JWLCASPER
Waterboy
First let me preface that I believe draft capital to be of utmost importance. I have applauded what Tennessee and Cleveland have done with their trade downs and subsequent drafts. Though losing the top two picks in 2018 is frustrating, I do not believe the Texans have totally missed on their "plan" for subsequent seasons. Giving up the second and getting rid of Brock and getting Watson on a rookie deal free up 10+ million over the next three years. Replace our second round pick with a high price tag free agent (one that can contribute hopefully) with extra space cleared by swapping Osweiler and Watson and their deals, we can feasibly replace the second rounder. With that in mind now we are left looking to recoup the first. For a franchise quarterback (if he is one) two firsts pale in comparison to what other teams had to do to trade up for their quarterback, in this draft and drafts prior. Depending on free agency again we can supplement the loss of the first with free agency for this one year with the extra cap we have open by having our quarterback on a rookie scale deal.
And just for discussion for those who say we can't sustain without first and second rounders... Check the defending champion Patriots below.
2013
No First
2.52 Jamie Collins
2.59 Aaron Dobson
2014
1.29 D. Easley
2.62 J. Garrapolo
2015
1.32 M. Brown
2.64 J. Richards
2016
No first
2.60 C. Jones
2017
No first
No second
3.83 D. Rivers
3.85 A. Garcia
In the years the Patriots had down years in the draft they supplemented well in free agency(this year they cleaned up with free agents as well as moving picks for unwanted players) as well as finding good depth and talent in later rounds by trading down and accumilating more picks.
As dense as many think Rick Smith is, I think the Texans going snail in free agency and hoarding compensation picks after Romo retired shows it was pretty much a done deal that we were losing our first and second rounders next year (Cleveland deals tied together? Deals discussed together? Good foresight?) The additional ammo can still help with depth and or moving back up, while using the freed up cap to compensate for the one draft we decided to skip.
Does all this work out, I can't nor won't say. But I do think something along this lines is the general thinking.
And just for discussion for those who say we can't sustain without first and second rounders... Check the defending champion Patriots below.
2013
No First
2.52 Jamie Collins
2.59 Aaron Dobson
2014
1.29 D. Easley
2.62 J. Garrapolo
2015
1.32 M. Brown
2.64 J. Richards
2016
No first
2.60 C. Jones
2017
No first
No second
3.83 D. Rivers
3.85 A. Garcia
In the years the Patriots had down years in the draft they supplemented well in free agency(this year they cleaned up with free agents as well as moving picks for unwanted players) as well as finding good depth and talent in later rounds by trading down and accumilating more picks.
As dense as many think Rick Smith is, I think the Texans going snail in free agency and hoarding compensation picks after Romo retired shows it was pretty much a done deal that we were losing our first and second rounders next year (Cleveland deals tied together? Deals discussed together? Good foresight?) The additional ammo can still help with depth and or moving back up, while using the freed up cap to compensate for the one draft we decided to skip.
Does all this work out, I can't nor won't say. But I do think something along this lines is the general thinking.
