Why is everyone calling for a LB?

[dalemurphy]

I'm in general agreement with the boards and media that this team needs RB depth and help at safety. However, I don't get this almost universally held belief that it needs LB help- probably high in the draft.

I believe we have 6 LBs that belong on a winning team's 53 man roster:
DRyans- good to very good MLB
Bentley- primary backup LB- good enough to be primary backup on championship caliber team
Adibi- When he played, he looked very good. Health is a concern but I'd hardly call him Dan Morgan at this point. Has the potential to be an elite WLB.
Diles- The light went on for him in week 4. I think he's clearly a starting caliber OLB and the team expects him healthy for minicamp.
Chaun Thompson- Missing in action due to training camp injury. However, he doesn't have a history of injury problems and has the size and athleticism to rush the passer or play a traditional SLB. He's pretty young and had success as a player on a bad Cleveland team.
Coley- Excellent special teams player and a very sure tackler. He sure looked good in the preseason.

Though I agree that uncertainty exists regarding Adibi and Diles, I think the depth is very good as is the versatility and potential of the group. How can this be a greater need than our interior OLine? Myers and Briesel have low ceilings, Pitts will be a free agent, and White doesn't belong on a championship caliber team. Beyond that, Studdard is the primary backup and he's not athletic enought to caddy for Vince YOung, much less protect Matt Schuab. Am I the only person who saw the Cowboy preseason game last year when he imitated an overturned turtle for three quarters?

Someone explain to me why LB is such a major need for this team!- In other words, why is Adibi and Diles going to fail and why isn't Bentley, Coley, and Thompson quality depth?

 

[Specnatz]

Most are saying LB because with the projections on where players are going to be drafted who else would be worthy of taking at 15, since you can't predict trades?

 

[badboy]

I'm in general agreement with the boards and media that this team needs RB depth and help at safety. However, I don't get this almost universally held belief that it needs LB help- probably high in the draft.

I believe we have 6 LBs that belong on a winning team's 53 man roster:
DRyans- good to very good MLB
Bentley- primary backup LB- good enough to be primary backup on championship caliber team
Adibi- When he played, he looked very good. Health is a concern but I'd hardly call him Dan Morgan at this point. Has the potential to be an elite WLB.
Diles- The light went on for him in week 4. I think he's clearly a starting caliber OLB and the team expects him healthy for minicamp.
Chaun Thompson- Missing in action due to training camp injury. However, he doesn't have a history of injury problems and has the size and athleticism to rush the passer or play a traditional SLB. He's pretty young and had success as a player on a bad Cleveland team.
Coley- Excellent special teams player and a very sure tackler. He sure looked good in the preseason.

Though I agree that uncertainty exists regarding Adibi and Diles, I think the depth is very good as is the versatility and potential of the group. How can this be a greater need than our interior OLine? Myers and Briesel have low ceilings, Pitts will be a free agent, and White doesn't belong on a championship caliber team. Beyond that, Studdard is the primary backup and he's not athletic enought to caddy for Vince YOung, much less protect Matt Schuab. Am I the only person who saw the Cowboy preseason game last year when he imitated an overturned turtle for three quarters?

Someone explain to me why LB is such a major need for this team!- In other words, why is Adibi and Diles going to fail and why isn't Bentley, Coley, and Thompson quality depth?

I happen to agree with you, but in my just posted mock I do select a OLB Marcus Freeman in the third round who should win a back up role. I do not know anything about Coley and little about Thompson.

 

[mr. peebs]

I'm not gonna try to explain why LB is our primary need at this point in time when I don't think it is, I still think a true prime-time safety is our biggest need but without one in the draft I don't see it being fulfilled so it is shelved for now.

After safety, I agree with you on your OL assessment. You can never have too many solid linemen, and a Max Unger type who can play throughout the line is a guy I'm really targeting in this draft, but I just don't see it happening for us unless we have a trade situation in which we pick up a late 1st rounder or early 2nd. In the 4th or 5th I would also like to pick up another interior lineman, Studdard just can't cut it.

 

[Polo]

I agree with you...

I'm starting to feel the LB pick less and less..


I don't know about O-line, but I am not o.k with our CB or SS situation going forward and trying to build a reputable defense...

Our most reliable corner is Dunta, and who's to say how he's progressed coming back from the leg injury + he never was a super excellent cover guy...After that we have Reeves who I can easily see getting beat/run over...Bennet...not reliable...Molden...Unknown...Even if a rookie doesn't end up a starter it'd be nice to get a highly rated player here to make the position more competitive...It'd be even better if they could win a starting role and add more playmaking to our secondary.

Also getting a highly rated SS would be nice too....But as of right now I can't imagine the Texans not placing CB as a priority...

Right now I'm hoping that Jenkins falls to us, or we trade down and pick up Smith.

 

[dalemurphy]

I'm not gonna try to explain why LB is our primary need at this point in time when I don't think it is, I still think a true prime-time safety is our biggest need but without one in the draft I don't see it being fulfilled so it is shelved for now.

After safety, I agree with you on your OL assessment. You can never have too many solid linemen, and a Max Unger type who can play throughout the line is a guy I'm really targeting in this draft, but I just don't see it happening for us unless we have a trade situation in which we pick up a late 1st rounder or early 2nd. In the 4th or 5th I would also like to pick up another interior lineman, Studdard just can't cut it.

If we traded down 10 spots and took Unger in the first, I'd be freakin' ecstatic!! Then we'd have a second, two 3rds, two 4ths, and two 5ths to grab RBs, Safeties, a speed rusher, and whatever else we are in the mood for. That would be ideal!!

 

[nunusguy]

Most are saying LB because with the projections on where players are going to be drafted who else would be worthy of taking at 15, since you can't predict trades?

The only LB (in the 4-3 scheme atleast) who's clearly worth the 15th pick is Curry, and of course he goes much higher.
After that its a question of whether Clay Matthews passes Brian Cushing (as the latter falls all the way out of the teens) and makes it all the way to a worthy pick at 15 ?
If Matthews can't become a mid-teen value by Draft Day and we remain there, we might end up taking just about any position including CB, OLT,
or WR ?

 

[ChampionTexan]

I'm in general agreement with the boards and media that this team needs RB depth and help at safety. However, I don't get this almost universally held belief that it needs LB help- probably high in the draft.

I believe we have 6 LBs that belong on a winning team's 53 man roster:
DRyans- good to very good MLB
Bentley- primary backup LB- good enough to be primary backup on championship caliber team
Adibi- When he played, he looked very good. Health is a concern but I'd hardly call him Dan Morgan at this point. Has the potential to be an elite WLB.
Diles- The light went on for him in week 4. I think he's clearly a starting caliber OLB and the team expects him healthy for minicamp.
Chaun Thompson- Missing in action due to training camp injury. However, he doesn't have a history of injury problems and has the size and athleticism to rush the passer or play a traditional SLB. He's pretty young and had success as a player on a bad Cleveland team.
Coley- Excellent special teams player and a very sure tackler. He sure looked good in the preseason.

Though I agree that uncertainty exists regarding Adibi and Diles, I think the depth is very good as is the versatility and potential of the group. How can this be a greater need than our interior OLine? Myers and Briesel have low ceilings, Pitts will be a free agent, and White doesn't belong on a championship caliber team. Beyond that, Studdard is the primary backup and he's not athletic enought to caddy for Vince YOung, much less protect Matt Schuab. Am I the only person who saw the Cowboy preseason game last year when he imitated an overturned turtle for three quarters?

Someone explain to me why LB is such a major need for this team!- In other words, why is Adibi and Diles going to fail and why isn't Bentley, Coley, and Thompson quality depth?

Good post - I think it's a very valid observation.

I think many folks assume it's got to be defense, and look at LB as the deepest position at the point we're slated to pick.

I honestly think they'd like to get a DT, but also recognize Raji and Jerry are probably the only players at that position worth using a first round pick on.

The more I think about it, taking an RB or even a WR wouldn't absolutely shock me. I think they would much rather trade down (and I could even see them trading completely out of the first round if they got value), but since willing partners don't always materialize, I could see them going with a Maclin or a Moreno if things fall a certain way. They might not be thrilled with it (and I probably wouldn't be either), but if the value is that much better, I just don't think they'd settle for a lower rated player just because of the side of the ball he played on.

 

[HOU-TEX]

Other than D-Ryans, which LB has proven anything on the field? Nobody really

Adibi - Was basically hurt or sick since camp. He looked good once he hit the field, but failed to stay on it. Is he durable enough to play in the NFL?

Diles - Another LB that was decent, but failed to finish healthy. IMO, he's too slow. I think he could be quality depth, but not a starter.

Bentley - He is quality depth. No problems with Bentley at all.

Thompson - Until he can stay on the field, STer at best.

Coley - He impressed me playing 3rd and 4th stringers in the last pre-season game.

IMO, how can we not address LB? To me, the LB position was and has been one of the most inconsistant positions on D.

Here's a snippet of an Alan Burge article about the LB corps. I think the Texans roster is explained nicely in this article.

Linebacker (6): Zach Diles, DeMeco Ryans, Xavier Adibi, Kevin Bentley, Kevis Coley, Chaun Thompson

This is the second of three glaring need areas for the Texans. Expect the Texans to draft at least one linebacker with one coming as early as the 15th pick overall (if they like Brian Cushing and he's there). The Texans took ten linebackers to camp last year so expect three or four new faces added to this group by summer.

http://www.examiner.com/x-778-Houston-Texans-Examiner~y2009m3d7-Time-for-a-Texans-roster-checkup

 

[mr. peebs]

If we traded down 10 spots and took Unger in the first, I'd be freakin' ecstatic!! Then we'd have a second, two 3rds, two 4ths, and two 5ths to grab RBs, Safeties, a speed rusher, and whatever else we are in the mood for. That would be ideal!!

A trade situation somewhat like this has been bubbling inside my head and this just seemed like a good thread to post it in.. again. I posted it in another thread but I just think it would be an ideal situation for the Texans. Pretty much, it consists of us trading #15 and our 3rd rounder to the Lions for their 2nd rounder, #33, and their 2010 1st round pick. With the Lions such a work-in-progress, we can expect to have at least one pick within the top 10 next year (unless Schwartz is a miracle worker), and with that we can hopefully pick up either Eric Berry from Tennessee, or Taylor Mays from USC. We use #33 on Max Unger, and then Smith/Kubiak work their magic and pick up a couple of quality players in the later rounds.

Then in 2010, .

 

[Texecutioner]

I agree with Hou-Tex in this discussion. We have some decent guys who could start, but they aren't anything to feel great about other than Demeco. There are a few teams in this league that pretty much always have good defenses like the Ravens, Bears, Steelers, and the Bucs. All of those teams have had very good LB's consistently that have made a huge difference. If we could at least one more solid LB to go on the side of Demeco that could help rush the passer than it would help a lot. I've got no problem with us taking a LB in the first if we're getting the best player available with specific pick in the first. No problem at all.

 

[Old School]

I didn't get to watch all the games last year but the ones I did I was tired of constantly watching our LB corp tackling people 4 or 5 yards downfield. I don't know if it was the scheme or talent but I want a LB that will shed a block and crush the RB AT the LOS. having said that, I wouldn't complain if they went after a safety. We helped ourselves in FA on the DL now it is time to get the rest of it in better shape.
The argument about a RB being found later in the draft cheap seems to be pretty acurate. We don't NEED a feature back, just a complimentary one and that shouldn't be too hard to find later on. I wouldn't consider one at this point in the first 2 rounds. Too many needs in the defense.

 

[dalemurphy]

I agree with Hou-Tex in this discussion. We have some decent guys who could start, but they aren't anything to feel great about other than Demeco. There are a few teams in this league that pretty much always have good defenses like the Ravens, Bears, Steelers, and the Bucs. All of those teams have had very good LB's consistently that have made a huge difference. If we could at least one more solid LB to go on the side of Demeco that could help rush the passer than it would help a lot. I've got no problem with us taking a LB in the first if we're getting the best player available with specific pick in the first. No problem at all.

How much did Bart Scott show as a rookie- he certainly isn't more talented than Adibi. What about Foote, Farrior, Woodley, L Briggs... I don't believe any of those guys, other than perhaps Woodley, has more athleticism or a better college career than Adibi. If a team is drafting a rookie in the first round it is saying that the depth is insufficient and/or the player is more talented and more likely to succeed than what is on the roster. Why would their be a belief that Cushing is going to be a better WLB than Adibi? wouldn't both guys be talented players with some question marks? And, with the good depth we have, why is it a neccessary pick?

 

[nero THE zero]

How much did Bart Scott show as a rookie- he certainly isn't more talented than Adibi. What about Foote, Farrior, Woodley, L Briggs... I don't believe any of those guys, other than perhaps Woodley, has more athleticism or a better college career than Adibi. If a team is drafting a rookie in the first round it is saying that the depth is insufficient and/or the player is more talented and more likely to succeed than what is on the roster. Why would their be a belief that Cushing is going to be a better WLB than Adibi? wouldn't both guys be talented players with some question marks? And, with the good depth we have, why is it a neccessary pick?

Adibi is like 220 lbs, had a tough time getting on the field, and then had a tough time staying on when he got on.

He showed some good speed, especially in his first game against the Colts. But it would be foolish to pass on a LB who you feel could be a true playmaker because of the one good game Adibi had.

 

[Specnatz]

How much did Bart Scott show as a rookie- he certainly isn't more talented than Adibi. What about Foote, Farrior, Woodley, L Briggs... I don't believe any of those guys, other than perhaps Woodley, has more athleticism or a better college career than Adibi. If a team is drafting a rookie in the first round it is saying that the depth is insufficient and/or the player is more talented and more likely to succeed than what is on the roster. Why would their be a belief that Cushing is going to be a better WLB than Adibi? wouldn't both guys be talented players with some question marks? And, with the good depth we have, why is it a neccessary pick?

So who would you take at 15 (NO Trading)??

 

[El Tejano]

I know. Doesn't everyone know that Jordan Scott is the guy we are going for. J/K. I don't want everyone to start calling me a troll.

Seriously though. I think you look at LB because you got to look at who would make the biggest impact for your team and is the best player. If you go back and look at what our team was like before Xavier Adibi played, we were pretty lethargic. Then, Adibi comes in with awesome game speed and we are a team with a decent defense and going on 4 game win streaks. Adibi gets hurt and the only thing you have to back him up with is Morlon Greenwood, and our defense gets whooped by Oakland.

After Adibi, what do we really have? To ask a better question - Is Adibi not going to get ill again or hurt this season?

 

[Goldensilence]

I think the big thing is the speed, or lack of by Diles IMO. He just doesn't have the elite sideline to sideline speed I'd like to see in our LBers. Ryans is a shoe in and I think Adibi can become very good. First year and had no injury concerns in college that I can think of off the top of my head. REst of the guys I don't have a problem with. Great depth.

Very likely BJ Raji won't be there and unless you're good on taking Jerry a bit early i'm okay with the pick. Just is a complete bummer that 3 first rounders o nthe DL and only one, MW, has lived up the billing. I think the way Kollar has his line play will help a lot. I've said before TJ and Amobi aren't stand up tackles, they need to be disrupting gaps and getting into the backfield rather then tying up blockers.

I think a lot of people here are down on Moore but I think this past year wasn't really indicative of what he's capable of. I'd like to see his pro day workout. Realistically guy is probably going to be there in the second. Kubiak seems high on starting Wilson and Barber though.

Reeves and Dunta probably look to be the starters coming into TC this year. I don't know why by Bennett got in Smith or Hoke's doghouse last year after a solid rookie campaign. Not real sure what we got in Molden except a good STer. Hoping we stop the trend of small school prospects in the third. Jenkins is the only CB i'm ok with taking at 15 unfortunately I think his numbers and his draft status are going to rebound after his pro day. IMO by the time the draft rolls around the FO needs to have a feel on whether they intend to ink Dunta long term or not.

Couldn't agree more on our interior line but, who do you justify taking @15? Robinson looked sure fire during the college season to crack top 20. Not so sure now. Unger and Mack are good but 15 good? Would be great with any of those 3 on a trade down.

Maclin or Moreno might be possibilities. Maclin in goodbye Jones and you probably got a guy that's hard to keep off the field. Slaton is the #1 but man...how much better does this offense look if you have two backs rotating in and out that can kill you. I know it looked pretty damn good in Carolina last year. Tack that on with no one else really behind him and it might be a great value pick.

All things considered though we can run with the same OL for the most part, QB, Wrs 1-3, TEs, DEs,CB(for this year at least), and got a starting RB. I think we could run with our LB corps but I think best value for #15, BARRING A TRADE BACK, is a LB.

Again just my 2 cents.

 

[Texecutioner]

How much did Bart Scott show as a rookie- he certainly isn't more talented than Adibi. What about Foote, Farrior, Woodley, L Briggs... I don't believe any of those guys, other than perhaps Woodley, has more athleticism or a better college career than Adibi. If a team is drafting a rookie in the first round it is saying that the depth is insufficient and/or the player is more talented and more likely to succeed than what is on the roster. Why would their be a belief that Cushing is going to be a better WLB than Adibi? wouldn't both guys be talented players with some question marks? And, with the good depth we have, why is it a neccessary pick?

You're never drafting any rookie with the hopes that he will be the guy to take your offense or defense to the top in his first season. You're drafting him to help you out in that first season and hope that he'll continue to improve year after year. You can't sit here and automatically say that no rookie LB in this draft that we could get wouldn't be better than Adibe or Diles. It's not like either one of those guys were pro bowlers. Both of them were good for depth and possible starters. Nothing guaranteeing them anything though.

If we could get a very good LB in the first round to pair with Demeco for many many years, I would have no problem with that at all. Having two very good LB's does a lot for any team. I want a great combo like Farrior/Porter or Farrior/Harrison or Lewis/Suggs or Urlacher/Briggs. Those LB's have been corner stones of great defenses year in and year out. That is something any good defense needs.

If Maleuaga is there at 15 I'd take him in a second. If Cushing is there I'd take him as well, although the steroid rumors do bother me a bit.

 

[Ole Miss Texan]

Offensively, I'd look at Michael Oher if he slips or Jeremy Maclin if he's available.

Defensively, I think the BPA is going to come down to Peria Jerry or Brian Cushing. I wonder how they'll rate Vontae Davis and Alphonso Smith though. Could get a talented DE/OLB at this spot but I have no idea how to project them.

 

[Polo]

How much did Bart Scott show as a rookie- he certainly isn't more talented than Adibi. What about Foote, Farrior, Woodley, L Briggs... I don't believe any of those guys, other than perhaps Woodley, has more athleticism or a better college career than Adibi. If a team is drafting a rookie in the first round it is saying that the depth is insufficient and/or the player is more talented and more likely to succeed than what is on the roster. Why would their be a belief that Cushing is going to be a better WLB than Adibi? wouldn't both guys be talented players with some question marks? And, with the good depth we have, why is it a neccessary pick?

I agree.

Saying the Texans have a bunch of question marks at linebacker is not giving credit to the rest of the defense. I feel more secure about our LB corps minus Greenwood than I do about the secondary.

 

[The Pencil Neck]

There are a lot of different ways we can go in the draft.

Personally, I think Diles played well but I think we can upgrade that position. I think Adibi showed some flashes that he could be really good, but he's got to stay healthy. Bentley is a quality backup. So the only guy I'm really comfy with in our LB corp is Demeco. I would love to see us upgrade our LB corp.

But we could easily go some other way. We can take the position that the Diles/Bentley combo is good enough at the SAM and then just go for LB depth later in the draft that may develop into starters later.

It all comes down to why we sucked so hard and what sucked worst? What position or positions are going to improve our defense most? LB, S, DT, CB, DE? I think upgrading the LB can have the biggest impact both against the run and the pass. After that, maybe the DT but it depends on what Bush thinks he can get from TJ, Amobi, and Okam and how he wants to use them. Maybe safety after that although the coaches seem to be sold on Barber and Wilson.

 

[kiwitexansfan]

I'm not either.

I'm clamouring for Inside OL and Safety help.

I'd be happy to get Unger in a trade down not sure about value at 15.

 

[GP]

Most are saying LB because with the projections on where players are going to be drafted who else would be worthy of taking at 15, since you can't predict trades?

Couldn't have said it any better.

With what players will be left at the 15th pick, a lot of us are thinking that there will be a some truly "Round 1 talent" at LB.

I'm not anywhere near being sold on the DEs in this draft, at least not at pick 15. Not too crazy about the DBs, either.

LB looks like a position that is pretty deep this year in terms of getting a playmaker at the LB spot. Plus, a lot of the teams ahead of us are going to go QB, RB, WR, and OL due to the nature of the position those teams are in.

If Howard-Bey is there, though, I would say Howard-Bey all the way. That guy looks like Andre Johnson to me with how his body handles the routes, his hands and how he looks the ball into his hands, and his concentration through the whole play. But I bet he goes early.

 

[GP]

Plus, I don't like the way Diles hurt his leg.

I know he could come back and not have any problems. But the way it was injured, in a seemingly uncharacteristic way, has me skiddish.

Then there's DeMeco who is revving up the contract comments he's recently made.

LB, this year, might be the smart way to go.

 

[Texecutioner]

Couldn't have said it any better.

With what players will be left at the 15th pick, a lot of us are thinking that there will be a some truly "Round 1 talent" at LB.

I'm not anywhere near being sold on the DEs in this draft, at least not at pick 15. Not too crazy about the DBs, either.

LB looks like a position that is pretty deep this year in terms of getting a playmaker at the LB spot. Plus, a lot of the teams ahead of us are going to go QB, RB, WR, and OL due to the nature of the position those teams are in.

If Howard-Bey is there, though, I would say Howard-Bey all the way. That guy looks like Andre Johnson to me with how his body handles the routes, his hands and how he looks the ball into his hands, and his concentration through the whole play. But I bet he goes early.

I think WR would be the worst way to go. It is our absolute least need. Plus, we'd have to pay a hefty price for a WR with the 15th pick. Walter is fine and good for at least one more season and possibly two.

I agree with you on everything else for the most part though.

 

[dalemurphy]

So who would you take at 15 (NO Trading)??

BPA! (other than QB): that would include someone like:

Michael Oher
Michael Jenkins
Vontae Davis
J. Maclin
Everette Brown
Unger
Chris Wells
Moreno

 

[dalemurphy]

I think WR would be the worst way to go. It is our absolute least need. Plus, we'd have to pay a hefty price for a WR with the 15th pick. Walter is fine and good for at least one more season and possibly two.

I agree with you on everything else for the most part though.

It wouldn't look so bad if AJ blew out his knee in the preseason. Things happen. It's a new era for the Texans. We aren't drafting to fill a competant need anymore. Now, IMO, the draft becomes about the future- which is unknown. The year before the NYGiants went to the superbowl, they had J. Tuck, Osi Umenyior, and Michael Strahan on the team. So, with their first round pick they took Matteus Kiwanuka.

 

[HOU-TEX]

Re: Why is everyone calling for a LB?

After reading posts in this thread, I think we can ask the same question to the people calling for Oline. I do understand that G and C need to be addressed eventually, but on the first day? I don't think so.

IMO, every position on defense could use an upgrade and I think the strongest positions in the middle of the 1st round are LB, DB and possibly DT.

Offense: ranked #3 overall, ranked #4 in passing, ranked 13th in rushing. Other than having the same Oline working together again, I think another decent RB could give another little boost to our running game.

Defense: ranked #22 overall, ranked 17th in passing, ranked 23rd against the rush. Are we going to put the entire blame on Smith? I'm not. He was surely a large part of the problem, but not all of it.


My .02

 

[Mr teX]

b/c it's looking more & more obvious that no matter what we do as far as moving up, down or staying put, there's going to be a stud Lb there for us. All the other need positions on defense, not so much. Plus, it's not like we're set there for years to come anyway. As much potential as our young Lb corps showed last year, outside of Meco, there are questions of health concerning Diles & Adibi.

We need to stay at 15 & go BPA on defense...unless a rare talent on offense like Crabtree or Smith slip to us....then it'll get tricky.

 

[Ole Miss Texan]

I understand the notion of no offense at all. Generally I'd agree becaus I want us to build a stellar defense, that side has a lot of holes, and Kubiak (being the offensive minded coach that he is) can get more out of less from offensive players.

With that said, you can look at what some teams have done around the league the last couple years. The Colts (aren't they a pretty good passing team?) chose Anthony Gonzales late in the 1st when they had Wayne and Harrison. The Saints took Robert Meachem in the 1st round after being one of the top offensive teams in the league. The Steeler and Cowboys took 1st round RBs when they already had good RBs on their team, the Giants continuing to get good DL prospects, etc.

One theory in building a team is to build a super unit. Instead of filling the biggest need you have, build the strongest unit you can forcing other teams to gameplan against it. IE- build the DL up so strong and deep that the other teams' OL has to see it the entire game at full force, that can mask other deficiencies you have on the defense. Control what the other team does by forcing them to have extra people blocking.

We could see that this year at #15. Do we go the DL route again? Or does Kubiak try and find another playmaker on offense. So what if we're #3 on offense... why not continue to build that unit up stronger and make it nearly unstoppable.

The arguement, "We're not going to outscore Manning and the Colts" isn't just there because they got lucky. That could be the Texans in the near future. Pick up a guy like Maclin and continue to run 3 WR sets add in Slaton and Daniels and thats hard to stop.

We could be hearing "We're not going to outscore Schaub and the Texans" a lot from other teams. Just saying that's one philosophy.

 

[Texanmike02]

One of the biggest problems with our defense is that we can't control blockers. I think you have to come out of this draft with a Haynesworth type player or a MLB who is better able to shed blockers and get to the point of attack. For all Ryans does well, he is below average in persuit with a blocker in front of him. I think you're either looking at a MLB or a DT to make this defense go. Either way, you want MLB or DT AND a SS or CB out of the first three rounds. You do that and you change the face of this defense almost over night.

Mike

 

[Texan in Japan]

Great thread DM...a lot of good ideas and discussion...my 2 cents...

I think this is the deepest draft for quality LBs we had in a while. Besides Curry and USC 3, there is Laurinatis (sp), Stinum (sp), plus the tweeners Maybin, Brown and Orakpo. There may be another 1-2 I missed.

I agree we need more quality OL and S, but we also need impact players at LB. I'm not sold that Adibi or Diles can be an impact player.

However, I'm for taking the best deal we can get and moving back. If we could get Det's (#20), 3rd and 6th for our 1st and 3rd. That would give us a lot of leverage for further trades going into Day 2.

I like Unger and Mack, but also like Laurinatis...he's fallen off the scope, but has had a much better career than Matthews or Cushing. I also believe that a later round C/G pick may do just fine w/ our OL coaches.

 

[eriadoc]

Adibi was a 225 lb. LB. I want a bit more bulk from the LB corps. IMO, the MLB can be a bit undersized, but I want the outside guys to be big and fast. 225 lbs. is for the SS.

 

[Polo]

I'm pretty confident that Adibi will be the starter next year.

 

[HOU-TEX]

I'm pretty confident that Adibi will be the starter next year.

I think most can agree with that.......but for how long? Can he remain healthy? Can Diles? Can Diles get get quicker?

Are we willing to pass up a quality LB if he's there at 15 (with no trade back) with so many unanswered questions at the position? I think not

 

[Polo]

I think most can agree with that.......but for how long? Can he remain healthy? Can Diles? Can Diles get get quicker?

Are we willing to pass up a quality LB if he's there at 15 (with no trade back) with so many unanswered questions at the position? I think not

I think that maybe we should have taken Patrick Willis we we had the chance.


I don't see any of those kind of guys available where we should be picking, so I dunno. I'd much rather see a top rated corner at this point though...With D-Robs future past this season in the air, plus the lot of them already being unreliable I can't see us not adressing that position early.

 

[3rdcoastcards]

We need OLBs because Diles had all of 8 starts and Adibi only played in 6 games...so we don't have much to go on as far as their bodies of work. In addition, Ryans is "only" 250 (but plays small)...Diles is 240...and Adibi is 224. With our smallish DTs (TJ is 303 and Okoye is 302) we don't have a big run stopper/space eater to keep the OL off of our LBs...which means they cant use their quickness to get to plays. It also explains why we need a run-stopping DT like BJ Raji (337 lbs), Ron Brace (334), Sammie Lee Hill (339), OR...get Frank Okam (342) going. Plus none of our OLBs are especially proficient at rushing the QB (Ryans has 6.5 career sacks...Diles 1...Adibi 0)...so a bigger OLB that's athletic and can rush the QB would help. I know that a lot of our def. problems were because of a non-aggressive style of play calling...but more athletic OLBs and a bigger DT would help...along with being more aggressive. Having said all that I don't necessarily like any of the OLB prospects at 15. I am the charter member of the Aaron Curry man-crush-fan club...but he wont be available. Mathews hasn't done it long enough...and Cushing's meteoric size gain scares the crap outta me.

 

[Texecutioner]

It wouldn't look so bad if AJ blew out his knee in the preseason. Things happen. It's a new era for the Texans. We aren't drafting to fill a competant need anymore. Now, IMO, the draft becomes about the future- which is unknown. The year before the NYGiants went to the superbowl, they had J. Tuck, Osi Umenyior, and Michael Strahan on the team. So, with their first round pick they took Matteus Kiwanuka.

Well anyone of our players could go down. By using your rationalization I could say the same about Mario in which we would have absolutely no choice BUT to grab another DE in the first round or what if Shaub goes down for several games again? Then by that rationale, we might as well pick Stafford if he is there which wouldn't make any sense.



We are nowhere near being in the position where we can just AFFORD to draft whomever we want. I wish that were true. Lol!

We had a pretty good offense last season with the exception to the horrible red zone problems. The defense was the problem last season and teams were hanging a lot of points on us weekly. We have a lot of holes to fill right now and need to find a quality starter with our first pick for the defense. We still have a few problems in the secondary, even though this is a terrible draft for DB's and I wouldn't really want to use that first pick on the secondary, so to me that leaves us with the choice of grabbing a D lineman or a LB depending on who is there and how well we think they could help out this defense.

All we really NEED going into this season on offense is another RB to pair with Slaton. We have no choice but to address the defense.

 

[badboy]

I didn't get to watch all the games last year but the ones I did I was tired of constantly watching our LB corp tackling people 4 or 5 yards downfield. I don't know if it was the scheme or talent but I want a LB that will shed a block and crush the RB AT the LOS. having said that, I wouldn't complain if they went after a safety. We helped ourselves in FA on the DL now it is time to get the rest of it in better shape.
The argument about a RB being found later in the draft cheap seems to be pretty acurate. We don't NEED a feature back, just a complimentary one and that shouldn't be too hard to find later on. I wouldn't consider one at this point in the first 2 rounds. Too many needs in the defense.

Add a DT like Raji and the LB will not be tackling down field.

 

[The Pencil Neck]

Add a DT like Raji and the LB will not be tackling down field.

So do we put together a deal to go up and get him? And if so, where does he have to drop to for us to make that decision.

Personally, I don't think he gets past the Packers although some have him falling further.

 

[dalemurphy]

Well anyone of our players could go down. By using your rationalization I could say the same about Mario in which we would have absolutely no choice BUT to grab another DE in the first round or what if Shaub goes down for several games again? Then by that rationale, we might as well pick Stafford if he is there which wouldn't make any sense.



We are nowhere near being in the position where we can just AFFORD to draft whomever we want. I wish that were true. Lol!

We had a pretty good offense last season with the exception to the horrible red zone problems. The defense was the problem last season and teams were hanging a lot of points on us weekly. We have a lot of holes to fill right now and need to find a quality starter with our first pick for the defense. We still have a few problems in the secondary, even though this is a terrible draft for DB's and I wouldn't really want to use that first pick on the secondary, so to me that leaves us with the choice of grabbing a D lineman or a LB depending on who is there and how well we think they could help out this defense.

All we really NEED going into this season on offense is another RB to pair with Slaton. We have no choice but to address the defense.

Do you think we are a more talented offense than we are a defense? I don't. I think that our offense had stability, direction, and good coaching while our defense had none of that. More than personnel changes, the removal of Richard Smith will have a dramatic impact on the defense's productivity. I think Mario, Demeco, and Dunta are all probowl quality talents. I think that Okoye, A. Smith, Adibi, Diles, Bennett are all potentially quality NFL starters. We watched Okoye get 5 sacks in 6 games as a rookie and Bennett pick off 4INts as a rookie. Clearly those guys have the talent for NFL success. Diles was our best LB for many of those 8 games last season.

Meanwhile, on offense, we have very limited athletes like CMyers, Briesel, RMoats, D.Anderson all playing significant roles in a very productive offense. From the entire starting unit, ony AJ and Duane Brown were selected in the first round.

 

[Specnatz]

It wouldn't look so bad if AJ blew out his knee in the preseason. Things happen. It's a new era for the Texans. We aren't drafting to fill a competant need anymore. Now, IMO, the draft becomes about the future- which is unknown. The year before the NYGiants went to the superbowl, they had J. Tuck, Osi Umenyior, and Michael Strahan on the team. So, with their first round pick they took Matteus Kiwanuka.

So with this logic should we draft Snachez if he is there?

 

[Ole Miss Texan]

I think we can't afford to pass on whichever player they think will have the best pro career as a Texan. I don't care about college stats, how much playing time they've had, etc. How do they project onto THIS team and how are WE going to use them. Don't pass on a better player just to fill a hole. That's how you get a team full of mediocre talent.

The last thing I want us to do is reach for a guy and pass up better players. If we take a LB because he's the BPA that's great. Our team is FINALLY starting to have quality depth at various positions and I don't want that to stop. The more players you have at a position that are capable of giving you quality playing time, the better your team is. You can let the starters rest more throughout the game so they come back in full strength. You're not scared to pull them b/c you'll have a guy that goes in and won't get torched.

 

[Ole Miss Texan]

So with this logic should we draft Snachez if he is there?

I know you were referring to what you quoted but Sanchez and Schaub won't be on the field together. An arguement for a RB or a WR is that you rotate them a lot more, use them together throughout the game/season. Obviously it's awful if your starting QB goes down (we know from experience) but you can have AJ and Maclin on the field together at the same time.

Sanchez would be sitting on the bench the whole time, other positions get to contribute on the field.

 

[Hooston Texan]

What about Foote, Farrior, Woodley, L Briggs... I don't believe any of those guys, other than perhaps Woodley, has more athleticism or a better college career than Adibi.

Apropos of nothing, but James Farrior was a hugely successful college LB. He and Jamie Sharper were quite the tandem in UVA's mid-1990s heyday.

This is a good thread that, to me, animates the fact that our Texans are growing up before our eyes. We have no absolute must-must-draft positions (outside of depth at RB) that trump the BPA ideal. While it would be nice to improve our safeties, the value at 15 just isn't there. Same with DTs outside of Raji and DE's besides Orakpo/Brown. LB is just where the value is even though it is hard to get excited about any of them besides Curry.

Drafting BPA means that we can develop that player in practice without throwing him onto the field immediately as a starter like we've done with every other first round pick in our history. Since the signing price at #15 is fairly low compared to a top 10 pick, we can afford not to rush the player.

I like Diles and Adibi right now but haven't seen enough sustained from them to be certain that I'll like them for the next 3-4 years. If we need to go another directions, we'll need other options.

 

[dalemurphy]

So with this logic should we draft Snachez if he is there?

Considering I specifically said, "with the exception of QB" in my post, that's a heck of an editing job you did there. There is never more than one QB on the field and they don't play ST, with the possible exception of field goal holder.

Meanwhile, the Texans will lineup with 4 WRs on the field at the same time quite often this year. Also, Wrs often play a very significant role in special teams- from returning kicks and punts to covering them. That's my answer to your ridiculous sarcastic retort without even getting into the uniqueness of the QB as the team leader. That would've been a clever debate tactic if you were 9 years old.

 

[dalemurphy]

Apropos of nothing, but James Farrior was a hugely successful college LB. He and Jamie Sharper were quite the tandem in UVA's mid-1990s heyday.

This is a good thread that, to me, animates the fact that our Texans are growing up before our eyes. We have no absolute must-must-draft positions (outside of depth at RB) that trump the BPA ideal. While it would be nice to improve our safeties, the value at 15 just isn't there. Same with DTs outside of Raji and DE's besides Orakpo/Brown. LB is just where the value is even though it is hard to get excited about any of them besides Curry.

Drafting BPA means that we can develop that player in practice without throwing him onto the field immediately as a starter like we've done with every other first round pick in our history. Since the signing price at #15 is fairly low compared to a top 10 pick, we can afford not to rush the player.

I like Diles and Adibi right now but haven't seen enough sustained from them to be certain that I'll like them for the next 3-4 years. If we need to go another directions, we'll need other options.

I absolutely agree with you. If I sound like I'm betting the farm on Diles and Adibi being allpros then I've not communicated well. I'm just trying to illustrate that our LB corp right now has both talent and good depth. I understand that there are plenty of question marks regarding our OLBs, though Bentley's presence on the team really eases those concerns for me. I think we should come out of this draft with 1-2 LBs, I just don't see how our LB corp can be graded out as a higher priority than our secondary, our RBackfield, or our interior OLine.

 

[TEXANRED]

I'm in general agreement with the boards and media that this team needs RB depth and help at safety. However, I don't get this almost universally held belief that it needs LB help- probably high in the draft.

I believe we have 6 LBs that belong on a winning team's 53 man roster:
DRyans- good to very good MLB
Bentley- primary backup LB- good enough to be primary backup on championship caliber team
Adibi- When he played, he looked very good. Health is a concern but I'd hardly call him Dan Morgan at this point. Has the potential to be an elite WLB.
Diles- The light went on for him in week 4. I think he's clearly a starting caliber OLB and the team expects him healthy for minicamp.
Chaun Thompson- Missing in action due to training camp injury. However, he doesn't have a history of injury problems and has the size and athleticism to rush the passer or play a traditional SLB. He's pretty young and had success as a player on a bad Cleveland team.
Coley- Excellent special teams player and a very sure tackler. He sure looked good in the preseason.

Though I agree that uncertainty exists regarding Adibi and Diles, I think the depth is very good as is the versatility and potential of the group. How can this be a greater need than our interior OLine? Myers and Briesel have low ceilings, Pitts will be a free agent, and White doesn't belong on a championship caliber team. Beyond that, Studdard is the primary backup and he's not athletic enought to caddy for Vince YOung, much less protect Matt Schuab. Am I the only person who saw the Cowboy preseason game last year when he imitated an overturned turtle for three quarters?

Someone explain to me why LB is such a major need for this team!- In other words, why is Adibi and Diles going to fail and why isn't Bentley, Coley, and Thompson quality depth?

Diles is not a starting caliber LB. Not at strong side. He is slow. He is a MLB playing out of position. There are a lot of Diles fans on this site so I know that is going to upset a few, however, he plays the run fine but is a liability in the passing game. That, and he was not much of a pass rushing threat either. Plus him coming off of a broken leg.

Adibi couldn't stay healthy. Not in OTA's, not in training camp, not during the pre-season, not during the regular season. I wouldn't feel good about going into the season depending on him.

Everyone else is a backup.

Cushing or Matthews is an instant upgrade. I am hoping for Matthews myself.

 

[Texans_Chick]

I absolutely agree with you. If I sound like I'm betting the farm on Diles and Adibi being allpros then I've not communicated well. I'm just trying to illustrate that our LB corp right now has both talent and good depth. I understand that there are plenty of question marks regarding our OLBs, though Bentley's presence on the team really eases those concerns for me. I think we should come out of this draft with 1-2 LBs, I just don't see how our LB corp can be graded out as a higher priority than our secondary, our RBackfield, or our interior OLine.

Do you think the Texans outside linebackers are in the top quarter of the league?

The top half?

The top 3/4s?

Athleticism at the linebacker spot can really make a huge difference on your defense. It's a position that rookies can make an immediate impact. I do not like to rely on just changing around coaches and keeping the players and thinking that you will see a better result. Yes, coaching and scheme matters, but linebacker is NOT a position of depth or strength on this team. It is DeMeco Ryans and some career backups, a guy who can't keep weight on and a guy who broke his leg while running during practice. That doesn't give me confidence coming into the season.

The Texans can't get enough playmakers on defense. It's just a matter of identifying them.

 

[Specnatz]

Considering I specifically said, "with the exception of QB" in my post, that's a heck of an editing job you did there. There is never more than one QB on the field and they don't play ST, with the possible exception of field goal holder.

Meanwhile, the Texans will lineup with 4 WRs on the field at the same time quite often this year. Also, Wrs often play a very significant role in special teams- from returning kicks and punts to covering them. That's my answer to your ridiculous sarcastic retort without even getting into the uniqueness of the QB as the team leader. That would've been a clever debate tactic if you were 9 years old.

I did not edit anything, I quoted you. Very rude to say I did.

I was being sarcastic because you just seem to forget all the woes we had on D. Why I am not sure. Also no one is saying not to address a WR or RB in the draft. It is just not the most pressing need for the team. Nor has anyone said to not look at OL, just at 16 the value is not there.