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Texans roster moves

$7m against a cap in 2016 is not the same as $7m against the cap in previous years. It may behoove us to discuss contractual obligations as a percentage against cap in a fiscal year for apples to apples compare.

I would like to see more from Mercilus to warrant the number, but acknowledge improvement on a YoY basis and expect that track to continue.
 
Kaiser Toro said:
$7m against a cap in 2016 is not the same as $7m against the cap in previous years. It may behoove us to discuss contractual obligations as a percentage against cap in a fiscal year for apples to apples compare.

I would like to see more from Mercilus to warrant the number, but acknowledge improvement on a YoY basis and expect that track to continue.
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It is difficult to put a percentage on it since we do not know what the salary cap will be in 2016.

I guess the question needs to be on guaranteed money. If an extension was offered to Mercilus, how much guaranteed money would you offer him?
 
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badboy said:
Sorry TK I thought this was an open forum for all to interact in. If you want a private conversation I suggest PM. :fingergun:
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You missed my point. It wasn't that you couldn't add your two cents. In the context of the conversation I was having, the draft doesn't matter.

If the Texans pick up Mercilus' fifth year option, they'll essentially be paying him $7.7M

You could totally ignore the OLB position in the upcoming draft & it still wouldn't make sense to pay Mercilus $7.7M for a single season.

Our entire OLB corpse could be wiped out due to injury save Mercilus & it still wouldn't make sense to pick up that option.
 
Marshall said:
We can't wait until the 2015 season is over to decide. But if you choose not to exercise the option, then you are forced to go for LB next season, you know, the one when everyone wants to trade up for the QB of the future.

It's a vicious cycle. But we can still turn down the option after the draft and after we know what we'll face in 2016. That seems to go right by without consideration. But I've expressed my opinion and you've expressed yours. AND NEITHER WILL MATTER.
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I hate to lose good players. I also hate to overpay good players.

I would treat Mercilus just like he were Brooks Reed. We didn't do anything special to extend his rookie contract. We gave him an opportunity to show us what he was worth. At the end of his 4th season, his idea of what he was worth & our idea of what he was worth didn't jive. He found someone who thought he was worth more than what we were willing to pay.

That's the way it goes.

If we find out we don't have a pass rusher in either WM or Clowney, extending Mercilus for the 2016 season does not help. If he has a stellar year where we feel that he is all of a sudden worth $7.7M for a single year, we can offer that to him at the end of 2014.

He can chose to go to another team, he can then go on to become the next great LB of our time. It would be our loss.

Still, no reason to panic & pick up that option now.
 
Count me in the not worth nor does it make any sense to extend merciless.

In the meantime the guy I was banging the drum for Fleener.... Is emerging as a legit TE.
 
JB said:
I don't remember anyone being in the Mercilus crowd
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The Mercilus pick was a head scratcher. Mercilus was a one year wonder (it was a great year) who projected better as a 43 DE than as a 34 OLB.

I liked the player but hated the pick. Pretty much the same way I felt about Clowney. He'd be better of as a 43 DE.
 
Mercilus was my guy that year. I thought his "one year wonder" looked like a physically special player who had a great year and met a position of strong need at the time and seemed to fit the teams personality.

He has not turned into the player I thought he could be but he has continued to improve. He was "my guy" and he's gotten better every year. I am not in favor of picking up the option. I am in favor of obtaining a pass rusher or two that could match his productivity (perhaps in a combined rotation).
 
barrett said:
Mercilus was my guy that year. I thought his "one year wonder" looked like a physically special player who had a great year and met a position of strong need at the time and seemed to fit the teams personality.

He has not turned into the player I thought he could be but he has continued to improve. He was "my guy" and he's gotten better every year. I am not in favor of picking up the option. I am in favor of obtaining a pass rusher or two that could match his productivity (perhaps in a combined rotation).
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I'm fairly certain any ole JAG could match his productivity. I want a double digit sack guy off the edge. Barwin has been our only edge rusher to amass 10+ sacks since switching back to the 3-4. We know what happened with him the following year.

I still have hopes for Clowney, but I'm not going to expect much from him (if anything at all) this year.
 
I hated the mercilus pick. He's been an ok player but he's done about what I expected. He didn't look like a guy that was going to be a really good football player. He wasn't a buzz saw.

When he was on the radio the other day and he was talking about how he played soccer...how he was late to football and how he had to be coached up to be more aggressive I got it. And then when he said he doesn't really play madden or know much about it I was done.

I didn't see a guy in college that actually beat blocks.

He has gotten better every year though and though I wouldn't have made the pick I never rule guys out. I'm hoping he actually turns into a really good player. Vrabel is a good coach and I saw some things out of mercilus last season that is never saw before. The stats weren't there but I saw him beating blocks finally...almost being that buzz saw.

I wouldn't pick up the option because guys that you have to get on like that to get them to be aggressive all the time generally aren't worth it. Especially as a defender. You gotta have that edge and I don't see that in him at this point.
 
I think the Pittsburgh Steelers organization in the 90's and 2000's is a great model for 3-4 OLBs. Almost every year they would take an OLB prospect/project in the 2-7th rounds of the draft, regardless of who there starters were. They were basically an OLB factory where they could let go an over-priced starter and let the next guy take over with little impact to their overall pass rush.
 
cland said:
I think the Pittsburgh Steelers organization in the 90's and 2000's is a great model for 3-4 OLBs. Almost every year they would take an OLB prospect/project in the 2-7th rounds of the draft, regardless of who there starters were. They were basically an OLB factory where they could let go an over-priced starter and let the next guy take over with little impact to their overall pass rush.
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Texans do that...but the two drafted in 2013 didn't really pan out well.
 
Troy Chapman said:
Texans do that...but the two drafted in 2013 didn't really pan out well.
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Yep! That was a weak class of LBer's overall that year if I recall. And, if memory serves me, wasn't that the year they wanted to get Brown (ILB) from Kansas St. and the Ravens jumped one pick ahead to nab him? Not sure, if at all, how that would have affected our draft that year if they had gotten Brown, but if it's of any consequence, Brown hasn't done anything for the Ravens either! I guess the point is, you have to keep trying until you hit! Just like any of the other positions.
 
bah007 said:
The Mercilus pick was a head scratcher. Mercilus was a one year wonder (it was a great year) who projected better as a 43 DE than as a 34 OLB.

I liked the player but hated the pick. Pretty much the same way I felt about Clowney. He'd be better of as a 43 DE.
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Pretty much same thing I saw. I thought same for the short lived Mario Williams experiment as an olb. I think both are better fits at DE in a 4-3. I thought Clowney was a one year wonder who flopped on his next year or injuries caused a severe drop in production. At this point I am hoping he can get to be JAG to salvage the pick.
 
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