DGDB&D: a Texans blog.

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.

109. Chad Stanley has more 16-yard punts than anyone ever born with two functioning legs.

Aug 28, 2007 Andre Johnson, Batman, Chad Stanley, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Owen Daniels is a big ol' Pimp, Preview

Random Texans-related fantasy football nuggets from Matthew Berry’s “50 Things You Need to Know,”

4. Last season, Ahman Green had more than 1,400 total yards in 14 games. Last season, the Houston Texans had 13 rushing touchdowns as a team and averaged more than 100 yards rushing per game, both numbers better than those of the Packers last season. And the Texans did it with Samkon Gado, Wali Lundy[,] and Ron Dayne carrying the rock.

12. Only one wide receiver (Houston’s Andre Johnson) had more receptions than Detroit’s Mike Furrey last season.

27. Owen Daniels had the same number of touchdowns (five) as Tony Gonzalez, L.J. Smith[,] and Heath Miller.

51. Jacoby Jones is clearly the greatest athlete to ever even consider touching a football.

Well, I’m sure that would have been next, had the list continued.

Early Observations

Aug 25, 2007 Amobi Okoye is 20, Dunta Robinson, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Preseason 2007, Super Mario, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment

Ten things I’ve noticed in just over a quarter of play.

1. Jacoby Jones is as good as advertised. If he ever learns to square his shoulders before he catches a punt, he’ll be unstoppable.
2. Mario is looking good. By my count, two assisted tackles, one solo tackle, and a sack.
3. Mario is also playing about half the snaps at LDE. I am in favor of this.
4. Manchild is not lining up directly beside Mario very often. I am also in favor of this.
5. Batman is running the ball well. Off tackle, mainly, but he’s showing some power is left in that engine.
6. Dunta is owning TO so far. And he still plays the run extremely well.
7. Dallas announcers are jerk offs. Smug jerk offs.
8. Schaub has completions on 1-, 3-, and 5-step drops. David Carr does not.
9. Tony Romo is being allowed too much time to pass against our base defense.
10. Seriously. Jacoby Jones.

Bonus coverage: Another live blog at BRB.

What do you call a crime ring in Dallas?

Aug 24, 2007 Chad Stanley, Dunta Robinson, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Jason Babin, Matt Turk rules, Offensive (punch)Line, Secondary issues are primary, Super Mario, Teams that aren't the Texans

Zero. That’s the number of times Matt Schaub and Sage Rosenfels have been sacked this preseason.

Now, the optimist looks at that number and says, “I told you the line was improved!”¹ The pessimist, however, counters with “it’s just the preseason–hardly anyone gets sacked much this time of year.”

I suppose both sides have a point.

The realist, however, knows that this week is the true test of our new line.² Because, apparently, the girls from up north are coming to Houston and bringing a passel of blitz packages. Whiny protestations of John Lynch notwithstanding, I think this is a great opportunity for us to see exactly what we have up front and, perhaps even more importantly, to see how The Schaub reacts to pressure, collapsed pockets, and forced hot reads.

So far this preseason, the Cowboys have used their blitzing 3-4 defense³ to notch 3 sacks and 3 forced fumbles, to hold opposing teams to 42 yards per game rushing, and to keep teams under 200 yards passing. If we get through this game without Schaub getting sacked, you will have to like our offensive line going into this season.

On the flip side, the Cowboys’ o-line has allowed Tony “Slipperyhands” Romo to be sacked twice in 29 attempts, while completing just over 72% of his passes. If our front four can get pressure against this line, and maybe knock Romo on his butt two or three times my fears will be somewhat allayed. (Also, with Weaver looking less and less likely to start the season, one has to imagine that this game is an open audition for Kalu and Babin to figure out who will be starting on the left side against Kansas City.)

Things to watch for this week:

• Babin v. Kalu, part III
• Mario. Of course. Just so you are up to speed when McClain, et al, resume bashing him on Monday.
• CBs other than Dunta. Petey was torched last week and was most at fault for Edge’s TD. Fletcher has looked pretty good. Which, of course, means that Petey is still the starter. Huh?
• Our running game. For all the talk about how the running game has been solid enough to make play action mean something (and this is true), the “solid enough” has not translated to much actual real estate on the field. Now, they face an extremely stingy run D. Good Times!
• Kevin v. Jacoby. 2 against 2a. Though, if we looked just at performance thus far, this one shouldn’t even be a question.
• Turk finally, mercifully issues the coup de grace to Chad Stanley’s career in Battle Red. Somewhere, Tim smiles.
• Jordan Black. Just how bad can he be?! Tune in to find out.

¹ Or, if that optimist is also a grudge-holding type, “I told you David Carr was the cause of a whole lot of those sacks!” Then he makes some random joke about Carr and a vagina… you get the picture.
² Christ, that was a contrived way to start a post. I apologize.
³ Shake brings up a good question–what’s the point of the 3-4 if Ware just lines up as a DE on every play? Also, how long is Jerry Jones’ tail?

Wherefore art thou, dude?

Aug 22, 2007 Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Preseason 2007, Self-Referential Stuff, Super Mario, Teams that aren't the Texans

Yes, it’s been a little quiet around here.

Part of that is because I’ve been busy in the evenings (damn it) and haven’t had time to go back over the game tape from Saturday. I still want to go over all of Petey’s snaps, mainly to see if he did anything positive to make up for getting owned repeatedly by Boldin and vacating the spot where Edge caught the TD. I might as well help OJ look for the real killers.

The other reason is because I am refusing to talk about a couple certain stories for the time being. Foremost on the posta non grata list is any further reference to Mario Williams performance until the season actually starts. Sure, I have theories on the guys just like everyone else, but I am going to stop re-writing the same old tired stuff until I see how he plays when it actually matters. Because, if he gets three sacks in week 1, a whole lot of tunes are going to change.

With any luck, we’ll be back to multiple daily postings in the next day or so. (Thankfully, we didn’t sign Robert Ferguson, so I don’t have to post about how dumb that would have been.) For now, just ponder why every media outlet keeps talking about Jacoby getting 24 yards on two “reverses.” I’ll give you two possibilities: Ignorance or Laziness.

Keeping up with The Jones.

Aug 19, 2007 Athletes who don't stab people, DeMeco Ryans, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Dunta Robinson, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Preseason 2007, Secondary issues are primary, Super Mario, The Schaub Experiment, Winner winner chicken dinner

First off, I know that wins in the preseason mean about as much as to the outcome of the season as campaign promises do to the direction of a presidency. Still, given the choice between playing well and winning or playing well and losing, even in the preseason, that’s no choice at all.

Second, I feel sorry for the fans of the Arizona Cardinals. You have, hands down, the worst television announcing duo I have ever heard. They talked so highly of everything Arizona did, you would think the Cards were coming off a Super Bowl threepeat. They honestly seemed to believe that every position player for the Cardinals is Pro Bowl quality, and the play-by-play guy makes every tackle sound like it was Mike Jones against Kevin Dyson. Even worse, they whined about every call that went against the Cardinals, while ignoring that the Cardinals offensive line play seem centered around holding. Horrid. Even my wife, who couldn’t be less biased about any of this, remarked when the coverage switched to the Texans feed after halftime, “Did they change announcers? These guys don’t sound so retarded all of the sudden.”

As for the game itself…

• Matt Schaub looked fantastic. He completed his first six passes to five different guys, finishing 9/12 for 108. He showed an ability to roll to either side and deliver a ball. He stood tall in the pocket without getting happy feet and delivered a couple great throws–including the one to Owen Daniels down the middle on the long drive–and showed some good mobility on the naked bootleg TD. What was that people were saying about him being immobile?
• Jacoby Jones continued to be, for lack of a better word, amazing. He gained 10 on an end around on the long TD drive in the first and another 14 on an end around in the second. (Note: Not to go all Gregg Easterbrook on you, but both of these runs were end arounds and NOT reverses, as stated here.) He had 2 catches for 32 yards. Oh, and there was little 80 yard punt return TD, wherein he straight ran away from people who had good pursuit angles.
• Danny Clark showed why he has been bumped into a starting role when he stuffed the 4th down attempt by Arizona. Clark came in untouched, got a hold of the RB, and held on long enough to allow the line to snuff out the play. I continue to be more and more excited about the Clark-Ryans-Greenwood trio.
• Sage Rosenfels and Charlie Anderson were the best 2s of the week. I don’t think Anderson played well enough to get back into the starting threesome–nor do I hope he did–but he provides some really nice depth at that SAM position.
• If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 100 times, but Petey Faggins is NOT GOOD. I know it’s hard to stop Anquan Boldin, but Faggins’ play made one wonder why the Cardinals did anything on offense other than throw to Boldin. He was also caught napping on the TD pass to James, as the throw went right to the spot he mysteriously vacated. I know Faggins is a crowd favorite, but c’mon… enough already.
• Dunta Robinson continues to knock the crap out of people this preseason. It’s always fun to watch a 180-pound DB level someone.
• According to the NFL Gamebook, Jason Babin played. Though you wouldn’t know it by watching the game or looking at the box score. Not really the best way to follow last week, Babs.
• Not to toot my own horn, but in last week’s state of the roster post, I threw out the line “though I suppose Charlie Adams could make some noise before it’s all said and done.” A 40-yard TD grab officially counts as some noise. And it pretty much guarantees that Bethel Johnson should update his resume.
• DeMeco Ryans was quietly solid as per usual. It’s really nice to have that sort of talent and consistency in the middle of the field on a weekly basis.
• Owen Daniels had 3 grabs for 45 yards and delivered as much damage as he received on the tackles. He is a underrated weapon and a fantasy football sleeper.
• Kris Brown is still banging them through. Though I wish he wasn’t getting so many from stalled red zone drives.
• You can color me surprised if Scott Jackson gets anymore lip service from Kubiak about “getting more reps with the 2s.” He nearly got Sage Rosenfels killed.
• This lack of a pass rush from the front four (one sack so far, courtesy for Th. Johnson) is going to kill us. I don’t want to opine on the reasons just yet, as I hope to go through the tape of the first team a little more closely, but it has reached “critical concern” status. The defense as a whole, actually, is underwhelming. We can’t seem to stop the short passes and the check downs, and the Cardinals showed that our secondary is highly flammable against big receivers.
• Two picks, regardless of the QBs throwing at the time, is still a nice development. Jason Simmons, however, is not a starting safety by any stretch of the imagination. VIVA VON HUTCHINS! (Sorry.)
• Mario Williams, ND Kalu, and the aforementioned Babin… we’re sure they dressed for the game, right?
• The Arizona broadcasters just said “DeMeco Ryans… I think he was the defensive rookie of the year.” Really?

Next week… the Governor’s Cup. Our starters are supposedly going to play into the third quarter. Cowboys jokes are encouraged in the comments.

13-10

Aug 18, 2007 Athletes who don't stab people, Batman, DeMeco Ryans, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Dunta Robinson, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Owen Daniels is a big ol' Pimp, Preseason 2007, Super Mario, The Schaub Experiment

Halftime in the desert.

Good so far: Schaub, Jones, AJ, Dunta, Danny Clark, Owen Daniels, Sage, Green.
Bad so far: Mario, Amobi, FAGGINS, Dayne, Safeties, officiating, Cardinals broadcasters.
Invisible so far: DeMeco, Morlon, Apostrophe.

Full recap following the game. By which I mean some time between the end of today’s game the start of next week’s. Also, an update on the DeMeco Ryans/DGDB&D story.

I heart JJ

Aug 12, 2007 Amobi Okoye is 20, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Preseason 2007, Ron Dayne likes pie, Super Mario, The Schaub Experiment, WR

News and observations from the video tape:

• Despite how they listed the starting lineup (i.e. Mario Williams, Amobi Okoye, Anthony Maddox, ND Kalu), Maddox was actually lined up beside Mario on all the plays where I was able to ID the linemen. As described repeatedly here, this makes sense.
• Matt Schaub’s numbers were not good, but he made a couple impressive moves. The pass to Kevin Walter (dropped) with a blitz coming from his blindside was a thing of beauty and something that could not have happened last year. He got a little antsy on the possible TD pass to Walter, but I think he makes that pass 9 times out of 10.
• Jason Babin is seriously fast. He just slipped past a shoulder block and chased down the RB from the backside.
• Ron Dayne is still fat. I mean, he looks like he’s dropped a little weight, but he is f-a-t.
• I really hope Kubiak noticed how teams were over committing on the goal line runs. I agree with the TV guys that there is no reason to risk putting your QB out on a naked bootleg in the preseason, but even Jared Lorenzen could have run that one in.
• So, the first team D-line didn’t get as much penetration as I’d hoped. Kalu got in a little bit, and Mario had about three plays where he was this close. But that’s about it. I know the Bears O-line is very good (Rex Grossman was only sacked 21 times last year), but I still wanted to see a little more middle penetration.
• OK, I’m just going to come out and say it–we don’t need Bethel Johnson. Mathis and Jones have the return game on lockdown. Wow.
• I don’t think the announcers noticed that Manchild was not lined up alongside Mario. I say that because they were just talking about “people think maybe you put one of them on the other side… no.” What?
• Charlie Adams is a little faster and a little more physical than I remembered. But these drops (Adams, Walter) are killing us.
• Even if that was more hustle and output than we’ve seen in the rest of his career combined, Travis Johnson probably should have saved that little Riverdance for a TD that counted. Still, I laughed. Oh, and it was Babin again causing that pressure.
• Speaking of, we are getting good pass rush with our 2s against their 2s.
• Jacoby Jones was the best athlete on the field throughout the second quarter. I like this.
• Why the hell didn’t the officials stop the clock for a measurement on that Sam Gado catch with :17 left? It was within a yard… surely that requires the sticks. The only thing I can think is that Rosenfels called the TO too quickly.
• Kris Brown, 4/4. Consistently consistent.

That’s the end of the first half. I’m taking a break and I’ll update with second half notes this afternoon.

Texans v.2.0… not exactly bug free

Aug 11, 2007 Athletes who don't stab people, Chad Stanley, Chocodiles, DeMeco Ryans, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Jason Babin, Jon Abbate, Matt Turk rules, Posts that list too many players, Preseason 2007, The Fred

Ugh. That sucked.

I know, I know… it’s only the preseason and it’s only one game. And I know there were plenty of bright spots. For instance:

• Jacoby Jones. Wow. WOW. As a return man and as a WR, Jacoby lived up to the hype. If not for Ricky Manning’s penalty-inducing contact, JJ would have had a sweet TD to cap off his great night. If he isn’t our WR2 on opening day 2008, something will have gone very wrong.
• DeMeco Ryans. He was only in for limited action, but Ryans had his nose in the middle of everything. I saw NOTHING that would suggest a decline this year or any kind of sophomore slump. This guy is for real.
• Sage Rosenfels. Sure, he’s the backup, but he moved the ball well and spread it around. As a security blanket goes, we could do a lot worse. His line–16/26, 138 yds, TD–was all you could have asked.
• Jerome Mathis. He’s back. At least, it looks like it. He flashed that serious straight-line speed that made him a Pro Bowler not too long ago.
• Jason Babin. I would have bet you $50 that he wouldn’t be on this list. I would have lost. Babin flashed great chasing speed coming from the backside and an ability to shed blocks and make the play from the frontside. He played like (gulp) a first-round draft pick.
• Jon Abbate. They didn’t mention on the radio, so I have no idea if people held up five fingers at the start of the 4th quarter. What they did mention was that Jon was blocking extremely well and he even caught a pass. Man, I hope this guy makes the team.
• Zac Diles. I really expect this guy to make an impact on special teams this year. Nice intensity, nice motor. He also played well as a true LB near the end of the game.
• Matt Turk. One booming punt (58 on the fly) and one nice pin-point punt in the fourth (downed at the 11).
• ND Kalu. If Weaver isn’t ready to go in week 1, I am suddenly feeling a lot better about the prospect of Kalu filling in for him. Maybe work Babin into the strongside rotation, too. I’m breathing a little easier.
• Kick returners. Mathis, Bethel Johnson, and Andre Davis all looked good running back KOs. That said, if Mathis is indeed healthy, there is hardly a need to keep one of those other two, let alone both.

Still, in the end, we walked away with a big fat L. Which is what happens when you crap the bed. In the middle of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, we had such craptacular performances as:

• Jordan Black. He played positively awful, which would explain why the Chiefs fans called him “Turnstile.” I know I said David Carr caused a lot of his own sacks, but putting Jordan Black at LT will make the beating Sandy took look like he was wearing a red jersey in practice.
• Sam Gado looked like he had tunnel vision and cement shoes. This is not really what I am hoping for from our RB3.
• Bradlee Van Pelt looked like a third string QB–for a Special Olympic team. 1/7, a fumble that led to a TD, and a strange fascination with throwing to Joel Dreessen, which worked exactly zero times.
• Jamar Fletcher played passably decent as a nickel but got beat in standard coverage and Fred Bennett got completely lit up on the drive that ended with Ayanbadejo’s TD.
• Chad effin’ Stanley managed a whopping 35 yards on his vital 4th quarter punt, because he likes to make me throw things around the den. He also lucked out with a great roll on his first punt, making it look better in the box score than it actually was. Surely to god, this type of performance will get him his release sooner rather than later. I hate him.
• Earl Cochran had the bonehead running into the kicker penalty that kept Chicago alive with two minutes left, leading to their game winning FG. Nice one.
• Ron Dayne. I’m not sure how our short-yardage back can run three straight times for more or less zero gain. That was ugly. You know… Ron… you are a big (fat) dude. Maybe you could, like, lower your shoulders and actually deliver a hit. Just a thought.

This is not setting well. With 10 minutes to go, I was almost positive we had the game won. With 5 minutes to go, I was still optimistic. It all seems… um… familiar. And I don’t like that feeling.

OK. Breathe. I’m keeping myself positive. This was a fluke. It was all the fault of Van Pelt (or Stanley). The Colts have lost 10 of their last 11 preseason games. Etc.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have nine beers to drink in rapid succession. NFL Football is back, baby.

UPDATE: I should mention that these notes were the product of the radio broadcast, NFL Gamecenter, and the live blog at BRB. Which is to say they are subject to revision once I watch the recorded replay tomorrow morning. Also, I still hate Chad Stanley.

Houston means that I’m one day closer to you

Jul 30, 2007 Beer, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Mexican food, Secondary issues are primary, Self-Referential Stuff, Super Mario, The Fred, Training camp 2007, Vacation-related posts

Well, that didn’t exactly pan out like it was supposed to.¹

I was supposed to spend all day Saturday at the Methodist Training Center; instead, I spent all day at Methodist hospital. I was supposed to see at least three (possibly four) practices; instead, I saw not a second. I was supposed to eat my body weight twice over in Mexican food and brisket; instead, I managed only a trip to Ninfa’s yesterday afternoon before I left Houston.

Which is not to say the weekend was all bad. The First Annual Texans Blogger Symposium and Drinkathon went off swimmingly. Tim and I (later joined by reader Will and his girlfriend²) solved a number of the Texans’ problems.

• We decided that (a) someone should run over Travis Johnson as he crossed the street, even if that means we can only afford to pay league minimum for a third string DT.
• We opined that Jacoby Jones is totally deserving of the mancrush all of us seem to be saddling him with, as we are pretty sure Kevin Walter will never be a viable #2.
• There was much discussion about blogging in general–a topic that I’m sure you can never hear enough about–and how Will Leitch changed everything (and is likely underpaid).
• Of course, there was discussion about the drafting of Mario Williams and, tangentially, the degree to which we love (Tim) or loathe (Me) a certain Titans’ QB.
• Sandwiched between jokes about my feelings re: Petey Faggins, we agreed that our best hope is that Fred Bennett can play CB2 and that, were we in charge, we’d put him there with instructions not to worry about play action–just stay with your WR, son.
• I believe there were at least three T-shirt ideas thrown out, which I am totally going to use. As soon as I remember what they were. They were funny, though. I think.

Other, non-Friday night stuff. I chose Ninfa’s yesterday for three reasons. First, it was the only place that received more than one vote, with Stacy and Tim both chiming in on it. Second, it was a ten-minute drive from the hotel. Third, when a place is described as “legendary,” I almost feel obliged to try it first. Anyway, I ordered the two beef tacos a la Ninfa and Stacy was right–those were the best tacos I have ever had. The salsa verde was awesome. The sopaipilla was excellent. And so on, and so forth.

Three other random tidbits about the weekend before I quit with the self-referential crap and turn to actual developments with the team.

• For lack of a better category, file this following under “Weird Shit. On the first leg of my flight (LR-DAL), seated a mere six rows ahead of me was one Barry Switzer. I still can’t figure out what the hell a former pro coach (who should still have millions in illegal booster money from his college coaching days hidden away in the Caymans) would be doing flying Southwest Airlines. Tim’s suggestion was “probably because they have a lax firearm-screening policy,” which is slightly more likely than my theory of him acting as Michael Irvin’s coke mule.
• Since moving to Little Rock, I have labored under the assumption that no sports radio could be worse than what we have here. Well 610 certainly gave that theory a run for its money. I was listening to drivetime on Friday and was shocked at how little grasp the two dudes had on NFL contracts, money, and suspensions. An entire discussion of Tank Johnson and who might sign him without a single mention of how he had to be signed BEFORE the suspension would take place. Dumb.
• So, that Galleria Mall of yours? Jesus.

¹ Note my finely-honed gift of understatement.
² I am completely blanking on her name, for which I apologize. I do remember, however, that she invented a drink that we named the “David Carr.” It is a not-so-potent concoction of Sprite, grenadine, and gin. It is pink. You can also turn it into the “Sandy Vag” by serving it in a salt- or sugar-rimmed glass.

Kasey Studdard is not Amobi Okoye

Jul 21, 2007 2007 Draft, Amobi Okoye is 20, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Training camp 2007

The Texans have reached an agreement Kasey Studdard. And, like nearly every other article you read about him, the linked entry says he “plays with a mean streak.” What the hell does that even mean? Does he pinch opposing linemen? Take his opponent’s mother out to a nice dinner and never call her again? Maybe one of the Longhorn fans can fill me in.

So, with Studdard in the fold, we have lowered the number of non-signees to four. Unfortunately (at the moment), that foursome includes the two guys who are going to get a whole lot of playing time. No disrespect to Brandon Harrison or Brandon Frye, who both stand a good chance at being number 2 on the depth chart at their positions, but I will rest a little easier once Manchild and JJ are signed.

Update: As Tim points out, Harrison signed about 5 hours after this post went up. I have magical powers.

He’s a Lego maniac

Jul 10, 2007 Free Agency, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Preview

By now, I am sure you’ve heard that we signed Bethel Johnson and Zac Woodfin yesterday. Bethel is a former Aggie, might get to return kicks, and is booooring. Really, I am in agreement with bfd–the only way I’ll give a squirrel’s nutsack about Johnson is if his signing pushes Jacoby Jones out of the special teams and into the WR2 slot.

Now, Zac Woodfin… I mean, what can I say?

No. Seriously. What the hell can I say about him? I’ve never even heard of the guy. Thankfully, Google has. Here are the top 5 things worth knowing about Zac Woodfin.

• Played one game for the Baltimore Ravens in 2005, wherein he recorded one tackle, and was on the roster (DNP) for two more.
• Holds the single-season and career tackle records at UAB.
• Was two-time all-conference C-USA.
• Has the same name as a hotel chain, a funeral home, a town in North Carolina, and an auto parts store.
• Will not make the 2007 Houston Texans final roster.

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?

Sam Gado prescribes nine wins to cure what ails us

Jun 5, 2007 Boobies, Fred Weary is dirty, Gary Kubiak, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Offensive (punch)Line, Preview, Samkon Gado cured cancer

This morning, I offer three nuggets of Texans corn wedged into the turd that is the internet.

Samkon Gado is going to miss some practices to finish studying for the MCAT. In a league where some people can’t spell MCAT, Gado has not given up on his goal of becoming Dr. Sam, MD.

Gado missed a handful of the workouts last month but is back in Houston and has returned to practice. He’ll take the test July 15.

Kubiak wasn’t worried about Gado missing the time for such a good reason. “He’s an impressive human being,” Kubiak said. “He’s got his stuff together, and he’ll be fine.”

He first took the test two years ago but decided to take it again to try to improve his score before applying to medical school. He enrolled in a class in South Carolina.

This is cool. I have nothing much to add to it, I guess, but it is still cool. Good luck, Sammy-kon.

Fred Weary may be under investigation for beating someone down in a nightclub and for allegedly going all Ike Turner on his wife, but Kubiak does not seem overly interested in the hub-bub. Kubes said the whole thing was a” family matter.” Whatever. What interested me about this article was this line:

Weary has not been charged with the incident that erupted last week at a Houston swingers club. (emphasis added)

“Hi, my wife and I were looking at you and we wondered if you would like to join me? She would like to meet your husband, too. [Fred walks in, buck naked] OH GOOD GOD, WHAT IS THAT?!?!?!?! [woman faints, man weeps]“

Finally, in a move that has to make one wonder how sold the staff is on Kevin Walters, the team is auditioning Kennan McCardell today. Granted, KMc has not cracked 1000 yards since 2003. Also granted, he is 37. However, unlike a certain act of desperation on the part of a certain Tennessee-based NFL team, this move makes some sense. You bring in McCardell, see if he still has enough straight-line speed to stretch the field and make life easier for Andre, and then you decide if he is worth signing at his asking price. There is none of the Keyshawn “I’m still the greatest, I ain’t playing for less than ONE BILLION DOLLARS” situation involved here, at least that I can see. I may not be thrilled about the move–remember, I am still in JJ’s camp–but I can see the motivation behind it.

Sam Adams seems like a man who likes BBQ

Jun 2, 2007 Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Non-NFL football, Pacman Jones' gunrack, Sam Adams, Teams that aren't the Texans

Some random Texans-themed nuggets from around the web for your Saturday afternoon perusal.

***From Len P’s latest Tip Sheet (Insider only):

The Texans met this week with defensive tackle Sam Adams, recently released by the Bengals, and will stay in touch with the 13-year veteran as he continues to rehabilitate from arthroscopic surgery to clean out some debris from his knee.

Finally, some word about the whole thing. Still, this seems pretty vague. My inkling is that the Texans don’t want to tip their hand regarding their level of interest in Sam, which would both jack up Adams’ asking price and make other teams looking at Adams bump up their offers out of the gate. I mean, if they weren’t interested in Big Sam at all, why would they “stay in touch” with him after the fact?

Then again, I am probably reading a LOT into this blurb because of how much I want to see them sign Adams.

***A somewhat-tedious-to-read explanation for why the UFL is not likely to succeed. I only include this link because the author uses Jacoby Jones to make her (his?) point.

For example, you know who Keyshawn Johnson is if you’re even a causal fan of the game. But do you know who Jacoby Jones is?

Who?

See that’s my point. Jacoby Jones is a wide receiver from tiny Lane College, drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. That’s one of the rounds Hambrecht and Cuban say they’re going to “compete” with the NFL for players. That’s great for the player and for the NFL, because the NFL doesn’t have to worry about paying that player who may have dropped to the lower rounds for weird reasons more than a third round pick, and the player at least has another place to go, but don’t think there’s going to be a bidding war — in fact, I predict the opposite.

The Jacoby Jones [sic] of the world may try to use the UFL as a negotiating ploy, and wind up not being signed by the NFL team. It’s basic math — there are more “third round level” players, than first round level players, so someone else who fell past the eyes of NFL scouts may look better in free agency than the third round pick using an upstart league to cause a bidding war. So Jacoby Jones goes to the UFL and gets the same money he would have earned as a third round pick by the Houston Texans. Fine, so he’s happy. Meanwhile, the UFL gets a player no one ever heard of, and no one save for his family, friends, and the curious, will come out to see or turn on the TV to watch.

An interesting angle, I suppose. I don’t know that I can imagine any draftee going into a GM’s office and saying “yeah… I don’t know about this offer… I mean, the UFL is going to give me almost double.” Methinks that, in most cases, the GM is going to warn the player not to let the door hit him in the ass on the way out. Which is sort of what the author was saying, I guess, but I don’t believe the UFL will give Johnny Third Round any sort of leverage to being with. If you want to play in the NFL, the UFL is going to have to come with some dollars that the NFL wouldn’t even consider before you are jumping ship.

Plus, even with third round players, I assume that many (most?) of them assume that they will become NFL stars. With that mindset, do you take slightly more to go to the UFL and hope that (a) they pay you as much as a comparable NFL star would be making in eight years or (b) hope you can pull a Warren Moon and jump over to the NFL, or do you sign on the dotted line with a team someone has heard of before? I know what I would do.

***Self-professed “foul-weather fan” (he likes both the Bengals and Texans) Dustin McKeehan offers an entertaining new blog, “Odell, Where Art Thou?” I’m not usually one to pimp other blogs, especially those about other teams, but I really enjoyed this one.

***The inimitable guys over at Battle Red Blog have a quick and dirty discussion of why Goodell’s latest act is just plane dumb.

The Commish is taking things to a whole new level, one that is analogous to smashing a gnat with a sledgehammer. Prohibiting cold beer on an NFL flight or at a team function is absolutely absurd.[...] No one from the League will complain publicly, I imagine, because clearly it is a politically incorrect position to take, but I for one find this to be an abuse of power that will solve nothing.

I have to agree; this is ridiculous. It’s almost admitting “well, I can’t prevent them from going to strip clubs, but I need to show some sort of control.” The irony, of course, is that such a stance will likely cause players to go out upon the plane’s landing, thereby increasing the likelihood of drinking and driving or being intoxicated in public. Strippers everywhere should be worried.

Shawn Barber has no problem being the Democrat nominee for President

May 25, 2007 Gary Kubiak, Injury bug, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Offensive (punch)Line, Shawn Barber for President

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?

Andre Davis hits CTRL+ALT+DEL on his football brain

May 22, 2007 Andre Johnson, Batman, Desperate times call for desperate MEshawns, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Jeff Fisher's Mustache, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment

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.

Shaun Alexander fans know Gary Kubiak is no Dom Capers (thank god)

May 21, 2007 Amobi Okoye is 19, Barbaro is dead, Batman, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Gary Kubiak, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Offensive (punch)Line, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment

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?

Travis Johnson is having problems with his TPS reports

May 15, 2007 Amobi Okoye is 19, Andre Johnson, Batman, Gary Kubiak, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Super Mario, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Schaub Experiment, Training camp 2007, You remind me of ____

Head coach Gary Kubiak was on Sports Radio 610 in Houston this morning, talking about all the upcoming OTAs and what he needs/wants/expects from the team this season. Nothing overly surprising or ground-breaking in that interview, I suppose, but there were a couple of points that could at least be characterized as “interesting.” For instance, Kubes basically called out Travis Johnson and Jerome Mathis by saying that both needed to become “full-time contributor[s]” to the team. Between this statement and Kubiak’s simultaneous praise for Anthony Maddox and Manchild, I am guessing that Travis has probably been relegated to second-team for both interior defensive line spots.

Other highlights from the chit-chat:

• Ahman Green is in great shape and has been working incredibly hard this offseason, as if he still has something to prove to the Green Bay front office that so unceremoniously let him go. Batman relishes the opportunity to play for Mike Sherman again and he is clearly the starter barring something catastrophic. This is great news for a team that desperately needs opposing teams to respect the running game.
• TE Owen Daniels role is going to be greatly expanded in an effort to work the deep-middle and better utilize Daniels’ abilities. (I am assuming it works like this: if Batman can indeed establish a ground game, Daniels should not be forced to block as much, which makes life easier for Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub.)
• Despite my hopes that JJ would win the battle for WR2, it looks like Kubiak is a big Walter fan. Walter “reminds [him] of Ed McCaffery.” I have no idea what that means.
• Finally, based on Gary’s comments, I look for veteran malcontent Andre Davis to have a big role, at least until he pisses someone off, in three WR sets. He showed some flashes of real talent in Cleveland, so maybe this will actually work.

Jacoby Jones converts the non-believers

May 14, 2007 2007 Draft, Jacoby Jones is unheralded

I was bored a work a little while ago, so I did what any non-obsessive-compulsive sports fan would do: I started Googling our draft picks and non-drafted signees. I was looking for some sort of tidbit that would make me like each of them more or help me decide that they were a completely wasted pick. I am fickle like that. Anyway, over at Battle Red Blog, I found this little nugget regarding WR Jacoby Jones.

Beck and Rowe were by far the best there, but there was only one player on field that everyone was watching intently. I swear to god it was Jacoby Jones. First, because he was a late addition, he wasn’t in the program. It looked like Randy Moss had snuck into the game and they weren’t telling anyone. This dude is bigger than Moss though, he looked like a man amidst the small [corners] and safeties. He was faster, bigger and more charismatic than everyone who tried to cover him.
[...]
I don’t think he ever connected on a long pass play, but they that’s because he outran the throws from the QBs. He would be 60-70 [yards] downfield constantly, but no one could get him the ball.

Color me officially excited for the prospect of JJ overtaking Kevin Walter at WR2.