Travis Johnson

[J-Russ]

What do you guys think of him, and his recent performance this past season? Do you guys consider him a starter or back-up? Do you think we need to get another DT and replace him? What do you guys think about his future with the Texans? Does he have the strength and ability to play as LDT?

Do you guys think he lived up to his draft selection thus far?

POSITIVES: Explosive run-stuffing defensive lineman with good upside for the next level. Bends his knees getting leverage on opponents, quick off the snap and stout at the point. Immediately reads or diagnoses the action, displays solid hand technique getting off blocks and redirects to the ballcarrier. Gets a good amount of momentum going up the field and tough to slow down. Slides off opponents to the inside, has the ability to immediately alter his angle of attack and wraps up tackling. Works hard to make a play.

NEGATIVES: Lacks top bulk and upper body strength for the inside. Marginal skills as a pass rusher.

ANALYSIS: Rebounding off a poor junior campaign, Johnson got his game back on track last season and progressed off of what was a terrific sophomore year. The court case of .03 seemed to drag on him as a junior and was not as highly ranked as he should have been coming into the season. Stands to add bulk and strength to his frame yet a solid tackle for a conventional defense and a legitimate first round choice.

or was he another bust drafted by Casserly?

[HJam72]

Starter quality? Yes

Worth the pick we spent on him? Not yet. Maybe not ever, but he's worth keeping.

Get ANOTHER DT? NO!!!

He's coming along, and he'll be fine. We've spent enough money and draft picks on DTs. Between him and Okoye, at least one of them should be on the field at all times. DT is no longer a need, and we've been spending on it while ignoring too many other things for way too long.

[TEXANRED]

I think that Travis Johnson is a poor mans A.O. He lacks size and strength to play the 2 gap.

He does not, nor has he ever, fit the defensive system the Texans run. Originally drafted to play nose and now plays the 2. To be that player he would need to be able to dominate the LOS and have a commanding presence. Neither of which he does.

He was mis matched in Houston from the start.

[TEXANRED]

Originally Posted by HJam72

Starter quality? Yes

Worth the pick we spent on him? Not yet. Maybe not ever, but he's worth keeping.

Get ANOTHER DT? NO!!!

He's coming along, and he'll be fine. We've spent enough money and draft picks on DTs. Between him and Okoye, at least one of them should be on the field at all times. DT is no longer a need, and we've been spending on it while ignoring too many other things for way too long.

This is not a fair evaluation. When we drafted Babin and Johnson we played a different scheme with the 34.

The front 7 that we had for the 34 did not transition over to the 43. So basically we needed to draft a new front 7. We have only had two drafts as a 43 and now we are going into our third year. We still need a 2 gap DT and one more DE. We don't have either.

[HJam72]

Originally Posted by TEXANRED

This is not a fair evaluation. When we drafted Babin and Johnson we played a different scheme with the 34.

The front 7 that we had for the 34 did not transition over to the 43. So basically we needed to draft a new front 7. We have only had two drafts as a 43 and now we are going into our third year. We still need a 2 gap DT and one more DE. We don't have either.

I don't think that's really necessary; but, if we're really going to do that, we need to trade Johnson. If he's really worth more in the 3-4, somebody should want him and be willing to give something valuable in return. No more DT in the first round every freaking year, and then just sending the old ones out the pasture. What a waste.

[TEXANRED]

Originally Posted by HJam72

I don't think that's really necessary; but, if we're really going to do that, we need to trade Johnson. If he's really worth more in the 3-4, somebody should want him and be willing to give something valuable in return. No more DT in the first round every freaking year, and then just sending the old ones out the pasture. What a waste.

I don't think Johnson is worth either. Johnson is average to below average. He is a 1 gap player attempting to play a 2 gap position.

Johnson does not have a spot on this team and is just baby sitting his current position until we can find someone else.

[Fox]

TJ's marginal starter status, IMO. He'll make some solid plays every now and then but you really don't notice him very often. Not a difference maker. We could've done better with that selection, but at least he's still contributing.

[HJam72]

I presume that Okoye is more of a 4-3 DT; yet Okoye has more trouble against the run. I'm sure he'll get better, but it seems to me that all this trying to get the perfect "fit" players is just overkill in terms of the amount of attention spent on one little area of the team. I think we need to just take advantage of the players' strengths. Not every 4-3 (or 3-4) D has to be completely, cookie-cutter prototypical to be good.

Mostly, I'm just sick of this team focusing on DT for half a decade, and still aren't happy with it. We're going to have a whole team of nothing but defensive tackles and strong safeties.

[aj.]

Travis changed his number from 75 which he wore in honor of Deacon Jones coming out of college, to 99 in honor of clubhouse lawyer extrarodinaire and new era TJ role model Robaire Smith. That's about sums him up for me. That along with that little 'eff Trent Green tirade in front of the cameras while Coop was trying to shut him up. Mediocre player on average who has his moments. Just another classic remnant of the riverboat gambler's wheelin' and dealin.'

[TheRealJoker]

Ideally TJ is the # 3 DT coming in to relieve Amobi. However, we dont have the luxury of having anyone better at the moment to take his spot. Kinda like the situation with CC Brown, you'd like to improve there but you have yet to find someone who can beat him out of the job.

Also kind of like Morlon Greenwood, he's not a terrible player like some make him out to be but he is overpaid (and in this case overvalued).

[TheRealJoker]

Also, he has undisputably had the least fanfare of any # 1 pick in franchise history.

Could be good that he's not mentioned alongside Carr yet

But it could be bad that he hasn't made an impact similar to AJ, Dunta, and Mario as well...

[Hervoyel]

The thing about TJ to me is that he's just not consistently a very good player and he was a waste of the pick. The Texans routinely bring in street free agents that play at or above TJ's level. He's got strength, size, and speed enough to be good but his motor is a problem. His heart is a problem. He's not the player he should have been at that spot in the first round.

Personally I wish the Texans could find somebody who wanted him. I'd take a 2 for him in an instant and consider a 3 or hell even a 4.

3's and 4's selected by Kubiak and Smith have a better chance of success than Charlie Casserly did with his 1's. I'd love to see the Texans try to move TJ. Maybe they could convince someone that he just needs a change of scenary. Find a 3-4 team that thinks maybe he could still do the NT thing for them. Use his Trent Green incident to try and draw comparisons to Haynesworth. Surely Matt Millen is stupid enough to give up a 3 for Travis Johnson right?

Think about it this way. Last year TJ really picked up the pace and what happened? He climbed all the way up to maybe the 3rd best DT on the team. That's not good enough.

TJ was our best DT last yr.

[mexican_texan]

Originally Posted by TheRealJoker

Also, he has undisputably had the least fanfare of any # 1 pick in franchise history.

Could be good that he's not mentioned alongside Carr yet

But it could be bad that he hasn't made an impact similar to AJ, Dunta, and Mario as well...

cough vehicle cough

[TEXANRED]

Originally Posted by HJam72

I presume that Okoye is more of a 4-3 DT; yet Okoye has more trouble against the run. I'm sure he'll get better, but it seems to me that all this trying to get the perfect "fit" players is just overkill in terms of the amount of attention spent on one little area of the team. I think we need to just take advantage of the players' strengths. Not every 4-3 (or 3-4) D has to be completely, cookie-cutter prototypical to be good.

Okoye is a one gap DT or also be referred to as a 1 technique DT, meaning that his assignment is one hole or one gap and will usually engage only one lineman. He is used more for pass rushing than he is for stopping the run.

Johnson plays the 2 gap or 2 technique and is also refereed to as the nose tackle. His job is to engage 2 lineman, fill 2 gaps, and keep the OL off of the LB's and take away the double team for the DE. A 2 gap is supposed to be big and strong and take up space. (See Henderson, Haynesworth) The 2 gap is the keystone to any defensive line.

Originally Posted by HJam72

Mostly, I'm just sick of this team focusing on DT for half a decade, and still aren't happy with it. We're going to have a whole team of nothing but defensive tackles and strong safeties.

Well as stated before the first two years of DL was drafting LB's to play DE and I still don't know why Johnson was ever drafted. That was a blunder on Capers/Casserly.

The DL is the heart and soul of any defense. Our defense goes the way of our DL so I am more than willing to let them get it right.

[Hervoyel]

I disagree. I think he's a slug and that he was outplayed by both Maddox and Okoye. I think that was particularly true when one looks at the relative performance of all three players and takes into account their respective draft position and years of experience.

Yes he made more tackles than either Maddox or Okoye. If number of tackles was the only criteria for grading defensive linemen then TJ would have been our best DT last year. It's not and I liken his performance more to the Jay Foreman school of numbers than anything else.

That's just what I think though.

[Fox]

Originally Posted by Hervoyel

I disagree. I think he's a slug and that he was outplayed by both Maddox and Okoye. I think that was particularly true when one looks at the relative performance of all three players and takes into account their respective draft position and years of experience.

Yes he made more tackles than either Maddox or Okoye. If number of tackles was the only criteria for grading defensive linemen then TJ would have been our best DT last year. It's not and I liken his performance more to the Jay Foreman school of numbers than anything else.

That's just what I think though.

I didn't notice Maddox much this year, which was kind of disappointing because I was pretty excited about his potential after 2006. Gotta root for a street FA who comes in and shows some ability. I guess only starting 3 games (2007) as opposed to 9 (2006) makes it a little harder to get noticed.

[pappy]

Both Amobi and Travis are three tech pass rushing tackles and a normal 4-3 defense is supposed to have a three tech and a two gap . Travis needs to be a rotation guy with Amobi and we need to get a tackle to work with Maddox in rotation . Only time two three tech tackles are supposed to work together are when dime packages are called .

[TheRealJoker]

Originally Posted by mexican_texan

cough vehicle cough

You must have misunderstood my post. TJ was the least publicized number 1 pick. The automobile you are referring to was the face of the franchise for the first 5 years of its existence.

[TexanSam]

I think TJ needs to strap on his helmet better.