ESPN: Wand getting competition to be the starter at LT

[Texans34Life]

Texans | Competition at left tackle spot
Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:25:48 -0700

Len Pasquarelli, of ESPN.com, reports Houston Texans OT Seth Wand and OT Charles Spencer will compete for the starting left tackle spot during training camp.

[ArlingtonTexan]

Not surprising. I have no prediction and only hope that someone who can perform at least average eventually wins the job.

[AFD1717]

That looks a lot better than "Victor Riley has competition for the LT job."

[thetexanator]

seth wand is the second coming of matt stevens, they both _______

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by Texans34Life

Texans | Competition at left tackle spot
Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:25:48 -0700

Len Pasquarelli, of ESPN.com, reports Houston Texans OT Seth Wand and OT Charles Spencer will compete for the starting left tackle spot during training camp.

I would not put this down as much more than outside speculation. But if it is indeed true, I have to believe that Wand is not as promising as the coaches have thus far put forth, or a very scarey thought......again, a rookie (although promising, and as much as I like him) is the best we have, veteran or otherwise, and here we go back to a 2002 learn on the job scenario.................You might want to think of what happened to so-called "sure fire" LOT Robert Gallery........couldn't hack it at LT, and has been struggling under the radar on the right side.

[Coach C.]

Gallery is the slotted as the starting LT for the Raiders now, and has been a solid producer for the Raiders. It was the decline of Sims that has prompted HOF ex-lineman Art Shell to promote him to the LT position. Many on this board who have been to OTAs and minicamps have said that Wand is in for some serious competition based on his play anyway.

[nunusguy]

"• Seth Wand versus Charles Spencer (Houston Texans, left offensive tackle): The Texans have allowed a mind-boggling 229 sacks in their four-year existence. First-year coach Gary Kubiak hired Mike Sherman to fix the longstanding offensive line woes, and the former Green Bay head coach has responded by enacting a musical-chairs approach. As currently projected, not a single starter will line up at the spot he played in 2005. That, for quarterback David Carr, represents the good news. The bad news is that the key left tackle spot, where pass-rushers have poured through as if it was a turnstile, still must be addressed. Wand has started 18 games in three seasons, including all 16 contests in 2004, and his performance was adjudged, somewhat mercifully, as uneven. Spencer, a third-round draft choice, has played on the offensive side of the ball just two seasons, including only one year at left tackle. He might not win the job outright in camp, but the sense is that Spencer could oust Wand during the season.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/column...len&id=2525853

[threetoedpete]

You take a guy past day one in the draft, you're pretty much chunking the dice. Heck you're pretty much chunking the dice on all of these guys. The value is, who has the least amount of chance to bust. Third round guys, which what Wand and Spencer( & Winston) are,...are projections by our scouts as to what % they have to bust.
That said, Gallery will be a stud. Book it. He is the new generation of Ogden/Pace/Walters . So is Brick. Not saying Gallery & Brick won't struggle against the athletes of the NFL. Saying they will be locks long term for Probowls and All pros. Changing of the gaurd. Only so many of these guys come around. You only get so many shots at Gallery's Brick/s, Bruce Mathew's, Steve Huctchinson's, Allan Fanaca's (pick you're guy). They make a difference. We're paying the price now for going cheap then. If it dosen't work, the third rounder wars...now we're slumming for another QB next year. DC's done I believe with another pounding. We've waisted a very promising QB. Said it from day one...you build a francise from the inside out. Not the outside in. Someday the Texans crew will get that. Next what's going to happen is tallented athletes on this team will jump this ship of fools for free agency. Nobody, I don't care how good the money is, likes to lose. JMHO.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by Coach C.

Gallery is the slotted as the starting LT for the Raiders now, and has been a solid producer for the Raiders. It was the decline of Sims that has prompted HOF ex-lineman Art Shell to promote him to the LT position. Many on this board who have been to OTAs and minicamps have said that Wand is in for some serious competition based on his play anyway.

I feel that Gallery will come into his own, just like you and TTP.....and he has held his own on the right side with the run. He has though had quite a bit of problems with handling the pass protection, especially with speed rushers. He now (in his THIRD year) goes to the left side where he will be constantly be exposed to speed rushers. He will get there......but take it to the bank there will be bumps. As a rookie now, Spencer at day one at LT is still scarey to me........and Wand has not that much more steady experience at that position, and that is also scarey to me if we don't have any other "stop gap" player. Just MO. I hope that we are pleasantly surprised by both of them. I'm counting on it......but it's still scarey.

[JohnGalt]

Whoever ends up at LT in December, will have a whole season to soak up Sherman's tutelage. I think even within two or three games we are going to have a solid line. Maybe not Chiefs/Seahawks caliber, but definately serviceable.

That being said I can't imagine that Spencer will be ready to start in the NFL in 2006. God help us if we need him to. He is a project that will take some time.

If Wand can't get it together, I think we are going to see Pitts back at LT and Weary at LG. I don't think they are going to start a 3rd round rookie on David's blind side.

Where is Pasquarelli getting this information? Is he seeing practice film? Or he getting getting this information from some scrub reporter just out of college?

[TK_Gamer]

what about salaam? is he that bad that he's never mentioned?

[TEXANS84]

Originally Posted by TK_Gamer

what about salaam? is he that bad that he's never mentioned?

He failed in Jacksonville and would be lucky to earn a second team position with the new staff. We shall see when they put the pads on what player will fall in the list.

[GP]

With the abundance of injuries in today's NFL...you know, the "My pinkie toe hurts, so I gotta' sit out for half the season" we'll need all the bodies we can get at LT, RT, LG, RG, and C for that matter.

It doesn't matter "who" wins the starting job because by about week three or four, you're always going to get a guy fatigued or hurt and he's going to get rested. So, it doesn't really matter who wins the job. All those guys are going to play a sginificant amount of time.

I'm just glad to see a coaching staff who actually DRAFTS linemen with pedigrees instead of acquiring washed up veterans like Todd Wade. Other than Robaire Smith, our free agency track record was just awful. Awful.