Quote:
Originally Posted by nunusguy
Maybe just for this year, but over the longer-term I definitely would want the 27-year-old Quin over the 35-year-old Reed. And as much as I like Antonio Smith and as valuable as I know he is to our defense, I just wonder if the Texans shouldn't have bit the bullet and paid market value for Quin and 26-year-old Barwin and released Smith for the cap-space ? Smith's got a couple years left, while Quin & Barwin are just now entering their prime years in their NFL careers. This offseason is worse than last years for the Texans.
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Neither Barwin or Quinn was a great player. You don't pay FA level money for guys like that. Not if you want to stay good. You draft well and you replace guys. That is the only way to stay good. Pittsburgh and New England and the other teams that have stayed good in the FA era have watched their mid level guys walk over and over rather than giving them stupid contracts. There is no world where Barwin should be getting $40 million. I love the guy, but the Texans dodged a bullet when he turned down the extension before the 3 sack stinker. He simply doesn't have edge speed and OL took away the inside move last year.
Quinn was a solid and versatile player. Not many guys can cover the slot, play safety, and be a de facto LB in the box in Nickel. But safety is supposed to be one of the strongest positions in this draft and a mid round pick behind a vet is a very reasonable alternative to a huge contract for your 6th or 7th best defensive player.
These are the decisions that Houston has to make to stay good. They cannot just sign everyone like the Jets or they stink in 3 years. Of course the 2nd half of that plan is that they have to be very good in the draft and in the cheaper part of FA to fill all the holes.