NT Concern...

[SW H-TOWN]

I have to say that I am worried with what we are going into the season with as of now at the NT position. IMO Earl Mitchell and our 6th round pick, Chris Jones, are not going to be able to do too good of a job at stopping the run. At least we will have 2 big ILB if Brooks Reed moves inside. If I was Rick Smith I would have drafted Montori Hughes (NT Tennessee-Martin) instead of Sam Montgomery and then drafted Ty Powell (OLB Harding) in the 6th. Can't really see Montgomery doing it in coverage, hope I'm wrong.

On a side note I would have liked to see us pick up Keith Pough (ILB Howard) and Jasper Collins (WR Mount Union).

What do you guys think?

[Uncle Rico]

I believe that healthy and positive ILB play can hide a subpar NT. You cant have both however as evidenced by last year, we were soft up the middle in both respects. Cush will bring everything back to normal.

I am concerned that an ILB wasnt drafted, Brooks Reed moving to that position isnt an immediate fix IMO, he will still need time to acclimate.

[Tailgate]

Big picture moment. I think no team is ever complete in this league and every unit will be constantly purged and replenished with new talent. How efficient we are at this will determine what type of organization we are. I think we are pretty much set at WR, OL, and secondary. As long as we stay healthy in the front 7 and we get the most out of our young guys we will be extremely tough to deal with from a defensive perspective.

We still need upgrades at NT, ILB, a replacement for A Smith, OLBs to step forward, a #1 TE and the next QB to lead this team.

But this team is built to win right now, and for the foreseeable future. Good times to be a Texans fan indeed.

[V3rm0nt3r]

I trust Wade to alter his defense to better utilize the talent he has at the moment. with Jamison back in the fold we now have four solid 3-4 ends who are all capable of stuffing the run while Reed will offer a unique blitzing option from the inside to help cover our inside lineman.

With this secondary, the primary objective for this defense as a whole will be to force passing situations where Wade can send an onslaught of young pass rushers into the backfield. I seriously doubt he will overlook finding systems that use his players' strengths in order to stop the run on early downs and force third and longs. In other words, In Wade I Trust.

[Rey]

Maybe my memory is just awful, but I don't remember being overly concerned last year with being punished up the middle in the run game.

[Nawzer]

NT and ILB remain the biggest concern for the team after the draft.

[Number19]

Originally Posted by V3rm0nt3r

I trust Wade to alter his defense to better utilize the talent he has at the moment.

True, but...

...while Reed will offer a unique blitzing option from the inside to help cover our inside lineman.

Ideally, you want your NT to demand the C/OG double team. This opens up the blitz lane for the ILB. If either the C or OG can handle the NT one-on-one, this leaves the other to block on the ILB.

Both the Colts and the Titans drafted OG and C. We'll have to wait & see, but I don't see Mitchell and Jones being dominating - adequate, maybe, but Wade will have to perform his magic to cover this hole, again.

[Number19]

Originally Posted by Rey

Maybe my memory is just awful, but I don't remember being overly concerned last year with being punished up the middle in the run game.

During the regular season this is not so much a concern. It's when you get into the playoff, if you have a weakness it will be exploited. Our goal is to get to the SB and not get knocked out early, again.

[Vance87]

Originally Posted by Rey

Maybe my memory is just awful, but I don't remember being overly concerned last year with being punished up the middle in the run game.

It was bad. Especially after Cush went down.

[dsorc]

I'm not worried about NT at all. We allowed a grand total of 5 rushing touchdowns last year. We were also top 10 in both rush yards per game and yards per rush. And that was with Cushing down for more than half the season.

[CretorFrigg]

Originally Posted by dsorc

I'm not worried about NT at all. We allowed a grand total of 5 rushing touchdowns last year. We were also top 10 in both rush yards per game and yards per rush. And that was with Cushing down for more than half the season.

Numbers can be deceiving. Remember 2010 when the Texans had the worst defense in the league? Our rush defense wasn't bad, but that's because it was skewed. Why would teams run when they could just throw it around the whole time?

[76Texan]

David Hunter still has 2 years on his contract and Terrell McClain is signed through 2013.

At least McClain was the #65 pick of the Panthers and Wade likes Hunter enough to activate him to the 53-man roster during the season.

Perhaps Wade saw something there that he likes.
And who knows, the Texans can still add a vet if they feel like it.
Maybe they'll bring back Cody at veteran minimum.

[WolverineFan]

Originally Posted by Number19

Ideally, you want your NT to demand the C/OG double team. This opens up the blitz lane for the ILB. If either the C or OG can handle the NT one-on-one, this leaves the other to block on the ILB.

Wade runs a one-gap system. His lineman do not sit and hold up blocks. They shoot gaps and penetrate. With this style they can disrupt the interior of the line and the LB's can clean up. Wade utilizes a lot of different blitzes to get his LB's in unblocked.

[Big Lou]

We'll sign a FA.

We can wait until teams cut someone.

I think Seymour may still be out there....

[76Texan]

Originally Posted by WolverineFan

Wade runs a one-gap system. His lineman do not sit and hold up blocks. They shoot gaps and penetrate. With this style they can disrupt the interior of the line and the LB's can clean up. Wade utilizes a lot of different blitzes to get his LB's in unblocked.

It doesn't matter how Wade uses his NT; when the opponent decide to double-team or combo-block the NT, they still do it.

[Brandon420tx]

I'm not worried about NT or ILB Those are the positions that come off the field or shift the most in wades defense anyway.

[mussop]

We add nothing but a six round pick to the trash we have now and only bring in one UFA. There has to be a plan to bring in a FA. Hampton, Seymour, someone is coming.

It won't do any good to have a pass rush if everyone can just run it down our throats all day. Not to me to mention how much it will wear down out ILB's if they don't have someone upfront to keep them clean.

[Lucky]

Originally Posted by Vance87

It was bad. Especially after Cush went down.

Really? The defense finished in top 10 in both yards allowed and yards per rush. By that criteria, most of the league has a bad run defense.

[Corrosion]

Ive heard they plan to move Crick inside ... The biggest question I have is depth at DE if they do.

Makes me wonder where they play Montgomery - DE or OLB.

Right now they have Watt , Ninja and Crick listed as DE's on the roster.

Only Mitchell & 6th round rookie Chris Jones at DT (outside of guy's coming back from injury or PS guy's)

Braman , Reed and Mercilus at OLB.

Trevardo Williams will most certianly be an OLB .... Montgomery on the other hand , I cant pin down their plans for. He's a little bigger and could probably play either spot.


It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out ....

Originally Posted by Lucky

Really? The defense finished in top 10 in both yards allowed and yards per rush. By that criteria, most of the league has a bad run defense.

#7 in both Ypg and Ypa.


The Pass defense was #1 in completion percentage #7 in Ypa and #17 in Ypg.

[Vance87]

Originally Posted by Lucky

Really? The defense finished in top 10 in both yards allowed and yards per rush. By that criteria, most of the league has a bad run defense.

Like someone else said, teams started to pass the ball on us a great deal in the second half of the season, skewing our run defense stats. I just remember no-name RBs running right up the middle on us late in the season.