Well, I personnally thought he played solid last night, at least as a returner. But it seems like others thought he didn't do very well and wouldn't make the team, which really suurprised me. I really liked his patience and how he was able to pick up a lot more yards because of it. Also, shouldn't Mathis be getting in some reps as a returner too? Looks like he still has some stuff to learn at WR, so you might make him useful as a returner right?
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What do we think of Swinton?
- Thread starter phan1
- Start date
TopTexanFan16
Waterboy
phan1 said:
yeah i felt he did really good back thier that night, but mathis is hurt right now and did not play in that game due to a groin or hamstring injury somemthin like that.
Texan Gal 312
Waterboy
Swinton looked alright on punt returns (similar to JJ) but not so good at WR, meaning he has to make the team as a return specialist which is something the coaching staff seems to want to get away from.
I would like to see more of Kasper. He looked really good on his one kick off return. (i left before Denvers last kick off, so I don't know what happened there) I don't know if he is a punt returner also. From what i read he has had a good camp at WR.
I don't think Kasper, Swinton and Mathis all make the team. Right now my guess would be Swinton is out.
I would like to see more of Kasper. He looked really good on his one kick off return. (i left before Denvers last kick off, so I don't know what happened there) I don't know if he is a punt returner also. From what i read he has had a good camp at WR.
I don't think Kasper, Swinton and Mathis all make the team. Right now my guess would be Swinton is out.
I saw Mathis on the field a few times at WR.
Swinton did fine - sure hands - adequate returns - even though historically he's had fumbling problems. He's been the #1 return guy in camp. But, he's really never been a big threat at WR and he's fighting for one of those last spots on the roster. If they decide to use Buchanon for punt returns and Mathis for kickoff returns, it's not good news for Swinton. I think you'll see more of Mathis against Oakland.
If they carry 5 WR, right now I'd have to say: AJ, Gaffney, Bradford, Mathis, Armstrong.
I don't think they cut Bradford (yet) because Mathis isn't totally ready and Starling still hasn't leapfrogged Bradford. I think next year you could see AJ, Mathis, Gaffney as the top three. Gaffney will likely qualify for UFA after this season so that adds another factor to the big picture. If Rosenhaus gets stupid with Gaffney's contract, the Texans could elect to keep Armstrong to fill that role.
Armstrong has great hands and is a possession type receiver (basically the same suite as Gaffney with more leaping ability), if Gaffney is still a red shirt in two to three weeks, Armstrong makes the 53. Armstrong's weakness is that he's not a great contributor on special teams and that's where a guy like Swinton has the advantage. So if the trade came down between Swinton and Armstrong, it's a trade of WR ability for return ability.
William.carter
Waterboy
phan1 said:
Mathis was only in for two plays. His groin/hamstring injury which ever it is, i've heard conflicting reports, started tightening up on him so he was taken out. That's why you didn't see him much and didn't see him at all on return duty.
I thought swinton showed he's a definite upgrade from Moses. I liked JJ but he just wasn't getting the job done.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
William.carter said:
Swinton 7.7 yards per punt return, 19.5 yards per kick return.
Moses 8.6 yards per punt return, 22.1 yards per kick return.
Clearly Swinton is an upgrade.
Swinton showed he had more outright speed than Moses, but as for the moves, Moses has him on that. If Swinton is able to choose a hole faster, he could be a home run hitter on special teams. BUT, Let's not forget folks, he has been with two teams and if he was God's gift to special teams, the other two would have seen just how special he was! Look for Swinton to be the sure hands guy, but Mathis to eventually win the job on kick returns and Buchanon on punts!
blockhead83
Rookie
infantrycak said:
Career Punt Returns for Touchdowns:
Reggie Swinton: 2
J.J. Moses: 0
Career Kick Returns for Touchdowns:
Reggie Swinton: 2
J.J. Moses: 0
The Texans said that they wanted to add big play potential to our return game. Reggie Swinton is obviously superior to J.J. in that respect. Also, I thought Swinton looked good Saturday. He has some good moves and the speed to get down field.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
blockhead83 said:
Well that would help the prior poster out if what he "showed" in the game included a big play--it didn't. As for generally, unfortunately big plays for returners come in two forms--Reggie's include 4 TD's on the upside and 10 fumbles. JJ had 0 TD's but only 2 fumbles. I'm not sure 4 TD's in exchange for 8 more fumbles is obviously superior. IMO Swinton needs to show something as a WR to make the team.
Diehardtexan
Waterboy
aj. said:
What about Kasper and Pitt, I heard that they were doing great from comments made by Caper and Palmer.
blockhead83
Rookie
infantrycak said:
You're probably right as far as Swinton needing to show something as a receiver to make the team. I think Kasper is superior to Swinton as a receiver, and he showed Saturday that he makes a pretty good return man as well. However, I think Swinton is a definite upgrade over Moses. You can teach players to hold onto the ball, it's a little harder to teach them to be faster.
Also, comparing statistics from Swinton's first pre-season game with us vs. Moses shouldn't be too telling over who's an upgrade. Big plays, touchdowns, on returns don't come too often so you can't expect him to get one in his first pre-season game before labeling him a big play threat. Moses showed very little ability (none, in fact) to hit the home run so to speak, and it's obvious the front office removed him for that reason in favor of players who know how to find the end zone, fumble problems or not. I agree with their decision making.
ledzeppelin229
Hall of Fame
Diehardtexan said:
That's the thing about our WR depth. Some guys will just get caught up in the numbers. We've got several legitimate #4s and #5s that won't make the team at WR.
Ibar_Harry
All Pro
Injuries may make a place for him, otherwise, I don't expect him to make it after his 1st performance.
Hope I'm not stepping on any toes, but anybody besides J.J. Moses would have been a better returner in my eyes.. Last year's productivity on special teams SUCKED!! If Swinton can at least average better than 8 yards, that would help the offensive production out tremendously! 
Let's see what the season brings!!! Let's hope it's one of these 
!!
GO GET EM TEXANS!!!
Let's see what the season brings!!! Let's hope it's one of these !! GO GET EM TEXANS!!!
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
deception said:
So averaging over half a yard less than we got last year would help out the offensive production?
Of course the coaches said they are doing great, but that doesn't mean they will make the team.
Pitts could end up on the practice squad if he's lucky.
Kasper is in direct competition with Swinton but I think Swinton has the edge on him at this point, especially if Mathis' injury lingers, since Swinton is capable of returning punts and kickoffs. I may be wrong but I don't think Kasper has ever been a punt returner. His stat page doesn't show it and I haven't seen it in camp.
They are both average-at-best receivers. Kasper is better than Swinton on coverage teams and always seems to be around the ball or around the play. Kasper struts around like he owns the place and fans seem to notice him, at least when the second or third teams are on the field with him.
The decision the Texans will need to make is whether to accept the risk of playing P Buc full time at punt returner.
If they do, then Mathis will likely be the kickoff returner, assuming he heals, and Swinton and Kasper are both gone.
If they don't, then Swinton has a window of opportunity and Armstrong could be in trouble since he's not a special teams player - or they go into the season with 6 WR.
I would rather have Armstrong on my roster over Swinton or Kasper any day of the week if you're talking strictly WR skills. But that's not the only driver in this case.
As long as Mathis is healthy and can return punts, I think Swinton is gone. You'll have Mathis and Buchanon as punt returners and since Swinton doesn't bring much to the game as a receiver I don't think they'll keep him. A guy like Kasper would have a better chance of taking that last spot at WR seeing as he can return KO's as well as be a gunner on punts, a jammer on punt returns, and a cover guy on KO's. He also has great hands and surprising speed (for a white guy) and can contribute as a WR. He's lost a couple seasons to injury, but when he's had a chance to play, he's looked good. He's my dark horse contributor to this team.
ledzeppelin229
Hall of Fame
Scrum said:
4.43 40 yard dash is fast for anyone. Same thing AJ ran I believe.
My sarcasm never comes through on the computer. The guy is plenty fast. Check out that website of his. He holds 3 all time speed records at the combine and has a 43.5 inch vertical on top of benching 400+lbs. He's a specimen, but has had injury problems (broken vertebrae and ribs). I hope he makes the team. I was a big fan of his when he was at Iowa and the kid has an engine like nobody I've ever seen. He's always going all out.
Str8tupg42k1
Waterboy
I remember him seeing him in arizona a while back he was tough and then when the texans brought him in i wanted this guy to make the team i hope he makes cuz he can be a real contributor at least better than swinton i think.
Str8tupg42k1
Waterboy
I dont know bout them but im talking bout kevin kasper
michaelm
vox nihili
One of the main reasons that JJ is no longer with the team is his lack of contribution to the offensive unit. If all else looks equal, expect the guy who contributes on offense to get the nod. That leaves Swinton out of the mix IMO.
I got the same Tim Dwight impression of Kasper on the one return I saw him make. He definately was north/south, and looked fearless the same way Dwight looked when he entered the leauge... of course, that may not be to his benefit if he is wreckless and gets hammered...
I got the same Tim Dwight impression of Kasper on the one return I saw him make. He definately was north/south, and looked fearless the same way Dwight looked when he entered the leauge... of course, that may not be to his benefit if he is wreckless and gets hammered...
Exascor
Veteran
If I have a remark that's sarcastic and want to make SURE people know it is...I close with a [/sarcasm] tag. Leaves little doubt. :pScrum said:
On the topic of Swinton...he might make the team but I see him as a return specialist. Kasper is my X-factor in the return game. If he can show something in kick coverages and has more value than Swinton as a WR than I think he'll grab that last WR spot.
I also feel we'll hold an extra WR unless Mathis clearly wins the KR & PR jobs.
6 WR Roster Spots: AJ, Bradford, Gaffney, Armstrong, Mathis & (Kasper or Swinton)
This leaves Starling, Thomas, Pitts & Dunbar fighting for 1-2 spots on the PS.
I've give the edge to Starling for 1 spot because he's a good ST player.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
Starling played in 8 games last year. If he was active for a 9th game but didn't play so it doesn't show up on NFL.com then he is not practice squad eligible. Just something that may be out there.
Alright, let's nip this in the butt, before it gets too out of hand. Kasper will not make the team. I don't know what it is about him but he just can't "stick" on a team.
He has a phenominal fitness regimine. As a KO returner he has decent numbers with a 24 something KORYA. When he is in a game and gets thrown to he almost never drops the ball. He'll go over the middle and take a rough hit for a 5 yrd pass that means nothing. He is a sure tackler on the coverage team and is usually in the thick of it. He has 24 receptions, 17 of which were for first downs and 3 of which went for 6pts. He is the epitome of the possesion reciever. If the game is on the line and you need a guy that won't let you down in a high pressure situation by dropping the ball or shying away from a hit, he seems to be the guy. Oh yeah, and he has NEVER fumbled.
But, he won't make the team. His KO return style is one of consistency, not exciting "change the game" intangibles. He'll make the spectacular crunch time catches, but will rarely if ever break the tackle after the catch. His up and down return style as well as his tendancy run into tackles, turning his back to the tackler, instead of away from them makes him prone to rib and transverse process(spikey things on your vertebra) injuries.
He COULD be a great #3, #4 receiver if given the chance and if he stays healthy. But he won't be. He'll hang around for the 1st and maybe the second round of cuts. After that he'll get picked up by some team who has an injury slot to fill mid season and needs a body in there. His window of opportunity sadly passed him by. In two months you will wonder if the "Ghost" ever really existed at all.
He has a phenominal fitness regimine. As a KO returner he has decent numbers with a 24 something KORYA. When he is in a game and gets thrown to he almost never drops the ball. He'll go over the middle and take a rough hit for a 5 yrd pass that means nothing. He is a sure tackler on the coverage team and is usually in the thick of it. He has 24 receptions, 17 of which were for first downs and 3 of which went for 6pts. He is the epitome of the possesion reciever. If the game is on the line and you need a guy that won't let you down in a high pressure situation by dropping the ball or shying away from a hit, he seems to be the guy. Oh yeah, and he has NEVER fumbled.
But, he won't make the team. His KO return style is one of consistency, not exciting "change the game" intangibles. He'll make the spectacular crunch time catches, but will rarely if ever break the tackle after the catch. His up and down return style as well as his tendancy run into tackles, turning his back to the tackler, instead of away from them makes him prone to rib and transverse process(spikey things on your vertebra) injuries.
He COULD be a great #3, #4 receiver if given the chance and if he stays healthy. But he won't be. He'll hang around for the 1st and maybe the second round of cuts. After that he'll get picked up by some team who has an injury slot to fill mid season and needs a body in there. His window of opportunity sadly passed him by. In two months you will wonder if the "Ghost" ever really existed at all.
outofhnd
Rookie
I think Swinton is gone, personally... I watched him in here in dallas nothing flashy with him. he has better size then moses but he doesnt have that one move then breaks it ability.... he is serviceable but not worth a roster spot. I think maybe Starling makes it before swinton & kasper. Starling has Youth and blazing speed on his side. Kasper i think his ability to break tackles is way to lacking but he has toughness. I personally think its mathis, who gets the return duties unless he gives up the ball every time. then itll be buchanon which i hate because i hate to see starters on ST.
TexHorns
Waterboy
William.carter said:
I think it is premature to say he is an upgrade from JJ. JJ was consistant over a long period of time with us and had a high return average and good hands. Swinton did show good return ability and field vision. I just don't think that he will make the roster on that alone with all the other competition out there. That is why JJ isn't here anymore.
This is what I think the WR situation looks like in no particular order:
AJ- like a rock
Bradford- Most likely gone after this year if mathis proves that he has any hands at all.
Gaffney- depending on how he does this season he might have to switch with Armstrong. Personally Im not that fond of his style of play, it just seems too relaxed to me.
Armstrong- I think he makes the roster as a back up with a good chance to take over Gaffney's spot.
Mathis- with that speed it would be sooooo nice to see him take Bradfords spot.
Swinton- his ability seems good as a returner, but for us right now I think it's a little one sided. He is not what we need right now IMHO.
Kasper- I like the way this guy plays. He is a tough fighter who gives 110%. Hopefully we can find a way to hold on to him and see how the WR situation is next year.
Starling- Im not too sure what to think about him. I haven't seen too much that stands out to me as a WR but for special teams he is great. To me he looks like a person that would do well on defense? For some reason I cant gauge him very good.
Dunbar, Pitts, Thomas- I dont know enough about them to really judge
vtech9
All Pro
all I can say about Swinton is that he was unimpressive during the game. I have the game recorded, and I didn't see a single thing in his game that impressed me. He had one decent return, but if he would have been more decisive or faster or both, he could have turned that good return into a TD.
My opinion?? He gets cut in the 1st or 2nd round of cuts.
My opinion?? He gets cut in the 1st or 2nd round of cuts.
Meisterman
Waterboy
He gets cut.
beerlover
Hall of Fame
Swinton still has a realistic chance to make the team its still to early to tell for sure.
Kasper might make the playing roster, more likely the practice squad.
Everyone talks about Mathis (#114) being a great pick-up in the 4th round, because of his speed but he is slight of frame, runs undiciplined routes & lacks big time experience. best case- Kick-off return duties & deep routes.
Did anyone else check out the Steeler game Monday night and take a good look at their 4th rd (#131) WR Fred Gibson? WOW what a stud & player he is going to be. On one play I saw him block someone downfield on a big over the middle catch and level the guy. On another play he got beaten to the inside of the route for an INT. Then he game back and made a couple big time possesion catches in traffic. He looks big & strong, great frame @ 6'-4", some of you might remember him from the Senior Bowl & week of practices, or you Georgia Bulldogs.
Kasper might make the playing roster, more likely the practice squad.
Everyone talks about Mathis (#114) being a great pick-up in the 4th round, because of his speed but he is slight of frame, runs undiciplined routes & lacks big time experience. best case- Kick-off return duties & deep routes.
Did anyone else check out the Steeler game Monday night and take a good look at their 4th rd (#131) WR Fred Gibson? WOW what a stud & player he is going to be. On one play I saw him block someone downfield on a big over the middle catch and level the guy. On another play he got beaten to the inside of the route for an INT. Then he game back and made a couple big time possesion catches in traffic. He looks big & strong, great frame @ 6'-4", some of you might remember him from the Senior Bowl & week of practices, or you Georgia Bulldogs.