How important is NFL draft to you?

[badboy]

You took the words right out of my mouth. I LOVE reading the angry posts on here. Very entertaining.

I don't know why people dislike the new format. I actually prefer to eat this meal in enjoyable bite-sized portions. Here's why:

1.) The fact that I can do something FUN on a weeknight, such as 1st round on a Thursday night, is awesome.

2.) And, it leaves room for teams to think about their 2nd round picks instead of going immediately into the 2nd round--Your team now has a lot of time to really evaluate what happened in round 1 and how to proceed with round 2...it helps us, IMO.

3.) It spreads it out, instead of making it a marathon crammed into two days.

WHEN I LOSE INTEREST
I lose interest after round 4. Rounds 5, 6, and 7 are of little interest to me because I think we're just taking blind stabs at guys who will be depth at worst, emergency starters (Yates) at best. I'd like for one of you draftniks to research every Texans 5th, 6th, and 7th rounder to see which ones actually ended up contributing more than just a camp body or depth. That'd be an interesting topic to look at!

WHAT I DISLIKE THE MOST
Obviously, it's the way the TV analysts skip over the Texans or go to commercial.

The NFL, if it wants to make this a high quality event, needs to have more structure in their TV presentation. They're making a small move by not showing the green room footage where a guy is crying as he's on the phone with a team the TV analysts have announced. That irritated me to hell, and they finally stopped it! So much for the "Goodell is ruining the NFL" crowd because THAT is a great improvement he and his gang made.

IMO, why can't the NFLN (since it IS the NFL) be instructed to give thoughtful and intentional focus/analysis on each team as the pick comes in? If you go to commercial, you need to automatically come back and make a quick summary of what team made a pick and show at least 30 or 45 seconds of film on him. and another 30 or 45 seconds of analysis. That's 1 minute for a team, and I think it's possible if they would just try. Instead, they move on and roll it at the bottom of the screen on the ticker tape. Boo! We waited for 4 months for this, so give us at least 1 minute of time to see our guy on TV and to hear him being discussed. /rant.

WHAT I LIKE THE MOST
I like reading the analysis on here as each pick comes in; clicking the links to the videos of our draft pick so that I can see what he did in college. I'll go to the main Texans site and watch their videos of Kubiak or Smith or Phillips discussing each guy, showing footage of each guy, interviewing each guy, etc.

I guess it is guys like TJ Yates, D. Barber & James Casey, Shiloh Keo & Brice McCain that keep me interested in later rounds.

 

[Playoffs]

I'd like for one of you draftniks to research every Texans 5th, 6th, and 7th rounder to see which ones actually ended up contributing more than just a camp body or depth. That'd be an interesting topic to look at!

That's where good F.O.s make their money:

2002
6/173 Demarcus Faggins CB Kansas State
2003
6/192 Drew Henson QB Michigan (traded for Cowboys 3rd rounder)
2004
2005
6/188 C.C. Brown S Louisiana-Lafayette
2006
6/170 Wali Lundy RB/rapper Virginia
7/251 David Anderson WR Colorado State
2007
6/183 Kasey Studdard OG Texas
7/218 Zac Diles LB Kansas State
2008
6/173 Dominique Barber S Minnesota
2009
5/152 James Casey TE Rice
6/188 Brice McCain CB Utah
7/223 Troy Nolan S Arizona State
2010
2011
5/152 T. J. Yates QB North Carolina

 

[Rey]

That's where good F.O.s make their money:

2002
6/173 Demarcus Faggins CB Kansas State
2003
6/192 Drew Henson QB Michigan (traded for Cowboys 3rd rounder)
2004
2005
6/188 C.C. Brown S Louisiana-Lafayette
2006
6/170 Wali Lundy RB/rapper Virginia
7/251 David Anderson WR Colorado State
2007
6/183 Kasey Studdard OG Texas
7/218 Zac Diles LB Kansas State
2008
6/173 Dominique Barber S Minnesota
2009
5/152 James Casey TE Rice
6/188 Brice McCain CB Utah
7/223 Troy Nolan S Arizona State
2010
2011
5/152 T. J. Yates QB North Carolina

Looks liek a lot of those guys have contributed and/or found a way to stick on the roster for a few years.

I would think it'd be less likely for late round guys to do that as the roster gets more talented. But who knows...If you draft well, guys could surprise you.

 

[steelbtexan]

Looks liek a lot of those guys have contributed and/or found a way to stick on the roster for a few years.

I would think it'd be less likely for late round guys to do that as the roster gets more talented. But who knows...If you draft well, guys could surprise you.

That's where the good drafting teams separate themselves.

Just before the draft shrunk to 7 rds, (Thanks NFLPA) I read a list of all pro players that were drafted in the rd or later. Including UDFA's this is where the Cowboys made their $$$$. (Drew Pearson/Golden Richards/Cornell Green/Everson Walls/Dennis Thurman/Cliff Harris etc... were all drafted after the 8th rd or UNFA's. iirc...

Steve Largent was drafted after the 7th rd by the Oilers. So teams that do their homework Pats/Steelers/Pack etc... have a great advantage.

 

[The Pencil Neck]

WHEN I LOSE INTEREST
I lose interest after round 4. Rounds 5, 6, and 7 are of little interest to me because I think we're just taking blind stabs at guys who will be depth at worst, emergency starters (Yates) at best. I'd like for one of you draftniks to research every Texans 5th, 6th, and 7th rounder to see which ones actually ended up contributing more than just a camp body or depth. That'd be an interesting topic to look at!

I've gone all the way back through the Casserly era picks. I'm actually surprised at how many guys kicked around the league at least a little bit.

I'd written a long post detailing all the picks and what they'd done... but no one wants to go through all that.

We got a few guys that gave us something from the Casserly Era: Petey Faggins, Charlie Anderson, CC Brown, Wali Lundy, and David Anderson. He drafted a bunch of bodies that at least have made squads off and on but not really contributed.

In the Smith era, we've had more guys contribute more to us (even though we might not like some of them): Diles, Studdard, Barber, Nolan, McCain, Casey, Yates. This year, we might be seeing some contributions from some other guys in there like Derek Newton (whose development might be why they felt comfortable letting Winston go) and Shelly Smith. But there have been flame-outs like Dorin Dickerson, Alex Brink, and Trindon Holliday.

Casserly had a draft process of ditching middle round picks and picking up later round picks because he believed that anything after the second round was pretty much a crapshoot. So he drafted a LOT of guys during those years in those later rounds. Smith has been more focused.

 

[Doppelganger]

That's where the good drafting teams separate themselves.

Just before the draft shrunk to 7 rds, (Thanks NFLPA) I read a list of all pro players that were drafted in the rd or later. Including UDFA's this is where the Cowboys made their $$$$. (Drew Pearson/Golden Richards/Cornell Green/Everson Walls/Dennis Thurman/Cliff Harris etc... were all drafted after the 8th rd or UNFA's. iirc...

Steve Largent was drafted after the 7th rd by the Oilers. So teams that do their homework Pats/Steelers/Pack etc... have a great advantage.

That's exactly right. ESPN makes a big deal out of the first round and a lesser one of the 2nd and 3rd. Its important to hit on those picks. But if you merely do well there, you are having an average draft. What separates the average vs the good vs the excellent drafts are when teams find players in the 4th-7th rounds. These are the developmental players who will become the starters of tomorrow. It didn't take a draft guru to know that Calvin Johnson would be a pretty good WR. But it takes special evaluators to get an Antoine Bethea in the 6th or a Marquis Colston in the 7th.

 

[The Pencil Neck]

Looks liek a lot of those guys have contributed and/or found a way to stick on the roster for a few years.

I would think it'd be less likely for late round guys to do that as the roster gets more talented. But who knows...If you draft well, guys could surprise you.

In 2002, we had 6 draft picks in the 5-7th round, 1 of which contributed.

In 2003, we had 4 draft picks in the 5-7th round, none of whom really contributed.

In 2004, we had 6 draft picks in the 5-7th round, 1 contributed a little. (Charlie Anderson, left off the guys list.)

In 2005, we had 3 picks in the 5-7th round, 1 contributed.

In 2006, we had 2 picks in the 5-7th round, 2 contributed.

In 2007, 4 picks, 2 contributed to us. A third, Brandon Frye, started some games for the Seahawks. And Brandon Harrison also contributed, although not much.

In 2008, 3 picks, 1 contributed.

I think it's important to see the hit to miss ratio over the years.

 

[badboy]

I'm 35 and I enjoy the new format immensely compared to the old format.

I think most younger fans like the new format, too. I didn't like burning up a whole weekend for the draft, tbh. Round 1 is primetime material, as it should be, and by the time the weekend rolls around you can do other things and not feel like you're missing the best part(s) of the draft.

Besides, if a person says he's a hardcore NFL fan...he'd be OK with watching the draft if it were held on a Tuesday at 3 a.m. let alone on Thursday night. Our friends across the pond don't have the luxury of watching NFL stuff at the most optimal times like we do here. And yet I bet THEY are glad they can get whatever morsels of nourishment they can get their hands on. Right?

I think some people (not naming names or anything ) like to piss and moan about everything.

Yeah! Eat all your veggies because all the little kids in CHina are starving. chuckle

 

[badboy]

I just got home a few minutes ago and had a voice message on business phone that my trip to Yakima was postponed. I will be able to go back to my NFL draft weekend routine!
Dancing in the streets!! Oh, yeah. Guess I'l have to do another mock to celebrate---

 

[badboy]

badboy:

If you have Verizon as your cell phone carrier, you can download the NFL Mobile app. It gives you tons of real-time news, streaming "live" video analysis of each pick, and war room footage, and more. I just downloaded it last week, and have been using it a lot when I'm away from the house.

It could be most valuable to you if you have Verizon and will be away from a TV for awhile. Then you can use TapaTalk app to access the TexansTalk message board. You can take your draft hobby on-the-go and become a totally self-sustaining, mobilized draftnik now.

Nah I have AT&T thru Apple IPhone. Thanks for info though.

 

[The Pencil Neck]

I just got home a few minutes ago and had a voice message on business phone that my trip to Yakima was postponed. I will be able to go back to my NFL draft weekend routine!
Dancing in the streets!! Oh, yeah. Guess I'l have to do another mock to celebrate---

Woot! Woot!

 

[badboy]

Now THAT is a better idea. Friday should be the 1st round.

I just wonder if Goodell thinks the younger fans (the 18 to 30-yr-old crowd) will be out on the town and not near a TV.

On a Thursday night, your ass will be in front of a TV about 99% of the time throughout the year. I think it's the law of averages that made them choose Thursday night. What show on a Thursday night historically draws enough eyeballs of the NFL viewer demographic? None, IMO.

Goodell could really mess with people if he started the draft in reverse. Round 7 is first, on Thursday night, and you can only draft from a certain pool of players...saving the cream of the crop for Saturday's 1st round. LOL. Man oh man would heads explode.

yeah the nfl already gives players an idea where they can be expected to be drafted so those would be selected from round computer identifies. Maybe allow the first four rounds to be the usual way. Lordy, i am bored.

 

[badboy]

In 2002, we had 6 draft picks in the 5-7th round, 1 of which contributed.

In 2003, we had 4 draft picks in the 5-7th round, none of whom really contributed.

In 2004, we had 6 draft picks in the 5-7th round, 1 contributed a little. (Charlie Anderson, left off the guys list.)

In 2005, we had 3 picks in the 5-7th round, 1 contributed.

In 2006, we had 2 picks in the 5-7th round, 2 contributed.

In 2007, 4 picks, 2 contributed to us. A third, Brandon Frye, started some games for the Seahawks. And Brandon Harrison also contributed, although not much.

In 2008, 3 picks, 1 contributed.

I think it's important to see the hit to miss ratio over the years.

but didn't some of those years involve trading current low rounds to teams for a bump up following year? I thought there were 2-3 seasons where we traded 6th or 7th for following year 5th or 6th.

 

[The Pencil Neck]

but didn't some of those years involve trading current low rounds to teams for a bump up following year? I thought there were 2-3 seasons where we traded 6th or 7th for following year 5th or 6th.

I'm not sure what the trades were but if you look at the picks we had:

2002: 1 1, 2 2s, 2 3s, 1 4, 2 5s, 2 6s, 2 7s.
2003: 1 1, 1 2, 3 3s, 1 4, 2 6s, 2 7s
2004: 2 1s, 1 4, 3 6s, 3 7s
2005: 1 1, 1 3, 1 4, 1 5, 1 6, 1 7

I wasn't following the draft very closely back then. Did the league give us extra picks in 2002? In 2004, we didn't have a 2nd, a 3rd, or a 5th (after trading up for Babin, iirc.) But look at all those 6s and 7s.

2003 is the real changeup though, with 3 3s but no 5. I have a feeling a 6 and a 7 that year were probably compensatory picks.

By 2005, we have a more normal pick distribution. But those first three years, we've got an ungodly number of 6s and 7s.