7 Open Training Camp Dates

[Warren]

Originally Posted by barrett

Just charge $10 each and bring it back to a reasonable number so those who go can actually enjoy it.

That would stop the "if they're free, I'll take three" mentality, but there's an NFL rule that says if you charge admission for practices then other teams are allowed to send scouts. The Redskins did that a few years ago.

[barrett]

I'm going to watch, but I am far less excited about this season than any I can remember. There is no shortage of storylines/questions to be answered (Bill O'Brien, Clowney, JJ being JJ, etc...). I should be excited. But I can't shake the feeling that we punted on this season the moment we made Ryan Fitzpatrick our starting QB (with no real competition). I can't decide if I'd rather sleep walk through 8-8 (or even 10-6 if we get 2013 KC Chiefs lucky), or 2-14 and the knowledge we'll have a QB a year from now.

Either way it makes me completely ambivalent about the 2014 Texans.

[chuck]

I'm excited about it. Foremost I'm excited to see evidence that BOB is not an idiot and I'm excited to see what if anything that does for the fortunes team. We've had one milquetoast coach and one idiot 0 an agreeable idiot to be sure - but an idiot. And we know the results all too well.

I'd like to see if an assertive non-idiot can bring the team any better success. I bet yes, but I don't know.

I'm excited to see the defense. I'm excited to see the front seven and I'm excited to see what the new staff does with the players who should be better, like, for example, the entire secondary.

I'm excited to see what the staff does with the OL. Could it be worse than last year? Yes, but I doubt it. The running game? The same. Quarterback, play? The same.

I'm at the point where I expect so little from the team that any sort of side story would divert me. On a similar note I was just in a place that was showing some UFC match or another. For some reason that made me thing of Michael Sam. I wonder if he'll make the Rams. I hope so.

And there are a couple more things. I have been astounded to watch the public reaction to the AJ saga. Virtually everyone is united against Andre. I don't understand how fans could possibly unite behind an owner who has delivered exactly dick to them in twelve years while turning their collective backs on the single greatest player in the team's history. Sure, being the greatest Texan ever is the smartest kid on the short bus and sure, Andre has made some bad decisions. But the fury and the antipathy unleashed on Andre has been a shock to me, even if it arises from a place like Necktown.

Second, there has been much backslapping (or whatever you might like to call it) over the ostensible value of the franchise, 13th in the world or some shit. Are you a minority owner? Me neither. So why the hell do you care? Again, a guy cons the city into building him a stadium, doubles his money in ten or twelve years, delivers dick in terms of football success and necks want to celebrate that? I don't get it, at all.

But yeah, I'm ready for the season.

[nunusguy]

Dang good post there, very entertaining, I love when the Chuckster gets wound-up and garrulous.
I too am very excited about the season, and I'm very optimistic though I have no idea why I should be ? Maybe it's just not having any particular expectations for this year with very little pressure on the new HC, after all 2014 is really a mulligan for O'brien and his guys. But with a relatively weak schedule compared to last year, I could actually see the Texans winning 10 games, though I realize it's more likely they lose more than half of their games this year.

[HPF Bob]

It will be interesting to see how much the O'Brien-Crennel show is run differently than the Kubiak-Phillips show. I am excited to see whether Clowney is as good as advertised or a million-dollar talent with a $10 heart.

Regarding Andre - I totally respect the guy. I want to see him traded because he deserves a shot at a ring and it isn't happening here for a few years. I also want to see if we can get a pick in the first or second for him.

As for QB, even if we draft in the Top 5 next year, we may not take a QB if Savage becomes O'Brien's project boy. We might draft more defense or, if we trade AJ, a new receiver.

A lot of UFC looks vaguely like gay sex anyway so I perfectly understand why it made Chuck think of Michael Sam. Looks like two guys dry humping each other. NTTAWWT, if that's what you're into.

[chuck]

Dude, two guys in boxer brief speedos, completely shaven, one minute dry humping each other and then the next minute beating the shit out of each another. I can't think of anything that is as obviously homoerotic and flies past the recognition of all the necks who love it except possibly the Aggie Corps.

I'm oddly optimistic about the season, too. I could see bad quarterback play leading to a bunch of losses and I could see some weird things happen and the team get to the ten win mark nunu mentions.

I guess that's the shame of this whole debacle. The conference sucks so much that any halfway competently run organization should waltz through year after year.

And I'm just trying to get my sea legs back. I'm nowhere near lathered up. Hell, the hot water's barely coming through yet.

Three weeks. Amazing.

[nunusguy]

[QUOTE] I am excited to see whether Clowney is as good as advertised or a million-dollar talent with a $10 heart.

I confess I got caught up in the Clowneymania, now I'm totally fascinated to watch his NFL career unfold and see what we got ourselves with our #1 overall pick ?

Regarding Andre - I totally respect the guy. I want to see him traded because he deserves a shot at a ring and it isn't happening here for a few years. I also want to see if we can get a pick in the first or second for him.

I'd kinda like to see him end up in someplace like NE catching passes from Brady, or another contending team. It'd really be cool to see Andre in Seahawk colors - chances are we don't go anywhere this year, let him get a shot at a ring. What could we get for him ? A lot 5 or 6 years ago, but today at 33 no way a first round pick, maybe a third rounder.

[barrett]

I just don't believe that AJ is a part of this team when we are winning meaningful games in 2015/2016. So why not take the cap hit this year when we can afford it (The hit is probably still sizable when we inevitably cut him next year or the year after). Additionally, he is probably worth about a 3rd now (or maybe a conditional/performance based 2nd). Another year older and coming off a year of Fitzpatrick throwing to him, we'll get nothing for him.

So why dig in now if someone is wiling to give us anything? I don't buy that we are worried about setting a precedent like I've heard reported. He is not holding out for money, so what is the danger? Are we seriously worried that if we are terrible in the future and guys want to play for a good team, they will point back to this? Shouldn't we be plan on never being a throw away team again?