SB Nation - Fred Weary

Thursday Thoughts: On Fines, Chester Pitts, Kasey Studdard, And The Like

Tim — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:04:48 -0000

First off...whew. As great as it's been basking in that victory over Tennessee, a small part of me was just waiting for the other shoe, in the form of suspensions, to drop. Freaking fantastic to see that your Houston Texans will not be without the services of the best wide receiver on the planet. In a related story, freaking terrifying to see that your Houston Texans will not be without the services of quite possibly the shakiest return man in the NFL.

I've given some more thought to the idea of an offensive line without Chester Pitts, and I'm getting increasingly concerned about it. First and foremost, you have to feel for Pitts. Dude has never missed a start and now, on the cusp of free agency, he goes down and undergoes a procedure that isn't exactly conducive to bouncing back, much less bouncing back and getting big dollars on the free agent market. We've seen a version of this song before; remember Fred Weary and his broken leg? While Chester Pitts may not ever take the field as a Texan again, I'm going to be rooting for him to make it back from this injury somewhere.

In terms of how Pitts' absence affects the Texans on the field, I'm perturbed. Kasey Studdard has shown flashes of competence in the limited time he's seen the field, but you have to wonder if he's ready for the increased responsibility and wearing a bullseye for opposing defenses. And I say that as someone who absolutely loved the Studdard pick back in '07. I'm hopeful he steps in and the OL doesn't miss a beat, but Pitts is leaving fairly big shoes to fill. Pitts made it that much harder for defenses to blow up the left side of the line, and that's HUGE, considering Duane Brown isn't exactly a ten-year starter. It's going to be on Eric Winston, Chris Myers, Mike Brisiel and, most importantly, Alex Gibbs, to cover for Studdard during the transition. If Studdard can't get the job done, Antoine Caldwell or Chris White had better be ready to go.

From a long-term standpoint, Pitts' injury could feasibly benefit the Texans. The Texans get to see if Studdard can be a viable solution at guard, and presumably Caldwell should get some more work as well. The stars were aligning for the Texans to have a very hard decision to make about Pitts at the end of the season. Now, the decision, at least football-wise, would appear to be much easier. For the purpose of putting the best team out there this year, though? Little doubt the Texans suffered a sizable blow in Nashville a few days ago.

Browns Waive LB Marcus Benard, OT Corey Hilliard, DB Bret Lockett

Chris Pokorny — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:50:34 -0000

To make room for the roster moves the Cleveland Browns made earlier in the day, the team announced that the following three players were waived from the team:

Besides the three players we reported that the Browns signed earlier, they also added DB Marquis Floyd to the 53-man roster. Floyd was on the Seattle Seahawks practice squad last year and was one of their final cuts this year. For those who missed it earlier, the other three players to sign were RB Cedric Peerman (Baltimore), RT Phil Trautwein (St. Louis), and CB DeAngelo Smith (Dallas).

The Browns also reached an injury settlement with OL Fred Weary, so he is no longer with the team. It'll be interesting to see if a settlement is soon reached with veteran Ryan Tucker.

As for the players the Browns waived, don't be surprised if at least Benard and Lockett end up on the team's practice squad.

Let's Call This One IllegalContactGate

Tim — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:51:41 -0000

If nothing else, part of me wants to thank your Houston Texans for giving us something to talk about during the dregs of the sporting calendar year. Sure, I wish it was something more positive, but beggars can't be choosers. Especially in post-Super Bowl February. After having a bit of time to digest the allegations levied against the organization and/or coaching staff, I have a few thoughts:

1. Are the allegations true? I have no idea. Gun to my head, I'd bet they are. Coaches are constantly looking for every edge they can get, and I wholeheartedly buy the notion that these sort of prohibited contact drills are far more commonplace than not. That leads to the question of whether "everybody's doing it" is a legitimate defense. Your opinion may differ, but that sort of justification rings hollow to me. It reverts back to the old question my parents always used to ask about whether I'd jump off a bridge just because everyone else was doing it. The herd mentality doesn't persuade me that there's an excuse for breaking the rules.

2. Are the allegations serious? Absolutely. Rules are rules. You break 'em, and you pay the consequences. Here, the consequences range from a monetary fine to possible loss of team activity time to the forfeiture of a fourth-round draft pick. Obviously, that last penalty is the most serious. Imagine, if you will, your Houston Texans missing out on the chance to add another player of Owen Daniels' or, to a lesser extent, Xavier Adibi's or Fred Bennett's caliber. Each of those current Texans were fourth-round picks. We all love to pat Smithiak on the back for their middle and later round draft finds, so the thought of losing the opportunity to add another diamond in the rough in April should underscore that this transgression has the potential to really sting.

3. Are the allegations a bit tougher to believe considering the source(s)? The veracity of the allegations, not really, though you have to question Dan Stevenson's motivation for coming forward. The guy was a fringe player in the NFL, and this whistleblowing (including but not limited to the subsequent lawsuit against the Texans he's purportedly set to file) could simply be his way of earning a living and/or saving for retirement for the next few years. I definitely don't buy the notion that Stevenson is some sort of crusader for workers' rights. Do you think he'd have blown the whistle if he had a guaranteed contract or roster spot? In other words, would he really bite the hand that was feeding him if it was still feeding him? I don't think so. Call me a cynic.

4. I do know this: Stevenson, Jordan Black, and Fred Weary just made it a whole lot more unlikely that they'll be plying their trade in the NFL come September 2009. When deciding on those last few roster spots, I have a hard time believing NFL teams are going to stick with guys who now have a well-publicized history of raging against the machine. Superstars can get away with being the squeaky wheel. These guys aren't superstars.

5. Smartest dude in the bunch? Chukky Okobi. His silence has been golden thus far.

6. I am a bit disappointed in the Texans organization, though. I know there are all sorts of policies that govern responding to these sort of allegations, and I respect the idea of waiting until the issues are evaluated thoroughly before disseminating some half-cocked response. Still...the Texans know if they broke the rules. If they did, Bob McNair, Rick Smith, and Kubes need to issue statements apologizing for their conduct and take their medicine. In short, they need to be the stand-up organization that we believe they are. Any sort of waffling or tap-dancing is weak sauce.

Thoughts?

BREAKING NEWS: Texans Under Investigation For Illegal Contact Drills

Riott — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:34:13 -0000

According to ESPN's Outside The Lines, former offensive guard Dan Stevenson is suing the Houston Texans for being required to participate in illegal drills in minicamp.

According to the report, players wearing only their helmets were instructed to do live one-on-one blocking drills, despite not wearing any pads. Dan Stevenson, Jordan Black, and Chukky Okobi all claimed to have been injured during the drill, with Stevenson tearing a shoulder labrum, Black suffering a labrum injury, and Chukki Okobi injuring his triceps. Fred Weary also signed a notarized affidavit supporting the claim.

Stevenson has allegedly tried to intervene through the NFLPA once before, but his claim was rejected.

Apparently holding unsanctioned drills is pretty common, but to have 3 season ending injuries in one drill? That's kind of ridiculous. We will keep an eye out on what's going on with this story.

[UPDATE BY TIM]: From John McClain:

If the Texans are found to have violated the NFL’s offseason workout policy, they will lose one week of their organized team activities, and coach Gary Kubiak could be fined.

If a league investigation finds more than one violation during the league year, the Texans could be fined a fourth-round draft choice, according to the collective bargaining agreement.

Losing a mid-round draft choice? This is serious.