Quote:
Originally Posted by Sfeihc
When grading this draft for the Texans you must also consider that they traded their 2nd round pick in the Matt Schaub deal with Atlanta and their 6th round pick to the Denver Broncos for C(and FOX SPORTS host), Chris Myers. You critique of the Texans roster is very accurate. Their needs are many. O-Line I downgraded because they gave up a whopping 22 sacks last year.
What I did do for the Texans is provide them with a defensive front that rivals any in the league. With their top corner, Dunta Robinson's, availability for next season is in doubt, a CB in the 3rd round was needed. Fred Bennett played well last year as a rookie and they added Dallas CB, Jacque Reeves for WAY to much money this off season. They also need a SS and a FS. So I did what I thought would best help the Texans by selecting CB, Terrell Thomas. Thomas can play nickel or start opposite Bennett if Robinson isn't ready. If Robinson is ready to play and Reeves can be the nickelback then Thomas becomes a candidate for FS.
The Texans starting OLB's are Morlon Greenwood and Chaun Thompson. Yikes! That's why I was very happy to see Ezra Butler still there in the 4th round. When it came to the Texans pick in the 5th and with a OLB who could compliment Butler and ILB D'meco Ryans in Purdue's Stanford Keglar still there I had to make the move. At the very least they now have depth at OLB, best case they have two good starters to compliment Ryans.
In the 7th and with their holes at both Safety positions, I knew I could fill a need. The Texans did resign FA's SS C.C. Davis and FS Will Demps after them there's nothing. Army's Caleb Campbell, SS, is a perfect fit. He'll make the roster, no problem and at least be a special teams ace as a rookie and maybe a starter not too far down the road.
Knowing I couldn't fix all the Texans problems with only five picks, I think the defense took a giant collective leap forward and in the case of Harvey one of the NFL's premiere defensive lines has been formed.
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Well, two things:
1. I liked the Harvey pick and the Butler pick. Campbell in the 7th makes sense.
2. You only had five picks to address 10,000,000 positions. This is the situation where you have to work the Draft's depth and lack of depth to your advantage.
It's not deep at DE or WR, so if you had someone early that you could opt for, I'd go there -- which you did with Harvey. Starting-quality and potential studs at OT were located everywhere from the 3rd to the 5th. If you didn't see that as a need, so be it. I understand that 22 sacks isn't much, but Schaub was still getting killed behind that line. RTs were available in full throughout the Draft.
And the Texans picked up Reeves to start, not to man down NCB. As you commented, they payed him a boatload. Now the Texans could still use some depth there and eventual replacements as well, but it was not a prime need and I feel like it could have been addressed much later or in UDFA.
But all told -- you had the hardest team to Draft for, as they are strapped for needs and with very few picks to fill them out. Compared to you, Mecca's job was cake.