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Welcome to Houston Will Anderson
- Thread starter Texansballer74
- Start date
Some around here don't follow twitter at all
TheRealJoker
Hall of Fame
This is why the team brought him here. He gives the players around him opportunities to make plays and forces offenses to gameplan for him. The stats will come.
Texans were able to take more risks with blitzing/playing tighter coverage against the Saints when Griffin returned at CB. I hope in the back half of the season getting Thomas back at nickel and Stingley (for however long that lasts) emboldens DeMeco to take even more risks and put the team in position to make big plays. Then I predict Anderson’s sacks will start to come, maybe even in bunches.
Dejaview
All Pro
I would just like to see him get a bunch of solo tackles first.
leebigeztx
Keep it Movin!
Nonsense
He has to learn and to get stronger. I believe he will do both
leebigeztx
Keep it Movin!
He's strong enough from what I see. I don't see the get off, bend, and explosion all at once. There have been tons of college pass rushers, but in the nfl the oline can recover so quick that it doesn't register. I'm cool with Tim Ryan of USC fame. Dude had 20 sacks as a senior and got all of 0 in the nfl. It's innate, it can be taught, but some guys have it naturally like Aldon Smith and Von Miller did when they came out. Guys like JJ, who had freakish measurements worked on his and became great. We see Greenard who is basically the same size, maybe a little longer is finishing plays.
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
JJ is on record saying that he felt he was being overcoached & that he only started putting it together late in his rookie year when he just started more or less tuning some of that stuff out he was being coached to do & doing what he knows works for him. That tracks considering that Seth Payne was a very vocal critic of JJ's at times b/c he would very often abandon his gap responsibilties trying to make plays in the backfield. It worked ALOT of the times, but alot of the times it didn't & it hurt the overall defensive scheme/gameplan. That's why JJ loved Reader & was always singing his praises any time people flocked to him about what he was doing; Because Reader would often times cover for him when he was slashing & jumping down out of his gaps.
& Grennard is finishing plays right now...until he gets hurt or he starts drawing the same type of attention WA is drawing. I don't think its a coincidence that Grennard is all of a sudden showing up big time now that there's another capable threat on the other side. The other thing too is, Grennard more often than not is getting the benefit of rushing from the qb's backside. WA is almost always rushing from the front side..qb's see him coming and easily sidestep or step up. I think DR right now just has him focusing on being a contributor to the team..not worried about him getting sacks like fans are. Which is fine for me right now.
leebigeztx
Keep it Movin!
Greenard had 8 sacks a couple of years ago in his 1st season starting. Injuries has been his problem, not ability. Again, I like WA, but the narrative needs to stop about the dbl teams and his attention is helping other guys getting sacks. What I see is a guy who is still striking guys center mass and trying to overpower them. If JJ, Mario, and even Clowney couldn't make that work with their body types, what makes anyone think it will work for Will. Even on that sack he got with Pitre,he didn't beat the tackle, it was a 4 second coverage sack.
When Clowney was in the pre-draft stuff, I said Clowney is going to be a much better run stopper than pass rusher. I'm not ready to put that on Will, but I had the same feelings towards him. That's why other guys were mentioned in the conversation pre-draft. Not only is the Stingley v Gardner looking bad, now mix in Thibodaux who has 8.5 sacks which is making that look even worse. I just hope he gets to 5 sacks this year and maybe next year we see what he learns in the off season.
Texansballer74
The Marine
You do know every player isn’t the same correct? Sometimes it takes some little time to adjust to the speed of the NFL. Got darn it give the young man some time for crying out loud. Nitpicking much
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Dejaview
All Pro
This cold front has the coyotes waking me up the last couple of nights. So I read to get back to sleep. I like WA a lot and I’m really interested in his success. BUT…if the truth be found in WA’s story, for me it’s no longer a priori. I’ll give him praise and all the glory for here on out, a posteriori.
welsh texan
You may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one
I dunno if Lee is playing chess vs my checkers in his breakdown but to compare WAJ to what Thibodeaux is doing in his 2nd year seems crazy, pass rushers often make a big leap in year 2 and Kayvon may well have disappointed Giants fans last year with his 4 sacks, JJ Watt didn’t get high sack numbers as a rookie.
If you want to compare him to a Clowney that’s great for me, freak injury shortened his career at the top level but the run D on this team wasn’t an issue when Clowney was on the field I’m happy with a top pick for that as a floor and watch Greenard go pressure the QB across.
See, I read leebigEZTX & thought... at least he's giving the guy some time to work it out & not nitpicking him.
He's not. He's saying Thibodeaux going off in his 2nd year is making the Stingley pick look all the worse. He says he's hoping WAjr's 2nd year he starts to shine like we hoped Stingley would.
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
Greenard was a 0 his rookie year…had 8 sacks his 2nd year…not that it mattered in the grand scheme of our defense but still he used a whole NFL offseason before he got those.
You highlighting why WA’s sack was nothing special in your eyes is exactly why gauging a rush end by sacks alone is overrated period. None of these guys are beating their man Mano a Mano every single time they notch a sack…They all get help either from the backend coverage or their line mates flushing them a certain way.
I think we all see some of the same things, the difference is in what we’re choosing to focus on & how critical we're being. He does primarily choose to engage center mass as you say with the bull rush and can’t disengage AT TIMES..…but you do see a bevy of moves off of that too. Stutter bull, bull slip…pull slide…his timing just isn’t the greatest right now; to be expected for a rookie. #2, & this is my opinion, I think b/c he’s such a high motor guy and goes all out every play…which i'm sure is a huge part of the reason Demeco absolutely loves for his “swarm” philosophy, I think he gets a little too gassed and doesn’t have enough in the tank when he’s needed down the stretch sometimes. More than once I’ve seen him standing on the sidelines catching a breather for a series on drives where its critical the defense comes up with a stop....Especially in the Panthers and Falcons losses...He’ll learn to reel that in a little bit & pick his spots to be more of a force down the stretch as he gets more experience.... but right now, that shouldn't be used as a knock on him. Something else i noticed this past game is it appears he's also being asked to do more than any of the other rush end guys as well. Last game i saw a play or 2 Meco had him standing up in the middle of the defense like a MLB. So not only is he likely playing more snaps, he's also being asked to do more than Grennard.....& almost certainly more than Hughes.
Where we disagree however is how much attention he's receiving. No question he's being doubled and chipped & even protection being slid his way more than any of the other rush end guys. Its just not disputable at this point.
Texans claimed Myjai Sanders off waivers a few weeks ago. If Grennard concludes his contract season with a career year, i would expect him to probably leave. & if Sanders can come on, you'll have 2 young explosive book end edge guys on cheap rookie deals.
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leebigeztx
Keep it Movin!
If Greenard continues to have the year he's having, you pay him, plain and simple. You don't know what WAJ will become nor Sanders. How you think Reddick got to Philly? He left Arizona, signed a 1 year deal with Panthers. He played well and Carolina let him walk. Greenard is healthy and playing well and he's young. As a rookie he didn't play and last year he was injured again. I wouldn't let him go because they picked up Sanders off the waiver wire.
In terms of WAJ, he has a long way to go. When I look at pass rushers, I'm looking for pop. Does he pop when I watch the all 22? Clowney was disruptive when he was healthy because he's big. He just couldn't bend and pop which is a requirement to be a high end pass rusher. I don't see the suddenness that I saw in aldon Smith, von Miller, mack, Garrett, and guys of that ilk. Sometimes that's just a gift you know? Hopefully he picks up little things that make him more impactful. Right now, he's just trying to strike guys center mass and bull rush guys. Not to mention, most times he's going against the rt vs lt.
Could that be part of his difficulty? In college he mostly went against the LT's... is it hard to switch sides for a DE like it is an OT?
I'm not signing Greenard with his injury history to a significant contract. Guys that stay healthy and do well in contract yrs are fools gold IMHO.
Now, I would spend big money on Banks or Hunter.
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
Good post..but
Reddick got to Philly basically b/c Arizona let him go..declined his 5th year option b/c prior to his 4th year he hadn’t done a damn thing. Carolina apparently didn’t trust him either b/c they only inked him to a 1 year deal after his release from Arizona. By the time he signed in philly, it was known that he was a 1-trick pony…& they can afford to let him be that with all that d-line talent they have.
As for Greenard, I’m not handing him significant money with his injury history. I’d be fine with him signing a team-friendly short term deal, but if he doesn’t want that, I’d let him walk. He just hasn’t shown he can stay healthy & do anything else but be a situational pass rush.
And it’s quite possible that him going against RT’s is hurting his sack numbers..1, those guys tend to be a little stronger on that side, & more of the road grader types. 2, as I asserted earlier, qb’s can see him coming from that side. 3, that’s also probably why he is seeing more doubling and chipping on that side, those guys need a little help to counteract his speed on the outside.
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leebigeztx
Keep it Movin!
You can always put language in the contract to protect yourself against injury. Letting your best defensive lineman walk out the door is hustling backwards.
In regards to Will vs RT, I'd he can't beat the guy deemed lesser of the 2, he's damn sure isn't going to beat a guy who is better. I mean go watch him vs the Tennessee lt last year. He basically man handled him without help. Yes the lt went high 1st rd, but that's what the nfl fields every week.
leebigeztx
Keep it Movin!
Reddick had a career year his last year in Arizona with 12.5 sacks. I guess they thought it was a fluke until he got 11 in Carolina. They saw it, signed him, and it's paid off. Injuries are part of football. You never know when it happens. Like I said, you have to replace talent with talent or you're hustling backwards. You want to have to pay guys the team drafted vs going and gambling on someone you don't know. If Greenard ends up with 14 sacks, you're just going to let him walk out the door huh? 26 yr old edge players don't grow on trees.
Porky
Hall of Fame
Grenard is being double teamed 24% of snaps, WA is double teamed on 23% of snaps.
Will is exactly who I thought he would be based on my draft evaluation. I paid a ton of attention to Will pre draft. Good overall player, but he never looked to me like a Von Miller. I didn’t see the explosive burst, the bend, or the moves of Miller or a few others of that ilk. I was borderline with him at the #3 spot. That’s sans any trade - just straight up. My thought is if I am picking a guy at #3 he has to get the QB on the ground early and often and I just didn’t see it. Yet I loved him in just about all other areas - hence I was 50/50 on him. Add in the additional draft capital, and Von Miller is the low end of what I need to see to say he was worth the Jack.
Yes he will get better this year and especially next year. His sack numbers will come up. He is relentless and a high effort guy, and he will find some moves with experience. He can be “good” as a pass rusher in time. Great? Seriously doubtful imho. Sorry…just don’t see it.
Will is exactly who I thought he would be based on my draft evaluation. I paid a ton of attention to Will pre draft. Good overall player, but he never looked to me like a Von Miller. I didn’t see the explosive burst, the bend, or the moves of Miller or a few others of that ilk. I was borderline with him at the #3 spot. That’s sans any trade - just straight up. My thought is if I am picking a guy at #3 he has to get the QB on the ground early and often and I just didn’t see it. Yet I loved him in just about all other areas - hence I was 50/50 on him. Add in the additional draft capital, and Von Miller is the low end of what I need to see to say he was worth the Jack.
Yes he will get better this year and especially next year. His sack numbers will come up. He is relentless and a high effort guy, and he will find some moves with experience. He can be “good” as a pass rusher in time. Great? Seriously doubtful imho. Sorry…just don’t see it.
So who did you want the Texans to draft?
DeMeco thinks he's special and I'll take DeMeco's evaluation over yours... no offense intended
So if you had the #3 overall who would you take coming out of college, Von Miller or Jj Watt?
He was still a LB here when JJ was drafted so I doubt he scouted him at all but you know he followed WAJ
I'm not paying a guy what he will get paid if he has that type of year, especially when he's only done it in a contract yr and has his injury history that dates back to college. BTW, I wanted them to sign Reddick but knew he wanted to play for Rhule.
Speedy
Former Yeller Dweller
Who cares? Both are going to be HOFers.
The point is WAJ is 7 games into his career. Most rookies don't have rocket fast starts. And if he ends up having a HOF career is he worth #3 then?
Miller went at #2 so you wouldn't have had that choice
Why didn't you tell us this before the draft?
Leebig and me both said we thought WA would be a good not great player and hoped we were wrong. Remember I wanted Carter.
Texansballer74
The Marine
xtruroyaltyx
Hall of Fame
I think the stats will come when he improves.
Hes got great natural ability and a high motor, but he needs to refine some things to become the dominant force the Texans envisioned by taking him so high.
xtruroyaltyx
Hall of Fame
I said the same thing before the draft as well.
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
Too many folks framing what WAJ does in the lens of where he was drafted…it’s tiresome having convos about a players worth based on a frickin draft slot…or the capital used to acquire said player. It’s irrelevant if the guy is a stud for you & there’s no question …even to this point in his career that WAJ is a stud for this defense… It’s just the wrong way to look at any player other than a qb. ESPECIALLY a defensive player. The kid is literally doing everything else good and right on the field that doesn’t show up in a box score.
The only questions that need answering is is he making a significant positive impact on the defense and whether he’s making plays. And for WAJ the answer to both those questions is a resounding yes.
The only questions that need answering is is he making a significant positive impact on the defense and whether he’s making plays. And for WAJ the answer to both those questions is a resounding yes.
And yet they're all football savvy enough to judge a players career before half a season is played
Pronounced Green ard (as in arf but with a d) or aard if you prefer. short a
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Mr teX
Hall of Fame
is Greenard our best defensive lineman tho? Outside of sacks, what is he doing significantly better than WAJ that’s showing up in the box score? Answer: absolutely nothing. Their stats look damn near identical outside of the sack numbers. WAJ is a rookie still learning how to be a pro & is experiencing some growing pains. Where was the 4th year pro Greenard on that last drive for the Panthers and Falcons losses? He may be the best pass rusher now by 1 single metric…but he’s not exactly showing up when we need him most either…and he’s not only never hit double digit sacks, but he hasn’t even played a full season yet.
you don’t pay that guy a lot of money. Sure you can put in language to protect you against injury….but he doesn’t have to sign it….lol if he’s getting a better offer elsewhere…he gone.
badboy
Hall of Fame
per JJ Watt:
badboy
Hall of Fame
oh my Will gonna be a HOFer, marry a soccer player and get an HEB commercial!!
Well.. probably the commercial?
badboy
Hall of Fame
Anyway we could trade and get both of them?
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
I don’t even think that’s it. I’ve seen him use numerous moves getting to the qb. He may need to refine them, but he’s pretty damn good with his hands already. What it comes down to for me is how teams are attacking us. the ball is out pretty fast with the short passing game & We’ve now seen some average to terrible qb’s in Minshew, Ridder and now Young, matriculate the ball down the field on with multiple 10+ play drives pretty damn easily at critical junctures to win games against us. The defensive line..those guys are in a wide 9 set up..That’s 1 of the 2 textbook gameplans for how to neutralize a pass rush. IOW’s there aren’t that many obvious pass rush opportunities & t’s just hard to get home when the ball is coming out so quickly.
That’s why we’re near the bottom in total team sacks and pass yards given up, but a top 10 team by PPG given up..even better than the Jets….who by the way only have 2 more sacks as a team than we do…They have the same sort of issues we do. Teams get the ball out quickly against them and there are just limited opportunities for sacks…that in essence hurts any pas rusher.
leebigeztx
Keep it Movin!
Cmon bro, Greenard has been the best d-line player on the squad with or without the sacks. Now if you want to use his injury as a reason, fine, but when he's played, he's produced. Vs Panthers, he had near misses on top of the ones he got.
leebigeztx
Keep it Movin!
Without looking, how many sacks you think 49ers had last year?
Are you really comparing the 49ers with the Texans?