Was that during his Ox in a ditch speech or the one that said we're on the right track?

Just sayin......

I think ultimately we are going to regret taking Hopkins this year with our 1st round pick, and that's just among other WRs that were available in the draft this year including several receivers who went in later rounds.
Anybody else catch the Fresno - San Jose State game yesterday ? I watched Derrick Carr on a couple drives and he's an impressive passer, had excellent accuracy atleast on several short and medium length passes, didn't really watch enough of the game to see him throw it downfield. And San Jose has a slinger named David Fales who might be another interesting QB prospect.

Who do you like more than Hopkins from the later rounds?

Keenan Allen (SD/CAL) & Terrance Willimans (Dal/Baylor) are a couple and both were 3rd rounders in April.
As more time passes the less I like our Draft, and it's not just the player we took with our top pick. Swearington for example is a good player, I like him and he will most likely be a success in the NFL over the long-term, but I don't think we should have used a second round pick on him, or any safety for that matter. And then there's the third round where we had 2 picks and it was clearly a disaster for us.

I don't like our 3rds at this point either, but I like rounds 1 and 2 a lot. I'd rather have Hopkins than any WR in the draft. I think he has a much higher ceiling than any of those guys. He has clearly struggled since our QB play took a nose dive, but he is still the guy from the 4th quarter and OT of Tennessee in week 2. In fact, I think WR might be the best position group on the team going forward. AJ is still near the top, Hopkins looks like he could be a true #1, and I really like Posey.

Swearinger has been our best Safety this year (I know that is like being the favorite prison guard, but still). We needed a safety at the time and he filled the need nicely. I would say he is the only sure piece of our Secondary going forward.

I hope you are right about Hopkins.
Re our secondary, Keo has shown a lot of improvement this year, but don't know if it's enough for him to viewed as a starter over the long-term here in our secondary ? Sounds like you don't think Keo has a future beyond a reserve/ST type, atleast here in Houston ?

Re: Hopkins. Not sure about his downfield speed or ability to get open but he can win jump balls and seems to have good ball skills. I think he has suffered withour QB woes and clearly Andre is still the receiver of choice. I'm not down on Hopkins. Sometimes receivers need a year or two to flourish.

Re: Swearingen. He's just as advertised. Tough guy. Big hitter. Not a polished product and sometimes takes bad angles. Smith obviously knew all that when he was drafted so how can anyone complain with what we got? He was meant to be insurance in case Ed Reed was not ready and, boy, did we need that.

Re: Keo. I've never thought of him as more than backup/special teams and I'm really surprised he has lasted this long. Somebody obviously sees more in this guy than I have been.

Walter 12.3.2013

1 Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville33 James Hurst, OT, North Carolina65 Jeremiah Attaochu, DE/OLB, Georgia Tech

Just how good is this Jadeveon Clowney ? Has his reputation, image, whatever been blown totally out of all proportion because of this one hit, this one play he made on the RB across the los that got so much pub, or is he really that rare of a talent as a pass-rusher that comes along once just ever so often ? Maybe another Jevon "the freak" Kearse, or even the potential to be the second coming of Lawrence Taylor ? I've not seen any of his games and I'd like to know
since it's looking like he ours if we want him in the 2014 draft. So thoughts, comments anybody ?

I'm not the expert on this either, but,

Jadeveon Clowney , 6',6", 268 lbs South Carolina seems to be top choice some draft boards recommending for Texans

http://fansided.com/2013/12/02/2014-...-takes-1-spot/

The Freshman QB from Florida St might be worth waiting a year for, although not sure he would pass Texans ethics background check..

Right now, my opinion for top three draft picks is all defense, two pass rushers, DE and OLB, then a tall playmaking CB like Seattle has who can cover the tall Wr and TE.

There are a few other top pass rushers in this draft such as Barr from UCLA.

Just a thought, if Zach Mettenberger is available at top of third would we take him. Good size, arm strength, injured now. Had been rated late first or early second round.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings...2014&genpos=qb

WalterFootball 12.11.13

1 Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville 33 James Hurst, OT, North Carolina 65 Jeremiah Attaochu, DE/OLB, Georgia Tech I want so bad to offer another alternative, but I promised not to. :(

don't like Bridgewater, like Bortles

Have you followed Bortles? All I saw was the one game against UH and he was pretty bad. Strangely, Bridgewater was pretty average against them too. And obviously UH is not Alabama on defense. They turn people over at an awesome rate but don't really stop people (but did against Bortles and Bridgewater).

I keep seeing his name and wondered if anyone else had seen him play more. What are his strengths? Weaknesses? How has he climbed to a potentially high draft pick? etc?

Never heard of him, but then I never heard of OT Eric Fisher of Central Michigan this time last year and he ended up being the #1 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.
So whoever goes #1 in the 2014 Draft may also be a complete unknown to many NFL fans at this point in time.

Did a search on Bortles, quite a few recent articles on him. Underclassmen who hasn't decided yet to enter draft. Found a Raiders blog where they had analysis and quoted ESPN Todd McShay-

In fact, it wouldn't shock me if he ends up going ahead of Bridgewater.

Bortles has good size, arm strength and accuracy, and has proved he can win from inside the pocket. He also possesses good character and a strong football IQ. A nice bonus is that he's built to last in the NFL because he's big and mobile enough to move around. He isn't Cam Newton, but more of a cross between Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger.

I did see the end of the Louisville game, but didn't see the UH game. Heard an analyst on either espn radio or nfl radio saying he was probably the most "clutch" along with Stanford qb. He also mentioned smarts or IQ. Since that point Ive tried to research (draft sites, youtube, etc). I seem to remember liking his pocket presence and the fact that he throws the ball well with pressure around him. I can't name specifics but that is what I came away with. But there is still a long time and Im sure the Texans won't be asking for my opinion.

Walter Football 1.16.14 (their watch must be fast)
 

It's a been awhile and they've made some changes with the lower rounds:

1. 1. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

2. 33. Kyle Van Noy, DE/OLB, BYU

3. 65. Joel Bitonio, OT/G, Nevada

4. 97. E.J. Gaines, CB, Missouri

The 1-1 choice will be picked apart so no point rehashing it here. Van Noy is an interesting choice as he is an impact player but a tad undersized for the next level. He can defenitely rush the QB and we need that and, as a bonus, has some pass coverage skills so he can definitely be a three-down player. He makes plays. As with anybody from BYU, check the birth certificate.

Drafting OL in the third round makes sense except we seem to do that every year and mostly have wound up with crap. Help at RT is definitely needed but I'm leaning towards finding a veteran in free agency rather than fooling around with more rookies. CB in the 4th round is another smart get. I wonder if/when we might look for a RB to give us depth and insurance in case Foster/Tate aren't ready. Your thoughts?

I think we all need to(or have already come to) realize this team needs more than a new QB and new HC to get to the SB. We have needs at almost every position due to some bad draft picks and FA signings in recent years. With that said, this is a scenario I would do, although I know it's been over 10 years since a First overall pick has been traded.

Trade the 1 to the Browns for the 4, 26, and 35.
Trade the 26 to the 49ers for their 30 and 94.


1-1. Browns - J. Manziel. QB
1-2. Rams - G. Robinson. OT
1-3. Jags - J. Clowney. DE

1-4. Blake Bortles. QB, B.O.B. makes out like a bandit in his first draft as HC. He gets the proto type signal caller he most desires and many assumed he'd take 1st overall, and a hand full of additional picks to help reload the team. (Anthony Barr also gets a long look here)

1-30. Stephan Tuitt. 3-4DE, 1st Team All-American. A. Smith is not resigned.
2-33. David Yankey. OG, 1st Team All-American. W. Smith is not resigned.
2-35. Ed Reynolds. S, 1st Team All-American. Keo becomes expendable.
3-65. Bryan Stork. C, Consensus All-American. Ben Jones moves to the PS.
3-94. Jeremy Hill. RB, 1st Team All-SEC. Tate is all but gone.
4-97. Christian Jones. OLB, Brooks Reed is not resigned.
5.129. Stanley Jean-Baptiste. CB, Offers much needed depth.
6-161. JaWuan James. OT, Newton becomes the swing OT.
7-193. Spencer Shuey. ILB, Trevardo Williams and Shuey battle for the other ILB.

The old trade chart from the 1990s is probably outdated now that there's a rookie salary cap but I seriously doubt the Browns would give up #4, #26 and #35 just to move up three spots. We'll be lucky to get #4 and #26 but your choice at #35 can be eliminated from the exercise without much impact in the overall design.

Then swapping #26 for #30 and #94 is very plausible if the 49ers target someone they want. The Niners have two picks in the second and third with #94 the lowest of them.

Bortles and Tuitt would seem like wasted opportunities to me. Yankey ought to be an anchor for the line. Stork I don't see as upgrade from Jones who was just as highly praised coming out of Georgia.

I'm not expecting Christian Jones or JaWaun Jones to be there where you have us choosing them. I do like the trade down ideas and if you can talk Cleveland into giving up their top three picks, give Rick Smith a call.

Assuming we could work a deal to secure a QB like Brock Osweiler or Ryan Mallet with our 2.1, how about exchanging our 1.1 with a team sitting out of the top 5 like ATL, TB, or Minny for their first and second round picks ? OK so it's not an even-steven swap according to the DVCs, but with such a loaded Draft this year it might mean an additional starter for us.

BTW, I looked at the trade value chart at Walter's and the 1-1 pick is worth 3000 pts, the #4 overall is 1800, the #26 overall is worth 700 and the #35 overall is worth 550. So Blitzwood's proposed trade does not seem as outlandish as I thought - 3000 pts for 3050 pts. Still, I can't imagine a real professional NFL GM would give up two #1s and a high #2 to move up three spots to 1-1 unless Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck were at 1-1 and, no Aggies, Johnny Manziel is not in the same hemisphere as either of those two.

Then again, we are talking about the Browns' front office so maybe they are crazy enough to do it.

Don't worry Bob, I'm not the least bit offended at your first mental lapse in the last decade or so, I most often find your commentary insightful and refreshing like a South Texas fertilizer plant in mid August.... :D

There was a trade a couple years ago between the Rams and the Redskins to move up four spots for some guy named RG3. Rookie Salary cap in play, also.

I believe the haul was:


Redskins get:
2nd-overall pick (2012)


Rams get:
2nd-overall pick (2014)
6th-overall pick (2012)
22nd-overall pick (2013)
39th-overall pick (2012)


I bet that trade was slightly over 50 points.


BTW, I like Tuitt, what don't u like about him?

I just don't see Tuitt as the sort of impact guy I like in the first round. There are some other guys projected in the first I feel the same way about - solid but not dynamic. Then again, I wasn't a big fan of Watt coming out of college either.

See if the Browns will bite on 2 1sts and a high 2nd. I'll be happy if it works but unless they want something exclusive (i.e. Clowney), I just don't see them making that jump. RG3 was RG3. From a draftnik's perspective, he was a definite franchise quarterback.

Bob, you need to forget about all of that crap. there's no "franchise" QB in this Draft. Therefor a team like the Texans has got to really sweeten the pot to get multiple picks for its 1.1. For example, if we could get Clevelands 1.4 & 2.4 for our 1.1 I'd jump all over it even though the DVC says it's a bad deal for
us: 3000/Texans-2340(1800+540)Browns. In other words its meaningless most years unless a teams got an an Andy Luck or Peyton Manning to deal.

I agree that we don't have a franchise QB in this draft and a trade down would likely mean less value in return. However, if a #1 and a #2 is all that is needed, you won't need the Browns. I think the Falcons may be the better trade partner because they seem to genuinely want Clowney, already have a starting QB and are thinking their awful season can be fixed with better health, better luck and a few new parts.

I'd accept the Falcons' 1-6 and 2-6 plus a 2013 2nd for our #1 spot and use the 1-6 for an offensive tackle or a blitzing LB (or Sammy Watkins if you want to get exotic). We fill a hole, add another Top 40 pick and add a second-rounder for next year while the Falcons get the DE they covet.

Some mocks have the Rams doing this deal on the premise we aren't taking Clowney but there's no reason we can't cut out the middle man and do it ourselves.

I feel like I'm more and more on an island in my belief that Teddy Bridgewater is a franchise QB...

Who was the Falcons 2013 2nd round pick?

D'oh! I meant 2015. Need to wake up earlier.

Probably with a small population. I like Bortles in O'Brien's system and I like Gorappolo in that I could get him with a 2nd round pick (reducing my risk).

I'll play along, but I am not doing the SF trade.

1-4 Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo
1-26 Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State
2-33 Stephon Tuitt, DE/DT, Notre Dame
2-35 Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Eastern Illinois
3-65 Cameron Fleming*, OT, Stanford
4-97 Daniel McCullers, NT, Tennessee
5 129 Phillip Gaines, CB, Rice

Mack is a high motor guy with off the chart skills. Mack and Mercilus become the speed guys on the outside, along with Trevardo Williams who can also be seen inside at times. Shazier is on the smallest side, but reports have the Texans meeting with him at the Combine. He has off the chart speed for the ILB. (What college did our new LB coach play at?)

Tuitt would be a monster DE to play the 5 tech for Crennel, along with McCullers at NT. To round out the defensive picks, local product Gaines from Rice has top end speed and plenty of upside.

Fleming is a junior that could be a RT. Lastly I have them taking Garoppolo, Roy and I both like him.

I used my draft board and came away with this:

1-4 Justin Gilbert, CB/KR, Oklahoma State
1-26 Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, Eastern Illinois
2-33 Xavier Su'a-Fill, G/T, UCLA
2-35 Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford
3-65 Marcus Smith, OLB, Louisville
4-97 Jordan Tripp, ILB, Montana
5-129 Caraun Reid, DT, Princeton

At #4 I take a hard look at OT Greg Robinson and OLB Anthony Barr. If I knew Barr would drop so low in the first round, I could trade down some more and be happy. I went with Gilbert because the Colts have more receivers than we can cover.

I grabbed my QB early to make sure I got one. If I could guarantee I could draft AJ McCarron at #97, my draft might look different. OLB Dee Ford was tempting here too, but concerned about his medical, since he wasn't allowed to work out at The Combine.

At #33 I drafted Logan Mankins, Steve Hutchinson, or Alan Faneca, a Pro-Bowl LG. Maybe he can play RT or maybe Quessenberry can, but Su'a-Filo couldn't be passed up.

At #35 I'm torn between Trent Murphy and Kareem Martin. K Martin has the size I like, but I saw Murphy in action during the season more often and he reminded me of JJ Watt. So, I pit him in the weight room with JJ and hope he bulks up to 275lbs and replaces Antonio Smith.

At #65 There's still plenty of talent on the board. Since I haven't drafted an OLB yet, Marcus Smith is my guy. If I look at the Sacks, TFLs, Fumbles that Murphy & Smith produced last year, I start hoping it projects to the next level. I also considered my Safety Deone Bucannom here. If I missed on Su'a-Filo, Joel Bitonio would be the pick here. Offensive weapons Donte Moncrief, and Bishop Sankey were also available here.

At #97 I take one of my favorite players on the draft. At the Senior Bowl he seemed like he was in on every tackle. I had no idea who he was, but I looked him up. At the Combine his 6.89 Cone drill, and 3.96 Shuttle opened my eyes. So, with Cushing's history of injuries and the lack of depth at ILB, this pick makes me happy. This is where we COULD have drafted AJ McCarron.

At #129, much like #35 I draft a guy I saw play but just hope he gets bigger. He is not Vince Wilfork, nor is he Teddy Washington or Dontari Poe. At 6' 2" 302lbs, he's not "Tiny" either. Earl Mitchell is gone and we need someone on the middle. Maybe, he only plays on third down, but he has quickness to pass rush and I'm taking him. Other options I considered: RB Tyler Gaffney, OC Weston Richburg, OT Trai Turner, NT Zack Kerr, and WR Kevin Norwood.

This would be a great draft on many levels. Best CB/ best OG (who I don't see lasting until 33), and a QB that has the features that O'Brien is on record stating what he is looking for.

Walters April 8th

1 Blake Bortles, QB, Central Florida33 Carlos Hyde, RB, Ohio State65 Carl Bradford, DE/OLB, Arizona State101 E.J. Gaines, CB, Missouri135 Houston Texans: Arthur Lynch, TE, Georgia141 James Hurst, OT, North Carolina My take

1 Jadeveon Clowney, OLB/DE, South Carolina
33 Stephon Tuitt, DE/DT, Notre Dame
65 Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU
101 E.J. Gaines, CB, Missouri
135 Seantrel Henderson, OT, Miami
141 Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson

Clowney to put on the opposite side of the defense from Watt, Now we have some pass rush options. Tuitt is a perfect 5 tech, needs to bring his motor up, Mr golden domer meet Mr Watt & Mr Cushing.

Two QBs that have upside, Mettenberger would be a 1st rounder had he not had the knee injury. Has a rocket arm and has played in a pro set offense. Boyd has been a solid QB and has a history with last years 1st round pick. Time to develop a young QB.

Not a perfect draft but one I would not scream at on the Monday after the draft. :confused:

Henderson quit during his Pro Day which his agent later claimed was due to dehydration. I suspect he'll still be there in the seventh if you want him.

I missed that one. He has an upside, but he also has never lived up to his talent level.

Walters has a new mock April 15th.

1 Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina33 Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville 65 Tre Mason, RB, Auburn 101 Terrence Brooks, S, Florida State They are still doing the mock live and have not gotten through the 4th round. will update the rest later.

Draftsite has a 7 round mock up.


1 Blake Bortles* QB Central Florida 6' 5" 232 33 Morgan Moses OT Virginia 6' 6" 314
65 Troy Niklas* TE Notre Dame 6' 6" 270
101 Andre Williams RB Boston College 5' 11" 230
135 Stanley Jean-Baptiste CB Nebraska 6' 3" 218
141 Dominique Easley DT Florida 6' 2" 288
177 Marcus Williams CB North Dakota State 5' 11" 192
211 Prince Shembo OLB Notre Dame 6' 1" 253
216 Matt Hall OT Belhaven 6' 10" 320
256 Zac Kerin OC Toledo 6' 5" 300

Again my Cherry Pick:

1 Jadeveon Clowney* DE South Carolina 6' 5" 266
33 Zach Mettenberger QB LSU 6' 5" 224
65 Shayne Skov ILB Stanford 6' 2" 245
101 Cameron Fleming* OT Stanford 6' 5" 323
135 Stanley Jean-Baptiste CB Nebraska 6' 3" 218
141 Marcel Jensen TE Fresno State 6' 6" 259
177 Marcus Williams CB North Dakota State 5' 11" 192
211 Logan Thomas QB Virginia Tech 6' 6" 248
No clue about the 7th round picks. Why not pick a 6'10" OT? If he can stay low, which I doubt.

My Clowney flags are waiving to stay away from this kid, but his talent is hard to pass up. The $.05 brain is worrying me, also who is advising this kid?

Logan Thomas has met with team a couple times, so he is on my radar.

I think Logan Thomas could be converted to TE ala Owen Daniels. He has the size and good hands. I don't believe for a moment anyone is looking at him for QB.

I would be sooo happy with Clowney, Bridgewater and Mason as our top three picks. That's three guys who ought to be above-average to great NFL players.

But after that we need to fix the O-line and the defense with most of the remaining picks.