I'd be very interested in hearing from someone that really understands X's and O's at the NFL level how specifically Hill solves our issues on the goalline with the SAM LB and how we become less predictable in our one back sets.

I was of the opinion that both Dressen and OD have become fairly accomplished blockers, particularly given how threatening they are as receivers.

I get the basic concept that a good, powerful blocker gives us an advantage but I'm interested in the real detail of it.

thanks.

On the goalline predictability is less an issue because a TE does not need to be a genuine receiving threat to score a TD on the goalline. The field is so shrunk down that he does not need to run great routes or stretch the field vertically. He just has to block well enough that you can run it in, and catch it if they leave him uncovered on a play action. This is why Vrabel has like 10career TDs. Not because he is a great receiver, but because inside the 5 your 2nd TE is the same Play Action threat regardless of if he's a great pass catcher or not.

So a guy like Hill gives us a great blocker in close but can still catch a 5 yard flip off of play action (the only pass your 2nd TE is catching in the end zone). So despite his lack of versatility, he doesn't make us any more predictable on the goalline. Some teams even go as far as putting the DT at FB down there and it isn't any more predictable because a goalline passing play is never going to have 5 receiving options in the play anyways.

As far as how he helps the running game on the goalline, that is fairly obvious. He blocks better than the guys who did it for us last year (I assume since I've never seen him play). Much of the same holds true in short yardage off of the goalline, but not as much so since there is a bigger field to challenge and defend, and thus you are tipping your hand a bit in those spots.

On Caldwell's thread, I posted a quote I got from the Texans website, which I think is appropriate to pop in again here:

They have got to get DeMeco's contract done. It's obvious he's a leader and his teammates respect him. I'm almost to the point where I want them to trade DRob (Shelton Brown, maybe?), but I hope they definitely take care of DeMeco.

I'd like them to trade Dunta too, but I'm starting wonder if we'd get as much for him as we'd like to think.

Ellis Hobbs was just traded for two 5ths. Anthony Henry was traded for a back-up QB.

The market doesn't seem to be as lucrative as we'd like.

I wouldn't personally take anything less than a third for him. Otherwise, I let him walk after '09 and take the compensatory pick in '11.