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All encompassing Rick Smith thread

Rick Smith has built such a terrible team. I can't believe how little talent we have everywhere on the field. He is only capable of making first round picks and after that he is completely incapable of finding anything approaching talent. Since this moron took over we haven't gotten anything from a second or third rounder outside of one season from Barwin.
 

TheMatrix31

Hall of Fame
The starting talent on this team is fantastic but the depth management and construction is absolutely awful. If we're going to be dealt catastrophic injuries year after year after year, we need depth.
 
The starting talent on this team is fantastic but the depth management and construction is absolutely awful. If we're going to be dealt catastrophic injuries year after year after year, we need depth.
Please name the fantastic talent, especially the talent missing due to injury outside of Cushing or Foster who we will have to assume will not be able to put a full season together.
 

hradhak

Veteran
The starting talent on this team is fantastic but the depth management and construction is absolutely awful. If we're going to be dealt catastrophic injuries year after year after year, we need depth.
His problem has been that he HAD great starting talent and has replaced them with terrible players. I think this team needs an overhaul, get rid of the bad contracts and open up some room for the future.
 

Texecutioner

Hall of Fame
Please name the fantastic talent, especially the talent missing due to injury outside of Cushing or Foster who we will have to assume will not be able to put a full season together.
Even as an avid Risk Smith basher, he has done pretty well in the first round. Watt, Cushing, Hopkins, and Brown. That's one ROTY and one defensive player of the year in his 2nd season. However, I'm not sure at how much that had to do with Wade wanting those defensive players and Kubiak wanting Brown than it was Smith making these choices.

My biggest problems with Smith is how he handles the cap and how little he knows how to make deals happen in trades and free agency. I don't like his "build only through the draft" philosophy. I've always hated it. I don't think he'll be going anywhere though.
 
Even as an avid Risk Smith basher, he has done pretty well in the first round. Watt, Cushing, Hopkins, and Brown. That's one ROTY and one defensive player of the year in his 2nd season. However, I'm not sure at how much that had to do with Wade wanting those defensive players and Kubiak wanting Brown than it was Smith making these choices.

My biggest problems with Smith is how he handles the cap and how little he knows how to make deals happen in trades and free agency. I don't like his "build only through the draft" philosophy. I've always hated it. I don't think he'll be going anywhere though.
I agree with him being good at drafting in the first round, please see my first post in this thread. However, he really sucks at drafting in every other round, which is where depth and/or surprising stars usually come from.
 

texanhead08

All Pro
When Casserly was fired the main gripe everyone had is how he missed on so many 2nd and 3rd round picks. Its just crazy that we hired a GM that might be even worse. Its just crazy that 11yrs in we have had 2 GM's that might be the 2 worst drafting GM's in the league at their time of employment with the Texans.
 
They should fire him and clean house now. I hate to think of another awful season next year with a new coach and facing the possibility of GM turnover then...more dysfunction could await.
 

texanhead08

All Pro
They should fire him and clean house now. I hate to think of another awful season next year with a new coach and facing the possibility of GM turnover then...more dysfunction could await.

I agree because firing Rick Smith a year or 2 after hiring a new coach could lead to another coaching change if the GM and the coach aren't on the same page.
 

disaacks3

Moderator
Staff member
I long for the days of the 2006 draft.

1 1(1) Mario Williams DE NC State
2 1(33) DeMeco Ryans OLB Alabama
3 1(65) Charles Spencer OG Pittsburgh
3 2(66) Eric Winston T Miami (FL)
4 1(98) Owen Daniels TE Wisconsin
6 1(170) Wali Lundy RB Virginia
7 43(251) David Anderson WR Colorado State


Damn!
 

BigBull

Rookie
I long for the days of the 2006 draft.



1 1(1) Mario Williams DE NC State

2 1(33) DeMeco Ryans OLB Alabama

3 1(65) Charles Spencer OG Pittsburgh

3 2(66) Eric Winston T Miami (FL)

4 1(98) Owen Daniels TE Wisconsin

6 1(170) Wali Lundy RB Virginia

7 43(251) David Anderson WR Colorado State





Damn!

I had almost forgot how good that draft was. Without a doubt the Texans best draft ever.


Sent from the future...
 

dalemurphy

Hall of Fame
I long for the days of the 2006 draft.

1 1(1) Mario Williams DE NC State
2 1(33) DeMeco Ryans OLB Alabama
3 1(65) Charles Spencer OG Pittsburgh
3 2(66) Eric Winston T Miami (FL)
4 1(98) Owen Daniels TE Wisconsin
6 1(170) Wali Lundy RB Virginia
7 43(251) David Anderson WR Colorado State


Damn!
In April of '09, rick smith acquired the following rookies from a much less favorable draft position:

Cushing
Barwin
Quin
Casey
McCain (ruined now but a good player at one point)
AFoster
TJamison
 

kiwitexansfan

Hall of Fame
In April of '09, rick smith acquired the following rookies from a much less favorable draft position:

Cushing
Barwin
Quin
Casey
McCain (ruined now but a good player at one point)
AFoster
TJamison
Sorry, when was McCain not an utter disaster?

Good draft though.

I for one endorse Rick Smith as GM of the Texans.
 

Norg

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
rick smith helped build this crappy team he might has well go with this crappy Team

We need a clean Reset

get our cap in good status stockpile some picks and rebuild in 14 and get rdy to make a run in 2015 when the SB is in Houston that's what I would do
 

ajohnson80

Waterboy
I don't know much about Smith's direction ideas or general goals for the team. I never hear him comment on these sort of things and I have no idea if he just doesn't quite understand how the cap works or is just one of the lazier gms in the league. jjo is the last descent fa signing and he was only good for 1 season. It just seems like he picks whatever player seems best at whatever position of need. I can't give him full credit for any draft he was part of and good because we all know Kubiak and Wade would get their guy first. We need new blood with a clear direction and plan for the future. Morey is a great example of a transparent gm with a clear direction and goal that the fan base can appreciate and get behind.

This is the freaking Houston Texans. We sell out every game and there's a waiting list a mile long for season tickets. Bob needs to get some brilliant minds with innovative ideas and not recycle the same tired nfl names.

Smith needs to go...this is the most important offseason the Texans will have in the next 5 years and i really hope they have their **** together.
 

bhsman

Rookie
Sorry, when was McCain not an utter disaster?
McCain was probably the best slot corner in 2011 and a good reason why the defense was so good. Then he broke his foot. :(

Good draft though.

I for one endorse Rick Smith as GM of the Texans.
2010 was a really good draft, too; every person from that draft is either a starter in the NFL or a solid contributor. Between the consistent home runs on first round picks and his pick history, I also endorse Rick Smith.
 

LonerATO

All Pro
When Casserly was fired the main gripe everyone had is how he missed on so many 2nd and 3rd round picks. Its just crazy that we hired a GM that might be even worse. Its just crazy that 11yrs in we have had 2 GM's that might be the 2 worst drafting GM's in the league at their time of employment with the Texans.
The thing that lows my ind is how Smith has had 8-years to build up depth and there is none on this roster, while Casserly just sucked at the draft outside of 2006.
 

infantrycak

Hall of Fame
When Casserly was fired the main gripe everyone had is how he missed on so many 2nd and 3rd round picks. Its just crazy that we hired a GM that might be even worse. Its just crazy that 11yrs in we have had 2 GM's that might be the 2 worst drafting GM's in the league at their time of employment with the Texans.
Someone has forgotten Harrington, Charles Rogers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams, Ernie Sims and then JaMarcus Russell, McFadden, Heyward-Bey and Rolando McClain.
 

TheMatrix31

Hall of Fame
Please name the fantastic talent, especially the talent missing due to injury outside of Cushing or Foster who we will have to assume will not be able to put a full season together.
Our ideal, healthy starting roster is what I'm talking about. If you don't think Andre Johnson , Arian Foster, Duane Brown, Chris Myers, Owen Daniels, JJ Watt, Brian Cushing, and Jonathan Joseph is an assload of talent, I'm not sure what to tell you. Not to mention the good players by their side, including guys like Antonio Smith, Ben Tate, Danieal Manning, etc.

But obviously, behind those guys, the depth is terrible. And it's killed us the last few years.
 

Texian

Hall of Fame
For all you folks liking or disliking drafts that you attribute to Rick Smith, you need to consider that Rick Smith is GM today because Bob McNair thought the coaches had to much control over the draft process.....that tells me Smith had little or no say..... just saying
 

Honoring Earl 34

Something Witty !
For all you folks liking or disliking drafts that you attribute to Rick Smith, you need to consider that Rick Smith is GM today because Bob McNair thought the coaches had to much control over the draft process.....that tells me Smith had little or no say..... just saying
Then he didn't do his job .
 

Texian

Hall of Fame
Then he didn't do his job .
You and I agree. Bob McNair doesn't. I also think as long as Smith is GM the Texans will wallow in the mire. Smith when hired was the least experienced and least knowledgeable GM in the NFL. His training and schooling is limited to the Shanahan way of doing business. And I expect Lovie Smith to be HC because Lovie has shown he doesn't need to have control of the roster.
 

HOU-TEX

Ah, Football!
For all you folks liking or disliking drafts that you attribute to Rick Smith, you need to consider that Rick Smith is GM today because Bob McNair thought the coaches had to much control over the draft process.....that tells me Smith had little or no say..... just saying
I tend to agree somewhat.

To me, the fact that he's still here tells me he was/is merely a puppet to the organization. It appears he and McNair will be handling the draft from here on out. I reckon the new staff will state their recommendations and be sent to the back row come draft time.
 

Runner

Hubcap Diamond
Staff member
I tend to agree somewhat.

To me, the fact that he's still here tells me he was/is merely a puppet to the organization. It appears he and McNair will be handling the draft from here on out. I reckon the new staff will state their recommendations and be sent to the back row come draft time.
I don't see how anyone with such an important role in the organization can be absolved of responsibility. This year's crash, coupled with many years of under achievement points to a structural problem with the organization. There are only two choices I can see - Smith was performing as a real GM and has responsibility for the state of the team, or he was a figurehead who wasn't performing as a real GM for years.

Either way, he hasn't earned the right to stay based on performance. I suspect he will be released at some point before the next season starts
 

HOU-TEX

Ah, Football!
I don't see how anyone with such an important role in the organization can be absolved of responsibility. This year's crash, coupled with many years of under achievement points to a structural problem with the organization. There are only two choices I can see - Smith was performing as a real GM and has responsibility for the state of the team, or he was a figurehead who wasn't performing as a real GM for years.

Either way, he hasn't earned the right to stay based on performance. I suspect he will be released at some point before the next season starts
I agree. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite pissed he's still here. Going by what I've read and the fact he's still here just tells me he's nothing more than McNair's fluffer. I could be way off base, but dadgum, what other reasoning is there?.
 

Hervoyel

BUENO!
I think the team is talented, probably more so than many here do but I also think that "talent" by itself isn't enough for most players. It's easy to find guys who are tall enough, fast enough, strong, enough, or big enough. It's hard to find guys who have that and who can also self-motivate and/or play consistently. I think we have a lot of guys in NFL "bodies" who don't have NFL minds or NFL mindsets. I don't know that there's much a coach can do about that. You can give them a system that doesn't make them think too much (where have we heard this before) but it will eventually be exposed as will those players.

You probably have some of those guys on every NFL team with very few exceptions but being unable to recognize them for what they are is a problem with a GM.

We've got a team (and quite likely that's on the GM) that can't find those guys and the only way we're going to be long-term successful is to go out and find those guys. The good teams do it every year. Those guys don't last. they don't have HoF careers. They just come in when needed and use their heads and their "high motor" for lack of a better term to overcome their physical limitations. You gotta have those guys on the roster. We have frauds at too many positions not contributors. We have guys all over our roster that often play like people who don't know what they're doing. Look how unprepared the Texans appear much of the time. That means either that they are being coached poorly or they're incapable of doing what they've been taught outside of a predictable practice environment.

Are we to believe that all of our coaches can't teach? We're in a situation where nobody comes here and gets better. When did you last see or hear of a team where nobody ever gets better? Great players come here and stay great. I think Watt is Watt on any team in the league. Same with AJ and even probably Foster. Those guys have NFL-ready minds. They can motivate themselves. There are others but we seem to luck into them past round one. The rest of the picks are kind of a crapshoot.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
My biggest problems with Smith is how he handles the cap and how little he knows how to make deals happen in trades and free agency. I don't like his "build only through the draft" philosophy. I've always hated it. I don't think he'll be going anywhere though.
I don't have a problem with cap management. "We" made an assumption 4 years ago about the future valuation of the cap & things didn't unfold in our favor. If they had, no telling how good this team could be. Considering the situation he's in, I think he's doing the best he can.

But I do agree with you about FAs, trades, & just "connected" to the NFL. He seems to be the most disconnected GM in the whole league. He has no idea what other players are signing for..... Laron Landry would have been a great acquisition, Dumerville did not break the bank & when we struck out on RT this past offseason, Jacksonville makes a nice trade to acquire one.

& Demeco.... did we even try to talk him into taking less money?

Then the draft picks. I don't have a problem taking a flyer every now & then, but if we're going to try to get half the picks on the practice squad, why don't we try to trade those picks for future picks?

His picks are good to fair. A few special picks in there. He's probably doing just as good as anyone out there. However... I don't think he does a good job at all as far as moving in the draft to get the player he wants. We're either going to sit there & take the highest graded player on our list, or drop down, try to get him later, or take who ever is next on our list.

Now, we did move up in the 2nd to get Brandon Harris & I thought that was a big boy move, but..... the guy seldom sees the field.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
I think the team is talented, probably more so than many here do but I also think that "talent" by itself isn't enough for most players. It's easy to find guys who are tall enough, fast enough, strong, enough, or big enough. It's hard to find guys who have that and who can also self-motivate and/or play consistently. I think we have a lot of guys in NFL "bodies" who don't have NFL minds or NFL mindsets. I don't know that there's much a coach can do about that. You can give them a system that doesn't make them think too much (where have we heard this before) but it will eventually be exposed as will those players.

You probably have some of those guys on every NFL team with very few exceptions but being unable to recognize them for what they are is a problem with a GM.

We've got a team (and quite likely that's on the GM) that can't find those guys and the only way we're going to be long-term successful is to go out and find those guys. The good teams do it every year. Those guys don't last. they don't have HoF careers. They just come in when needed and use their heads and their "high motor" for lack of a better term to overcome their physical limitations. You gotta have those guys on the roster. We have frauds at too many positions not contributors. We have guys all over our roster that often play like people who don't know what they're doing. Look how unprepared the Texans appear much of the time. That means either that they are being coached poorly or they're incapable of doing what they've been taught outside of a predictable practice environment.

Are we to believe that all of our coaches can't teach? We're in a situation where nobody comes here and gets better. When did you last see or hear of a team where nobody ever gets better? Great players come here and stay great. I think Watt is Watt on any team in the league. Same with AJ and even probably Foster. Those guys have NFL-ready minds. They can motivate themselves. There are others but we seem to luck into them past round one. The rest of the picks are kind of a crapshoot.
You need to add 1 great and 2-3 above avg players every yr. This is why I believe you do what you have to do to get 4 picks in the 1st 3 rds every yr. This means trading up most of the time, but sometimes trading down. You then take players with character flaws but talent in rds 5-7. Micheal Dyer/DaRick Rodgers/Burfict etc... Most of these guys will bust, but every 2-3 yrs you will get a 1st rd talent late in the draft. If you miss you really haven't lost anything.

For instance this yr to add 3 impact players you draft 1- at 1-1 then trade back up to late in the 1st to get another impact player. At 4-1 you should be able to get an OD type talent. Then draft troubled/injued but talented players after that.

This increases your odds of getting impact players. You dont draft Lazy/injured players in the 3rd/4th rd. Montgomery/B.Williams.

I've got liitle faith in Rick even considering a draft strategy like his. Let alone carrying out this draft strategy.
 

Porky

Hall of Fame
The fact that Rick Smith apparently has a job here in 2014 tells me Boob McNair still doesn't get the word accountability and still is a settler for mediocrity and that he desires yes men. And mediocrity is what he'll get.

Who was the one that said Case would be starting? Wasn't Rick Smith. Shouldn't the GM be making that call at that point in time? He comes off publicly as a hands off owner, but I think that utterance gives us a glimpse of the behind the scenes stuff that is happening and I think he is basically the de facto GM of this team. Rick Smith is nothing but a puppet and the one area that he is in charge of - Cap management - he is a failure.

Nothing personal with Rick Smith who is a by all accounts a good Christian and a good guy, but he needs to go. This team needs an enema, and McNair wants to throw some pepto bismol down the gut and hope that is enough. It isn't.
 

Hervoyel

BUENO!
The fact that Rick Smith apparently has a job here in 2014 tells me Boob McNair still doesn't get the word accountability and still is a settler for mediocrity and that he desires yes men. And mediocrity is what he'll get.

Who was the one that said Case would be starting? Wasn't Rick Smith. Shouldn't the GM be making that call at that point in time? He comes off publicly as a hands off owner, but I think that utterance gives us a glimpse of the behind the scenes stuff that is happening and I think he is basically the de facto GM of this team. Rick Smith is nothing but a puppet and the one area that he is in charge of - Cap management - he is a failure.

Nothing personal with Rick Smith who is a by all accounts a good Christian and a good guy, but he needs to go. This team needs an enema, and McNair wants to throw some pepto bismol down the gut and hope that is enough. It isn't.
GM's around the league do what owners tell them to do. Lets not be too hasty to brand Rick Smith a "puppet" like he's the only one. they're all puppets to some degree. Some owners think they know it all and their puppet does what he's told. Other owners stand back and let their GM do everything but if they want something I seriously doubt that they're in danger of hearing the word "No" from anyone who wants to keep his job.

I think that 8 years ago McNair probably delegated damn near everything to Gary who delegated what he didn't want to deal with to Rick. That's what I think. I don't really know but I bet that the parts of the GM job Gary wanted stayed with Gary and Bob was fine with that because he didn't know much about the football side of things and he knew that he didn't.

Today I see McNair as being like that guy in the Progressive Insurance commercial who's trying to get the dude juggling chainsaws to throw him one. Bob's stepping up and saying "I got this. Throw me one!" except in this case the guy juggling chainsaws is Rick and he's got no real say in things.

We're going to find out what Bob's learned (Please let him have learned something! Please!) and whether Rick's got any ability as a GM now. The guy who was really keeping those chainsaws in the air (to the extent that they were "in the air") is gone.
 

utahmark

markbeth
Either we have no talent and Gary did one hell of a job last year or we are a lot more talented than our record this year shows. Which is it?
 

Honoring Earl 34

Something Witty !
You and I agree. Bob McNair doesn't. I also think as long as Smith is GM the Texans will wallow in the mire. Smith when hired was the least experienced and least knowledgeable GM in the NFL. His training and schooling is limited to the Shanahan way of doing business. And I expect Lovie Smith to be HC because Lovie has shown he doesn't need to have control of the roster.
I think Bob isn't willing to eat that contract . I also think that if you show me an owner not willing to lose money on a mistake , I'll show you an owner who is ok with average .
 

2012Champs

Hall of Fame
You need to add 1 great and 2-3 above avg players every yr. This is why I believe you do what you have to do to get 4 picks in the 1st 3 rds every yr. This means trading up most of the time, but sometimes trading down. You then take players with character flaws but talent in rds 5-7. Micheal Dyer/DaRick Rodgers/Burfict etc... Most of these guys will bust, but every 2-3 yrs you will get a 1st rd talent late in the draft. If you miss you really haven't lost anything.

For instance this yr to add 3 impact players you draft 1- at 1-1 then trade back up to late in the 1st to get another impact player. At 4-1 you should be able to get an OD type talent. Then draft troubled/injued but talented players after that.

This increases your odds of getting impact players. You dont draft Lazy/injured players in the 3rd/4th rd. Montgomery/B.Williams.

I've got liitle faith in Rick even considering a draft strategy like his. Let alone carrying out this draft strategy.



Sorry you cant get 1 great player and 2-3 above avg players every year. The math simply doesnt work either in cap room, number draft picks, draft success or number of players on a team. How many great and above avg players do you plan on losing every year to reach the "new" figures every year?
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Either we have no talent and Gary did one hell of a job last year or we are a lot more talented than our record this year shows. Which is it?
I thought Gary did a heck of a job last year & said so many times. That team was held together by bubble gum & masking tape. We shouldn't have won 12 games. We shouldn't have beat the Bengals in the play-offs. The Patriots & the Packers showed us who we were. The Broncos & Ravens games showed us our potential. Gary kept that team playing somewhere in the middle & won games in spite of it.

That said, I don't have a problem with the Kubiak firing. I started a thread a while back, about our Super Bowl window. How long could Gary continue to sell the same old message? I think that question was answered a lot earlier than I wanted to realize (Dec 2012).

I also wouldn't be surprised if Rick Smith is shown the door after the draft. Similarly to the way Casserly was excised.

My only real beef, is that he promoted Wade Phillips to interim head coach. After watching this defense for the last 13 games, there is no way that should have happened. Respect be damned. If he didn't like it, he could have walked with Gary.

Especially since he made the decision that Case will start the rest of the season. Winning is not a priority. I'd have promoted Dorrell to interim coach (if he likes Keenum so much) & see what he's made of.
 

Texans_Chick

Utopian Dreamer
Given how the drafts are handled, it is hard to disentangle what is coaching, what is GMing.

I do not buy that this is a team that is chalk full of talent. I wouldn't want to be mandated to play a noob UDFA behind a inconsistent line, no healthy TEs/RBs.

Though the pick 6 fest was likely not predictable, the other roster composition/question mark issues were:

*right side of line
*RB health, and future of RB with Tate leaving
*Thin at TE for a team that uses 2 TE a lot, particularly with concerns on offensive line.
*a quarterback that had been in significant decline end of 2012, with no real plan of future replacement.
*hardly any NFL catches for any WRs not named Andre Johnson, and the route errors that come from that.
*no production from d linemen not named JJ Watt and Antonio Smith. Hoping to see something from Earl Mitchell that had never been seen from him.
*linebacker group was so thin, injured, inexperienced, that they tried out Brooks Reed at ILB during camp.
*safety. I don't want to even talk about it because it makes me stabby.
*corner. I don't crush JJo/KJ as much as some because they are asked to play man a ton without the pass rush, safeties that would help. But not their finest year, and all the other corners are a testament that you don't want Smith picking corners. (BTW, Frank Bush was a huge KJ supporter in that draft given his relationship with Saban).
*unproven kicker with no competition.
*little team speed in general, very little for special teams.

In an AFC that is wide open for those teams who didn't quit, Texans had a tough early schedule, had everything break bad, missed their high expectations and gave up the season by going all in on Keenum.

The case for Rick Smith is summed up by Jerome Solomon. The short version implies that McNair knows whose decisions were whose, and that Rick Smith wanted to (mortgage the cap) to get Peyton Manning, and coaches were um no.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/columnists/solomon/article/McNair-needs-to-be-more-hands-on-with-Texans-5045386.php

I've talked to NFL folks outside the Texans who knew the relative cap situations of Denver, Titans, Texans, 49ers, and believe that there was no way that the Texans could have realistically been in running for teh Peyton. That Texans being floated as a name was all about negotiation leverage.

But theoretically, the reason why Rick Smith stays is because of deals he didn't do. Because he was so damn ineffectual and non-persuasive at his job, he wants credit for alternative histories that did not happen. And take zero responsibility for stupid stuff like having a team full of needs but getting old, broken, forever rabble rousing Ed Reed as the big off-season acquisition without bringing Wade Phillips as part of the decision making process. (An adult supervision GM woulda gone nah).

But boy howdy, now he seems to be bucking for more power given unnamed "front office" rumors.

Oh goody! So we get to see what Rick Smith looks like when he gets the training wheels kicked off. Nothing. I mean nothing in his background makes you go, "Whew, it is a good thing Rick Smith is handling this draft."

The process is set up for failure. Who wants to work for a "front office" who complains to people in the media as their head coach is recovering from stroking out? Personally, I like the clean house model where you pick the GM, let the GM pick the coach. How is it that the Texans want an experienced HC, but don't impose that same criteria to Rick Smith?
 

Texans_Chick

Utopian Dreamer
I also wouldn't be surprised if Rick Smith is shown the door after the draft. Similarly to the way Casserly was excised.
I'd be totally surprised. The McNair presser appeared to be a total vote of confidence. And national media types have been saying complementary things of the talent versus coaching. I don't know what they are looking at, but whatever.
 

Honoring Earl 34

Something Witty !
Given how the drafts are handled, it is hard to disentangle what is coaching, what is GMing.

I do not buy that this is a team that is chalk full of talent. I wouldn't want to be mandated to play a noob UDFA behind a inconsistent line, no healthy TEs/RBs.

Though the pick 6 fest was likely not predictable, the other roster composition/question mark issues were:

*right side of line
*RB health, and future of RB with Tate leaving
*Thin at TE for a team that uses 2 TE a lot, particularly with concerns on offensive line.
*a quarterback that had been in significant decline end of 2012, with no real plan of future replacement.
*hardly any NFL catches for any WRs not named Andre Johnson, and the route errors that come from that.
*no production from d linemen not named JJ Watt and Antonio Smith. Hoping to see something from Earl Mitchell that had never been seen from him.
*linebacker group was so thin, injured, inexperienced, that they tried out Brooks Reed at ILB during camp.
*safety. I don't want to even talk about it because it makes me stabby.
*corner. I don't crush JJo/KJ as much as some because they are asked to play man a ton without the pass rush, safeties that would help. But not their finest year, and all the other corners are a testament that you don't want Smith picking corners. (BTW, Frank Bush was a huge KJ supporter in that draft given his relationship with Saban).
*unproven kicker with no competition.
*little team speed in general, very little for special teams.

In an AFC that is wide open for those teams who didn't quit, Texans had a tough early schedule, had everything break bad, missed their high expectations and gave up the season by going all in on Keenum.

The case for Rick Smith is summed up by Jerome Solomon. The short version implies that McNair knows whose decisions were whose, and that Rick Smith wanted to (mortgage the cap) to get Peyton Manning, and coaches were um no.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/columnists/solomon/article/McNair-needs-to-be-more-hands-on-with-Texans-5045386.php

I've talked to NFL folks outside the Texans who knew the relative cap situations of Denver, Titans, Texans, 49ers, and believe that there was no way that the Texans could have realistically been in running for teh Peyton. That Texans being floated as a name was all about negotiation leverage.

But theoretically, the reason why Rick Smith stays is because of deals he didn't do. Because he was so damn ineffectual and non-persuasive at his job, he wants credit for alternative histories that did not happen. And take zero responsibility for stupid stuff like having a team full of needs but getting old, broken, forever rabble rousing Ed Reed as the big off-season acquisition without bringing Wade Phillips as part of the decision making process. (An adult supervision GM woulda gone nah).

But boy howdy, now he seems to be bucking for more power given unnamed "front office" rumors.

Oh goody! So we get to see what Rick Smith looks like when he gets the training wheels kicked off. Nothing. I mean nothing in his background makes you go, "Whew, it is a good thing Rick Smith is handling this draft."

The process is set up for failure. Who wants to work for a "front office" who complains to people in the media as their head coach is recovering from stroking out? Personally, I like the clean house model where you pick the GM, let the GM pick the coach. How is it that the Texans want an experienced HC, but don't impose that same criteria to Rick Smith?
Some of this can be blamed on the so called system . Running back by committee , small TEs , QB guru as a coach , and systems win games .

Part 2 is , who in this type of leadership position is a yes man ? It's your fault one way or the other .
 
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The Pencil Neck

Hall of Fame
They had Foster and drafted Tate in the 2nd round . Have they drafted one since ?
How is that RBBC? Unless you mean something other than Running Back By Committee when you say RBBC?

Normally, in a RBBC system, you've got 3-5 guys all getting approximately the same number of carries. You don't have 1 guy who is THE guy.

In our situation, Arian Foster has been THE Guy ever since his second year. This year, Arian was the Guy until he went down and then Tate became The Guy and Kubiak stuck with him even when it looked like Johnson should have been The Guy.

Prior to Foster, Kubiak expected Lundy to be the Guy but Dayne ended up being The Guy for a couple of years. They brought Green in to be the Guy but never got started. Slaton took over The Guy spot for a couple of years but then Arian came along.

We haven't ever really been an RBBC type of team.
 

infantrycak

Hall of Fame
Normally, in a RBBC system, you've got 3-5 guys all getting approximately the same number of carries. You don't have 1 guy who is THE guy.

We haven't ever really been an RBBC type of team.
Not sure where this mythology started even around the league as a whole. It is generally only found when a team doesn't have A guy - it's a reaction to circumstances rather than a design.

WRT to the Texans it is almost laughable paired with the allegations of over using Foster.
 

WolverineFan

Hall of Fame
Running Back by committee would be like the Pats. They shuttle Ridley and Blount in and out of the backfield every game. They can't seem to decide on one and change up the rotation every week. Vereen plays RB and spends a lot of time in the slot. Bolden comes in and gets touches every game. They have 4 RB's who touch the ball a lot.

The Texans are the opposite. Foster has been the workhorse and Tate spells him from time to time. They don't split time. When Foster went down, Tate became the workhorse. Johnson spells him from time to time.

Go look at the numbers last year when Foster was healthy.

2012 - Foster 351 carries, Tate 65, Forsett 63

That's not a committee.
 

Honoring Earl 34

Something Witty !
How is that RBBC? Unless you mean something other than Running Back By Committee when you say RBBC?

Normally, in a RBBC system, you've got 3-5 guys all getting approximately the same number of carries. You don't have 1 guy who is THE guy.

In our situation, Arian Foster has been THE Guy ever since his second year. This year, Arian was the Guy until he went down and then Tate became The Guy and Kubiak stuck with him even when it looked like Johnson should have been The Guy.

Prior to Foster, Kubiak expected Lundy to be the Guy but Dayne ended up being The Guy for a couple of years. They brought Green in to be the Guy but never got started. Slaton took over The Guy spot for a couple of years but then Arian came along.

We haven't ever really been an RBBC type of team.
Not sure where this mythology started even around the league as a whole. It is generally only found when a team doesn't have A guy - it's a reaction to circumstances rather than a design.

WRT to the Texans it is almost laughable paired with the allegations of over using Foster.
I guess my point was it was supposed to be RBBC . When they gave Foster the farm , it upset the pay scale . That's not how the Kubiak scheme was supposed to go . You pay a RB and a QB , you cut elsewhere .
 

The Pencil Neck

Hall of Fame
I guess my point was it was supposed to be RBBC . When they gave Foster the farm , it upset the pay scale . That's not how the Kubiak scheme was supposed to go . You pay a RB and a QB , you cut elsewhere .
Ah.

I'm not sure I necessarily agree with that, either. But I see your point.

You're saying that in a Shanahan/Kubiak system, we're supposed to be finding cheap RBs later in the draft and letting them go when they get too costly. So we should have let Foster walk instead of giving him a lot of money to keep him.
 

Texian

Hall of Fame
Given how the drafts are handled, it is hard to disentangle what is coaching, what is GMing.

I do not buy that this is a team that is chalk full of talent. I wouldn't want to be mandated to play a noob UDFA behind a inconsistent line, no healthy TEs/RBs.

Though the pick 6 fest was likely not predictable, the other roster composition/question mark issues were:

*right side of line
*RB health, and future of RB with Tate leaving
*Thin at TE for a team that uses 2 TE a lot, particularly with concerns on offensive line.
*a quarterback that had been in significant decline end of 2012, with no real plan of future replacement.
*hardly any NFL catches for any WRs not named Andre Johnson, and the route errors that come from that.
*no production from d linemen not named JJ Watt and Antonio Smith. Hoping to see something from Earl Mitchell that had never been seen from him.
*linebacker group was so thin, injured, inexperienced, that they tried out Brooks Reed at ILB during camp.
*safety. I don't want to even talk about it because it makes me stabby.
*corner. I don't crush JJo/KJ as much as some because they are asked to play man a ton without the pass rush, safeties that would help. But not their finest year, and all the other corners are a testament that you don't want Smith picking corners. (BTW, Frank Bush was a huge KJ supporter in that draft given his relationship with Saban).
*unproven kicker with no competition.
*little team speed in general, very little for special teams.

In an AFC that is wide open for those teams who didn't quit, Texans had a tough early schedule, had everything break bad, missed their high expectations and gave up the season by going all in on Keenum.

The case for Rick Smith is summed up by Jerome Solomon. The short version implies that McNair knows whose decisions were whose, and that Rick Smith wanted to (mortgage the cap) to get Peyton Manning, and coaches were um no.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/columnists/solomon/article/McNair-needs-to-be-more-hands-on-with-Texans-5045386.php

I've talked to NFL folks outside the Texans who knew the relative cap situations of Denver, Titans, Texans, 49ers, and believe that there was no way that the Texans could have realistically been in running for teh Peyton. That Texans being floated as a name was all about negotiation leverage.

But theoretically, the reason why Rick Smith stays is because of deals he didn't do. Because he was so damn ineffectual and non-persuasive at his job, he wants credit for alternative histories that did not happen. And take zero responsibility for stupid stuff like having a team full of needs but getting old, broken, forever rabble rousing Ed Reed as the big off-season acquisition without bringing Wade Phillips as part of the decision making process. (An adult supervision GM woulda gone nah).

But boy howdy, now he seems to be bucking for more power given unnamed "front office" rumors.

Oh goody! So we get to see what Rick Smith looks like when he gets the training wheels kicked off. Nothing. I mean nothing in his background makes you go, "Whew, it is a good thing Rick Smith is handling this draft."

The process is set up for failure. Who wants to work for a "front office" who complains to people in the media as their head coach is recovering from stroking out? Personally, I like the clean house model where you pick the GM, let the GM pick the coach. How is it that the Texans want an experienced HC, but don't impose that same criteria to Rick Smith?
This about sums it up. I would add that when hired Smith was ass't GM who was least knowledgeable, least experienced GM in the league. Smith has only been trained in the Mike Shanahan way of doing business. McNair is ignoring the Commitment to Excellence, the part of bringing in the Best and Brightest. Smith is left over good old boy business plan. Smith does curry favor with NFLN and SI Peter King. Both are effusive in their praise of Smith and protect their source with a lot of media hype. Some of it were the talking points at McNair's last PC. Other teams in division have $30-40 mil in salary cap while Texans virtually have none. Until the Texans can become competitive in the salary cap arena the cellar will be home. Being salary cap competitive is not in the Rick Smith playbook.
 
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