News from OTA's.. AJ absent, unhappy with contract

[Mike]

Read all about it at PFT. He should take a lesson from Demeco and go about it the right way. Suspended player, players unhappy with contracts, our first real player leaving (Dunta). We are a grown up team finally.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/05/17/andre-johnson-isnt-happy-with-his-contract/

[NBT]

Well, it is voluntary, hopefully AJ will get it resolved in time. Besides, some other WRs need the reps more than he does right now.

[HPF Bob]

I think the uncapped year has something to do with this. Watch him get some sort of raise but the majority of that raise will be paid this year so it doesn't affect the cap for coming years.

[WMH]

I think the uncapped year has something to do with this. Watch him get some sort of raise but the majority of that raise will be paid this year so it doesn't affect the cap for coming years.

Isn't there some sort of rule against doing that?

And didn't he get about $15MM or so to sign the last extension, all of 2 years ago?

Don't get me wrong, the dude is a beast, and THE best WR in the league, but 2 years in of an 8 year deal, and he wants to re-up now? I mean geez......:mad:

[Keith]

Well, first question has to be whether this is Andre or his uncle talking. For those that don't remember what I am referring to, please review this thread in which Uncle Andre apparently talked out of turn to ESPN Mag:
http://www.inthebullseye.com/forums/showthread.php?t=843

As for any grief Angry Dre gets for wanting to renegotiate, the players gotta get what they can when they can. And Andre is missing nothing by sitting out OTAs. He has proven he can take care of his body, and he knows the offense, the QB, etc. The OC is new, but if he's smart, he knows how to draw up plays for #80.

[kravix]

8 years $60M. It was suprising to me then, as I thought it was a bit low. I honestly believe he made the deal in good faith in order to sign Schaub. Dre knew that Houston needed a QB to win. Although he has only played out 3 years now is prime time for him to get paid like the #1 reciever in football.

I do, however, think that some of this is his uncle pressuring him into doing something that he possibly wouldnt do.

At the end of the day this is business, and not in the cliche. We do it everyday at work; hustle for the best deals, pay, etc. It just so happens Dre is a one man company trying to capitalize on the market and product.

[TheMatrix31]

Just get it done, I don't care.

[Bigtinylittle]

[QUOTE=TheMatrix31;20206]Just get it done, I don't care.[/QUOTE

I am waiting for a real sports story.This is just an argument about money. I hate arguments in sports as much as I hate them in the general news. I read the news to find out out about things that actually HAPPENED and it seems that usually the news isn't about things that happened, but instead is just about people arguing.

I feel the same way about sports. One of the reasons I hate the Jim Rome program and never listen to it is there is almost no information on it. It's almost totally BS.

injuries, arrests, player suspensions, trades, free agent signings, new depth charts, new draft picks, coaches being fired, rule changes, player re-signings, Texan players cut. These are some of the things I consider real stories.

If Andre sits out the first game then I'll pay attention. But until then, tune me out. He's a veteran and can affort to miss all he wants. It's interesting that when he has missed games in the past because of injuries he has come back with monster numbers.

PS: Just to pass along some REAL news from OTAs, Steve Slaton has apparently lost 11 pounds and intends to play lighter this year. Good to know.

[kRocket]

This was very predictable based on his last couple of seasons. His uncle said as much during last year. The F.O. is going to have to make up their mind whether to pay him or trade him. Keeping unhappy players around for years is not the best way to win.

Actually I am rather surprised that we didn't pick up a WR earlier in the draft.

[Nconroe]

Yeah, the guarantee part is real low of AJ's current contract compared to Fitzgerald and a few other top receivers. And considering if AJ gets hurt, team can cut him, I think they ought to atleast bump up to match the guaranteed part of similar players and perhaps up the yearly amount as well. get it done so he gets into OTA's with some of new offensive coaches.

I do hope the new coaches, players, experience on line, can help us improve significantly at the running game this year.

[Keith]

Actually I am rather surprised that we didn't pick up a WR earlier in the draft.

Not sure why, especially since Kevin Walter was resigned. Walter, Jones, and Anderson are a decent corps of receivers with different skills to bring to the table. It'd be nice if there was an Anquan Boldin to go with the Larry Fitzgerald here (so to speak), but I think the higher picks were needed elsewhere.

As for Andre, we don't know any specifics of what he is asking for. Given it is an uncapped year and all, the easy fan position to take is for the Texans to just pay him what he wants. But you have to assume optimistically that the order of a CBA will return soon, and you still need to manage your budget prudently.

I hope Andre loves his uncle (and whatever family discounted representation rate he gives him) since it seems, in retrospect at least, that Melton hasn't always offered his nephew the most keen insight to his financial affairs.

[kRocket]

Because the people you named don't play AJ's position.

[nunusguy]

But reporting to organized team activities this week, each of the four starters had shed a significant amount of weight. All told, they lost a whopping 59 pounds. Leading the way was right tackle Amobi Okoye, who lost 32 pounds by conditioning twice a day in Katy with his younger sister during his time off.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/7011653.html
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Say what ? Okoye dropped 32 lbs this past offseason. Too much (or too little) of a good thing ?

[Joe Joe]

Okoye needs to play lighter than he did last year. 32 does sound like it may be too much, but I 've heard he has been explosive.

[painekiller]

But reporting to organized team activities this week, each of the four starters had shed a significant amount of weight. All told, they lost a whopping 59 pounds. Leading the way was right tackle Amobi Okoye, who lost 32 pounds by conditioning twice a day in Katy with his younger sister during his time off.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/7011653.html
****************************************
Say what ? Okoye dropped 32 lbs this past offseason. Too much (or too little) of a good thing ?

Kubiak said Okoye weighed in at 286, about 15 lbs less than he played last season. They want him to be a little heavier but Kubiak said the hot weather and the hard work that the big guys all where doing had made them shed lbs.

watch the video (http://www.houstontexans.com/tv/index.asp?mm_file_id=4107&play_clip=y)

[painekiller]

When I watched the Senior Bowl practices and then the game, Dorian Dickerson was a guy I saw as a player with no position. He was to small to play the traditional inline TE, and he did not show the skills of a split out WR.

Now I read Lance Zierlein's blog, and he said this about Dickerson • Rookie tight end/wide receiver Dorin Dickerson runs more like a TE than a WR over the first 10 yards of his routes, which is something he needs to work on since cornerbacks will jam him at the line and just sit in his pocket after he releases from the line. He's much more high-cut (bigger upper body) than I expected so he might need to drop another six to 10 pounds to get that WR quickness he'll need if he's going to transition from TE.

Is this coaching staff going to be smart enough to find a spot for this talent? Time will tell.

[NBT]

One of the Draft mags had Dorin going at the HBk position, but Casey is already doing that gig. Dorin supposedly has unusual speed for his weight, so I wouldn't bet against him.

[Bigtinylittle]

Well, he IS a late rounder. Sometimes you just take a flyer on a guy like that.

The Texans drafted 9 guys this year. No way they all make the active roster.
If Dickerson shows any promise at all he will probably go on the practice squad. But even that's not guaranteed. I think we have finally reached the point where we will have to cut ties with people we would have kept in past years.

[Nconroe]

Sounds like AJ and Texans are talking and AJ is back at OTA's. Good for them.

I think Kubiak said he hopes to let Dorian line up as WR and learn to be WR from AJ.

[painekiller]

Funny thing is Shannon Sharpe was one of Kubiak's players and Dickerson would appear to fit that mold, but yet they are putting him at WR, a position he so far has shown little skill for.

My eyes are what I am basing that on, the kid was swallowed up at the senior bowl at WR. Showing little skill for the position. Put him inside in the slot like Sharpe and he becomes a mismatch problem, and a possible red zone threat.

[painekiller]

Well, he IS a late rounder. Sometimes you just take a flyer on a guy like that.

The Texans drafted 9 guys this year. No way they all make the active roster.
If Dickerson shows any promise at all he will probably go on the practice squad. But even that's not guaranteed. I think we have finally reached the point where we will have to cut ties with people we would have kept in past years.

I'm not sure that Dickerson will clear waivers if he shows anything at all in the preseason. Now he did fall to the 7th round, but teams like the Rams and the Lions could use a player like him, even the Browns and Bengals, just to name a few.

TE and WR are a strength of this team, and it blows my head how they keep adding to those groups while passing on FS and NTs. Geno Atkins (not a NT) and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah were available when Graham was taken, I'm just saying....

[Mike]

Here is an update from ESPN and quotes from his interview with Berman.

I still believe you can win with great players who have character (Demeco, Andre) and not be turds. When the player is reasonable and acts with respect towards the team, extends the olive branch, then the team will work with them. Works like that in most business negotiations. AJ is still all about helping the team.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5204044

[Bigtinylittle]

I'm not sure that Dickerson will clear waivers if he shows anything at all in the preseason. Now he did fall to the 7th round, but teams like the Rams and the Lions could use a player like him, even the Browns and Bengals, just to name a few.

TE and WR are a strength of this team, and it blows my head how they keep adding to those groups while passing on FS and NTs. Geno Atkins (not a NT) and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah were available when Graham was taken, I'm just saying....

You may have a point about NT, but I'm not so sure about FS, unless you are talking about taking one in an earlier round than Dickerson was picked. The Texans already have three or four young DBs who probably would be at least as good or better than what they could have picked up in the seventh round this year.

And based on the first two DTs that Smithiak selected (Okoye and Okam), maybe they are just downright nervous about using a high pick on another one. I do know Smith loves picking CBs. I know it because he's said so publicly.

As far as TE goes, I'm wondering if the Texans wouldn't mind letting Owen go to another team. They may believe the system is making Owen look better than he really is, and that they can replace him with someone almost as good for five million a year less. And if I'm correct, the Texans would get a third round compensation pick if they lose Daniels. In other words, they could get another cheap, good player. Isn't that what New England does? To me, it's an interesting philosophy because it apparently works.

What I'm saying is that there may be method in their madness.

[Big Texas]

"method to their madness"

You have it right on the nose, it is madness. If you planned on letting OD go, you pick 1 TE to replace him. No not the Texans they pick 4 TEs to replace him. WTF. Really? You are correct it is madness. Maybe it is a diabolical scheme to march 4 TEs on the field at the same time. They will never see it coming. Pardon the pun.

I am just saying if you are looking for depth or competition sign a free agent. Don't waste a draft pick on experiments. We have more pressing needs than TE.

[Bigtinylittle]

We had a TE retire and replaced him last year with Hill. We drafted Casey as an athlete more than a tight end and apparently the Texans are not considering him a TE anymore. He is mainly a FB now from what I hear, with possible other uses in special formations. So you could say that last year we added our future starting FB and we added a blocking TE. In other words, one TE gone, one brought in.

This year we took a flyer on Dickerson in the seventh. We took a player who was about 10 positions from being an UDFA. I'm not going to fret about who we picked at that spot, no matter what he plays. And the almost undisputed fact is that he was picked to be a WR, not a TE.

This year we also actually did select a real TE, Graham, someone who greatly resembles OD. Someone who exactly fits our system. So this year we added one replacement for OD as protection if he leaves, someone who fits our system better than Dreesen. Dreesen is a real tweener in this league--not a great a blocker and not really speedy enough to fill the function that OD fills for us. Dreesen also is a LS but I'm thinking Casey is our future LS.

We also signed a free agent TE recently and some people freaked out about that. I haven't even bothered to remember his name because to me he is just camp fodder.

Since Smithiak took over, I really don't see any of our picks wasted because of the position of the player. I DO see a lot of them wasted because we misjudged guys (Frye, Okam, Brink, Harrison, etc). But hey, that happens to all teams.

[NBT]

We carried WR Glen Martinez all last year, so if Dickerson can unseat him it will be all to the good. We also have 6 RBs and 9 TEs. Apparantly Kubiak would rather have too many in his skilled positiions than draft a FS or NT who he feels cannot unseat those people we already have playing those positions. Just shows we are getting ever so close to having the team the way Kubiak really wants it.

[painekiller]

We had a TE retire and replaced him last year with Hill. We drafted Casey as an athlete more than a tight end and apparently the Texans are not considering him a TE anymore. He is mainly a FB now from what I hear, with possible other uses in special formations. So you could say that last year we added our future starting FB and we added a blocking TE. In other words, one TE gone, one brought in.


Where did you see that Casey was a FB now?

This is Kubiak on day 3 of the OTA's
(on what he expects to see out of TE James Casey) "I'll tell you what, I'm already seeing it. He's gotten tremendous reps because of our situation at tight end. James is showing right now what you should see, a second year player who is hungry for some more time on the field and a chance to be a dang good player. I always say good players make the biggest step from year one to year two, and if this offseason has been any indication, he's heading in that direction."

Not seeing him being mentioned as a FB? Please let me know where that info came from?

[Bigtinylittle]

Where did you see that Casey was a FB now?

Not seeing him being mentioned as a FB? Please let me know where that info came from?

I wish I could remember where, but I can't. I do remember hearing it this year. If Kubiak loves OD and intends to keep him, and if he sees Casey as primarily a tight end, and if he loves Dreesen as a backup, then I have to agree that it is strange that he would use a fourth rounder on a TE.

Lets look at it like this:

1. Hill recovers his health and looks good as a blocker.
2. OD doesn't move to another team.
3. Casey is a TE and looks as good as Kubiak is saying he does.
4. Graham is as good as Kubiak said in his day-three OTA quotes.
5. Dreesen is healthy.

Dreesen would be the odd man out, and we would have used two middle round picks to replace him. I agree that makes no sense at all unless Graham is All-World. To me, what it comes down to is that either we have a huge log jam at TE or else there is more to this story than Kubiak is sharing. Right now, I'm going with the second explanation. To believe the first would mean we gave up two midround picks for one back up position.

[NBT]

Where did you see that Casey was a FB now?

This is Kubiak on day 3 of the OTA's


Not seeing him being mentioned as a FB? Please let me know where that info came from?

FB/HBk - That is Casey's position, not TE. He backed up Vontae Leach at FB all last year.

[painekiller]

I wish I could remember where, but I can't. I do remember hearing it this year. If Kubiak loves OD and intends to keep him, and if he sees Casey as primarily a tight end, and if he loves Dreesen as a backup, then I have to agree that it is strange that he would use a fourth rounder on a TE.

Lets look at it like this:

1. Hill recovers his health and looks good as a blocker.
2. OD doesn't move to another team.
3. Casey is a TE and looks as good as Kubiak is saying he does.
4. Graham is as good as Kubiak said in his day-three OTA quotes.
5. Dreesen is healthy.

Dreesen would be the odd man out, and we would have used two middle round picks to replace him. I agree that makes no sense at all unless Graham is All-World. To me, what it comes down to is that either we have a huge log jam at TE or else there is more to this story than Kubiak is sharing. Right now, I'm going with the second explanation. To believe the first would mean we gave up two midround picks for one back up position.

Thanks for the answer. I agree with a lot of the things you said.

What if?:
1 Hill gets healthy and then we bulk him up to be a back up OT/TE, he is already at 277 lbs. Is that possible? He could be used in the jumbo packages...

2 Casey could be a FB/Hback, he could become more of a Rathman type at FB. When he splits out then the other team has to worry about him.

3 Dreessen maybe the odd man out. He did an ok job backing up OD last year, but you could see the offense was not the same as when OD was healthy.

4 Graham has to be more then OD insurance, TEs are a dime a dozen in the draft every season, and they seem to be dropping further and further each season.

When the season starts, what if OD starts, Casey is in the two man sets, Hill is on the PUP list, Graham is the backup?

[Joe Joe]

.....TEs are a dime a dozen in the draft every season, and they seem to be dropping further and further each season.


Less teams are using TEs in college the way the NFL uses TEs. They are either slow WRs or extra OTs depending on the system a college runs. The TEs are dropping because there are just less good ones that can block and catch.

[NBT]

Kubiak's gameplans always seem to be heavy on plays to and for the TE. He is trying to force feed the RBs into an integral part of this plan. AJ and the other WRs game speaks for itself, therefore the emphasis the last couple of years in getting OD rehabilitated, stabilized (contract), is to keep Kubiak's gameplan operating at a high level. So, I guess, the more the merrier!

[nunusguy]

Listening to John McClain on 610 AM this afternoon and he said that Holliday was dropping balls left and right. Not a good thing for punt-returners. I hope he learns to find the handle because you know Kubiak won't tolerate it.

[NBT]

Holliday (MIghty Midget) will be allright, he is just learning that the speed of these gunners coming down on him are a hell of a lot faster than when he was returnng balls in the SEC. I hear Jacoby is helping him learn the NFL game. All good.

[Big Texas]

Anybody heard anything about KJack in OTAs. I have heard so much about everyone else but nothing about our number one draft pick.

[Bigtinylittle]

Well, he's already passed up Bennett on the depth chart. Oh, wait. So has everybody else. Never mind.

[Big Texas]

Well I just read OTAs day 9 and Kubiak said that he was well-coached at Alabama. We already knew this. The question is "how is he doing". I know they've been doing some 7 on 7s. I think I even heard him mention some 11 on 11. My question is how is he doing. Is he making plays?