SB Nation - Connor Barwin

My Calm and Level-Headed Thoughts About The Texans' Haul From The 2009 NFL Draft

Tim — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:20:37 -0000

Now that I've had a few days to digest what our beloved Houston Texans did in the 2009 NFL Draft, here are my quick, Friday afternoon thoughts on each draftee:

Brian Cushing--I hated this pick when it was made. HATED it. Now that I've had the benefit of a cooling-off period...I still hate it. The good news is that it seems like the vast majority of the the fan base (1) either loves the pick and has loved it since it was made or (2) has managed to rationalize the pick in the last few days. Thus, I recognize I'm in a very small minority of naysayers. And that's okay; I'm comfortable with that. And hey--I hope Cushing has a career that sees him enshrined in Canton one day. I really do. He's a Texan, and I want him to succeed. So I will root for him regardless.

That said, the only thing that gives me any optimism about the pick is that Smithiak made it. Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak have a stellar draft record, and they know infinitely more about football, personnel, and scheme than I ever will. They're the professionals; I'm just a fan. In Smithiak I trust. Here's hoping I'm every bit the idiot I pray I am for disagreeing with the selection.

Connor Barwin--Looks to be great value in the second round, and if his interview is any indication, he's only scratched the surface of what he can do. Like nearly every Texans fan, I'm very excited about Barwin.

Antoine Caldwell--Without a shadow of a doubt, my favorite pick of the entire draft. Caldwell may not be starting at the outset of training camp, but you have to like his chances of usurping the starting center gig from Chris Myers. That's no knock on Myers; his limitations are nearly entirely based on his size, and that's not something he can control. Three years from now, I reckon we're going to look back on Caldwell as the prize of the draft class.

Glover Quin--A head-scratcher. Is he a cornerback? Or a safety? I really preferred D.J. Moore here. That said, Smithiak found Fred Bennett in the fourth round with several better known players on the board, and Bennett was a revelation his rookie year. We shall not speak of Bennett's sophomore season, lest we get depressed.

So where does Quin fit in? I have no idea. Here's hoping he cracks the DB rotation somewhere in 2009. His development (or lack thereof) could play a large role in how management handles Dunta Robinson's situation in 2010.

Anthony Hill--The confusion I felt when the pick was made has dissipated. Hill's widely regarded as the best blocking TE in the draft. In my mind, this lowers his bust potential exponentially. We already have a stud pass-catching TE; if Hill's skills transform him into a pseudo offensive linemen, the dangerous Houston offense gets even more dangerous. His acquisition has grown on me. Big time.

James Casey--I dig this pick a whole lot. Although my initial reaction was, "Why didn't the Texans take him instead of Hill in the fourth round?", I can't argue with making the value pick of Casey in the fifth. Casey should serve as a utility back of sorts; if he becomes our Frank Wycheck, I'll be more than satisfied. Heck, even the thought of having plays designed that allow Casey to line up at WR, TE, FB, RB, and/or QB are enough to make me giddy.

Brice McCain--Jacoby Jones, you are officially on notice. McCain is here to take your job.

Troy Nolan--There seems to be potential here, and that's all you can ask from a seventh-round selection. Frankly, Nolan probably couldn't have asked for a better situation. Things are far from settled in the secondary, so if he excels on special teams, he might grab a roster spot.

Jeremiah Johnson/Arian Foster--Not technically draft picks, but their arrival makes me feel much better about the team's decision not to draft a RB. Much has been made of the Texans' need for a big back to relieve Steve Slaton. I originally subscribed to that train of thought, but now I'm of the mind that we don't necessarily need a big back. We just need a functional back; that is, someone of any size who can be counted on for 10 carries or so per game. If that's a bigger guy like Foster, great, but I don't think it necessarily means that a smaller, quicker back like Johnson can't fit the bill as well. Either way, I've come to grips with the fact that Gartrell Johnson won't be wearing the steel blue, and I'm okay with it.

Interview With The Newest Texans Defensive Lineman: Connor Barwin

Jake — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:24:23 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

Browse more photos »

From the very second the pick was made on Saturday, I’ve been thrilled about the Texans’ selection of Connor Barwin with the 46th overall pick. His rare athletic ability, non-stop motor and intelligence are rarely found in the draft, especially in the second round. I’ve been on record from the beginning that I think he’ll do well rushing the passer in the NFL, and I know scores of you have stated your support for the pick as well.

Tonight I was lucky enough to sit down and chat with the Texans’ newest addition to the defensive line. We discussed everything from his collegiate success, the process of becoming a Texan, and what he expects while playing at the next level in the NFL. I think you’ll be even more enamored with him after reading what he had to say.

TT: Today I have the distinct pleasure of talking to one of the newest members of the Houston Texans, Defensive End Connor Barwin of the University of Cincinnati. Connor, our readers were thrilled with your selection and are considering it a steal in the second round. So, for all the Texans fans, welcome to Houston.

Connor: Thank you, thank you. To all the fans, I am pumped up about being a Houston Texan.

TT: I thought that you would surely be taken either in the end of the first round or the beginning of the second. Not that the middle of the second round is “late” by any means, but after these expectations were you disappointed at all to be selected a little behind schedule?

Connor: Looking back on it, no I’m not disappointed because I’m excited about the situation that I’m coming to in Houston. Yes, I’ll agree with you that everyone around me thought that I was going to be a late first round pick, maybe early second. Looking back on it though, everyone around me including myself, we’re all happy and excited about being the 46th pick and being in Houston because it’s a great opportunity for me.

TT: I heard that you were caught off guard when you were selected by the Texans because you had little to no interaction with the franchise between the Combine and the Draft, which to me means that the Texans staff was in agreement that you wouldn’t be around for their second pick. What Texans personnel have you met with since the Draft and what was said in those meetings?

Connor: I did meet with the Defensive Line Coach [Bill Kollar], the Head Coach [Gary Kubiak] and [General Manager] Rick Smith at the Combine, but I met with a lot of teams at the Combine and I had a whole bunch of interviews with everybody. I was surprised that I was drafted by them because I met with several teams since the Combine, and the Texans weren’t one of them. From the conversations I’ve had, they liked me and they learned a lot about me throughout the whole process. As far as the draft goes, they told me that they thought I would be gone 10 picks earlier and when they saw I was still there at the 46th pick they were really, really excited.

TT: This will be Frank Bush’s first year as defensive coordinator for the Texans. After speaking with him, what do you think the overall philosophy of the defense is and how will you be utilized, or was the talk just too brief?

Connor: I spoke with him briefly on Sunday, just briefly. He just said that he was excited about having me. He said that he was excited about me coming in there and making an impact right away by just being able to do more creative things with my athleticism on defense. The talk was just too brief. I feel that he’s a great coach and that I’m going to work well with him, but the conversation was too brief to go into his whole defensive philosophy.

TT: New defensive line coach Bill Kollar has a reputation as an intense leader who demands results. How do you react to coaches with type of personality?

Connor: I think you have to react to it by getting better. I’ve had coaches on both sides, some that were relaxed and some that were never quiet and never satisfied. I think I’m a guy that is really self-motivated, so it’s not going to be an issue whether I have a coach yelling at me or not. I’m excited just from his reputation as a good defensive line coach from whom I have plenty to learn.

TT: Mario Williams accounted for 12 of the Texans’ 25 sacks last year and is considered one of the, if not the, best defensive end(s) in all of football. How much pressure will that bring off you when you get the chance to line up opposite of him?

Connor: I think that’s going to help me a lot, obviously. Every team is going to be worried about him and not me. They’re going to put blockers along with the running backs and tight ends to try and block him, which would leave me in a one-on-one matchup because everyone will be worried about him. That’s going to help me, and I’m excited about that. It’s like when I played at Cincinnati; we had a lot of good defensive players on our team. The Houston Texans have a lot of good defensive players and we’re all going to make each other better.

TT: Many people had projected you to be an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme because of the impressive athletic ability that you showed at the Combine. What do you think is the best way to utilize a player like yourself?

Connor: I’m not sure, I think that’s really for the coaches to figure out. I’m not the coach; I’m just the player. I think my best attribute is rushing the passer. If the Houston Texans keep my hand down and rushing the passer, it’s smart and I’m excited about that. I think they can do some creative things with my hand down and dropping into zone blitzes, but that’s for the coaches to figure out.

TT: You had just short of 400 yards receiving as a tight end in 2007. What made your coaches at Cincinnati decide to move you to defensive end for your last year of your collegiate career?

Connor: The idea first started because of a need; both our defensive ends graduated in 2007. Coach Kelly realized that he doesn’t need a great tight end for his system because the tight end is usually the third or fourth read. So whether I was getting open or not, he knew that I wasn’t going to get stats or make an impact on the game, whereas he thought I was a guy that could definitely make the transition quickly. Over on defense, it was on me whether I was going to get sacks or not and hopefully make a bigger impact on the game and help the team.

TT: How do you feel about playing either offense or special teams in the NFL?

Connor: I’m excited about being able to do those other things, but my number one focus is going to be working on my pass rush. I know for sure that I’ll be on special teams, and I did that all through college. As far as offense goes, it’s up for the coach to determine if there are any goal line packages that they want to throw me into. I know they drafted a couple of tight ends so I don’t think they’ll need me over there.

TT: For your first year at defense end, you were incredibly successful, as evidenced by your 12 sacks. How were you able to make the adjustment so quickly?

Connor: I think I was able to be productive because my coaches put me in good situations to use my athleticism. Overall, I just really played hard and wore tackles out and kept trying and trying. Whenever a tackle made a mistake, I tried to be there to make the play.

TT: One thing the Texans lacked last year was a consistent pass rush. How many pass rush moves do you have in your repertoire, and which ones do you think you have the most success with and why?

Connor: I have a number of different moves. I think my speed rush is my best move, just getting a jump off the ball and using my speed. After you’ve got a guy worried about your speed it sets up everything else; you set up your inside spin move, and you set up your speed bull rush. I think those are my three top moves, but after you set them up with your speed, you open the door for a lot of other things.

TT: On the flip side of that coin, what style of blocker gives you the most trouble?

Connor: The blocker that maybe gives me the most trouble are the faster, more athletic tackles, the ones that can match some of their athleticism with mine.

TT: Most defensive ends are bigger than 255 pounds in the NFL, with the exceptions of some pass rushing specialists, which is what you seem to have been drafted for. What do you consider to be your ideal playing weight at the next level?

Connor: I think I’ll probably get up to about 260 pounds, maybe 265. What some people don’t realize but the Texans do realize is that I’ve only had one offseason in my college career. I played my first three years at 240 pounds and due to playing basketball during every offseason, I dropped to about 230 pounds. Before my senior year, I didn’t playing basketball and I gained 15 pounds, so I’m about 255 right now. I think in this next offseason I’ll try to put on another five pounds, so I expect to play at about 260 pounds this coming season.

TT: You won’t be able to participate in any Texans activities until you are finished with school in June. What are you going to do until that time to get ready for camp?

Connor: I’m back in Cincinnati, and I’ve got six weeks to train as hard as possible. I’m completely locked in and focused on being prepared as I’ve ever been for June 14th, when I can go down to Houston, and June 15th we start camp. I’ll just continue to run and lift as hard as I can and focus really on my pass rush and playing defensive end.

TT: Connor, it was a pleasure to talk to you and we hope we get a chance to hear from you again soon at Battle Red Blog. It’s going to be great to see you in Steel Blue in the upcoming season.

Connor: Thanks; good talking to you.

I feel even better about the selection now that I’ve gotten the chance to sit down one-on-one with Connor and validate all the good things I heard pertaining to his character. I couldn’t help but notice how much he talked about his coaches and teammates before he talked about himself, which is exactly what you want to hear from a player you just drafted and are about to hand a large sum of money. I have a sneaking suspicion that we are going to see good things from Connor, even in his rookie year.

(Authors Note: I would like to give a special thanks to Connor’s publicist, Shawn Smith of XAM Sports. I emailed Shawn on Sunday to request an interview, but I assumed with everything that had occurred the day before that I would hear from her sometime during the week, if at all. I had a response from her within an hour stating that Connor would love to do the interview because he knew how important it was for the fans.)

Random Thoughts Regarding The Houston Texans

Jake — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:40:14 -0000

Staying with the draft theme temporarily, Rick Gosselin, who is considered one of the premier written journalists on the draft, published his grades for the classes selected over the weekend. I’ve gone on record several times that giving grades immediately after the draft is terrible because no one has any idea how players will actually perform in the NFL. Having said that though, I’m a whore for good press and Gosselin gave the Texans an A+. Ehhh. Who are we without integrity?

As a couple of people have noted, the Texans’ selection of Brian Cushing and Connor Barwin on Day One of the Draft might seem to lend credence to the notion that the defense may be switching to a 3-4 in some way shape or form. This was actually my initial thought immediately after the Barwin pick because so many had projected him as a 3-4 rush OLB. After thinking about it though, I don’t think this will happen. As Matt noted in a uh…passionate argument against the switch, Mario Williams is one of the, if not the, best 4-3 DE in all of football, and relying on Travis Johnson to play NT is probably just as smart as being sexually attracted to a wood chipper. I think that Barwin will eventually be developed to stand up but this will be just a misdirection tool. If he was able to get to a point that he could cover a TE or RB, then offenses would never know if he was dropping into coverage and/or whether one of the LBs were blitzing, or if Barwin was using his speed to rush the passer. While Barwin developing LB skills would be great, I don’t think it means switching to a 3-4.

I was just as pissed as everyone else that we didn’t sign a bigger RB during the draft, but then my brother reminded me of something that someone brought up on BRB a couple of weeks ago. Denver is no longer running a one-cut zone running scheme and have now brought in several RB’s that don’t fit that system and drafted one in the first round. The Texans are likely trying to wait until the Broncos start jettisoning the old RBs they no longer need so that Smithiak can pick up some zone experienced backs on the cheap. How awesome would it be to see Ryan Torain in the backfield when Steve Slaton comes out? The answer is very.

Dunta has officially forced me out of his corner. Who would have ever thought that making almost $10 million dollars after what some had considered a career-ending injury would be a bad thing? The latest Dunta demand is that the Texans agree to not use the franchise tag on him again next year or he will not report for offseason workouts, possibly training camp, and may even hold out. Maybe I’m being picky, but I would think he should be more worried about playing well enough to even warrant a franchise tag next year. If he snaps out of this and plays well this year, I’m not saying that I’ll never support him again, but right now he has officially pissed me off.

The 2009 Houston Texans Draft: Hope You Like The Word Versatility

Jake — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:54:01 -0000

For four months, I’ve been counting down the days until the 2009 NFL Draft. I felt like a kid waiting for Christmas. Gary Kubiak and Rick Smith have steadily built the team almost exclusively through the draft, but that’s not the only reason I couldn’t wait; I’ve been having football withdrawals and I needed a fix. I even contemplated making one of those chains made of construction paper with a chain for each day until the big event, but then it dawned on me that my wife would see that as me taking a temporary vow of celibacy. Needless to say, I was a little more than excited on Saturday afternoon.

Then by the time Sunday night rolled around, my world felt like it had been turned upside down. It’s not that I hated the Texans' draft. I really didn’t even at the time, I was just caught off guard. In all my draft prognosticating, only two of the players were prospects that I thought were on the Texans’ radar, and I had stated publicly that I didn’t want one of them. Due to this utter confusion, I wasn’t able to fully grasp my feelings for the draft as a whole for a full 24 hours. Here it goes.

I’m not about to assign a grade because doing so before the end of the 2011 season would be incredibly asinine of me. In the end though, I like the draft. I love some of the personnel we got, but I can’t say the same for the draft class as a whole because I don’t know enough about some of the players we got, which is no reflection on them but rather an indication of how much more robust the reach and knowledge of the scouting department is than little ole me, but I was a little disappointed on some of the players we passed on. Lastly, I felt like a mistress who spends most of her time trying to convince herself that her man is going to leave his wife, because I was completely sure that the Texans would draft a RB in EVERY CONSECUTIVE ROUND after the third, which they obviously did not.

First Round

Brian Cushing/OLB/USC – Like I said before, I will not say anything negative about a Texan until they give me a reason to on an NFL field. I will say this though--all four people in the room watching the draft with me apologized to me immediately after the pick was announced. I’ve thought about it though, and I think the jury is still out on this one. Like Riott said, Frank Bush made me feel a lot better about Cushing. It’s not as if it was a spur of the moment, uninformed pick; Bush, Smith and Kubiak all admitted that they were targeting Cushing since the Combine. That’s three impressive votes of confidence in my book.

Cushing does play with a great deal of passion on the field, but doesn’t show a lot of emotion off of it, which explains why he didn’t pull a Tom Cruise in the green room of the draft. He started four years in a pro-style defense in which he showed a lot of intensity, a trait that the big three (Smithiakush) told the media was the deciding factor on Cushing. Despite claims that Cushing has “tight hips”, Bush is convinced that Cushing can play in the nickel, making him an every down LB. The accusation that Cushing couldn’t in fact play on third downs was one of my two biggest complaints with him in the first place, so if the closest thing that the Texans have to a LB subject matter expert says he can do it, very well.

The other huge complaint I have about Cushing is the steroids allegations. No, I don’t care about steroids on a moral basis. I care about them in the sense that they may have led to Cushing’s injuries while in college. To McClain’s credit (yes, I just said that… I’m as surprised as you), he asked Cushing point blank about the steroids issue during Cushing’s press conference, to which Brian replied that he will continue to take drug tests until it is not an issue any longer, and that the Texans believed him, which is what is important.

We’ll simply have to wait and see with Cushing, but I am starting to get excited. I think as long as he stays healthy, he’ll be an upgrade at the SLB position and therefore be a good pick. If he plays up to his potential, he’ll prove to be a great pick. (Authors Note: I know I’m a ridiculous homer, but I love the Texans and I didn’t start writing on BRB just to be negative about them. If they give me a blatant reason to pessimistic about them, I’ll do my honest duty, but I don’t think this falls in that category. Do with that as you see fit).

Second Round

Connor Barwin/DE/Cincinnati – I love this pick. Barwin stated that after his selection by the Texans that he was surprised because the Texans had shown basically no interest since the Combine. I think that Smithiak simply didn’t expect Barwin to be still left on the board at 46 and therefore had not spent a lot of time scouting or visiting the impressive TE turned DE. The reason that they probably didn’t expect to have a shot at him was with good reason, considering the interest that several teams that run a 3-4 defense had shown in Barwin as an outside rush LB.

From Day One, Barwin can step in and rush the QB on third downs, which he showed a talent for with 10 sacks in his senior year. Barwin is an amazing athlete and very well may be developed into an OLB with time. If you’re going to take a pick with injury concerns to play SLB in the first round, how intelligent is it to take a player that has shown the intelligence and versatility to potentially replace him if need be? Sounds pretty awesome to me. I’d like to write more on Barwin, but (spoiler alert) there will be more to follow later.

Third Round

Antoine Caldwell/G-C/Alabama – Yet another pick I am floored by. Caldwell not only played exceptionally well in college, but he has shown both the athletic ability and intelligence to play both guard and center in a zone-blocking scheme such as the one utilized by the Texans. All five starters on the Texans OL played all 16 games last year, which an extremely rare feat that will not happen two years in a row, so at the very least Caldwell is a great insurance policy. Even though Kyle Shanahan claims that Caldwell wasn’t drafted to replace Chris Myers, Myers weighs 275 pounds and was pushed around a lot by opposing DTs last year, so the writing might be on the wall.

Fourth Round

Glover Quin/CB-FS/New Mexico – I, like Riott, was not aware of this kid, which is not a great feeling to have about your fourth round draft pick. Quin is slated to be more of a FS than a CB, which I pray to Durga is where he plays for the Texans. This is something different than a flyer pick on a FS in the sixth or seventh. A fourth round pick should have a decent chance of getting on the field. Even if Quin doesn’t beat out Eugene Wilson, I think he’d be better suited backing him up than as the fourth or fifth CB on the roster.

Anthony Hill/TE/NC State – At first, I almost broke the TV after this selection because I was sure that we were going to draft a RB with this pick. It was good in retrospect that I didn’t go with my first instinct because upon further analysis, it is a great pick and I was watching the draft at my neighbor’s house, so he probably wouldn’t have appreciated that behavior.

Hill was rated the best blocking TE in the draft almost unanimously amongst the prominent draft analysts. Hill, a Houston native, is such a good blocker that he might be able to play T in the NFL. Does switching TEs to T ever work in the league? Just ask Jason Peters, who the Eagles just signed to a contract for more money than the GDP of Liberia. At the very least, Hill will hopefully negate the success that opposing SLB have had against the Texans in recent years.

Fifth Round

James Casey/TE-FB-LS/Rice – No, you didn’t misread that position breakdown. Casey is athletic enough to do a lot of things. He’s another pick that the Texans probably weren’t expecting to be around when they got him; rather, they probably had a third round grade assigned to him, which is why they couldn’t resist him in the fifth. At first I had mixed feelings because I knew he was a steal but he was also the second TE in a row, which is a lot in my opinion for a team that has a Pro Bowler at said position.

What’s that? Casey can play long snapper? That’s cool, I guess. He can play FB too? I have to say, that’s pretty cool to have a FB that can catch and run the way he can. If that’s not enough for you though, get this: He can also play QB. Apparently at Rice’s Pro Day, Casey wowed coaches by throwing the ball all over the field. For those of you that like that whole Wildcat thing, there you go. Overall, he seems to fit that whole versatility theme, which was apparently the topic of the Texans' offseason retreat.

Sixth Round

Brice McCain/CB/Utah – If you had told me a couple of days ago that we would come away from the draft with a CB from Utah, I probably would have kissed you. I would have demanded some sort of retribution when I learned it was McCain instead of Smith. McCain is probably too small to make the team as a CB considering how many we have already on the roster. I think his only chance is to play special teams, which he can do with his 4.3 speed. We’ll have to see.

Seventh Round

Troy Nolan/FS/Arizona State – Didn’t I mention something about flyers on safeties in the last two rounds? Nolan was pretty good in college, but as his drafted position suggests, he wasn’t great. We’ll just have to see how it goes, but if Nolan made the team even as a backup for Wilson, he’d be a steal in the seventh.

Anyway, like I said, I am now happy with our performance. I have no idea how all the major draft pundits graded our draft, and I don’t care. The Texans aren’t about sexy draft picks, but sexy picks usually put your team in the crapper, as evidenced by our performance under the Casserly regime. If Cushing stays healthy, Hill and Casey are as good as they seem, and one of the DBs makes a significant impact, this will be an amazing draft. Now we just have to wait four months to find out. Man, I hope it didn’t hurt you nearly as much to read that as it did me to write it.

Emerging From My Day One Draft Hangover

Jake — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:11:53 -0000

The first thing that I asked myself this morning was, “What happened?” I wasn’t asking myself that question because I was lying next to something I shouldn’t have been, and it wasn’t because of a curious injury that I didn’t know the cause of. It was because of Day One of the 2009 NFL Draft.

I’ve spent the last couple of hours thinking yesterday’s proceedings over, and I have some thoughts. My first thought was, “I wonder if cyanide really is tasteless.” But that thought quickly passed. Once I really started analyzing things though, I felt better. I promise this won’t be a complete homer-esque “The Texans can do no wrong and I will rationalize everything away” post; rather, it will be an honest look at the 15th and 46th overall picks of yesterday’s draft.

15th Pick – Brian Cushing/OLB/USC

We really set ourselves up for failure with this pick. Our first desire which was to trade down obviously wasn’t possible because the only team that was able to do so in the teens was the Cleveland Browns, who twice only received a 6th round selection for moving down. So Houston was stuck at 15.

Most people didn’t want Cushing, myself included. I won’t reiterate why because I made a commitment to myself that I wouldn’t trash the newest member of the Texans unless he gave me a reason to with his play on the field. Cushing is great against the run, which is something that we need. He also has extensive experience rushing the passer from his time in the Elephant position in USC’s pro-style defense.

Many people yesterday repeated the mantra of “In Smithiak We Trust” to comfort themselves, but there’s another guy that I put my confidence in to justify this pick--Frank Bush. If anyone knows what LBs will be a good fit for our system it’s Bush, whose coaching specialty has been LBs for several years after he himself played the position. Bush felt confident enough in Cushing’s ability to step in and play from day one of the 2009 NFL season, as evidenced by utilizing his first ever pick as a defensive coordinator.

Speaking of Smithiak, I do trust that they did their due diligence in investigating injuries that were reported to be caused by steroids. That’s the only thing that still gives me pause for feeling good about this pick. If Cushing can stay healthy though, he will be an immediate upgrade at SLB and allow Zac Diles and Xavier Adibi to stay fresh and hopefully injury-free themselves.

I’m not saying that I think the Cushing pick was perfect, but I don’t think it was the end of the world either. Additionally, the whole “He didn’t seem enthused to play in Houston” argument is a little unfair in my opinion. NFLN will air a draft profile of Cushing on Tuesday which I will watch and post about, and if he really was bummed about us picking him, it will show there.

46th Pick – Connor Barwin/DE/Cincinnati

The more I think about this pick, the more I love it. Look at the results for drills at the Combine, and there is one name you continuously see at the top of those lists--Connor Barwin. As opposed to other physically gifted athletes on those lists like Michael Johnson and Lawrence Sidbury, Barwin has been lauded for his non-stop motor and incredible work ethic.

Barwin also has the intelligence to learn what coaches need him to, and will be a great addition to our locker room. If we need him to play OLB instead of DE, he has both the physical gifts and intellect to do so. Also, don’t overlook the fact that Barwin had 400 yards receiving as a TE in 2007, and was also a walk-on power forward on the Bearcats basketball team.

Barwin was a steal halfway through round two, especially considering he was being considered in the end of the first round by teams like Miami and New England. Granted, those teams run a 3-4, but as much as I hate Belichick, he and Parcells are draft geniuses so I don’t mind taking a player they both like. I like this pick so much that I’m seriously considering a purchase of a new steel blue Barwin jersey.

Connor Barwin Is The Newest Member Of The Houston Texans

Jake — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:56:46 -0000

Welcome to Houston, Connor Barwin. Barwin who played DE at Cincinnati after being recruited to play TE, was just drafted in the second round by your Houston Texans. Both positions are needs for the Texans. Barwin amazed scouts and player personnel at the 2009 NFL Combine by running a 4.66 40. Most draftniks assumed that Barwin would be converted to an OLB, which is still an option for the Texans, but more on that to follow…

2009 Stampede Blue Community Mock Draft Round Two: Picks 48, 49, and 50

BigBlueShoe — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:06:38 -0000

48. Denver Broncos

Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech

Drafter: mgrex03

49. Chicago Bears

Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State

Drafter: ColtsFanNChiTown

50. Cleveland Browns

Connor Barwin, OLB, Cincinnati

Drafter: BigBlueShoe (For Colts Homer)

Meet the Chiefs Draft Interests (Trade Down Edition)

Joel Thorman — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:30:10 -0000

More photos » by Rogelio V. Solis - AP

8 months ago: FILE - In this Nov. 28, 2008 file photo, Mississippi State defensive end Tim Bailey (39) is shoved back by Mississippi offensive lineman Michael Oher (74) during the first half of an NCAA college football game. Oher is a top prospect in the 2009 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Browse more photos »

Yesterday, we broke down by position all the draft prospects the Kansas City Chiefs have been reportedly interested in. No surprise that offensive line and linebacker led the way.

Then we looked at the players the Chiefs have worked out that could be the third overall pick.

Today, we're perusing our Chiefs Draft Interests page and highlighting all the players the scouting staff has looked at that are projected to go in the second or third round. If you're watching the Draft on Saturday, and at 3:20 PM you hear the Chiefs have traded down, there's a likelihood they'll know who to pick considering they've focused heavily on players in this draft range.

The list of players below is one of the biggest reasons so many folks across the league expect Scott Pioli and the Chiefs to move out of the third overall pick and collect more picks in the late first to early third round range.

OFFENSIVE LINE

OT Michael Oher (Ole Miss, Rd. 1) - Spoke with at Senior Bow/Attended Pro Day (March 31)/Scouted in person in 2008

*Oher settles in at the tail end of the top ten range to the high teens. If the Chiefs are looking at him as a tackle opposite of Albert (right or left), then they'll need to likely target the Buffalo Bills 11th overall pick.

OT Eben Britton (Arizona, Rd. 1-2) - Private workout (Reported March 25)

*Could be a right or left tackle (6'6", 310 pounds) and could be taken as high as the late teens in the first round.

DEFENSIVE LINE/LINEBACKER

OLB Brian Cushing (USC, Rd. 1) - Spoke with at Senior Bowl/Attended Pro Day (April 1)/Scouted in person in 2008

*Brian Cushing is projected to be a first round pick and would be of interest to the Chiefs if they were able to trade down. He, along with his USC counterparts, could be a tremendous help to the Chiefs and a great value if they were able to drop into to the bottom half of the first round.

DE Connor Barwin (Cincinnati, Rd. 1-2) - Visited with the Chiefs (April 2)

*The Patriots are reported to have a lot of interest in Barwin as well. He's had arguably the best post-season workout run as any player in this draft class. Capable of playing as an OLB (1 year at Cincinnati) or a TE (3 years at Cincinnati), Barwin has been drawn comparisons to Chiefs' Mike Vrabel. He won't make it past the Patriots or Browns, early in the second round.

LB James Laurinaitis (Ohio St., Rd. 1-2) - Visited with the Chiefs (April 2)

*Came in on the same day as Brian Orakpo and Connor Barwin. It's strange...if Lauriniaitis have come out last year, he was projected to be as high as a top ten pick. Now, he's fallen to the tail end of the first round, possibly as low as the second round. He seems to have the Pioli mentality when it comes to football.

LB Larry English (Northern Illinois, Rd. 1-2) - Private workout (Reported April 8)

*English has been shooting up draft boards, possibly into the first round. He's been reported to have drawn the interest of the Patriots in addition to the Chiefs. He's projected as an OLB in the Chiefs' 3-4 scheme.

LB Clint Sintim

*Another interesting prospect as he's projected to go as high as 25th to the Dolphins and as low as the middle of the second round.

DE Jarron Gilbert (San Jose St., Rd. 2-3) - Private workout (April)

*Another guy gaining a lot of steam, maybe even into the end of the first round. Click the link above to see a cool video of him jumping out of a pool (Okay, that sounds weird. Just watch it if you haven't already).

NT Sen'Derrick Marks (Auburn, Rd. 2-3) - Private workout (March 30)

*Nose tackles are hard to come by but one of Marks' biggest knocks is that he's not big enough to handle larger defensive linemen. Not a characteristic a defensive lineman wants. He's likely to be available when the Chiefs pick in the third round.

DT Fili Moala (USC, Rd. 2-3) - Spoke with at Combine

*The Chiefs could be looking for another defensive tackle - though I would imagine they would prefer it to be a more traditional nose tackle.

DE Paul Kruger (Utah, Rd. 3) - Private workout (1st week of April)

*From Utah and is projected as an OLB. He's quick and has the frame to get bigger. The Broncos and Chiefs both worked him out.

SECONDARY

CB Malcolm Jenkins (Ohio St. Rd. 1) - Scouted in person in 2008

*I wouldn't read much into this. The Chiefs scouted him way back when we weren't sure if rookie Brandon Carr could handle the corner job opposite of Flowers (he can).

CB Mike Mickens (Cincinnati, Rd. 2-3) - Scouted in person in 2008

*Director of college scouting says he has the "temperament" to be an NFL corner.

CB Keenan Lewis (Oregon St., Rd. 3) - Spoke with at the Senior Bowl

*From Oregon State and had an interview with the Chiefs at the Senior Bowl. Haven't heard any news on him since that.

QUARTERBACKS

QB Chase Patton (MU, Rd. 7) - Rumored interest

*We just learned tonight the Chiefs have requested a contact number for Patton on Draft day so that's a good sign that he's on the Chiefs radar.

QB Josh Freeman (K-State, Rd. 1-2) - Attended local Pro Day

*Didn't even work out at the Chiefs complex. Nothing to see here. Move along...

QB Pat White (WVU, Rd. 2-3) - Spoke with at Senior Bowl

*Since the Senior Bowl meeting, we haven't been able to get a confirmation of Pat White working out with the Chiefs. He's been linked to the Patriots and Vikings, among other teams.

RUNNING BACKS/WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS

TE Brandon Pettigrew (Oklahoma St., Rd. 1) - Scouted in person in 2008

*The Chiefs could have been doing their due diligence last season when they scouted Pettigrew. Remember, last October, in the height of college football season, Gonzalez was publicly asking to be traded.

TE Chase Coffman (MU, Rd. 2-3) - Attended local Pro Day

*Coffman is an intriguing pick due in large part to the fact that he's local. Though Pioli has picked three tight ends in the first round while in New England, I expect him to hang onto Gonzalez in 2009 with Brad Cottam as his eventual heir.

WR Mike Thomas (Arizona, Rd. 2-3) - Private workout (March 24)

*Both the Chiefs (Pioli) and Broncos (McDaniels) set up a private workout with Thomas so maybe there's a bit of the 'Patriot Way' in him. His skill set is in a Wes Welker type mold, meaning he's a small and quick possession/slot receiver.

RB Andre Brown (NC State, Rd. 2-3) - Private workout (Reported April 16th)

*And here's my "Chiefs work out a RB...replacement for LJ?" post...

It can't be used as a legitimate clue into the Chiefs' front office because our Chiefs' draft interests page is ultimately incomplete, but only two offensive linemen that have been reportedly worked out by the Chiefs are expected to be in trade down territory.

Of these 20 prospects, nine of them were defensive linemen and linebackers. A sign that the Chiefs will be going defense in the even to of a trade down?

Taking the table from Chris' post yesterday where he broke down all the Chiefs draft interests by position, we can see the Chiefs are focusing their reported scouting efforts of defensive linemen and linebackers projected to be selected later in the first round to the third round.

Offense	Defense
OT (10)	LB (11)
WR (4)	DE (6)
QB (3)	DL (5)
OG (3)	CB (4)
RB (2)
PK (2)
FB (1)

Out of the sixteen reported DL/LBs on this list, nine of them would require the Chiefs trading down. That's quite the due diligence.

With The Twenty-Fourth Overall Pick In The 2009 BRB Interactive Mock Draft, Atlanta Selects...

Tim — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 03:00:00 -0000

The people have spoken yet again, and they're saying Connor Barwin to the Pats. What will the resurgent Falcons do at 24?

Poll

With the 24th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons:

Select James Laurinaitis (LB--Ohio State)

9 votes

Select Clint Sintim (LB--Virginia)

2 votes

Select Vontae Davis (CB--Illinois)

11 votes

Select Larry English (DE/LB--Northern Illinois)

5 votes

Select Darius Butler (CB--UConn)

3 votes

Trade the pick (if selected, let us know the REALISTIC offer ATL would accept and who their trading partner would take at No. 24)

1 votes

31 votes | Poll has closed

With The Twenty Third Overall Pick In The 2009 BRB Interactive Mock Draft, New England Selects...

Jake — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:58:57 -0000

According to you, Minnesota is going to have to invest in some marijuana screening agents next year after they take Percy Harvin. Now it's time to get out your crystal ball because you have the daunting task of choosing what rabbit Bill Belichick will pull out of his hat.

Poll

With the twenty third overall pick, the New England Patriots...

Select Vontae Davis

9 votes

Select Darius Butler

4 votes

Select James Laurinaitus

25 votes

Select Connor Barwin

44 votes

Select Larry English

6 votes

Select Eben Britton

0 votes

Select Clint Sintim

6 votes

94 votes | Poll has closed