News from OTA's.. AJ absent, unhappy with contract

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by Bigtinylittle

Well, he IS a late rounder. Sometimes you just take a flyer on a guy like that.

The Texans drafted 9 guys this year. No way they all make the active roster.
If Dickerson shows any promise at all he will probably go on the practice squad. But even that's not guaranteed. I think we have finally reached the point where we will have to cut ties with people we would have kept in past years.

I'm not sure that Dickerson will clear waivers if he shows anything at all in the preseason. Now he did fall to the 7th round, but teams like the Rams and the Lions could use a player like him, even the Browns and Bengals, just to name a few.

TE and WR are a strength of this team, and it blows my head how they keep adding to those groups while passing on FS and NTs. Geno Atkins (not a NT) and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah were available when Graham was taken, I'm just saying....

[Mike]

Here is an update from ESPN and quotes from his interview with Berman.

I still believe you can win with great players who have character (Demeco, Andre) and not be turds. When the player is reasonable and acts with respect towards the team, extends the olive branch, then the team will work with them. Works like that in most business negotiations. AJ is still all about helping the team.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5204044

[Bigtinylittle]

Originally Posted by painekiller

I'm not sure that Dickerson will clear waivers if he shows anything at all in the preseason. Now he did fall to the 7th round, but teams like the Rams and the Lions could use a player like him, even the Browns and Bengals, just to name a few.

TE and WR are a strength of this team, and it blows my head how they keep adding to those groups while passing on FS and NTs. Geno Atkins (not a NT) and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah were available when Graham was taken, I'm just saying....

You may have a point about NT, but I'm not so sure about FS, unless you are talking about taking one in an earlier round than Dickerson was picked. The Texans already have three or four young DBs who probably would be at least as good or better than what they could have picked up in the seventh round this year.

And based on the first two DTs that Smithiak selected (Okoye and Okam), maybe they are just downright nervous about using a high pick on another one. I do know Smith loves picking CBs. I know it because he's said so publicly.

As far as TE goes, I'm wondering if the Texans wouldn't mind letting Owen go to another team. They may believe the system is making Owen look better than he really is, and that they can replace him with someone almost as good for five million a year less. And if I'm correct, the Texans would get a third round compensation pick if they lose Daniels. In other words, they could get another cheap, good player. Isn't that what New England does? To me, it's an interesting philosophy because it apparently works.

What I'm saying is that there may be method in their madness.

[Big Texas]

"method to their madness"

You have it right on the nose, it is madness. If you planned on letting OD go, you pick 1 TE to replace him. No not the Texans they pick 4 TEs to replace him. WTF. Really? You are correct it is madness. Maybe it is a diabolical scheme to march 4 TEs on the field at the same time. They will never see it coming. Pardon the pun.

I am just saying if you are looking for depth or competition sign a free agent. Don't waste a draft pick on experiments. We have more pressing needs than TE.

[Bigtinylittle]

We had a TE retire and replaced him last year with Hill. We drafted Casey as an athlete more than a tight end and apparently the Texans are not considering him a TE anymore. He is mainly a FB now from what I hear, with possible other uses in special formations. So you could say that last year we added our future starting FB and we added a blocking TE. In other words, one TE gone, one brought in.

This year we took a flyer on Dickerson in the seventh. We took a player who was about 10 positions from being an UDFA. I'm not going to fret about who we picked at that spot, no matter what he plays. And the almost undisputed fact is that he was picked to be a WR, not a TE.

This year we also actually did select a real TE, Graham, someone who greatly resembles OD. Someone who exactly fits our system. So this year we added one replacement for OD as protection if he leaves, someone who fits our system better than Dreesen. Dreesen is a real tweener in this league--not a great a blocker and not really speedy enough to fill the function that OD fills for us. Dreesen also is a LS but I'm thinking Casey is our future LS.

We also signed a free agent TE recently and some people freaked out about that. I haven't even bothered to remember his name because to me he is just camp fodder.

Since Smithiak took over, I really don't see any of our picks wasted because of the position of the player. I DO see a lot of them wasted because we misjudged guys (Frye, Okam, Brink, Harrison, etc). But hey, that happens to all teams.

[NBT]

We carried WR Glen Martinez all last year, so if Dickerson can unseat him it will be all to the good. We also have 6 RBs and 9 TEs. Apparantly Kubiak would rather have too many in his skilled positiions than draft a FS or NT who he feels cannot unseat those people we already have playing those positions. Just shows we are getting ever so close to having the team the way Kubiak really wants it.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by Bigtinylittle

We had a TE retire and replaced him last year with Hill. We drafted Casey as an athlete more than a tight end and apparently the Texans are not considering him a TE anymore. He is mainly a FB now from what I hear, with possible other uses in special formations. So you could say that last year we added our future starting FB and we added a blocking TE. In other words, one TE gone, one brought in.

Where did you see that Casey was a FB now?

This is Kubiak on day 3 of the OTA's

(on what he expects to see out of TE James Casey) "I'll tell you what, I'm already seeing it. He's gotten tremendous reps because of our situation at tight end. James is showing right now what you should see, a second year player who is hungry for some more time on the field and a chance to be a dang good player. I always say good players make the biggest step from year one to year two, and if this offseason has been any indication, he's heading in that direction."

Not seeing him being mentioned as a FB? Please let me know where that info came from?

[Bigtinylittle]

Originally Posted by painekiller

Where did you see that Casey was a FB now?

Not seeing him being mentioned as a FB? Please let me know where that info came from?

I wish I could remember where, but I can't. I do remember hearing it this year. If Kubiak loves OD and intends to keep him, and if he sees Casey as primarily a tight end, and if he loves Dreesen as a backup, then I have to agree that it is strange that he would use a fourth rounder on a TE.

Lets look at it like this:

1. Hill recovers his health and looks good as a blocker.
2. OD doesn't move to another team.
3. Casey is a TE and looks as good as Kubiak is saying he does.
4. Graham is as good as Kubiak said in his day-three OTA quotes.
5. Dreesen is healthy.

Dreesen would be the odd man out, and we would have used two middle round picks to replace him. I agree that makes no sense at all unless Graham is All-World. To me, what it comes down to is that either we have a huge log jam at TE or else there is more to this story than Kubiak is sharing. Right now, I'm going with the second explanation. To believe the first would mean we gave up two midround picks for one back up position.

[NBT]

Originally Posted by painekiller

Where did you see that Casey was a FB now?

This is Kubiak on day 3 of the OTA's


Not seeing him being mentioned as a FB? Please let me know where that info came from?

FB/HBk - That is Casey's position, not TE. He backed up Vontae Leach at FB all last year.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by Bigtinylittle

I wish I could remember where, but I can't. I do remember hearing it this year. If Kubiak loves OD and intends to keep him, and if he sees Casey as primarily a tight end, and if he loves Dreesen as a backup, then I have to agree that it is strange that he would use a fourth rounder on a TE.

Lets look at it like this:

1. Hill recovers his health and looks good as a blocker.
2. OD doesn't move to another team.
3. Casey is a TE and looks as good as Kubiak is saying he does.
4. Graham is as good as Kubiak said in his day-three OTA quotes.
5. Dreesen is healthy.

Dreesen would be the odd man out, and we would have used two middle round picks to replace him. I agree that makes no sense at all unless Graham is All-World. To me, what it comes down to is that either we have a huge log jam at TE or else there is more to this story than Kubiak is sharing. Right now, I'm going with the second explanation. To believe the first would mean we gave up two midround picks for one back up position.

Thanks for the answer. I agree with a lot of the things you said.

What if?:
1 Hill gets healthy and then we bulk him up to be a back up OT/TE, he is already at 277 lbs. Is that possible? He could be used in the jumbo packages...

2 Casey could be a FB/Hback, he could become more of a Rathman type at FB. When he splits out then the other team has to worry about him.

3 Dreessen maybe the odd man out. He did an ok job backing up OD last year, but you could see the offense was not the same as when OD was healthy.

4 Graham has to be more then OD insurance, TEs are a dime a dozen in the draft every season, and they seem to be dropping further and further each season.

When the season starts, what if OD starts, Casey is in the two man sets, Hill is on the PUP list, Graham is the backup?

[Joe Joe]

Originally Posted by painekiller

.....TEs are a dime a dozen in the draft every season, and they seem to be dropping further and further each season.

Less teams are using TEs in college the way the NFL uses TEs. They are either slow WRs or extra OTs depending on the system a college runs. The TEs are dropping because there are just less good ones that can block and catch.

[NBT]

Kubiak's gameplans always seem to be heavy on plays to and for the TE. He is trying to force feed the RBs into an integral part of this plan. AJ and the other WRs game speaks for itself, therefore the emphasis the last couple of years in getting OD rehabilitated, stabilized (contract), is to keep Kubiak's gameplan operating at a high level. So, I guess, the more the merrier!

[nunusguy]

Listening to John McClain on 610 AM this afternoon and he said that Holliday was dropping balls left and right. Not a good thing for punt-returners. I hope he learns to find the handle because you know Kubiak won't tolerate it.

[NBT]

Holliday (MIghty Midget) will be allright, he is just learning that the speed of these gunners coming down on him are a hell of a lot faster than when he was returnng balls in the SEC. I hear Jacoby is helping him learn the NFL game. All good.

[Big Texas]

Anybody heard anything about KJack in OTAs. I have heard so much about everyone else but nothing about our number one draft pick.

[Bigtinylittle]

Well, he's already passed up Bennett on the depth chart. Oh, wait. So has everybody else. Never mind.

[Big Texas]

Well I just read OTAs day 9 and Kubiak said that he was well-coached at Alabama. We already knew this. The question is "how is he doing". I know they've been doing some 7 on 7s. I think I even heard him mention some 11 on 11. My question is how is he doing. Is he making plays?