Let's talk D-line

[NBT]

LDE:
A. Weaver
E. Cochran
W. Powell
(Add in Rosevelt Colvin on passing downs)

LDT:
T. Johnson
A. Maddox
F. Okam
T. Bulman
(It would be nice if Okam became the man here.)

RDT:
A. Okoye
J. Zgonina
D. Robinson
G. Long
(Amobi is the man here)

RDE:
M. Williams
N.D. Kalu
J. Nading
(What's to say, Super Mario)

This unit has to significantly improve against the run for this team to be a consistant winner, to say nothing of playoffs. Weaver must return to form, either Trav Johnson, or Frank Okam needs to step up here. Amobi must continue to excel and of course Mario needs to well, just be Mario. Who do you think will surprise in this group?

[nero THE zero]

How many DL does a team carry on the 51 man roster? 8?

You have Mario, Okoye, Okam, Maddox, and TJ as essential locks. Then you have Weaver and Kalu who "should" make the team (but might not.) Cochran showed flashes last year and Bulman has made a big splash thus far in 2008. So, who makes the team?

Assuming we carry 8 DL, does Bullman battle it out with Kalu or Cochran for that last DE spot?

Is Weaver really guaranteed to make it? The coaches speak highly of him, he has a relatively severe cap hit IIRC, and he does have the injury to fall back on for his performance last year. But, do the excuses make up for 1 sack in 2 years when you have an up and comer in Tim Bulman fighting for a spot and a reliable end who stays on the field and provides essentially equal play in Earl Cochran?

[kravix]

Mario is well Mario. Good on run def and rushing the passer.

Weaver will be what he has always been advertised as.. A run stopper. Although healthy and lighter he may get some more pressure on passing downs. Anyone who thinks he doesnt make this team is crazy IMO.

At DT you have Amobi, TJ, and Okam who are the likely candidates for the rotation. TJ really stepped up last year from his previous performances, and I hope to see even better from him this year.

This leaves 2 DE and 1 DT spot left.

I think Kalu sticks. He isnt great but he has done OK on passing downs. The rest I cant really say. Cochran seems to be a favorite but who knows how that plays out.

My last DT is Bulman. I think he really has the best shot. He was taking reps with the 1's in OTA's with TJ down, and they were working him outside for pass rushing. A versital guy like that is good to have.

The biggest suprise I could see is Okam starting over TJ. Although to some that may not be a suprise. And with the DL rotation starters at some spots are less a starter than others.

[Nconroe]

Right now looks to me like we will be much better with pass rush and rushing defense due to added experience , coaching, and perhaps guys getting over injuries atleast for start of season.

I was thinking it is a 53 man active roster, but only 51 suit up for a game. Seven linemen typically kept, but there is flexibility if want to keep 8, but Colvin might be considered the eighth.

There will be one or two pretty good DL released or traded or injured before regular season begins.

[nunusguy]

You have Mario, Okoye, Okam, Maddox, and TJ as essential locks.
I dunno, but the only locks I see there are Mario & Okoye.
Maddox is a great value in cap terms, and TJ, well he's not a great value.

[KJ3]

You have Mario, Okoye, Okam, Maddox, and TJ as essential locks. Then you have Weaver and Kalu who "should" make the team (but might not.) Cochran showed flashes last year and Bulman has made a big splash thus far in 2008. So, who makes the team?
i think mario, okoye, tj are the only locks. okam, maddox, weaver make it on varying merits so if 8 are kept i'd like to see the other 2 be kalu and bulman.

Is Weaver really guaranteed to make it? The coaches speak highly of him, he has a relatively severe cap hit IIRC, and he does have the injury to fall back on for his performance last year. But, do the excuses make up for 1 sack in 2 years when you have an up and comer in Tim Bulman fighting for a spot and a reliable end who stays on the field and provides essentially equal play in Earl Cochran?
if mario is a 100% lock, i'd say weaver is a 75% lock. his cap hit is pretty bad, but so has been his production. he is a total east/west defender with no north/south ability. i disagree about cochran being equal, because if he is we need to trade him and get what we can for him but i'm really pulling for bulman to make the cut and get some chances to run that high motor through a couple o'lineman!

[papabear]

and TJ, well he's not a great value.

Why? Because he's not who the fans wanted to draft? He's had a few silly personal fouls? If you don't think he's played very well that's fine, we can disagree. I think he is a solid, although not good, starter. He is also playing what I think is the position that takes the longest to transition too from college. He just finished his third year, but I think he was showing improvement last year.

I'm not sure if you are talking in terms of his contract though.

His salary is only 700 K this year with a cap number of 1.9 million. Next year his base goes up to 1 Million making his cap number 2.2 million. He is signed through 2011 so his allocated bonus money does make him hard to cut, but I don't see any reason why we would want to.

[Bigtinylittle]

One thing I really like about TJ is that he seems to be the only DL we have who consistently gets his hands up in the air to knock down passes. That's a weapon our other DL need to master.

[KJ3]

travis johnson is a great rotational DT and an okay every down starter. i think having him, manchild amobi, and big frank okam rotating the 2 DT spots throughout the game is going to be beneficial to all 3 of them.

[kravix]

I hold nothing against TJ because of his draft spot, and I am not a guy that will be down on a player because he wasnt the popular pick.

To me TJ's first year is a wash, he played on horrible team in 3-4. Im not sure what they ran at Florida St. So I have no idea how the transition was for him.

His second year, he only played half a season.

So at this point he has transitioned into an NFL 3-4 and then a 4-3. Evidently with an attitude and weight issues on top of it.

Last year, was by far his best year. 41 tackles, 6 passes defended (7th best in the league for DL and 2nd for DT's), and an int.. that was a fluke really but he can have it.

DL is a hard transition. I look for him to have a better year. And I agree with KJ, if Okam can play those three rotating should be a pretty good interior DL.

[Keith]

I agree with Kravix on TJ... Travis was also a late bloomer of sorts in college too, so I expected him to also have a slow start to his NFL career. I also can't help but wonder what impact having Robaire Smith as a veteran mentor has meant to his development, and I don't really mean that in a good way.

The Texans D-line has been overrated and overpaid pretty much every season since the beginning, but I think 2008 might be the first year where it really all comes together, what with young guys gaining proficiency (even excellence, esp in the case of Mario), and with older vets contributing in the rotation.

They will need to show improvement in stopping the run (19th last year) and in creating turnovers from the running game (also 19th), but it looks like this might be the year that group makes the jump.

[nero THE zero]

They will need to show improvement in stopping the run (19th last year) and in creating turnovers from the running game (also 19th), but it looks like this might be the year that group makes the jump.

I agree. This seems to be one of the most underrated factors in determining how successful we will be next year. If you look at our upcoming schedule, it is very heavy in teams with bad quarterbacks and/or exceptional running games.

We face:
Willie Parker/Rashard Mendenhall
Willis McGahee
Fred Taylor/ MJD (twice)
Joseph Addai (twice)
Ronnie Brown
AD/Chester Taylor

That's half of our schedule against exceptional running attacks. Then you have other teams with a morass at the QB position who will undoubtedly be very run oriented in Detroit, Oakland, Chicago, and possibly even Green Bay.

So, our defense is going to get a heavy dose of the run and they're going to have to be up to the task.

Actually, now that I think about it, this makes it even more imperative that we hold on to Anthony Weaver.

[Bigtinylittle]

I've said this before but I'll say it here again. To me, Mario looks better at LDE than RDE. I know Weaver was injured, but I think he was our biggest defensive liability last year besides Faggins. Not only did Weaver play subpar, but he also often kept Mario from his best position. If we could add one superstar to our team right now, I would prefer a great speed rusher at RDE who could also play the run well. I think that would totally transform our defense. Maybe we'll get one next year in the first round.

[papabear]

I've said this before but I'll say it here again. To me, Mario looks better at LDE than RDE. I know Weaver was injured, but I think he was our biggest defensive liability last year besides Faggins. Not only did Weaver play subpar, but he also often kept Mario from his best position. If we could add one superstar to our team right now, I would prefer a great speed rusher at RDE who could also play the run well. I think that would totally transform our defense. Maybe we'll get one next year in the first round.


Maybe Weaver kept Mario from his best position last year, but you could just as easily say that not having a true speed rushing threat to come in and play RDE when Mario switches side played a role too. In passing situations it makes sense to bring a speed rusher and get Weaver off the field.

On your average down it's not a bad thing to have a pass rusher like Mario, who's also good against the run, and a good run stopper like Weaver on the other end. Weaver will be replaced as soon as the Texans can find someone else, but he's not as bad as some people make him out to be.

[KJ3]

i don't think it matters one single iota which side mario is coming from. he's gonna bring heat and run stopping from either side. hell, he could probably do it from DT but that would be stupid.

i'm guilty of undervaluing weaver and i know it. it still just irks me to see him be so mediocre. i don't know whether it's his contract, his play, that everyone else on the line seems to belong there except him or what it is exactly but i would like to see him replaced. how frightening would our d'line be with a quality player there instead of weaver? i think it would change a lot about our d.

[papabear]

I don't know if Weaver will ever live up to his contract....most free agents never do, it's just the nature of the beast. He's also never going to be the pass rushing force we need. He is what he is. He was better two years ago and hopefully he will help us improve this year us as far as stopping the run now that he is healthy. I thought he would be better than he was when we signed him...I'm like that with most free agents, but I'm learning. If he helps us stop the run better this year because he's healthy and Colvin/Bulman or whoever gives us a pass rush then I'll be happy. We will never have the prototype at every position. If Okoye improves (he will). We should also have a chance at an improved DT rotation thanks to Okam. That will make everyone fresher, and we should be just fine up front.

[NBT]

Aren't we forgetting about Rosevelt Colvin here? He will play more from the DE position this year than LB, I think. I hate to say it but Covin may push Kalu into the unemployed ranks, or retirement.

TJ has some competition this year coming from Okam, so I think this will not only keep him fresher, but light a fire under his tail to not be outshown. JMHO

I think Cochran makes it as a DE reserve again, and Maddox makes it as Amobi'a backup.

Weaver needs to get back in the groove, or he may be in danger of losing his job.