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Texans sign Pollard

silvrhand1 said:
Did we get lucky or is he really that bad in pass coverage?
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Yes and yes?

The Texans have made a habit out of collecting safeties off the junk pile. Matt Stevens, Eric Brown, Marlon McCree, Will Demps, Eugene Wilson, Nick Ferguson, and now, Bernard Pollard. Street free agents. Other teams trash that become Texans "treasures".

The contempt this organization has for the safety positions is bizarre. There have been 60 safeties drafted in the 1st 3 rounds since the Texans 2002 inaugural season. Zero by the Texans. They seem content with whatever is left on the scrap heap.

Now, we can talk up these guys Smith and Kubiak pick up. Proclaim them as steals. But, what they've proven to be in the past are bandaids. Which are eventually replaced by fresher bandaids. Until proven otherwise, I will assume Pollard is just another bandaid on a wound this organization will never treat.
 
Runner said:
Really? There was a thread on this forum last season where some were arguing that the Texans should sign Benson. There was opposition to that idea though.
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There's also a thread every once in a while asking for a Vince Young trade. It's the burnt orange connection.
 
mexican_texan said:
No one really saw Benson coming. I was convinced watching him in college he would be a bust, I didn't see his Cincy days coming.
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mexican_texan said:
Really? There was a thread on this forum last season where some were arguing that the Texans should sign Benson. There was opposition to that idea though.
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There's also a thread every once in a while asking for a Vince Young trade. It's the burnt orange connection.
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That's why you have to evaluate the credibility of the poster, the arguments presented, etc. Just because you always thought he'd be a bust doesn't mean that it was impossible other people might have a different opinion that was in fact more correct.

Any posts promoting Vince Young as a great QB don't have anything to do with taking a low risk look at a running back if you are looking at facts and arguments and not college football affiliation. I'm not a UT guy, so I couldn't care less that's where Benson went to college.

Do I really have to explain all this?
 
I like the signing, not because Pollard is this great safety, but because Texans need help on the back end, he’s a good special team’s player, and Gibbs knows exactly what he gets with Pollard. Thought he may end up with either Detroit or Houston due to ties (Cunningham and Gibbs respectively)

Coverage challenged, in-the-box safeties are at best nothing more than down and distance players in today’s NFL. Agree with Hot Pickle (post #53). Pollard and Boulware appear cut from the same cloth. However I believe Pollard is better in coverage, we’ll see.


Was shocked KC released Pollard, then after reading this article… was shocked they drafted him.
http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2009/9/10/1023953/former-kansas-city-chiefs-coach-on

"He's never been the type of player you want in space. He's not a space guy but he plays better traditionally in the box.
Herm brought a cover-2 scheme with him to KC, a scheme where safeties need to be able to play in space. Makes no sense drafting a guy you know can’t play in space. :shocked

I thought Herm sounded incompetent. The one thing which could somewhat justify drafting him in the 2nd round (which btw eluded Edwards… “When we drafted Bernard, I think in the third round or something like that, we were in a safety mode.” was having a backup plan in place to convert him to will, should the safety thing not work, ala Thomas Davis (Carolina).

Someone asked in an earlier post the specific reasons in terms of his coverage issues. Don’t know, think it’s simply speed, or lack there-of. I recall coming out of college, scouts felt he had enough coverage skills to play safety on Sundays.
Coming into the ’06 draft, some teams (most likely tampa/cover 2) were looking at converting Pollard to WLB. Here are a few knocks on Pollard coming out of Purdue…
inconsistent effort
overaggressive
big ego, doesn’t respond well to strong authority figures (my guess the main reason KC/Haley cut him)
can be a disruptive force in the locker room.

Good bet he clashed with Haley (rumored to have a pretty big ego also). We’ll see what Gibbs can do, didn’t think he was that much of a liability in coverage. Herm sure made it sound like he is; maybe he was trying to save a little face.
 
Reading some of the Chiefs' MBs, it seems that Haley had a problem with him being a mega trash talker. No one could knock him for lacking attitude (which we could be a plus in the direction some of our D players showed for the first time last Sunday.

The feeling is that he is an unbelieveably intimidating hitter (he has knocked several players out of games) but is not a great wrapper. Therefore, he goes for decapitation and sometimes comes up with air. No one is impressed with his cover skills, but remember he was mostly needed and kept close to the LOS because the DL was virtually useless against the run.

Funny thing, it was mentioned more than once that if we put some meat on his bones, he could possibly make an even more consistent impact at OLB.

One last interesting factoid I learned was that he may be more value at STs than we think.........he had 4 blocked kicks in his rookie season.
 
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Pollard should be an interesting addition when its all said and done. At least the Texans aren't standing pat with what they've got which is clearly inadequate.
 
ChampionTexan said:
Yeah, they can keep him deactivated, and how is having him consistently among the 8 non-actives (assuming that he is) any different than the other 31 teams in the league and their non-actives?
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Apparently it's not any different. I also wonder if each game that a player is among the 53 non-PS players counts against any future PS eligibility, or is it just the games that a player is among the active 45...?
 
For a second, I thought we had signed Marcus Pollard.

Because, ya' know, this team can never have enough TEs.
 
Runner said:
That's why you have to evaluate the credibility of the poster, the arguments presented, etc. Just because you always thought he'd be a bust doesn't mean that it was impossible other people might have a different opinion that was in fact more correct.

Any posts promoting Vince Young as a great QB don't have anything to do with taking a low risk look at a running back if you are looking at facts and arguments and not college football affiliation. I'm not a UT guy, so I couldn't care less that's where Benson went to college.

Do I really have to explain all this?
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I'd appreciate it if you would cool it with the condescending tone.
 
silvrhand1 said:
Holy Hell,

If he hits someone like this @HOME in reliant stadium that place will go nuts..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODjHm7NCmQU
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That was only one of the many big hits that I've seen from Pollard.
He's not the best coverage guy same as Dunta, in the sense that when you go for the big play, you can miss a tackle from time to time.
I've said it already, fans are going to like all the truckings he brings!
You will see bodies flying!
 
Does anyone here think Pollard will get significant playing time on defense vs the Raiders?

He was a 3 year starter for the Chiefs which means he started 6 games the last 3 years against a divisional opponent in the Raiders which makes him a hell of a lot more qualified to play safety on Sunday than Barber or Busing.

Plus, he has had a week to learn our system. He already knows the other team better than anyone else we're gonna play in the secondary and he should know enough of our system to get 15-20 snaps against Oakland on defense.
 
TheRealJoker said:
Does anyone here think Pollard will get significant playing time on defense vs the Raiders?

He was a 3 year starter for the Chiefs which means he started 6 games the last 3 years against a divisional opponent in the Raiders which makes him a hell of a lot more qualified to play safety on Sunday than Barber or Busing.

Plus, he has had a week to learn our system. He already knows the other team better than anyone else we're gonna play in the secondary and he should know enough of our system to get 15-20 snaps against Oakland on defense.
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He dang well better. We should be trying out all the waterboys too.
 
HOU-TEX said:
He dang well better. We should be trying out all the waterboys too.
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LOL!

Kubiak had gone out and said Busing and Barber were having problems, and we would have somebody else seeing time at that spot.

I would assume either and/or Ferguson and Pollard will see the field this Sunday. How much probably depends on how they perform.
 
I just want you all to know that I just got a call to sign a deal so that I can be the new starting safety. I will not let yall down.
 
76Texan said:
LOL!

Kubiak had gone out and said Busing and Barber were having problems, and we would have somebody else seeing time at that spot.

I would assume either and/or Ferguson and Pollard will see the field this Sunday. How much probably depends on how they perform.
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Watching last year's safety play vs. this year's safety play I think that:

(Ferguson + Wilson) > (Busing / Barber + Wilson)

Time to throw Pollard in the mix and see if:

(Pollard + Wilson) > (Busing / Barber / Ferguson + Wilson)

El Tejano said:
I just want you all to know that I just got a call to sign a deal so that I can be the new starting safety. I will not let yall down.
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If you can take bad angles and flail your arms, you're qualified.
 
El Tejano said:
I just want you all to know that I just got a call to sign a deal so that I can be the new starting safety. I will not let yall down.
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Well, you can't be any worse that the "professionals" at this point. Hell, if you could just prevent a 60+ yard run in the next game you're already an upgrade!
 
El Tejano said:
I just want you all to know that I just got a call to sign a deal so that I can be the new starting safety. I will not let yall down.
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If you're blind and deaf, you do have a training dog, right?
Then you're qualified.
If they tell you to run to that spot and you can do it, you're an immediate upgrade! :doot:
 
It wasnt like he was a stiff, he led the Chiefs in tackles last year, so he must have made some plays.
People say he was one of the best athletes on their team. He is a physical athletic safety and at least as good as Barber and Busing and ......enough said.
Put him in coach! What, are we afraid he'll miss a tackle and let the RB go for 60 yards?
 
El Tejano said:
I just want you all to know that I just got a call to sign a deal so that I can be the new starting safety. I will not let yall down.
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I am advising you to hold out for a multi year contract. I would help your fan support if you can get tasered or caught speeding.
 
Things we know:

1) Pollard would immediately be an upgrade against the run over Busing and Barber. We know this because he has a track record and more experience than both of them combined. Plus a history of bonecrushing hits!!!

Things we dont know:

1) Pollard would be more of a liability against the pass than Busing and Barber. Well provided he actually acknowledges the player he's covering he's superior to Barber in this regard.
 
TheRealJoker said:
Things we know:

1) Pollard would immediately be an upgrade against the run over Busing and Barber. We know this because he has a track record and more experience than both of them combined. Plus a history of bonecrushing hits!!!

Things we dont know:

1) Pollard would be more of a liability against the pass than Busing and Barber. Well provided he actually acknowledges the player he's covering he's superior to Barber in this regard.
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He may not be a good coverage safety, but he's got to be less of a liability than either Busing or Barber.
 
Kubiak says he is gonna try and give Pollard some playing time this week vs. oakland...lets hope this makes an improvement so we can go on with our season not worrying 100% about what our defense will do wrong this game
 
Kubiak:
(on the new faces) "Obviously (S Bernard) Pollard, trying to get Pollard going. We'd like to have him be a contributor this weekend. You know, we'll see how far we can bring him.
 
SS Bernard Pollard:
(on how much he anticipates being able to play this weekend) "The playbook is pretty much like we had in Kansas City the first couple of years, and (defensive backs coach) Gibbs was my coach there, so I know the bulk of it, and so I feel like I can go out and help my teammates. We want to win. We really want to win. We saw a game slip by last week that should not have, but it's a new week, a new team, and we've got to go out there and we've got to play ball."
 
According to Rotoworld..

Texans SS Bernard Pollard is taking reps with the first-team defense this week and may start in Week 4.
Houston experimented with Dominique Barber and John Busing at strong safety already this year, but both have blown run game assignments and covered poorly. Pollard, a big hitter, would at least be an upgrade "in the box."
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Man, when the coaching staff talked about their safeties being interchangeable, I didn't realize what they had in mind!!
 
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