Chron: Texans' Casserly ready to shop free agency

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3703191.html

NFL FREE AGENCY
Let the buyer prepare
Free agency is coming at some point, and Texans general manager Charley Casserly will be ready to shop when it is

By MEGAN MANFULL
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

Texans general manager Charley Casserly was ready for free agency to begin last Friday. The NFL's delays have only prolonged his wait.

With no salary-cap issues to sweat over like many of the league's other franchises, Casserly spent the waiting period scanning the expanding list of available free agents and preparing for the draft.

The NFL and its players' union have been unable to strike a deal, but they're still talking, and free agency is coming late Wednesday night after a three-day delay approved by the league and union Sunday.

Casserly is prepared.

"We're ready but not anxious or disappointed," he said. "Obviously if a new agreement is reached there will be more cap room for everybody. But we're ready to operate either way."

Casserly is hardly the only one ready for free agency to begin. The Texans' unrestricted free agents were waiting to find out if they will be relocating.

Of the Texans' 10 unrestricted free agents, only wide receiver Jabar Gaffney (13 starts), guard Milford Brown (12) and linebacker DaShon Polk (11) were regular starters last season. Wide receiver Corey Bradford and running back Jonathan Wells started at different points throughout the season and saw
significant playing time.

Those five will be the most sought after of the Texans' unrestricted free agents as they begin the process of talking with other teams. In the past few weeks, the Texans have been able to talk with their free agents, but they have agreed to terms with only guard Fred Weary.

"We'd like to bring them all back, but we'll see what happens," Cas- serly said.

Wells im- proved his free-agent stock when he started four games at running back in place of the injured Domanick Davis last season. Wells finished the season with 325 rushing yards on 90 carries.

"That playing time was huge," said Wells, Davis' backup the past three years and the lead blocker for Pro Bowl kick returner Jerome Mathis last season. "I got an opportunity to showcase my talent, and I showed what I can do with the ball if I get it in my hands."

Wells could command more money and playing time elsewhere. The Texans are in a bind with him because they are deciding whether to draft running back Reggie Bush.

With Davis locked into a long-term deal and Vernand Morency coming off his rookie season, the Texans would have an abundance of running backs.

Wells said he would like to return to the Texans, especially with coach Gary Kubiak bringing in the Broncos' offensive scheme, which focuses on the running game.

"I'd definitely like to be part of that offense," Wells said. "That's one of the main reasons I'd like to stay."

Gaffney and Bradford have been staples of the Texans' offense since its inaugural season. The Texans might seek more of a playmaker to help spread the defense away from Andre Johnson, but new schemes brought in by the new Texans coaching staff could improve Gaffney and Bradford's production.

Brown, who made just four starts in his previous three seasons, was a mainstay on a offensive line riddled with injuries. Brown, a sixth-round pick for the Texans in the 2002 supplemental draft, took advantage of his playing time and became a solid contributor.

Defensively, the Texans have fewer questions. Polk is the main one after having a breakout season upon replacing the injured Kailee Wong.

Polk, a six-year veteran, saw the most extensive playing time of his career.

He said hopes it opened the eyes of scouts and the new Texans coaches.

"Every day it gets closer. You get nervous," Polk said. "You've got family and people calling you wanting to find out what's going on and where you're going to play.

"You just have to stay humble, stay relaxed and be prepared for whatever happens. I'm not going to panic.

"I'm just going to let things unfold on their own."

Give em Hell Chuck. Give em Hell.




Well, don't overpay or get players similar to your previous FA attempts.

I'm kind of hoping for some Todd Wade/Morlon Greenwood type signings. Bring on the clones! :brickwall

Lets just hope that McNair and Kubiak keep Casserly on a very short leash .

I believe it will be easier for the Texans to address the pass rush rather than LT protection, hence a nod to Ferguson if the Texans are able to trade down.

Obvioiusly the first name that comes up is the Jets John Abraham who they franchised but will want to move for a high draft pick, certainly not worth the #1 pick alone but some form of package deal may be in the works.

Aaron Kampman could be reunited with his coach from GB or the Saints may be unable to keep Darren Howard.

I really dont like the Abreham idea ..... unless they are willing to give up the #4 this year , next years #1 and Abe for the #1 overall ..... after thats settled I want to work out a long term deal prior to agreeing to the trade .... a cap friendly contract at that .



So I drive a hard bargin ....

If this whole free agency thing is on hold, then why are there reports that Laroi Glover has "signed" with the Rams. Even if we couldn't actually sign players, we could be agreeing in principle to contracts, or have some chatter going on about who the Texans are actually talking to. I haven't heard a thing, which makes me think they hardly have a clue as to what they're going to do yet. Please, somebody tell me how wrong I am...

if we can sign trevor pryce and isaac bruce we'll be sitting pretty come draft day

TreWardTxn said:

If this whole free agency thing is on hold, then why are there reports that Laroi Glover has "signed" with the Rams. Even if we couldn't actually sign players, we could be agreeing in principle to contracts, or have some chatter going on about who the Texans are actually talking to. I haven't heard a thing, which makes me think they hardly have a clue as to what they're going to do yet. Please, somebody tell me how wrong I am...

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They were able to sign him because he was released right out. He wasn't a UFA like most FAs are this season

Ok to way in on Casserly and Free Agency. We are a great organization, and hopefully he realizes we no longer have to overspend. People see our talent we have a new offensive minded and young free thinking coaching staff that will attract players, and did I mention no state tax.

Players I Hope to See:
Chris Hope FS- the guy is not that big, but plays huge. He had better stats than his counterpart Polamalu and he will be pretty coveted. A rotation of Hope, CC, and Earl is a nice safety net for our CBs and new aggressive defense.
Teyo Johnson TE- young high draft pick tight end with worlds of talent and a missunderstood attitude. The kid can play, and he will make drafting a high round TE less of a need
LeCharles Bentley C/G- this is a wishlist guy. We all know his talent, but I doubt we can get him. He will ask for tackle type money and that is just more than we should be willing to spend on an interior lineman especially considering Chris Chester in this draft.
Jeb Putzier or Matt Shcobel- I know Matt's brother and they are cool guys and Matt would make Bruener not needed. Jeb is the same way but likely with better hands(sorry Matt if you read this). Either way cant go wrong but still want the more athletic Johnson.
One Tackle- I dont care who as long as we dont overspend for him and he can possibly play LG. I think McKinney needs to restructure or he needs to go and Weigert should restructure and play for a couple of more years. A backup possible starter that comes at value would do a great service for our team.

Am I the only one that could almost care less about Free Agency, since we still have Casserly?

I fear its just gonna be a bunch more average players, that sign for more than they are worth. Who we will be trying to "re-structure" the contracts of after next year, cuz they'll just be eating cap space from the good players that we want to pick up.

If we had any other GM in the world, I'd actually be extatic!!!

Teyo Johnson got cut last season by the Raiders. I remember his name popping up on these boards when he got cut. A lot of fans wanted the Texans to at least pick him up and give him a shot. I agree that he has great potential but there has to be more to the story than we know because teams just were not interested in him when he was cut.

Do we just want Teyo Johnson because his rookie card was for sell on our website or is he really good?

Anyhow, weren't we told that this year we would be a major player in FA. I know the 4 year plan indicated being a contender by this year but it also included stepping up our game in FA this year.

Does that change or enhance our FA this year just because we weren't contending for the playoffs this past year?

Andre Carter would be nice pick on the d-line if he can get back to his old self he was a upcoming d end untill San Fran moved to a 3-4 and Carter has the size at 6'4 275 and has proven he can play end in the nfl his best sack season is 13 in 02 but may take sometime to get back to his self since hes been playing linebacker for the 49ers and here is a write up on him i found



2006 scouting report
Strengths: Has great quickness and explosiveness and can get upfield in a hurry. Has great pocket awareness, doesn’t allow offensive tackles to ride him past the quarterback and has perfected his pass-rush technique. Has great counter moves and works hard with his hands. Uses his long arms to create separation, always plays with great leverage and has great closing speed to the quarterback. Is relentless, and his speed and quickness make him good at stunts and twists. Has good instincts on the edge.


Weaknesses: Lacks ideal strength, has a difficult time maintaining control of the line of scrimmage vs. the run and struggles with double-teams.

Bottom line: Carter never will be a dominant player vs. the run because of his poor bulk and strength, but he more than makes up for that in his movement and ability to rush the passer.

Coach C. said:

Ok to way in on Casserly and Free Agency. We are a great organization, and hopefully he realizes we no longer have to overspend. People see our talent we have a new offensive minded and young free thinking coaching staff that will attract players, and did I mention no state tax.

Players I Hope to See:
Chris Hope FS- the guy is not that big, but plays huge. He had better stats than his counterpart Polamalu and he will be pretty coveted. A rotation of Hope, CC, and Earl is a nice safety net for our CBs and new aggressive defense.
Teyo Johnson TE- young high draft pick tight end with worlds of talent and a missunderstood attitude. The kid can play, and he will make drafting a high round TE less of a need
LeCharles Bentley C/G- this is a wishlist guy. We all know his talent, but I doubt we can get him. He will ask for tackle type money and that is just more than we should be willing to spend on an interior lineman especially considering Chris Chester in this draft.
Jeb Putzier or Matt Shcobel- I know Matt's brother and they are cool guys and Matt would make Bruener not needed. Jeb is the same way but likely with better hands(sorry Matt if you read this). Either way cant go wrong but still want the more athletic Johnson.
One Tackle- I dont care who as long as we dont overspend for him and he can possibly play LG. I think McKinney needs to restructure or he needs to go and Weigert should restructure and play for a couple of more years. A backup possible starter that comes at value would do a great service for our team.

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People say they are concerned about Casserly overpaying for average talent and this is one of the guys (IMO) on the danger list for this to happen too. Yeah, I know he has comparable numbers to Polamalu, but Troy has an impact on that defense that can not be measured by his #'s alone. His ability to blitz and pressure the QB alone takes an enormous amount of pressure off the secondary. In fact, his versatility is what allows guys like Hope to just sit back and play center field. All he has to know how to do is not get beat deep, not that hard. We can find our own 3rd or 4th round pick this year who can do that for us, we don't need to spend any $$s on him.

Schobel and Putzier are the two best TE prospects, although I think the Broncos realized that Putz is not producing as they expected, which is why he's free (the cap is going to be fixed).

C/G-The Texans are better off trying to land Mangold (not likely) or Eslinger (more likely) Both guys ran similar blocking styles in college and are already familiar with zone schemes. Eslinger is already accustomed to making all the blocking audibles at the line, smart guy...

TreWard your name holds a special place to my heart, but past that let's look at your post.

Ok Hope calls the secondary plays so he is very important to the Steelers, but if he wants top 5 safety money then he can go somewhere else because Daniel Bullocks may last till the third and if not him Blue and some of the others will.

Shobel and Putz are just solid guys, but they are nothing special. I will still stay on the Teyo bandwagon till the guy proves that he cannot play. He was the starter in Oakland before he shot his mouth off to Turner. He has tons of talent, but his attitude must be looked at.

C/G I totally agree and Mangold may be an option in the second if he falls. Not sure on that since Pittsburgh can take him and be solid or Jets make a trade and get him at 29 or something to replace Mawae. Eslinger is nice dont know if he can play G, but he has run zone scheme his whole college career so he is definately an option as is Chris Chester.

Hope is the guy who makes the calls because he is furthest from the line of scrimmage, Troy is too busy making plays in the box. Either way, I think you generally agreed that Bullocks or Blue (or Simpson) will be able to get the job done at a fraction of the price. A trained monkey can read hand signals coming in from the sideline, literally.

Agreed, "most solid TEs" would have been a better go than "best." I would bring Teyo in also if a roster spot was available for short money.

I dunno if I should be excited or scared to death. Casserly in FA, up to this point, has been like playing russian roulette with an automatic pistol.

Grid said:

I dunno if I should be excited or scared to death. Casserly in FA, up to this point, has been like playing russian roulette with an automatic pistol.

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LOL...very true.

I have to say that I'm a little excited this time around though b/c I think Casserly's hands are tied a little at this point...and I have faith that Kubiak will ultimately make the decisions as far as who to go after.

Another Teyo Johnson posting? Are we ever going to get rid of the guy that has never been on our team? Look up the old thread, he's a Billy Miller type guy. The Raiders dropped him, not like they have an abundance of talent.

I think we should go after a few names nothing big and havea good all around draft for once.

Guys Like Jeb that would give us a real TE target for DC. Teyo should be given a look as well.

I still think it would bea HUGE addition to bring in Issac Bruce. Good routing running receiver and great hands. He will still be productive as a clear #2 on this team. I think experience would be the key here. Teaching the young receiving corps we have here and making Andre an even better Receiver. Might cost a little more then others but i think the long terms dividends of signing him to a 3 year deal would pay off.

If the Eagles have an interest in Bentley he's signing there. I am sure we'll address the line in the draft but i would not mind another veteran free agent and knowing Kubes once training camp comes around he's get a line set and stick with it.

Ah Defense defense....I would like to see the linebacker positions filled with some experience. I still wouldn't mind bringing Sharper back into the fold. Peterson would look great in a Texans Uni as well. Anyone else?

I don't want us building our entire team via the FA market. Just filling in leadership positions on a young franchise. Defense especially. There's a lot of young players and although they have potential they need someone on the field who knows how to close out a game on the defensive side which the were horrible at last year. I'm not asking for a quick fix more people to help lay the foundation for a successful franchise. I think you look at all the successful franchises in the NFL it's a good mix of young talent and veteran leaderhip. So let's not make a huge splash in FA just some smart pick ups.

If we can have a good draft and pick up some good players in free agency I think we will have a good team next year. We need to be active in free agency this year if we want to make a shot at the playoffs this year, even though we were the worst team in the league last year.

I would like to see us keep Gaffney on offense and sign a key O-Lineman. One defensive player I would like to see Marlon McCree come back.

I would like us to make a run at either Isaac Bruce or David Givens. We desperately need a 2nd wide reciever and either of them could provide it. Givens is younger and he lived in Humble so we might have in there.

We need to sign an offensive lineman. It probably won't be Hutchinson or Bentley, but sign somebody decent who can actually be a starter for other teams as well.

I really do think Jeb Putzier is going to sign with the Texans. Finally, a decent tight end. His numbers aren't the greatest, but we finally may have a real tight end. 40-45 catches for a tight end isn't that bad. That's what he'll provide.

I hope we go after Chris Hope to improve our secondary. I also hope we go after LaVarr Arrington.

Now I don't know how much of this is possible under the new salary cap, but I'd like to see us try.

The Dude Abides said:

I'm kind of hoping for some Todd Wade/Morlon Greenwood type signings. Bring on the clones! :brickwall

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Prepare to be electrified by the next Todd Wade and Victor Riley and Zach Wiegert. (yawn)

Who needs free agents when you have the likes of Steve McKinney and the ever-reliable Gary Walker and Seth Payne locked up?

if the texans are truly building for now and not for the future, then we should concentrate on the offensive line. there are at least 5 or 6 quality offensive linemen available as UFA. yes, it would be nice to have a complementary receiver opposite johnson, but we have seen the results when carr doesn't have time to check through his progressions. i do agree with bringing in jeb putzier...the guy catches everything thrown his way, can definitely take a hit (how many times was he a highlight on Countdown's Jacked Up?), and already knows the offense. defensively, where do you start? the best place to begin would be to bring in a couple of guys that can rush the quarterback. creating sacks and turnovers would be the best way to improve our defense and give our offense extra possessions.

I would say that a TE is more important than a complementary receiver because for a lot of plays Reggie Bush is going to be the complementary receiver to Andre Johnson. I would focus on a TE, defense, and a good OL player if available for a reasonable price

considering the amount of money we just committed to carr, and the foregone conclusion that we are going to pass on the best running quarterback in the draft, i don't think that we should haggle too much about price when it comes to signing quality FA linemen. we could certainly dump some unnecessary defensive tackles to create the cap room.

stone temple said:

considering the amount of money we just committed to carr, and the foregone conclusion that we are going to pass on the best running quarterback in the draft, i don't think that we should haggle too much about price when it comes to signing quality FA linemen. we could certainly dump some unnecessary defensive tackles to create the cap room.

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Running QB's don't mean less sacks. Culpepper and Vick get sacked a ton.

true,...but with a more stationary quarterback, i think there is a greater premium on the offensive line when we look at free agency.

i think we'll come out of FA with putzier as our TE fixer

i think we'll make a push for bruce or givens...maybe bryant(but remember he's not liked in cleveland because he drops too many passes)

i don't really see a DE that we've been linked to

offensive line i'm not sure how active we'll be...maybe a back-up or two but i don't see us pursueing a starter

but i do see us being heavy in pursuit of either will witherspoon or julian peterson

keyfro said:

maybe bryant(but remember he's not liked in cleveland because he drops too many passes)

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From looking at the stats and the Browns' MB it seems the more important point is Bryant thinks he should be a #1 WR--bad attitude in other words. He had 7 drops on 123 targets last year which is about an average to below average rate. He has all the physical attributes to be a serious WR. Some combination of Kubiak/Sherman/Shanahan needs to convince him they will get the ball to whoever will catch it. He will be way cheaper than Bruce or Givens and is more physically gifted than either.

Who else is getting tired of casserly always saying in the start of free agency that the texans are not going to be big players in free agency, I don't won't to hear that, we should be aggressive not lathargic, I heard him saying that there are not that many good prospects out there, WTF is he talking about!!!! :brickwall

fball said:

Who else is getting tired of casserly always saying in the start of free agency that the texans are not going to be big players in free agency, I don't won't to hear that, we should be aggressive not lathargic, I heard him saying that there are not that many good prospects out there, WTF is he talking about!!!! :brickwall

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Might just be setting the stage for the agents to not get to wound up and try to over charge? We seem to over pay anyway, but it's just a tactic to me.

honestly i think we have got an awesome amount of good full time starters out of the draft, and i think C.C wants to try to build this team through the draft and not through FA, mainly cause u can get some great players for half of what u can get a good FA, i mean look at D. Davis it was worth the little money we were paying him the first 2 years.