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6th round pick Jordan Thomas TE Miss State

badboy said:
My hope here is O'line is good enough that TE can play like a TE and not have to be another tackle keeping Watson on his feet. I want another receiving option for #4 not another speed bump hoping to slow an opponent.
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That's a similar feeling I have when hoping the chicken scratch lands on my bingo square... Truth is, hoping the best for the least positive aspect of this team is fanatical :) While there are many factoids I've come to believe in my life as an NFL fan, the 2 top ones are conflicting to this entire season's hopes...
1. QB is the most important position on the entire team. Without that position being filled by a player with the "it" factor, your season is probably going to go in line with that positions' abilities.
2. Games are won and lost in the trenches.

While I totally like the concept of another option downfield, don't forget there's still two options coming out of the backfield, which has more potential than anything to be seen thus far from the TE spot as a play maker. As high as people are, myself included, on Watson, his level of success is still going to hinge on the O-line's success. To me that's the difference between a good season/game and a great one from under center. Over the course of the season, there will be flashes of brilliance and of demise, however the body of work will be the culmination of the season's production at the line. I personally would rather a TE that can play as a Tackle, rather than a TE because I feel that Watson is so much more a play maker with the ball in his hands than any of the prospective TE's currently on the roster. In pass plays, if the TE is blocking and Watson can't make do with 3 WR's and an option out of the backfield, he's still more dangerous picking up the yards himself, or at the very least with that blocking TE, combined with Watson's scrambling ability, has more time to make do with the other 4 receiving targets. On the run side of the play, with a blocking TE, Miller has a better chance to make a play as well.

Would a pro-bowl TE make for a different argument? Absolutely, but until that player surfaces, I'd rather bet on the hot handed talent from a more protection concept, as I don't believe banking on the O-line is going to be fruitful over the course of a season.
 
I would drop Prosch and move Anderson to FB. I would only hope that Robinson, the Texans 6-8 TE can finalize his development this season so he can be added to the roster. I think his value could far exceed that of Anderson's as a receiving TE.
 
Trail.Blazr said:
That's a similar feeling I have when hoping the chicken scratch lands on my bingo square... Truth is, hoping the best for the least positive aspect of this team is fanatical :) While there are many factoids I've come to believe in my life as an NFL fan, the 2 top ones are conflicting to this entire season's hopes...
1. QB is the most important position on the entire team. Without that position being filled by a player with the "it" factor, your season is probably going to go in line with that positions' abilities.
2. Games are won and lost in the trenches.

While I totally like the concept of another option downfield, don't forget there's still two options coming out of the backfield, which has more potential than anything to be seen thus far from the TE spot as a play maker. As high as people are, myself included, on Watson, his level of success is still going to hinge on the O-line's success. To me that's the difference between a good season/game and a great one from under center. Over the course of the season, there will be flashes of brilliance and of demise, however the body of work will be the culmination of the season's production at the line. I personally would rather a TE that can play as a Tackle, rather than a TE because I feel that Watson is so much more a play maker with the ball in his hands than any of the prospective TE's currently on the roster. In pass plays, if the TE is blocking and Watson can't make do with 3 WR's and an option out of the backfield, he's still more dangerous picking up the yards himself, or at the very least with that blocking TE, combined with Watson's scrambling ability, has more time to make do with the other 4 receiving targets. On the run side of the play, with a blocking TE, Miller has a better chance to make a play as well.

Would a pro-bowl TE make for a different argument? Absolutely, but until that player surfaces, I'd rather bet on the hot handed talent from a more protection concept, as I don't believe banking on the O-line is going to be fruitful over the course of a season.
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Great post, this is what I've been saying for the last 2 yrs and until Gaine/BOB develop this philosophy the Texans wont be true contenders. This yr the only thing Texans fans can hope is that 2 of Davenport/Henderson/Rankins can develop into serviceable OT's (I suppose this could happen) and the backup OG's signed in FA can play. That's a lot of if's when it comes to protecting your franchise QB who's coming off of ACL surgery. One thing is for sure Devlin has his work cut out for him.

Sad thing is the Texans org

1. Finally finds a franchise QB
2. Fails to adequately protect the franchise QB

History is repeating itself, they did the same thing with Carr and who knows if he could've become a franchise QB. Watson is a franchise QB who may not actually become one because of a failure to protect him.
 
steelbtexan said:
Great post, this is what I've been saying for the last 2 yrs and until Gaine/BOB develop this philosophy the Texans wont be true contenders. This yr the only thing Texans fans can hope is that 2 of Davenport/Henderson/Rankins can develop into serviceable OT's (I suppose this could happen) and the backup OG's signed in FA can play. That's a lot of if's when it comes to protecting your franchise QB who's coming off of ACL surgery. One thing is for sure Devlin has his work cut out for him.

Sad thing is the Texans org

1. Finally finds a franchise QB
2. Fails to adequately protect the franchise QB

History is repeating itself, they did the same thing with Carr and who knows if he could've become a franchise QB. Watson is a franchise QB who may not actually become one because of a failure to protect him.
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We are quite a ways from completing the staffing of our roster as it's only May and there are a lot more cuts to be made by the teams and it's still very possible that Gaine could pull off a trade or two.
 
IDEXAN said:
We are quite a ways from completing the staffing of our roster as it's only May and there are a lot more cuts to be made by the teams and it's still very possible that Gaine could pull off a trade or two.
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Same thing was said this time last year.

There will be no major upgrades at this point in the season. Any upgrades will be minor. Think Chris Clark, unless they get really lucky
 
steelbtexan said:
Same thing was said this time last year.

There will be no major upgrades at this point in the season. Any upgrades will be minor. Think Chris Clark, unless they get really lucky
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Well now as you know we've got a different captain at the helm than we did this time last year, and I'd remind you that the new GM has been the recipient of your personal endorsement for which I concur so I'm going with a wait-and-see attitude until we have KO in New England in September.
 
IDEXAN said:
Well now as you know we've got a different captain at the helm than we did this time last year, and I'd remind you that the new GM has been the recipient of your personal endorsement for which I concur so I'm going with a wait-and-see attitude until we have KO in New England in September.
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Fair enough,

Gaine has done a good job this off-season .

It's just too much to ask him to find a player that's a difference maker at this point.
 
steelbtexan said:
Fair enough,

Gaine has done a good job this off-season .

It's just too much to ask him to find a player that's a difference maker at this point.
Click to expand...

Possible but don't forget on Hard Knocks that Gaine was the guy who put Demps through a workout. Signs him, and he ends up having a great season. That came during training camp, correct?

There are players out there that can help this team.
 
steelbtexan said:
Fair enough,

Gaine has done a good job this off-season .

It's just too much to ask him to find a player that's a difference maker at this point.
Click to expand...
OK I like that. Gaine himself couldn't ask from a more reasoned and fair assessment for his very brief time OTJ so far.
So like you say SteelB it's a lot to ask of him but I'll just remain hopeful and leave it at that.
 
AngryNateFTW said:
Possible but don't forget on Hard Knocks that Gaine was the guy who put Demps through a workout. Signs him, and he ends up having a great season. That came during training camp, correct?

There are players out there that can help this team.
Click to expand...
Good memory there AngryNate, I'd forgot all about that situation.
 
Trail.Blazr said:
That's a similar feeling I have when hoping the chicken scratch lands on my bingo square... Truth is, hoping the best for the least positive aspect of this team is fanatical :) While there are many factoids I've come to believe in my life as an NFL fan, the 2 top ones are conflicting to this entire season's hopes...
1. QB is the most important position on the entire team. Without that position being filled by a player with the "it" factor, your season is probably going to go in line with that positions' abilities.
2. Games are won and lost in the trenches.

While I totally like the concept of another option downfield, don't forget there's still two options coming out of the backfield, which has more potential than anything to be seen thus far from the TE spot as a play maker. As high as people are, myself included, on Watson, his level of success is still going to hinge on the O-line's success. To me that's the difference between a good season/game and a great one from under center. Over the course of the season, there will be flashes of brilliance and of demise, however the body of work will be the culmination of the season's production at the line. I personally would rather a TE that can play as a Tackle, rather than a TE because I feel that Watson is so much more a play maker with the ball in his hands than any of the prospective TE's currently on the roster. In pass plays, if the TE is blocking and Watson can't make do with 3 WR's and an option out of the backfield, he's still more dangerous picking up the yards himself, or at the very least with that blocking TE, combined with Watson's scrambling ability, has more time to make do with the other 4 receiving targets. On the run side of the play, with a blocking TE, Miller has a better chance to make a play as well.

Would a pro-bowl TE make for a different argument? Absolutely, but until that player surfaces, I'd rather bet on the hot handed talent from a more protection concept, as I don't believe banking on the O-line is going to be fruitful over the course of a season.
Click to expand...
All I can point to is what happened when Watson was playing and that was with a much lesser Oline than we have this season...on paper. So your #1 super cedes your #2. Our offensive trench guys didn't win many battles but #4 provided not only the fireworks but lighted them also. I agree as I stated in my post that Miller was good receiving back but again that was with a sorry O'line. We should get even better from him with our much improved one (again on paper). #4 was 62% with over 8 yards per avg..we need him passing even more with good, fresh targets.
Let's not forget the comments from almost all of us when we got speed in Fuller, Ervin and Braxton Miller to go with what we thought would be Lamar Miller's role. We voiced "lots of fast targets...who is going to defend all of them?" Nothing has changed and we have added speed again. If we need a TE to play OT let's put an OT on the end that has some bulk.
 
IDEXAN said:
"The answer at TE" O-T ? You mean like our franchise TE ?
BTW what kind of a blocker has Thomas been up to now ?
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He certainly has the size to be a very good blocker. He has progressed in this department as the season has gone on, still very raw with it though. Have to remember Miss St. used him as a receiver, so he never had to be the end man on the line blocking before. As long as he keeps working and progressing in that department I think he can become a very good blocking tight end as well as receiving. He is already the best blocking TE we have IMO
 
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