New Texans (FA/Trade)

[Arky]

Originally Posted by barrett

Who is the best FA the Texans ever signed? Jonathon Joseph I guess? What's that make them? 1 for 10? 1 for 20?

Off the top of my head, Anthony Smith and Daniel Manning (the first go-round) were upgrades.

Let me put it this way, when is the last time a non-playoff team successfully used FA as a significant part of building a roster?

Why limit it to non-playoff teams? Your question makes it sound like FA is not worth participating in. It's an opportunity to bolster your roster. On paper, don't the Colts look really smart for picking up AJ and Gore?

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Arky

Off the top of my head, Anthony Smith and Daniel Manning (the first go-round) were upgrades.



Why limit it to non-playoff teams? Your question makes it sound like FA is not worth participating in. It's an opportunity to bolster your roster. On paper, don't the Colts look really smart for picking up AJ and Gore?

Like I said, it is a chance to finish your roster. I am betting that the AJ and Gore deals hurt far more than they help in 2017, since there is little chance either is on the roster but their dead money will be. So Indy is betting that they can win this year with those veterans. I mention non-playoff teams because in FA some players will take marginally less to sign with a contender. The Patriots are enough of a destination that they signed veterans last year without sacrificing any cap space. Of course they did that with big one year deals (Revis, Browner) that were only possible because they haven't signed too many dumb FAs in the past (Amendola is the only one I can think of to get long term money in FA from them).

We are not a contender and we are not a player or two away. Thus any deal that adds a half a win this year at the expense of a quarter of a win in 2016 and beyond is a bad deal.

As for signing cheap vets and unearthing hidden talents, the opportunity for that comes in a few weeks when guys have no jobs and sign short term deals with low guarantees. Right now all these guys are still waiting to get overpaid. Honestly we got more out of camp cuts and waiver wire guys last year than we did FA. I am glad we are mostly staying out of the FA market to this point.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by barrett

Like I said, it is a chance to finish your roster. I am betting that the AJ and Gore deals hurt far more than they help in 2017, since there is little chance either is on the roster but their dead money will be. So Indy is betting that they can win this year with those veterans. I mention non-playoff teams because in FA some players will take marginally less to sign with a contender. The Patriots are enough of a destination that they signed veterans last year without sacrificing any cap space. Of course they did that with big one year deals (Revis, Browner) that were only possible because they haven't signed too many dumb FAs in the past (Amendola is the only one I can think of to get long term money in FA from them).

We are not a contender and we are not a player or two away. Thus any deal that adds a half a win this year at the expense of a quarter of a win in 2016 and beyond is a bad deal.

As for signing cheap vets and unearthing hidden talents, the opportunity for that comes in a few weeks when guys have no jobs and sign short term deals with low guarantees. Right now all these guys are still waiting to get overpaid. Honestly we got more out of camp cuts and waiver wire guys last year than we did FA.

Well, good. Glad we'll only have to put up with AJ and Gore on the Colts for two years....

As far as the Texans not being a contender this year, they came awfully close to playoffs last year. I expect them to do better this year. Maybe a quality QB could have made the difference last year and a quality QB would be one person. If the Mallet-in-the-Cleveland-game shows up for 75% of the games, I do believe we will contend....

Obviously, little quality at QB in FA this year - we picked up Hoyer - we'll see how that goes.

I am glad we are mostly staying out of the FA market to this point.

Hoyer and Rahim Moore, am I missing anybody? Moore is a nice add, IMO....

[Keith]

Well, the Vikings just picked up Mike Wallace in a trade as minutes earlier Jason LaCanfora reported from Cordarelle Patterson's agent that his client isn't being shopped in a trade.

Maybe where there's smoke... because if the Texans were interested before, perhaps Patterson suddenly just became a bit more available...

[popanot]

Man, this one crazy offseason with all the trades. Love it!!

[Warren]

The WRs under contract:

DeAndre Hopkins: Emerging star who'll get to chance to show he's the true #1.
Damaris Johnson: Entering the last year of his contract. Filled a hole last year.
Keshawn Martin: Entering the last year of his contract. Meh.
DeVier Posey: Entering the last year of his contract. I still like him but he suited up for one more game than I did last year so it's tough to get too excited.
Alan Bonner: On IR last year, which surprised me because I thought he was one of the former draft choices cut last summer.
Jace Davis: Former Raven practice squadder; longshot to make the team.
Travis Labhart: Former practice squadder; longshot to make the team.
EZ Nwachukwu: Former practice squadder; longshot to make the team.

I'd say WR is a position of need.