Texans 4th Rounder

[joshri]

I personally thought that the Texans were a lock to take one of the top safeties left on the board with the first pick in the 4th round. Those top safeties being Darnell Bing and Ko Simpson.

I was shocked that they took another TE in Owen Daniels. If I'm not mistaken we already have Jeb Putzier, Mark Bruener, Bennie Joppru, and Marcellus Rivers.

Are the Texans going to use a lot of two TE sets? Also, what is the deal with Joppru? I would think he would have offered backup potential behind Putzier and Bruener. Or is Daniels being groomed at FB?

[ledzeppelin229]

Bruener is really only a blocking TE, and Kubiak wants better recievers at the position. Joppru is a crapshoot as to whether he will even be healthy...so if they thought Daniels was also one of the best players on the board, I can't blame them.

[Mailman04]

Rivers is a FA they havne't resigned yet. Hard to list Joppru, are you certain he is going to play and if so why? He has been hurt every year so why would anyone count on him this year. If he plays great, but you have to almost prepare not expecting anything. Bruener is the blocker while Putzier and Daniels are receiving threats. They can also use Daniels as an H Back of sorts in place of a FB as well. Bing is too slow to play S in the NFL and Simpson isn't very smart and thus the reason he dropped to fourth round to begin with

[Errant Hothy]

Originally Posted by joshri

I personally thought that the Texans were a lock to take one of the top safeties left on the board with the first pick in the 4th round. Those top safeties being Darnell Bing and Ko Simpson.

I was shocked that they took another TE in Owen Daniels. If I'm not mistaken we already have Jeb Putzier, Mark Bruener, Bennie Joppru, and Marcellus Rivers.

Are the Texans going to use a lot of two TE sets? Also, what is the deal with Joppru? I would think he would have offered backup potential behind Putzier and Bruener. Or is Daniels being groomed at FB?

This seems to get posted everyday, so here goes the canned answer.

Bing is not capable of playing safety, either position, the Raiders are moving to LB. Why? I quess he is to slow and apparently not that good in coverage.

As for Ko Simpson, apparently, according ot people with inside sources (Gosselin, etc) he is just not that smart and had terribel interviews. Not the type you want calling the plays in your secondary.

As for TE Daniels, he is going to play the "move" TE/H-back; a position that Brueneer is very ill suited for and I expect Rivers to not be on the roster come September. Joppru is a gigantic question mark, and planing a draft srtategy that involves Joppru as a part of the offense wouldn't be prudent.

[Texansbacker]

Joppru will hopefully contribute this year and not be a complete waste of a second round pick ala Tony Hollings. I heard Hollings signed with Chicago. Not sure if he ever really got a shot here as he got injured but he did not impress in the games he played for the Texans, that is for sure. However, at least he played......I can't believe we have not even got to see Joppru in a game....ugly pick at number 2. Hope Owen Daniels turns out to be a Frank Wycheck type of player....or Jeb Putzier....heck I just hope we get some production out of the tightends period.

[BigTimeTexanFan]

Frankly I'm not overly thrilled about our tight end situation heading into the season not to metion the draft. Bruener is what he is, a good blocking tight end, that's all. Joppru, although I sincerely hope he plays this year because he's been through so much, shouldn't be expected to do too much. I'll be hones, I don't know anything about Daniels, but if he turns out better than Rivers, I would say it was a successful pick at that spot.

Jeb Putzier was the best tight end in FA, but is a receiving tight end. Maybe with the new zone blocking scheme, he doesn't have to have ideal size to be an effective blocker, but I see him as a bigger receiver that will go over the middle. Still not real comfortable with our tight end situation. But it seems like Kubiak is making do with what's available and that's all you can ask for

[CoastalTexan]

If Kubiak wanted a big tightend, Leonard Pope was available in the 3rd. I guess Kubiak likes the smaller TE's.

[TommyS]

Originally Posted by BigTimeTexanFan

Frankly I'm not overly thrilled about our tight end situation heading into the season not to metion the draft. Bruener is what he is, a good blocking tight end, that's all. Joppru, although I sincerely hope he plays this year because he's been through so much, shouldn't be expected to do too much. I'll be hones, I don't know anything about Daniels, but if he turns out better than Rivers, I would say it was a successful pick at that spot.

Jeb Putzier was the best tight end in FA, but is a receiving tight end. Maybe with the new zone blocking scheme, he doesn't have to have ideal size to be an effective blocker, but I see him as a bigger receiver that will go over the middle. Still not real comfortable with our tight end situation. But it seems like Kubiak is making do with what's available and that's all you can ask for

if we're talking up our tight ends, Aaron Halterman, 6'5", 256, second in catches on the NLFE Rhein Fire, the games i've seen he's looked very good in, great hands and the size to block (although i will admit to not really know what to look for in a blocking end)

[nunusguy]

This pick was also a surprise to me, and very puzzling because I thought there was a strong chance they'd use their #2 on a DB and if not, one of their third rounders on a DB, particularly a CB since this was rated a very strong Draft for corners with good availability into the second day of the Draft.
But I like the #2 pick, and really like the third round picks being used on OL
players, but was very confidant that they'd then use their 4th rounder on a DB.
Maybe the biggest revelation for me related to this whole issue of the Texans bypassing DBs were comments made by Kubiak that they felt good about the teams CB position, and felt like it was "a strength of our football team". Huh ?
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"(on the decision to not draft a cornerback) “We actually felt like that’s kind of a strength of our football team. We were a little worried at safety about three weeks ago and then we were able to sign Michael Stone from New England, so that helped us. Going into the draft, we didn’t feel the pressing need to fill that spot.
http://www.houstontexans.com/news/de...0Latest%20News
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[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by TommyS

if we're talking up our tight ends, Aaron Halterman, 6'5", 256, second in catches on the NLFE Rhein Fire, the games i've seen he's looked very good in, great hands and the size to block (although i will admit to not really know what to look for in a blocking end)

I've been very impressed with Halterman in the NFLE...... I was shocked to see he was wearing a Texans logo.

I got this off the Cowboy's Forum...... so I won't link it. You should be able to get enough clues to google it, and find it anyway. But this article really gets you thinking about our offense, and what Kubiak is doing...... or thinking. This is one of the reasons, I think we are going to shock a lot of people in '06, and put up a lot of points............ often.

Fasano Could Double Dallas’ TE Pleasure
By Rafael Vela


On Saturday no Cowboys pick caused more head scratching than the selection of TEin the second round. Pundits were uniformly impressed with Fasano’s skills, but wondered why a team already sporting Pro Bowler Jason Witten would identify tight end as a need? Much of the criticism the Cowboys received was based on the perception that Fasano is a luxury.

He in’t. It’s not in Bill Parcells’ nature to be daring and experimental with his offense, but Fasano represents a posssible evolution in the use of tight ends, one not yet seen in the NFL. It Dallas succeeds with its track-meet tight ends the team could change the way modern passing games play.

The two TE system as we know it has been around for about a generation. It started with Don Coryell and his high flying “Air Coryell” Chargers teams of the late ’70s and ’80s. One of the mad scientists on Coryell’s staff was a young running backs coach named Joe Gibbs, who took the system to Washington in 1981. As NFC East fans will tell you, the rest is history. The system became associated with Gibbs, who won three Super Bowls running it.

That said, neither Coryell or Gibbs ran the system Dallas teases in 2006. In San Diego, Coryell relied on the otherworldly skills of Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow. Winslow was one of the first great deep threats from the position. For his other tight end, however, Coryell was content to use utility men like Eric Seivers, who could block well but was not a threat as a receiver. In the Chargers’ most effective seasons Winslow would top 1,000 yards and triple the output of all the other San Diego TEs.

In Washington, Gibbs used his TEs as grinders. Don Warren was the most prolific Washington tight end of the glory ’80s but he never cracked 500 yards receiving. Gibbs used his receivers to stretch defenses vertically and when he wanted to put extreme pressure on a secondary he would use three WRs in his base packages.

No modern offense that I’m aware of utilized two tight ends with serious receiving skills. Every coach using two TEs remained faithful to the original Coryell philosophy that one TE was used primarily as a blocker while the other was used as a receiving threat.

A rules change in recent years has dared NFL offensive coordinators to rethink this approach. The league has cracked down on linebackers’ practice of riding TEs down the field, limiting contact in the center of the field as it is limited for cornerbacks on the perimeter. The new rules have produced an explosion in TE productivity. Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez have had seasons to rival quality WRs. Witten came an eyelash short of 1,000 receiving yards in 2004.

With analysts dubbing TE the new glamour position, it was only a matter of time before a team or teams put two TEs with legitimate receiving skills on the field for extended periods of time. What surprises many, I believe, is that Parcells is doing the innovating. Fasano won’t be used to spell Witten, nor will he serve in a platoon with FB Lousaka Polite, as blocking TE Dan Campbell did last season. Fasano will be a regular.

The possibilities of such a package are mouth watering. Jerry Jones offered a hint of what will come when he said the Cowboys planned to line up Fasano on the same side as Terrell Owens, while Witten would play next to Terry Glenn in balanced two-TE sets.

I asked a coach the benefits of this package and got this response,

I would imagine that the Cowboys are concerned that teams will roll their coverage to TO’s side. To put two dangerous options on the other side of the field leaves opponents with a no-win decision: leave both Witten and Glenn to work against the short-handed side or play a more straight-up coverage and try to contend with T.O., and we know what T.O. will typically do to straight coverage.

Of course, Witten will present the standard matchup nightmare in man-to-man or deep middle threat in cover two, and Glenn eats single coverage alive. Potentially exciting stuff. I submit that, based upon what Glenn did to single coverage last year, we may just have the best #2 receiver in the league next year (not to mention perhaps the best #1).

Glenn had the best yards-per-reception average for any receiver with more than 50 catches, averaging 18.3 yards per catch. Owens can also get deep. Witten showed deep speed in 2004 when Glenn was injured. The Cowboys relied on Witten to stretch defenses more than Keyshawn Johnson, who was playing with torn knee cartilage and Witten thrived.

Fasano isn’t regarded as a burner, but he’s all but guaranteed single coverage against linebackers in this scheme. He’s regarded as the best all around TE in the deep ‘06 college class, so he should have the skills to cause some damage. His learning curve will be shorter, since the Cowboys offense is similar to the scheme Fasano played at Notre Dame, under former Parcells assistant Charlie Weis.

If Fasano’s pro play even vaguely resembles his last season for the Irish, the only people left scratching their heads will be NFL defensive coordinators.

[El Tejano]

Well this just makes me know what the Colts have been doing this whole time. However, I really like our chances if we can be successful with this group of TEs.

[TommyS]

Originally Posted by El Tejano

Well this just makes me know what the Colts have been doing this whole time. However, I really like our chances if we can be successful with this group of TEs.

AJ & Daniels/Joppru/Murphy on one side,

Moulds/Mathis & Putzier on the other,

DD in the backfield

i'm not a fan of the emoticon or getting overexcited, but

[beerlover]

at the time I was shocked too but after review Owen seems like a rising star for Kubiacs system. watching video of Daniels was very comforting, very quick & athletic for his size, great movement so he will really help stretch the field. seems like a much higher prospect than coveted f/a Jeb Putzier. if he is as productive as another 4th rd pick (Davis) we should be so lucky.

also noticed that the N.E. Patriots traded up with the Lions (pick #106) to select a similar TE prospect in Garrett Mills. similar situation as the move up to pick Babin a couple years ago. so the Texans probably felt the need to take him here are miss out completely

[kiwitexansfan]

I like the pick... especially if he makes the transition to be able to play a bit of FB as well.

He should prove to be a versatile weapon for us.

[bckey]

I can't prove it but I actually think the Texans thought they were going to get Dominique Byrd with the first pick of the 4th round. The Rams snatched him with the 29th pick of the 3rd round after taking Joe Klopfenstein in the second round. Had the Rams not taken Byrd he would have been there for us at the 4th round pick (just 4 picks away). I don't think anyone thought the Rams would draft 2 tight ends with their 2nd and 3rd round picks.

[BuffSoldier]

I have read alot of mixed reports about Daniels. Some would say that he was a pretty good receiver, but was mostly a great blocking TE, and some would say that he was a TE/H-Back/Oversized WR, so I think that it is just what Kubiak wanted. I think that Daniels may pan out to be that all-around TE that every team looks for.