Could another oft injured RB find a home here in Houston? [Idle Rudi Speculation]

[popanot]

Well, Rudi's off the market. Amazing how most teams put more emphasis on the running game than we do. We should have brought RJ in immediately. Oh well, I'm sure Kubiak will be sniffing up Bell's butt since he's a Denver ex.

LIONS BOUNCE BELL
Posted by Mike Florio on September 1, 2008, 6:51 p.m.
A league source tells us that the Detroit Lions cut veteran running back Tatum Bell in order to make room for veteran running back Rudi Johnson.

It’s possible that the Texans will sniff around Bell. As we hear it, the Texans were very interested in Johnson, who inked with the Lions before getting a chance to check out Houston.

Bell was traded to the Lions in 2007 as part of the deal that sent cornerback Dre’ Bly to Denver.

[KJ3]

geez pop, sounds like you aren't too happy about smithiak's pursuit of rudi johnson...even though you posted a quote that says he didn't even check us out.

i think we all know tatum bell is about to get a look from us.

so it's ahman, slaton, taylor and walker for RB this year? so far anyway?

edit: whooooaaa.....walker got PS'd?!? wow, i thought he earned his spot. i guess tatum bell really is going to be a texan ha.......

[NBT]

This is gettin a little old. Are we or are we not going to have a running game this year?

[Mike]

No, we are a passing team. The pass will be used to set-up the run. The strength of our team is AJ, Walter, Daniels, Davis and Schaub. Let's not try to fit the proverbial square into the round hole. Kubiak wants to be a running team. Fact, our run blocking has not been great, and we have questions at RB. Fact, our pass pro is better and our receivers are very good. Makes sense that we are going to be a pass first team, even if that flies into the face of what Kubes wants to do at this point.

[NBT]

And after all that hype and preparation with the ZBS guru and all............

[Mike]

We will run it better later in the year. Right now, it is not clicking. Maybe it will be better once Ahman runs in the scheme, he knows where the cut back lanes will be. They need more familiarity and maybe once they really start cutting the backside it will be better.

[cadams]

yeah, i think it is too early to say whether the zbs is working or not. the only time they really got to run it full out was during the preseason games, and so it will take some time to get a grasp of it. if they are still having big problems 3-4 games into the regular season, then i will be worried.

[dadmg]

Originally Posted by NBT

This is gettin a little old. Are we or are we not going to have a running game this year?

Rudi Johnson would have had no bearing on that. I like Rudi, but he's toast at this point. Reminds me a little of the thread this summer urging us to pick up Shaun Alexander, although Rudi's not quite that worn out. He isn't too far off, though.

[popanot]

You can say we're a passing team or that our run blocking sucks, but aside (arguably) from DDavis, we have always had second-tier/backups or has-beens/never-were's starting at RB since the franchise inception. When are these guys going to get serious? The situation is almost as ridiculous as our history at LT. I'm hoping Slaton turns it around, but time will tell and most think he's not an every down back. It's impossible to be a good running team without talent back there. Most teams know this and at least have two decent RBs.

I frickin hate the Cowpies, but they lose Julius Jones and go and draft 2 (Jones and Choice) RBs that are probably better than anything we've ever had. They get it. And that's just one example. Pitt, Carolina, Baltimore, Titans, others... I don't know what the answer is, but it's getting increasingly irritating that the problem persists and team management seems the solution is more backups and gimps. IMO, someone's head should roll for the Chris Brown signing. Ridiculous!

[popanot]

Originally Posted by KJ3

geez pop, sounds like you aren't too happy about smithiak's pursuit of rudi johnson...even though you posted a quote that says he didn't even check us out.

I don't know the circumstances, but I would think if the Texans called him immediately after he got waived and told him he'd have a chance to start he probably would have checked us out. I don't know what went down though. Rudi may or may not have anything left, I don't know. But if he does, he's certainly an upgrade over the two veteran gimps we currently have. Here's hoping Slaton and Taylor can last the season -or it'll be.... Hello, is Ron (Dayne) there??

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by popanot

I don't know the circumstances, but I would think if the Texans called him immediately after he got waived and told him he'd have a chance to start he probably would have checked us out. I don't know what went down though. Rudi may or may not have anything left, I don't know. But if he does, he's certainly an upgrade over the two veteran gimps we currently have. Here's hoping Slaton and Taylor can last the season -or it'll be.... Hello, is Ron (Dayne) there??

The dude was hurt last season, he missed a lot of camp with hammy problems, he has a ton of miles on him. So why do we need another Brown/Green on the team?

Go young not old.

[popanot]

Originally Posted by painekiller

The dude was hurt last season, he missed a lot of camp with hammy problems, he has a ton of miles on him. So why do we need another Brown/Green on the team?

Go young not old.

People thought Jamal Lewis had a lot of miles and was washed up too. Until we see him play, who's to say he still has it or not? I'd love to go young, but that takes a coach and GM who takes the RB position serious and sets a priority on drafting a good RB (or two). Ours seem to think they can throw anything back there and have continuously been proven wrong. If they want to try someone young who has size and shown some skills, then bring in Kenton Keith.

[cadams]

Originally Posted by popanot

People thought Jamal Lewis had a lot of miles and was washed up too. Until we see him play, who's to say he still has it or not? I'd love to go young, but that takes a coach and GM who takes the RB position serious and sets a priority on drafting a good RB (or two). Ours seem to think they can throw anything back there and have continuously been proven wrong. If they want to try someone young who has size and shown some skills, then bring in Kenton Keith.

Man, you can't address all the issues they had in one draft. They took a RB with their second pick (3rd round) which is considered a valuable draft choice. Everyone has been all over them over the past few years for not taking a LT early. They did that this year, and the kid looks like he is going to work out (though it is early). There is only so much you can do, Johnson may have worked out, but if he came here and was hurt everyone would be all over them for taking a worn out rb. LT was the highest priority, even higher than RB, mendenhal wouldnt have done much without a line in front of him. It takes patients. The roster was pretty much in shambles when the new management team came in. It appears they missed with Green, but Salyton looks good so far, again it was only preseason, but he is the same size as terrell davis and clinton protis, and bigger than dunn, all who had pretty decent careers, no? So let's wait and see how the season shakes out.

[Bigtinylittle]

Cadams, I think your post is right on target about our needs. People forget how many needs we had to fill when Casserly left town. With all his bad picks he really left the cubbard bare. It really is remarkable how quickly Smith?Kubiak turned the Texans into a respectable team. But have no doubt, we still have lots of holes.

By the way, I too am sceptical about Green's ability to stay on the field this year, but I'm not writing him off completely like some are doing. I think that's an overreaction.

I think in next year's draft we will take a running back, a DE and an OLB in the first three rounds, not necessarily in that order. If the picks are good ones, we should be a step closer to being a playoff team.

[cadams]

i agree on your thoughts on what we take. even if slayton turns out to be a stud, i think they grab a second back.

also, another fond memory of casserly, we gave up a 2&3 for Buchannon, and a 1&3 (i think) for Babin. think where they could be if they had those 4 picks to do over again

[Joshua]

Originally Posted by cadams

Man, you can't address all the issues they had in one draft. They took a RB with their second pick (3rd round) which is considered a valuable draft choice. Everyone has been all over them over the past few years for not taking a LT early. They did that this year, and the kid looks like he is going to work out (though it is early). There is only so much you can do, Johnson may have worked out, but if he came here and was hurt everyone would be all over them for taking a worn out rb. LT was the highest priority, even higher than RB, mendenhal wouldnt have done much without a line in front of him. It takes patients. The roster was pretty much in shambles when the new management team came in. It appears they missed with Green, but Salyton looks good so far, again it was only preseason, but he is the same size as terrell davis and clinton protis, and bigger than dunn, all who had pretty decent careers, no? So let's wait and see how the season shakes out.

Agree with the post, although I will note that Freudian slip that the Texan running game takes "patients."

[dadmg]

Originally Posted by popanot

People thought Jamal Lewis had a lot of miles and was washed up too.

I'm still not convinced he's not. He didn't look very impressive at all last year on the field. It's nice to be able to run behind a left side of the line that has two of the best OL in the league and with Winslow and Edwards keeping you from ever seeing 8 in the box. Lewis was a barely serviceable back who put up Pro Bowl numbers because of the situation he was in.

[barrett]

bring in Tatum Bell. Aren't the best Running Backs supposed to be the ones who "run like they stole something"...

[popanot]

Originally Posted by dadmg

I'm still not convinced he's not. He didn't look very impressive at all last year on the field. It's nice to be able to run behind a left side of the line that has two of the best OL in the league and with Winslow and Edwards keeping you from ever seeing 8 in the box. Lewis was a barely serviceable back who put up Pro Bowl numbers because of the situation he was in.

Jamal didn't look impressive at all last year? 5th leading rusher in the NFL, 1300yds, w/9 rushing TDs, longest run of 66yds. I can only wish we could have a RB that looked that bad. Even with the Cleveland OL and Winslow/Edwards, I'm fairly certain none of our slug RBs over the years would have put up those numbers. Rudi probably could have though.

[dadmg]

Originally Posted by popanot

Jamal didn't look impressive at all last year?

No, he really didn't. Not to me anyway. He looked better than I thought he would (I thought he'd have been roughly on a Shaun Alexander level) but he didn't look very impressive to me at all. He looked like an adequate starting running back who had an amazing left side of the line to run behind and an aerial show to keep pressure off of him. There were very few teams that I think he could have put up those Pro Bowl-caliber numbers for. Lucky for him, Savage looked in his direction.