"You can call him Johnson, or special"

[nunusguy]

Nobody could guard Andre Johnson. No one in the Cincinnati secondary had an answer for the Houston Texans wideout, as pure a combination of size, speed, strength and audacity as plays wideout in the NFL today.
**
Added Ndukwe: "Fast and fearless. A freak. He caught every ball. He gets my pro bowl vote for sure."
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/2...PT02/810270366
********************************
A glowing report of AJ by the Cinci media after yesterdays game here in Reliant.

[Silver Oak]

and he does it without all the drama that idiots like T.O. and Ocho Cinco seem to enjoy so much.

[edo783]

Originally Posted by Silver Oak

and he does it without all the drama that idiots like T.O. and Ocho Cinco seem to enjoy so much.

Which is one of the things I like and respect most about AJ. The weird thing is that it may inhibit his national notoriety, because he isn't grabbing the headlines for acting the duffas. IMO, he is better than most of those guys (maybe all) but he is more under the radar because he is quite.

[Texan Asylum]

"But ya doesn't have to call me Johnson."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoYsf...eature=related

[Porky]

And this might come under the blind squirrel finding a nut, but I'm going to give Kudos to Casserly for plucking this gem from Miami on the 3rd pick of the first rd in 2003.

Many here wanted Charles Rodgers. I would love to go back and see the original discussions we all had prior to the 2003 draft.

[Yankee_In_TX]

I agree.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by Porky

And this might come under the blind squirrel finding a nut, but I'm going to give Kudos to Casserly for plucking this gem from Miami on the 3rd pick of the first rd in 2003.

Many here wanted Charles Rodgers. I would love to go back and see the original discussions we all had prior to the 2003 draft.

If you want to really be objective about it, its well known (and well documeted) that Casserly was right there with Kubiak in the picks in the '06 Draft, easily the best the Texans ever had.
But back to AJ, Casserly, and the '03 Draft. Word was Casserly was "in love" with Roy Williams at that time, Roy W. being the WR the Cowboys just got in a trade with Detroit who was a junior in college at UT at the time but didn't come out early like Miami's AJ did. In other words, Casserly likely would have taken Roy W. instead of AJ.

[BaylrBearBryant]

I seem to recall that we were going to take McGahee had he not gotten hurt in the national championship game...

[gtexan02]

The one thing I'm a little concerned with about AJ is this "fearless" label he's getting.

I'm afraid he's turning into a Bob-Sanders-esque type of guy.

When he's healthy, he's a gamechanger. But because of his fearless play, he gets knocked around a lot. I keep reading how many tough hits he got put on him yesterday. I dont want to wear him down too quickly

[Yankee_In_TX]

Originally Posted by gtexan02

The one thing I'm a little concerned with about AJ is this "fearless" label he's getting.

I'm afraid he's turning into a Bob-Sanders-esque type of guy.

When he's healthy, he's a gamechanger. But because of his fearless play, he gets knocked around a lot. I keep reading how many tough hits he got put on him yesterday. I dont want to wear him down too quickly

He did take a beating yesterday, and that does worry me some. Hopefully that'll lessen some as other teams are forced to respect our WR's.

[False Start]

I remember being at the Texans draft party under the bubble for the 03 draft. There were people that actually booed when the Texans selected AJ, I bet they feel like dumb asses now. I love this guy.

[bigbrewster2000]

Originally Posted by False Start On # 69

I remember being at the Texans draft party under the bubble for the 03 draft. There were people that actually booed when the Texans selected AJ, I bet they feel like dumb asses now. I love this guy.

They do. Because they are the probably the same ones that were booing when we picked Mario and then the same ones at the game the last few weeks booing Schaub. Lame, Lame, Lame.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by BaylrBearBryant

I seem to recall that we were going to take McGahee had he not gotten hurt in the national championship game...

Yes I think you're right about that BaylrBearBryant. But after he went down and the assumption was Williams was coming out early, he was rumored to be Casserlys favorite among the WRs.

[texanhead08]

I remember a friend of mine asking him who I wanted the Texans to draft and I said AJ he is the best player on the board at that pick so you grab him. I didnt think trading down would have brought us the same value and looking back at Casserly's personal decisions that was a wise move.

[mussop]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Yes I think you're right about that BaylrBearBryant. But after he went down and the assumption was Williams was coming out early, he was rumored to be Casserlys favorite among the WRs.

Williams???? I think you meant Johnson in which case you are right. There were negatives about both Rodgers and Johnson coming out. Johnson had a rep of dropping easy catches or a lack of concentration but had incredible measureables and potential. Rodgers had incredible hands and very good measureables but seemed to have a reached his potentail.

It was rumored that Casserly liked AJ's potential over Rodgers skills. Of course most scouts rated AJ over Rodges at the final wire. We got lucky and Detroit drafted the local kid and AJ fell in our laps and lived up to his potential. So yes Casserly was responsible for drafting AJ but not without a little luck and help from another GM that had/has a worse record than him.

[ATXtexanfan]

anyone know the top five of that draft? i thought johnson was the 2nd pick of that draft? hard to pass up on guys from the "U". i was so happy when he extended his contact, i was positive he would leave for a contender after his rookie deal.

[Texas Lobo]

Ocho Cero > Ocho Cinco

[mussop]

Originally Posted by ATXtexanfan

anyone know the top five of that draft? i thought johnson was the 2nd pick of that draft? hard to pass up on guys from the "U". i was so happy when he extended his contact, i was positive he would leave for a contender after his rookie deal.

1 Cincinnati Carson Palmer QB Southern California
2 Detroit Charles Rogers WR Michigan State
3 Houston Andre Johnson WR Mami
4 New York Jets (from Chicago) Dewayne Robertson DT Kentucky
5 Dallas Terence Newman CB Kansas State
6 New Orleans (from Arizona) Johnathan Sullivan DT Georgia
7 Jacksonville Byron Leftwich QB Marshall
8 Carolina Jordan Gross OT Utah
9 Minnesota Kevin Williams DT Oklahoma State
10 Baltimore Terrell Suggs DE Arizona State
11 Seattle Marcus Trufant CB Washington State

[Sal Rosenberg]

Originally Posted by yankee_in_tx

i agree.

babe of the day

[ATXtexanfan]

Originally Posted by mussop

1 Cincinnati Carson Palmer QB Southern California
2 Detroit Charles Rogers WR Michigan State
3 Houston Andre Johnson WR Mami
4 New York Jets (from Chicago) Dewayne Robertson DT Kentucky
5 Dallas Terence Newman CB Kansas State
6 New Orleans (from Arizona) Johnathan Sullivan DT Georgia
7 Jacksonville Byron Leftwich QB Marshall
8 Carolina Jordan Gross OT Utah
9 Minnesota Kevin Williams DT Oklahoma State
10 Baltimore Terrell Suggs DE Arizona State
11 Seattle Marcus Trufant CB Washington State

thank you mussop. i guess detroit made it easy for casserly on that pick. like i said, take a kid out of the "U" when in doubt. Suggs and Trufant have been good but AJ was the right choice.