With all the news of last week and everyone talking about Mario now being a OLB, I had to rethink the draft.

I understand the Watt pick even more now. He will be expected to start right away. But now the 2nd pick Reed become murkier.

The only way this pick jumps off the page is at the time of the draft Mario was a DE. What changed? Was all the predraft info from the team really smoke to cover the move, thus hidding their real needs list? Must have been. But I am still trying to figure out the Reed pick, was he really only a depth pick? That is not how Reggie Herring presented Reed during the draft. They expected him to come in and push for the starting spot. Barwin was going to be the WOLB and Reed the SOLB. Now Mario is the WOLB and Barwin is being moved.

Call me confused, excited to see the new defense but truly confused.

I don't want to call the Texans liers, but I'm really skeptical of their apparent spin which seems to be that their plan all along did not include drafting Aldon Smith with their top pick had he been available because they had decided pre-Draft that Mario was going to be their "focus" WOLB, and Smith was nothing more than a "smokescreen" ? Do you really buy that ?

IMO, I'm thinking this could be Mario's ticket out of town, unless it works. I think that Wade is trying to make best use of what he has to work with, and if it works, then he looks smart, if it doesn't, then Mario is outta here next year, and the FO gets out of paying him mega bucks. They are going to put him in a situation to succeed, but there is a plan B in place. Getting Reed in place is that plan B for this season and beyond.

Not sure if I'm right, but that's the way I see it.

I really wish they also had a "Plan C" in place - assuming they get the new CBA/and it looks like we are going to have a 2011 season, then shop Mario for the best deal they can get while we are still in the "use it" period because soon it will be "lose it".

Speaking as a fan, I agree with you 1000%.

Speaking as someone who's job is on the line, I don't see that happening. They are going to want every possible tool in the arsenal this year to try to win, and hit that golden playoff spot. They don't do that, they are outta here. If you were in thier shoes, would your trade your best defensive player in a make it or see ya stage?

If "their shoes" were Kubiak & Smith, no ? If "their shoes" were the owner and perhaps even Wade Phillips, I've got a different perspective.

For my fwiw opinion, my plan a, b, c would keep Mario happy, productive and lifetime Texan.

Perhaps consider trading Antonio Smith,if he isn't happy for some reason, but not Mario.

We need to keep all of these guys for a while and quit changing things.

I love how the team is demanding that its best defensive player do something that he is unaccustomed and likely physically ill-suited to do and when, in a year, they have the evidence that he cannot do what they want him to do they are not going to re-sign him. This is their best defensive player. Vintage Texans.

Williams will be in a contract year so at least we know he's going to go all out to make sure that he shines.

I am going to operate on the principal that our previous defensive coaches were dumber than our current defensive coaches. This is not due to a high opinion of Wade Phillips. I just think our previous guys set a really low bar. So I will wait until I see this play out before deciding whether it is a good move for mario.

I'm operating on the same principle but it's clear to me that Mario is a true 4-3 DE and nothing else. I do not rule out the possibility that Wade and friends will find ways to make Mario effective in their defense but that will require a level of intelligence and creativity that we have not seen out of any group of coaches in the team's history. But as Fonz points out it is a contract year and that should provide some motivation. But my guess is that Mario is not in the team's long-term plans.

That opinion is one of the most logical ones for the drafting of Watts and Reed because I do not see a defense that has Watts and Reed along with Smith, Barwin and Mario. Well maybe if Watts played NT. Other wise there is not enough position on the field.

But this is the same team that currently has 5 TE signed for next season, and did not appear to be a player on the cut player signings after the season.

I suggest all you would be, wanna be, never will be's, wait until you see how it plays out before you make your pontifical judgments.

Why would you wait two weeks to submit this post? I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't. It's not my board and you're obviously free to do as you like but I'm simply puzzled by your constant posting weirdly in dormant threads. I guess I can admit that I sort of enjoy it. It provides the board with a bit of its unique personality. Do you just find yourself bored with the relative inactivity and get the itch to post something?

Why not? You weirdly come and go. Why should you have the temerity to question anyone else.