Someone At ESPN Is Drinking The Kool-Aid

[HPF Bob]

Someone with some free time has ranked the 32 NFL teams based on young impact players:

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insid...tionalRankings

And your #1 team on the charts is...

1. Houston Texans
Not only are the Texans at the top of our rankings, but they could be even further ahead of the pack if we included players who are currently 25 and turn 26 before September 1. That would allow us to add star middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans to the Texans' haul. Even without him, though, the Texans are downright spoiled for talent. No one can match their one-two punch of Mario Williams and Brian Cushing, the best young players at their respective positions in the NFL. Add Ryans into the mix, and the Texans have three guys in their starting 11 who should be starting in the Pro Bowl every year. They're that good.

Those three players aren't the only talents on defense, either. Defensive tackle Amobi Okoye has been inconsistent as a pro, but consider that he's just 23; Okoye is more than six months younger than Ndamukong Suh, who hasn't played a pro down. Safety Bernard Pollard was gifted by the Chiefs and immediately shored up the team's biggest weakness. The versatile Connor Barwin had 4.5 sacks in limited time last year. Zac Diles benefited from playing alongside two elite linebackers, but held his own in coverage on the weak side. The team may start second-year corner Glover Quin across from rookie Kareem Jackson and would not regret it. The Texans go deep. Throw in their troika of young running backs, led by Steve Slaton, and Houston is an organization at the peak of its developmental work. General manager Rick Smith doesn't get much attention nationwide, but since he took over for Charlie Casserly in 2006, it's hard to find anyone who's identified and acquired young talent as well as Smith has.

And they don't even mention all the TEs and WRs we are overstocked with.

[NBT]

Hmmm..... I kinda like that brand of Kool-Aid!

[HPF Bob]

Just curious. How is Connor Barwin "versatile"? Isn't he a johnny-one-note designated pass rusher? What else has he been asked to do - play tight end?

[Arky]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

Just curious. How is Connor Barwin "versatile"? Isn't he a johnny-one-note designated pass rusher? What else has he been asked to do - play tight end?

I think that's what they call "writer's embellishment" (aka, BS).

This is nice but it is kinda like some of these guys want to be the one who said, "I called it!".... Ya know, bragging rights.... Yes, they are young and yes, they are talented (on paper) but they haven't really done anything, yet, and may still be a year or two from being a steady, kickass football team... I would love to see it happen this year. They need to, at least, for Coach Kubes sake, show they are a better team this year than last year...

[chuck]

Just in time for the lock-out.

[Keith]

I love how Amobi's best attribute is still his age.

How much money has he pocketed while growing into his as yet unfulfilled potential? I'm afraid to look it up.