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Can Armstrong see the field?

kenneth24

kenneth24

Waterboy
Im sure this has been talked about before but im new here so i thought i would get my opinon out there!

Bradford actually didn't play too badly this week but he didnt make the catch in a clutch situation which is better than most weeks when he can't make the catch at all. Armstrong is like Cris Carter, "All he does is catch touchdowns!" well, except for the touchdowns part! But maybe if he got a decent chance to contribute. Mark Vandermeer on 610 last week was asked by a caller why doesn't Armstrong play more than Bradford because at least he catches the ball and Mark responded with both Armstrong and Bradford both run bad routes but Bradford has more speed. I wonder if this is how the coaching staff feels--speed does you no good if you can't catch the ball! Armstrong has great hands and balance and would keep the chains moving!
 
I don't know the skinny but unless something changes, I have a feeling that Armstrong will replace Gaffney next season, after Gaffney leaves as a UFA, and Mathis will replace Bradford.
 
Armstrong is the same type of receiver as Gaffney and I guess the coaches want to have a different look out there with a faster guy like Bradford, at least when Andre was hurt. I would love to see Gaffney and Armstrong out there together or at least subbing in and out for each other if one gets tired, but either way we don't tend to use formations with more than two WRs for much of the game and Johnson and Gaffney should be the two out there for those, and I guess the coaches would rather have more speed than good hands on three-WR sets.
 
Armstrong doesn't run as good a route as Gaffney does and I don't think he is near as good as Gaff. He didn't get the ball much when AJ was out. He has great hands though...I'll give him that much. I don't think he is a guy who will ever start in this league...a wr3 perhaps, but I think that is his upside.
 
Vinny said:
Armstrong doesn't run as good a route as Gaffney does and I don't think he is near as good as Gaff. He didn't get the ball much when AJ was out. He has great hands though...I'll give him that much. I don't think he is a guy who will ever start in this league...a wr3 perhaps, but I think that is his upside.
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I agree, Armstrong is slower and runs worse routes than Gaffney but he has great hands. His main function, until he improves his routes and all that, should be on definite passing situations like third-and-longs where you need a guy that you know will make a catch if you throw it to him, but outside of that he shouldn't play above AJ or Gaff. Hopefully if Mathis recovers we will see him more in three WR sets.
 
aj. said:
I don't know the skinny but unless something changes, I have a feeling that Armstrong will replace Gaffney next season, after Gaffney leaves as a UFA, and Mathis will replace Bradford.
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If they were going to do that wouldn't they get Armstrong some playing time and make sure he can fully replace Gaffney? Wait, nevermind--just asked if this management staff is rational.
 
Armstrong as a 3rd WR is fine with me but why doesn't he see time over Bradford. Should be AJ, Gaf and Armstrong in a 3-wide formation. If a guy can get open bc of his speed is great, but it does you no good if you are going to drop the ball 75% of the time. Side note: Last week Gaf caught a ball over the middle on a 3rd down and everybody raved about what a great catch it was. Am i the only one who saw the ball coming out and the defender knocked the ball back into him, otherwise it would have been another Carr pass that was dropped? Still think Gaf is the no. 2 guy but shows how bad the hands are on this team!
 
Gaffney doesn't have the speed to beat anyone down field, this is why he is only going to be a good 3 or 4th receiver. Put him most other teams and tell me objectively where he would stand in the depth chart. Certainly not a #2. Mathis just so happend to be out and Bradford in next in line to run the long plays. We can keep throwing under all day but when we start to get into the redzone the defense gets tighter and these short routes are not as effective. We couldn't get 1 yard rushing on a 3rd and 1 for crying out loud.
 
SESupergenius said:
Gaffney doesn't have the speed to beat anyone down field, this is why he is only going to be a good 3 or 4th receiver. Put him most other teams and tell me objectively where he would stand in the depth chart. Certainly not a #2. Mathis just so happend to be out and Bradford in next in line to run the long plays. We can keep throwing under all day but when we start to get into the redzone the defense gets tighter and these short routes are not as effective. We couldn't get 1 yard rushing on a 3rd and 1 for crying out loud.
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He is a Keenan McCardell clone. Guys like Fred Biletnikoff, Steve Largent and Art Monk have a similar game as well...good hands, middle of the field first down possession guys. I guess these guys will never amount to much either huh?
 
TexansStill said:
Believe me it is Political. Heard it straight from the horses mouth.
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OK, I'll bite. How is this political? This is a serious question from a person who has absolutely no clue.:confused:
 
Vinny said:
He is a Keenan McCardell clone. Guys like Fred Biletnikoff, Steve Largent and Art Monk have a similar game as well...good hands, middle of the field first down possession guys. I guess these guys will never amount to much either huh?
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Gaffney is not McCardell nor Hall of Famers Biletnikoff or Largent. You are really stretching. I guess our line has equivalents of Allen and Stepnoski.
Gaffney can run his 1 move routes efficiently, but will not "beat" a player too often.
 
Another solid showing from Armstrong. Whatever the knock is on him, the bottom line is this. Every time he gets on the field, he makes good plays. I have seen him make tough catches constantly. Has anyone ever seen him drop a pass, ever? The guy is money, and I wish he would get more playing time.

Edit: Also, Carr seems to have alot of confidence in him, because he sure does throw to him alot when he's in there.
 
RTP2110 said:
Another solid showing from Armstrong. Whatever the knock is on him, the bottom line is this. Every time he gets on the field, he makes good plays. I have seen him make tough catches constantly. Has anyone ever seen him drop a pass, ever? The guy is money, and I wish he would get more playing time.

Edit: Also, Carr seems to have alot of confidence in him, because he sure does throw to him alot when he's in there.
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He has great hands but doesn't run good routes - that's his knock.
 
I value any player on this team that can catch the ball that is thrown to him bad route or not. With a person that is fast but can't catch just makes it a 40 yard dash and not football.
 
Vinny said:
He has great hands but doesn't run good routes - that's his knock.
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Funny because the knock on Bradford is he runs bad routes and doesn't have good hands! I guess 2 wrongs make a right?!?!
 
He's a free agent next year...they might be keeping him on the bench to decrease his value, sign him cheap and then he'll get playing time.
 
Let's get real about any of our offensive guys and free agency. Playing in the Houston Texans offense for any player is virtually the equivalent of going to the NFL graveyard. I truly believe the only player who would see strong interest in free agency would be Andre Johnson, our only offensive pro-bowl player who has even been limited this year by our coaching incompetence. I believe Carr would be viewed a bit like Couch. He may get a little interest from teams without anything at QB, but most will shy away from paying big money for a QB who is still trying to show his potential after being a tackle dummy for 4 years and has shown poor judgement in holding onto the ball at times.
 
mean mark8 said:
Let's get real about any of our offensive guys and free agency. Playing in the Houston Texans offense for any player is virtually the equivalent of going to the NFL graveyard. I truly believe the only player who would see strong interest in free agency would be Andre Johnson, our only offensive pro-bowl player who has even been limited this year by our coaching incompetence. I believe Carr would be viewed a bit like Couch. He may get a little interest from teams without anything at QB, but most will shy away from paying big money for a QB who is still trying to show his potential after being a tackle dummy for 4 years and has shown poor judgement in holding onto the ball at times.
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I tend to think other teams are more adept at evaluating talent and would pick up the players we have in FA. Several of our players would do well on other teams, and a few of them would probably make the Pro Bowl. Just because our team doesn't get the best out of them doesn't mean other teams cannot.
 
Vinny said:
He has great hands but doesn't run good routes - that's his knock.
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Please provide evidence (of the running of bad routes) -- beyond what you have seen, and heard second hand.
 
well lets see, if I had a choice between a bad route runner with great hands or a great route runner with bad hands at the WR spot, who would I take? Gee thats a tough one there.

Armstrong runs bad routes, he is slow, he doesn't fit into the scheme, etc., etc., etc., WHO CARES AS LONG AS HE CATCHES THE FOOTBALL.

I will NEVER understand the logic of keeping him on the bench when it sems Carr is very comfortable throwing him the ball when he is in the game. Even as a second option in the current play, or even a third option. At least Carr looks for him, which is more than can be said for some of the other ball bouncing off their fingertips WR's we are currently playing.
 
thegr8fan said:
Armstrong runs bad routes, .
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How do you know this? Are you in film study on Monday's with Kippy and the boys? Do you have a playbook? Do you have a radio interceptor and hear the calls in the huddle and compare them to what you see on the field - and then compare it to page H-6 of playbook? Did you pick this up on a message board somewhere? What? What? Was I asleep when this common knowledge crept over the city? Is Pat Kirwan or John McClain whispering in your ear? Enlighten me, please.
 
aj. said:
How do you know this? Are you in film study on Monday's with Kippy and the boys? Do you have a playbook? Do you have a radio interceptor and hear the calls in the huddle and compare them to what you see on the field - and then compare it to page H-6 of playbook? Did you pick this up on a message board somewhere? What? What? Was I asleep when this common knowledge crept over the city? Is Pat Kirwan or John McClain whispering in your ear? Enlighten me, please.
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thank you....
 
aj. said:
I don't know the skinny but unless something changes, I have a feeling that Armstrong will replace Gaffney next season, after Gaffney leaves as a UFA, and Mathis will replace Bradford.
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That would require a new GM. The current one can't comprehend this is what should happen.
 
Not saying it should happen, but I can see that it very well could happen, even with the current GM. I don't want it to happen but with Drew R in the mix, you never know.
 
We talk about it.

Texans write about it:

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/news_detail.php?PRKey=2183

The Texans’ coaching staff likes Armstrong’s size, body control and ability to adjust to the ball. At 6-2, 210, he matches up well against smaller cornerbacks.

“His strength is not outrunning them so much as its making plays on people. And he’s done that since he’s been here,” wide receivers coach Kippy Brown said. “If you get the ball around him, usually he finds a way to come up with a catch. We like his ability to catch the ball in traffic and to use his size to make plays.

“But Derick is also a really good team player. He’s learned to play every position out there, which is great. We know he’ll go in and get the job done. He has a great attitude, and he’s fun to be around. I think he’ll just keep getting better the more he gets out there.”
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I've met him once. He seemed very nice. I'd like to see Automatic get on the field more often but then again, I don't watch coach's film or attend all the practices.
 
uh, maybe I didn't word that correctly aj. It was meant to be a sarcastic remark about the supposed knocks on Armstrong. Sorry if I didn't present it that way or put the proper smilie at the end. :)

All he does is catch the ball, and as a WR I think that is, somehow, a pretty important thing for him to do. As for his route running, no I don't know what his route is exactly and I don't care. As long as I see Carr ACTUALLY throwing the ball to him, I don't care if he ran the correct route or not. Carr trusts the guy to catch the ball, that is what stands out to me, and for good reason, IMHO. I think that Carr is probably just as tired of throwing over the middle and watching it ding off his WR's/TE's hands and then ending up being yet another INT, as we fans are. How many of those have we seen and Carr ends up taking the INT hit while the real responsibility lays with the receiver. And these are supposed to be our starters? :ok:
 
if we were the colts.. Armstrong would be a star. But we arent..and we dont pass enough. he will never see enough balls thrown his way on this team.

Even with the new coaches I doubt we will see much change in that department.
 
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