The Biz's Houston Texans Fan Site

Youth Gone Wild

2005-05-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

For the first two seasons of their existence, the Texans had one of the NFLs most experienced set of cornerbacks. And that was by design.

Knowing it would take some time to build an expansion team, the Texans wanted veterans at that vital position. So after playing together for six seasons with the Jets, Marcus Coleman and Aaron Glenn were reunited in Houston through the expansion draft. Glenn was entering his ninth NFL season, Coleman his seventh.

The plan worked. Glenn picked off five passes in 2002 and made his third Pro Bowl. Coleman had a career-high seven interceptions in 2003.

But time stands still for no player. Last season, the Texans moved Coleman to free safety, where he continued to thrive. Meanwhile, Glenn now finds himself in Dallas.

The catalyst for both moves was similar, the Texans were able to draft a young corner to replace Coleman and were able to acquire another young corner to replace Glenn. Now Houston finds itself with one of the leagues youngest corner duos. But thats just fine with the Texans.

Jon Hoke chats with Phillip Buchanon during his first practice with the Texans.
Why? In Dunta Robinson, Houston has a rising star that picked off six passes last season and evolved into one of the Texans biggest playmakers. And now in Phillip Buchanon, the Texans have one of the most athletic corners in football, not to mention a player that has exhibited a nose for the end zone.

“I think its been a good situation for us,” defensive backs coach Jon Hoke said Monday. “They are willing to work together. Both have talent and now we just have to do a good job of getting that talent out of them and getting them to play at a high level.”

Robinson is entering his second season; Buchanon just his fourth. Both are former first-round picks with eye-popping physical skills. And both know they have a tremendous opportunity to accomplish some great things together.

“Phillip is a young guy who can possibly be here with me for a long time,” Robinson said. “Its going to be good to have him as a teammate.”

Robinson was arguably the top defensive rookie in the NFL last season. After getting burned in a season-opening loss to San Diego, he became a target for opposing offenses. But by the end of the season, teams were throwing away from Robinson and with good reason. He not only picked off six passes, but collected three sacks and forced three fumbles, two of which were returned for touchdowns. At just 5-10 and 175 pounds, Robinson developed a reputation as one of Houstons fiercest hitters.

“Ive always been an aggressive player out on the football field,” Robinson said. “I think it comes from playing safety (early in college) and having to play physical and also being one of the smallest guys out there, you’ve got to attack them before they attack you.”

In three seasons in Oakland, Buchanon picked off 11 passes. He returned four of those for touchdowns. The knock on Buchanon is that he tends to gamble. If true, that can be corrected. But Buchanon also has some assets that simply cant be taught.

“Hes got good speed and quickness,” Hoke said. “Hes a very good athlete. And the thing that helps you is hes already played three years in the league. Its not like hes a rookie coming into this situation.”

And Buchanon certainly isn’t lacking confidence.

“Im very confident at what I do,” he said. “I just want to help my team, score touchdowns, return punts, do whatever I have to do. As long as we get a W, Im fine with it.”

Buchanon might have picked up that confidence in Coral Gables, where he used to match up against wide receiver Andre Johnson during Miami practices. Today the two were able to replicate that situation on the Texans practice field. Johnson ran by Buchanon on one play but Buchanon bounced back to break up the next throw. Expect that pattern to continue through the summer.

“Its a test, but its also helping Andre, helping me and helping the team,” Buchanon said. “Its definitely a good situation.”

Robinson, at right corner, will still see No. 31 opposite him on the left side. That its Buchanon and not Glenn will be a little strange at first. But as much as he valued Glenns counsel, Robinson understands that the Texans made this move to get better, and also made this move because they trust he can be a cornerstone for their defense.

“It showed that they trust me and I cant let them down,” Robinson said. “If I go out and do the same things I did last year then everything will be fine.

“Last year, the beginning of the season was rough, being a rookie and coming in as a starter. Aaron taught me a lot about being calm and keeping my composure in certain situations. Its the NFL, guys are going to catch passes. But its all about how you bounce back.”

With two young corners in their stable, the Texans banking that Robinson and Buchanon will help them bounce forward, right into playoff contention.

United Front

2005-05-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

Chemistry is important in any sport, at any position. But perhaps it's most critical at offensive line, where five players have to consistently mesh as one.

The Texans made numerous changes along their offensive line last spring, from a new position coach to a new scheme to new players and old players at new positions. The fall results were mixed. While Houston rushed for a franchise-record 1,882 yards, the Texans gave up 49 sacks, 13 more than the previous season.

Now the Texans enter this spring with the same five starters along the offensive line. And while some may question that approach, head coach Dom Capers views the continuity as a strength heading into the 2005 campaign.

"I think we’ll have our best offensive line we’ve had since we’ve been here," Capers said. "We’ve had a group of guys together. They know the scheme. They’ve worked together. I think we have more combinations. You’ll see us work with different combinations.

"Our goal is going to be to end up with the five best guys on the field when it comes time to play. I think we have more depth and more competition. I expect us to have a good offensive line."

Wand started all 16 games at left tackle in 2004.The player most under the proverbial microscope is Seth Wand, who created the domino effect of 2004. The Texans thought enough of Wand to elevate him to the starting left tackle slot, even though he had played virtually nothing but special teams as a rookie in 2003. That move shifted Chester Pitts from left tackle to left guard. The Texans were also working in a new right tackle (Todd Wade) and switching to a zone-blocking scheme under new offensive line coach Joe Pendry.

That's a lot to pack into one off-season and training camp. The road is a little smoother this time around.

"It's the first time everyone has been in the same position for one year," Wand said. "No one has switched around. Chester's a guard, I'm a tackle, we've been with Todd Wade for a year and also with Joe for a year. Everyone knows everyone's weaknesses and strengths."

Wand admittedly had his struggles at the line's most prominent position. Quarterback David Carr was sacked five or more times on four occasions, including six times in Houston's season-ending loss to Cleveland. Not all of those sacks can be traced to Wand, but he knows that protecting Carr is his top priority. And he's feels better prepared to tackle that role.

"Going into this year, I know exactly what I need to be doing," Wand said. "I definitely know what it's like to play in the NFL now. I know what I need to do to more or less secure my position and secure the fact that I'm the left tackle here and let David and everybody know that I can do it."

Capers knows how crucial that left tackle position can be, but he also views the offensive line as a true unit and has always said that he wants to see the best five-man rotation on the field when the huddle breaks.

"We have some guys that have played there," Capers said. "Chester Pitts started there for two years. During the coaching sessions, you’ll see Chester work out there at some point in time. Of course Victor Riley is coming in now. He’s played tackle and started at tackle for a couple of teams in this league. Even guys like Zach Wiegert have played out at tackle. So I think we have possibilities and we’ll look at different combinations.

"The whole goal is when it comes time to play we end up with the best five guys that give us the best chance to have a good offense."

The Texans signed Riley, an unrestricted free agent from New Orleans, last week. Riley has 85 starts under his belt over seven seasons, all of them at right tackle. Todd Wade is firmly entrenched at that position. But Riley played left tackle in college and might push Wand there.

"We’ll have to wait and see," Capers said. "He’s a big guy. He has played right tackle. We’re working him some at guard right now. It probably just depends on how fast he picks up the system and what kind of condition he gets in. We really won’t know until we get into training camp."

Houston also added fifth-round draft pick Drew Hodgdon, who along with Todd Washington will push center Steve McKinney. Washington can also play guard. Wiegert returns for his third season at right guard.

The Texans were one of just six teams last season to have a 3,000-yard passer (Carr), a 1,000-yard rusher (Domanick Davis) and a 1,000-yard receiver (Andre Johnson). But everybody knows that an offense truly clicks where the rubber meets the road. And if the offensive line can continue its improvement, those gaudy numbers will only increase.

"David does his own thing, Andre does his own thing and Domanick does his own thing," Wand said. "But we have to work together. We all have to be on the same page."

2005-04-05T04:05:00.000-07:00

Each and every week of the NFL free-agency period, I have updated my hot list of available players that teams can sign to their rosters. The unrestricted signings this season will likely reach the 150 mark, which will make 2005 one of the most active signing offseasons in NFL history.

Why so much action when all you hear is that teams build through the draft? Because to win in this league, teams must use all possible means to secure enough talent. Clubs have managed the salary cap more efficiently in recent times and that means there is more salary-cap space and money to spend.

The next critical component of talent procurement is that the April 15 deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets is fast approaching and that should cause a number of franchises to start going after restricted free agents. As always, I have incorporated restricted free agents into the hot list only if the compensation a new team would have to surrender is reasonable. Players with high tenders, meaning an offering team would have to give up a first-round pick, are not on the list. Also, players rumored to be retiring like tight end Ken Dilger have been dropped from the list. Finally, unlike the other five editions of my hot list, I have split the linebackers into inside and outside 'backers because of the amount of decent players still left on the board.

For prudent teams like New England and those teams that model their franchise after the Patriots, it is just about time to start shopping for good deals in the personnel business. There has been a steady flow of signings in recent weeks, but there has also been a steady flow of additional talent into the pool. For example, Rams linebacker Tommy Polley is a good player who has been on the free-agent list since opening day, but now he has been joined by linebackers Anthony Simmons and Jamie Sharper, who have been released by the Seahawks and Texans, respectively. That kind of economic pressure reduces Polley's chances for the deal he wants.

For better or worse, here's my updated free-agent board as teams cross into the month of April. Keep in mind there are medical issues with some of these players and it may be time for the signing clubs to use "split" contracts to protect themselves against further injuries. Some players have moved up and some have moved down as I receive more information from coaches and personnel people around the league.

QB Jeff Blake Doug Flutie *Tim Hasselbeck *J.T. O'Sullivan Kordell Stewart
RB Anthony Thomas *Verron Haynes Amos Zereoue James Mungro Dorsey Levens
FB Robert Holcombe Omar Easy Jon Ritchie
WR (T)Corey Bradford Tai Streets *Randy Hymes Ike Hilliard Troy Brown
TE Freddie Jones Bubba Franks (Transition) *Chris Baker Cam Cleeland Marcellus Rivers
OT *Kevin Barry Victor Riley Bob Whitfield *Kurt Vollers (T)Marcus Spears
OG *Tupe Peko Dan Neil *Eric Heitmann Chris Gray Frank Middleton
C Rich Braham *Seth McKinney Brock Gutierrez *Mel Fowler Gennaro DiNapoli
DE Aaron Kampman Marques Douglas *Carlos Hall Marco Coleman Leonardo Carson
DT Josh Evans John Parrella Tony Williams James Reed *Rocky Bernard
ILB (T)Jamie Sharper Tommy Polley Chris Draft (T)Jay Foreman Nate Wayne
OLB Anthony Simmons Tommy Polley Mark Fields *Akin Ayodele Warrick Holdman
S Earl Little *Brian Russell (T)Eric Brown Shawn Wooden Antuan Edwards
CB Andre Dyson Ty Law *Chris Cash Renaldo Hill Nick Harper

*=Restricted free agent
(T)=Ex-Texan

Eleven of the members of the last hot list were signed in the past seven days, and I expect no less than 10 of the above players to have a new home by next Monday.

It is amazing to me that Anthony Thomas, Freddie Jones, Corey Bradford, Rich Braham and even corner Andre Dyson have lasted this long in the process. There are flaws in all of the players mentioned, but when I showed this list to two prominent NFL quarterbacks over the weekend, both pointed at these players and told me they wish they had them on their respective team. Clearly there's still time to grab a few good men to add depth and competition to most team rosters

Finally, people wonder why the Patriots are so quiet even though they recently signed wide receiver Tim Dwight and have reportedly agreed to a deal with receiver David Terrell. Well, not only are they waiting for prices to come down, but they are the only team in the NFL to put the high tender on all four of their restricted free agents: Tom Ashworth, David Givens, Jarvis Green and Steve Neal. No one will offer them a contract and give up a first-round pick, so the Patriots know they have retained their young talent and have already re-signed two of the restricted players (Ashworth and Neal).

Sharper released.

2005-04-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

The Houston Texans released veteran linebacker Jamie Sharper, continuing an offseason makeover of a defense that ranked in the bottom third of the NFL for the second straight season.
Sharper, entering his ninth year, had started all 48 games over the past three seasons at middle linebacker for the Texans since coming to the club in the 2002 expansion draft.
Sharper led Houston with 137 tackles in 2004 and also led the team in that category in 2002 but became expendable during an offseason in which the Texans are trying to add more speed to their 3-4 defense. Sharper had asked the team for his release three weeks ago after the Texans gave him permission to seek a trade.
Sharper spent the first five years of his career with Baltimore. He was a key starter on the dominant defense that led the Ravens to a Super Bowl title in 2000.
Two weeks ago, Houston also released linebacker Jay Foreman and safety Eric Brown, who had both been starters since the franchise's inaugural season in 2002. The Texans restocked their linebacker corps, though, by signing speedy free agent Morlon Greenwood to a five-year deal last month.

Kenny Wright moves to Jacksonville

2005-03-31T18:11:00.000-08:00

"JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (March 31, 2005) -- The Jacksonville Jaguars signed free agent cornerback Kenny Wright to a one-year contract.
Wright spent the past three seasons with the Houston Texans, where he served as the team's primary nickel back. He finished with 13 tackles and one sack last season.
Wright will enter the competition to replace former cornerback Dewayne Washington, who was cut in early March along with backup Juran Bolden. Wright, fellow free agent Terry Cousin and backup Kiwaukee Thomas are currently in the mix to replace Washington.
In 84 career NFL games with Houston and Minnesota, Wright has 267 tackles and four interceptions.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service"

Blogger - Unexpected Error

2005-03-30T04:15:00.000-08:00

Blogger - Unexpected Error

Blogger Hacked??

Ragone playing in Europe with the Berlin Thunder

2005-03-26T07:44:00.000-08:00

The Berlin Thunder like the rest of the 6 NFL Europe Franchises have touched down in Berlin and are now busy touring the sites and sounds of the thriving German Capital. So as the teams are doing this I will being to analyses the members of the NFL Europe League 2005 and there strengths and weaknesses coming out of camp and into the regular season.

The Thunder are always the team to look out for in this league as they have had nothing but success, much like the New England Patriots of the NFL the Berlin Franchise have won three out of the last four World Bowl trophies, (the European equivalent of the Superbowl). This being only head Coach Rick Lantz second year in charge of the Thunder he will be looking to right the wrongs of 2004 in which the only wrong was the single loss they suffered in a nearly unbeaten campaign culminating in the World Bowl Title.

At Quarterback the Berlin Thunder seem very strong, Dave Ragone the Houston Texans allocated Quarterback was set to start from the moment it was announced he was going to participating in the league, he is a player who will be on an NFL Roster next season for sure, something that cannot be said for a lot of the players playing in the league year in year out. However during camp Oakland Raiders allocated passer Brett Engemann has done nothing short of impress playing much better than anyone expected him too. After a superb camp expect him to possibly get time in games, however Rick Lantz proved last season he does like to stick with one quarterback as he stayed with Rohan Davey for most of the season.

Catching passes for the Thunder are a variety of capable receivers include Houston Texans allocated player Allen Subur, he was named to the injured reserve list prior to the completion of training camp but I think he will get to see significant playing time when he returns, during camp he built up a good rapport with fellow Texan Dave Ragone and the two could possibly produce some good numbers this season if Subur manages to get past his injury problems. Another strong receiver looks to be Michael Jennings who played his college football at Florida State, he has had a strong camp and with the pairing of Jennings and Terence Stubbs penciled in as starters the Thunder look to have a very capable passing attack. A player not to be forgotten should be Hugo Lira a National Wide Receiver out of Mexico who has played excellent in camp and just like Scott McReady did last year he could emerge as a top player if he is given the game time.

Most of the teams in the league this season seem to have strong rushing attacks and the Thunder are no exception and they are blessed with the added bonus of being able to alternate backs having a pair of strong ones in Cal Murray and Little John Flowers. Murray Allocated by the chargers is a fast paced back with a great pair of hands out of the backfield he can be used as a weapon in many different ways however the second half of the two headed monster that is the Berlin running game is New York Jets back Little John Flowers standing at 6 ft 1 and 215lbs he is the bruising back of the two having a deceptive game speed however that should lead him to big things this season, he compares much to last years World Bowl MVP Eric McCoo. Not to be forgotten is the player leading the way for them who has excelled in camp he is Fullback Brian Johnson a big back who previously played Defensive Tackle in college, with his new position he is really coming into his own. This rushing attack paired with the Passing game brought to the table by Ragone and Engemann the Thunder will no doubt be contenders once again.

The Berlin Thunder Defensive Line features a fair few strong players, spearheaded by National Defensive End Christian Mohr who spent last season on the NFL Practice squad of the Seattle Seahawks and was also recently signed to a contract which will give him a chance to make the Seahawks roster next season. In the Tackle area Charles Hill and Reggie Rhodes are both big run stuffers and will produce a strong pass rush for the Thunder Defense. Willie Blade is also with the Thunder, a huge Defensive Tackle allocated by the Dallas Cowboys, currently on the injured reserve list and it is unknown of how long he will be out for, but he will be a player to watch upon his return as he could well have a future in the NFL.

Jamal Brooks and Michael Brown will be leading the Berlin Thunder Defense at the Linebacker position in 2005 they are both different styled linebackers but are among the trio of Linebackers that have proven in pre-season camp scrimmages to be good run stoppers the previous and Rich Scanlon and Winston Taylor will be dominant in stopping the strong rushing attacks of the other teams throughout the season. Along with the Linebacker Position the Defensive Backs feature a few standout players (in NFL Europe terms). Players such as Mike Harden spent the 2004 season on practice squads and will have another good chance of making there respective squads again in 2005, Jermaine Mays is a proven Defensive Back that should be able to stay with most of the Receivers in the league this year and he also has fellow Indianapolis Colt Willie Ford with him in Berlin to shut down opposing Passing attacks.

The Berlin Thunder should not be overlooked this season after everything that I have heard about them from camp they have a very strong team once again and when they get some players such as Allen Subur and Willie Blade from injury they will do nothing but improve on what could already be a potential World Bowl winning side.Thanks for reading my report and tune in for the next installment as I will cover all the teams before camp begins.

Sideline

Texans ink Murphy and Acholonu

2005-03-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

The Official Site of the Houston Texans

"The Texans re-signed exclusive rights free agent tight end Matt Murphy, the team announced Thursday.

Murphy, in his third season out of Maryland, played in 10 games last season. He played his first two seasons in Detroit.

The Texans also inked exclusive rights free agent linebacker D.D. Acholonu, who spent most of the 2004 season on Houston's practice squad."

2005-03-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

2005 Preseason Schedule to include the Cowboys again..

In the schedule released by the NFL today, the Houston Texans will host Denver and Oakland in Reliant Stadium with road trips to Dallas and Tampa Bay to round out 2005 preseason play.

The Texans will begin preseason play at home against the Denver Broncos (August 11-15). Houston has not defeated Denver in three prior contests a 20-12 loss at Reliant Stadium in the preseason (8/9/03), a 31-17 loss at INVESCO Field during the preseason (8/27/04) and a 31-13 defeat in Denver during the regular season (11/7/04).

Houston will face Oakland at Reliant Stadium in Week 2 of the preseason (August 18-22). The Texans have never played the Raiders during the preseason, but have faced off once during the regular season (10/3/04). Last season, the Texans lifted their record to 2-2 after defeating Oakland 30-17 for the teams first-ever back-to-back win streak (10/3/04).

The following week (August 25-29), the Texans will travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys in Texas Stadium for the fourth time in team history (third preseason contest). The two clubs have met three times before, twice in the preseason (8/15/03 and 8/14/04) and once in the regular season (9/8/02). Houston recorded its first preseason shutout last year against Dallas (8/14/04), 18-0.

The Texans will closeout the 2005 preseason against Tampa Bay for the fourth-consecutive year (Sept. 1-2). The Bucs have been victorious in their three previous preseason games against Houston: Aug. 30, 2002 in Reliant Stadium (17-13), August 28, 2003 in Raymond James Stadium (34-3) and Sept. 2, 2004 in Reliant Stadium (17-9). The Texans lost their only regular season game against the Bucs, 16-3, in Tampa Bay during the 2003 season (12/14/03).

Specific dates, times and television participants of all preseason games will be released at a later date. The NFL will release the Texans 2005 regular season schedule in April/May.

Texans 2005 Draft Order

2005-03-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

TEXANS DRAFT PICKS

Round 1: 13th (first round draft order)
Round 2: 47th
Round 3: 73rd (from Dallas), 78th
Round 4: one pick TBA
Round 5: one pick TBA
Round 6: one pick TBA
Round 7: one pick TBA

Voice of the Fan

2005-03-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

Voice of the Fan

As the news of Orlando Pace's re-signing with the Rams leaked out Tuesday evening, Texans fans reacted with a full range of emotions. Some were disappointed that the Texans missed out on landing one of the best tackles in the NFL. Others were relieved that the Texans didn't give up the farm and mortgage the team's future by giving up multiple first round draft choices and tens of millions in salary to a player, albeit a Hall of Fame caliber player, entering his ninth season. Still others were flat out angry that the deal fell through, feeling that the Texans were used as a pawn in the negotiations in the same way the Carlos Beltran deal with the Mets came down a few months back.

First things first: Please stop the Beltran analogies because that's an apple and this is an orange.

Second, and more important, was this all a ruse, set up by Pace and his agent to get St Louis to up the ante? Not entirely.

I believe Pace was seriously considering leaving the Rams. He seemed to be growing tired of repeated franchise tags, even though it guaranteed him a handsome salary year-to-year, it gave him no future beyond the current year. He wanted security. At least as much security as a multi-millionaire can get.

After the Texans made an initial offer Monday night, the Rams probably looked at their future, swallowed hard and blinked. Welcome back to the Martz Mania, Orlando. Maybe that was the design all along. At least the Rams are stuck with the bill and not us.

From reports, the Texans made a reasonable offer, one that was good enough to grab Pace and the Rams attention but not as good as the two first-round picks that the Rams wanted in return.

I had serious reservations about giving up two first round picks. That's a steep price considering the Texans would have had to throw in $16 million or so in signing bonus, other guaranteed money and fat base salaries out to the year 2012. Maybe if we were one player away and this was the final piece to make the Super Bowl, but not now.

A first rounder and a third rounder? In a minute. A first rounder and a second rounder? Probably. Two firsts? See you in St Louie, Orlando.

First rounders are gold and are critical to the continued development and viability of the team. Some may argue that with Pace, the Texans would have been a playoff team so those first rounders would have been something like a low to mid's overall pick so it's not like we were giving up a shot at a top ten guy for two straight seasons. True, but that also means that the Texans first pick in the draft for two years straight would be something like the 55 th pick overall assuming the Texans made the playoffs. I don't know about anyone else but even with a future Hall of Famer at left tackle, I don't like the sound of that.

Add to that the fact that without a first round pick for two seasons, there would be more pressure on the Texans to fill voids with free agents. But since the Texans have given large contracts to several veteran players recently (Todd Wade, Robiare Smith, Gary Walker, Marcus Coleman, Seth Payne, and Aaron Glenn to name a few) added to the fact that David Carr is due a large option bonus this season and young stars like Andre Johnson, Domanick Davis, and Dunta Robinson will be more expensive to keep in coming years, it's easy to see how the financial noose can tighten quickly around the necks of teams who don't spend wisely.

Anyway, so the Pace thing didn't work out. Yes it would have been nice to see him in Deep Steel Blue, but it wasn't meant to happen. Maybe now we'll see someone like Alex Barron or Khalif Barnes come our way in the draft. Give the Texans credit for trying to improve the team in a big way, but also give them credit for not selling the farm on one great player in a very tempting situation.

Another of the Biz's Rants

2005-03-12T00:19:00.000-08:00

Ok, this is getting ridiculous! Sharper is on the trade block and if he's not traded, he'll be released for salary cap reasons...umm...Guys? Sharper leaving is going to make our 3-4 weaker. Hopefully Greenwood can step up and fill that role in the middle of the line.

PRO's: frees up salary to pick up younger prospects in the draft and perhaps depth from the FA Market.

CON's: Guys like Babin and Peek are going to have to step up and start earning their paychecks, Babin was extremely disappointing last season for a 1st round pick. Peek is a solid player, but has some mental issues that needs to be dealt with by the coaching staff.

Payne will have to stay healthy. If he doesn't its going to make the administration wear a big purple dunce hat. Re-signed and given a raise AND a bonus. jeez.

Who do I have my eyes on in the FA Market? Darren Sharper DUH...Of course he's older, but he's a seasoned veteran and we all know how well Veteran Players step up in new roles. Safety is a smart position that requires a tough physical player to fill the position, I know Lord is being weaned to take the position, but with our safeties thinning out with FA, we need to make a change. Rodney Harrison? No, he is a smack talking punk and bad attitudes ooze. He talks smack about his teammates and he is dirty on the field. I like smash mouth football, but hey, I hate seeing players get hurt. (Unless they are Dallas Cowboys)

Derrick Mason, need I say more? With the talks of possibly sending "double D" Dom Davis packing if he cant produce, & the talks of Edgerin "The Edge" James coming here for a trade for Sharper, I wouldn't like it too much. I still have faith in Dom and think he is a better investment for the future. James is only 26, but suffered a tough injury in 2001 that I don't think he ever 100% shook off. Colts have one of the best lines in the game, so of course he produces well there, but in Houston? ummm...No. Before we make changes in our backfield, we need to sure up the O-Line and protect our most expensive investment in Carr.

Yahoo! Sports - NFL - Jamie Sharper trade??

2005-03-12T00:14:00.000-08:00

Yahoo! Sports - NFL - Jamie Sharper trade??:

"Updating a previous report, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, Houston Texans LB Jamie Sharper would be interested in joining the Cincinnati Bengals if a trade can be ironed out between the two franchises. Sharper, who has been granted permission to seek a trade by Houston, played under Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis when Lewis was a defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. 'Jamie would love to be able to sit down and talk with Marvin, but he can't and we can't,' said Sharper's agent, Tony Agnone. 'We've been given permission to seek a trade, but not permission to talk.' "

Morlon Greenwood signed from free agency

2005-03-12T00:10:00.000-08:00

The Official Site of the Houston Texans:

"HOUSTON - The Houston Texans have agreed to a contract with unrestricted free agent LB Morlon Greenwood, it was announced today.
Greenwood (6-0, 238) started 15-of-16 games and recorded a career high 129 tackles for the Miami Dolphins in 2004. Greenwood finished second on the team in total tackles while leading the Dolphins in tackles in three separate contests. He recorded a season high 15 tackles during the Dolphins' 24-17 win at San Francisco.
The former Syracuse Orangeman was selected in the third round (88th overall) of the 2001 NFL draft. Greenwood moved into the starting lineup against the New England Patriots where he started the final 12 games during his rookie season, recording 70 tackles and his career best 1.5 sacks.
As a member of the Dolphins, Greenwood contributed to a defense ranked in the top-10 for each of the four years he played with the team. He has amassed 354 total tackles in 62 games, starting 52 games at strongside linebacker.
Entering his fifth season, Greenwood looks to make the transition from playing in a 4-3 system to a 3-4 with the Texans. He played middle and outside linebacker during his four years at Syracuse where he was named first-team All Big East during his junior and senior season, posting 187 tackles during those two seasons.
Greenwood was born in Jamaica and moved to Long Island, N.Y. when he was 11 years old. He began playing football during his junior year of high school. He went on to earn all-state honors at Freeport High School during his senior season. He was also the New York state wrestling champion in the 215-pound weight class. "

Latest Transactions

2005-03-12T00:07:00.000-08:00

The Official Site of the Houston Texans:

"HOUSTON - The Houston Texans announced today that they have re-signed free agent DL Jerry Deloach.
Deloach (6-2, 335) played in 15 games, starting three in 2004. He was forced into a reserve role where he accounted for 49 tackles and one batted pass after the Texans acquired DE Robaire Smith in free agency during the 2004 off-season.
Deloach missed his first game as a Texans player at Kansas City on 9/26/04. Prior to that game, he started every game (34 games) on the Texans defensive line. The four year pro has managed 261 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery during his Texans career (2002-04).
The Texans received Deloach in the team's first trade when they dealt QB Danny Wuerffel to the Washington Redskins. During his rookie season, Deloach recorded 11 tackles and one sack. The former undrafted free agent from California has started at both nose tackle and defensive end in the Texans 3-4 scheme.
Following are the free agents the Texans have signed from other teams:
LB Morlon Greenwood (6-0, 238) Last Team: Miami
CB Lewis Sanders (6-1, 210) Last Team: Cleveland
Following are the free agents the Texans have re-signed:
FB Jarrod Baxter (6-1, 243)
CB Jason Bell (6-0, 186)
DL Jerry Deloach (6-2, 335)
CB Demarcus Faggins (5-10, 178)
NT Junior Ioane (6-4, 332)
FB Moran Norris (6-1, 250)
NT Seth Payne (6-4, 315)
LB DaShon Polk (6-2, 240)
DE Corey Sears (6-3, 319)
FS Jason Simmons (5-9, 198)"