houston Texans

I don’t know this Matt Miller fella from Adam, so I am completely unaware as to his credentials when it comes to scouting anything. Regardless, I always enjoy seeing a Texan held out as an example of anything good. I mean, Fred Weary might be the most giving swinger at the club, but that’s not exactly the type of stuff that translates to the football field; being a very good run blocker obviously does.

¹ This is what the kids call “an understatement.”

A.J. Nicholson probably does nothing of the sort

May 27, 2007 Athletes who don't stab people, Batman, Big dudes doing the little things, DeMeco Ryans, Teams that aren't the Texans

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.

Mario Williams is an adult

May 26, 2007 Big dudes doing the little things, Overexposure, Preview, Simulpost, Super Mario

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.

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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.

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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).