Alan Faneca signs with.....

[texanfan2002114]

The Arizona Cardinals for a one year deal worth $2.5 million. Per Adam Schefter

"Adam_Schefter One other note on Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca's $2.5 million deal with Arizona - it's fully guaranteed. 3 minutes ago via UberTwitter"


"Adam_Schefter Filed to ESPN: Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca reached agreement with Arizona on a one-year, $2.5 million deal. Nice pickup for the Cardinals.
7 minutes ago via UberTwitter"

[Goldensilence]

Thought this was an outside possibility being reunited with Russ Grim.

All things considered that's an easy contract to take. Wonder what or if the FO offered him anything.

[Ryan]

I want Sharper more. But i have a feeling we won't make a move either. We would've pursued him early if we were really interested.

[JB]

Originally Posted by Ryan

I want Sharper more. But i have a feeling we won't make a move either. We would've pursued him early if we were really interested.

We may have persued him. He may have not given us a chance. We just don't know.

[BIG TORO]

Can anyone tell me why we cant come to terms and sign anyone? Are we that cheap, I mean we have a good team and a coach that most players like what is the deal?

[Lucky]

Originally Posted by BIG TORO

Can anyone tell me why we cant come to terms and sign anyone?

Part of me wants to say that Kubiak & Smith don't want veterans who might challenge authority. But, I think the real reason is that the Texans are so locked into their system, they refuse to bring in anyone that's not a perfect fit. Or, they could just think the guys that are available have nothing left. Maybe some combination of these reasons.

Whatever it is, not bringing in vets and going with young players is not an excuse for mediocrity. If someone suggests that the Texans are the youngest team in the league (which is a crock), just say "So what?". Smithiak made a conscious decision to go young and stay young. They don't deserve a get out of jail free card for building a young team.

[ArlingtonTexan]

Originally Posted by Lucky

Part of me wants to say that Kubiak & Smith don't want veterans who might challenge authority. But, I think the real reason is that the Texans are so locked into their system, they refuse to bring in anyone that's not a perfect fit. Or, they could just think the guys that are available have nothing left. Maybe some combination of these reasons.

Whatever it is, not bringing in vets and going with young players is not an excuse for mediocrity. If someone suggests that the Texans are the youngest team in the league (which is a crock), just say "So what?". Smithiak made a conscious decision to go young and stay young. They don't deserve a get out of jail free card for building a young team.

Of all the possible issues with the current administration, this is the one that I think bothers me the most. Teams need a system and philosophy, but the Texans seem to have less flexibility in their way of thinking about players and adjustments than most of the league. I mean I don't want them to turn into the Raiders or pre-Shanny Redskins where they just sign names because they are names, but why is it that a name brand player is NEVER a fit what we do?

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by ArlingtonTexan

Of all the possible issues with the current administration, this is the one that I think bothers me the most. Teams need a system and philosophy, but the Texans seem to have less flexibility in their way of thinking about players and adjustments than most of the league. I mean I don't want them to turn into the Raiders or pre-Shanny Redskins where they just sign names because they are names, but why is it that a name brand player is NEVER a fit what we do?

Ahman Green and Eric Moulds were name brand players. Roosevelt Colvin was a name brand player. Who was the Bucc we brought in last year at LB that didn't make the team? He had a name (even though I don't remember it at the moment.)

We'll never know how many we've gone after and missed (like Bodden.)

And I don't think we're that different from most teams. There are a few teams that always seem to get the big name guys (like the Jets and the Redskins and the Giants and the Cowboys) but it's because those are name franchises. We're not a name franchise. It will take several years of being a winner before we are.

[sometexansfan]

Cato June.

[JB]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

Ahman Green and Eric Moulds were name brand players. Roosevelt Colvin was a name brand player. Who was the Bucc we brought in last year at LB that didn't make the team? He had a name (even though I don't remember it at the moment.)

We'll never know how many we've gone after and missed (like Bodden.)

And I don't think we're that different from most teams. There are a few teams that always seem to get the big name guys (like the Jets and the Redskins and the Giants and the Cowboys) but it's because those are name franchises. We're not a name franchise. It will take several years of being a winner before we are.

I believe you are thinking of Cato June

and exactly dead on

[The Pencil Neck]

Exactly.

Cato June.

Thanks, guys.

[GP]

Sooooo glad he isn't on our team. A one-year deal? OK. That says it all.

Seriously. He would have been a huge downer for this team.

He plays the same sob story everywhere he goes. "People don't listen to me. I got ideas, man. You know that infomercial for 10-minute abs? I'm going to do a 9-minute abs infomercial."

[eriadoc]

Originally Posted by Lucky

Part of me wants to say that Kubiak & Smith don't want veterans who might challenge authority. But, I think the real reason is that the Texans are so locked into their system, they refuse to bring in anyone that's not a perfect fit. Or, they could just think the guys that are available have nothing left. Maybe some combination of these reasons.

Whatever it is, not bringing in vets and going with young players is not an excuse for mediocrity. If someone suggests that the Texans are the youngest team in the league (which is a crock), just say "So what?". Smithiak made a conscious decision to go young and stay young. They don't deserve a get out of jail free card for building a young team.

Rep. There are no excuses for mediocrity this year. A quick glance at guys they could have had (trade or FA), if they wanted them bad enough:

Faneca
Darren Sharper (going ahead and adding him here, b/c it's a foregone conclusion)
Anquan Boldin
Santonio Holmes
Antonio Cromartie
Thomas Jones
John Henderson
Kirk Morrison (not a direct fit, but he was had for a song)
Jason Campbell (better than Dan-O?)
Nathan Vasher
Lito Sheppard
Aaron Kampman ...


... and about 100 other guys. Then you have the guys that are being talked about as possibly on the block lor being cut, like Atogwe, or Haynesworthless. I'm not saying we should have gone after any particular one of those, but it's obvious there were some deals to be had this off-season and the Texans have turned their nose up at every one of them.

So they built it, now win with it.

[bckey]

Originally Posted by eriadoc

Rep. There are no excuses for mediocrity this year. A quick glance at guys they could have had (trade or FA), if they wanted them bad enough:

Faneca
Darren Sharper (going ahead and adding him here, b/c it's a foregone conclusion)
Anquan Boldin
Santonio Holmes
Antonio Cromartie
Thomas Jones
John Henderson
Kirk Morrison (not a direct fit, but he was had for a song)
Jason Campbell (better than Dan-O?)
Nathan Vasher
Lito Sheppard
Aaron Kampman ...


... and about 100 other guys. Then you have the guys that are being talked about as possibly on the block lor being cut, like Atogwe, or Haynesworthless. I'm not saying we should have gone after any particular one of those, but it's obvious there were some deals to be had this off-season and the Texans have turned their nose up at every one of them.

So they built it, now win with it.

We need this guy really bad. Wilson can't be counted on.

[ArlingtonTexan]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

Ahman Green and Eric Moulds were name brand players. Roosevelt Colvin was a name brand player. Who was the Bucc we brought in last year at LB that didn't make the team? He had a name (even though I don't remember it at the moment.)

We'll never know how many we've gone after and missed (like Bodden.)

And I don't think we're that different from most teams. There are a few teams that always seem to get the big name guys (like the Jets and the Redskins and the Giants and the Cowboys) but it's because those are name franchises. We're not a name franchise. It will take several years of being a winner before we are.

I think my post was reactionary versus logical, but why do we rarely create buzz?

Let me sleep on this, but Fanaca like June like Moulds, like Green were "NAMES" who were past prime when either signed them or were "looking" at them. At some point, some player who fits what we do should a guy who the non-hardcore fans gets excited about. Me thinks the Texans get to locked into "their" way ( smart, tough, character, etc) versus is the guy a good football player. I don't think these concepts are mutually exclusive.

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by ArlingtonTexan

I think my post was reactionary versus logical, but why do we rarely create buzz?

Let me sleep on this, but Fanaca like June like Moulds, like Green were "NAMES" who were past prime when either signed them or were "looking" at them. At some point, some player who fits what we do should a guy who the non-hardcore fans gets excited about. Me thinks the Texans get to locked into "their" way ( smart, tough, character, etc) versus is the guy a good football player. I don't think these concepts are mutually exclusive.

Take a step back and take off your Texans glasses for a moment. How many teams make splashes by signing big names and making astounding deals every year? I haven't tried to run numbers on this (and there's a huge amount of subjectivity on deciding which moves are splashy and which moves aren't) but I think that most years, most teams don't make splashy moves. So the fact that the Texans as a team haven't made a bunch of huge splashy moves over the first few years of its existence isn't that peculiar.

And we have gone after some guys who've been the "top" of the FA market (like Weaver and Green) and we have made some splashy moves (like the trade for Schaub). I could be wrong (and I'm sure someone will correct me) but I think we've made at least as many "splashy" moves over the past 4-5 years as the other teams in our division over that same time period.

Personally, I think we're about average when it comes to all that.

It might be interesting to sit down with a sampling of teams and see if we can figure out how many "splashy" moves they make on average.

[Big Poundcake]

How about a vet CB like Dre Bly?

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by BIG TORO

Can anyone tell me why we cant come to terms and sign anyone? Are we that cheap, I mean we have a good team and a coach that most players like what is the deal?

FWIW - McClain said this morning that Faneca was approached by several teams including the Texans and gave none of them a chance because he wanted to be with the coaches in Arizona. And it isn't just the $2.5 mil because the Jets will be paying him $5.25 mil this year as well.

As for Sharper - dude is 36 years old and somebody is going to overpay him and then be surprised when he ends up with 1 INT next year.

[WolverineFan]

Everytime we go after an older FA it ends up being an absolute fail. And yet, it never fails that if we fail to sign a guy like this a billion fans will throw a **** storm because we aren't doing enough to win. Ridiculous.

[ArlingtonTexan]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

Take a step back and take off your Texans glasses for a moment. How many teams make splashes by signing big names and making astounding deals every year? I haven't tried to run numbers on this (and there's a huge amount of subjectivity on deciding which moves are splashy and which moves aren't) but I think that most years, most teams don't make splashy moves. So the fact that the Texans as a team haven't made a bunch of huge splashy moves over the first few years of its existence isn't that peculiar.

And we have gone after some guys who've been the "top" of the FA market (like Weaver and Green) and we have made some splashy moves (like the trade for Schaub). I could be wrong (and I'm sure someone will correct me) but I think we've made at least as many "splashy" moves over the past 4-5 years as the other teams in our division over that same time period.

Personally, I think we're about average when it comes to all that.

It might be interesting to sit down with a sampling of teams and see if we can figure out how many "splashy" moves they make on average.

I think the tough part would defining splashy move in any sort of objective way. There is a lot of "I know it when I see it" to the concept. Obviously, the frustration is tied to not winning. When i think of Indy the team we have chased for the last 8 years, they operate very much like the Texans. They draft according to their system with a bunch of smart, normally high character guys that don't really excite the masses when drafted or acquired.