Who else believes in taking the best player available?

[phan1]

Because I sure do, and I'm totally against spot-filling with the first pick in the draft of any kind. Unless the best player available will still be a backup with your first pick in the draft, your pick him, QB not included. And in this year's draft, I believe the best player are: Reggie Bush, Mario Williams, and Matt Lienhart. And Matt Lienhart is out for us because of obvious reasons. I want to add Vernon Davis to the list, but you've got to have more than phenominal combine numbers to consider yourself the best player in the draft. D'Brick is good, but he's by no means the best player in the draft, and I really don't care how bad we need a LT.

This pretty much leaves Bush or Williams. I don't really care which one we pick as long as we pick based on what we believe to be the best player available in the 2006 draft.

The reason I believe so much in picking the best player availabe is because players have become pretty expendable, so we've got to always make an effort to draft gamebreakers that are not expendable to your team. With FA, if you have a liability at a certain position, it's pretty easy to plug in your holes. We needed some Olineman, a TE, some WRs, and some DEs. You know what? We went out and got some. Plugging holes in your team is easy. But if you want a Randy Moss, a Ladanian Tomlinson, an Orlando Pace, good luck, cause you're definitely going to need it.

This is why I didn't like Travis Johnson as our first pick, as it was obvioulsy a "need/filler" pick. I'm sure he's going to be a good contributor to our new 4-3 D, but you don't use a filler with the 1st pick in the draft. You just don't.

I mean c'mon guys. VY as the 1st pick of the 2006 draft?!? You can't be serious. I don't care if he turns out to be a incredible QB either, cause hindsight is 20/20, and VY is clearly not the best player in this year's draft as of now. To devalue your pick in the best draft in years based on need or pure potential is stupid!

And I don't care if we've been drafting Running Backs left and right the past couple years either. If Bush is the best player in the draft, and he's not going to play a back-up role, than we draft him. And if we're too deep at Running Back, than let some guys go. Enough with this "Bush doesn't fit with our team needs" junk because if he's the best player, than we take him. Easy. Unless we run a system where we don't need running backs half the time, there's just no reason not to take him IF he's the best player.

Of course, we could trade down and get some more help, but I think that's unlikely as teams seem to really value their picks in this year's deep draft. But I'm not against the trade-down option. I think we still could take Vince with our first if we traded dwown. But most importantly, I don't believe in doing devaluing our pick in any way. If we draft VY or DBrick with the 1st overall pick, than we've got to be the stupidest organization on the face of the earth.

[dalemurphy]

Ferguson is the top player in this draft, IMO... He is the highest rated OLman to come out in years. Ferguson will likely play at a high level for 12-15 years. Bush will play at a high level for probably 4 or 5.

[BeReal]

I mostly agree w/ Phan1. IMO talent and value should be a teams priorties when entering a draft. The Texans have clearly set themselves up in the draft to grab as much talent as possible.

You plug holes w/ free agency, and you build a team through the draft. That's how I see it.

Maybe I need to watch more of Ferguson, but I see him as simply a solid LT, nothing to write home about.

[Maddict5]

i agree with BPA to some extent... still think we should take o-line and db's in the first few rounds-with reggie #1

[jerek]

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

Ferguson is the top player in this draft, IMO... He is the highest rated OLman to come out in years. Ferguson will likely play at a high level for 12-15 years. Bush will play at a high level for probably 4 or 5.

4 or 5? Isn't that selling the guy a little short?

Said it before, will chip in again here. I love Williams but I don't see our FO having the balls to draft him, and I haven't heard much in the way of us pursuing him hard. I am pretty sure Reggie is gonna be a Texan come April 29.

[El Amigo Invisible]

D' Brick will not solve our line problems(LT) right away. It will take him atleast a year to develop at RT .We needed to address the LT situation first( I wish they had in FA).We might as well have two stud QB's because with our line, they will be seeing stars (Not talking about the Cowboys either). David will be lucky to make it half way through the season or whoever we pick to be QB.

Poor TJ .:brickwall We drafted him the the first so way too much was expected of him .

[Maddict5]

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

Ferguson is the top player in this draft, IMO... He is the highest rated OLman to come out in years. Ferguson will likely play at a high level for 12-15 years. Bush will play at a high level for probably 4 or 5.

you do realise you're saying he wil be washed up by the age of 26???

[TheOgre]

Originally Posted by El Amigo Invisible

D' Brick will not solve our line problems(LT) right away. It will take him atleast a year to develop at RT .We needed to address the LT situation first( I wish they had in FA).We might as well have two stud QB's because with our line, they will be seeing stars (Not talking about the Cowboys either).

D'Brick is a left tackle only. His attributes are so geared to LT, and he would struggle anywhere else. He has zero business playing any other position on the line. He is the only tackle in this draft that really would start at LT over Pitts this season. The rest of the tackles should start at RT and then POSSIBLY move over at a later date.

[swtbound07]

Originally Posted by phan1

Because I sure do, and I'm totally against spot-filling with the first pick in the draft of any kind. Unless the best player available will still be a backup with your first pick in the draft, your pick him, QB not included. And in this year's draft, I believe the best player are: Reggie Bush, Mario Williams, and Matt Lienhart. And Matt Lienhart is out for us because of obvious reasons. I want to add Vernon Davis to the list, but you've got to have more than phenominal combine numbers to consider yourself the best player in the draft. D'Brick is good, but he's by no means the best player in the draft, and I really don't care how bad we need a LT.

This pretty much leaves Bush or Williams. I don't really care which one we pick as long as we pick based on what we believe to be the best player available in the 2006 draft.

The reason I believe so much in picking the best player availabe is because players have become pretty expendable, so we've got to always make an effort to draft gamebreakers that are not expendable to your team. With FA, if you have a liability at a certain position, it's pretty easy to plug in your holes. We needed some Olineman, a TE, some WRs, and some DEs. You know what? We went out and got some. Plugging holes in your team is easy. But if you want a Randy Moss, a Ladanian Tomlinson, an Orlando Pace, good luck, cause you're definitely going to need it.

This is why I didn't like Travis Johnson as our first pick, as it was obvioulsy a "need/filler" pick. I'm sure he's going to be a good contributor to our new 4-3 D, but you don't use a filler with the 1st pick in the draft. You just don't.

I mean c'mon guys. VY as the 1st pick of the 2006 draft?!? You can't be serious. I don't care if he turns out to be a incredible QB either, cause hindsight is 20/20, and VY is clearly not the best player in this year's draft as of now. To devalue your pick in the best draft in years based on need or pure potential is stupid!

And I don't care if we've been drafting Running Backs left and right the past couple years either. If Bush is the best player in the draft, and he's not going to play a back-up role, than we draft him. And if we're too deep at Running Back, than let some guys go. Enough with this "Bush doesn't fit with our team needs" junk because if he's the best player, than we take him. Easy. Unless we run a system where we don't need running backs half the time, there's just no reason not to take him IF he's the best player.

Of course, we could trade down and get some more help, but I think that's unlikely as teams seem to really value their picks in this year's deep draft. But I'm not against the trade-down option. I think we still could take Vince with our first if we traded dwown. But most importantly, I don't believe in doing devaluing our pick in any way. If we draft VY or DBrick with the 1st overall pick, than we've got to be the stupidest organization on the face of the earth.

Hindsight may be 20/20, but what about all of us who are saying he will be great before hand. Thats called foresight isnt it? Just dont come saying "reggie was the best player available, nobody could have seen him busting". Well.....I did.

[Maddict5]

Originally Posted by swtbound07

Hindsight may be 20/20, but what about all of us who are saying he will be great before hand. Thats called foresight isnt it? Just dont come saying "reggie was the best player available, nobody could have seen him busting". Well.....I did.

theres people out there that think jay cutler will be great....do they have great foresight???


edit: il remember that 'quote' and we'll see in a few years

[swtbound07]

Originally Posted by Maddict5

theres people out there that think jay cutler will be great....do they have great foresight???


edit: il remember that 'quote' and we'll see in a few years

If your seeing something and willing to back it as a conviction, and it happens...yes, you have foresight. Seeing something that nobody else does before it happens=foresight. If you get enough of them right, maybe people will listen to you in the future

[Maddict5]

all i was saying is alot of people who like somebody think they have foresight- and then if it backfires/doesnt work out....they skulk away..wait a while and then come along with another piece of foresight.

i meant that il remember what you said and if you're right il congratulate you on your foresight..if not, you'll hear about that too

[swtbound07]

Originally Posted by Maddict5

all i was saying is alot of people who like somebody think they have foresight- and then if it backfires/doesnt work out....they skulk away..wait a while and then come along with another piece of foresight.

i meant that il remember what you said and if you're right il congratulate you on your foresight..if not, you'll hear about that too

Thats the thing about me.....Im an adult, and i'll be the first one in line standing behind my predictions, be they good, or be they bad. Nobody wanted to listen to me when i said anquan boldin was going to be a beast, but at the same time, i was also one of the ones who thought that sean taylor was the missing link for the texans. You win some, you lose some, i just dont like people who change their positions after the fact.

[Maddict5]

Originally Posted by swtbound07

Thats the thing about me.....Im an adult, and i'll be the first one in line standing behind my predictions, be they good, or be they bad. Nobody wanted to listen to me when i said anquan boldin was going to be a beast, but at the same time, i was also one of the ones who thought that sean taylor was the missing link for the texans. You win some, you lose some, i just dont like people who change their positions after the fact.

good. glad you'll take accountability if you make a wrong prediction,unlike others, although to be honest that sounds like 2 winners to me- whatever about his off the field roblems, hes still a beast on it

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

Ferguson is the top player in this draft, IMO... He is the highest rated OLman to come out in years. Ferguson will likely play at a high level for 12-15 years. Bush will play at a high level for probably 4 or 5.

Just like Robert Gallery, taken #2 overall in 2004 and more highly rated than Ferguson, will likely play at a high level for years ?
What if we drafted this guy and he couldn't beat out Chester at LT ? He probably can't play another position on the OL besides LT, so that's potentially a huge down side to consider. He would be an awfully expensive
backup for Chester.
Darrly Tapp did a number on Ferguson in their college game in the Fall and
in that Senior Bowl practices. This guys has his share of issues on the field !

[phan1]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Just like Robert Gallery, taken #2 overall in 2004 and more highly rated than Ferguson, will likely play at a high level for years ?
What if we drafted this guy and he couldn't beat out Chester at LT ? He probably can't play another position on the OL besides LT, so that's potentially a huge down side to consider. He would be an awfully expensive
backup for Chester.
Darrly Tapp did a number on Ferguson in their college game in the Fall and
in that Senior Bowl practices. This guys has his share of issues on the field !

Good point. I haven't kept up with Robert Gallery so far, but he has not been worth the #2 pick if he's still playing the RT position. And from what I know, D'Brick is only average in the running game, so he's really a pure LT. You've got to be nothing short of an Orlando Pace to be considered the best player in this year's draft.

[Cupps]

Originally Posted by phan1

Good point. I haven't kept up with Robert Gallery so far, but he has not been worth the #2 pick if he's still playing the RT position. And from what I know, D'Brick is only average in the running game, so he's really a pure LT. You've got to be nothing short of an Orlando Pace to be considered the best player in this year's draft.

I've read several articles comparing Ferguson to Pace and claiming he's the best O-Lineman to come out since the Pancake Man.

Sure D'Brick's not perfect. Bush isn't. VY isn't. Anybody we draft is gonna be at least a small gamble.

However, we have a RB. We have a QB. Like it or not. What we do NOT have, and what we need more than anything else is an O-Line. Nobody can argue that. Plus, look at some recent O-lineman taken in the draft:

2003-Jordan Gross by Carolina: Despite losing Davis and Foster to injuries, their running game continued to tear up defeneses the past couple seasons.

2002-Levi Jones by Cincinnati: Dillon was a stud back, and after he left Rudi Johnson became a stud back.

1998-Tra Thomas by Philly: McNabb hasn't had too many issues because of a lack of protection.

1997-Orlando Pace by St. Louis: Duh.

1997-Walter Jones by Seattle: Well, the Seahawks are the reigning NFC Champs and Shauny scored about 612 TDs this year. Guess how?

1996-Jonathan Ogden by Baltimore: Helped Jamal Lewis rack up the third most yards in a season and win a Super Bowl, despite virtually no offensive weapons.

All of these teams improved after drafting a highly-touted O-Lineman in the draft. Why can't we? I know it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of drafting a Bush or VY, a game-changer.

But for me, I'm sticking with Carr and Davis and Johnson (and hopefully Moulds!). These our the big three for us, and I'm not turning on any of them on the off-chance of wasting money on a gamble of a replacement for them.

For my money, give me D'Brick, who is a much bigger need, arguably the BPA, and a much smaller gamble. Maybe you don't remember it now, but a few numbers to ponder about our O-line:

68 sacks, 424 yards lost, 17 fumbles, six fumbles lost. I don't care if it's Carr, Bush, Young, Leinhart or Jesus himself behind that line... it stinks.

Bush gives us present. VY gives up future. D'Brick can give us both.

April 29th... trade down and/or draft D'Brick. We'll all be happier that we did when we're an offensive powerhouse for seasons to come.

[Grid]

When you have the #1 pick..you take BPA. That is just the way you do things. You dont often have the chance to take the best player in the draft.. so you shouldnt ruin that chance by basing your pick on need.

As of right now..the top rated player in this draft is Reggie Bush. That could change before the draft.. we will see.

[dalemurphy]

Originally Posted by jerek

4 or 5? Isn't that selling the guy a little short?

Said it before, will chip in again here. I love Williams but I don't see our FO having the balls to draft him, and I haven't heard much in the way of us pursuing him hard. I am pretty sure Reggie is gonna be a Texan come April 29.

Very few RBs play at a top level for more than 5 years. Even Emmitt Smith, the all-time leader in yards, .only played at an elite level for 5 years (1991-1995). Earl Campbell had about 6 years. SAlexander, Tomlinson have both had 5 years. MFaulk had about 7 if you ignore the year he missed with his blown-out knee. Terrell Davis lasted 3 years at that level.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

Very few RBs play at a top level for more than 5 years. Even Emmitt Smith, the all-time leader in yards, .only played at an elite level for 5 years (1991-1995).

While your point certainly has merit that RB's are shorter term than other positions, IMO you are selling Smith short.

Smith was in the top 5 for rushing yards 7 times in the period from 1991-1999 and had two more top 10 years in 1990 and 1996. He was also top 5 in the league 9 times during the 1990-1999 time period at scoring TD's. That is a solid 10 year term featuring pro-bowl performances in both the 1st and last years (8 total probowls and no the 1999 pro-bowl was not a give away as he had 4th most rushing yds in the league).