Thoughts on Mercilus and My 2nd/3rd Round Draft Value Chart

[Errant Hothy]

Originally Posted by Playoffs

My thought on every Texans 2012 draft pick

I’ll let you know right up front that I don’t do “draft grades.” It’s stupid. Seriously, how many of you were in school and had a teacher pass out tests to you with grades already in red marker on them before you even got to take the test? That never happened. Well, it probably happened at a few high schools and college where they were trying to keep guys eligible, but you know what I’m saying. I can’t “grade” this draft until I see these players play. Instead, I will give you my opinions on each player the Texans drafted...

read more: http://blog.chron.com/fantasyfootbal...12-draft-pick/

Think LZ imported the wrong text on this one:

Round 3 (pick 76) — Brandon Brooks, OG, Miami, OH
Z-Report Top 200: 79
Z-Report Says: After the draft was completed, I got a call from a coach who left a message on my phone talking about what a good draft he felt like the Texans had. One of the guys the coach singled out was Brandon Harris who he said was “one of the smartest players I’ve been around – incredible detail he used to describe their [Miami] defense but his dad was a coach which explains that”. Harris is a little bit smaller than you like and will likely fight for the slot CB position which has become an extremely important roster spot considering the scope of passing games these days. Harris’ tape wasn’t as good as teams expected this year which is why he fell a little bit, but he has a terrific football IQ and enough talent to come in and play right away.

[beerlover]

LZ has a keen eye for talent evaluation. Time allowed it would be a thrill for me to spend a few hours talking scouting & the draft over a few cold ones

Draft grades are like great beer fluid & fleeting always evolving. Sometimes it's nothing more than timing. Having a great scheme or receipe is just as important as the talent/ingrediants but all are important & work together in the final product.

Wade Phillips has made all the difference. Talk about eye for talent then ability to apply & achieve results. Love this guy.

Merciless is fluid & relentless. I think soccer greatly benefited his athletic skill set. His closing speed is elite & may be near the ideal size/speed ratio for 3-4 OLB? His abilty to close in space is something Mario never actualized (size inhibited?) but had a quick glimpse before injury w/Wade.

What I would like to know is there anyway Barwin, Reed, Cushing & Merciless could all be on the field @ the same time? If so, would this be situational 3-4 or operational from a base 4-3?

[Playoffs]

Originally Posted by Hoth-Boy

Think LZ imported the wrong text on this one:

Fixed now:

Round 3 (pick 76) — Brandon Brooks, OG, Miami, OH
Z-Report Top 200: 79

Z-Report Says: Brandon Brooks first caught my eye at the East-West Shrine game where I saw him play with an exceptional amount of power. The thing that really confused me about this pick was that Brooks doesn’t fit the mold of the zone scheme guards we’ve seen in the past. At over 340 pounds, Brooks not only flashes outstanding power, but he also ran a sub 5.0 40 yard dash at the combine and was brought in for individual workouts by both the Texans and the Chiefs (Chiefs looking to run more zone). Obviously, the Texans saw what they needed to in terms of his lateral movement at the individual workout. If Brooks can get to the second level effectively, he has a great shot at competing for a starting job at RG right away. While he’ll be the underdog, Brooks has the type of power that will really give the Texans an advantage with their gap running plays. Brooks has outstanding potential if he keeps his weight in check.

[TexansFanatic]

Originally Posted by Lucky

I thought he was referring to Todd McShay.

Dude, that's freaking funny.

[Rey]

Originally Posted by Playoffs

Fixed now:

Round 3 (pick 76) — Brandon Brooks, OG, Miami, OH
Z-Report Top 200: 79

Z-Report Says: Brandon Brooks first caught my eye at the East-West Shrine game where I saw him play with an exceptional amount of power. The thing that really confused me about this pick was that Brooks doesn’t fit the mold of the zone scheme guards we’ve seen in the past. At over 340 pounds, Brooks not only flashes outstanding power, but he also ran a sub 5.0 40 yard dash at the combine and was brought in for individual workouts by both the Texans and the Chiefs (Chiefs looking to run more zone). Obviously, the Texans saw what they needed to in terms of his lateral movement at the individual workout. If Brooks can get to the second level effectively, he has a great shot at competing for a starting job at RG right away. While he’ll be the underdog, Brooks has the type of power that will really give the Texans an advantage with their gap running plays. Brooks has outstanding potential if he keeps his weight in check.

In highschool I was 340 lbs and we ran a zbs very similar to what the texans run. My coach asked me to lose weight because they wanted linemen under 300 lbs. I ended up playing around 325 but I was one of the most athletic linemen on the team. Offense and defense.

That's why I don't like when people talk about size. Yes it's generally a factor, but talent and ability should trump that. Brooks may be asked to lose a little weight, but obviously even at his size the texans saw something from an ability standpoint to take him.

I have high hopes for the guy. Him and crick are my favorite picks with everyone else in a close second.

[drs23]

Dayum. This surprised me. Perhaps there are a couple of nose tackles in camp now:

Round 6 (pick 195) — Nick Mondek, OT, Purdue
Z-Report Top 200: —
Z-Report Says: I could sit here and try and make something up for you about Mondek, but I didn’t even have a scouting report on him. I didn’t watch Purdue much during the draft process…. just their opponents. My Big-10 scout friend gave me some interesting info on Mondek though:

“Lance, he came over from the defensive side of the ball because I think the offense at Purdue was trying to find a way to get his size and athleticism on the field. He can run and jump and gets you excited from the standpoint of his physical tools. I’m sure the Texans look at him as a project who they are taking a late round shot with just in case something clicks, but I don’t think he can cut it on that side of the ball. But I would suggest to Wade Phillips that before they let that joker go, he might want to take a look at him as a 0-technique defensive tackle because I think he’s got a shot down the road at that position.”

[LZ]

Originally Posted by Lucky

You weren't high on Reed last year, pre-draft. I pretty much agreed with you, then. But, Reed has won me over with his performance last year. He had 6 sacks in 5 games, after Mario went down. After that, he ran into the dreaded rookie wall and went dormant for a few games. Reed rested in week 17, and came back strong in the playoffs with 3-1/2 sacks. Yes, he should be in a rotation. But, I think he's the real deal as a pass rusher.

Do you remember the defense that the Rams ran in the late 80's, where they would have 2 d-lineman down and 5 LBs standing? Not knowing who was going to blitz and who would drop back. I think the Texans could run something like that now, with Barwin, Reed, Cushing, and Mercilus. I see Wade cooking up something to get everyone of his pass rushers on the field.

I don't think I've ever seen Wade really run a defense like that. I've seen Dick LeBeau do it plenty, but with the personnel he has now, Wade might cook up a few more exotic looks than we are used to seeing. I would hate to take Antonio Smith or Brian Cushing off the field so I'm not sure how they would align it.

[LZ]

Originally Posted by beerlover

LZ has a keen eye for talent evaluation. Time allowed it would be a thrill for me to spend a few hours talking scouting & the draft over a few cold ones

Draft grades are like great beer fluid & fleeting always evolving. Sometimes it's nothing more than timing. Having a great scheme or receipe is just as important as the talent/ingrediants but all are important & work together in the final product.

Wade Phillips has made all the difference. Talk about eye for talent then ability to apply & achieve results. Love this guy.

Merciless is fluid & relentless. I think soccer greatly benefited his athletic skill set. His closing speed is elite & may be near the ideal size/speed ratio for 3-4 OLB? His abilty to close in space is something Mario never actualized (size inhibited?) but had a quick glimpse before injury w/Wade.

What I would like to know is there anyway Barwin, Reed, Cushing & Merciless could all be on the field @ the same time? If so, would this be situational 3-4 or operational from a base 4-3?

Well let's not talk about it, let 's be about it. Organize a meet-up for anyone who wants to get together from this message board and I'll make it out for a beer or two and talk about evaluation and some of the things that I've learned from people who do this for a living. There are some basic principles and guidelines that you have to follow in order to really start to think like a team would and I would be more than happy to share them.

[badboy]

remember Wade saying it was his job to put Mario in positions he could be successful? That's wahat pumps me up. Unlike last year, offenses will not have any down without someone in their face. If Crick remains healthy he will also add to that consternation.

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by LZ

Well let's not talk about it, let 's be about it. Organize a meet-up for anyone who wants to get together from this message board and I'll make it out for a beer or two and talk about evaluation and some of the things that I've learned from people who do this for a living. There are some basic principles and guidelines that you have to follow in order to really start to think like a team would and I would be more than happy to share them.

Well, heck. Wish I was back in Houston.

[ArlingtonTexan]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

Well, heck. Wish I was back in Houston.

Depending on when might be worth a drive down for me.

[Errant Hothy]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

Well, heck. Wish I was back in Houston.

You ain't the only one. But like AT said might try to swing down for this and see the folks at the same time.

[GP]

Skype anyone?

[texasam82]

Where and when? I'm there.

[badboy]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

Someone with more information available on all the prospects and on the requirements of our offense than LZ? Positional coaches and scouts?

No offense to LZ and other guys who put together mocks (I do it myself when I have time) but every team has their own ranking for all these guys. They've got guys who devote all their time to figuring out who's going to fit in their system and who isn't. Sometimes they're right and sometimes they're wrong but LZ, WalterFootball, Ourlads, SI.com, etc., do not know more than the teams. And the teams didn't rank some of these guys as high as LZ did and they ranked some other guys higher.

Now's the time to sit back and see how these guys actually do in our system. We've got a nice posse of WRs now and hopefully, they develop.

It's a crap shoot no matter who does it. Paid team members, Our Lads, LZ or Badboy. I do know that I called Kareem Jackson a bad pick and that was correct. Is he doing better? Well it will be his third year and many still want him gone (I am not one of them). Why is it such big deal that some of us want to voice our ideas? Isn't it entertainment?

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by badboy

It's a crap shoot no matter who does it. Paid team members, Our Lads, LZ or Badboy. I do know that I called Kareem Jackson a bad pick and that was correct. Is he doing better? Well it will be his third year and many still want him gone (I am not one of them). Why is it such big deal that some of us want to voice our ideas? Isn't it entertainment?

That wasn't what my post was about. I haven't said much of anything about people voicing their ideas or their feelings.

I DON'T get making this into a "every pick of a player I had heard of is good and every pick of a player I hadn't heard of was bad". And I don't get making this into "a Wade knows how to make picks but they let some idiot named Smithiak into the room to choose the WRs" which is really what I was responding to.

What I stated was the truth. Who made the pick? A group of professionals that put a lot of time and consideration into it and who had access to a lot more information than the people who made the lists that Wolf6151 is basing his opinion on did. Guys who studied a lot more film, different film, interviews, and a lot of other things.

Were they the right picks? Maybe. Maybe not. But we aren't going to know until later. Most WR picks do not pan out. And in the past, most of the guys that we have our collective TT sights set on (based on those same lists), don't turn out. There were a lot of RBs we wanted in the draft a few years ago before we ended up with Arian Foster and almost all of those guys have not panned out.

Personally, I still don't see the KJ pick as that bad of a pick. I don't think it would have mattered which CB we would have picked at that point, we would have put him in a horrible situation and he would have sucked.

[badboy]

Originally Posted by rmartin65

I think most everyone is happy. Heck, as much as I am hesitant about Posey, I still love our haul.

People are going to complain about things the team does, it is part of being a free-thinking fan. And we are allowed to- do you guys all only complain about things that you are getting paid to do, that you are experts in? I have a hard time believing that everyone who participates in the NSZ is an expert in every little topic that gets discussed there, yet nobody is told to stop complaining because they are not an expert. Opinions are allowed, and as long as they contribute to the discussion, a poster should not be discouraged from giving an opinion.

Just something to think about- nobody is saying we should fire Smith after this draft! That might be a first.

MSR Good post! I am still not down on all their selections but that is part of the fun.

[badboy]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

That wasn't what my post was about. I haven't said much of anything about people voicing their ideas or their feelings.

I DON'T get making this into a "every pick of a player I had heard of is good and every pick of a player I hadn't heard of was bad". And I don't get making this into "a Wade knows how to make picks but they let some idiot named Smithiak into the room to choose the WRs" which is really what I was responding to.

What I stated was the truth. Who made the pick? A group of professionals that put a lot of time and consideration into it and who had access to a lot more information than the people who made the lists that Wolf6151 is basing his opinion on did. Guys who studied a lot more film, different film, interviews, and a lot of other things.
Were they the right picks? Maybe. Maybe not. But we aren't going to know until later. Most WR picks do not pan out. And in the past, most of the guys that we have our collective TT sights set on (based on those same lists), don't turn out. There were a lot of RBs we wanted in the draft a few years ago before we ended up with Arian Foster and almost all of those guys have not panned out.

Personally, I still don't see the KJ pick as that bad of a pick. I don't think it would have mattered which CB we would have picked at that point, we would have put him in a horrible situation and he would have sucked.

What surprises me is you feel that you had to state the obvious?

I'll speak only for myself but the players I doubted I had heard of. I can make good defenses of why I did not like the and why I liked others. Still does not make much difference as Texans did pick who they wanted. Still it is part of the entertainment to discuss & disagree.

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by badboy

What surprises me is you feel that you had to state the obvious?

I'll speak only for myself but the players I doubted I had heard of. I can make good defenses of why I did not like the and why I liked others. Still does not make much difference as Texans did pick who they wanted. Still it is part of the entertainment to discuss & disagree.

I had to state the obvious because my original message had nothing to do with you. And the point of my message wasn't to you and had nothing to do with what you do.

I was stating the point I was trying to make... TO THE OTHER GUY.

I've got no problem with doing research and trying to figure out who you like and who you don't like. I've got no problem with having guys that you want and that you hope the Texans take and I've got no problem being let down when they're not taken. I've got no problem with grading the draft (as long as people keep it in perspective.) I've got no problem with discussing the picks and trying to figure out how they'll be used or fit into the roster.

I have a problem with someone trying to start up a Smithiak sucks/Wade rules discussion right after the draft based on two WR picks that need to be further researched.

[Wolf6151]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

Someone with more information available on all the prospects and on the requirements of our offense than LZ? Positional coaches and scouts?

No offense to LZ and other guys who put together mocks (I do it myself when I have time) but every team has their own ranking for all these guys. They've got guys who devote all their time to figuring out who's going to fit in their system and who isn't. Sometimes they're right and sometimes they're wrong but LZ, WalterFootball, Ourlads, SI.com, etc., do not know more than the teams. And the teams didn't rank some of these guys as high as LZ did and they ranked some other guys higher.

Now's the time to sit back and see how these guys actually do in our system. We've got a nice posse of WRs now and hopefully, they develop.

I sure hope I'm wrong about Posey, I hope in 3 yrs. we look back on this pick as a great one. I'll be the first to admit when I'm wrong and will gladly eat some crow but until that time comes my opinion won't change, Posey was a terrible pick when you consider the talent at WR that was still available, Nick Toon, Marvin McNutt, Marvin Jones, Greg Childs, Mohamed Sanu, Rueben Randle, Juron Criner, etc... This was one of the best/deepest WR classes in a long time, the best I can remember. It lacked alot of elite level talent at the top but their were lots of good WR's in this class. I just hope that 3 yrs. from now we're not looking back on this class saying we screwed up reaching for a 6th round pick in the 3rd when there's was lots of other high quality players available.