On the strong side
Nov 7, 2008 Bad Idea Jeans, Chaun, Chocodiles, Fire Richard Smith, Football 101, President Lyndon Veins Johnson, Rendhel and Sid, The X Factor
Since Zac Diles kicked his own ass and will miss the rest of the season, there has been some speculation as to who will play SLB as well as who should play SLB. Oddly enough, however, the one name that keeps popping up is Xavier Adibi. I say “oddly” because it seems that no one has stopped to think what a horrifically bad idea this would be.
First, some background on the strongside LB position. (Feel free to skip)
In a traditional 4-31, the strongside linebacker is going to be your biggest, strongest linebacker. This makes a ton of sense if you think about it, as he is almost always going to have to fight through a TE or FB block to make a tackle on a D-gap running play. On most plays, however, he is going to jam the TE, and then either pick up TE coverage or maintain containment depending on the D called. When he does stick his nose in to tackle a running back, he’s generally going to have to deal with more offensive lineman than the weakside LB because the line will flow to the strong side. If he is doing his job perfectly, he’ll force everything back to the inside (meaning that a perfect SLB, unless he’s playing behind a really bad D-line, is only going to notch 50 or 70 tackles a year).
Look at those reponsibilities again. The standard 4-3 SLB has to be big and strong enough to jam the TE, fight through TE/FB/OT blocks, maintain secondary edge contain (i.e. not get locked up and moved out of the way), and quickly tackle the TE when in coverage.
[Another quick aside: In Richard Smith's "scheme," the SLB doesn't usually have any edge contain responsibilities and is freed up to make some more tackles than a normal SLB would. This is partly by design---because Smith is a moron---and partly because our defensive line isn't exactly the Steel Curtain. But I digress.]
Because of all this, the prototypical SLB is someone like Carlos Emmons or Marcus Washington (both of whom are getting up in years now). Emmons is 6-5/255ish. Washington is 6-3/245ish. Both are large and strong, almost like an undersized DE. Even Zac Diles, who was short for the SLB job at 6-0, weighed 240 lbs.
Xavier Adibi is 6-2/224.2
TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR POUNDS.
Picture for just a moment what would happen if you put a 224 lb man at SLB. Let’s see—blown up by TEs with regularity? Check. Unable to get a good jam at the line? Check. Owned on the edge by FBs and OTs? Check and check. Unable to fight through the blockers and tackle the running back in the backfield? Check. Even worse, can you imagine the strain this puts on Mario (as the best run defender on the line) and DeMeco (for having to clean up Adibi’s mess)? You actually manage to make run defense HARDER for a team that has a crap run defense to begin with. BAD IDEA.
In fact, of all the non-DeMeco LBs on the team, I’d go so far as to say Xavier Adibi (along with Kevis Coley) is the WORST IDEA anyone could consider for SLB. Look:
Chaun Thompson: 6-2/245
Kevin Bentley: 6-0/240
Morlon Greenwood: 6-0/240
Kevis Coley: 6-1/225
My vote? Chaun Thompson. He’s got the size. He’s got the speed and strength, as evidenced by the show he put on at the Combine a few years back. He’s got the speed. Given our limited options, he’d be absolutely perfect for the role.3 Which is precisely why Richard Smith won’t put him there.
Let’s just hope that he doesn’t put Adibi there, either.
1 Though not always in Richard Smith’s ‘tarded version of the same.
2 I don’t buy the 232 that ESPN listed him as. Dude was 220ish all through college and was 224 at the combine. He’s a 220-lber.
3 At least until we draft Brian Orakpo.
Cracklin’ Rosy
Jun 4, 2008 2008 Season, Chaun, Chocodiles, Colvin, Kevin Bentley, President Lyndon Veins Johnson, Super Bowl 2011, Super Mario
Well, that was certainly interesting. And surprisingly informative, really. But, back to what really matters. According to the Boston Globe,
Former Patriots outside linebacker Rosevelt Colvin, now a free agent, is scheduled to visit the Houston Texans today.
I know we have a solid starter at WLB and three guys vying for the title of starting SLB, but I like this move. I like it a lot, actually. Colvin is definitely on the downward slope of his career, but he would bring the kind of veteran leadership (and winning experience) that a young LB corps can always benefit from, as well as being a mentor for Zac Diles as Diles transitions to the outside.
The short article also mentions that Colvin previously met with the Colts. If we can get him on the cheap, I think you’ve got to make this move. Worst case scenario, you cut him loose if he can’t hack it. Best case, though, he gives you a solid backup to Diles (sorry, Kevin) and makes it so Chaun Thompson is more expendable and more able to be used as a pass-rushing DE opposite Mario. Win-win, baby!
OTAs Day 7
May 30, 2008 2008 Season, Babyeating-Sisterfuckers, Chaun, Gary Kubiak, I really dig my readers, Kevin Bentley, Morlon Greenwood, Posts that list too many players, Preseason 2008, President Lyndon Veins Johnson, Vince Young can't read this post, Xman
You must forgive me. All these years being a sports fan has made me more than a little calloused when it comes to quotes during camps. I mean, when was the last time you heard a player say something along the lines of:
“The team is a bunch of assholes. There’s no chemistry at all, and our team is fucked.”
Nope, doesn’t happen. What we do get is the usual:
“Oh, man, it’s been great. I’ve got great coaches. I’ve got great teammates…
Basically, the linebackers are just all a brotherhood. The whole team is a brotherhood but the linebackers especially, we’re real tight, real close, and if anybody needs help on anything, we’re always there to help each other out.”
Awwwww, isn’t that sweet? The quote is courtesy of Chaun Thompson, one of our off-season additions (quotes courtesy HoustonTexans.com).
But, wait a minute, is this a little nugget right here?
(on if LB Chaun Thompson will work with the defensive line) “Yeah, once we get going in camp, he’ll go down with (defensive line coach) Jethro (Franklin) and (senior defensive assistant) Frank (Bush) to work on some pass-rush skills and those types of things. He shows the ability to do that, but the thing we don’t want to do is hurt him at linebacker because he’s very competitive in our situation at linebacker right now and I don’t want to take away from that.” - Gary Kubiak, again from HoustonTexans.com
When you consider the depth we have at linebacker - DeMonster, Morlon Greenwood, and Zac Diles as starters with Xavier Adibi, Kevin Bentley, and one of several including UDFA signee Ben Moffitt (h/t 1Texan) as backups - we have some pretty damn good depth at linebacker. Even if Thompson sees time at LB, it could be in *gasp* blitz packages. There’s one important thing to remember about Thompson: he’s one extremely fast dude. Instead of trying to force his talents into a system like the Browns did, it looks like the hometown heroes signed him because he fits our system.
And, frankly, anything that keeps Anthony Weaver off the field until he proves he can collect a single sack is a good thing.
Finally, we all know I’m a University of Texas grad and still live in Austin, right? OK, well…
Vince Young a couple of days ago:
I really thought long and hard about it,” Young said on Thursday after practice. “There was so much going on with my family. It was crazy being an NFL quarterback. It wasn’t fun anymore. All of the fun was out of it. All of the excitement was gone. All I was doing was worrying about things.
Vince Young yesterday (h/t Eric):
“Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I ain’t never said I was going to quit football,” Young said. “There was a lot of stuff going on in my life, but football is not hard to me. Football is easy. All you have to do is be coachable and use your God-given talent. If it was a thought at all it was just a passing thought for a second.”
You know, I really have no problem with what Ricky Williams did. Hell, if I could get stoned and travel the world instead of working, I would do that in a second. But Vince? Yeah, just, wow.
BFD’s take on the Texans’ 2008 Draft - the first time, at least…
Apr 27, 2008 2008 Draft, 2008 Season, Alex Gibbs, BFD's Real Doll, Broken Record, Chaun, DRC, Duane Brown as Eliza Doolittle, I really dig my readers, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Morlon Greenwood, Posts that list too many players
Well, it’s all done but the crying. I gotta admit that I’m still disappointed that we lost out on DRC (note to self: do a better job discrediting who we want next year), and I will forever hate the Cards because of it. Or something. That said, I’m gonna throw up (sic) some grades for our draft this year, and I would love to hear your feedback. I’m not going to do any purposeful agitating a la Little Dickie Justice, age 12. I’m going to try and be as honest as possible with my subjectivity and objectivity.
1st Round (#26 overall): Duane Brown, LT, Virginia Tech. I originally wasn’t too excited, and then I slipped quickly into acceptance. Considering he was taken with the 26th pick of the 1st Round, it’s definitely an over-draft. That we traded back eight places and still got the guy we allegedly wanted the entire time earns some points, though. For now, it’s a bit of a wash on the good and bad, and I am still worried about his ability to have a short-term impact on the team, so I will go with a Grade B. No, not great. I think it’s average right now, and it’s a full grade higher because of the trade down and acquisition of additional picks. Mr. Brown and Smithiak are certainly welcome to make me eat that grade, however.
3rd Round #1 (#79 overall): Antwaun Molden, CB, Eastern Kentucky. curtisdisco had some good things to say about Molden at BRB, and if you check out the entire thread, the guy is definitely a work-out fiend. Seriously, the guy seems to be a slightly lesser version of DRC: small school and huge combine numbers. Considering what the guy has had to deal with as a human, and how *pissed* he was at his badass workouts, I am prepared to go JJ on him. Grade B+.
3rd Round #2 (#89 overall): Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia. I do worry he’ll be a Chris Perry at the highest level due to his size and seeming inability to run between the tackles, but he definitely has game-changing ability. Used in the proper role, I can see him excelling. Grade B+. I do think we need to set realistic expectations that he is not a true #1 RB, but I have no problem with that, either.
4th Round (#118 overall): Xavier Adibi, OLB, Virginia Tech. Here’s my take…so, we didn’t take a DE in this draft, yet I believe it to be a serious area of need. We signed Chaun Thompson, who could line-up at DE as a serious speed rusher. Yes, that’s where I am going with this. Chaun will see a lot of time opposite Mario at DE, and I have absolutely no problem with this. Chaun *is* 6′2″, 250lbs, so he’s not terribly undersized. But if he can become a demon off the outside, yeah, I’m liking this.
As for Adibi, as I said previously, I see a lot of Morlon Greenwood. Others in the Draft Thread said DeMeco, but that’s a little too far for me. And again with the b0ng hit of Adibi. He’ll definitely challenge Zach Diles and Kevin Bentley at SAM. An interesting pick with some seriously high upside. Grade A-. As stupid as this may sound, if any of our picks have a big impact in 2008, I think it’s most likely to be Adibi.
5th round (#151 overall): Frank Okam, DT, The University of Texas at Austin…bitchez. Yes, an alum from my beloved alma mater. And, yes, I am super-excited about this pick (though not as excited as Tim). He has a first-class body, a top-of-the-class mind, but he has the motor of a moped. He also needs some serious work on his technique. The worst thing about him is his ability to disappear for stretches, but when he’s on, he’s Shaun Rogers good (when his engine is running, of course).
Going into the 2007 season, I thought Okam would be a legit 1st round pick. That he slid is more of an indictment of the motor, technique, and (oh yeah!) conditioning than it is anything else. A motivated Okam would be an absolute steal and the acquisition of a 1st rounder in the 5th. Grade A-.
6th round (#173 overall): Dominique Barber, S, Minnesota. I just don’t understand this pick. We took Molden, we have enough DBs to hold up against Andre Ware, and we took the slowest S on the board? I mean, I think even I could hang with this guy in the 40 (20 years ago). Look, he may be Marion’s brother, but I hate that SOB. Grade D.
7th round (#223 overall): Alex Brink, QB, Washington State. I watched only about half of one WSU game this year, and I don’t have much of an image of Brink. He’s mobile but smallish, and he definitely has a “West Coast Offense” kinda arm, which means it ain’t the strongest. I will reiterate that I believe that Kubiak carries three QBs on the active roster, and Brink will be practice squad fodder. Grade who cares.
Overall Grade:
I think we are seeing a trend of sorts with Smithiak, which is taking safer picks in the earlier rounds and going for the homerun in later rounds. I’m OK with this. Brown, for all the smack, was a fairly safe pick. Mario and DeMeco were a fairly safe picks. In 2007, ManChild was an easy call and not a gamble, but they went Jacoby Jones in the 3rd, Fred Bennett in the 4th, and Brandon Frye in the 5th (looking forward to seeing him in the summer).
This draft just seems similar to me. A safer pick at the line early (Brown vs. Okoye), l33t skill position in the 3rd (Slaton vs. JJ [nod to JJ here, though]), a DB with upside (Bennett vs. Molden) in there, and another lineman with talent in the 5th (Okam vs. Frye).
Overall, I give this draft a very sold B+ with a greater possibility of upside than not. Molden and/or Okam could make this grade an “A” by themselves, much less Brown or Slaton. I’m excited.
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.
