Houston Texans: Nnamdi Asomugha is the Missing Link for the Texans Secondary

[srrono]

Houston Texans: Nnamdi Asomugha is the Missing Link for the Texans Secondary
By
Stephen Kasper

Why Oakland would allow their best player's contract to become void is beyond me.
Maybe the Raiders are going green and found out that Asomugha's blanket coverage is bad for the environment.Whatever the reason, Nnamdi Asomugha is out of Oakland and will be one of the most sought after free agents in recent NFL history.
When I heard Nnamdi Asomugha would be entering free agency this offseason, the first place I could imagine him landing was Houston.

Of course, this entire article is subject to the NFL's ability to come to terms with a new collective bargaining agreement. But for the sake of football, we will assume everything gets sorted out rather quickly and the offseason goes as normal as possible.When free agency does open, there will be about 32 teams interested in Asomugha And for good reason.
Since entering the league in 2003, Asomugha has arguably become one of the best shut-down cornerbacks in the league.The four time Pro-Bowler has also been selected as an All-Pro just as many times. Any team would want Asomugha in their secondary, but not many teams need him quite as badly as the Houston Texans.Sure, Houston had an impressive offense, putting up top 10 league rankings in scoring, passing yards and rushing yards. But the other side of the ball wasn't so pretty.

The Texans finished dead last in passing defense last season, allowing just over 267 yards a game through the air, which translates to nearly 27 points allowed a game, good enough for fourth worst in the NFL. Compared to the Steelers number one ranked defense in the league, who allowed only 14.5 points per game, I would say there is definitely room for improvement on the Texans defense.
Houston has already made one smart move for their defense this offseason by firing defensive coordinator Frank Bush and replacing him with Wade Phillips.
Plenty of talent is already there with DeMeco Ryans, Brian Cushing and Mario Williams, giving the defensive line and linebacker core a solid base to work with.The only thing missing is a secondary.
With safety Bernard Pollard set to become a free agent, the Texans and Wade Phillips have a lot of big decisions to make regarding their pass defense.One decision they should definitely make is to pursue Nnamdi Asomugha as their primary target this offseason.Without a doubt, any team that signs Asomugha will pay a pretty penny, but he will be more than worth it, especially for a struggling Texan's secondary.“Awesome-Wah”, as I like to call him, had one of the best seasons a cornerback can have in 2010, only allowing 10 catches from 27 passes thrown his way and didn't give up a single touchdown all year.Imagine, if the Texans could sign such an amazing force, very little work would need to be done to finish making the Texans team one of the best in the NFL.

Asomugha will look for the big money, just as Darrelle Revis did with the Jets this past season. The only difference is that he will have teams lined up ready to pay him even more than Revis received.Not only would Asomugha be the difference maker for the Houston Texans, he would lift the entire team to a completely new level.Texans GM Rick Smith would be crazy to not make an aggressive pursuit of Asomugha.Imagine a game where you could see Andre Johnson and Arian Foster on offense, then Mario Williams and Nnamdi Asomugha on defense.The possibilities would be endless.
Between Gary Kubiak, Wade Phillips, Rick Smith and Texans owner Bob McNair, this Texans front office staff should be prepared to give Nnamdi Asomugha the key to the city to get him in a Texans uniform next season.Should they actually make it happen, Houston would be an immediate front-runner not only for the AFC South, but possibly the Super Bowl.

link
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/5...Houston_Texans

[HOU-TEX]

I'd venture to guess he'd be the missing link in all 32 teams secondaries. Just a hunch.

[gtexan02]

It would be very un-Texans of us to even sniff this guy
He's expensive, we just got a new db coach, and the lockout is looming

[FirstTexansFan]

It's the offseason, we're entitled to dream...

[eriadoc]

I tried to read that.


But seprating every sentence by two lines was just way too tedious.


I'll try again later.


Maybe.


Actually, I won't.


Never mind.

[Texecutioner]

The Texans won't touch this guy. They're not committed enough in becoming a dominant team to where they'll go out and sign a missing piece like this. They've had all types of opportunities over the last few years to fix huge holes when certain players became available, and they've done nothing significant to make that splash or to address those important needs, especially on the defense. They've been anti free agency for years under Smithiak and as long as Smithiak is here they will only build through the draft.

[GP]

I

didn't

read

that

original

post

because

it

was

awkward

to

read

it

the

way

it

was

structured.

Plus,

we

won't

go

after

Aso,

so

it

is

not

newsworthy

here.

[Double Barrel]

Many teams will throw big money at Asomugha (I'm not sure if the Texans would be one of them).

So that being said, why would he want to come to the perpetually sucktastic Texans? There is no compelling reason for a player of his caliber to come to Houston if other teams are willing to pay him just as much.

[Mr teX]

Originally Posted by Double Barrel

Many teams will throw big money at Asomugha (I'm not sure if the Texans would be one of them).

So that being said, why would he want to come to the perpetually sucktastic Texans? There is no compelling reason for a player of his caliber to come to Houston if other teams are willing to pay him just as much.

This is 1 of the most overlooked aspects of FA. what is the incentive for any top FA to come to houston? People just really don't get it. Its not so much about us going after them, but rather them wanting to come here. if i'm him & i have the chance to go to an immediate contender (colts, chargers, ravens, pats, eagles, etc.) or the Texans, guess where i'm going if the money is close?

Asking the texans to land 1 of these guys is asking for the FO to significantly overpay them..we're talking albert haynesworth overpay & do we really want this team mired in salary cap hell for 2-3 years just for a better shot at going to the playoffs?

[rush2112mn]

Going
after

him



would




cost





a






lot





of




money


.




.



.

[HOU-TEX]

Originally Posted by Double Barrel

Many teams will throw big money at Asomugha (I'm not sure if the Texans would be one of them).

So that being said, why would he want to come to the perpetually sucktastic Texans? There is no compelling reason for a player of his caliber to come to Houston if other teams are willing to pay him just as much.

*ahem* We have a nice facility.

[False Start]

I read it.


It took awhile though.


There is a better chance of VY ever becoming a good OB, than Asomugha coming to Houston.


I just don't see it happening.


I could be wrong, but I doubt I am.

[Ole Miss Texan]

Originally Posted by Texecutioner

The Texans won't touch this guy. They're not committed enough in becoming a dominant team to where they'll go out and sign a missing piece like this. They've had all types of opportunities over the last few years to fix huge holes when certain players became available, and they've done nothing significant to make that splash or to address those important needs, especially on the defense. They've been anti free agency for years under Smithiak and as long as Smithiak is here they will only build through the draft.

Originally Posted by Double Barrel

Many teams will throw big money at Asomugha (I'm not sure if the Texans would be one of them).

So that being said, why would he want to come to the perpetually sucktastic Texans? There is no compelling reason for a player of his caliber to come to Houston if other teams are willing to pay him just as much.

Originally Posted by Mr teX

This is 1 of the most overlooked aspects of FA. what is the incentive for any top FA to come to houston? People just really don't get it. Its not so much about us going after them, but rather them wanting to come here. if i'm him & i have the chance to go to an immediate contender (colts, chargers, ravens, pats, eagles, etc.) or the Texans, guess where i'm going if the money is close?

Asking the texans to land 1 of these guys is asking for the FO to significantly overpay them..we're talking albert haynesworth overpay & do we really want this team mired in salary cap hell for 2-3 years just for a better shot at going to the playoffs?

I'm going to have to agree and disagree with you guys. The player choosing the team is often overlooked by fans and it's a HUGE part of the process! Just as drafting a guy late in the draft even if he'd make it to free agency... you draft him he's yours, udfa and he's free to choose a team.

For the Texans though, If I were a CB of "Awesome-wah"s calibre (I love that), Houston would be very enticing. I understand you want to be on a great defense but now you're the #1 CB in the league, you would instantly and hugely upgrade the secondary, you're playing for one of the most respected DC's in the league that knows how to get the best out of his players. Just as important, your teams offense is one of, if not, the best in the league.

Think about Schaub and all the offensive players last season, with everything they did to put us in a position to win just to let the defense give it away. In Houston, if you're a defensive player, you know that you're not going to have to hold teams to 10 points to win the game. Your offense won't let you down and destroy all the hard work you did.

Sure the best bet would be to get paid the most AND go to a team that's already Super Bowl favorites like the Pats, Steelers, etc. But who knows, that happens just as much as a crappy team getting a top guy... maybe less.

As far as the Texans pursuing him? I think he's the exact type of player McNair/Smith would pony up for. They avoid players that are 'over the hill' or on the decline. Awesome-wah is still in his prime playing the best ball of his life. He's a high character person, extremely well respected and a great leader/teammate. The Texans pass on guys that are near the end of their career, on the decline, bad apples, etc. Awesome-wah is THE prototypical free agent we would pursue.

A huge part WILL depend on what the new salary cap/CBA says we can do. That's a given and potential downside.... I don't think it would be a McNair is cheap thing but $'s could play into it but it won't be just because they don't want to pay him a lot.

The other thing, the thing that worries me the most is: EGO. Be that Rick Smith, Gary Kubiak or Wade Phillips. I think EGO was the key factor playing into our secondary this past season. We are smart, we can go young, they will grow, we'll make it work. Yes Aso is GREAT, but we can get others to make it work and reach the playoffs. Ego. That's what they could be thinking.

The bottom line, and I say this very rarely when it comes to us drafting a guy or signing one in free agency: Asomugha is as risk-free as you can get. You know what you're getting and he fits your team to a T. The only other person I have been as sure of is Patrick Willis. Sign him and he will dominate. He will be a pro bowler. He will take your defense to a different level. He won't be a bust, he won't be mediocre. He will be great. Sheesh this is a no brainer: Aso is smart, a good person, high character, a leader, a great teammate, a hard worker, a perennial All Pro, is in his prime, and fills THE biggest weakness on your team. He will bring the veteran leadership needed in the secondary and instantly make your #2,3 and 4 CBs better. He will allow you do to things with the Front 7 that you normally wouldn't be able to (read: that you've NEVER been able to do). He would help your safeties out tremendously. On top of that, I believe we have one of the cheapest secondaries in the league. We're paying those guys nothing... so the $'s spent back there will be far from a concentration on a certain position, other than the fact ASo will be the highest paid CB in league history.

[Texecutioner]

Originally Posted by Mr teX

Asking the texans to land 1 of these guys is asking for the FO to significantly overpay them..we're talking albert haynesworth overpay & do we really want this team mired in salary cap hell for 2-3 years just for a better shot at going to the playoffs?

This is the same excuse I've heard from scary Texans fans on this site every time there is some potential free agent on the market that fills a huge hole here. The typical Haynesworth example pours out as if he's the only free agent that's ever hit the market. The only examples ever used are the ones that get way over paid and don't pan out, but the ones that do that just get their fair market value" for their position and their worth never get mentioned and get ignored. Newsflash folks, if you want to compete you're going to have to spend some money at certain positions and CB may be one of the highest paid positions in the league, but it is for a reason and if you want a guy who can cover and make a real impact you've got to pay him unless you hit the lottery of luck in the draft and get that stud, and after the looking at how poorly our rookie CB Jackson played this season that should be a big lesson in how hard it is to find a true shut down corner and how overrated draft picks are at times.

You guys seem to forget at how much you over pay with draft picks half the time as well and every draft pick is an unproven player. At least with a top free agent guy like Nnamdi, you know that you're getting a proven stud instead of "potential." Nnamdi has not shown to be anything like Haynesworth in the attitude department. Haynesworth looked like a bad signing from a mile away. The Eagles went out and spent nice money on a top flight CB in Asante Samuel and he hasn't been some poor signing that hurt their team. You've got to pay for good corners.

Oh the free agent fear and how it circulates.

[Texecutioner]

Originally Posted by Ole Miss Texan

For the Texans though, If I were a CB of "Awesome-wah"s calibre (I love that), Houston would be very enticing. I understand you want to be on a great defense but now you're the #1 CB in the league, you would instantly and hugely upgrade the secondary, you're playing for one of the most respected DC's in the league that knows how to get the best out of his players. Just as important, your teams offense is one of, if not, the best in the league.

This is all true, but there is nothing in the Texans history to think that they're going to aggressively go after this guy especially when other teams will compete with them. They might actually express some interest just like every other team in the league who is in need of a shut down corner, but Smithiak isn't going to force Bob's hand. They never have in order to improve and Bob damn sure won't insist on a signing like this. This is a pipe dream that's more of laugher to me than anything.

[Joe Texan]

I read to the second line





















































Then I got tired

[Texas T]

Aso would be a great addition to the team, of that I'm sure we all agree.

I also hope that Ole Miss is right and the front office sees the benefits of picking him up.

As some others have already pointed out-does he want to come here??
He's in a sellers market and he's the seller, I'm sure he'll go where HE wants.
So that being said has anyone seen anything about where he would like to go or is he being quiet right now??

[Ole Miss Texan]

Originally Posted by Texecutioner

This is all true, but there is nothing in the Texans history to think that they're going to aggressively go after this guy especially when other teams will compete with them. They might actually express some interest just like every other team in the league who is in need of a shut down corner, but Smithiak isn't going to force Bob's hand. They never have in order to improve and Bob damn sure won't insist on a signing like this. This is a pipe dream that's more of laugher to me than anything.

I hear what you're saying. There hasn't been a history of us pursuing the #1 free agent. Am I saying that I think we're going to sign him? No, I just think there's actually more merit to it than most people think. Just like Kubiak never drafts O-linemen or RBs early. Well, we got Brown in the 1st and Tate in the 2nd. Never say never.

The biggest thing for me though is that Aso FITS here within the EXACT perameters our front office looks for. No we havn't had a history of pursuing high profile FAs like him, but how often does this really happen? Julius Peppers seems to be the biggest name and most recent that switched teams. Haynesworth is a terrible example because he's just not the type of guy they want on this team.

Troy Polamalu... Ed Reed... James Harrison... Dwight Freeney... Brian Urlacher... Damarcus Ware... soon to be Haloti Ngata... So many of these BIG NAME free agents, the best of the best, stay with their team. They re-sign with their team.

Asomugha wants out of Oakland. That's one of the biggest things seperating him from so many of the other "Elite Calibre" free agents over the past few years. And by Elite I mean, EELLIIIITTTEEE


Again, I'm not saying I think we're a hands down favorite, or that I have the highest expectations of this Front Office to get it done. I just think we havn't had a chance like this. One where all the stars align, where that player wants away from his former team, and fits every single criteria you set for a player. Julius Peppers would be close IMO, but we did sign Antonio Smith for $35.5MM that offseason and Mario I believe was the highest paid DE in the league ($55MM or so). This could be a great example of why we may pursue a guy like Ike Taylor over Asomugha. But also, we don't have ANY money tied up in the secondary like we did on the DL.

[Texecutioner]

Originally Posted by Texas T

Aso would be a great addition to the team, of that I'm sure we all agree.

I also hope that Ole Miss is right and the front office sees the benefits of picking him up.

As some others have already pointed out-does he want to come here??
He's in a sellers market and he's the seller, I'm sure he'll go where HE wants.
So that being said has anyone seen anything about where he would like to go or is he being quiet right now??

You're right that he may be in a seller's market for himself, because he's a hot commodity, but your team can become the seller and that hot commodity just as easily. Your owner and GM set the table there and have just as strong of an ability to sell quality players around the league on their franchise and what they plan on doing and backing that up with examples of how that player or players fit into that plan and how it will become successful. Players around the league know that teams can turn themselves around extremely fast in the NFL if management is committed to that goal. Management has to "sell" that idea though, and I've never seen that happen with this franchise other than when Capers was here and they went after Orlando Pace for a brief moment and even then they didn't offer him that much money or act that aggressively.

[Hervoyel]

He'll sign for very, very good money to play for the Patriots, Steelers, or Ravens (just thinking AFC, he'll look at the whole league), or somebody who doesn't specialize in finding new and imaginative ways to lose at the very end of games. In short he'll probably want to play for someone a little less "exciting" than the Texans.

We could sign him of course.... for stupid money. He might consider playing for a team like the Texans for stupid money. That's about it.