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Wade Phillips Assuming Prominent Role in Assembling Texans' Defense
By John Oehser
INDIANAPOLIS -- Rick Smith didn't shy away from the issue.
Smith, the general manager of the Houston Texans, spoke to the media at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine, and though the event is in a very real sense the start of the coming season, Smith also addressed the season just past.
And for the Texans, that wasn't the most pleasant of seasons.
After beginning the season with high hopes, and a victory over the Indianapolis Colts, the Texans slipped to a position all-too familiar in the franchise's nine seasons -- a sub .500 record far from the postseason.
Discussing the season, Smith used the word, "frustrating." And he used it quickly.
"That was the frustrating thing about this season -- we'd been working hard these last few years, and we really felt like we had the opportunity to have some success," Smith said.
Instead, the Texans after a 4-2 start, lost eight of their final 10 games, with a struggling defense and an inability to hold late leads turning a season of promise into a ninth consecutive season without a playoff appearance.
Smith said the season was particularly disappointing considering the Texans finished the previous season 9-7 -- the first winning record in franchise history.
"We really felt like we were poised to have some success," Smith said. "Obviously, we fell short."
The Texans moved quickly in the offseason to address the defense, hiring former Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator. He is in the process of switching the defense from a 4-3 scheme to a 3-4, and Texans coach Gary Kubiak said Phillips will have a prominent voice in the acquisition of defensive personnel.
"I think that is a huge strength of his, so we'll be leaning on him big-time," Kubiak said. "That's what we brought him for. We're going to listen to him and get this defensive football team turned around."
Smith said the Texans' scouts met in Mobile, Ala., at the Senior Bowl to become familiar with scouting 3-4 players.
"We've really opened ourselves up to some potential options that were not there before," Smith said. "We've opened ourselves up to some guys players we otherwise wouldn't have looked at."
Smith said while the Texans will remain focused on the draft, he said they also will be aggressive in free agency -- if and when there is a free-agency period this offseason.
"We look to every avenue to improve," Smith said. "We have a pretty good idea of where we're going to address things in the off-season."
While neither Smith nor Kubiak said specifically the Texans will emphasize defense on the first day of the draft, Kubiak said, "You and I both know we had big problems on that side of the ball last year. We made a big commitment to come in and get our defensive football team going very quickly.
"We'll have to evaluate the draft. That won't change, but obviously that's a big part of our football team that needs (to be) corrected."
http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/02/25/gary-kubiak-wade-phillips-to-play-prominent-role-in-assembling/
By John Oehser
INDIANAPOLIS -- Rick Smith didn't shy away from the issue.
Smith, the general manager of the Houston Texans, spoke to the media at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine, and though the event is in a very real sense the start of the coming season, Smith also addressed the season just past.
And for the Texans, that wasn't the most pleasant of seasons.
After beginning the season with high hopes, and a victory over the Indianapolis Colts, the Texans slipped to a position all-too familiar in the franchise's nine seasons -- a sub .500 record far from the postseason.
Discussing the season, Smith used the word, "frustrating." And he used it quickly.
"That was the frustrating thing about this season -- we'd been working hard these last few years, and we really felt like we had the opportunity to have some success," Smith said.
Instead, the Texans after a 4-2 start, lost eight of their final 10 games, with a struggling defense and an inability to hold late leads turning a season of promise into a ninth consecutive season without a playoff appearance.
Smith said the season was particularly disappointing considering the Texans finished the previous season 9-7 -- the first winning record in franchise history.
"We really felt like we were poised to have some success," Smith said. "Obviously, we fell short."
The Texans moved quickly in the offseason to address the defense, hiring former Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator. He is in the process of switching the defense from a 4-3 scheme to a 3-4, and Texans coach Gary Kubiak said Phillips will have a prominent voice in the acquisition of defensive personnel.
"I think that is a huge strength of his, so we'll be leaning on him big-time," Kubiak said. "That's what we brought him for. We're going to listen to him and get this defensive football team turned around."
Smith said the Texans' scouts met in Mobile, Ala., at the Senior Bowl to become familiar with scouting 3-4 players.
"We've really opened ourselves up to some potential options that were not there before," Smith said. "We've opened ourselves up to some guys players we otherwise wouldn't have looked at."
Smith said while the Texans will remain focused on the draft, he said they also will be aggressive in free agency -- if and when there is a free-agency period this offseason.
"We look to every avenue to improve," Smith said. "We have a pretty good idea of where we're going to address things in the off-season."
While neither Smith nor Kubiak said specifically the Texans will emphasize defense on the first day of the draft, Kubiak said, "You and I both know we had big problems on that side of the ball last year. We made a big commitment to come in and get our defensive football team going very quickly.
"We'll have to evaluate the draft. That won't change, but obviously that's a big part of our football team that needs (to be) corrected."
http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/02/25/gary-kubiak-wade-phillips-to-play-prominent-role-in-assembling/