Vontae Davis FS?

[Roy P]

Okay, I'm going through my lists and checking them twice. Here's my latest crazy idea. Why not put Vontae Davis to play the Ed Reed position? He's got crazy athleticism. Not too bad as a tackler either. Instead of playing him at CB where he can only lock down one WR, we could put him in the middle of the field and let him make plays. Any opinions?

[HPF Bob]

I don't know enough about his size and tackling ability but I once saw him run down a player in a bowl game he had absolutely no business catching up to. It was like watching a cheetah run down an antelope. If he runs like that and can tackle worth a darn, I'd love to see him on the Texas no matter where in the secondary he lines up. I just doubt he'll be where we would be drafting him.

[mussop]

Originally Posted by Roy P

Okay, I'm going through my lists and checking them twice. Here's my latest crazy idea. Why not put Vontae Davis to play the Ed Reed position? He's got crazy athleticism. Not too bad as a tackler either. Instead of playing him at CB where he can only lock down one WR, we could put him in the middle of the field and let him make plays. Any opinions?

I was talking to someone about this awhile back. I think it would be a great idea. @6'2" 204, blazing fast and very strong, I dont see why he couldnt make the transition.

[nero THE zero]

I brought this up to LZ in his blog:

LZ,

One of the mock drafts that came out recently (Scouts, Inc., IIRC) had us taking Vontae Davis at #15. Assuming we re-sign Dunta, I can't imagine us taking a CB with the first pick. But, is there any chance that Davis could be a potential FS convert?

I understand that moving him to safety might be a waste of his potential, but his strengths are supposed to be his size, instincts, and ability to tackle at the LOS. Also, his supposed weakness is his man-to-man technique. It seems to me that his strengths and weaknesses make him the perfect candidate to move to FS.

Do you agree? And do you think this is something the Texans might consider if he is BPA at #15?

This was his reply:

The knock on him in NFL circles is that he's undisciplined which is not a good trait for a safety.

I still think it'd be a good idea though if the draft falls a certain way.

[American Idle]

If there isn't a DE that the Texans covet available and he was, I would definetly hope they went after him or a Brian Cushing. I think Davis could fit the CB or FS bill easily. Like Cushing, I feel he is very versatile.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by nero THE zero

I brought this up to LZ in his blog:

This was his reply:


I still think it'd be a good idea though if the draft falls a certain way.

Currently, he is above and beyond his competition athletically so he can be a bit of a gambler. His make up speed is remarkable. Perhaps getting beat deep a couple of times would be the wake up call to make him a little more disciplined. Anyway, he is probably going to be a better FS than Antrel Rolle, who made the transition for the Cards which allowed Adrian Wilson to do his thing. Imagine drafting Taylor Mays in next years' draft and putting him next to Vontae Davis. It would be like LaRon Landry/Sean Taylor.

Of course, that would have to be discussed in an interview to see how receptive he'd be to a position change.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

I don't know enough about his size and tackling ability but I once saw him run down a player in a bowl game he had absolutely no business catching up to. It was like watching a cheetah run down an antelope. If he runs like that and can tackle worth a darn, I'd love to see him on the Texas no matter where in the secondary he lines up. I just doubt he'll be where we would be drafting him.

Okay, on 5 March 2009, it appears that there is growing consensus that the Texans should pick OLB Clay Matthews. I know that I'm warming to the idea.

However, I wanted to revisit the Vontae Davis idea again. The Texans put the Franchise Tag on Dunta Robinson, which is not the same as agreeing upon a long term deal. They also signed a DE in Antonio Smith, which may make drafting a 1st round DE less likely.

I understand that our secondary has many players including Robinson, Reeves, Bennett, Molden, Wilson, and Barber. However, Davis could be good enough to make Robinson tradable or Reeves expendable. At worst, he may be a better option than Eugene Wilson at FS. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that Vontae Davis is very talented and versatile.

On the flip side, Clay Matthews could be either the WLB or SLB. I'm not sure which would have the larger impact. Matthews did have the benefit of playing at USC where he was surrounded by talent. Some "experts" thought that Cushing and Maualuga were even better prospects. So, there is a possibility that Matthews was just in a good situation. I keep wondering why a kid with such talent and blood lines that we keep hearing about was not even recruited to play football, but had to walk-on. Also, some folks around here have mentioned the lack of impact a LB has on defense compared to a DB.

Any opinions on who we would be better off with if the decision came down to Davis vs. Matthews?

[TexanJedi]

I'd rather have Jenkins were he available. He could actually play both spots and has good instincts and ball skills too.

[papabear]

Originally Posted by Roy P

Okay, on 5 March 2009, it appears that there is growing consensus that the Texans should pick OLB Clay Matthews. I know that I'm warming to the idea.

However, I wanted to revisit the Vontae Davis idea again. The Texans put the Franchise Tag on Dunta Robinson, which is not the same as agreeing upon a long term deal. They also signed a DE in Antonio Smith, which may make drafting a 1st round DE less likely.

I understand that our secondary has many players including Robinson, Reeves, Bennett, Molden, Wilson, and Barber. However, Davis could be good enough to make Robinson tradable or Reeves expendable. At worst, he may be a better option than Eugene Wilson at FS. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that Vontae Davis is very talented and versatile.

On the flip side, Clay Matthews could be either the WLB or SLB. I'm not sure which would have the larger impact. Matthews did have the benefit of playing at USC where he was surrounded by talent. Some "experts" thought that Cushing and Maualuga were even better prospects. So, there is a possibility that Matthews was just in a good situation. I keep wondering why a kid with such talent and blood lines that we keep hearing about was not even recruited to play football, but had to walk-on. Also, some folks around here have mentioned the lack of impact a LB has on defense compared to a DB.

Any opinions on who we would be better off with if the decision came down to Davis vs. Matthews?

I have no idea who would have the biggest impact. CB's are more of a priority than LB's, just look at salaries. That doesn't mean that LB's can't play a huge role in upgrading a D. It's a team game, so having solid play from every position is important. I would like to see us add one more impact LB at some point. I think Adibi could be very good. It will be interesting to see if he's added any weight strength in the offseason. We don't know if he's going to be able to stand up to the pounding in the NFL at this point though. I'm fine with Diles and Adibi outside. be don't know if Diles will be back at 100%. Bentley filled in fine for him last year though. Either way I would be hesitant to pick a SLB in the first round because they are off the field so much in nickel packages. I think the general rule would be that CB>LB>S. General rules don't always work when comparing specific players. The fact that Davis has the versatility to play S increases his value, but I guarantee his agent will want him at CB.

One thing that always bugs me about guys from the top schools. USC, Texas, Florida, and even Ohio State. It's hard to say if a guy is great or if he just benefits from being on a team that is vastly superior athletically to 90% of the teams they face. Look at USC's LBs. Are any of them great, or are they all just benefiting from the guys in front of or around them? Another possibility is that one of them is truly special and makes the rest of them seem better than they are. It's hard to figure out which one is actually taking place. You see the same thing with free agents from successful teams that fail badly on lesser teams.

I would be happy with Matthews or Davis. Matthews would make for a better story with his family history, but that's not a reason to draft him over another player. Assuming they are both there it could come down to how bad the Dunta situation really is.

[popanot]

If we sign Burnett I could definitely see us going CB. And if that's the case, I'd take Davis over Jenkins. The guy has mad skills. I'm not even sure Jenkins was the best CB at OSU after the combine.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by Roy P

I keep wondering why a kid with such talent and blood lines that we keep hearing about was not even recruited to play football, but had to walk-on. Also, some folks around here have mentioned the lack of impact a LB has on defense compared to a DB.

Any opinions on who we would be better off with if the decision came down to Davis vs. Matthews?

He was a late bloomer. He only weighed 160lbs as as a HS junior. He was so small his HS coach would not let him play, Clay Jr was the DC. Not a lot of teams going to offer a little kid a scholarship, no matter who his grandfather and father are.

He started to grow his senior year in HS. The kid has shown an excellent motor and is a hard worker.

IMO he can play 3 positions possible 4. WILL, SAM, DE, and possible MIKE. That is why is has climbed to the top of my draft him now guys.

[Nconroe]

If Davis is an elite DB at 6'2" that could be very good with all the tall receivers out there these days, so at 15 that would be my choice. I suspect Matthews or pretty good OLB would be available latter in first or into second round. I'm ok with upgrade at OLB if do end up with Cushing or Matthews.