Death to Google Ads! Texans Talk Tip Jar! 🍺😎👍
Thanks for your support!

Draft Grades

New_Texans

New_Texans

Rookie
Already? Time will tell.

Link

Houston

Several teams told me that the Texans picked some very athletic players, starting with USC outside linebacker Brian Cushing. Cincinnati defensive end Connor Barwin is a converted tight end who led the Big East with 11 sacks in his senior season. Barwin sounds like the next Mike Vrabel. Alabama's Antoine Caldwell started 34 of his 48 career games at center. He's a great long snapper and can also play guard.

New Mexico cornerback Glover Quin had a record 40 3/4-inch vertical jump while also squatting 500 pounds; he may be the strongest athlete at the position. Quin could end up being a free safety. Anthony Hill is a blocking tight end from North Carolina State, while everyone will be curious about Rice's James Casey, who had 111 receptions last season. Casey is a former baseball player who is a very special athlete. Grade: A
Click to expand...
 
I would give us . . .

A- for Cushing. We needed a starting SLB and we got one.

B+ for Barwin. We needed a pass rusher and we got one in Barwin.

A for Caldwell. We needed interior O-Line depth and we maybe got a starter in Caldwell.

B- for Quin. He will play FS for us and while I like him as a prospect I thought we should have gone with a more impactful DB at that point.

B- for Hill. I admit I was completely pissed when we made this pick, but that's because I wasn't thinking about the grand scheme of things. He really gives us some options now on the goalline.

B for Casey. He is a clone of OD in my mind and should be an excellent recieiving option for us. I see a lot of 2 TE sets for us now.

C+ for McCain. We needed a CB, but unfortunately we waited too long to take one. I don't see him contributing much beyond a dime back.

B for Nolan. We needed a SS and I thought we should have addressed it earlier, but we still got a good player in Nolan.
 
Frak The Jags said:
Saw that and couldnt believe he still thinks he should have went #1.
Click to expand...

Well he did say that the day he got drafted Reggie would be the best RB in the NFL outside of LT. He also said that Bush was the best RB prospect to come out since Barry Sanders and that he was Sanders, Walter Payton, & Gale Sayers all rolled into one player.

Yea I wouldn't want to look like that much of an ***** either and would probably still be defending the pick although it is a mute point now.

I saw that Outside the Lines story and could only laugh at his defense of Bush as the pick.
 
I'm still not high on the Barwin pick.....just don't like using a mid 2nd rounder on a project player, just because he has "potential" (potential can get you fired). I would've liked to see them get a player who can come in from day one and contribute as a starter type player.
 
Carr Bombed said:
I'm still not high on the Barwin pick.....just don't like using a mid 2nd rounder on a project player, just because he has "potential" (potential can get you fired). I would've liked to see them get a player who can come in from day one and contribute as a starter type player.
Click to expand...

What does it matter if he starts as long as he contributes. Make no mistake he will contribute immediately for us.

He already has the skills, but he has the potential to be even better than that. If he had been picked by a 3-4 team then he would start at OLB as a rush LB as a rookie. It just so happens that we have finally solidified our LB and DE problems and he just doesn't have a place to start at right now. He is most certainly not a "project" player though.

Jacoby Jones & Antwaun Molden are project players, Barwin is not.
 
barwin is one of my favorite picks... i think he will be great

i give us a B+

not so high on anthony hill pick.. but love the rest
 
Well, I'm pretty satisfied....the monkey is definately on my back now. I tought there was no way we would take Barwin. I believed that the LB ws the best way to go.

Smith said tonight.....Every time they had the oportunity to take a back....these other guys out weighed the need for a back. we'll see. Some of them are pretty bazzar. Off my radar for sure. Scouted New Mexico for chase Holbrook and the RB....the Cb wasn't on my radar. My guess with the last two....since they seem no where near ready for prime time.....they were looking for guys who could come in and disrupt the other teams gunner in the punt return package.

I give us a solid B.....If the sack total passes thirty....B+. They get into the AFC championship game....I guess they knew what they were doing. A
 
WolverineFan said:
He is most certainly not a "project" player though.

Jacoby Jones & Antwaun Molden are project players, Barwin is not.
Click to expand...

A player who was a TE and offensive player that was moved and played one year at DE, is all intents and purposes a project player in the NFL. Especially if you're going to mention Antwaun Molden as one...he's more polished at his position than Barwin is right now and was coming out (he just wasn't ready for the talent level he was going to face last year) Barwin is athletic as hell, but this guy is going to have to be coached up and I just don't like taking players like that in the second round...sorry, that's just my opinion. I like players that have a much higher floor than a super high ceiling, how many times have we gotten bit in the butt with those type of players? Too many to even remember, but like all those other type of players.....I'll try to stay positive and I wish him all the success in the world. Hope he pans out to be a fantastic player for us. Hopefully he can come in and blow it up on STs like Molden did, that would be great.
 
Last edited:
Carr Bombed said:
A player who was a TE and offensive player that was moved and played one year at DE, is all intents and purposes a project player in the NFL. Especially if you're going to mention Antwaun Molden as one...he's more polished at his position than Barwin is right now and was coming out (he just wasn't ready for the talent level he was going to face last year) Barwin is athletic as hell, but this guy is going to have to be coached up and I just don't like taking players like that in the second round...sorry, that's just my opinion. I like players that have a much higher floor than a super high ceiling, how many times have we gotten bit in the butt with those type of players? Too many to even remember.
Click to expand...

Bull dung....he went into a position...on the coaches say so.....and led his conference in sacks on raw phyiscal tallen. Now you could say he's a project to stand up at will. But the lad does know how to run the arc and get there.
Eleven sacks wasn't nothing. He doesn't have to be coached sheet to get a sack. The lad already knows how to do that.
 
threetoedpete said:
Bull dung....he went into a position...on the coaches say so.....and led his conference in sacks on raw phyiscal tallen. Now you could say he's a project to stand up at will. But the lad does know how to run the arc and get there.
Eleven sacks wasn't nothing. He doesn't have to be coached sheet to get a sack. The lad already knows how to do that.
Click to expand...

Beware of the one hit wonder....that's what I'm talking about. Players like him bust more than they hit.

If it works out GREAT! I'll be the first to say, "WOW I was wrong about that guy" and will be glad to do so.....hell I hope so
 
Carr Bombed said:
Beware of the one hit wonder....that's what I'm talking about. Players like him bust more than they hit.

If it works out GREAT! I'll be the first to say, "WOW I was wrong about that guy" and will be glad to do so.....hell I hope so
Click to expand...

I understand where you are coming from and agree with you in general. However, with Barwin, he wasn't a struggling TE that salvaged his career by making the switch. He caught 31 balls as a junior and was a special teams standout.

I would suggest you look at these to get a sense of the guy. I think we got a special player:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u79CJdrxZbo

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/556598

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QeKW1--bA0&feature=related
 
Houston Texans: GRADE: B+
This was a very productive draft, as the Texans' first five picks (Brian Cushing, Connor Barwin, Antoine Caldwell, Glover Quin and Anthony Hill) will all contribute quickly. These are solid football players and I really like the Barwin pick. Look for sixth-rounder Brice McCain and seventh-round selection Troy Nolan to also compete for playing time.

From ESPN - - don't have insider, but we made the first section of draft grades.
 
rollinstone18 said:
but but but we didn't draft rashad jennings. F-.









:jk:

we had a nice draft.
Click to expand...

Rashad jennings,was available in the 7th round with our pick and we didint take HIM!,this was the onlt problem with our entire draft,he was a 3rd round talent in the 7th,will know if he was a bust or impact player,we will be playing him twice a year with the Jags.
 
On Rashad Jennings: every team in the league turned their nose up at this supposed third-round talent until the Jags finally ended his ordeal with the 250th pick.

Either he was not really a third-round talent or--this is admittedly pure speculation--his name might have showed up on the league's list for either character issues or drugs. Unless there are some hard-core Liberty Flame fans on this board, I'm pretty sure nobody here has seen anything except carefully-selected highlights on him. You could probably make a two-minute highlight reel that depicts Travis Johnson as an epic DT.

As with everyone else, I am puzzled about the lack of RB picks, too. Surely there was someone who could have helped us, but the Foster/Johnson pickups ameliorate that situation somewhat.
 
Brian Cushing - C : Not a pick I like. I don't see him as a huge upgrade over Diles except as a 3rd down pass rusher. His medical records are thicker than his potentially artificially produced shoulders. Then on top of it all, I think he's already reach 90% of his full potential. I give them credit for not taking a project in the first. They needed a guy who would give them an immediate impact. He's going to be a quality starter, maybe even a good starter, but I don't see him as anything really special.

Connor Barwin - B+ : You have to like a kid with versatility. To be able to switch from TE to DE in one season and dominate with a pass rush repertoire of "run fast and push people out of your way" is exceptionally rare. He has only begun to scratch the surface of his potential, and once he adds the full bag of tricks I think he has a Ware level ceiling. Of course as a project he could also be a terrible bust; so they don't get an A.

Antoine Caldwell - B+ : Despite mini Shanny's claim to the contrary I think we will see him win a starting role sooner rather than late. I like his physical nature, and ability to fight it out at the point of attack. Once he gets into the lineup the interior line will be much more stout.

Glover Quin - C- : For where we took him, and who we passed on this isn't a great pick. Unless we're changing to a primarily zone scheme I don't think he fits here with his less than amazing man to man skills. They could still use his ball skills in certain zone packages where he should be more effective. He has potential to move to safety, but Smith told him he will be a CB.

Anthony Hill - C- : They have a ton of targets in the red zone that they already under utilize. If you're drafting a guy to be an extra tackle... why not just use a tackle?

James Casey - C+ : I can't fault them too much for going BPA, but they had some serious issues they needed to fix in this draft and didn't over a luxury pick.

Brice McCain - F- : He runs really fast. Yeah that's all I got. To paraphrase Spence from ABC; There are some guys flying under the radar, but I don't think that's the case here. He's really just not that good.

Troy Nolan - B- : There were better players on the board, but I like the position and the player. I like Nolan better than our other young safeties already on the roster. He brings some skills to the table they don't have. I would expect him to win a roster spot with the weak bunch we have back there.

Over all Grade - C- : For the players they got, and the ones they didn't.
 
I really like the picks! It seems like the FO did their homework, very methodical. They want to get faster on D with high football IQ guys to get to the QB- Cush, Barwin, Nolan, & Quin! Address their return team with a speed merchant-B. Mcain (4.2-4.3 in the 40)! Address their RED ZONE problems with Hill (a big blocking TE), Casey, & Caldwell, again high character guys with high football IQs! And they got Jason Watkins, RBs- J. Johnson & Arian Foster via UDFA way. My DRAFT GRADE B+!!!!!!:kingkong: Now, I really can't wait till football season!:texflag::d:
 
Ive got insider. Some other interesting grades:

Texans B+ (5th highest)
Colts and Jags and Titans C+

McShay said the draft was solid, credits Casey as best pick, Quin as worst pick.
 
I am going B+ to A-. We will not know for a few years out, but we got high energy, strong character and super athletic kids. They spoke a lot about locker room chemistry during the press conference. I see that attitude in every player I have seen interviewed. Ask the Cowpies if chemistry matters.
 
Sporting News gives us a B.

I give it a B+. I'm not as upset at not drafting a RB after reading that Jennings isn't good up the middle. We've already signed two rookie RBs, both sound interesting.
 
gtexan02 said:
Ive got insider. Some other interesting grades:

Texans B+ (5th highest)
Colts and Jags and Titans C+

McShay said the draft was solid, credits Casey as best pick, Quin as worst pick.
Click to expand...

seeing your post made me go check

Mercy, even Mel-HairGel gave us a B+...

This was a very productive draft, as the Texans' first five picks (Brian Cushing, Connor Barwin, Antoine Caldwell, Glover Quin and Anthony Hill) will all contribute quickly. These are solid football players and I really like the Barwin pick. Look for sixth-rounder Brice McCain and seventh-round selection Troy Nolan to also compete for playing time.
Click to expand...

props from bspn?!? Its a sign of the Apocolypse, I tell ya!!
 
i am not a huge fan of the Cushing pick but its not like i am saying he is a bad player, i just don't think he is special enough to be picked where he was selected. he seems to be a self-made player and although I respect that, dollars to donuts I would rather have a born talent that works hard. make sense? I would much rather have drafted Oher. You can never have too many OL in this league and Oher is elite and just a wonderful human being that obviously has incredible character, determination, and pride. The Ravens made out like bandits and were more than happy to move up a few slots to get him once he started dropping.

Looking at Cushing from a more optimistic angle, I like the fact that he looks like he is going to fill out some more and has some more physical maturation forthcoming. In other words, he looks like a manchild. Lets see what he looks like in a few years, has he already hit his ceiling? I actually feel it may be the opposite. Most importantly, I love the fact that he loves the game, is from a winning program, and is ultra competitive on and off the field. His competitiveness probably had more to do with the Texans selecting him so early.

There are lots of things I like about Cushing, but at the end of the day he has shown himself to be too much of an injury risk for my taste. Once Jenkins was gone, he was probably the best fit for the Texans but the injury history just scares me too too much.

The rest of the draft was pretty nice and I like them FINALLY really trying to address the Center position. We have had scrubs at that position since Day One. Casey was a nice selection and he could be the short yardage element that we all are looking for.

I'll give the boys at Reliant a B grade because Cushing looks good at face value but if Cushing turns out to be injury prone, that grade plummets.

fwiw - i am not a cowboys hater, but you gotta give their draft an F no matter how you slice it. to give up so much for Roy Williams is just ignorant and you gotta hold him to task for screwing the pooch on that one....and the raiders...well they were worse than ever and was probably...no easily...the worst draft in the history of the league. Davis must have no concept of value and probably has a hard time counting to 10 nowadays. Once such a great great football mind, its just sad to see someone fall so far into senility.
 
Last edited:
My thoughts.

Cushing

As far a Cushing goes, it took me a little while to get over us passing on Mathews. I guess there is a lot of Oiler still left in me and the idea of drafting one of our best players of all times son had some sentimental meaning to it. But that is not why I fell in love with Mathews as a player. He just seemed to always be around the ball and come up with big plays. To me that is one of the biggest needs this defense has. I still think he will become a great player.

However after standing back and looking at the big picture I realize that we just drafted pretty much the consensus 2nd best LB in the entire draft. No one has been complaining about our weak ass OLB's here longer than me. That is why I was willing to draft Adibi with a 1st round trade down last year.

Barwin

I really like that when he is rushign the passer he has good body lean when he engages the blockers. Alot of these edge speed rushers blow out of their stance and stand straight up. They can get away with that in college becuse they are so athletic. That doesnt fly in the pro's. I dont know if he's going to be any good or not but I like idea of having his athleticism and what little skillset I have seen on the edge compared to anything we have had at that spot.

I still wish we would of drafted Max Unger here but I can live with Barwin.

Caldwell

When I watched him he was really good at the POA but he wasnt really used like a ZB OL. By that I mean he didnt pull or go downfeild much. I love that he wont get pushed back like Myers but wonder if he will be able to handle getting to the second level. According to the scouting reports he can but I didnt see it. I guess we wouldnt of drafted him if Gibbs didnt think he could. I'll defer to the man on that one. Overall if he can do the things I havent seen him do he will be well worth a 3rd round pick.

Glover Quin

I really dont know enough about him to make a judgement. There were some pretty good players left that I really wanted but oh well.

Anthony Hill

Didnt really see the need to take this kind of a player this high. For those who say he is Bruners replacement I say....wasnt Breuner only activated for 2 games last year? Whatever if he helps our redzone problems he will have been worth a 4th. We will see.

James Casey

I love Casey's versatility but this was a total luxury pick. Thats still fine by me. A fith round pick on a guy like this is well within reason. I sure hope Shanny JR can figure out a way to utize his talents.

Brice McCain

Im still scrathing my head on this one just like last year. I guess this is something we are all going to have to get used to. Us taking players that we arent familar with in the 6th and 7th rounds.

Troy Nolan

This guy dont look bad from his highlights but like I said above.

Overall I give this draft a B-. If I knew anything about the secondary players we drafted I would feel alot better about this draft. As far as us not getting a backup RB, Im not really worried about that to much at this time. After the 3rd round the talent that was left was no better than what we have picked up as UFA so far and I expect some more players to be brought in before we go to training camp.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top