Bennett could replace Faggins as Texans cornerback

[FirstTexansFan]

Per the Houston Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...t/5180161.html

[TK_Gamer]

If you listen to the Kubiak interview from yesterday (I'm thinking this is where MM is getting the Fred Bennett idea) Kubiak to me, doesn't really sound like he wants to move Bennett. I think this is just Manful being her usual self jumping the gun.

[Tedc]

If Bennett can play, he should be an option. We have to stop the bleeding as every team will be ready to test that position.

It seems that if we know they are going to pick on that position, we should be able to "trap" them into some interceptions. Where is his help?

[dskillz]

I heard yesterday that Bennett had some injury that was keeping him out of the lineup, maybe it has cleared up and he is ready, but if that was the case, shouldn't he have gotten into the game Sunday? Or did he and I missed it?

I am sorry, but I feel like I have to triple check anything the Chronicle prints. When they make mistakes about simple things like the final score of games routinely, I am not going to trust their 'scoops'.

[rollinstone18]

Originally Posted by dskillz

I heard yesterday that Bennett had some injury that was keeping him out of the lineup, maybe it has cleared up and he is ready, but if that was the case, shouldn't he have gotten into the game Sunday? Or did he and I missed it?

I am sorry, but I feel like I have to triple check anything the Chronicle prints. When they make mistakes about simple things like the final score of games routinely, I am not going to trust their 'scoops'.

Bennett has a hamstring injury.

I doubt that Kubiak and co. will throw Bennett into the starting role as soon as he's healthy. I want Bennett to start over Faggins but that just seems too soon.

[gjmac2]

I know that Faggins has not been the best corner in the NFL, but let's be careful of what we wish for. Bennett is only a rookie.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by KJ3

bennett has been down with a hamstring injury, but if i remember correctly he's moving past it and getting back into the pads at practices.

look, bennett has what it takes (including his relationship with dunta) to be a solid #2 guy. and from what i gathered listening to kubiak's 30 second clip about him kubiak would like to see him on the field if he's better than petey faggins. if reps is all that is keeping him off the field at this point then i would like to see him thrown out there from time to time so that everyone can see his progress or lack of. it wouldn't surprise me in the least if he's starting by the end of the season, and it would really help us focus all our money/draft picks towards making other positions of need better. an in house #2 cb would be amazing, and would turn this defense into a monster...

It would be lovely in Bennett was the instant answer. But check out Revis' last game to know what mischief can happen to rookie corners.

And as much as some of the people play amateur doctor and say which guys need to be on the field and not, if you run for your living, and you are coming off of a messed up hamstring, you have problems.

The best way to fix a hamstring problem is resting it. And it will feel fine when you just walk. But when you run, it feels like your body is betraying your brain. That you want to run, but the leg doesn't work.

Hopefully it isn't too bad, but I'm just not thinking the odds are great for him to be completely back, and then hold his own at CB.

[bah007]

Originally Posted by Tedc

If Bennett can play, he should be an option. We have to stop the bleeding as every team will be ready to test that position.

It seems that if we know they are going to pick on that position, we should be able to "trap" them into some interceptions. Where is his help?

I would like to see him play in the nickel first before we just throw him out there in Faggins' spot.

Give him a few games to get back to speed & then if Kubiak likes what he sees we can try him out as the #2.

I dont think that getting him out there sooner rather than later is a good idea at this point, with him coming off an injury.

[Marcus]

Well, like someone else said, be very careful what you wish for if you want Bennett to replace Faggins.

And not even counting the hamstring, I took note of this when he referred to Bennett. Something very close to . . . "we need to get him on the field, but Bennett needs to "first, act like a pro, prepare like a pro, and practice like a pro".

I've heard him say those words before, when talking about someone else.

It would be really nice if Bennett could come in a be a formidable starter.

Having said that, I'm not seeing it. I think he's really good and has some skills but I see this kid as a future nickel back/reserve corner for us. I think he'll play very well in that role.

Of course i wouldn't be opposed to being wrong and him becoming a good starter.

[Cjeremy635]

When Bob Allen interviewed Kubiak on the news yesterday, they talked about Faggins. Kubes didn't dog on the guy at all (not that I thought he would) and actually gave him some props for all the passes being thrown his way. He knows that Faggins is being picked on due to the fact that Dunta is the opposite corner, thus it makes Faggins look like he is constantly getting burned. I think it's wishful thinking that we can have 2 shut down corners on this team. Maybe in a few years, but for now I think that it should be Faggins with some help over the top. One of those penalties he had in the game was complete B.S. and we all now it. That being said, he does need to clean up his game and be consistantly better that he has been.

[gtexan02]

Im pretty sure Bennett was drafted in order to eventually take the #2 CB spot away from Faggins. Just his height alone gives him an edge. THere have been a few times where if Faggins had been taller, the ball would just have ricocheted off his helmet.

But corner is a tough position in the NFL, and I expect it;ll be a while before we see him out there regularly.

Luckily, Trent Green has been pretty friendly at giving corners their confidence back. Unfortunately, Faggins usually gives it back to the QB.

[bigbrewster2000]

Originally Posted by KJ3

uh...if i thought bennett was an instant answer i would've expected to see him during the chiefs game...and i know i'm no doctor, but if kubiak is saying he's getting back to health and is in practices again i'll take it with a grain of salt but by no means am i going to ignore the head coach's (and probably some team doctors, who are doctors) opinion(s) on the matter.

i don't think it's out of his reach to be a better cb than faggins, who is looking bad every week regardless of his situation. and by no means am i saying leave him hanging out there to get rolled over. i'm saying put him in a few plays a game and watch his reactions and reads to see if he is, in fact, improving.

What Kubiak said was he wanted to get Bennett on the field but never said he would get him on the field in place of Faggins. That might happen eventually but Kubes will probably get him reps at nickel first.

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by bigbrewster2000

What Kubiak said was he wanted to get Bennett on the field but never said he would get him on the field in place of Faggins. That might happen eventually but Kubes will probably get him reps at nickel first.

Exactly. Here's from his presser:
http://www.houstontexans.com/news/St...?story_id=3713

"Fred’s got to learn to practice like a pro and prepare like a pro and he’s on his way to doing that, but if we can get him healthy, we’d definitely like to get him some playing time. Where that’s at, whether it’s nickel, how we do that, we’ll see. But it’s a matter of him stepping to the plate and showing he’s ready to play, also."

WHEN Fred get's healthy and looks good in practice, expect to see them try him out in nickel situations. If he performs there, they might get him some time at corner.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by Marcus

Well, like someone else said, be very careful what you wish for if you want Bennett to replace Faggins.

And not even counting the hamstring, I took note of this when he referred to Bennett. Something very close to . . . "we need to get him on the field, but Bennett needs to "first, act like a pro, prepare like a pro, and practice like a pro".

I've heard him say those words before, when talking about someone else.

You can't trust the Texans talking about player injuries at all. He wants them to believe that if they work harder and prepare better that hamstring problems will go away.

But that is all smoke, mirrors and placebos. You'd like to think you can prevent hamstring injuries through hard work, but there isn't a proven scientific way to prevent them or heal them faster.

And it is misleading to suggest otherwise. But then again, he's trying to create a lockeroom of guys who play through pain. That's what they are doing in the NFL. So Kubiak will implore them all to work harder but in the meantime, that isn't going to fix Bennett's hamstring.

[Cjeremy635]

Originally Posted by Texans_Chick

You can't trust the Texans talking about player injuries at all. He wants them to believe that if they work harder and prepare better that hamstring problems will go away.

But that is all smoke, mirrors and placebos. You'd like to think you can prevent hamstring injuries through hard work, but there isn't a proven scientific way to prevent them or heal them faster.

And it is misleading to suggest otherwise. But then again, he's trying to create a lockeroom of guys who play through pain. That's what they are doing in the NFL. So Kubiak will implore them all to work harder but in the meantime, that isn't going to fix Bennett's hamstring.

No, but a shot in the muscle full of narcotics will......

[Lucky]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

WHEN Fred get's healthy and looks good in practice, expect to see them try him out in nickel situations. If he performs there, they might get him some time at corner.

Well, Bennett may get time in the nickel defense, but it will be on the outside rather than the slot. Robinson, Fletcher, and even Faggins are more suited for the slot.

Putting whatever injury concerns Bennett currently has aside, his biggest issue is that he hasn't played the left side in game conditions. Fred only played RCB in the preseason, and I don't remember seeing him play on the left side in any of the practices I attended. Since then, he may have gotten reps at LCB. And there is a difference to some cornerbacks. Dunta Robinson plays better from the right side. So does Faggins.

The NFL is all about making adjustments. Opponents have targeted Petey, and the Texans defensive braintrust has yet to make the correct adjustment. From the cheap seats, I would have Petey and Dunta swap sides in the base formation, bring Bennett in at RCB in the nickel, with Faggins playing the slot. What Richard Smith & Jon Hoke decide remains to be seen. I just hope Trent Green doesn't turn into the fantasy star Joey Harrington was last Sunday.

[DocBar]

Originally Posted by Cjeremy635

When Bob Allen interviewed Kubiak on the news yesterday, they talked about Faggins. Kubes didn't dog on the guy at all (not that I thought he would) and actually gave him some props for all the passes being thrown his way. He knows that Faggins is being picked on due to the fact that Dunta is the opposite corner, thus it makes Faggins look like he is constantly getting burned. I think it's wishful thinking that we can have 2 shut down corners on this team. Maybe in a few years, but for now I think that it should be Faggins with some help over the top. One of those penalties he had in the game was complete B.S. and we all now it. That being said, he does need to clean up his game and be consistantly better that he has been.

Faggins getting constantly burned is what makes it seem like Faggins is getting constantly burned. Teams picked on D-Rob for about half the season his rookie year, but he turned it to his advantage and made them pay. All the stuff about draft position(as if THAT mattered) and him being a "natural" nickel back not withstanding, Faggins is just not up to the task. That being said, IMO, we don't really have a viable replacement at this moment, so it's up to Smith to devise gameplans/coverages/looks to protect that side of the field.
EDIT: I didn't read all the way down before this post. Lucky took the words outta my mouth.

[DocBar]

Originally Posted by gtexan02

Im pretty sure Bennett was drafted in order to eventually take the #2 CB spot away from Faggins. Just his height alone gives him an edge. THere have been a few times where if Faggins had been taller, the ball would just have ricocheted off his helmet.

But corner is a tough position in the NFL, and I expect it;ll be a while before we see him out there regularly.

Luckily, Trent Green has been pretty friendly at giving corners their confidence back. Unfortunately, Faggins usually gives it back to the QB.

That happens to him quite a bit cuz he's always trying to catch up and just flailing away with his arms as he stares at the receiver.

[Marcus]

We're just going to have to live with Faggins getting constantly burned. I know that's a tough pill to swallow,
so here is a glass of water to help you get it down.

"Devise gameplans/coverages/looks to protect that side of the field"? That's a double edged sword. Adjusting for a weakness only makes you weaker somewhere else from a secondary standpoint.

If you want to take Petey out of the picture, you're just going to have to disrupt the opposing QB. There is no easy fix here.