Cushing Injured in Jets Game on MNF

[Joshua]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

No it doesn't. The other ILB for the Texans is Bradie James. Cushing-Johnson would not be a problem. The problem with Cushing-DeMeco was that DeMeco was a pure MLB and didn't adjust to being a 3-4 ILB.

The biggest problem with Demeco was his contract. Same with Winston. Both were solid starters, good teammates and even team leaders (more Demeco here than Winston). If they had been on the books at $1 mill each, I have no doubt both would still be here. While Demeco is a better fit in a 4-3 than a 3-4, he was not such a liability that this was why he was shipped off. I don't think anybody thinks we upgraded with Brady James. It's just that Brady James cost about 1/8 of what Demeco was going to cost.

[HPF Bob]

Good point, Joshua. Ryans wasn't giving us the production that matched his salary. Not sure that James is either but he's not costing as much.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by Joshua

The biggest problem with Demeco was his contract. Same with Winston. Both were solid starters, good teammates and even team leaders (more Demeco here than Winston). If they had been on the books at $1 mill each, I have no doubt both would still be here. While Demeco is a better fit in a 4-3 than a 3-4, he was not such a liability that this was why he was shipped off. I don't think anybody thinks we upgraded with Brady James. It's just that Brady James cost about 1/8 of what Demeco was going to cost.

Yeah, DeMeco signed the big contract after the 2009 season when he was a Pro Bowler and an every-down player. Last season, though, he was no longer part of the nickel defense and Sharpton had cut in on his snaps early in the year. With his cap number he just wasn't the same value, especially for a team squeezing to get under the cap, so they opted to try to get by with the significantly cheaper James/Sharpton combination.

[TheMatrix31]

Any word on whether this son of a bitch dirty punk thug Matt Slauson will be punished for his transgressions by the NFL?

[barrett]

The NFL wasn't going to do anything since he plays defense, and Cushing is the only tough guy we have who might have done something on the field. So Slauson gets to take a cheap shot and face no repercussions of any kind.

[chuck]

Originally Posted by TheMatrix31

Any word on whether this son of a bitch dirty punk thug Matt Slauson will be punished for his transgressions by the NFL?

He was hit with a staggering $10,000 fine. That'll teach him.

[HPF Bob]

I think the $10K fine was the NFL's way of saying "it was a blatant cheap shot that deserved to be fined but it was technically legal because it was done near the line of scrimmage and Cushing was not engaged with another player". You can argue (as some on boards have) whether that was technically a hit from behind but it's obvious that Cushing could not have seen it coming.

[Joshua]

FWIW, Steve McKinney was on 1560 the other morning and was asked about the hit and he basically said that he didn't see anything wrong with it and it was something he has done countless times. While it sucks for Cushing, it's legal, most OL are coached to do it, and that's just football.

Probably doesn't help that we're about the last team that can complain about cut blocking either.

[Arky]

Ya, I think the worst thing was that Cushings foot was planted right when the hit began..... just really bad timing...