Connor Barwin?

[GP]

Originally Posted by TexansFanatic

What doesn't add up about that theory is that typically when a player is in a contract year, you see that player stepping up his game to improve his value---not coasting.

I don't think that's a 100% given.

Dunta got paid like CRAZY with a huge franchise tag year here, and he put the brakes on the whole year. He wasn't going to do anything risky since he knew he was headed elsewhere for yet (drum roll, please) another contract.

Look at Brisiel! Just by virtue of him being a guy on an o-line that blocked for the Texans QB, RB, and WRs and TEs, he ends up getting a really nice paycheck from the Raiders. Barwin, likewise, is going to net a nice payday from some other team next year after we end up being in the Super Bowl and THEN...yeah, Barwin might wake up and smell the ink on the hundred dollar bills.

He knows he doesn't have a contract, he knows the Texans are NOT going to pay him a lot to retain him, so why wouldn't he be a little less than 100% out there, mentally speaking? This defense doesn't need him. It didn't need Mario. It's a multiple-headed beast and the main head is JJ Watt. Then you got Reed, Cushing, Smith, JJo, Manning, this franchise is not going to give Barwin what Barwin "wants" and he knows that. It's patently obvious, IMO.

Factor in his weight gain, and he's sort of behind the 8-ball now. I hate it for him, because he CAN be a better LB than he is right now. Some weak defense out there in the NFL is going to want Barwin, I guarantee it. I just think he knows he's done here. It is what it is.

[Rey]

Originally Posted by HJam72

Having said that, JJ Watt is getting all of the LB's sacks right now. You can't get LB sacks if your 3-4 DE is getting to the QB faster than the speed of light.

Watt isn't sacking the qb everytime they drop back.

He'll, even when he does sack the qb at least show up a second late. He hasn't been doing that much.

I want to see what Braman can do rushing from the weakside some. The little I saw from him today he looks like the most explosive edge rusher we have.

If we had a speedy edge rusher to pair with watt this pass rush would be redunkulous.

I'm going to keep my eyes open for edge rushers in this upcoming draft. Reed is actually playing the strongside well. But that weakside explosiveness is lacking a bit.

[TexansFanatic]

Originally Posted by GP

I don't think that's a 100% given.

It's not out of the question that his muddled future is somehow preying on him and causing him to be tentative.

But it's counterintuitive to consciously coast when a future payday is at stake.

If Kubiak winds up giving him fewer snaps (or worse --- benches him) then he's really screwed.

[GP]

Originally Posted by TexansFanatic

It's not out of the question that his muddled future is somehow preying on him and causing him to be tentative.

But it's counterintuitive to consciously coast when a future payday is at stake.

If Kubiak winds up giving him fewer snaps (or worse --- benches him) then he's really screwed.

See, and I think that this team's coaches WON'T ever dare give him fewer snaps. Why? To make him go out there and get over it. Get over his attitude, get with the program, be a team player. This team didn't bench or remove snaps from Dunta Robinson, either.

Plus, I don't want a guy like Barwin--a genuinely good guy, IMO--being able to lose a chance at a good contract because he gets snaps taken away. I also don't snaps taken away so that he can't leave here and claim he was cheated out of the snaps needed to prove himself in a contract year.

You have to admit, based on all things we're discussing here, Connor Barwin has got a lot of things going on and it's definitely a pressure-cooker situation for the guy. He's probably down on himself, no doubt. He's a great football player. He's not going to be happy when he sees his stats through four games. He shouldn't. He won't.

But then again, this defense has allowed even Kareem Jackson to have shining moments...Connor is just out of sync for whatever reasons, and I think he's a goner here. Unless he just decides to take whatever the Texans might offer him after this season is over. I doubt he gets what he thought he was worth, though, if that happens.

[Scooter]

can anyone confirm barwin putting on weight this offseason? if true, i lay 90% of his ineffectiveness there, with the other 10% to teams taking him a whole lot more seriously. weight gain is almost never a good idea. beefing up a 20 year old offensive lineman? yeah sure. adding bulk to a 26 year old OLB coming off his best season as a pass rusher? EHHH WRONG! it's almost always the same, the extra weight is a burden they have to adjust to and makes players sluggish.

if anything barwin and reed should be trimming as much as they can get away with without hurting their strength. this is a beat your man 1v1 defense - not one where you stand up the blocker. if barwin's putting on weight to stand up his man in run support, he went backwards.

[TheIronDuke]

Nobody in their right mind tanks a season in their contract year, c'mon GP.

[gafftop]

Watching the replays and Barwin is showing no spin moves just bull rush and trying speed rush around edge and just gets pushed out of the play. He used to be quicker and had a spin move. Look at play at 8:40 of 2nd quarter. He just looks slow and a little clumsy. I think it is the added weight or he has some type of injury. I agree they need to rotate him and get some playing time to others, especially when game is under control.

[GP]

Originally Posted by TheIronDuke

Nobody in their right mind tanks a season in their contract year, c'mon GP.

You're putting words in my mouth, plain and simple.

I never once say he is tanking it. He has a lot going on, and that can affect his focus and his desire and his performance too.

We've all been there. Everyone around us is hitting home runs and we can't even hit a single to save our lives. You sort of begin wondering about yourself.

Not saying he is tanking. I don't think that accusation is fair to me. I've gone out of my way to say that my criticism is not geared to make him look like a loser. He's not. But his performance looks like he is lost in many ways.

Dunta, IMO, yeah...that guy was tanking it. Not Barwin though. I think he's just genuinely battling some issues about how he fits into this monster defense we have right now.

[GP]

Sometimes we need to stop being so blindly loyal to ANY of our players that we cannot stop and ask questions about their impact on the game.

To scrutinize is not a bad thing. Hell, I bet he is being VERY self-scrutinizing right now. I hope it clicks for him, because he needs to maximize this season.

[TexansFanatic]

Originally Posted by GP

Dunta, IMO, yeah...that guy was tanking it.

Even with the lack of respect I have for Dunta, I can't agree that he was tanking it his final season here.

If you look at his stats from year to year, he actually had a better final season in Houston in terms of tackles than he has yet to have in Atlanta and, aside from his rookie season, he was never really an interception guy.

He had that horrific injury in 2007 and made a remarkable comeback but still hasn't been the same player he was his first 3.5 seasons.

The fact that Atlanta gave him so much money is as confounding now as it was then. Just one of those strange quirks of free agency where a player gets a huge payday for no apparent reason.

[Hagar]

Originally Posted by gafftop

Watching the replays and Barwin is showing no spin moves just bull rush and trying speed rush around edge and just gets pushed out of the play. He used to be quicker and had a spin move. Look at play at 8:40 of 2nd quarter. He just looks slow and a little clumsy. I think it is the added weight or he has some type of injury. I agree they need to rotate him and get some playing time to others, especially when game is under control.

I just watched the game again, and I agree with this assessment. I never really paid much attention to Barwin, so I can't say what he used to do; but he is using a ton of speed rushes and little else. Also, I noticed he wasn't taking on blocks in the run game either. Barwin appears to want to dodge the blocker and in doing so, dodges his way out of the play.

Barwin usually isn't being double teamed, or even chipped by the RB or TE; he's being blocked one on one by the tackles.

Does anybody know if he changed sides? I noticed he seemed to go against left tackles alot, which are usually better than right tackles. (just an idea)

[Rey]

Barwin plays weakside and has been since Mario went out last year. So yeah, he sees the LT a lot.

[SAMURAITEXAN]

JJ Watt gets to QB before OLBs get there.

[utahmark]

I'm wondering if they are calling less blitzes and stunts. It seems last year Wade would devise all sorts of thing to let linebackers get a free run at the qb but this year you don't really need to do that when you can rush 4 and have Watt and Smith disrupt things the way they are doing.

[Mr teX]

Dude's just not that good & he never was imo....he always looked clumsy to me rushing the passer. Honestly this is good news for us in a way. if he doesn't have as productive a season as he did last year, perhaps most teams won't offer him much more than we offered him & he'll be apt to stay................

of course you've always got teams like the raiders who'll offer stupid money based on little to nothing.

[eriadoc]

Originally Posted by Mr teX

Dude's just not that good & he never was imo....

I think you're overplaying that a little, but I also think the sack total from last year got people to over-hyping Barwin. I think Barwin is a nice player, but I have never considered him in the class of guys that get 11.5 sacks every year from the OLB position.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by Mr teX

Dude's just not that good & he never was imo....he always looked clumsy to me rushing the passer. Honestly this is good news for us in a way. if he doesn't have as productive a season as he did last year, perhaps most teams won't offer him much more than we offered him & he'll be apt to stay................

of course you've always got teams like the raiders who'll offer stupid money based on little to nothing.

Why would we want to keep him if he's not good?

[Rey]

Connor barwin is not getting the job done. Period.

He needs to play better.

[stingray]

Originally Posted by Rey

Connor barwin is not getting the job done. Period.

He needs to play better.

Agreed...the guy has no moves. Just a bull rush..which is not working. I would like to see mercilus now and see what he can offer over connor.

[Rey]

Originally Posted by stingray

Agreed...the guy has no moves. Just a bull rush..which is not working. I would like to see mercilus now and see what he can offer over connor.

Jmo, but merciless would be even worse.

I've said this a million times, but I'm not a fan of the rush olb's on this team. I think barwin would play better on the strongside, but I think reed is playing that position really well.

We need a good wolb, and I personally don't think merciless is that guy. I'd honestly like to see what Braman can do.