My first quick impressions of the draft. The Texans drafted one of their biggest needs instead of going with the obvious choice of Reggie Bush. Reggie Bush instead went to New Orleans who in no way shape or form needed a running back. In fact, after the Texans announced they would select Mario Williams I thought that Reggie might fall to the number 4 pick.

Now, I think that New Orleans must be planning on trading either Reggie Bush or Duece McAllister. With all their other needs, you would think they could make a decent trade to help them fill some of their glaring needs.

As for Vince Young going to Tennessee, a lot of people in Houston are upset today. Not only did Vince not get picked by the Texans, but Bud Adams who moved the Houston Oiler to Tennessee got our hometown hero. Anyway, I am real happy for them and they got a steal in the second round by drafting Lendale White, who quite frankly outshined Reggie Bush in the Rose Bowl and looks like an amazing prospect.

I think Matt Leinart wound up in a perfect situation. Arizona is loaded with talent at the skill positions (Larry Fitzgerald, Anquon Boldin, Edgerren James).

Most teams did well in the first round. The later rounds (and about three years time) will really tell who did best in this draft.

Later…

The other day Matt Leinart was in New York and wanted to meet Donald Trump.

Donanld had great things to say about Matt. Donald would make a good sports agent. You can read more about Donald Trump’s visit with Matt Leinart by clicking here.

Well the NFL Draft is a day away. Probably the biggest question of the day will be where are the top 3 QBs going?

Will Vince Young end up in Tennessee, Oakland, Minnesota, elsewhere?

I think the Tennessee Titans will take Vince, because the owner Bud Adams wants to bring in his hometown guy. So the Houston Texans may not get Vince but the former Houston Oilers might take him. Like I said I would like to see him fall to Miami or Tampa, just because I want one of those teams to win another SuperBowl (and no I am not smoking the funny stuff). I really believe that Vince will be a great QB if he stays healthy.

Will Tennessee take Matt Leinart to appease their offensive cooridnator Norm Chow who coached Matt or will they take Vince?

I think Matt might be chosen by the Titans, he might be taken some where else. It’s really hard to say. With three top QBs in the draft and some other really, really good prospects who will be drafted later in the draft, this draft is loaded with QBs. Which means all three of the top QBs may fall lower than one would expect (I kind of doubt it though).

What about Jay Cutler?

I think Jay is going to be a really good QB in the NFL. Just the fact that he is projected to go so high is saying something about his talent. My wife Jill went to college at Vanberilt (she was know as Jill Kropp back then) and she was very surprised to see a QB from Vanderbilt be so highly touted. Vanderbilt is not exactly a football school, which makes it all the more impressive that Jay Cutler is so highly regarded. Jay could wind up in NY with the fourth pick, but it’s really hard to say.

Whatever happens with the top 3 QBs it will be fun to watch who gets them.

The other day Charlie Casserly reiterated that they haven’t had any trade offers for the first pick in the draft. I think the main reason for this is that the first round of this draft is loaded with excellent players. No real need to trade up when you are going to get a great player anyway.

So it looks like the Texans will take Bush (according to Mario Williams agent). This should sure up their backfield and give them a stronger running game. Now that it looks like Bush will be taken by the Texans, the Saints should wind up with Mario Williams.

Tennessee is now the new point of interest, who will they take? Most people have the Titans taking Matt Leinart, but some people think they will take Vince Young. It will be fun to see what happens.

The Houston Chronicle reported that the Texans have announced that they will pass on taking the best football player I have ever seen play college football (Vince Young) and take Reggie Bush or Mario Williams instead. If they are drafting to fill the teams biggest need, they will take Mario Williams. But they can’t really go wrong with either player (the team needs a lot of help).

Anyway, those of us who would have liked to see Vince wearing a Texans uniform won’t get our way. I expect Vince Young to be a phenomenal player and it will be fun to see where he winds up. I wish the Texans well. I think their coaching staff will make a huge difference and will turn this team around. I am a little bummed they won’t take the best player in the draft, but then again that rarely happens with the number 1 pick in the draft anyway.

BTW- What I would love to happen is for Vince to fall all the way to one of my former home state teams (Miami or Tampa Bay). That would be really cool!

You know I would prefer to see the Texans draft Vince Young, because I expect him to lead a team to the SuperBowl at some point in time and because QB has ALWAYS been a more important position in the NFL than running back (just look at past NFL drafts).

However, I was just reading a blog on the Houston Chronicle and apparently the Astros players favor selecting Reggie Bush. Go check it out by clicking here. It’s an interesting read.

No matter who they select, they will be improving their team.

This is funny. Sports Illustrated writer Mike Silver created a mock NFL draft based on what would happen if current NFL players were available to draft. The Texans select Tom Brady with the first pick, check out the article to read who he thinks everyone else would take.

Very fun read.

PS. I love number 10!

Michael Smith of ESPN wrote an excellent article today making a strong case for the Texans drafting Mario Williams. You know I would love for them to draft Vince Young, but they won’t be doing that. I think if they aren’t going to trade the pick, then taking Mario will probably be the best long term move.

Whatever happens the top half of this draft is the best in years.

What do you think the Texans should do… sign Bush or Williams?

The first round of the NBA playoffs have started and I have a few comments to make. First of all, I am little bummed that the Rockets had so many injuries this year. The worst injuries for the team started with Bob Sura their starting point guard, then Tracy McGrady, and lastly Yao Ming. The good news is they have a shot at getting a good player in the draft.

Here are the scores of the first playoff games this year:

Detroit 92, Milwaukee 74
Miami 111, Chicago 106
Indiana 90, New Jersey 88
Cleveland 97, Washington 86
San Antonio 122, Sacramento 88
Phoenix 107, LA Lakers 102
LA Clippers 89, Denver 87
Dallas 103, Memphis 93

Now, for my random comments on a few of the series so far.

Going into this season I thought this would be Miami’s season to win the championship. However, Chicago has been playing great basketball of late, and might take them out in the first round.

I really thought that the Washington Wizards were going to give Cleveland a harder time in the first game. Lebron James is AMAZING. He has definitely lived up to the hype.

I really like the Clippers. The LA clippers probably won’t go too far, but I like their team chemistry and I am big fan of Sam Cassell, who played for the Houston Rockets in their championship years and played for my alma matta FSU Seminoles in college. I think Sam is a great leader at the point, and with Elton Brand doing his thing in the paint, they could be a dangerous team.

I wish someone looked better than San Antonio and Detroit, but quite frankly both teams look great again this year. Looks like the Spurs and Pistons will be facing off in a rematch of last years finals. Should be a great series if it happens again.

This evening one of the local television stations here in Houston interviewed Charley Casserly the general manager of the Texans. It seems like they won’t be trading this pick. He said they weren’t really getting calls about trading for this pick, so I guess it’s up to them to choose between Mario Williams and Reggie Bush. They are talking to both players about contracts.

I am guessing Mario Williams is much more likely to fall into line with the money they probably want to pay. We will know soon…

Should the Texans trade this pick?

If they can get something worthwhile for a trade, then they should go for it. Looking back in history tells us that superstars often come as later picks in the NFL draft. The first pick in the 2006 NFL draft has to be worth a lot, so they should definitely consider trading this pick to get more picks. Jimmy Johnson used this technique to build a great team in Dallas, and I think that the Texans should probably do the same thing. If they aren’t go to draft Vince Young, then they are best off trading this pick.

Trading this pick would mean more picks in the draft and more shots at filling holes in the Texans lineup. Even though I would select Vince Young with this pick, I think that trading this pick may be the best thing the Texans can do. Let’s take a look at the last 20 number 1 picks in the draft:

1985 Bruce Smith
1986 Bo Jackson
1987 Vinny Testaverde
1988 Aundray Bruce
1989 Troy Aikman
1990 Jeff George
1991 Russell Maryland
1992 Steve Emtman
1993 Drew Bledsoe
1994 Dan Wilkinson
1995 Ki-Jana Carter
1996 Keyshawn Johnson
1997 Orlando Pace
1998 Peyton Manning
1999 Tim Couch
2000 Courtney Brown
2001 Michael Vick
2002 David Carr
2003 Carson Palmer
2004 Eli Manning
2005 Alex Smith

So are the players above the best 20 players taken in those drafts?
With a few exceptions, probably not. There are certainly some excellent players that have been taken at the number 1 spot in the draft. But think of all the great players that weren’t number 1 picks (Deion Sanders, Tom Brady, Jerry Rice, Steve Young, Barry Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Shaun Alexander, Brett Favre, Dan Marino, John Elway, etc.). It seems to me like the more picks you have the better chance you have of finding that superstar. It really worked with Jimmy Johnson, it could work for the Texans (read this article by Jimmy Johnson for more on his draft strategy).

Do the Texans need Reggie Bush?
Yes and No. They have a solid running back (Dominic Davis) and using Denver’s scheme almost any decent running back is going to put up big numbers. So getting a great running back isn’t really necessary. On the other hand, Reggie has amazing break away speed.

Do the Texans need Vince Young?
Yes and No. They are happy with David Carr, so they don’t seem to think they need Vince Young. On the other hand, Vince Young is an unbelievably gifted athlete.

Do the Texans need Mario Williams?
Yes. They could really use a pass rusher like Mario Williams.

Do the Texans need more than one player? Yes, Yes, Yes. The more the better. If they aren’t going to take Vince Young, then they should trade this pick. I am pretty sure they are trying to trade it. If they don’t get the right offer, they will probably take Reggie Bush or Mario Williams. Either one would help the team.

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The Texans may take Mario Williams with the first pick in the draft. The Texans have graded Mario Williams with a score higher than the grade they gave Julius Peppers in the 2001 draft.

They really like him and what’s not to like?
Mario Williams is a 6’ 7” 295lb defensive end that runs a 4.66 40 yard dash! Mario was a great pass rusher at NC State (14 1/2 sacks last season), something the Texans desperately need.

Would you use the first pick in the draft on Mario Williams if you were the Texans?
No. From a standpoint of Mario’s talent and the Texans needs, it makes sense for the Texans to take Mario Williams. If I were the Texans I sure would be thinking about drafting Mario, but…

There is just so much offensive talent in this draft, it’s hard to justify using the first pick on a defensive end. The fans here in Houston may not be so keen on drafting him, we are expecting some fire power on offense. On the upside, choosing Mario will mean spending less money, which might be a concern if the Texans are concerned about the salary cap or the possibility of luring some more veteran players to sign with them. I think that if the Texans don’t trade this pick, there is a 60% chance they will take Mario Williams, with a 40% chance of drafting Reggie Bush.

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Take a look at this video of Vince Young’s Texas college football highlights from his “carreer” as a Texas Longhorn Quarterback.

While there are a lot of rushing highlights, what impresses me the most is how many of these highlights emphasize his passing ability. One of those great touchdown passes that comes to mind is when Young threw a 24-yard touchdown pass through double coverage with 2:37 left in the game this year against Ohio State. That TD pass gave Texas a 25-22 win over then No. 7 ranked Ohio State.

Take a look at Vince Young’s college stats:

Vince is Texas’ all-time leader in total offense (9,167 yards), career touchdowns (81) and career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (37).

In his last season with Texas, Young became the only player in College Football history to pass for 3,000 yards (3,036) and rush for 1,000 (1,050) in one season. He set a set a school single-season record for total yards – 4,086 total yards.

Vince is a phenomenal prospect. He has that special “it” factor, that can’t be quantified. That is why Texas beat Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush’s vaunted USC team, that is why he is the best QB prospect in this draft. He has something you can’t coach. He has “IT”.

nfl draft nfl Football Vince Young

Vince Young is not your normal QB prospect. As a sophmore in the 2005 Rose Bowl Young nearly single handedly won the game against Michigan. Vince Young had 192 yard rushing and 4 rushing touch downs in that game along with 180 yards of passing and 1 TD pass. Vince completely dominated that game. All through the next season (2005) Vince continued to dominate games. Most of the games seemed to be his to win or lose. I don’t think I have seen a player be such a dominant factor in his team’s success since Charlie Ward or Bo Jackson.

The Rose Bowl in 2006 was no different. Wth millions watching, Vince put on what many were saying was the best performance by a college football player ever. The funny thing is that he probably had a more dominating performance the year before against Michigan. In the 2006 National Championship game Vince Young had 200 yard rushing and 3 rushing Touch Downs. Vince had 267 yards passing with no TD passes. If you watched the end of the National Championship game, you were probably among the people thinking “USC can’t stop Vince Young.” I think just about everyone watching the game new Vince was going to score the winning touchdown, either by running it or throwing it. The National Championship game seemed like it was in his hands. It was one of those special moments in sports (like I said he has had more than one of these types of games).

So should Vince Young be the first pick in the draft?
Yes.

Will Vince Young be the first pick in the draft?

No. I think if Vince’s throwing motion were more orthodox he would probably be the second pick in the draft. Why not the first?

For some reason, the upper management in the Houston Texans organization seems to love David Carr. Since drafting David Carr, they have never had any real competition at the QB spot. The guys they bring in to backup David have never been QBs that could win a starting job somewhere (a big mistake in my book).

Like it or not, David Carr is their QB and they won’t dare bring in a QB to compete with him (certainly not in the first round of the draft).

So, while Vince Young won’t be picked by the Texans, in my opinion they should pick him. Houston fans are not looking forward to seeing Vince play somewhere else. In Houston our worst case scenario is that Vince gets drafted by the Tennesse Titans (formerly known as the Houston Oilers) and comes to town twice a year to beat up on our Texans.

Hopefully, that won’t happen.

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The 2006 NFL Draft is fast approaching and there has been a lot of debate on who the Texans should take. In my next couple of posts, I am going to make a case for several of the top options and let you know who I would pick. One thing to remember is that looking back in history shows us that the number 1 pick isn’t usually the best player in the draft that year.

Let’s get things started with Reggie Bush.

Reggie is considered to be one of the best running back prospects in years. One of the few knocks on Bush is that he isn’t big enough to be an every down back. Lendale White took most of the short yardage work at USC. So do you use the number one pick on a back who isn’t going to play every down?

Well, let’s compare Reggie’s size to the top 8 RBs in the league last year. Reggie is listed at 5’10 1/2” 201 lbs. Here is a list of last years top eight running backs and their listed height:

1. Shaun Alexander- 5’11”
2. Tiki Barber – 5’10”
3. Larry Johnson – 6’1”
4. Clinton Portis- 5’11”
5. Edgerrin James – 6’0”
6. LaDainian Tomlinson – 5’10”
7. Rudi Johnson – 5’10”
8. Warrick Dunn – 5’9”

So, it looks like Reggie’s height (5’10 1/2”) falls in line with most of the top 8 running backs. His weight is a different story altogether. Let’s take a look at the weight of the leading rushers from the 2005-2006 NFL season:

1. Shaun Alexander – 225 lbs
2. Tiki Barber – 200 lbs
3. Larry Johnson- 230 lbs
4. Clinton Portis – 212 lbs
5. Edgerrin James – 214 lbs
6. LaDainian Tomlinson – 221 lbs
7. Rudi Johnson – 225 lbs
8. Warrick Dunn – 180 lbs

Reggie Bush’s weight is almost identical to Tiki Barker and a bit more than Warrick Dunn, but basically he is on the small size when compared to the top 8 running backs last year. However, Reggie is probably faster than all of the top 8 running backs from last year. There is something to be said for speed.

Now, while Reggie is fast he doesn’t have the freakish speed that say Bo Jackson had (a 4.19 40 time). Which is why I think that in some ways Reggie may be overhyped. I do think that he is a phenomenal prospect. I think that Reggie could very easily put up similar numbers to those of Tiki Barber and in the right system could lead the league in rushing.

Reggie would be an excellent fit for an offense that needs to score more points, like the Houston Texans. The Texans could definitely use a running back with break away speed like Bush.

The problem is that Houston has a solid running back in Dominic Davis. In fact, running back may be the Texans strongest postion on their offense. That said, Reggie Bush would help the Texans win more games and have a more exciting offense.

Would I take Reggie Bush with the first pick in the draft if I were the Texans?
No.

While the Texans couldn’t go wrong taking him (he’s extremely gifted), I would do something else with this pick.

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We have a new poll up. We would love for you to let us know who you think the Texans should take with the first pick in the draft.

Anything they do with the pick should help their team get better, but what would you do with the first pick in the draft if you were the Houston Texans?

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Here are the final poll results for the question:

Should the NCAA expand the Tournament field?

yes: 33%
no: 44%
maybe: 0% (0)
just let all the teams play: 0% (0)
no, it should be reduced: 22%