~NEW. Houston. TEXANS. Preseason Thread 2017~ Pats @ NRG

Mike Lombardi: Texans can get cap-friendly deal done with Tony Romo

Signs continue to point to Tony Romo landing with Texans

Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi believes the Houston Texans can easily get a cap-friendly deal done with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo once he’s released.

If Romo is released, Texans can do a deal with him that is cap friendly but cash rich and then in 18 say goodbye to the Heist. Makes sense

— michael lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) February 17, 2017
If I am the Texans and the day Romo s released I would be in Dallas on his doorstep with a plan and cash on why he can win it all in Houston

— michael lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) February 17, 2017

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I doubt that Romo’s biggest concern is how much money he’s going to make. All he cares about right now is winning a Super Bowl before his career ends.

I’m still trying to figure out why Texans’ fans are opposed to signing Romo. It would be a no-lose situation for Houston.

This team is ready to win now. Now is the time to make a Super Bowl run. They can’t make that run with Brock Osweiler, Tom Savage or some rookie starting next season.

I do believe that the Texans also need to draft a quarterback as they continue to search for their future franchise quarterback. But they can’t ignore the fact that they were two wins away from the Super Bowl this past season.

- From Fansided

I'm wondering exactly how "cap-friendly" that could truly be when you still need to work a deal with Hopkins, pay Bouye instead of letting him walk, along with other moves as well.
 
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Brian Cushing's Future With the Houston Texans Hangs in the Balance Heading Into the 2017 Season

Entering the 2017 off-season, the Houston Texans have to poke and prod their current roster to make sure that they are in the best spot for the upcoming season. There will be plenty of focus on the future of A.J. Bouye and the uncertainty at the quarterback position, but there will be some underlying issues with key veterans which require attention as well.

Longtime linebacker Brian Cushing someone whose name will come to the forefront as an opportunity for the roster to improve through potential cap savings. Cushing’s story is well known. He has grown as a man and player in Houston. He was rafted by the Texans in 2009 in the first round, named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and in that same year, saw his first and only Pro-Bowl selection. In 2011, Cushing was selected to the All-Pro team which was the height of his play for the Texans. There were also low times. First, the positive test late in 2009 which resulted in Cushing missing the first four games of the 2010 season. Then, in consecutive seasons, 2012-2013, his left leg took a battering on two separate occasions: first, a blindside block from Matt Slauson early in 2012, and the following season he broke his fibula, tearing his fibular collateral ligament in the process, after a cut block from Jamaal Charles.

The road has been long for Cushing and off-seasons dedicated to rehab have seen him the past three seasons performing as a shade of his former self. In 2016, Cushing finally looked, at times, like he did prior to the injuries. An MCL injury did cause him to miss two games this season but those injuries were not enough to keep him from having a decent overall season. Cushing finished the season with 65 total tackles and took over as the Texans all-time leading tackler with 648 total tackles. Which now leads to this upcoming off-season. What is next for Cushing?

2017 marks the first time that there are potential cap savings with Cushing’s contract — if the Texans decided to move on from him. With a cap number at $9.3 million, Cushing will enter the upcoming season as the 4th highest cap hit for the franchise this upcoming season.

Looking at Cushing closer, from a football standpoint, he has turned into a two-down linebacker because of the injuries and limitations in space against faster running backs. Late in the season, Cushing relinquished his 3-down linebacker role to Benardrick McKinney and was spot-filled with Max Bullough in certain defenisve situations. With limited snaps, Cushing’s potential cap hit of $9.3 million is high for what he is being asked to do on the field.

TexansCap.com breaks down Cushing’s contract. :
Brian Cushing’s contract runs through the 2019 season. Cushing is due a $5.5 million dollar salary in 2017, along with $1.25 million in roster bonuses. Cushing’s 2017 cap charge is $9.547 million. Releasing Cushing will provide a net cap savings of $5.55 million while leaving $3.997 million in dead money and saving the team $6.75 million in cash spending.

The Texans could clear some cap room if needed, $5.55 million, if needed for other possible roster moves. If the Texans do move on from Cushing, they would have to fill two linebacker roles to fill in behind McKinney. That could be an issue with a cap situation that might be allocated to other areas. Cushing, if he wanted to, could take a pay cut to line up with what he is being asked to do on the field. That number would be drastically less than what he is making now and that would leave the Texans less work on the roster to fill more holes. Either way, Cushing’s contract will be a focus of the Texans on what exactly what to do with him for the future. Injuries and limited work on the field could be signs of the direction that the Texans might go, but Cushing is considered one of the team leaders and the “heart and soul” of the defense. The Texans are not forced to make a move with Cushing but if another opportunity arises to sign a player or two, his current contract will come into focus quickly for a decision to be made.
 
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The Houston Texans need to sign A.J. Bouye to an extension or let him walk as a free agent.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the Houston Texans will not use the franchise tag on cornerback A.J. bouye.

Texans not expected to use franchise tag on standout CB A.J. Bouye, per source. Doesn’t mean they won’t re-sign him; just no tag.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 1, 2017
This isn’t a surprise at all, since numerous reporters have been saying over the past month that Bouye won’t get tagged by the Texans.

It's gonna be amazing when Bouye is on the opposite side of Jalen Ramsel terrorizing us
 
The Houston Texans meet with Western Michigan's Taylor Moton
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Texans have met with offensive lineman from Western Michigan Taylor Moton at the NFL Combine. Moton is considered as an offensive tackle to many but have the versatitliy to play offensive guard if needed. This meeting comes as little surprise especially the interest the Texans showed to Moton in Mobile, Alabama. Moton met with the media on Thursday and discussed his experiences at the NFL Combine.

“Just about every team I’ve talked to, I’ve talked to every team, Miami’s not excluded from that that said they love versatile guys." Moton said of his interviews. "Some teams look at me more as a guard, some teams look at me more as a tackle. I tell them I can do both. I’ll do whatever position you need me to be."

"Wherever I go, I know I’ll go in there and fight for a starting job right away.” Moton continued.

The Texans met with Moton at the Reese's Senior Bowl and had a follow up meeting with him at the NFL Combine.

“Absolutely. Some teams I met at the Senior Bowl, some at the Senior bowl and combine. Yeah, I talked to Houston, absolutely.” said Moton of meeting a team again.
Moton was part of the Western Michigan team in 2016 that finished 12-1, the school’s best record in team history, and the powerful offensive lineman contributed to the rise of the program. Moton played both right guard and right tackle for the Broncos giving him some versatility for teams to consider. Checking in at 6'5" and 330 lbs., Moton was a four-year starter and appeared in all 51 games for the Broncos.
 
Utah OL Garett Bolles on Texans, future in NFL

Garett Bolles is living the dream at the 2017 Combine.

The Utah offensive lineman, projected by some to be a Texan with the 25th pick in the Draft, is thrilled to be in Indianapolis with other NFL hopefuls.

“This is a dream come true,” Bolles said Thursday. “I remember as a kid watching things like this on TV, watching the guys play on Sundays and now I’m here, about to live my dream. It’s an honor and I’m blessed to be here.”

A first-team All-Pac 12 left tackle for the Utes in 2016, Bolles said he’d met with the Texans at the Combine, and came away impressed. “They’re great people,” Bolles said. “They’re a great coaching staff, a great organization and I’m just looking forward to seeing what happens in the future.”

Bolles is 6-5 and weighed 297 pounds. He also ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash for linemen, taking just 4.95 seconds to do so. Above all else, though, his nastiness in between the lines is one of his main selling points to prospective employers. Bolles also ranks 20th on the Harris 100, which puts him near the top of the offensive line class.

“When I’m on the field, I want to put people in the dirt,” Bolles said. “And that’s what I’m here for. As an offensive lineman, you want to be the nasty prick that you can be. And whoever’s in front of me, I want to drive them and put them in the dirt.”

Bolles said he wouldn’t mind doing such things at NRG Stadium as a pro.

“If the Texans pick me up, great,” Bolles said. “And I’ll be more than happy to go down there in Texans, and I’d be honored to play for that organization. But you know, there’s 32 teams on draft day and hopefully one of them just falls in love with me.”

Bolles will turn 25 in late May. He spent two years at Snow College before transferring to Utah in 2016. Before his time at Snow, he went on a LDS mission trip to Colorado.
 
http://www.battleredblog.com/2017/3/8/14838686/if-i-was-rick-smith

Some of this write-up is both
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OJ Howard/Njoku (Bucky Hodges, Legget) are back to being critical draft needs. OJ/Dave prolly won't slip far enough though, so I guess 2nd round on one of the other guys hopefully.

Should we consider drafting a CB in the first round? Seems like a lot of talent, but the best guys playing that position might also be off the board
 
Don't we have one of the highest paid O-Lines in the league? Like top 5? It's clearly a need regardless but still considering current investment.

CB wasn't a need until we lost Bouye :lol:

Even if KJ comes back, he's a completely different mold. Not saying Bouye is the only answer, and we get JJWatt back (praying fully healthy) but we need at least 1 CB of his mold to hold that elite defense status (imo)
 
bonafide hustla said:
Don't we have one of the highest paid O-Lines in the league? Like top 5? It's clearly a need regardless but still considering current investment.

CB wasn't a need until we lost Bouye :lol:

Even if KJ comes back, he's a completely different mold. Not saying Bouye is the only answer, and we get JJWatt back (praying fully healthy) but we need at least 1 CB of his mold to hold that elite defense status (imo)
Click to expand...

That latter part is why it's a need, but not over QB and OL. Kevin Johnson and Watt coming back alleviates some of that, plus there's been more and more talks about moving Kareem to safety. That sounds good, but you have to figure out if he's actually capable of doing that. They've always been good at finding street FAs, so that has to be an answer, cause I'm not sure if they'd fare well trying to draft a CB in the 2-4th rounds to replace him

As far as the line, I think Adams and Bergstrom take up the most money, but not crippling amounts. Needs to be addressed either way, especially if they really are bringing Romo in. It would be a disaster to bring Romo in and still having Chris Clark trying to protect him. He'd be dead by week 3.
 
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Peep Game said:
That latter part is why it's a need, but not over QB and OL. Kevin Johnson and Watt coming back alleviates some of that, plus there's been more and more talks about moving Kareem to safety. That sounds good, but you have to figure out if he's actually capable of doing that.

As far as the line, I think Adams and Bergstrom take up the most money, but not crippling amounts. Needs to be addressed either way, especially if they really are bringing Romo in. It would be a disaster to bring Romo in and still having Chris Clark trying to protect him. He'd be dead by week 3.
Click to expand...


I totally feel that Re: protecting Romo, or whoever next year's QB is, tbh. Are you suggesting we should draft OL high if we get Romo?

The need def increases if it's Romo with the past injury. I just think you could find a way to invest a tad less (monetarily + draft + FA) and still do a serviceable job at getting him some protection. Nick Martin hasn't proved anything, but he could be a factor in theory.


But idk man, we lost Demps, Kareem at safety...who starts at CB? Even when JJWatt was terrorizing the league and guys like JJoseph were playing lights out, our secondary can hold it down against most teams but still get smacked by contenders with true number 1 WRs....because we've never had a CB with Bouye's mold (imo). I feel like this past year is the first time we've seen our defense truly put it together to be good enough to compete against anyone in the league.
 
^Im definitely saying they should draft a lineman high if the play if for Romo, or [ideally] bring in a vet Fa and eliminate some of these other linemen we have. Was hoping they'd look at Ricky Wagner, but he's already been scooped up by the Lions. I'm also saying this assuming that Nick Martin steps right in and produces.

I feel you on the loss of Bouye as well, but I knew you'd command a ton of money that the Texans should devout to the line more. Plus, unlike the middle rounds, I actually trust them finding another undrafted guy that could eventually be him. I'm just hoping they don't go the Ed Reed route and bring in an aging vet to be an "on the field coach" but can't physically produce on the field.

John Simon 3yrs 17 mil to the Colts. They are some scumbags :lol:
 
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Mark Berman‏ @MarkBermanFox26 21 minutes ago
TE Ryan Griffin gets a 3-year contract from the #Texans worth $9 million, $3.2 million guaranteed

What a cheap contract :lol: :lol:
 
The Ringer’s first mock draft has Texans taking Forrest Lamp

As of right now it would be a surprise if the Houston Texans don’t take a quarterback or offensive tackle in the first round.

Over the past couple of months a lot of mock drafts from around the web have the Houston Texans going with Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes or offensive tackles Garrett Bolles or Ryan Ramczyk.

This one is a first.

Danny Kelly of The Ringer posted his first mock draft of the offseason and he has the Houston Texans using the 25th overall pick on offensive lineman Forrest Lamp.

Xavier Su’a-Filo and Jeff Allen were liabilities for Houston last year, so the Texans address the interior offensive line with the barrel-chested Lamp. The former Hilltopper brings the potential to play either interior spot, and because of his Go-Go Gadget arm growth from the Senior Bowl to the combine, could even compete for a spot at right tackle opposite Duane Brown.

Many people have been raving about Lamp. Especially Mike Mayock of the NFL Network. But I’m not sure he’s a first round talent due to the fact that he may not be good enough to play tackle in the NFL.

Lamp is the 17th ranked prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s big board.

Lamp carries weight well on his 6-foot-4 frame. He excelled at offensive tackle in college, but I believe it would be in his best interest to move inside to guard at the next level. This is one of the more technically sound linemen you’ll see at the college level. He is quick out of his stance and he bends really well. He keeps his hands in tight and consistently stays on balance. He is always very patient and doesn’t overextend. In the run game, he runs his feet on contact and generates movement at the point of attack. He was lights-out against Alabama. His lack of ideal height and length could be an issue in the NFL but that would be alleviated with a move to guard. Overall, Lamp is very strong, consistent and reliable, which should allow him to get on the field right away.
With this year’s crop of offensive lineman not blowing everyone away, if Lamp is only good enough to play guard in the NFL, he may not be worth taking in the first round.

When it comes to first round, it’s all about getting value for your pick. Not necessarily drafting according to need.

It wouldn’t be smart for the Texans to draft a player like Lamp when there are questions about whether he’s good enough to play tackle. - Fansided
 
I figured since the Texans have been so quiet in free agency that they would address some stuff in-house. What's mentioned about Chris Clark has me :x though. Dude was awful last year and I don't see that changing. No matter who is the QB here, that's not a guy who needs to be on the roster. If Romo is a Texan, he'd be curtains by week 3 with Chris Clark starting.


The Houston Texans have taken care of some depth at offensive line which went unnoticed by many

The Houston Texans continue to watch the days move and sit patiently while most are wondering what the team is trying to accomplish. The organization has moved Brock Osweiler, freeing up $10 million in cap space, and has lost four of its own players from the 2016 roster as they head to new teams via free agency. Most expected for the Texans to cut checks to fill holes in the roster but that is not the plan at the moment, with the Tony Romo situation sitting on the back burner.

As much as many want movement from the Texans this off-season, using the 2016 off-season as a barometer, that off-season was an outlier on how the Texans usually conduct business in free agency. The Texans went all in with Brock Osweiler but had solid deals for Lamar Miller ($6.5M APY), Jeff Allen ($7M APY), and Tony Bergstrom ($2.87 APY).

Many felt that the Texans would be moving on from both Tony Bergstrom and Chris Clark heading into this next season but given their contracts and how the market is out of control for offensive linemen, the market has positioned the two as valuable depth players. Bergstrom enters the second year of his 2-year deal worth $5.75 million, while Clark enters his final year of his 2-year deal worth $6 million. Those two deals would rank them on the bottom end of the contracts handed out this off-season but remember these are depth signings from the start.

The Texans know they have to find a starting caliber right tackle and that was shown with early inquires on Ricky Wagner and Mike Remmers when free agency kicked off. Wagner and Remmers are two tackles who have played at a decent level but their contracts were high dollar when it was all said and done.

Besides an inflated market for offensive linemen, the Texans make it a habit to do their free agent shopping when most do not realize it is taking place.

What do we mean?

The Texans make it habit, when they sign players at any point, to have a long term outlook on players. Most signings occur to replace injured players, but the Texans make sure to select players who have a trajectory pointing upward for the future to add to their roster.

There are key examples of this over the years, especially in the Bill O’Brien era. Some have been with reserve/futures contracts that were in-season signings.

One player in particular mentioned in private discussion that when he was signed by the Texans, he was told from the start that the team wanted him to learn the system and it would be a learning period for the remainder of the season. The following season, they would want to see him put what he learned in that short time on the field and give him a chance to stay on the roster. The Texans kept an eye on this particular player since college, showing overt interest, and when they had an opportunity to finally sign him, they did. This player had a chance to play on game days and become an intergral part of the roster, filling in on key spots and making plays.

Which leads us to this off-season: why are the Texans not making moves, especially for the offensive line?

There were two key signings that most brushed off during the season, offensive guard/tackle Josh Walker and offensive tackle Laurence Gibson. Walker has experience at right guard and tackle, while Gibson is considered a swing tackle with his better fit at right tackle. Both Walker and Gibson have had time to learn the system and, most importantly, are thought of highly inside the building.

Walker played some regular season games with the Green Bay Packers mainly at right guard. The 6’5”, 328 lbs. offensive lineman is only in his 2nd season out of Middle Tennessee State and is a youth signing who the Texans are trying to develop. Walker even played in two games for the Texans in 2016 and was signed immediately to the 53-man roster when he arrived.

As for Gibson, the 6’6”, 305 lbs. offensive tackle was a 7th round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2015 NFL Draft. Gibson was an NFL Combine invite and was in the top five in his position group with a 5.04 sec. 40-yard dash, 33.5 inch vertical jump, 113 broad jump, and a 4.56 20-yard shuttle. The tape on him coming out of Virginia Tech showed NFL-level ability with inconsistent tape, but has the tools all teams want to develop. The Texans had him visit NRG Stadium for a pre-draft visit in 2015, which shows the Texans have been interested in sometime in Gibson.

The Texans have young players in-house who they have been working with to develop in both Walker and Gibson. Gibson arrived in late October of 2015 while Gibson signed early December, allowing both players time to develop in the system.

If the Texans would have had on the transaction report that the team signed offensive lineman Josh Walker and Laurence Gibson, most would feel better about the Texans “trying” to do something to help their roster.

As onlookers wait for the Texans to start making moves, the Texans have already done so in order to get ready for the upcoming season. They continue to make signings when people least expect it, ensuring they have depth and beating the mad rush as other franchises overpay players. The Texans really concentrate on young players they have put the time into with the draft process so they are ready to go a few years down the road.

The depth is already in-house, now it is about finding that front line player who the Texans can trust for the long haul for the season.
 
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From Chron:

Besides ridding themselves of an unwanted, ineffective and expensive quarterback in Brock Osweiler, the Texans haven't been entirely inactive this offseason.

They retained three key players from last season: tight end Ryan Griffin (three years, $9 million, punter Shane Lechler (one year, $2 million) and kicker Nick Novak (one year, $1.15 million), for a combined cost of $12.15 million.

The Texans need reinforcements along the offensive line, especially at right tackle where starter Derek Newton is expected to miss next season after tearing both his patellar tendons against the Broncos last season with Chris Clark struggling as his replacement.

They need help at safety after losing Quintin Demps, who led all players at his position with a career-high six interceptions.

They could use another cornerback since Johnathan Joseph and Kevin Johnson both dealt with injuries over the past few seasons and A.J. Bouye signed with the Jaguars.

"The one thing I'm a little surprised by is they haven't started to address the offensive line in a more meaningful way," said former NFL agent Joel Corry, who writes about the business of football for CBS Sports. "It was kind of a weak link last year, besides the quarterback position. Everyone is harping on the loss of Bouye, but he was a very expensive luxury. Because their cornerback situation is healthy, they can survive that loss.

"I can understand why they passed for the amount of money it would have cost. He was a one-year guy who played great and played his way out of Houston. When you look at the prices on the open market and how well he played even though it was only one year, you knew he was going to be gone."
 
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From NFL.com

Perfect Pairs: Ideal top two draft picks for Houston Texans

Houston Texans
Perfect draft pair: Alabama OT Cam Robinson (Round 1, pick 25); Florida S Marcus Maye (Round 2, pick 57)

Jeremiah on Robinson: Offensive line seems to be the way the Texans need to go in Round 1. I think Robinson finds his home at right tackle. I think he can be a long-term starter and an upgrade there for Houston. When he's at his best, you see his power and the punch he possesses. He can lock guys down. Robinson gets caught off balance at times, but he has a chance to improve and become a really good player.

Brooks on Maye: Maye can shore up the safety position for the Texans. He's one of the few players who has the ability to play the pass but is also active at the line of scrimmage against the run. This would be a terrific find for Houston.
 
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