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Texans random thought of the day

www.espn.com

Despite Stroud's emergence, Texans GM Caserio has work cut out to rebuild roster

With 30 free agents, Houston has the most in the NFL, and priority No. 1 starts in the trenches with DE Jonathan Greenard set to be a hot commodity.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

Ryans has repeatedly stated that he believes in building along the trenches.

"The front, again, is everything for me, and we'll invest a ton of resources into the front," Ryans said. "If you want to play good defense, your front has to be elite, and that's what I envision us playing -- elite defensive football."
 
What's your early Super Bowl LIX pick?
Mike Clay, fantasy football writer: Lions over Texans. Why not have some fun with two rising teams for this pick? Detroit was one late-game collapse from a Super Bowl appearance and will return nearly its entire core (especially on offense) in 2024, though an improving NFC North will make things tough. Quarterback C.J. Stroud appears to be the real deal, so a strong offseason from the Houston front office could quickly get the Texans to contender status in the AFC.
 
I kinda figured this would happen..

C.J. Stroud's agency tells NFL its prospects will skip all pre-draft cognition tests

“After much internal discussion, the agents at Athletes First have directed our draft prospects to respectfully pass on participating in any cognitive or psychological testing during the pre-draft process (e.g. AIQ, S2, etc.),” the company wrote in an email to NFL clubs obtained by The Athletic. “We understand that many of your teams use these tests or protocols as part of your prospect evaluation process, however, our recent experience with these exams has been less than positive. Specifically, the fact that certain results and performance were leaked publicly last year demonstrates that there truly is no confidentiality with these tests. It is not right for a player's intelligence, aptitude or mental processing to be subject to public discussion and ridicule — no other job interview carries the same scrutiny.”
 
Marcus said:
I kinda figured this would happen..

C.J. Stroud's agency tells NFL its prospects will skip all pre-draft cognition tests

“After much internal discussion, the agents at Athletes First have directed our draft prospects to respectfully pass on participating in any cognitive or psychological testing during the pre-draft process (e.g. AIQ, S2, etc.),” the company wrote in an email to NFL clubs obtained by The Athletic. “We understand that many of your teams use these tests or protocols as part of your prospect evaluation process, however, our recent experience with these exams has been less than positive. Specifically, the fact that certain results and performance were leaked publicly last year demonstrates that there truly is no confidentiality with these tests. It is not right for a player's intelligence, aptitude or mental processing to be subject to public discussion and ridicule — no other job interview carries the same scrutiny.”
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In fairness, not many job interviews of 22 year olds are for a job that pays 7 figures per year. Very few of any age outside of the arts, sports, and entertainment venues have an interview with that type of dough on the line. CEO’s of major corporations have generally spent decades accruing their credentials and have proven they have the intelligence and cognitive abilities to perform their new job. I would posit that the teams have every right to perform whatever tests they deem appropriate given the money involved. If the kids don’t want the tests, then the teams also have a right to pass.
 
Marcus said:
Of course they have that right. But given that S2 fiasco, I kinda doubt they will.
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And of course players who score well on cognitive tests will take them to separate themselves and possibly gain an advantage on where they may be drafted.
 
Number19 said:
And of course players who score well on cognitive tests will take them to separate themselves and possibly gain an advantage on where they may be drafted.
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Otoh, if a team really wants to see for themselves, they bring them in for interviews and put them on the whiteboard.
 
JB said:
www.espn.com

Despite Stroud's emergence, Texans GM Caserio has work cut out to rebuild roster

With 30 free agents, Houston has the most in the NFL, and priority No. 1 starts in the trenches with DE Jonathan Greenard set to be a hot commodity.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

Ryans has repeatedly stated that he believes in building along the trenches.

"The front, again, is everything for me, and we'll invest a ton of resources into the front," Ryans said. "If you want to play good defense, your front has to be elite, and that's what I envision us playing -- elite defensive football."
Click to expand...

That has been one of the biggest arguments/discussions that I’ve had over the years. Complaints about the secondary when the front can't get pressure on the quarterback drove me up a wall sometimes. It doesn’t matter how good your secondary is. If the front is ineffective the secondary is going to suck.

Like that guy says on Sirius radio all the time, “you show me an all pro in the back, I’ll show you an all pro up front.”
 
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Marcus said:
That has been one of the biggest arguments/discussions that I’ve had over the years. Complaints about the secondary when the front can't get pressure on the quarterback drove me up a wall sometimes. It doesn’t matter how good your secondary is. If the front is it ineffective the secondary is going to suck.

Like that guy says on Sirius radio all the time, “you show me an all pro in the back, I’ll show you an all pro up front.”
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And of course the age old standard "The battles are won in the trenches."
 
Marcus said:
Of course they have that right. But given that S2 fiasco, I kinda doubt they will.
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I'm really interested to see how this works out. There are going to be a lot of mistakes made. There are other tests besides the S-2.

After a few teams get burned they will reassess.
 
sprtsfanatic said:
??? Not sure if this is a serious question....but every team should do their due diligence on a prospect that they intend to draft...especially in the 1st round. And even more so if its at the most important position on a football team and will likely be the face of your franchise for at least the next 5 years.
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Precisely my point. My "why" was directed to the opinion/comment that "cognitive" testing should not be part of the evaluation process.
 
Number19 said:
Precisely my point. My "why" was directed to the opinion/comment that "cognitive" testing should not be part of the evaluation process.
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I wasn't saying it isn't, hence my comment about the interview and whiteboard -iow, you should be able to figure out a guys intelligence better in person.
 
sprtsfanatic said:
??? Not sure if this is a serious question....but every team should do their due diligence on a prospect that they intend to draft...especially in the 1st round. And even more so if its at the most important position on a football team and will likely be the face of your franchise for at least the next 5 years.
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If it comes down to two prospects the one that takes the tests that they're asked to take if they do well on those tests.
 
Texansphan said:
I wasn't saying it isn't, hence my comment about the interview and whiteboard -iow, you should be able to figure out a guys intelligence better in person.
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You should do the in person, whiteboard and testing before giving a 20 something yr old millions of dollars and making them the faces of your billion dollar business.

Right now these agents are using Stroud as a way to get out of testing. This will change after there are a few million dollar failures.
 
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steelbtexan said:
If it comes down to two prospects the one that takes the tests that they're asked to take if they do well on those tests.
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Huh? Can you decipher this for those without a codebook?
steelbtexan said:
Right now these agents are using Stroud as a way to get out of testing. This will change after there are a few million dollar failures.
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How so? There are failures in every draft.
 
Lucky said:
Huh? Can you decipher this for those without a codebook?

How so? There are failures in every draft.
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It's very easy, those that do well after taking the testing that's requested will receive favor over those that dont if 2 prospects are rated evenly.
 
Texans rookie class rank # 1:

www.nfl.com

2023 NFL rookie grades: Ranking the classes, 1 to 32

Which NFL team had the best 2023 rookie class? The worst? Eric Edholm and Chad Reuter rank every group, from No. 1 to 32, providing accompanying grades and analysis.
www.nfl.com www.nfl.com

Rank
1
Houston Texans

Houston Texans
Class grade: A
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Notable free agent signees

REUTER: The Texans' first two picks were the building blocks of their AFC South-winning squad, capturing Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, respectively. Stroud played with the poise of a veteran, throwing 23 touchdown passes and just five interceptions while leading the team to an unexpected division title. He and third-year pro Nico Collins (who dwarfed his previous bests in most receiving categories) formed one of the top passing-game duos in the league, with the strong-armed former Buckeye also breaking out of the pocket when necessary.

Anderson had seven sacks on the year (including four in December) while playing through an ankle injury to help Houston make its playoff push. His relentless nature allowed him to bowl over lesser blockers and chase plays down the line when teams tried running away from his side.

Injuries hampered the Texans' Day 2 picks, but both showed signs of being future contributors. Dell was well on his way to being a 1,000-yard receiver -- and established himself as a threat returning punts -- before suffering a broken leg in December. Hopefully the 5-foot-10, 165-pound playmaker returns healthy for 2024. Scruggs was lost to a hamstring injury in the preseason but returned for the second half of the year to play a solid left guard.

Houston's later picks contributed, though they went through their tribulations. Patterson was Houston's starting center for the first half of the season until suffering a leg injury. Horton left the team because of a personal health matter in November, but before then, he showed promise as a reserve pass rusher; he is on the reserve/non-football illness list. Head coach DeMeco Ryans surely liked what he saw in To'oTo'o (like Ryans, a former Alabama linebacker), who finished with 57 tackles, although the bulk of those came in the first half of the season; in the second half, To'oTo'o missed games with a concussion, and his snap count came down. Hutchinson will be a solid No. 2 or 3 receiver in the future. Zentner was an injury replacement for Cameron Johnston early on; Zentner would play a similar role for the Titans later in the season (see below).
 
Lucky said:
There's no evidence that the test is indicative of how a player will perform in the NFL. It's been debunked.
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Stroud beat the odds so the test has been debunked? BTW, you do know there are other tests besides the S-2? If it was your money wouldn't you want to know how smart the guy you were thinking about giving millions to was?
 
steelbtexan said:
If it was your money wouldn't you want to know how smart the guy you were thinking about giving millions to was?
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If it were my money. I want the guys making the decisions looking for the right things. Ability, poise, leadership. Not how good they are at video games. And it doesn't matter how many times it is explained to you, you do not comprehend that S2 is not trying to measure intelligence.
 
Lucky said:
If it were my money. I want the guys making the decisions looking for the right things. Ability, poise, leadership. Not how good they are at video games. And it doesn't matter how many times it is explained to you, you do not comprehend that S2 is not trying to measure intelligence.
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Apparently you dont understand that the S2 is just one test they take and now they say they're not going to take any tests.


Let them fail and see where this leads.
 
With tape and scouts on the scene to scour over the play of a prospect…..what benefit does the S2 or Wonderlic Test really play in the players performance on the field?

Outside of the film and live performances, about the only thing I’d have left to discuss with a player……you just won the lottery, what are you doing with the money? I’d simply pose the question, then shut up and let the prospect spell out how he’d use the money.
 
OptimisticTexan said:
With tape and scouts on the scene to scour over the play of a prospect…..what benefit does the S2 or Wonderlic Test really play in the players performance on the field?

Outside of the film and live performances, about the only thing I’d have left to discuss with a player……you just won the lottery, what are you doing with the money? I’d simply pose the question, then shut up and let the prospect spell out how he’d use the money.
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Will Anderson did an interview recently where he talked about his predraft visit with the Texans. He said DeMeco basically said, “I have no problems with your fit in this defense.” then they spent the rest of the time talking about life, faith, basically everything other than football.

If you’re a locked in top 10 pick, i’d say that the most important thing is evaluating the player’s character and general culture fit. Of course, we know what DeMeco ended up thinking of Will Anderson.
 
I'm not certain what is being debated here, re cognitive testing. Certainly many may have the opinion that the tests have no benefit or merit. But team owners, gms and coaches are not subject to collective opinion. They will do what is best, in their own opinion. These tests will not go away and will be improved upon. Cognitive testing is not new. I know for a fact it has been around since the 60's, having taken a cognitive test in high school.
 
Number19 said:
I'm not certain what is being debated here, re cognitive testing. Certainly many may have the opinion that the tests have no benefit or merit. But team owners, gms and coaches are not subject to collective opinion. They will do what is best, in their own opinion. These tests will not go away and will be improved upon. Cognitive testing is not new. I know for a fact it has been around since the 60's, having taken a cognitive test in high school.
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It’s an elective test. And if players elect not to take the test, they very well may go away as a tool to select players. And that’s completely the fault of the NFL.
 
steelbtexan said:
You should do the in person, whiteboard and testing before giving a 20 something yr old millions of dollars and making them the faces of your billion dollar business.

Right now these agents are using Stroud as a way to get out of testing. This will change after there are a few million dollar failures.
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You can’t test a players ability to play at a high level with a standardized test.

Brady, Mahomes, and Stroud are just a few that have shown they were overlooked and have shown greatness when playing.

It sounds like you are looking for a measurement of character.

Ryan Leaf, and Deshaun Watson are proof you can pass a test and still be dumb.

Even then you have players that have momentary lapses of judgement like Ray Rice.

To me these tests do nothin. An in depth conversation and evaluation with coaches do a lot more.
 
TexansBull said:
You can’t test a players ability to play at a high level with a standardized test.

Brady, Mahomes, and Stroud are just a few that have shown they were overlooked and have shown greatness when playing.

It sounds like you are looking for a measurement of character.

Ryan Leaf, and Deshaun Watson are proof you can pass a test and still be dumb.

Even then you have players that have momentary lapses of judgement like Ray Rice.

To me these tests do nothin. An in depth conversation and evaluation with coaches do a lot more.
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And yet some NFL teams were using it.
 
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