Draft or Bust

[leebigeztx]

Kubes was just talking about more playmakers on offense and a the wr position. Aaron glenn was talking about this earlier on sirius. He said the guy doesn't have to be a burner, but make plays to take pressure of andre.

[welsh texan]

Originally Posted by GP

???

Seriously?

Old ladies are using iPhones and have Facebook accounts now. And love it.

But the excuse for Mustache McClain is that he's writing for the 0.235% of the population who ONLY get their Texans news from the newspaper? Then why does he have a blog/Internet-based column, a Twitter account, etc?

Might as well pay him peanuts to write a printed article and let someone else do the heavy lifting on all things digital. I mean, it was nice of you to offer an alibi for him, but still.....there are less prominent people around here who do more in-depth coverage and analysis than John McClain does.

And McClain is routinely wrong about his speculation, opening the door in his face all the time on various predictions that almost always don't end up the way he says it will. I actually have begun to feel sorry for him, as if he's the guy in Office Space who wants his stapler back.

Rey is right, have a go at him all you want for getting facts wrong, thats poor journalism, but him 'stating the obvious' in a media outlet where the obvious hasn't already been stated is fair enough.

[noxiousdog]

Originally Posted by mussop

2.) If Williams leaves, they’ll need an outside linebacker in the first two rounds.

Why? Why in the first two rounds? We have our starters.

I would assume because of the same reasoning as last year.

They had Williams and Barwin, but still targeted on OLB early. Brahmin is nice as a backup, but I wouldn't want him going into the season as your only depth.

[Vinny]

A couple of thoughts:

1) teams are always looking for starters. They are just talking PC so nobody gets their widdle feelings hurtz.

2) McClain's opinion pieces are not as good as one may think as he has been around football for so long...but not everyone has a good eye for what they are looking at. JM is one of them. He's at his best when relaying information from his contacts and from his direct contact with the movers and shakers in the league. I don't really pay much attention to his opinion pieces simply because historically unless he states the obvious he hasn't been all that astute.

3) I already miss football season. I like the game itself much more than the drama and speculation of the off-season.

[Rey]

Originally Posted by noxiousdog

I would assume because of the same reasoning as last year.

They had Williams and Barwin, but still targeted on OLB early. Brahmin is nice as a backup, but I wouldn't want him going into the season as your only depth.

Last year they didn't really talk about MW going to OLB until after the draft if I recall correctly...

[mussop]

Originally Posted by Rey

This is the line where the rhetoric about McClain came from that Welsh responded to.


"Not pursuing free agents on other teams places more emphasis on the draft"

The comment is not that bad.

Yes, McClain should get his facts right, but I don't see why he should be lambasted for that comment.

No its not. This is what he was responding to.

Originally Posted by mussop

I hate how McLain throws crap like this out as if he has some inside information.

When McLain said

"The Texans won’t disclose anything publicly"
Makes it sound like they won't say it publicly but they told me.


"but they need a wide receiver."
Again making it sound as if he was told this is poor journalism. Most any common football fan has heard this from everywhere except from who it really matters the most. This is the kind of statement that usually bites him in the ars.

"If Williams leaves, they’ll need an outside linebacker in the first two rounds."

Again pure speculation but he comes off as if its inside information by throwing it out there after a statement like, "The Texans wont disclose anything publicly".

He does this ALOT!

[mussop]

Originally Posted by noxiousdog

I would assume because of the same reasoning as last year.They had Williams and Barwin, but still targeted on OLB early.

They weren't even considering Williams at OLB until they drafted Watt.

Originally Posted by noxiousdog

Brahmin is nice as a backup, but I wouldn't want him going into the season as your only depth.

So we HAVE to use our first or second round pick ON DEPTH? Not saying we shouldn't if the right guy is there in the right situation. But what if in both rounds there is a player that has a real chance at starting at another position?

I'm all for drafting OL, DL and pass rushers early and often. Can't have enough good ones. But to make blanket statements like that is silly and unrealistic.

[drs23]

Originally Posted by Vinny

A couple of thoughts:

1) teams are always looking for starters. They are just talking PC so nobody gets their widdle feelings hurtz.

2) McClain's opinion pieces are not as good as one may think as he has been around football for so long...but not everyone has a good eye for what they are looking at. JM is one of them. He's at his best when relaying information from his contacts and from his direct contact with the movers and shakers in the league. I don't really pay much attention to his opinion pieces simply because historically unless he states the obvious he hasn't been all that astute.

3) I already miss football season. I like the game itself much more than the drama and speculation of the off-season.

Damn, Vinny, I thought I was the only one. Cm'on, at least OTAs.

[welsh texan]

Mussop, I'm having a little trouble getting my head around the multi-quote function so I'll have to do this a slightly different way.

In the post I quoted in my original post, you had quoted this section from the article;

Not pursuing free agents on other teams places more emphasis on the draft. The Texans won’t disclose anything publicly, but they need a wide receiver. If Williams leaves, they’ll need an outside linebacker in the first two rounds. They’ll look for an interior offensive lineman.

Now, I can see where this has gone a little awry, because the bolded section was a copy and paste job from the OP, and you were replying to the quote as a whole, but I took it to mean that you were referring to the bold section of the quote alone.

But, even with that said, my point stands, just because its obvious information to you or I does not mean that a journalist should not include it in their discourse on the subject of the draft.

As for your last point where you state that the Texans weren't even considering Williams at OLB until they drafted Watt, I don't think we should assume that with any level of certainty, while it may be the case that they hadn't even considered JJ Watt until they were on the clock, I doubt it.

I think the more likely way that events unfolded was that the Texans played their cards close to their chest in the run up to the draft, told everyone MW would continue to play DE, and stop anyone from trading up ahead of them to take their guy. I'd bet they knew exactly what they were going to do with Mario.

[mussop]

Originally Posted by welsh texan

Mussop, I'm having a little trouble getting my head around the multi-quote function so I'll have to do this a slightly different way.

In the post I quoted in my original post, you had quoted this section from the article;



Now, I can see where this has gone a little awry, because the bolded section was a copy and paste job from the OP, and you were replying to the quote as a whole, but I took it to mean that you were referring to the bold section of the quote alone.

But, even with that said, my point stands, just because its obvious information to you or I does not mean that a journalist should not include it in their discourse on the subject of the draft.

As for your last point where you state that the Texans weren't even considering Williams at OLB until they drafted Watt, I don't think we should assume that with any level of certainty, while it may be the case that they hadn't even considered JJ Watt until they were on the clock, I doubt it.

I think the more likely way that events unfolded was that the Texans played their cards close to their chest in the run up to the draft, told everyone MW would continue to play DE, and stop anyone from trading up ahead of them to take their guy. I'd bet they knew exactly what they were going to do with Mario.

My bad on the first part. Now, as far as the rest of the debate goes, it's not obvious information, it's speculation preluded by deception. You say we shouldn't assume with any level certainty about a subject yet you are ok with allowing a professional journalist to do it with the added touch of deception to make it look factual?

[b0ng]

Originally Posted by Rey

This is the line where the rhetoric about McClain came from that Welsh responded to.

The comment is not that bad.

Yes, McClain should get his facts right, but I don't see why he should be lambasted for that comment.

The big problem I have with that one particular line is the way it is written. Is he implying that the Texans aren't going to pursue anybody of worth in FA this year? If so, why not just say that rather than trying to get the readers to jump through mental hoops so that he can have plausible deniability when the Texans inevitably do the opposite of whatever McClain said.

If he isn't trying to imply anything about the immediate future of the Texans, then it becomes one of the bigger "No ****"s I've seen coming from a paid columnist in awhile. No kidding teams that don't pursue starters in FA have to do it in the draft if they need starters. It's either a useless line for filler, or some kind of obfuscated prediction about the future.

And personally I'm gonna hate on John McClain every time he writes a boring and drab article and gets a paycheck. I'd rather just read opinion pieces done on BRB than anything the Chron has put out in terms of opinions, and x's and o's.

[Texan_Bill]

McLame was relevant at one time and really did have some "good inside sources" but that was maybe 20 years ago. McLame is just that, "lame". Not to pile on WelshTexan, but seriously bro, the guy is a shell of his former self and, that shell is crumbling.

[drs23]

Originally Posted by Texan_Bill

McLame was relevant at one time and really did have some "good inside sources" but that was maybe 20 years ago. McLame is just that, "lame". Not to pile on WelshTexan, but seriously bro, the guy is a shell of his former self and, that shell is crumbling.

Does that mean that triple chin will go away as well?

[redwhiteblue]

Originally Posted by welsh texan

I think the more likely way that events unfolded was that the Texans played their cards close to their chest in the run up to the draft, told everyone MW would continue to play DE, and stop anyone from trading up ahead of them to take their guy. I'd bet they knew exactly what they were going to do with Mario.

If you go back and read what Phillips said to the media after the first round of the draft last year, I believe that if Aldon Smith was there at #11, he was the Texans pick, would be our OLB, and Mario would have stayed at DE.

[b0ng]

Originally Posted by redwhiteblue

If you go back and read what Phillips said to the media after the first round of the draft last year, I believe that if Aldon Smith was there at #11, he was the Texans pick, would be our OLB, and Mario would have stayed at DE.

And I'll be damned if Aldon Smith wasn't a beast last year, even though he wasn't a starter. I was sure that guy wasn't going to pan out.

[Carr Bombed]

Originally Posted by mussop

Two things I'm sick of hearing.





1.) We are going to draft a wide receiver in the first round.

Really? This is what the majority of the fans and the media thinks. Yet I haven't seen a single quote or heard a single sound bite from someone inside the organization say this. Walter is a coaches favorite and JJ just signed a new contract last year. I don't think Smithiack views WR as big a need as everyone else.

2.) If Williams leaves, they’ll need an outside linebacker in the first two rounds.

Why? Why in the first two rounds? We have our starters.

When do teams/front offices ever openly discuss who or what positions they're targeting high in the draft, before the draft?

[noxiousdog]

Originally Posted by mussop

They weren't even considering Williams at OLB until they drafted Watt.

Unlikely. If they weren't considering Williams at OLB, they wouldn't have drafted Watt.

I mean really. How does that conversation go?

"OH HELL! We just drafted Watt! What are we going to do with Mario?"
"I have no idea. I guess we might be able to try him at OLB... hmm."

So we HAVE to use our first or second round pick ON DEPTH? Not saying we shouldn't if the right guy is there in the right situation. But what if in both rounds there is a player that has a real chance at starting at another position?

I'm all for drafting OL, DL and pass rushers early and often. Can't have enough good ones. But to make blanket statements like that is silly and unrealistic.

We don't have to, but I'd bet it's pretty likely. If Mario's gone, it'll be a shocker if they don't draft an OLB in the first 3 rounds.

[TimeKiller]

John McClain writes for the uninformed fan.

I don't know why after however long we're all still ripping him apart. Those who seek knowledge have never turned to John McClain. They visit message boards and websites religiously. Can't believe this even got posted, it's nothing that every single one of us doesn't know already.

Let Capt. Obvious write his cheeseburgalar articles in piece. 3 piece. With gravy and fries.....

[Rey]

Originally Posted by mussop

No its not. This is what he was responding to.



When McLain said

"The Texans won’t disclose anything publicly"
Makes it sound like they won't say it publicly but they told me.


"but they need a wide receiver."
Again making it sound as if he was told this is poor journalism. Most any common football fan has heard this from everywhere except from who it really matters the most. This is the kind of statement that usually bites him in the ars.

"If Williams leaves, they’ll need an outside linebacker in the first two rounds."

Again pure speculation but he comes off as if its inside information by throwing it out there after a statement like, "The Texans wont disclose anything publicly".

He does this ALOT!

I see what you are saying, but still disagree with your premise.

[Rey]

Originally Posted by b0ng

The big problem I have with that one particular line is the way it is written. Is he implying that the Texans aren't going to pursue anybody of worth in FA this year? If so, why not just say that rather than trying to get the readers to jump through mental hoops so that he can have plausible deniability when the Texans inevitably do the opposite of whatever McClain said.

I agree with what Vinny said. McClain has contacts that sometimes provides him with insightful information.

I don't read McClain until it is posted on this website, so I don't understand the constant vitrol spewed at the man.

He's JAG....