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Texans 2014 OTAs begin May 27

Good that Nix is back on field. Competitive DBs not necessarily good DBs. When KJ is working against slot who is outside? Hopefully, Foster will see some quick passes. Wish there was info on Posey. New offense but will it be a scoring offense or grind it out and take time off clock hoping defense keeps it a close game? If Foster has a great season will he sell stock in himself again?

Will Sterling use his $2 billion dollars to buy arena teams and start a league to compete against NFL? Sources tell me Oprah is willing to partner with him.
 
Who is the nickle cb and are we seeing more 2 te sets in camp?
 
powda said:
Who is the nickle cb and are we seeing more 2 te sets in camp?
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It appears at this time that Brandon Harris may be projected as nickel CB, although KJ is going to be tried some of the time at this position also. With O'brien's offense, 2 TE sets will be common, probably with a sprinkle of 3 TE sets to make things interesting.
 
Came across this piece that gives us some additional info re. OTAs that I haven't found elsewhere.
Texans OTAs Day Six Review: New Names Emerge
June 5, 2014 ·

The Houston Texans week two of OTAs has officially come to a close and the team has four more practices to go before hitting Mandatory Mini-Camp. The flow of practice looks much better and that comes with understanding the new routine of Head Coach Bill O’Brien.

Today we took a close look at Day Six from OTAs.


Two Cornerbacks to Watch

The Texans are working on making depth on this team count and cornerbacks Elbert Mack and A.J. Bouye have started to stand out with their opportunity. This opportunity was created with Johnathan Joseph and Brandon Harris missing time due to unspecified reasons.

Elbert Mack made his mark with the team last year on special teams but he has shown that he can play on the outside of the defense. He has shown some solid coverage skills and most importantly understanding what is needed to be successful in this new defense.

As for A.J. Bouye, he is so smooth on the field and has that “it” factor in coverage. He plays with a nice confidence but is still learning on the run which is good because he looks very similar to what he did last year during camp.

Players like Bouye and Mack are giving the Texans confidence to play them when needed and are finally give the Texans a chance to develop real depth in the secondary.


Kareem Jackson Working at the Slot Corner Position

Head Coach Bill O’Brien finally let out that Kareem Jackson has been working the slot cornerback position. There is some thinking that Jackson could help the majority of the time in the slot, but at the moment it seems like the team is trying to cover all bases with players. Jackson could easily help out at the slot position with his ability to play physical and be a factor in run support. This is something to watch when Joseph and Harris return, but it is just another way the defense is thinking outside of the box.


Kofi Hughes Catching Up

Rookie wide receiver Kofi Hughes has started to catch up to the rest of the wide receiver group after being claimed off of waivers less than a week ago. He caught the ball with confidence today and showed he can stretch the field when needed. Still working to polish his route running, Hughes has the acceleration to get in and out of breaks.

There is a wide receiver log jam but Hughes has stood out among the wide receivers during day six.


Shane Lechler Putting on a Show

Punter Shane Lechler was putting on a show with his directional punt game during special teams practice. He was consistently putting punts inside the 10 yard line and showing how well he can make the ball kick back when it hits the ground.


C.J. Fiedorowicz Impresses

The rookie tight end out of Iowa has been very impressive with this group of veterans. His versatility has been on display and as OTAs has progressed he has shown he can work inline, outside or in motion. His overall skill set gives the offense a new wrinkle that could give every offensive set he is in the option of run or pass effectively. Not known as a pass catcher in college, Fiedorowicz is a natural pass catcher and can create mismatches in the middle of the field like Texans linebacker are finding out right now.


Brandon Harris and Louis Nix III Return

Both Harris and Nix III returned to practice today after sitting out for undisclosed reasons, and the focus was on the rookie nose tackle. Nix III looked good and showed some nice moves when the defensive line went to working on stunts. He has some good short area quickness for his size but his real value will show when the shoulder pads are put on and he has to play the run.


Ricky Sapp Holding Steady

The outside linebacker has struggled with injuries during his career and he might have found a shot with the Texans this season. Sapp has been called upon early to work opposite of Whitney Mercilus during OTAs and he is pushing to work into the outside linebacker rotations. He has some pass rushing ability and that has been missed the past few seasons for the Texans defense. He has a good first step off the edge and is a faster piece to the defense. Sapp provides real edge speed for a defense that lacked team speed in recent seasons.


Jadeveon Clowney Showing Why He was #1 Overall

Jadeveon Clowney news has been quiet in terms of other 1st round rookies from his draft class but his talent and football I.Q. are on display every day. Clowney is learning the position and seeing him understand how to drop into coverage and what to look for in routes has been a sight to see. He can cover ground in a hurry with one step and his on field speed makes the defense that much faster on the edge.

When Clowney is allowed to work on his pass rush, his first step when the ball is snapped is unreal. Today he worked fellow rookie offensive tackle Brian Witzmann when he blew by him during a pass play before Witzmann was even able to get out of his stance. He has the speed and his technique is still being refined day to day. He has everything that the scouts have talked about, untapped potential.

Quick Hitters

- Linebacker Jeff Tarpinian will help this team in some form this season on defense and special teams. His coverage value from the linebacker position is the best on the team at the moment.

- Rookie kicker Chris Boswell has started to punt some to help take some work off of punter Shane Lechler. The early look has been impressive, not to mention he put on a kicking display when he was showing off his accuracy hitting the field goal uprights with kicks in a drill.

- Rookie defensive tackle Austin Brown runs very good stunts and he displayed it during group drills today. Brown moves very well for his 295 lbs. frame and getting him to training camp for full contact will be something we will be watching.
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Breakfast With The Bulls: 5 Things You'll Like
Marc Vandermeer @TexansVoice
1. The Texans will be physically and mentally tough
Bill O’Brien will not tolerate a team that isn't physically and mentally up to the weekly grind. Toughness was probably one of the first topics to come up in interviews for the next head coach and O’Brien has talked about it since he landed in Houston.

What does it mean?

You might not win every weekend but the opponent is sure going to need a cold tub after a date with the Texans. One look at the way OTAs have been going and it’s easy to see that toughness is going to be a long running theme around here. Just take a look at the drafted players: big physical guys who can take and deliver a punch. And you better play smart, or you’ll probably have no shot at being on the Houston 53.

2. They’ll be versatile
We keep hearing about a “Game Plan Offense.” It means that this squad will, to a certain extent, reinvent its strategy every week and make big changes in its attack based on what’s perceived to be exploitable weaknesses in the opponents. I know what you’re thinking, “isn’t it better to ‘do what you do’ and make them stop you?” Well, whatever works.

You think zone-blocking works against the Titans? Run it.

You want to dink and dunk a bit, then go long versus the Jags? Done.

3. They’ll be unpredictable
Remember those two humiliating losses to the Patriots when Tom Brady would hit a big play then quick snap on the follow up play? Well, get ready to benefit from some of that. You’ll see a lot of ‘gear shifting’ on offense. A little hurry-up here, some standard huddle there. The key is to keep certain defensive personnel groups on the field and to flat out keep other teams guessing.

4. They’ll go for it on 4th down a bunch
You’re welcome.

I’ll bet you lunch that O’Brien is one of those guys who won’t punt much inside the opponent’s 40 yard line. He was part of a Patriots staff that infamously went for it on fourth and short in their own end vs the Colts. Ok, that one didn’t work out but we’re all for some out-of-the-box thinking. If the Texans are going to bounce back big in ’14, they’ll need some riverboat mentality out of their mentor.

5. Press conferences will be entertaining
So what if he doesn’t give us any unrequired injury info and is trying to keep most of the on field stuff ziplocked. O’Brien is fun to listen to. From his “It’s not life threatening” assessment of the Louis Nix III injury to his “Come on, guys, let’s not make a big deal out of this” plea on his desire for players to actually walk to practice, O’Brien is a one-liner waiting to happen. And we haven’t even really gotten started yet. Wait until there are some actual game situations to discuss!
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CloakNNNdagger said:
Came across this piece that gives us some additional info re. OTAs that I haven't found elsewhere...There is a wide receiver log jam but Hughes has stood out among the wide receivers during day six.
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With our new offense employing more two TE sets and occasionally a three TE set, how many TE's will we carry? 4? What does this mean for the WR's? How many will we carry? Only 4? That makes 33% of the traditional 25 offensive players carried. TE's: Fiedorowicz, Graham, Griffin & ? Potter? WR's: AJ, Hopkins, Posey. Leaving just one. That's going to be a tough cut: Martin, Nwachukwu, Hughs?
 
Number19 said:
With our new offense employing more two TE sets and occasionally a three TE set, how many TE's will we carry? 4? What does this mean for the WR's? How many will we carry? Only 4? That makes 33% of the traditional 25 offensive players carried. TE's: Fiedorowicz, Graham, Griffin & ? Potter? WR's: AJ, Hopkins, Posey. Leaving just one. That's going to be a tough cut: Martin, Nwachukwu, Hughs?
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I wouldn't be surprised if they carried 3 TEs with one on the PS (to call up in case of injury).....and still keep 5 WRs.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
I wouldn't be surprised if they carried 3 TEs with one on the PS (to call up in case of injury).....and still keep 5 WRs.
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I agree this is likely, but the only TE's currently on the roster who would be eligible for the PS would be 6'-4"/243# rookie Chris Coyle and 6'-4"/235# rookie Anthony Denham.

We just signed, this off season, four year veteran Zach Potter, a huge 6'-7" and 269# known for his blocking. If we keep only three on the active roster, who do we let go? This will be something to watch going into training camp and will depend on how OB intends to use that third TE. Potter was drafted as a DE out of Nebraska and would likely be the least versatile, since he's not known for his receiving skills.
 
- Linebacker Jeff Tarpinian will help this team in some form this season on defense and special teams. His coverage value from the linebacker position is the best on the team at the moment.
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Good. He was one of the few positives from last season.
 
I think a lot of this roster stuff is going to be worked out over the course of training camp/pre season...

I don't think OB is going to make roster moves like the last Regime did. At least I hope not.

Not only did we draft players we never should have, but in some cases they stayed around much too long.
 
mussop said:
I don't get what you're trying to say.
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I'm not a fan of underground music and never have been. It has a cool factor which I do not care for.

Sort of like artistic arrogance just because you call yourself an artist and produce nothing of value or of interest. But then again, i wouldn't have a Picasso in my home if you gave me money to take it. It's JUNK by an artist with an undeserved reputation.

Of course the arrogant artist club will tell each other why I just don't understand. But I do.

There was once a story of an Emperor who was coaxed into believing he was wearing a grand outfit that only the truly intellectually gifted could perceive. But a little boy could see the simple truth that the Emperor was wearing no clothes.

Now don't get me wrong. Some artist are great at what they do. My comments are for those who are not and yet act like they are.
 
kiwitexansfan said:
Tried the replyall thing, Steph answered my question, THANKS STEPH!!


Was interesting he mentioned 2nd year player, D.J. Swearinger, because though he has a lot of confidence that you need to have to play that position well, his play often didn't back up his words last year, and he was hit with some ungood penalties.


O'Brien may have had to answer the question the way he did to support his guys publicly and to build them up, but I see a huge leadership void for this team. A lot of guys who are great locker room guys, hard workers etc, but not a lot of been there, done that, we got this. Perhaps some more true leaders will emerge, but this is a team that is going to have to develop leadership and true confidence (not just talk confidence).
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We've got our idea of who the leaders are & what a leader should be. But we don't see what's going on in the locker room. Some guys take those reigns & do the job. Some want no part of it. Dj may very well be the leader in the locker room.

He may very well be the leader they need.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
 
Marshall said:
I'm not a fan of underground music and never have been. It has a cool factor which I do not care for.
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:lol:

The-Cool-Factor-Gary-Cooper.jpg


"Cool factor", 'eh? Can't just be that some folks like chocolate while others like vanilla.

Marshall said:
Sort of like artistic arrogance just because you call yourself an artist and produce nothing of value or of interest. But then again, i wouldn't have a Picasso in my home if you gave me money to take it. It's JUNK by an artist with an undeserved reputation.

Of course the arrogant artist club will tell each other why I just don't understand. But I do.

There was once a story of an Emperor who was coaxed into believing he was wearing a grand outfit that only the truly intellectually gifted could perceive. But a little boy could see the simple truth that the Emperor was wearing no clothes.

Now don't get me wrong. Some artist are great at what they do. My comments are for those who are not and yet act like they are.
Click to expand...

[IMGwidthsize=800]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ig8GRJgGZqI/Uft1NCRcpjI/AAAAAAAABAU/DohytbCd8NM/s1600/Town+Of+Insecurity.jpg[/IMG]
 
kiwitexansfan said:
Totally missed the Kofi Hughes pick up.

Sounds like a really competitive group.
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The guy looks pretty good, now that you mention him.

He must have been caught in the number game with the redskins.
Cody was also a very solid receiver at BYU.
I'm a little curious that neither got drafted.

Perhaps the Redskins were trying to sneak him onto their PS later.
He made quite a few great catches in those clips that I watched.
Seems like he played faster than the 4.52 he ran at his pro day.
Or maybe the DBs were slow? :cutthroat:
 
76Texan said:
The guy looks pretty good, now that you mention him.

He must have been caught in the number game with the redskins.
Cody was also a very solid receiver at BYU.
I'm a little curious that neither got drafted.

Perhaps the Redskins were trying to sneak him onto their PS later.
He made quite a few great catches in those clips that I watched.
Seems like he played faster than the 4.52 he ran at his pro day.
Or maybe the DBs were slow? :cutthroat:
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Referring to Hughes.......Great hands, but he couldn't catch up to or catch a long ball to save his life. They will probably be trying to see if he works out in the slot.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
Referring to Hughes.......Great hands, but he couldn't catch up to or catch a long ball to save his life. They will probably be trying to see if he works out in the slot.
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I don't know Doc; I saw him having to slow down to wait for the ball quite a few times.
And he caught quite a few long balls, too.
But I don't watch him a lot so I really have no idea.

There are a few intriguing options for the Texans; I'm not sure KMart makes the team.
 
76Texan said:
I don't know Doc; I saw him having to slow down to wait for the ball quite a few times.
And he caught quite a few long balls, too.
But I don't watch him a lot so I really have no idea.

There are a few intriguing options for the Texans; I'm not sure KMart makes the team.
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That's someone that has excelled at no position. I could easily live without him.
 
Marshall said:
I'm not a fan of underground music and never have been. It has a cool factor which I do not care for.

Sort of like artistic arrogance just because you call yourself an artist and produce nothing of value or of interest. But then again, i wouldn't have a Picasso in my home if you gave me money to take it. It's JUNK by an artist with an undeserved reputation.

Of course the arrogant artist club will tell each other why I just don't understand. But I do.

There was once a story of an Emperor who was coaxed into believing he was wearing a grand outfit that only the truly intellectually gifted could perceive. But a little boy could see the simple truth that the Emperor was wearing no clothes.

Now don't get me wrong. Some artist are great at what they do. My comments are for those who are not and yet act like they are.
Click to expand...


I still have no clue what you're talking about. Apparently we have two different definitions of what underground music is. For me it was music that was played in all the dance clubs that you never heard on the radio.
 
Keyshawn martins problem isn't his hands. Hes afraid of contact. He's the Brice McCain WR version.

Some smallish fast guys are really tough...others aren't.

Martin is a 5th or 6th WR at best on a good team.

All of this IMO of course.

Of course...I never rule out improvement. **** happens. But as if right now, I don't think Martin makes this team. He shouldn't have made it last season. He is not a better player than some if the udfa we had/have.
 
xtruroyaltyx said:
Keyshawn martins problem isn't his hands. Hes afraid of contact. He's the Brice McCain WR version.

Some smallish fast guys are really tough...others aren't.

Martin is a 5th or 6th WR at best on a good team.

All of this IMO of course.

Of course...I never rule out improvement. **** happens. But as if right now, I don't think Martin makes this team. He shouldn't have made it last season. He is not a better player than some if the udfa we had/have.
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I don't know if he's afraid of contact. He doesn't like to get hit while he's halfway in the air reaching for a ball. Not exactly what you want in a slot receiver, but not uncommon for a receiver at all.

& I'll agree the UDFAs are better when they have a season of going across the middle under their belts.
 
I'm reevaluating every player on this roster now that Kubiak and Schaub are out the picture for good. I feel every player at least deserves that. Fresh start with everyone healthy let's see what's up.
 
Don't you know, a day after posting a comment on the TE's, the Chronicle has a nice piece this morning. (Second time this has happened.) It seems OB is pleased with Graham's off season effort, who's added 18 lbs. With 6'-5" Fiedorowicz at 265 lbs and with 6'-6" Graham now at 254 lbs, and both with soft hands, these two will serve as our blocking ends, as well as being a tall mismatch as a receiving threat; and 6'-3", 243 lb, Griffin will ideally fill the role as the H back/TE, movement, slot, player that we've been hearing OB employs in his offense. Potter will likely be the odd man out - and the others? Training camp fodder.
 
Double Barrel said:
:lol:

The-Cool-Factor-Gary-Cooper.jpg


"Cool factor", 'eh? Can't just be that some folks like chocolate while others like vanilla.



[IMGwidthsize=800]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ig8GRJgGZqI/Uft1NCRcpjI/AAAAAAAABAU/DohytbCd8NM/s1600/Town+Of+Insecurity.jpg[/IMG]
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Let me tie two threads together with some lyrics from my frontman in the build your band thread .

People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven when you're down
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Number19 said:
Don't you know, a day after posting a comment on the TE's, the Chronicle has a nice piece this morning. (Second time this has happened.) It seems OB is pleased with Graham's off season effort, who's added 18 lbs. With 6'-5" Fiedorowicz at 265 lbs and with 6'-6" Graham now at 254 lbs, and both with soft hands, these two will serve as our blocking ends, as well as being a tall mismatch as a receiving threat; and 6'-3", 243 lb, Griffin will ideally fill the role as the H back/TE, movement, slot, player that we've been hearing OB employs in his offense. Potter will likely be the odd man out - and the others? Training camp fodder.
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Our run game is going to be good.
It has better be.
And that should help open up the passing game some.
I can't wait for the season to start.
 
xtruroyaltyx said:
Keyshawn martins problem isn't his hands. Hes afraid of contact. He's the Brice McCain WR version.

Some smallish fast guys are really tough...others aren't.

Martin is a 5th or 6th WR at best on a good team.

All of this IMO of course.

Of course...I never rule out improvement. **** happens. But as if right now, I don't think Martin makes this team. He shouldn't have made it last season. He is not a better player than some if the udfa we had/have.
Click to expand...

thunderkyss said:
I don't know if he's afraid of contact. He doesn't like to get hit while he's halfway in the air reaching for a ball. Not exactly what you want in a slot receiver, but not uncommon for a receiver at all.

& I'll agree the UDFAs are better when they have a season of going across the middle under their belts.
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I always think Martin is better on the outside where he was used the most in college.
One thing he has going for him is his 4.2 speed that the Texans couldn't take advantage of last year.
They need a better run game and better protection to afford the QB a bit more time to attempt a pass.
They should be able to do that this year.
A quick turn around is quite possible IMO, especially if the D can play up.to their potential on paper.
RC has a lot of toys to play with.
 
76Texan said:
I always think Martin is better on the outside where he was used the most in college.
One thing he has going for him is his 4.2 speed that the Texans couldn't take advantage of last year.
They need a better run game and better protection to afford the QB a bit more time to attempt a pass.
They should be able to do that this year.
A quick turn around is quite possible IMO, especially if the D can play up.to their potential on paper.
RC has a lot of toys to play with.
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http://nflcombineresults.com/playerpage.php?f=Keshawn&l=Martin&i=9810
 
76Texan said:
...A quick turn around is quite possible IMO, especially if the D can play up.to their potential on paper...
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I'm a little worried about the depth on our D. Particularly at DE, where we have Watt, and then....Crick....and the promising rookie Pagan out of Alabama. But beyond these three, who? And I'm also thinking we're weak at OLB, where we have Clowney and Mercilus; and then ??? I don't know anything about this guy Sapp; and we have Trevardo Williams, who's a bit small but has some quickness.

ILB seems to be good, with Cushing, Reed, Tuggle, Tarpinian and the rookie Bullough. And we seem to be set at NT with Nix and Powe.

The DB's are an unknown. Reading the reports, the staff seems to be pleased with how things are progressing and developing, but ???
 
I think bonner is a better player than Martin based on the college film. Looks like a more polished WR to me. I liked lemon better than Martin as well.

I think labhart has a chance to be better right away. Really, I don't think it'd be hard to upgrade Martin.

Dude isn't an aggressive player. He's timid and IMO that's why he doesn't play to his measurables. 4.42 combine 40 indicates a very fast player...39 inch vert is very nice. But that's without pads on and without other players trying to hit him.

I agree with 76 that Martin is better outside. But I think it's because he's farther away from those scary LBs and safeties.

Martin supposedly looks good every training camp in practice...ie when guys aren't trying to lay you out. Limited contact.

Get to the games and all of a sudden he develops gator arms. Can't catch...can't get open..can't run his routes as crisply.

Like I said, I'll never rule out a guy getting better. But based on what I've seen from him in the past, if he makes the team I'll be very disappointed because I don't think he's that good of a player (hell maybe getting cut will trigger him to be) and I think there are better players on the roster than him that we'd be letting go.
 
Number19 said:
I'm a little worried about the depth on our D. Particularly at DE, where we have Watt, and then....Crick....and the promising rookie Pagan out of Alabama. But beyond these three, who? And I'm also thinking we're weak at OLB, where we have Clowney and Mercilus; and then ??? I don't know anything about this guy Sapp; and we have Trevardo Williams, who's a bit small but has some quickness.

ILB seems to be good, with Cushing, Reed, Tuggle, Tarpinian and the rookie Bullough. And we seem to be set at NT with Nix and Powe.

The DB's are an unknown. Reading the reports, the staff seems to be pleased with how things are progressing and developing, but ???
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Don't we still have Tim Jamison?
 
As I posted at #338, the Chronicle reported this morning that Griffin had put on 18 lbs this off-season. But reading the Ryan Griffin thread, when drafted, he was reportedly 6'-6" and 254 lbs. His draft profile is that he was too lean.

The team roster lists his weight as 254 lbs, so this seems not to have been updated since last season.

So Griffin possibly may be going into this next season at 272 lbs.

(edit) sorry, saw this has been discussed in that other thread.
 
Number19 said:
I'm a little worried about the depth on our D. Particularly at DE, where we have Watt, and then....Crick....and the promising rookie Pagan out of Alabama. But beyond these three, who? And I'm also thinking we're weak at OLB, where we have Clowney and Mercilus; and then ??? I don't know anything about this guy Sapp; and we have Trevardo Williams, who's a bit small but has some quickness.

ILB seems to be good, with Cushing, Reed, Tuggle, Tarpinian and the rookie Bullough. And we seem to be set at NT with Nix and Powe.

The DB's are an unknown. Reading the reports, the staff seems to be pleased with how things are progressing and developing, but ???
Click to expand...

We're going to run a fair number of 4-man fronts, so I don't think there's a lack of depth at OLB.
Bouye was making good stride last year, and Mack was also getting better as a vet.
I like the rookies' potential as well. Bouye can play man and one of the rookies can take a few snaps in zone or man under, if needed.
 
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