Hottoddie
Veteran
My plan is to use free agency to fill the offensive needs & go heavy on defense in the draft. We don't have a lot of cap room, but if we target one major FA (RT), we should be able to fill the RB position & possibly QB with a 2nd tier player.
The 3 main needs we have on offense are:
1) Starting QB
2) Starting RT
3) Replacement RB for Tate
I was planning on signing Cassel as our starting QB, but he messed that up by resigning with Minnesota. I'm not real impressed with the remaining FA QB's, but maybe we can milk something out of one of them. We could also trade for someone else's backup QB like Mallett, Cousins, Hoyer, Osweiler, etc. etc., but that might involve giving up draft picks & we'll need all of them to refit the defense with players that better fit RC's coaching philosophy. Finally, we could just draft a QB with the first pick. My 3 mocks are based on each of these scenarios.
The OT free agency pool is fairly deep this year & it's my belief that we HAVE to sign a veteran RT. This is the position I'm willing to spend the majority of my available cap space on if I have to. The player I'm targeting was Anthony Collins, but there are several other very good candidates as well.
The RB pool is very deep & getting deeper as we speak. We should get a quality RB at a very good price. I was targeting Gerhart or MJD, but there are some other qualified candidates.
Scenario #1 - Sign a free agent QB
Free Agency
1) We sign one of the FA QBs. I don't know which one & I'm not even going to guess, because I don't like any of them.
2) We sign a starting RT.
3) We sign a backup RB to replace Tate.
Draft
1) Jadeveon Clowney (OLB) South Carolina
Hands down the best skills player in this draft. Nothing can be said that hasn’t already been said. He’ll start at OLB for us on day one.
2) DaQuan Jones (NT) Penn State
He’s a big (6’6”, 323lbs), strong NT with brute strength to take on multiple blockers. He’s got some quickness & can put pressure on the QB.
3) Shane Skov (ILB) Stanford
An instinctive player that plays a very physical game. He has great closing speed with an explosive burst. He’s a very good run stuffer & a fiery competitor. In a way, he reminds me a little of Cushing. He tore his ACL in 2011, but has since fully recovered & appears to have not lost any quickness. In my opinion, Skov could be the steal of this draft in the 3rd round.
4) Brett Smith (QB) Wyoming
He’s a very confident player with an adequate NFL arm. He has quick feet & good mobility to move around in the pocket & occasionally take off. He scans the field very quickly going through his reads & easily recognizes soft spots in the defense. He has a positive attitude, strong work ethic & strong passion for the game.
5) Justin Ellis (NT) Louisiana Tech
He’s a big, strong kid at 6’2”, 334lbs (played at 350+). He’s extremely quick for his size with an explosive first step. He has long arms & is very active with his hands. He has a strong bull rush & is a big run stuffer with great snap anticipation. Has a very good spin move & a non stop motor.
6) Damien Williams (RB) Oklahoma
5’11”, 222lbs & runs a 4.45 40. He’s a very patient runner, does a nice job setting up his blocks & shows very good hands for receiving.
7a) Kenny Ladler (FS) Vanderbilt
Instinctive player that can assess the action quickly & react. Good speed, closing burst & can deliver the big hit resulting in fumbles. Showed steady improvement throughout his career while playing both strong & free safety. Solid contributor on special teams.
7???) Carrington Byndom (CB) Texas
He has a very lean frame, but is very agile with exceptional hand eye coordination & good speed.
UDFA: Casey Pachall (QB) TCU
6’4” 230lbs with an exceptionally quick release, strong arm & good pocket awareness. He’s got all the tools to be a top QB, but he’s had problems with substance abuse & broke his non throwing arm last year. After checking into rehab, all indications are he’s matured & the arm has healed. An intriguing prospect to say the least, but must be checked out thoroughly.
Scenario #2 - Draft a starting QB
Free Agency
1) We sign a starting RT.
2) We sign a backup RB to replace Tate.
Draft
1) Teddy Bridgewater (QB) Louisville
The best available QB in this year’s draft. Will he be the next starting QB for the Texans?
2) DaQuan Jones (NT) Penn State
He’s a big (6’6”, 323lbs), strong NT with brute strength to take on multiple blockers. He’s got some quickness & can put pressure on the QB.
3) Shane Skov (ILB) Stanford
An instinctive player that plays a very physical game. He has great closing speed with an explosive burst. He’s a very good run stuffer & a fiery competitor. In a way, he reminds me a little of Cushing. He tore his ACL in 2011, but has since fully recovered & appears to have not lost any quickness. In my opinion, Skov could be the steal of this draft in the 3rd round.
4) Walt Aikens (CB) Liberty
6’1” 205lb CB with long arms, He has light feet, loose hips & can play both man & zone coverage equally well. Has good speed with a second gear & an impressive closing burst. Very aggressive in run support & is a solid tackler.
5) Justin Ellis (NT) Louisiana Tech
He’s a big, strong kid at 6’2”, 334lbs (played at 350+). He’s extremely quick for his size with an explosive first step. He has long arms & is very active with his hands. He has a strong bull rush & is a big run stuffer with great snap anticipation. Has a very good spin move & a non stop motor.
6) Damien Williams (RB) Oklahoma
5’11”, 222lbs & runs a 4.45 40. He’s a very patient runner, does a nice job setting up his blocks & shows very good hands for receiving.
7a) Kenny Ladler (FS) Vanderbilt
Instinctive player that can assess the action quickly & react. Good speed, closing burst & can deliver the big hit resulting in fumbles. Showed steady improvement throughout his career while playing both strong & free safety. Solid contributor on special teams.
7???) Alex Bullard (G/C) Tennessee
He can play left guard or center. He’s an effective pass blocker & has some athleticism.
Scenario #3 - Trade for a QB with Trade Downs
Free Agency
1) We sign a starting RT.
2) We sign a backup RB to replace Tate.
Draft
1.1) We trade down with Atlanta for #6, #37 & their 2015 2nd round pick. Atlanta takes Clowney.
1.6) Kalil Mack (OLB) Buffalo
The best pure OLB in the draft & a perfect fit for the 3-4.
2.1) We trade down with San Francisco for #56 & 61
2.5) Ryan Mallett (QB) We send pick #37 from Atlanta to New England for Mallett.
2.24) DaQuan Jones (NT) Penn State
He’s a big (6’6”, 323lbs), strong NT with brute strength to take on multiple blockers. He’s got some quickness & can put pressure on the QB.
2.29) Shane Skov (ILB) Stanford
An instinctive player that plays a very physical game. He has great closing speed with an explosive burst. He’s a very good run stuffer & a fiery competitor. In a way, he reminds me a little of Cushing. He tore his ACL in 2011, but has since fully recovered & appears to have not lost any quickness. In my opinion, Skov could be the steal of this draft in the 3rd round.
3.1) Terrence Brooks (FS) Florida State
Converted CB with great speed & an impressive closing burst. Very physical with good balance, leaping ability & strong hands for the interception. He’s a good special teams player. He needs to work on his concentration to make the pick, as he has let several easy picks slip through his hands.
4.1) Walt Aikens (CB) Liberty
6’1” 205lb CB with long arms, He has light feet, loose hips & can play both man & zone coverage equally well. Has good speed with a second gear & an impressive closing burst. Very aggressive in run support & is a solid tackler.
5.1) Justin Ellis (NT) Louisiana Tech
He’s a big, strong kid at 6’2”, 334lbs (played at 350+). He’s extremely quick for his size with an explosive first step. He has long arms & is very active with his hands. He has a strong bull rush & is a big run stuffer with great snap anticipation. Has a very good spin move & a non stop motor.
6.1) Damien Williams (RB) Oklahoma
5’11”, 222lbs & runs a 4.45 40. He’s a very patient runner, does a nice job setting up his blocks & shows very good hands for receiving.
7.1) Keith Price (QB) Washington
I chose Price here on BeerLover’s suggestion. Price has many of the same qualities of Russell Wilson. He’s small in stature, but has adequate arm strength, throws a tight spiral & is very mobile. He’s a dual threat & has the same strong competitive fire that Wilson has. I’m not sure he’ll last until the 7th round, but if he’s there, I take him.
7.??) Alex Bullard (G/C) Tennessee
He can play left guard or center. He’s an effective pass blocker & has some athleticism.
Well, there you have it. I just wasted a few hours of my life for this?!? I've got to get a life. I wonder if I can get one of those on Amazon.com? Hope you enjoy it.
The 3 main needs we have on offense are:
1) Starting QB
2) Starting RT
3) Replacement RB for Tate
I was planning on signing Cassel as our starting QB, but he messed that up by resigning with Minnesota. I'm not real impressed with the remaining FA QB's, but maybe we can milk something out of one of them. We could also trade for someone else's backup QB like Mallett, Cousins, Hoyer, Osweiler, etc. etc., but that might involve giving up draft picks & we'll need all of them to refit the defense with players that better fit RC's coaching philosophy. Finally, we could just draft a QB with the first pick. My 3 mocks are based on each of these scenarios.
The OT free agency pool is fairly deep this year & it's my belief that we HAVE to sign a veteran RT. This is the position I'm willing to spend the majority of my available cap space on if I have to. The player I'm targeting was Anthony Collins, but there are several other very good candidates as well.
The RB pool is very deep & getting deeper as we speak. We should get a quality RB at a very good price. I was targeting Gerhart or MJD, but there are some other qualified candidates.
Scenario #1 - Sign a free agent QB
Free Agency
1) We sign one of the FA QBs. I don't know which one & I'm not even going to guess, because I don't like any of them.
2) We sign a starting RT.
3) We sign a backup RB to replace Tate.
Draft
1) Jadeveon Clowney (OLB) South Carolina
Hands down the best skills player in this draft. Nothing can be said that hasn’t already been said. He’ll start at OLB for us on day one.
2) DaQuan Jones (NT) Penn State
He’s a big (6’6”, 323lbs), strong NT with brute strength to take on multiple blockers. He’s got some quickness & can put pressure on the QB.
3) Shane Skov (ILB) Stanford
An instinctive player that plays a very physical game. He has great closing speed with an explosive burst. He’s a very good run stuffer & a fiery competitor. In a way, he reminds me a little of Cushing. He tore his ACL in 2011, but has since fully recovered & appears to have not lost any quickness. In my opinion, Skov could be the steal of this draft in the 3rd round.
4) Brett Smith (QB) Wyoming
He’s a very confident player with an adequate NFL arm. He has quick feet & good mobility to move around in the pocket & occasionally take off. He scans the field very quickly going through his reads & easily recognizes soft spots in the defense. He has a positive attitude, strong work ethic & strong passion for the game.
5) Justin Ellis (NT) Louisiana Tech
He’s a big, strong kid at 6’2”, 334lbs (played at 350+). He’s extremely quick for his size with an explosive first step. He has long arms & is very active with his hands. He has a strong bull rush & is a big run stuffer with great snap anticipation. Has a very good spin move & a non stop motor.
6) Damien Williams (RB) Oklahoma
5’11”, 222lbs & runs a 4.45 40. He’s a very patient runner, does a nice job setting up his blocks & shows very good hands for receiving.
7a) Kenny Ladler (FS) Vanderbilt
Instinctive player that can assess the action quickly & react. Good speed, closing burst & can deliver the big hit resulting in fumbles. Showed steady improvement throughout his career while playing both strong & free safety. Solid contributor on special teams.
7???) Carrington Byndom (CB) Texas
He has a very lean frame, but is very agile with exceptional hand eye coordination & good speed.
UDFA: Casey Pachall (QB) TCU
6’4” 230lbs with an exceptionally quick release, strong arm & good pocket awareness. He’s got all the tools to be a top QB, but he’s had problems with substance abuse & broke his non throwing arm last year. After checking into rehab, all indications are he’s matured & the arm has healed. An intriguing prospect to say the least, but must be checked out thoroughly.
Scenario #2 - Draft a starting QB
Free Agency
1) We sign a starting RT.
2) We sign a backup RB to replace Tate.
Draft
1) Teddy Bridgewater (QB) Louisville
The best available QB in this year’s draft. Will he be the next starting QB for the Texans?
2) DaQuan Jones (NT) Penn State
He’s a big (6’6”, 323lbs), strong NT with brute strength to take on multiple blockers. He’s got some quickness & can put pressure on the QB.
3) Shane Skov (ILB) Stanford
An instinctive player that plays a very physical game. He has great closing speed with an explosive burst. He’s a very good run stuffer & a fiery competitor. In a way, he reminds me a little of Cushing. He tore his ACL in 2011, but has since fully recovered & appears to have not lost any quickness. In my opinion, Skov could be the steal of this draft in the 3rd round.
4) Walt Aikens (CB) Liberty
6’1” 205lb CB with long arms, He has light feet, loose hips & can play both man & zone coverage equally well. Has good speed with a second gear & an impressive closing burst. Very aggressive in run support & is a solid tackler.
5) Justin Ellis (NT) Louisiana Tech
He’s a big, strong kid at 6’2”, 334lbs (played at 350+). He’s extremely quick for his size with an explosive first step. He has long arms & is very active with his hands. He has a strong bull rush & is a big run stuffer with great snap anticipation. Has a very good spin move & a non stop motor.
6) Damien Williams (RB) Oklahoma
5’11”, 222lbs & runs a 4.45 40. He’s a very patient runner, does a nice job setting up his blocks & shows very good hands for receiving.
7a) Kenny Ladler (FS) Vanderbilt
Instinctive player that can assess the action quickly & react. Good speed, closing burst & can deliver the big hit resulting in fumbles. Showed steady improvement throughout his career while playing both strong & free safety. Solid contributor on special teams.
7???) Alex Bullard (G/C) Tennessee
He can play left guard or center. He’s an effective pass blocker & has some athleticism.
Scenario #3 - Trade for a QB with Trade Downs
Free Agency
1) We sign a starting RT.
2) We sign a backup RB to replace Tate.
Draft
1.1) We trade down with Atlanta for #6, #37 & their 2015 2nd round pick. Atlanta takes Clowney.
1.6) Kalil Mack (OLB) Buffalo
The best pure OLB in the draft & a perfect fit for the 3-4.
2.1) We trade down with San Francisco for #56 & 61
2.5) Ryan Mallett (QB) We send pick #37 from Atlanta to New England for Mallett.
2.24) DaQuan Jones (NT) Penn State
He’s a big (6’6”, 323lbs), strong NT with brute strength to take on multiple blockers. He’s got some quickness & can put pressure on the QB.
2.29) Shane Skov (ILB) Stanford
An instinctive player that plays a very physical game. He has great closing speed with an explosive burst. He’s a very good run stuffer & a fiery competitor. In a way, he reminds me a little of Cushing. He tore his ACL in 2011, but has since fully recovered & appears to have not lost any quickness. In my opinion, Skov could be the steal of this draft in the 3rd round.
3.1) Terrence Brooks (FS) Florida State
Converted CB with great speed & an impressive closing burst. Very physical with good balance, leaping ability & strong hands for the interception. He’s a good special teams player. He needs to work on his concentration to make the pick, as he has let several easy picks slip through his hands.
4.1) Walt Aikens (CB) Liberty
6’1” 205lb CB with long arms, He has light feet, loose hips & can play both man & zone coverage equally well. Has good speed with a second gear & an impressive closing burst. Very aggressive in run support & is a solid tackler.
5.1) Justin Ellis (NT) Louisiana Tech
He’s a big, strong kid at 6’2”, 334lbs (played at 350+). He’s extremely quick for his size with an explosive first step. He has long arms & is very active with his hands. He has a strong bull rush & is a big run stuffer with great snap anticipation. Has a very good spin move & a non stop motor.
6.1) Damien Williams (RB) Oklahoma
5’11”, 222lbs & runs a 4.45 40. He’s a very patient runner, does a nice job setting up his blocks & shows very good hands for receiving.
7.1) Keith Price (QB) Washington
I chose Price here on BeerLover’s suggestion. Price has many of the same qualities of Russell Wilson. He’s small in stature, but has adequate arm strength, throws a tight spiral & is very mobile. He’s a dual threat & has the same strong competitive fire that Wilson has. I’m not sure he’ll last until the 7th round, but if he’s there, I take him.
7.??) Alex Bullard (G/C) Tennessee
He can play left guard or center. He’s an effective pass blocker & has some athleticism.
Well, there you have it. I just wasted a few hours of my life for this?!? I've got to get a life. I wonder if I can get one of those on Amazon.com? Hope you enjoy it.
