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Texans Defense is terrible. Absolutely terrible!

mws

Rookie
I prefer actual GM duties be carried out when we have an actual GM.
I agree. Assuming that the 2021 dates are similar to the 2020 dates the new GM would have approx one month to make trades before the draft.

3/18/2020: All clubs must be under the 2020 Salary Cap prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time.

3/18/2020: All 2019 player contracts will expire at 4:00 p.m., New York time.

3/18/2020: The 2020 league year and free agency period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.

3/18/2020: Trading period for 2020 begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2019 contracts.

4/23/2020 to 4/25/2020: 2020 NFL Draft in Las Vegas.
 

badboy

Hall of Fame
T
How does the personnel look in 4-3? Does Cunningham make a decent OLB, can Mercilus drop down to DE. Does Omenihu look good as a DE? Late career Watt playing disciplined as a DT?

I’m intrigued as to how it effects the current personnel and if it allows us to get more out of what we already have.
The 3-4 is designed for a monster nose that has strength and often bulk to close the middle stopping ball carrier by tackling or forcing bc to go outside. Think Vince Wilfork who was perfect. We don't have one.
Alafojua at 327 has size but little experience. Did not play football until senior year HS and then 3 years at Kennesaw State before transferring to another school 24 yoa.
I would like to see how this defensive roster could do in a 4-3 focus on
Blacklock, PJ Hall, Omenihu, Greenard with
Cole, Adams and Jacob Martin as front seven. It would take the nine games left for experience but could be good going into 21.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
T

The 3-4 is designed for a monster nose that has strength and often bulk to close the middle stopping ball carrier by tackling or forcing bc to go outside. Think Vince Wilfork who was perfect. We don't have one.
Alafojua at 327 has size but little experience. Did not play football until senior year HS and then 3 years at Kennesaw State before transferring to another school 24 yoa.
I would like to see how this defensive roster could do in a 4-3 focus on
Blacklock, PJ Hall, Omenihu, Greenard with
Cole, Adams and Jacob Martin as front seven. It would take the nine games left for experience but could be good going into 21.
Atleast you would be getting the young guys some experience. They would be a faster front 7 and they couldn't be any worse at staying in their gaps.
 

Corrosion

Idealist
Staff member
I agree. Assuming that the 2021 dates are similar to the 2020 dates the new GM would have approx one month to make trades before the draft.

3/18/2020: All clubs must be under the 2020 Salary Cap prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time.

3/18/2020: All 2019 player contracts will expire at 4:00 p.m., New York time.

3/18/2020: The 2020 league year and free agency period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.

3/18/2020: Trading period for 2020 begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2019 contracts.

4/23/2020 to 4/25/2020: 2020 NFL Draft in Las Vegas.

What incentive does a team have to make these trades after the seasons end but before the start of the 2021 league year ? Absolutely NONE as it takes from their potential cap rollover which reduces their 2021 adjusted cap.

If you make those deals now , they have some incentive. After the season , there is none.
 

banned1976

sleeper mode
T

The 3-4 is designed for a monster nose that has strength and often bulk to close the middle stopping ball carrier by tackling or forcing bc to go outside. Think Vince Wilfork who was perfect. We don't have one.
Alafojua at 327 has size but little experience. Did not play football until senior year HS and then 3 years at Kennesaw State before transferring to another school 24 yoa.
I would like to see how this defensive roster could do in a 4-3 focus on
Blacklock, PJ Hall, Omenihu, Greenard with
Cole, Adams and Jacob Martin as front seven. It would take the nine games left for experience but could be good going into 21.
I wouldn't mind the front 7 that you suggested for the rest of the year and I know the Dolphins would love to see that happen. But going forward, none of those linebackers are starting material. Jacob Martin and Adams are situational LB's only and Dylan Cole is the quintessential jag. 3 and a half years, 37 games - 67 tackles, 2 QB hits and 1 sack. From Brennan Scarlett to Whitney Mercilus, the Texans linebacker group is abysmal.

I hate to say this, because they are Texans, but I despise the LB's on this team with the passion of a million burning suns. And you know what? I don't think I'm alone in that sentiment. I think there are teammates that feel the same way about the self-glossed "Rock Boys". After JJ had a stick in the backfield on the GB running back (I think it was Jamaal Williams), the Rock Boys wanted to celebrate with JJ and he shook it off and appeared like he wanted to spear one of them into oblivion.

So yes, whatever it takes to get those air-guitar playing fools off the field forever, I'm all for it.
 

mws

Rookie
What incentive does a team have to make these trades after the seasons end but before the start of the 2021 league year ? Absolutely NONE as it takes from their potential cap rollover which reduces their 2021 adjusted cap.

If you make those deals now , they have some incentive. After the season , there is none.
I guess they would have the same incentive as the teams that made the 17 trades this March. So far in 2020 the two weeks between 3/18/2020 & 3/31/2020 had almost 3 times as many trades as any other month.

2020 Trades by Month

March: 17 Trades Made
April: 6 Trades Made
May: 1 Trades Made
June: 0 Trades Made
July: 3 Trades Made
August: 6 Trades Made
September: 6 Trades Made
October: 6 Trades Made
 

76Texan

Hall of Fame
I guess they would have the same incentive as the teams that made the 17 trades this March. So far in 2020 the two weeks between 3/18/2020 & 3/31/2020 had almost 3 times as many trades as any other month.

2020 Trades by Month

March: 17 Trades Made
April: 6 Trades Made
May: 1 Trades Made
June: 0 Trades Made
July: 3 Trades Made
August: 6 Trades Made
September: 6 Trades Made
October: 6 Trades Made
No trade allowed between end of season and the start of the new league year in March.

 

dream_team

Hall of Fame
I get this, but if you dont do this now you're hamstringing the new GM next yr with fewer draft picks and a bloated salary cap.
At the same time, you're not worried about letting this crew of Easterby, Cal & RAC make deals? The reason we're in this mess is because this crew (minus BOB) repeatedly kept making bad deal after bad deal. A part of me wants to get a real GM in house first before we start compounding the problems.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
At the same time, you're not worried about letting this crew of Easterby, Cal & RAC make deals? The reason we're in this mess is because this crew (minus BOB) repeatedly kept making bad deal after bad deal. A part of me wants to get a real GM in house first before we start compounding the problems.
Oh, I don't like this a bit.

However for me it's all about cap space more than getting value in trades. It's why I would take a 3rd for Watt and a 4th for WFV. That would clear about 28 .il from the books. Put that with the 9 mil from DJs contract after cutting him and you can get a couple of top tier FA's. Not to mention restructuring Cooks and letting Duke/Martin walk in FA.

With the extra 3rd/4rh Rd picks you can get a RB/ og that will be better than Martin/DJ and move Fulton to where he should be playing, C.

This will give the new GM more to work with than what he would have if you waited until after the season to make these moved.
 

banned1976

sleeper mode
At the same time, you're not worried about letting this crew of Easterby, Cal & RAC make deals? The reason we're in this mess is because this crew (minus BOB) repeatedly kept making bad deal after bad deal. A part of me wants to get a real GM in house first before we start compounding the problems.
It's kind of weird celebrating "my" team not making deals before the trade deadline but here I am. At the same time, though, I fear the kind of GM that will accept working for Jack Easterby. What kind of self-loathing person are we going to get?

Anyway, the defense is still terrible. Absolutely terrible.
 

dream_team

Hall of Fame
Oh, I don't like this a bit.

However for me it's all about cap space more than getting value in trades. It's why I would take a 3rd for Watt and a 4th for WFV. That would clear about 28 .il from the books. Put that with the 9 mil from DJs contract after cutting him and you can get a couple of top tier FA's. Not to mention restructuring Cooks and letting Duke/Martin walk in FA.

With the extra 3rd/4rh Rd picks you can get a RB/ og that will be better than Martin/DJ and move Fulton to where he should be playing, C.

This will give the new GM more to work with than what he would have if you waited until after the season to make these moved.
You ALWAYS have to get proper value. BOB didn't care about value, and that's why we're in this mess. He overpaid for Tunsil, overpaid Mercilus, overpaid Martin, overpaid Cunningham, overpaid Murray, overpaid Cobb, overpaid DJ, overpaid Dunn, overpaid Duke. You see the trend? That's what happens when you don't care about value.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
You ALWAYS have to get proper value. BOB didn't care about value, and that's why we're in this mess. He overpaid for Tunsil, overpaid Mercilus, overpaid Martin, overpaid Cunningham, overpaid Murray, overpaid Cobb, overpaid DJ, overpaid Dunn, overpaid Duke. You see the trend? That's what happens when you don't care about value.
This isn't about value, you're going to lose most of these guys anyways after the season.

Cap space has more value than debating whether say WFV is worth a 3rd or 4th Rd pick. You wait until until after the season and you get nothing.

Now I would agree with you if all I could get was say a 6th for WFV. I would hold onto him and take a chance on him staying healthy and take the 2022 comp pick.
 

Speedy

Former Yeller Dweller
Trading Fuller doesn’t help the cap. He’s not accounted for in next years cap.

if it’s just about cap space, renegotiate Jj’s deal. convert the next two years salary to we’re $30M signing bonus with $2M in salary. That would clear about $10M of $17M for the next two years.
Good thing we’ve got a good cap guy to figure that out. Oh, never mind.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
Trading Fuller doesn’t help the cap. He’s not accounted for in next years cap.

if it’s just about cap space, renegotiate Jj’s deal. convert the next two years salary to we’re $30M signing bonus with $2M in salary. That would clear about $10M of $17M for the next two years.
You atleast get something for WFV instead of letting him walk since they're unlikely to re-sign him.

Doing what you're talking about with Watt is what got them where they are right now always paying it forward. They did the same thing with Andre Johnson. It's time to take the medicine get what you can and give the new regime a chance to start fresh with as much cap space and as many draft picks as possible.
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
You atleast get something for WFV instead of letting him walk since they're unlikely to re-sign him.

Doing what you're talking about with Watt is what got them where they are right now always paying it forward. They did the same thing with Andre Johnson. It's time to take the medicine get what you can and give the new regime a chance to start fresh with as much cap space and as many draft picks as possible.
So it's not just about cap space. That's all I wanted to know.
 

badboy

Hall of Fame
Trading Fuller doesn’t help the cap. He’s not accounted for in next years cap.

if it’s just about cap space, renegotiate Jj’s deal. convert the next two years salary to we’re $30M signing bonus with $2M in salary. That would clear about $10M of $17M for the next two years.
Whatever remains on Fuller's 10.5 million is cap space that will roll over to next year if not used 2020.
 

leebigeztx

Keep it Movin!
How does the personnel look in 4-3? Does Cunningham make a decent OLB, can Mercilus drop down to DE. Does Omenihu look good as a DE? Late career Watt playing disciplined as a DT?

I’m intrigued as to how it effects the current personnel and if it allows us to get more out of what we already have.
Cunningham refuses to accelerate his feet and take players to the ground. I've never seen anything like it. He's trying to throw guys down vs a simple tackle. Unless he's hurt, he's been terrible times 5
 

OptimisticTexan

2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
Cunningham is like the ACME Human Missle......fast, pretty dang fast......but never on target. Matter of a fact, I'll just go ahead and identify the Texans defense as, instant "ACME NFL Defense" in a box. We all know the instructions included would suggest high success probability until you actually put it together and try it......disaster ensues reliably. Just ask Wiley.
 

banned1976

sleeper mode
Surprisingly, #59 showed up on the stat sheet- 1 assisted tackle. Cunningham was his usual self; 7 total tackles. I remember one that was close to textbook, the others looked all shoulder type tackles.

The two standouts on defense were Reid and Watt. Don’t know what would have happened if not for the four batted passes by Watt. Or the safety blitzes dialed up by Weaver at the end of the game. At least OT.

#41 and #59 got paid. Since then...they look more like Tiny Tim strumming his ukulele to Tip Toe Through the Tulips than Eddie Van Halen crushing Eruption.
 

IDEXAN

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
Surprisingly, #59 showed up on the stat sheet- 1 assisted tackle. Cunningham was his usual self; 7 total tackles. I remember one that was close to textbook, the others looked all shoulder type tackles.

The two standouts on defense were Reid and Watt. Don’t know what would have happened if not for the four batted passes by Watt. Or the safety blitzes dialed up by Weaver at the end of the game. At least OT.

#41 and #59 got paid. Since then...they look more like Tiny Tim strumming his ukulele to Tip Toe Through the Tulips than Eddie Van Halen crushing Eruption.
Cunningham gets no love in these parts.
Technically he's leading the league in tackles, so I dunno but is his play really that dismal ?
 

thunderkyss

Just win baby!!!
Staff member
Contributor's Club
Cunningham gets no love in these parts.
Technically he's leading the league in tackles, so I dunno but is his play really that dismal ?
Yeah, we're spoiled. It's been a while since we've had a LB play on the other side of the LOS, so you'd think we'd be over it by now.
 

banned1976

sleeper mode
Cunningham gets no love in these parts.
Technically he's leading the league in tackles, so I dunno but is his play really that dismal ?
He's also the third highest paid inside linebacker in the league and he was (not sure about now as I didn't renew my PFF subscription for November) the leader on the Texans in missed tackles. And according to this article https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/texans/article/Texans-Zach-Cunningham-sharpens-tackling-15723710.php, as of Nov 12th he was leading the team in missed tackles with 14.

For a unit that has allowed the most yards on the ground (1,593 total, 159.3 per game), nobody on the front 7 deserves love. Considering how much the "Rock Boys" are getting paid, they have been underwhelming, to say the least. And none of them cover, which is a shame coming from Cunningham because that was part of the reason he was drafted high.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
exactly, with just 1 key addition at the ILB position and another viable db opposite Roby, this defense would dramatically improve.
They also need to find a pass rushers and a NT.

I want them to give to a 4-3 so they won't need so many LB's.

FA or 2 and draft a coverage LB.

The 2 CBs I hope are their 4th Rd picks

Kelvin Joseph - Kentucky
Josh Jobe - Alabama
 
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OptimisticTexan

2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
They also need to find a pass rushers and a NT.

I want them to give to a 4-3 so they won't need so many LB's.

FA or 2 and draft a coverage LB.

The 2 CBs I hope are their 4th Rd picks

Kelvin Joseph - Kentucky
Josh Jones - Alabama
I believe the Texans need to go to a 4-3 defense as well.....actually for quite some time, since Clowney, Wilfork, and Reader were on the same DL. I wanted to see Watt, Reader, Wilfork, Clowney across the front.

As for 2021.....Texans will need two DE's, one OLB, one CB, and a FS. Fill some offensive holes in 2021 and then it should be a strongly focused defensive draft in 2022. Only thing that would garner my attention early in the 2022 draft......a DK Metcalf type of receiver being on the board when the Texans pick.
 

Texian

Hall of Fame
No necessarily, if they were to add a LB in FA that could cover and a rookie LB that could cover along with Cunningham the defense would look a lot better.
Good grief man you're talking about the Texans and IF that frog had wings he wouldn't bump his butt every time he jumped. Are you not taking into account 2 -3 starters will be exiting stage left next year including Watt?
 

JB

Innocent Bystander
Contributor's Club
Good grief man you're talking about the Texans and IF that frog had wings he wouldn't bump his butt every time he jumped. Are you not taking into account 2 -3 starters will be exiting stage left next year including Watt?
Yep, they need to add 2-3 DB's at the least
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
I believe the Texans need to go to a 4-3 defense as well.....actually for quite some time, since Clowney, Wilfork, and Reader were on the same DL. I wanted to see Watt, Reader, Wilfork, Clowney across the front.

As for 2021.....Texans will need two DE's, one OLB, one CB, and a FS. Fill some offensive holes in 2021 and then it should be a strongly focused defensive draft in 2022. Only thing that would garner my attention early in the 2022 draft......a DK Metcalf type of receiver being on the board when the Texans pick.
Agreed

Since they wont be able to fill all of the needs I hope they truly go BPA. If you want to give yourself the best chance of winning next yr but not for the future your 3rd/4ths should be a RB/OG/WR with those picks in no particular order.

If you think long run you go with a high ceiling pass rusher like UAB's Jordan Smith and high upside CB's like Jobe/Joseph. It's not like those positions couldn't use upgrades too. Like they say, you can never have to many CB's. Joseph has also played some S so there's some versatility there.
 

steelbtexan

King of the W. B. Club
Contributor's Club
Good grief man you're talking about the Texans and IF that frog had wings he wouldn't bump his butt every time he jumped. Are you not taking into account 2 -3 starters will be exiting stage left next year including Watt?
I am taking into account most of the defense will be gone. The LB's could all be gone minus Cunningham. (I would eat Mercilus contract) Watt/Dunn on the DL could be gone although I think Dunn stays because of a lack of better options.

Secondary- Roby/Reid are the only ones I would keep. I would take a flier Conley. I would consider bringing back LoJo as a ST's backup S.

I would keep Omenihu/Hall/Greenard/Jordan Reid/ Martin etc... and give all of the young guys a chance next yr. Atleast the defense would be faster. Mistakes would be made during the learning process but atleast they would be made on the fly. Instead of having to watch Mercilus trip over his junk, McKinney stumbling around trying to cover a RB/TE. Or Hargreaves giving a clinic on how not to cover/ tackle every game.
 

Corrosion

Idealist
Staff member
Cunningham gets no love in these parts.
Technically he's leading the league in tackles, so I dunno but is his play really that dismal ?
Last I looked he was also leading the league in missed tackles too .... and there's a difference between a tackle made at or near the LOS and one 5-7 yards down field in the run game - Same thing we used to complain about Jay Foreman , great stat sheet while the opposition ran roughshod over them ... but hey , he led the league in tackles! Give that man a raise.
 

bigmck

Rookie
I'd rather a consultant (someone who has zero ties [emotional or otherwise] to anyone in the org) come in now, evaluate the entire organization and recommend who to keep, who to trade, and who to cut ties with. The Texans have a head start in their search of any other team that will be trying to rebuild next year, and they should use that head start wisely.
Didn't the Texans do that before Kubiak was hired? I can't think of the guys name.
 

IDEXAN

Hall of Fame
Contributor's Club
Last I looked he was also leading the league in missed tackles too .... and there's a difference between a tackle made at or near the LOS and one 5-7 yards down field in the run game - Same thing we used to complain about Jay Foreman , great stat sheet while the opposition ran roughshod over them ... but hey , he led the league in tackles! Give that man a raise.
Frankly I didn't realize there was such an index but that does put a damper on his tackle tot #.
 

bigmck

Rookie
Listening to the coaches show Monday, Anthony Weaver said it's more mental issues, new players, new positions & things like that. Sounds like he think it's something they can definitely fix.
The above sounds like what I would tell Mom when I would get a bad test grade in school. "I knew the answer, I just wasn't thinking". It covers them that they are a bad player.
 
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