Wolf
100% Texan
TOM'S TAKE: The Texans season-by-season records: 4-12, 5-11, 7-9, 2-14. Before last season it seemed they were a team on the rise, and don't be mistaken, they are. Last season was a hiccup in the Texans' overall improvement. This year will be the one that gets them back on track. Success in the NFL starts up front on both sides of the ball, and the Texans have reconstructed their look on both lines.
They're biggest weakness in their four years in the NFL has been the offensive line, and to remedy that they brought in the man with an incredible pedigree in that regard, Gary Kubiak. They also made incredible strides fixing the personnel on the line, adding two starters via the draft and one in free agency. Eric Winston was an absolute steal in the third round -- the tackle has first round talent but dropped due to a knee injury. Charles Spencer is a player who will initially struggle adapting to the NFL, but will develop into a starter with time. Luckily, Seth Wand is a good stopgap until he's ready for full-time action. They, along with free agent center Mike Flanagan, will combine to give David Carr more protection. It takes a while for an offensive line to get on the same page, especially when you're uprooting 60% of last year's line for new players. But they took a giant step in the right direction, securing two bookend tackles that will block Carr for years. This will help Carr stay on his feet and find both Andre Johnson and new addition Eric Moulds, a true #1 receiver that will provide a much-needed distraction from Johnson, allowing the young budding superstar room to get open. Dom Davis will also benefit from better line play -- he's managed to pick up almost 3,200 career yards in 40 games, picking up 976 last year (337 receiving yards, as well) despite only playing in 11 games. Of course, 40 games in three seasons indicates that Davis has missed some time with injuries, but his haven't been serious. They're the type of nagging ailments that improved line play will help prevent.
The Texans added three nameworthy defensive ends -- Anthony Weaver, N.D. Kalu, and the infamous Mario Williams. Ignoring whether or not they should have taken Bush, Williams has the tools to be an elite defensive end. My only concern with him is all of the negativity coming from the local and national media. People are ready to jump all over him even though he's yet to take a snap in the NFL. If he can avoid the pressure to be a legend from Week 1, and take solace in steadily improving his game each week, he'll be fine. I don't know if he has the mental makeup to be this strong, but he's shown thus far, at least on the surface, that he hasn't been bothered by the city's displeasure with him.
At linebacker, the Texans added two new starters.
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http://out-route.gloriousnoise.com/2006/08/nfl_preview_houston_texans.php