Texans Pass on Bush...Settle for Williams

Hmmm... I dunno. Do you think the Carolina Panthers are kicking themselves for taking Julius Peppers second in 2002? I'd have to say that thus far he has been the cream of that year's draft... and Williams could be every bit as good as Peppers. Yeah, Reggie Bush is a special player, and I expect he will have some gaudy stats that make Texan fans like myself groan - but I also think that the Texans could be a better team with Williams than with Bush. Also - Casserly should have been fired (from a freaking cannon!) for the Patrick Buchanon and Jason Babin deals. Sheesh.

posted by John Smallberries at 09:52 PM - reply - flag:

A few minutes ago Michael Irvin was saying the Texans were crazy for passing on Bush. I don't know about that. Bush wanted quarterback money and his agent decided to play hardball. It got them in the end (at least as far as the being the top overall pick.) I don't know if Mario Williams will have a better career than Bush, but it probably won't be too shabby. Besides, the Texans already have Domanick Davis. He may not have all the talent Bush does, but if there is any coach out there (other than Mike Shanahan) who knows how to get the most out of a running back, it's Gary Kubiak. The Texans will be fine (though I think they would have been much better served with an offensive lineman.)

posted by forrestv at 10:03 PM - reply - flag:

And houston7166, your post may have been deleted because your link is broken.

posted by forrestv at 10:04 PM - reply - flag:

Let the mods deal with it. This doesn't exactly take the suspense out of the draft, but it does make things more interesting further on down the draft list. As a Jets fan, I may even watch some of the first round tomorrow after all.

posted by chicobangs at 10:04 PM - reply - flag:

I think that Mario Williams will be special too, but I guess its a matter of bias, and as someone who prefers more offense around our "franchise" quarterback, Domanick Davis would have still gotten touches. Though he isn't anywhere near as freakishly gifted as Reggie Bush, Davis still would have been the 3rd or 4th best skill position player on the team (behind Davis and Bush and maybe Eric Moulds)...and think, I could have seen Bush and Davis splitting 25-30 carries in that backfield along with all the catches they could get in the new offense... With Williams that defense should be better, but with Bush, that offense could have been AMAZING

posted by chemwizBsquared at 10:11 PM - reply - flag:

Oh and SALT, the Houston Rockets didn't get screwed by 1983 draft in retrospect, because the player they chose ahead of MJ ended up leading them to 2 NBA titles (1994 and 1995) and is currently the owner of the all-time NBA shots blocked record. Plus I can't think of a better Houston Cougar than he was... Go Coogs! And go Hakeem!

posted by chemwizBsquared at 10:13 PM - reply - flag:

I don't have any rooting interest in the Texans...from my fantasy perspective...the Texans not taking Bush helps me on my team with V. Morency ((last years RB pick in 2nd round I think) if he can get those touches that D. Davis doesn't get)...I feel that M. Williams is a smart & solid pick (assuming both players are able to play to their max. potential)...not only is the team saving some cap space & don't have to worry about a "holdout"...Williams will probably be involved in 50-60 plays a game with that many chances to make in impact...Bush will definatly have some real good games...touches rush & rec plus scoring...but there will be a defense or two that stops Houston's offense cold...

posted by phillyolhead at 10:53 PM - reply - flag:

n 10 years we will all be looking at this moment as Houston's largest flop ever when they watch Reggie Bush become the next Barry Sanders, Matt Leinart become an All-Pro QB with his great mechanics and passing, and Vince Young become another Derek Jeter type in his clutch playing (maybe not at QB, but hey)... Charlie Casserly should be FIRED!!!!! NOW! Bush is a 15 carry back. He'll be good in the NFL, but he's not going to be Barry Sanders. Matt Leinert played with some incredible talent around him...he's no more sure fire than any of the other QBs we've seen in the past. Vince I think is going to be the real deal, but he's several years away. As for firing Casserly "NOW"...he's already fired. It's already being reported that he is leaving the Texans after the draft. So he likely had VERY LITTLE to do with this decision.

posted by bdaddy at 11:11 PM - reply - flag:

All I know is that this decision has lessened the possibility that I will watch the Jets make their selection and hear all Jets fans scream in disgust, which, honestly, is the only interesting thing about the NFL draft in my opinion.

posted by uglatto at 11:20 PM - reply - flag:

I don't know. All the same, I'm staying clear of Radio City Music Hall tomorrow. The whole block (including Rockefeller Center) may burn to the ground when the Jets pick someone Mel Kiper's never heard of at #4 instead of Young or Leinart.

posted by chicobangs at 11:32 PM - reply - flag:

Bush would just get pasted behind that awful O Line next year anyway. It's a shame that there wasn't much of a trade market for that pick like there has been in past years, because trading the pick for a bunch of others was the only way for the Texans to improve significantly next year. Williams will improve the D and make more of a difference than Bush in the next couple of years, but Ferguson probably would have been the most useful. This does spice things up quite a bit... I hope the Jets can trade up and get Bush, because that will certainly make for the most entertainment...

posted by Bernreuther at 11:40 PM - reply - flag:

Now that Bush has fallen one spot I'm hoping somehow, some way the 49ers (oh for the glory days of Joe and Ronnie) can trade up and get him. Granted, San Francisco will probably get super-freakish athlete Vernon Davis at No. 6 but Bush would be something else if the 49ers could somehow move up. If it wasn't for the Texans throwing that final game to the 49ers last year (I mean, really, can a field goal kicker be that inept?) the Niners would be picking No. 2. As for the Texans' decision to go with Williams instead of Bush, I tend to fall on the agreement side of the argument. Sure Bush will be a great back but he won't be Barry Sanders, who by the way, was a major workhouse in college, something Bush has never been. Bush has potential to be a Warrick Dunn type, very quick and strong, with the ability to go over 1,000 yards consistently. As for Williams, he has Peppers-like potential, and for a team that had a defense as pathetic as the Texans did last year, they need all the help they can get. That's why I want the 49ers to get Bush. As bad as the Texans were on defense last season, that's how bad San Francisco was on offense. And yeah, uglatto, the Jets fans are always the most entertaining part of the draft. Gotta love some digust mixed with attitude, something those folks have in abundance.

posted by donnnnychris at 12:32 AM - reply - flag:

This is the moment we can finally look back at the end of last season and say the Texans fired the wrong person. Dom Capers got screwed by GM Charley Casserly and all his bad deals. Reggie Bush would have given the Texans desperately needed offense. If he wasn't an every down back, you put him in the slot. Teams would have to double Andre Johnson and Bush which then hopefully the line can hold long enough for Carr to find Eric Moulds or anyone else. Defense is good and wins championships, but the Texans suck and need to sale tickets. Williams won't do that. Texans best season so far 7-9 I don't see them breaking that this year...and probably not next

posted by AKD2486 at 12:42 AM - reply - flag:

Unless you work for The Texans, what does it matter what ticket sales are? And while it may be nice to have some more offense, what good is that if your defense doesn't slow anyone else down in the conference?

posted by forrestv at 01:07 AM - reply - flag:

I hope Reggie goes anywhere but N.O. This is a Micheal Jordan, Sam Bouyee type situation. Although he's superman and all, there is no immediate fix for that franchise. Best chance to get good, is a quarterback. Drew Brees has proven to be mediocre at best. He will, however do for the next year or so, while they learn up the new kid. You cannot pass on an elite Q.B. under any circumstances. The farther down the ladder he falls, obviously, the teams get better. Jets, Raiders, Green Bay. He (Reggie Bush) belongs in one of those cities. He should have gone first!!

posted by BigSpizznizzle at 01:42 AM - reply - flag:

Well, this certainly doesn't thin out the plot any.

posted by chicobangs at 02:00 AM - reply - flag:

I think the topic of this post is totally wrong. In no way did the Texans "settle" on Mario Williams. Like the Texans said, it was like choosing between the next marshall faulk/gale sayers and the next reggie white/bruce smith. And now the draft gets interesting. Every single mock draft had the top 6 picks as Bush, Williams to New Orleans, Leinert to Tennessee, Ferguson to NY, Hawk to Green Bay, and Davis to San Fran. Now, every mock draft ever made is thrown out the window, because everything is changed. Im still pulling for my 49ers to get Vernon Davis, but now the draft will be interesting for me to watch for 8 hours today. Im still pulling for a double shocker today... Texans say they are getting williams, then flop last minute and when the name is announced, its Reggie Bush. That would make my day. But, its probably not going to happen.

posted by zachaweenus at 05:24 AM - reply - flag:

Unless you work for The Texans, what does it matter what ticket sales are? In Jacksonville, the lagging ticket sales put the future of the franchise at risk. Houston has already lost one NFL team, so the need to put butts in the seats is probably important there as well.

posted by rcade at 07:27 AM - reply - flag:

Yes, signing Bush would have made the Texans offense amazing, but defense is still more important to longterm success. Indy had an offense that could win most shootouts, but not all, and with the most talented O-unit in the game they did nothing in the playoffs without a defense and Dwight Freeney. Although I'm sure they would have loved to keep a player with Edge's talent, they won't be sweating too much. They'll just stick another RB with a generally short shelf-life into the mold and keep winning games. Good DE's wreck opposing gameplans and are very hard to comebye. True, Bush would have been a good pick, comparable to Sander's in terms of talent and lack of SuperBowl wins. William's provide's a defensive cornerstone to a unit with nothing, and he will play longer for less money.

posted by rpmurphy81 at 07:34 AM - reply - flag:

I am a Bush fan also, but all this agonizing over what the Texans have done is amazing! Bush by himself would not have made the Texans winners yet. They have way too many holes to fill. Also, who said the Texans were done in the first round? It was reported by more than one source that the Texans are packaging the second and fourth picks to move up from the 33rd pick (1st in second round)! If that turns out to be true, then they may yet to add another quality player. I'd take the 2fer over just Bush/Young pick any day!

posted by nflhou02 at 08:39 AM - reply - flag:

Frankly, I'm stunned, and I'm not sure how any Texan fan can put a positive spin on this. There's absolutely nothing with taking Mario Williams ... after you've dealt down and picked up a couple more draft picks. I know you're out there shaking your heads and saying, "There was no one willing to make a deal," but come on! You have the No. 1 overall pick with Vince Young, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush on the board, plus Williams and Ferguson, and the best you can do is pull the least-hyped guy out of the pack? How is it possible for Houston's front office to look at its team and think, "Oh yeah, a possibly overrated defensive end will be what turns it around for us! We don't need an offensive tackle the size of a mountain! David Carr looks great on his back! We like Dominick Davis having to run outside on every play!" Had the Texans played their cards correctly, they should have been looking at Ferguson plus another couple picks in the second and third rounds -- which would translate to Houston getting the best offensive lineman in the draft, plus a couple more chances to develop a very good prospect or two. The word that Charlie Casserly is on his way out of town is good news, but not enough. This might be a situation where the front office needs to be Carred. Sorry, I meant sacked.

posted by wfrazerjr at 09:11 AM - reply - flag:

Those are pretty much my thoughts exactly, fraze. If Williams was first on your draft board, then by all means get him. They should have let everyone know that they were willing to trade the first pick. They could have traded down to the 4th or 5th pick, saved some money, got more draft picks, and still ended up with Williams. Now the Saints have all the leverage and are getting trade offers to get Bush. I just don't get it.

posted by bperk at 09:46 AM - reply - flag:

It's stupid, but I think that teams are far more willing to trade for the #2 pick than the #1, even though it's for the same guy, because of that whole points scheme that the league sticks pretty closely to. It's possible that nobody wanted to give up enough to get Bush at #1, but now that he's at #2, suddenly a team like the Jets can trade up 2 spots without having to give up very much. Which is ridiculous... it's the same guy! But that's how it works. I'm really unhappy that they're changing Overrated for Williams. This is his moment in the sun, let him enjoy it. You can boo him at the games.

posted by Bernreuther at 11:18 AM - reply - flag:

Bush is fragile and overrated. He will be shut down running behind whatever weak offensive line he will be running behind. As for that queer Leinhart, he will crack under the pressure of an NFL blitz and be the next Ryan Leaf.

posted by ggermanctl@sbcglobal at 12:09 PM - reply - flag:

ggermanctl....Sounds like you don't like USC, or their players...LOL.

posted by nflhou02 at 12:41 PM - reply - flag:

A little draft commentary: Reggie Bush to the Saints at #2 -- Duh. I don't think Bush is that great, but new Orleans would have been stupid to not pick him up. They don't need him to be the No. 1 guy (hello, Deuce!), and he'll have time to adjust if need be. I still see Bush being moved. Vince Young to the Titans at #3 -- Solid pick, but don't expect anything ni the next couple years from him. Young is too raw to start, so expect him to sit behind Billy Volek or, less likely, Steve McNair. Tennessee will get a chance to draft nice and high again next season. D'Brickashaw Ferguson to the New York Jets at No. 4 -- Great pick. The Jets needed line help and this guy is a freaking stud. He should be wearing a Texans uniform. A. J. Hawk to the Packers at No. 5 -- Interesting pick, as the pack definitely needed a linebacker, but had plenty of other needs also. Unfortunately, no one else really rated highly enough at WR or RB to make a strong case. Hawk will be good, but I'm surprised they didn't trade down and pick up Hawk a couple picks later. TE Vernon Davis to the 49ers at No. 6 -- Oh boy. I think San Fran had to make this pick, but it could really bite them in the ass. Yes, Davis is an absolute freak in terms of talent, and their were no reasonable wide receivers to take this high, but he's also pretty raw and the history of first-round tight ends is pretty awful. Cross your fingers, Bill. DB Michael Huff to the Raiders at No. 7 -- Safe pick from Al Davis. Huff can flat fly (4.38 40 at the combine) and Oakland needed some help back there. If Leinart's right-handed, however, they take him. DB Donte Whitner to the Bills at No. 8 -- Uhhh ... yeah. One-year starter, only 5-10, projected as a later first-rounder. Is Marv Levy senile? LB Ernie Sims to the Lions at No. 9 -- Could be the best defensive player in the draft. Also could be too small to fit into the outside linebacker position. A little strange, but really nothing else out there, either. QB Matt Leinart to the Cardinals at No. 10 -- A complete freaking steal for Arizona. Leinart cost himself a ton of money by not coming out last season, but I think he can be the savior for the Cardinals. He can move, he has a great arm and he's almost 6-5. With Boldin, Johnson and Fitzgerald at WR and James and Arrington at RB ... wow. As for that queer Leinhart, he will crack under the pressure of an NFL blitz and be the next Ryan Leaf. Nice. Takes one to know one, right?

posted by wfrazerjr at 12:54 PM - reply - flag:

Im really suprised that Leinart was available at the 10 pick- but I really like what the Jets did. Ferguson is a beast, and the Jets still have a good shot at getting LenDale White. This should be a really decent draft for the Jets.

posted by redsoxrgay at 02:59 PM - reply - flag:

LB Ernie Sims to the Lions at No. 9 Arrrrrrrrgh!!!!! There is not a single word in the dictionary that I can use to describe Matt Millen. I guess he just wants a viable excuse for when the Lions get their asses handed to them year after year by the Cardinals.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 04:25 PM - reply - flag:

I think Houston should have taked D'Brickashaw Ferguson if they weren't going to take Bush. Carr got sacked, what, 60 times last year, if they get a solid O-line they could improve more then with a good D-line.

posted by coltsfan160 at 06:15 PM - reply - flag:

As a Jets fan, I have to applaud them for actually doing the right thing for a change. And Mangold and Clemens were solid picks as well. Can anyone who was watching the draft tell me what the reaction in the room from Jet fans was when they passed on Leinart?

posted by ajaffe at 06:55 PM - reply - flag:

The reaction was about 50/50, then they all cheered. D'Brickashaw, and Mangold, maybe the best first round of all.

posted by BigSpizznizzle at 09:26 PM - reply - flag:

some food for thought for those who thought the texans should have gone offense with the first pick. as awful as the o-line was last year, the texans scored the exact same amount of points on offense as the chicago bears-and the bears won their division. while that doesn't mean either teams offense was good, it just shows how much MORE help houston needed on defense. picking mario williams and demeco ryans were two very solid picks that could contribute right away to a sorry defense.

posted by ksb122 at 08:47 AM - reply - flag:

The difference between the Bears and the Texans is the quality of their division. The Bears division was truly awful last year. If the Texans want to use the Bears as their mold, they will never make the playoffs.

posted by bperk at 09:45 AM - reply - flag:

Sims is 230 lbs thats not small for an OLB. Peppers ran a 4.4, Williams ran a 4.7 am I the only one that sees a huge difference? We saw Peppers on SportsCenter every weekend when he was at UNC. Can you actually recall seeing Williams before? I played against Peppers in HS, we put him out of the playoffs. And I went to UNC with him. I am biased but come on lets be reasonable. I am appalled that the two are even compared. JP>MW by far!!!!

posted by Drallig9399 at 11:06 AM - reply - flag:

Fraze, good calls though I think the Raiders pick shows Davis has got to go, he's like the defensive version of Millen always picking a DB at the top no matter what. Aaron Brooks is not the answer and Andrew Walters never was.

posted by billsaysthis at 03:52 PM - reply - flag:

Friday, April 28, 2006

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