February 27, 2009
Don't Cut the String Dance Short
by Keith Weiland
Keith@IntheBullseye.com

A calculated risk by general manager Rick Smith has gone awry. Hardly more than a day after offering restricted free agent David Anderson a "low tender", the wide receiver and Conan O’Brien fave signed an offer sheet with the Broncos for three years and $4.5 million, including a $1 million signing bonus.

The offer Smith tendered to Anderson was worth $1.01 million with no bonus money. Per league rules, it contained the right of first refusal by the Texans, and should the Texans decline to match the offer from the Broncos in the next seven days, they stand to gain a seventh round pick in return.

The offer sheet from the Broncos could have been avoided had Smith chosen to give Anderson a second round RFA tender worth $1.545 million. No team, including the Broncos, would have been willing to relinquish that high of a draft pick for what might be a solid slot/third receiver.

But Smith chose not to spend the extra $500,000 to avoid the risk, perhaps signaling that Anderson’s contract may not be worthy of matching in his eyes, especially at the expense of a draft pick, albeit it a last round selection.

And that would be a damn shame.

Anderson, who turns 26 in July, has certainly outlived his draft status as the last round pick of what has been easily the team’s best-ever draft in 2006, a haul that included Mario Williams, DeMeco Ryans, Eric Winston, and Owen Daniels. He caught 19 passes for 241 yards in 2008, two of which went for touchdowns.

As perhaps the fourth receiver on the depth chart, the Texans might balk at slotting his cap figure as high as the Broncos are prepared to do. With Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, and Andre Davis ahead of him (and with serious money already committed to Johnson and Davis), Anderson’s role on the team would likely be limited this year just as it was a year ago.

But the potential exists for Anderson to assume greater responsibilities as a slot receiver, playing more snaps than ever before, assuming his progress continues. The Broncos must see this potential. Their new head coach, Josh McDaniels, the 32-year old former offensive coordinator of the Patriots, probably sees a bit of the “slot machine” Wes Welker in Anderson and is luring Anderson with the chance to return to the state of Coloado, his college football home.

Ironically, the Texans also signed a former seventh round wide receiver to an offer sheet four years ago. Walter had been similarly buried on the Bengals’ depth chart, and the Texans wanted him to the tune of four years and $6.8 million. It has turned out to be a terrific decision.

In his final season with the Bengals, Walter registered 19 receptions for 211 yards and one touchdown, eerily similar stats to Anderson’s last year. At the time, the Bengals felt they had a formidable corps of receivers, including Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and a then-promising Chris Henry.

The Texans must feel equally confident in their trio of receivers, if not maybe moreso, assuming Smith has intentions of extending Walter’s contract, which expires a year from now. But just as the Bengals are learning, a lot can change in a short amount of time.

Are the Texans really that good to let young talent slip away too easily? With their other youthful receiver Jacoby Jones apparently on the trading block, how comfortable is the team’s depth should either Johnson, Walter, or Davis get hurt this season?

Forget Anderson’s fashion-backward hair and dance moves for a moment, his impact to the offense could be greater than ever in 2009, and that’s even if everyone remains healthy. Until the Texans prove they are good enough to produce a winning season, they shouldn’t be too eager to dismiss the sort of player that can help them reach that potential.

PermaLink or

© Copyright 2009 ...In the Bullseye is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the actual Houston Texans franchise. It's a non-commercial website for the enjoyment of football fans and is not intended for any other purpose. For legitimate content on the team, its operations and its actions, please visit its official site.