Mario Williams for Asante Samuel?

[WMH]

This is dumb.

Smithiak is on the hot seat, and they are going to trade thier only proven pash rusher? HIGHly doubtful.

As stated above, 3 quarters of 2 preseason games is not enough to make a judgement for anyone that isn't a blogger or arm chair QB.

May work, may end up @ DE before the year is up, but the notion that the current regime that is fighting for their jobs will trade Mario before or during this season is nothing short of ridiculous.

But hey, your driving yourself quite a few site hits, so congrats. I've been suckered yet again.

[HPF Bob]

If Ed Wade ran the Texans, he'd trade Mario to Philly for some 4s and 5s (okay, that was too easy).

Seriously, if Mario can't handle the OLB position in the 3-4 (and remember, kids, I had my doubts) then you move him to 3-4 DE and take what you can get.

But, if someone were to offer Rogers-Cromartie, a 2nd in 2012 and as little as a third in 2013, I'd give it serious thought. That sure beats what we would get in compensation if he goes free agent because he's miscast in a 3-4.

Plus, the more I am seeing of Reid and Watt, the more I want them on the field.

[Nconroe]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

If Ed Wade ran the Texans, he'd trade Mario to But, if someone were to offer Rogers-Cromartie, a 2nd in 2012 and as little as a third in 2013, I'd give it serious thought. That sure beats what we would get in compensation if he goes free agent because he's miscast in a 3-4.

Yeah, somewhere around game 15 I would see how things are going, but not yet. I almost can't imagine this sequence occurring.

[barrett]

34 DE is a different animal than the 43 DE so it is not a given that Mario just goes back to DE if this doesn't work. For proof of the difference look at how disruptive Antonio Smith was in Arizona's 34 and then how mediocre he was here, and how much better he has looked this preseason back in a 34. And Watt looks great there. I think I would honestly rather have an uncomfortable OLB Mario at 50% of what he can be as a 43 DE, than move either of those guys. Not to mention we ran our whole draft on the idea mario was playing OLB. My guess is that a trade is not a possibility, Mario will play 16 games at OLB, will not have the impact of past seasons (and it is not his fault), and he is gone for whatever we can get for him after a franchise tag next fall.

[chuck]

Originally Posted by barrett

34 DE is a different animal than the 43 DE so it is not a given that Mario just goes back to DE if this doesn't work. For proof of the difference look at how disruptive Antonio Smith was in Arizona's 34 and then how mediocre he was here, and how much better he has looked this preseason back in a 34. And Watt looks great there. I think I would honestly rather have an uncomfortable OLB Mario at 50% of what he can be as a 43 DE, than move either of those guys. Not to mention we ran our whole draft on the idea mario was playing OLB. My guess is that a trade is not a possibility, Mario will play 16 games at OLB, will not have the impact of past seasons (and it is not his fault), and he is gone for whatever we can get for him after a franchise tag next fall.

I think you're exactly right on all of this. I doubt the team would get fair value in a trade right now. These new guys are supposed to be defensive gurus so let's give them a year to let them figure out how to use Mario most effectively and let's give Mario a year to try to make it happen and see where we are after the year's over. I'd rather have an uncomfortable Mario playing outside than have him gum up the DL rotation that appears to be taking shape very nicely.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by barrett

Not to mention we ran our whole draft on the idea mario was playing OLB.

Big assumption and the sort of thing that people like us who are not privy to the internal plans/strategy within the Texans organizations can only guess about. My own personal theory is that all the pre-draft rumors about the Texans using their top pick on Mizzou pass-rusher Aldon Smith were for real,
leaving one to further speculate what the Texans planned to do with Mario in that scenario ? The obvious conclusion to draw was that he would remain a downlineman, but knowing he might react unfavorably to such a plan for him to be a 3-4 DE, perhaps they had preliminary discussions with a couple of teams about trading him when the lockout was concluded and a new CBA was in place ?

[WMH]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Big assumption and the sort of thing that people like us who are not privy to the internal plans/strategy within the Texans organizations can only guess about. My own personal theory is that all the pre-draft rumors about the Texans using their top pick on Mizzou pass-rusher Aldon Smith were for real,
leaving one to further speculate what the Texans planned to do with Mario in that scenario ? The obvious conclusion to draw was that he would remain a downlineman, but knowing he might react unfavorably to such a plan for him to be a 3-4 DE, perhaps they had preliminary discussions with a couple of teams about trading him when the lockout was concluded and a new CBA was in place ?

You might be right, but recall that Phillips said Mario would be an OLB way before the draft. While Smith was likely their #1 option, when he wasn't available they moved to Watt, and had an OLB pegged for the 2nd (Reed fell in their laps, but other options were there too). You can't have too many quality LB's in a 3-4, so I think they were just covering bases. I could be wrong of course, but I'm thinking Mario @ OLB has been in the plans since February.

[popanot]

Keep in mind Barwin was coming off an injury and is still a relative unknown since hasn't really played much. They could have been targeting Smith as a replacement or as insurance to Barwin.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by WMH

You might be right, but recall that Phillips said Mario would be an OLB way before the draft. While Smith was likely their #1 option, when he wasn't available they moved to Watt, and had an OLB pegged for the 2nd (Reed fell in their laps, but other options were there too). You can't have too many quality LB's in a 3-4, so I think they were just covering bases. I could be wrong of course, but I'm thinking Mario @ OLB has been in the plans since February.

Did not know that Wade made that statement pre-Draft ? If that's true, then I'm definitely all wet about my theory.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Big assumption and the sort of thing that people like us who are not privy to the internal plans/strategy within the Texans organizations can only guess about. My own personal theory is that all the pre-draft rumors about the Texans using their top pick on Mizzou pass-rusher Aldon Smith were for real,
leaving one to further speculate what the Texans planned to do with Mario in that scenario ? The obvious conclusion to draw was that he would remain a downlineman, but knowing he might react unfavorably to such a plan for him to be a 3-4 DE, perhaps they had preliminary discussions with a couple of teams about trading him when the lockout was concluded and a new CBA was in place ?

Whether it was the plan before or after Aldon Smith got drafted I have no idea. I do know Mario asked/demanded OLB well before the draft because DE in the 34 is not known as a playmaking role. Wade tagged him an OLB after that. Then they drafted accordingly. They sure didn't take Watt to make him the 3rd DE. And if they had preliminary discussions about trading him (was that allowed in the lockout?), then it still means the plan was no Mario at DE.

The point of my earlier post was to say Mario is not going back to DE now and it is naive to think he could adjust to that new position with no training camp after he couldn't adjust to this new position with a training camp. Mario Williams is our OLB. Smith and Watt are our DEs. I seriously cannot see any way that changes.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by barrett

Whether it was the plan before or after Aldon Smith got drafted I have no idea. I do know Mario asked/demanded OLB well before the draft because DE in the 34 is not known as a playmaking role. Wade tagged him an OLB after that. Then they drafted accordingly. They sure didn't take Watt to make him the 3rd DE. And if they had preliminary discussions about trading him (was that allowed in the lockout?), then it still means the plan was no Mario at DE.

The point of my earlier post was to say Mario is not going back to DE now and it is naive to think he could adjust to that new position with no training camp after he couldn't adjust to this new position with a training camp. Mario Williams is our OLB. Smith and Watt are our DEs. I seriously cannot see any way that changes.

Everything you say may be true, but I wonder what happens if Wade decides that the Texans would have a more effective defense with Barwin & Reed as the starting OLBs and a frontline of Mario & Antonio at DE with JJ at nose ? Since some of us already have reached that conclusion, maybe Phillips has to but that certainly dosen't make it any easier for him & Kubiak to explain and convince Mario about that ? In other words would the big guy take one for the team ?
But I defintely disagree with you about there being a big difference between the 4-3 & 3-4 DE positions, because they are both based upon one-gap schemes as opposed to the traditional 2-gap, containment type of DE most people (including Mario) associate with the 3-4.
And I would hope the Texans just kinda winked at that no-contact-or-discussion-with-other-teams rule supposedly was in place during the Lockout like say the Eagles almost certainly did when it came to discussions about trading QB Kolb ?