Free Agent WRs

[Fonz the Boss]

Here's my take on this.... Get a WR2 in the first rd and forget about free agent WRs. Signing Mario Williams has to be a priority despite having the success we had without him. Injuries are part of the game and are unpredictable. Heaven forbid but what happens if we lose Barwin or Brooks Reed to season ending injuries next year? What if JJ Watt suffers a season ending injury? Mario Williams is the type of player that can make the switch to 3-4 DE and be just as disruptive as Antonio Smith... hell maybe even better. It's imperative that we do everything we can to keep Mario.

[popanot]

I don't think there's any chance whatsoever the Texans spend big in FA this year unless they jettison Mario's cap figure and have Schaub renegotiate. In fact, I think the first news we hear this offseason will be about Schaub renegotiating to a long-term deal. The question will be where the "savings" will go. Mario, Foster, Meyers, a combo of those, an FA?

EDIT: As for FA WR, if they do anything I think it will be for a mid-level to cheap-veteran WR. I think Meachum would fit in nicely, but I'd prefer Garcon for his PR ability. If they do spend big, I'd go all out and target Jackson. I wouldn't be concerned at all about his pouting last year. I think this team is solid enough to set him straight if that happened.

[Joshua]

Originally Posted by Fonz the Boss

Here's my take on this.... Get a WR2 in the first rd and forget about free agent WRs. Signing Mario Williams has to be a priority despite having the success we had without him. Injuries are part of the game and are unpredictable. Heaven forbid but what happens if we lose Barwin or Brooks Reed to season ending injuries next year? What if JJ Watt suffers a season ending injury? Mario Williams is the type of player that can make the switch to 3-4 DE and be just as disruptive as Antonio Smith... hell maybe even better. It's imperative that we do everything we can to keep Mario.

Agree wholeheartedly. While the defense played great, I'm no way convinced that we are now the Steelers and will have no problem casting aside our better players when they want a big payday because we already have enough depth or can just go get someone in the draft. I hope we can do these things, but one season doesn't convince me of that. I'm reminded of the words that the Wolf told Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson's characters in Pulp Fiction when they got a little ahead of themselves.

Like you also said, I think Mario provides a great deal of flexibility. I can certainly imagine some third and long defenses of Mario, Smith and Watt as the 3 down linemen, with Barwin and Reed coming off the edges. I also think Mario, despite his enormous physical gifts is not a natural born leader, yet people expected this because of his talent and draft status. In fact, I think he is probably more naturally a follower (kinda reminds me of Lebron in this way). But now this defense has some leaders who have the right attitude and Mario doesn't have to be that guy. Further, I do think he is the type of guy who will fall in line and buy in to it so I expect to see a very motivated Mario next year.

Finally, if we're jettisoning players because of salary cap concerns, why are we talking about Mario rather than Demeco? I'd much rather pay a guy who plays a premiere position and gets 15 sacks a year $15 million that a solid tackling, but rarely game changing inside linebacker $8 million.