Couple articles from the Chron today

[nero THE zero]

Diles learning to fit in at SAM
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/5795622.html

As Ryans' shadow last season, Diles learned where all of the other linebackers were supposed to be in any given situation. Now, that education continues.

"Well, I think he's swimming right now," Kubiak said. "He's a starter; he's out there trying to win a job and trying to be consistent. I think he's kind of all over the place right now, but that's not anything negative. That's OK. He's just got to lock in the defense, because all the physical traits are there. He's just got to get comfortable with what we're doing, and it's going to be a good battle because the (Kevin) Bentley kid's a very smart player, too, so he can really push him."

Diles isn't afraid of a challenge. After all, he became the surprise of training camp last year when he climbed up the depth chart to earn the backup job in the middle. A year later, he's preparing to become an NFL starter.

"Being a seventh-round pick, usually you're just supposed to be a training camp body," Diles said. "But it's just hard work. Just come out here and do what they ask of you and do it hard. You'll like the results at the end."

Weary looking good and down to 290 lbs
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/5795701.html

Weary says doctors told him the injury — he fractured the tibia, or shin bone, in two places — was a common one in car accidents, but rare in football.

Unable to do much of anything for a couple of months, most offensive linemen would put on fat, er, weight. But Weary said his weight dipped to 280 or so.

"I couldn't even walk, so I got to be pretty weak," Weary said.

When he was finally able to get back into the weight room, he replaced what was lost with muscle. Hence, the resulting impressive physique.

He estimates he is at about 80 percent right now, with his running limited to in-water training.

It'll be a couple of weeks before Weary is allowed to run on grass, but he should be at full strength by training camp and certainly expects to be ready by the time the regular season begins.

[El Tejano]

Great news about Weary, we need all the offensive lineman present at TC to get a real good evaluation of everybody. I don't want someone getting cut or making the team simply because someone didn't get enough reps.

I also like what I hear about Diles. I hope he can make an impact to our defense, I think that position will be an interesting battle.

[nero THE zero]

Originally Posted by El Tejano

Great news about Weary, we need all the offensive lineman present at TC to get a real good evaluation of everybody. I don't want someone getting cut or making the team simply because someone didn't get enough reps.

I was always under the impression that Weary was a bad fit for the ZBS, but apparently he is pretty adaptable. I think he might be one of the bigger suprises for me this season. I was willing to bet my house he was done as a Texan after he broke his leg. Now he might be one of the bigger contributers on the line.

I love it when I'm wrong like that.

[Vinny]

Originally Posted by nero THE zero

I was always under the impression that Weary was a bad fit for the ZBS, but apparently he is pretty adaptable. I think he might be one of the bigger suprises for me this season. I was willing to bet my house he was done as a Texan after he broke his leg. Now he might be one of the bigger contributers on the line.

I love it when I'm wrong like that.

why? Weary has always been highly athletic....if you watch him warm up he can do the splits. Not that this is the measure of his fitness or athleticism or anything...but he is a very limber, agile player and don't know how he gives the impression that he is one of those Todd Wade "i can't bend any better than Herman Munster" types). I always see a few people blindly saying he sucks in our forums but I count them as folks that don't know what they are looking at.

[nero THE zero]

Originally Posted by Vinny

why?

Good question. Ignorance, I guess.

I've never seen him warm up, and never really specifically keyed on him in the games. Just, for whatever reason, he always struck me as a bigger,stiffer guy. Obviously I was wrong. Which I don't mind at all.

[ocd]

Originally Posted by Vinny

why? Weary has always been highly athletic....if you watch him warm up he can do the splits. Not that this is the measure of his fitness or athleticism or anything...

It's a pretty good indicator when you combine the fact that (when healthy) he runs and can hoist pretty good weights. Let Gibbs have that player for 3 months and see what materializes.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by nero THE zero

I was always under the impression that Weary was a bad fit for the ZBS

.
Nah, that'd be Kubiaks favorite badysitter Casey Studdard.
I really appreciate Weary for gettin "slimmed down" to 290 after his season
ending injury last year. And to make it even more challenging, if memory serves, it was a contract year for him but he still fought his way back to get in shape and be ready to play in 2008. Lot of guys might have said "why me"
when they get injured in a contract year and not come back like Fred did.
I wish him nothing but the best this year and I hope he has a very successful year and can secure a solid long-term deal afterwards, if not here then with some other team.

[ArlingtonTexan]

Originally Posted by Vinny

why? Weary has always been highly athletic....if you watch him warm up he can do the splits. Not that this is the measure of his fitness or athleticism or anything...but he is a very limber, agile player and don't know how he gives the impression that he is one of those Todd Wade "i can't bend any better than Herman Munster" types). I always see a few people blindly saying he sucks in our forums but I count them as folks that don't know what they are looking at.

Weary has had a good deal of guilt by association assigned his way. As a player who has been here through all the awful OLs, I think he does not get credit for being a solid NFL player. More than anything he was some combination of undercoached, miscast, slow to develop, or wrongly evaluated during the time the OL was terrible.

[TexanSam]

Originally Posted by ArlingtonTexan

Weary has had a good deal of guilt by association assigned his way. As a player who has been here through all the awful OLs, I think he does not get credit for being a solid NFL player. More than anything he was some combination of undercoached, miscast, slow to develop, or wrongly evaluated during the time the OL was terrible.

The same can probably be said for Chester Pitts. Although, I think Chester gets more recognition because he's always been the starter and never injured since he was drafted.

[Hervoyel]

Originally Posted by TexanSam

The same can probably be said for Chester Pitts. Although, I think Chester gets more recognition because he's always been the starter and never injured since he was drafted.

Plus Chester got to play the same position two years in a row and did well at it in 2003. He had that great leap forward in improvement in his second season as our LT and that sold a lot of people on him. Fred never got the chance to spend two healthy years in the same system learning the same position and gaining experience at the rate Chester did. Chester was ready to play faster than Fred was but that's no real indicator as to where their relative ceilings are.

[ocd]

I'm glad you guys brought Mr Pitts. Imagine what he'll be like when he gets a coach that instills discipline and breaks bad habits. Pitts may be the best O lineman for the next two years.

Crap, then I'll have to acknowledge another good pick by Casserly.

[Insideop]

Originally Posted by nero THE zero

I was always under the impression that Weary was a bad fit for the ZBS, but apparently he is pretty adaptable. I think he might be one of the bigger suprises for me this season. I was willing to bet my house he was done as a Texan after he broke his leg. Now he might be one of the bigger contributers on the line.

I love it when I'm wrong like that.

I believe last year, before he got injured, Weary was considered, if not the best, one of the best O-Linemen we had, and I remember hearing/reading on more than one occasion that he was playing the best football of his career. Having said that, I still have my doubts he will be 100% by the beginning of the season and I think Brisiel will end up starting with Weary on the PUP or being the backup, if he's close to 100%. JMHO!

[beerlover]

from 2002 draft -

2nd rd. #50 Chester Pitts T San Diego State
3rd rd. #66 Fred Weary G Tennessee

I would say both have met expectations.

whats really encouraging is Zach Diles penciled in as the starter, to me that exceeds expectations.

7th rd. #218 Zach Diles LB Kansas State

[Insideop]

Originally Posted by nero THE zero

I was always under the impression that Weary was a bad fit for the ZBS, but apparently he is pretty adaptable. I think he might be one of the bigger suprises for me this season. I was willing to bet my house he was done as a Texan after he broke his leg. Now he might be one of the bigger contributers on the line.

I love it when I'm wrong like that.

I believe last year, before he got injured, Weary was considered, if not the best, one of the best O-Linemen we had, and I remember hearing/reading on more than one occasion that he was playing the best football of his career. Having said that, I still have my doubts he will be 100% by the beginning of the season and I think Brisiel will end up starting with Weary on the PUP or being the backup, if he's close to 100%. JMHO!

[threetoedpete]

Originally Posted by Insideop

I believe last year, before he got injured, Weary was considered, if not the best, one of the best O-Linemen we had, and I remember hearing/reading on more than one occasion that he was playing the best football of his career. Having said that, I still have my doubts he will be 100% by the beginning of the season and I think Brisiel will end up starting with Weary on the PUP or being the backup, if he's close to 100%. JMHO!

Outside of Winston, no where will you find a Texans o-lineman ranked in the top ten for anything.
Both are plodders and both are on the bubble. You believe what you want.

[NBT]

Ibelieve you will be proven wrong this year.

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by NBT

Ibelieve you will be proven wrong this year.

On a board like this, it really helps to quote the message you're responding to. That way, people know what you're talking about. When I hit select Show New Posts for a thread, all I see is your post. In a post like this one, it's a pain to have to look back through all the posts in the thread and figure out who you're talking to and what message you're talking about. Now, I think you were talking to the TTP post that's right above you but I could be wrong about that.

If it's a long post that you're responding to, hit Quote but then cut out the sections that you're not responding to.

HTH.