The Off-Season that Changed Our Fortunes

[dalemurphy]

Clearly, many decisions have led the Texans to this point. Some of you have heard, though, I think one off-season, is destined to go down as one of the greatest of all-time if the Texans are about to embark on the winning spree I'm expecting the next few years... No, not 2006.

2009!:

FA:
Antonio Smith- best Texans FA signing ever (until Joseph)

Draft:
Brian Cushing - best ILB in the NFL
Connor Barwin - 11.5 sacks and very good in coverage and space.
Antoine Caldwell - quality backup G/C with upside
Glover Quin - solid CB, who is now one of the better safeties in the AFC.
James Casey - special H-back talent who could be a probowler moving forward
Brice McCain - very good to great nickel CB, who was a key to this year's defense.
Troy Nolan - playmaker at safety, great depth, with potential to be good starter.

UDFAs:
Arian Foster- On his way to the HOF if he can stay healthy the next few years.
Tim Jamison - Antonio Smith clone and great DE depth

[Allstar]

2011 may end up better. J Joe, Manning, Watt, Reed, Yates, Wade Phillips are all instant hits. If any of Harris/Charmichael/Keo/Newton/Mr Irrelavant can pan out at all, it's icing on the cake.

[bo orlando]

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

Clearly, many decisions have led the Texans to this point. Some of you have heard, though, I think one off-season, is destined to go down as one of the greatest of all-time if the Texans are about to embark on the winning spree I'm expecting the next few years... No, not 2006.

2009!:

FA:
Antonio Smith- best Texans FA signing ever (until Joseph)

Draft:
Brian Cushing - best ILB in the NFL
Connor Barwin - 11.5 sacks and very good in coverage and space.
Antoine Caldwell - quality backup G/C with upside
Glover Quin - solid CB, who is now one of the better safeties in the AFC.
James Casey - special H-back talent who could be a probowler moving forward
Brice McCain - very good to great nickel CB, who was a key to this year's defense.
Troy Nolan - playmaker at safety, great depth, with potential to be good starter.

UDFAs:
Arian Foster- On his way to the HOF if he can stay healthy the next few years.
Tim Jamison - Antonio Smith clone and great DE depth

Cushing and Foster are home runs and then some, but the rest are mostly just depth. Smith is a solid starter but not a pro bowler. Barwin also had a solid year, but is nowhere near the elite pass rushing ends and OLB's. Remember that it is this group that formed the foundation of one of the worst defenses in league history.

Doesn't even compare with this most recent offseason, especially if/when some of those later round defensive guys start to get on the field in coming years. And if 5th round Yates ends up being the QB of the future then it's not even worth discussing.

[drs23]

Originally Posted by bo orlando

Cushing and Foster are home runs and then some, but the rest are mostly just depth. Smith is a solid starter but not a pro bowler. Barwin also had a solid year, but is nowhere near the elite pass rushing ends and OLB's. Remember that it is this group that formed the foundation of one of the worst defenses in league history.

Doesn't even compare with this most recent offseason, especially if/when some of those later round defensive guys start to get on the field in coming years. And if 5th round Yates ends up being the QB of the future then it's not even worth discussing.

1st paragraph: In my eyes they're the same players. Difference is the coaching staff.

The bolded: I'll go on record here and say that's exactly what we're watching unfold before us right now. TJ's going to show us what we're seeing now until he shakes his "rookieness"(tm). Kubes has adjusted the game plan accordingly and we'll go as far as that will take us. Me the says that's all the way to the show. Gut says the Ravens are going to be a tough out in their house.

A full off season for TJ then OTAs, mini camps and PS we'll see a much more mature QB. A year behind Schaub with more coaching I think that kid's going to take off. We'll find out next season, especially if Matt's not ready to go at the first of the season.

[houstonspartan]

Agree with Allstar. When we look back, 2011 will be seen as a major draft.

[Lucky]

Originally Posted by houstonspartan

Agree with Allstar. When we look back, 2011 will be seen as a major draft.

2011 will be seen as the year the culture of the organization changed.

[Kaiser Toro]

2011 hands down. 2009 is a close second.

[Jackie Chiles]

Originally Posted by Grunky

lol, i took this thread seriously until i saw:

"Glover Quin - solid CB, who is now one of the better safeties in the AFC."

no, glover is not "one of the better safeties in the AFC". in fact, look for the Texans to end the glover quin experiement this offseason.

Glover will be the starter next year, deservedly so. We will not look to upgrade our starting safeties. No, he hasn't gotten an interception and (I can only assume) you must have lingering thoughts on his PI against AJ Green but he has had a rock solid season.

[dream_team]

Originally Posted by Jackie Chiles

Glover will be the starter next year, deservedly so. We will not look to upgrade our starting safeties. No, he hasn't gotten an interception and (I can only assume) you must have lingering thoughts on his PI against AJ Green but he has had a rock solid season.

I agree, he'll be the starter. Not sure how you can say him at safety has been a failure?

[ThaShark316]

Originally Posted by Grunky

lol, i took this thread seriously until i saw:

"Glover Quin - solid CB, who is now one of the better safeties in the AFC."

no, glover is not "one of the better safeties in the AFC". in fact, look for the Texans to end the glover quin experiement this offseason.

The **** are you talking about, dude? Because he got beat by Jimmy Graham and AJ Green? This is exactly what Perk was talking about in that thread.

[Brandon420tx]

Originally Posted by Grunky

lol, i took this thread seriously until i saw:

"Glover Quin - solid CB, who is now one of the better safeties in the AFC."

no, glover is not "one of the better safeties in the AFC". in fact, look for the Texans to end the glover quin experiement this offseason.

You should probably take what Walterfootball says about quin with a grain of salt. Quin has been solid this season in every aspect of needed safety play except for one: INT's, I'll take his consistently good coverage every week. This is the first season we've seen competent to really good safety play on the Texans team and D. Manning was out for a bit of it.

[HJam72]

Originally Posted by Kaiser Toro

2011 hands down. 2009 is a close second.

If one wins "hands down," how can the other be a "close second?"

LOL

Guess this is one of those "Message Board Phrases."

[Showtime100]

The off-season that changed our fortunes was the off-season of 1997-98.

Thank you Fate!

[welsh texan]

I think the really important thing, if we are to kick on, will be to make sure we follow that draft up with another really good one this offseason.

So far we've had good drafts in 06, 09, and 11, got a good starting LT in 2008 but nothing beyond that, and 2010 could turn out ok but doesn't look very good so far.

With the talent and depth we've already ammassed, a second consecutive year of quality drafting could really move the Texans onto a whole other level, especially as we can now afford to look at guys who aren't going to be called upon to start for the first year or two of their pro career.

[SteveSlaton20]

Originally Posted by Grunky

lol, i took this thread seriously until i saw:

"Glover Quin - solid CB, who is now one of the better safeties in the AFC."

no, glover is not "one of the better safeties in the AFC". in fact, look for the Texans to end the glover quin experiement this offseason.

[Kaiser Toro]

Originally Posted by HJam72

If one wins "hands down," how can the other be a "close second?"

LOL

Guess this is one of those "Message Board Phrases."

Less Message Board, and more nine Guinness and posting from a cell phone from a bar at 10,000 feet.