Lets start out saying wether you want to believe it or not the 2006 season was a success. A lot of nay sayers will compare the Texans to the year the Titans had basically so they can bring up the Vince Young argument. If you bring that argument up it probably means you've been bitter ever since the Texans signed David Carr to the three year extention. I would bet that deep down you've also secretly been hoping and cheering for the Texans to lose so that you can prove a point. Well this thread isn't for you, its for the optimistic Texan fans. The rest of you can move to Nashville and worship your hero there. I'll stay here and be loyal no matter what. So, to start out for the 2007 season we need to get out of the gates with some masjor buzz. First make sure that any player or coach thats has a grievence try to work it out and if it should not work out don't let the door hit you on the way out. The Texans don't need attitude now nor do they need players who don't want to be here. Next on list would be free agency.There are a few players high on my list that I really hope for the organazation to take a real good and long look at. The organazation needs to keep David Carr for one more year. Regardless of the restless fans. Those fans can complain all they want. They'll shut up if Carr starts to win and plays well just look at how he was doing at the beginning of the 2006 season. Lets start out with tight end Daniel Graham from the New England Patriots. You may be saying we don't need him we have Owen Daniels. But wait. Graham is easiely one of the best blocking tight ends in the game. And now since a lot of NFL teams are using two tight end sets this would give the Texans a terrific duo of a pass catcher and dual threat(catch/block) TEs. It could finaicualy work out because Owen Daniels is playing on a rookie contract. So the front office could afford to spend any where between $2 to $4 million a year on Daniel Graham. Graham and the Texans would benefit greatly from one another. Another offensive weakness and also the biggest is one thats been affecting the team since 2001. Thats right the offensive line. Now depending on where the Texans go with in the draft the Front office should consider these three players. First, guard Eric Steinbach. Steinbach has been considered the best o-lineman on one of the best offensive teams in the league. And now Eric's a free agent. The Texans should jump all over him. Yes, he will comand top dollar, but he's worth every penny. Steinbach is a nasty, hard working, and a terrific run/pass blocker. He's been awesome in the orange and black. Eric also brings a winning attitude with him. He brings a knowledge of the game added with center Mike Flanagan would give the o-line a group a solid a smart leaders. Oh, and did I mention he's only twenty six years old. If Steinbach should fall through and we don't sign him guard Kris Dielman of the Chargers should be hottly pursued. Dielman just like Steinbach would bring a fire and nastyness to the o-line. Kris Dielman has been blocking for studs too. Players with high demand for excellence, Phillip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Michael Turner. So Kris knows what it takes to succeed in this league. With these two offensive lineman added to the solid group we had this year the Texans could easily go from the second or third worst o-line in the league to a top ten o-line. On defense there really isn't a whole lot of stud players besides DE Dwight Freeney and OLB Lance Briggs. Probably both of whom will be franchised by their respective teams too. Anyway to start out with the defense the Texans need to bring players from winning programs. I'll start out with an outside linbacker. OLB Cato June might not be one of the most imposing figures on the field but he certainly is not one the weakest. Cato June is a tackling machine, who racks up 100+ with ease. With him on the outside of DeMeco Ryans and on the opposite of Marlon Greenwood the Texans would have one the most athletic and fast sideline to sideline trio of backers in the league. June also brings the ability to cause turnovers. June has intercepted the ball ten times in the past three years. June is excellent in coverage and like I said before is a tackling machine. June and Ryans could combine to make 250+ tackles next season together. The secondary has been a major dissapointment all year. Well maybe not that much of a dissapointment because I wasn't expecting to much outside of Dunte Robinson. That could all change with two signings. At cornerback the Texans should look at Asante Samuel of the New England Patriots. Samuel had 10 INTs this season also coupled with 60+ tackles. He's 25 years old whose excellent in man to man and zone coverage. With Samuel on the left and Robinson on the right we could have a super duo sort of like Nate Clements and Antoine Winfield when they were together in Buffalo. Samuel just like Robinson can stay with any WR in the game and is just is strong and capable against the run as Robinson is. Finally for my free agency want/need list I believe safety Ken Hamlin of the Seahawks would make a nice addition to the secondary. Hamlin has the ability to bring that intimidation factor over the middle. Something the Texans despertly need. He's good in coverage not great but solid and he's excellent in run support. Hamlin, with his 96 total tackles, 2 sacks, 3 INT, and 8 PBU has the ability to make the big play. And in essence thats what the Texans lack and certainly need. Playmakers. Hamlin would look great in the navy and red. Now the draft is where it gets tricky. With the eighth overall pick we have a chance to get a very good impactfull stud. Now personally I would love to bring Adrian Peterson to Houston. After his game against Boise State and coming back from a broken collarbone he shot down all critics about being tough enough to play. Peterson is a playmaker in every sense of the word. He's fast, physical, and very strong. Just look at some of the top backs presently in the NFL. LT, LJ, Frank Gore, Steven Jackson, Rudi Johnson, and so on. All these guys are extremely physical and fast not affraid to get down and dirty to get the tough yards. Adrian Paterson is built like all of these guys.Other than Peterson its really up in the air. OLT Joe Thomas if he lasts to the eighth pick. Safety's Reggie Nelson or LaRon Landry might be to high to pick them. DE Gaines Adams along with Mario Williams would give the Texans an awesome duo on the outside. Maybe even WR Dwayne Jarrett, WR Ted Ginn, RB Marshawn Lynch and a couple of others. But Peterson needs to be the first pick if he's there. If not then Joe Thomas, if he's not then Marshawn Lynch. It has to be a player who can come in and play now. As for the second round pick I think it should be best player available. If Longhorns DT Frank Okam should leave school early I would love the Texans to jump all over him in the second round. Same with OL Justin Blalock if nobody picks him up in the first round. If not those two guys then it has to be best player available regardless of position. I know a lot of people are comparing the Texans to the Titans, Jets, Saints, Packers, and 49ers but you can't do that. All these teams made big impact signings at the beginning of the year with exception of the 49ers. The injury bug didn't hit them as hard. The Texans are on the rise, 6-10 isn't that bad. Its an improvement and with these signings and draft picks they could easily be in contention next season and of coarse do it with David Carr. So instead of hating and complaing its time to be optimistic because everyone has the same record as of today.
