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FLASHBACK decision to take Mario Williams.

Texecutioner

Hall of Fame
I admitted in plenty of threads before that I was indeed disappointed when we drafted Mario Williams. I wanted Reggie Bush. My main concern was that the Texans fell in love with him because of his combine workout instead of what he did on the football field. Also, due to the fact that I had never seen Mario play I wanted Reggie Bush on the team more because I saw more of his games on tv. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that while it's nice that Mario Williams is getting all this attention from the media, his career is not going to be defined by what he did last year. This battle between Bush, Young, and Williams will go on for a long time. And it is really premature to declare anyone a clear winner at this point. I'm hoping Mario Williams becomes the player everyone says he's going to be but we'll have to wait and see. At this point imo really, he's just gotten off to a great start.
Completely agreed Nawzer. It was just last year that half the world wasn't stoked about Mario other than many Texan fans. Now he's getting represented at #6 best player in the NFL after one year.

VY won ROTY and took a team that was like 1-4 to the playoffs when no one gave the team a chance to do anything the least two years. Then last year though, VY had a pretty bad season and everyone thinks he is a bust. NOt me, but many people do.

Then Reggie Bush was HUGE at the end of his rookie season and hit a few HR plays and played really well in the playoffs against the Bears. Then last year he pretty much stunk up the field all year.

It's to early to tell who will be the best out of all three. I think by the end of this year though, we'll all have a pretty good idea of who will be really good for a long time. It might be all 3, because I haven't written off Bush or VY just yet and I expect Mario to be huge as well.
 

Wolf

100% Texan
I don't know when this article was written.. Topix.net has the link as 9 hours ago, but reading it .. seems like last year

still a good read though

even though some of it I have to roll my eyes, but overall the character of Williams makes me
:texflag:

Mario Williams is feeling the love...for now
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3544951&campaign=rsssrch&source=seth_wickersham

When today's party ends, when Williams is finally sitting and off his toes, he speeds away in a white Expedition to Frenchy's, already his favorite Houston spot. Nobody knows exactly who he is while he orders his 10-piece meal, but the patrons know he's somebody. As Williams grabs his food, a girl no older than 10, wearing a green "Aloha, Princess" T-shirt, points and says, "There goes Vince Young!" Then she asks for an autograph.

What does Williams do?

He signs the girl's scrap of paper. And walks away smiling.
 

Texans_Chick

Utopian Dreamer
The biggest problem I had with everything relating to this is that the local paper and the local media in general never gave Williams a fair shake in introducing him to the public. Just providing basic facts about him.

They mocked the decision makers by featuring drooling cartoons of infininite bad taste. They basically called him a physical freak and called it a day. They said nothing about how he compared to other players, how he was respected by his teammates or his gaudy college stats.

I think it is foolish for most fans or media types to say definitively THIS guy is great or THIS guy sucks. Most of us don't have enough info to say one way or another. All we can do is learn the most we can about a player, and try to figure out if that player makes sense for the situation.

So, this is what I said in 2006 (even though my name is only in small print at the bottom of the page):

The ultimate Mario Williams compendium

Mario Williams compendium, part II

The idea of the silly titled compendiums came from that first night the Williams pick was announced as the pick. I started researching anything I could find from BEFORE the draft--before people knew that Williams was going to be picked #1. And the more I posted largely complimentary articles about him, the more people started coming off the ledge.

I think that at the time, so many people were abused by that Pendry offense. That the offense was so unwatchable, they just wanted to see something exciting on offense--whether it be VY or Reggie. This, of course, masked the fact that the defensive side of the ball in 2005 had very little talent on it and was for the first time the worst defense in the league. The massive drop off on the defense gave the offense no wiggle room for stupid stuff that the Capers era offenses typically did.

In retrospect especially, picking defense seems so more sensible though a number of us said it at the time. The Texans have cobbled together an offense that can move the ball. Can you imagine how much worse the Texans defense would be with no Mario, no DeMeco? (some people wanted to pick offensive line with the second pick that year).

Vince Young would still be developing if he were a Texan. Kubiak, if he hadn't been fired already, would be trying to figure out an offense that would work for Young. Longhorn-first fans would be blaming it all on the line, receivers and coaching staff. This MB would be an unpleasant place.

I'm thinking Kubiak could have found a place for Reggie Bush, but likely nothing worth the first pick in the draft.

The 2006 draft was a precursor of things to come. That nobody wants the first pick any more, or more accurately, they don't want to spend the first pick money on a rookie. That if teams have to spend that money, they want to spend it on a durable, hard to acquire position through free agency sort of pick.
 

Specnatz

Hall of Fame
And this is why so many of us can't stand justice and have no respect for him and truely wish we could send him off to ..... who cares as long as it is many many miles away from here. I have said how I feel about the chron and how they work regarding the blogs so I will refrain for once and just say the chron sucks. Every single bit of the sports section sucks. The one decent writer they had no longer writes for them, she now writes for AOL fanhouse and that is where my viewing has moved to. Unless someone post a link I do not even have it saved in favorites anymore.



:texflag:
 

Texans_Chick

Utopian Dreamer
And this is why so many of us can't stand justice and have no respect for him and truely wish we could send him off to ..... who cares as long as it is many many miles away from here. I have said how I feel about the chron and how they work regarding the blogs so I will refrain for once and just say the chron sucks. Every single bit of the sports section sucks. The one decent writer they had no longer writes for them, she now writes for AOL fanhouse and that is where my viewing has moved to. Unless someone post a link I do not even have it saved in favorites anymore.



:texflag:
I read the Chronicle. But like everything I read, I read it with a critical eye and only after I've read the entire press conference stuff first.

Sometimes the Chronicle has information that is worth reading. I've enjoyed some of the Dale Robertson writing about the Texans and hope to see more of it. Makes me think of old Oiler days some.

I've enjoyed the early stuff from the ESPN AFC South blog.

You just don't read the Chronicle to get analysis of stuff, except for maybe Lance's blog who is really good, even if you don't completely agree with him on things.
 

Señor Stan

El Guapo
Vince Young would still be developing if he were a Texan. Kubiak, if he hadn't been fired already, would be trying to figure out an offense that would work for Young. Longhorn-first fans would be blaming it all on the line, receivers and coaching staff. This MB would be an unpleasant place.

I'm thinking Kubiak could have found a place for Reggie Bush, but likely nothing worth the first pick in the draft.

My biggest feeling of relief from not drafting Bush is that had he been taken by the Texans and produced (or better phrased not produced) at his current rate, Houston would be getting killed by the national media and we would be subjected to endless "Poor Reggie" articles.

Since he ended up with the Saints who have a proven rusher in Duece McAllister, Reggie has no excuses.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Go back to page 325-327 of this forum's archives for some fun reading about the draft.

04/28/06 is still the highest number of people on this forum, and I remember that night well. Thunderkyss and I were two that I recall were defending the pick against a crush of Reggie/Vince manlovers and Bob McNair haters. Reading back is quite amusing.
Thanks for the recognition.


But I was really an anybody but Bush hopeful.

My argument:

1. He's not the typical kind of player you take with the #1 overall. And there's a reason for that. A Wide Receiver that is ready to start on day one.. yes. An everydown RB... yes. But a guy who can't start day one(much less, three years later) at either position.... I don't think so. Top ten.... sure, but #1 overall.... uh-uh.

2. If we're going to spend a #1 overall on offense, then let's address the biggest problem on offense.... QB. Change the QB, and our offensive line is one of the best in the league.... duh. Now, I didn't see Lienart as a #1 overall QB. I didn't see Cutler as a #1 overall QB. Vince.... say what you want, but he's done exactly what was expected of him in the NFL. He is the teams leader.... he's a playmaker.. he keeps drives alive with his legs... he struggles in the passing game. Now on our team, he wouldn't have started the first season, may not have had to start his second season, and this year, he'd be much better prepared to handle NFL defenses.

But had we taken Lienart, or Cutler, I'd have been equally on board.

3. D'Brick was the pick that made the most sense. I expected us to pick D'Brick, but after seeing Mario manhandle him in their rookie seasons.... I'm over it.

4. Mario Williams.... our defense sucked. How could anyone think this was the wrong pick.

5. AJ Hawk.... We would have to have every reason to believe he is the second coming of LT for me to take(or want to take) a LB with the #1 overall..... but if we picked AJ Hawk in Lieu of Reggie, I would have been totally fine with that.
 
And this is why so many of us can't stand justice and have no respect for him and truely wish we could send him off to ..... who cares as long as it is many many miles away from here. I have said how I feel about the chron and how they work regarding the blogs so I will refrain for once and just say the chron sucks. Every single bit of the sports section sucks. The one decent writer they had no longer writes for them, she now writes for AOL fanhouse and that is where my viewing has moved to. Unless someone post a link I do not even have it saved in favorites anymore.



:texflag:
I like both McClain and Justice. Neither are particularly analytical, but both are entertaining.
 

Specnatz

Hall of Fame
I read the Chronicle. But like everything I read, I read it with a critical eye and only after I've read the entire press conference stuff first.

Sometimes the Chronicle has information that is worth reading. I've enjoyed some of the Dale Robertson writing about the Texans and hope to see more of it. Makes me think of old Oiler days some.

I've enjoyed the early stuff from the ESPN AFC South blog.

You just don't read the Chronicle to get analysis of stuff, except for maybe Lance's blog who is really good, even if you don't completely agree with him on things.
I used to Love reading Dale, but something has put him on the back burner. Maybe it is some sort of office politics crap. Oh and I guess I have forgotten about Lances blog. It is all the fluff and noninformative stuff that bogs me down and makes me forget of the few lone brightspots.
 

Specnatz

Hall of Fame
I like both McClain and Justice. Neither are particularly analytical, but both are entertaining.
What is to like? The info they provide I can get here or at HT.com. No insight what so ever. 10 o'clock sports small bits of info. The news paper is for more indepth info and analysis and the chron does not provide that for the most part. Like TC pointed out, Lance has a very good blog but that is on the website and when they let Dale do a piece on the Texans it will be better than anything the other hacks spew.
 
What is to like? The info they provide I can get here or at HT.com. No insight what so ever. 10 o'clock sports small bits of info. The news paper is for more indepth info and analysis and the chron does not provide that for the most part. Like TC pointed out, Lance has a very good blog but that is on the website and when they let Dale do a piece on the Texans it will be better than anything the other hacks spew.
I like Lance too and he thinks Richard Justice is informative enough to bring on his radio show.

I'd be surprised if McClain wasn't invited if it weren't for other contractual obligations.

YMMV
 
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