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If they don't start, they didn't "fill" the position. That's a fact.
Right... unless they did something in addition to drafting Howard/Scharping. Which they did. They brought in Kalil.
If you're sitting on the bench, you're not filling anything other than a roster spot, you aren't filling a position.
Picking up Kalil in FA does nothing to alter their worth as draft picks. As of now, Kalil is nothing more than Boselli 2.0, without having reached the Boselli potential.
If Tytus Howard doesn't start THIS year, we wasted pick #23, no matter how he pans out long term.
I disagree. I understand the thinking, but I can't side with short sided thinking. We're not the Eagles, I get that. We don't have Jason Peters, I get that. But if it is prudent for them to draft a guy in the first they have no intention of starting day 1, or even year 1... it is just as prudent for us to do the same.
Unfortunately, we don't have a Jason Peters, we have Julien Davenport. To behave as if we're on equal footing is a fool's errand. What you call short-sighted, I call prudent.
We need a starter to protect Watson NOW, or he won't be around to protect when your big-upside LT is finally ready.
We need to fix the LT position. There was only one legit no questions asked day starting LT in this draft & his name wasn't Dillard. Yeah, Dillard probably would start day 1 here. Howard may as well, here. But legit ready to start LTs don't usually make it to 23.
Does that make Dillard legit then...as he didn't make it past 22?
The second OT doesn't usually last until #22, much less 23.
Care to go back and chart how the second OT taken in the draft overall has fared? Has the third been better or worse? How have they looked as rookies?
The Texans need to keep Watson upright and unharmed as priority one. Given how horrible the blocking was last year in every phase of the game, if the Texans didn't get guys who could immediately improve the line in both FA and the Draft, they've failed.
If they didn't. I agree.
Now it's too early to say they didn't. I can say I don't agree with what they've done. But you're right. If our blocking is not better, they failed.
Agreed, it's too early. Maybe Kalil makes a complete turnaround and is ready both physically and mentally Day 1. Maybe Davenport makes gigantic strides in year two. Maybe Tytus Howard is not only the real deal, but is ready to go Day 1. Maybe Scharping surprises everyone and displaces a starter by September.
If ANY of the above scenarios happen, I'd be almost giddy. If more than one happens (or God forbid, we actually have quality depth when needed), I'll be ecstatic. Those are some long odds though.
Hell, at this point I'd be happy if our max protect percentage falls by 20% or more.