Rick Smith talks Draft!!!

Finally we get some more insight into whats going on...really interesting article worthy of a read on texans sight...you have to be a texan insider though.... here are some quotes from it.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/detail.php?PRKey=3295

“First of all, there are going to be some good players available at eight, so we’ll have an opportunity to draft a good football player,” Smith said of Houston’s draft position. “Number two, traditionally it’s been a point in the draft where there’s movement.

“In other words, if there’s a guy on the board that other teams have rated very highly, and he starts to slip, a lot of times around that seven, eight or nine range, people start to want to move and get into position to take that guy who might have fallen.”



According to Smith, this year’s draft is a good one for teams in search of an offensive lineman, cornerback or wide receiver.



“I don’t think that you go into the draft, for example, saying we have to get a corner in this draft because what happens then at that point is that you start to reach,” Smith said. “Because you can’t predict what happens, you just don’t know who’s going to be available at that time, so you have to evaluate them, put a value on them and go from there. If a guy is there at a position of need, you take him. If not, you take the best available athlete.”

Thanks for the post.
Reads to me no we're not moving up for Joe thomas. 2. someone offers the farm for all day we'll consider it, but not at the expense of loosing a bona fide help to the team. 3. We're not going to reach for a free safty. Is that what you got ?

Who would you draft
Views: 322 Posted By Mr teX
Re: Who would you draft

BPA for where we pick b/c all of the top 8 guys we need in 1 position or another. that could change in FA, but for the most part whomever falls to us.

Whether it's Adams, Landry, Nelson, Peterson...
We should wait until the top 10 in talent is established & ranked & go from there. every pick after that is just chance & opportunity


Damn, i'm good.

Yup I agree with both of y'all. I like what Smith said..esp the fact that he's not afraid to do anything. He knows how to do the draft and my gosh he's gonna do it. Even if that is trading down. At this point, who we draft with our selection is completely pure speculation. its amazing. I think if we trade down..we can trade down to about 15/16 and still get a really top guy we would be happy with. Finding a partner might be hard..but I've rated about 15 players that I wouldn't be upset if we take..up to that pick.

The best thing about our situation right now is that are biggest needs can be filled throughout most of the draft. Running backs are available all throughout the first, and usually early in the second. Safeties are the same way.

Even if we trade back 5-10 picks, we'd still be in a great position to take a top rated guy to fill one of our biggest needs, and hopefully pick up another draft pick in the process.

Yea the players I wouldn't mind us drafting whether the fall to us or if we trade down are...roughly...(and in no particular order)

1.Jamarcus Russell
2.Adrian peterson
3.Marshawn Lynch
4.Calvin Johnson
5.Joe Thomas
6.Levi Brown
7.Jamaal Anderson
8.Gaines Adams
9.Alan Branch
10.Amobi Okoye
11.Patrick Willis
12.LaRon Landry
13.Reggie Nelson
14.Leon Hall
15.Darrelle Revis

So if we trade down up to 7spots, we're still getting one of the top guys in their respective position. All of which would make a huge impact on our team and be instant starters. I think it just comes down to our FO really deciding on a player they want for our team and doesn't want to settle on any other player. Kind of like last year they wanted Mario more than anyone...easy to see when you have the #1.

I know this is worthless given speculation, but here is how Kiper is rating these guys at the moment:
http://proxy.espn.go.com/melkiper/index.html

1.Jamarcus Russell (4)
2.Adrian peterson (5)
3.Marshawn Lynch (18)
4.Calvin Johnson (1)
5.Joe Thomas (2)
6.Levi Brown (19)
7.Jamaal Anderson (6)
8.Gaines Adams (10)
9.Alan Branch (8)
10.Amobi Okoye (13)
11.Patrick Willis (not in top 25)
12.LaRon Landry (12)
13.Reggie Nelson (7)
14.Leon Hall (11)
15.Darrelle Revis (not in top 25)

gtexan02 said:

I know this is worthless given speculation, but here is how Kiper is rating these guys at the moment:
http://proxy.espn.go.com/melkiper/index.html

1.Jamarcus Russell (4)
2.Adrian peterson (5)
3.Marshawn Lynch (18) I'd still be okay around the 15 range
4.Calvin Johnson (1)
5.Joe Thomas (2)
6.Levi Brown (19) Looks like he has Ugoh at 16..either may be bpa at 15range
7.Jamaal Anderson (6)
8.Gaines Adams (10)
9.Alan Branch (8)
10.Amobi Okoye (13)
11.Patrick Willis (not in top 25) Kiper can go to hell...lol
12.LaRon Landry (12)
13.Reggie Nelson (7)
14.Leon Hall (11)
15.Darrelle Revis (not in top 25) scratch him off

Click to expand...

Did I read that right, he only had 1 cb in Hall. Ryan Kalil is someone I think we should look at because of our line and C situation...but prob. have to pick him up in the 2nd if he's there. Ugoh might be somone else we pick up 1st/2nd?


Yea this should help, thanks for the find. Those will all probably change after the senior bowl and combine and all...but then again so will my choices and every single persons mocks!

Ole Miss Texan said:

According to Smith, this year’s draft is a good one for teams in search of an offensive lineman, cornerback or wide receiver.

Click to expand...

Offensive line?? Really?? I've heard that there may be only one sure fire first round tackle (Thomas), with Levi Brown working his way up the board. I thought this was a weak offensive line draft.

texanfan2100 said:

Offensive line?? Really?? I've heard that there may be only one sure fire first round tackle (Thomas), with Levi Brown working his way up the board. I thought this was a weak offensive line draft.

Click to expand...

Because the talking heads treat the draft like it's only one round. Meanwhile, real NFL people are looking at 7 rounds. Pick #8 barely scratches the surface of what the team plans to do on draft day. My guess is the scouting department has a long list of guys they like on the OL, probably mostly in rounds 2-4. It really sounds like we're looking to trade down. That's more indication that this team likes some guys in that 2nd and 3rd round area.

I agree they open to trading down if Anderson, Adams and Peterson are off the board.

texanfan2100 said:

Offensive line?? Really?? I've heard that there may be only one sure fire first round tackle (Thomas), with Levi Brown working his way up the board. I thought this was a weak offensive line draft.

Click to expand...

Weak at LT , but the rest of OL is pretty good.

If Peterson is gone I say we trade down and pick up Levi Brown, he has seemed to impress many coaches and scouts at the Senior Bowl. If we could pick up an extra 3rd or 2nd that would be perfect. Then pick up Kenny Irons in the 2nd round, and then look at CB, S and LB with the second pick in the 2nd or with the 2 3rd round picks but by taking the BPA also at that point and not reaching. That would help to shore up our offensive line which everyone has agreed has been probably this franchises worst spot since its existence. If Spencer comes back healthy we can move him to RT and Winston to RG, if not we have Winston at RT. Then we would also have our franchise do it all back in Irons who is said to be a good 1 cut runner and has been showing signs that he is over his injury, which is exactly the type of RB that is needed in our system.


"Along the offensive line Levi Brown of Penn St. is working hard, even coming out before practice started for some one-on-one coaching, and it's paying off because he's gotten better each day."

http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/features/seniorbowl/reports/north124.html

This makes me like the idea of trading down and picking up Brown even more if Peterson is gone. He seems to be showing a strong work ethic and a desire to get better and learn from the coaches at his disposal, sounds exactly like the type of player that this organization likes to pick!