When Rivers first texted me about this last night, I debated whether I should even draft a post in response to Bob Allen's report. Then I read the flurry of commentary the news item inspired in this post, so I decided we should at least have a forum for the discussion, even though I happen to believe the story is a complete non-story. Let's examine what was reported and react accordingly after the jump.

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We're kicking around the idea of having a regular Saturday evening open thread here at BRB, either in addition to or when "Saturday Night Tunes" is on hiatus. While it's almost sure to end poorly, what can I say? I'm a pie-eyed optimist. Let's touch that hot stove, shall we?

Consider this your open thread to discuss whatever you're up to or thinking about on this fine Saturday night, Texans-related or not. The community guidelines are always in effect, so use your good judgment in what you post for public consumption.

In an effort to provide more unintelligible rants original content to the BRB community, we're making a concerted effort to increase our activity on the official BRB Twitter (@battleredblog) and BRB Facebook (here's a link) pages. I'll be in charge of the Twitter happenings, and BFD has volunteered to helm the horrendous failure that is sure to be this site's increased Facebook activity.

Livers permitting, there will be exclusive new stuff (read: dumbarsery you don't get to see on the site) on both Twitter and Facebook each day (or most days, anyway). For example, I've taken to posing "Tonight's Texans Twitter Query" (#TTTQ) each evening and chatting with whoever responds, and I'm trying to make it a point to interact on Twitter throughout the workday as time permits as well.

So if you've got a Twitter or Facebook account, feel free to join the party by "following" or "friending" BRB. Additionally, several of your favorite BRB "staff members" have individual Twitter accounts, which I will reveal after the jump.

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As we sit here in early February, still weeks before free agency begins in earnest and 2.5 months (sigh) before the 2012 NFL Draft, weigh in with your thoughts as to how your Houston Texans should prioritize their offseason moves.

Is signing Chris Myers to a new contract more important than signing Mario Williams? Is inking Arian Foster to a long-term deal more important than coming to terms with Myers or Super Mario?

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With the current pay-that-$28,000,000.00-or-else deadline of March 8th creeping ever closer (though it could conceivably be pushed back by agreement of the parties), most pundits and fans seem to think it's a foregone conclusion that the Colts will part ways with Peyton Manning in the coming weeks. Some cling to the belief that the Colts will find a way for Peyton to stay in Indianapolis. What do you think? If you believe Peyton's played his last game as a Colt, where do you think he's playing next season? A poll awaits you beyond the jump.

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Here's the complete list. After the jump, some more information about the list's breakdown and notable snubs, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Mike Huguenin.

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Well, this is it. The end of the 2011 season. After tonight, you won't see any meaningful NFL games until September. Seven months from now. Woe unto us all.

Now that you're properly depressed, let's enjoy this last precious bit of football. It's the Super Bowl. Let's comment like it.

As we march toward kickoff, consider this your pre-game thread to discuss your thoughts about the Super Bowl, your game viewing/party plans, recipes, your Houston Texans, and/or the Illuminati.

The open thread for the Super Bowl will post at 4:30 p.m. CST. Until then, make use of this space.

I say Patriots 27, Giants 24, with Tom Brady named Super Bowl MVP.

I know! Edgy, right? I'm a real trendsetter. My next trick will be bringing the slap bracelet back.

What say you?

Surely Arian Foster talked more about it than one quote in a single interview, but this is all I've been able to find so far. Via Rotoworld, The Best Running Back in the NFL talks about the possibility of a long-term contract in Houston:

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As Frederik Nyman FanShotted earlier today, the Raiders offered Texans' quarterback coach Greg Knapp their offensive coordinator gig. Not surprisingly, Knapp accepted the offer.

Knapp did a fantastic job in a very tough situation this past season. When Matt Schaub was injured, Knapp had to prepare Matt Leinart to start. Then, Leinart went down before even completing a half, leaving T.J. Yates as the man under center. Knapp was charged with preparing a rookie who hadn't even suited up for a Texans game before November 27, 2011 to start on December 4, 2011. With the bye week already in the books. Oh, and to compound the difficulty of the task, we weren't talking about Yates taking snaps for some woebegone squad whose playoff dream had already ended. When Yates took over, the Texans were 8-3, with the first playoff berth and division title in franchise history not yet clinched.

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Courtesy of Nick Scurfield's article, here are some quotes for your review after Gary Kubiak led the AFC to victory yesterday in Hawaii.

Gary Kubiak:

"I appreciate the guys’ effort," Kubiak said. "I understand the drill. I understand we’re out here to make sure everybody’s healthy, but I tell you what, our guys were great all week – not only great players, but great people.

"It’s kind of hard to call plays; you’ve got so many guys that want the ball. But they’re good guys. It’s great for the NFL. It’s my first taste of this, but I really enjoyed it."

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Yes, the Pro Bowl is little more than a glorified exhibition. It's also your last opportunity to watch Gary Kubiak and his staff, Johnathan Joseph, Chris Myers, and Antonio Smith (Arian Foster's sitting this one out) do what they do until OTAs crank back up over the summer.

This is your open thread for the 2012 Pro Bowl. Perhaps your witty commentary can make this into chicken salad.

We've talked about who you'll be watching with interest when the North takes on the South in this afternoon's postbellum affair at 3 p.m. CST (airing on the NFL Network). Now let us actually watch the game and enjoy one another's observations on same.

This is your open thread for the 2012 Senior Bowl. You might be tempted to turn your nose up at such an endeavor...until you realize that you're about to go on an involuntary no-meaningful-football diet from February 6th until September.

Makes you want to watch some football, doesn't it? Opine as only you know how in the Comments below.

We're going to be talking about this for at least the next several weeks, if not longer. Might as well check the pulse of the Texans fan base before the offseason begins in earnest.

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With only the Super Bowl left to play, the interminable drudgery of the offseason is nearly upon us. While we're sure to talk free agency, 2012 NFL Draft, and the Texans' roster ad infinitum over the next few months, there could well be a great idea for a post (or even several posts) that has crossed your mind, despite never even entering the vacuous airspace betwixt the collective ears of the BRB "staff."

Thus, I have a question for you. After the jump, naturally.

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With no NFL playoff games this weekend, we turn our attention to the Senior Bowl. The North and South squads spend the week practicing in Mobile, AL under the watchful eyes of Leslie Frazier and Mike Shanahan, respectively, before taking the field for a 3 p.m. CST kickoff on Saturday.

In case you're not familiar with who's actually playing in this exhibition, here are a couple of links to the rosters (North here, South here) for Saturday's game.

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Many Texans fans, including me, were confused as to why Brandon Harris couldn't crack the CB rotation last year. He wasn't even active for several games. For a team that was far from bursting with proven quality performers at CB, the thought of the team's second-round selection being deemed not even good enough to suit up on game days, much less actually play, was puzzling. We speculated as to why that was the case. Were the Texans making a concerted effort to take things slow with Harris after seeing how poorly Kareem Jackson fared when he was thrown into the fire as a rookie? Was Harris simply not picking up the scheme? Was it a technique issue?

At least one report indicates that it was something else. What's more, if the report is accurate, it may not bode well for Harris' chances to break through at corner any time soon.

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Alas, the first Texansless playoff weekend of the 2011 campaign has arrived. You must watch the Ravens battle the Patriots, wondering "What if?" all the while. You may watch the Giants take on the 49ers, lamenting that David Carr could reach the Super Bowl before your beloved Texans will.

During these soul-searching moments, I invite you to comment merrily and/or forlornly in this open game thread. You're among friends.

Ever since Wade Phillips decided that Mario Williams would be playing outside linebacker, Super Mario has been compared to DeMarcus Ware. Those comparisons were initially grounded in what we could expect Super Mario to do on the field via a look at what Ware did in Wade's scheme. Now, with your Houston Texans facing the decision of how to handle Mario Williams' impending free agency, the view shifts off the gridiron, to the land o' contracts.

MDC, among others, has frequently cited DeMarcus Ware's contract as proof that the Texans can structure a cap-friendly contract for The Man Who Saved Us From Reggie Bush. That piqued my curiosity, so I started looking for details on Ware's contract. Though Ware restructured his deal last August to provide some salary cap relief for his employer (exactly how it was restructured does not appear to be public knowledge, or at least I haven't been able to find anything that reveals the specifics), we can still look at the terms of his initial deal for some guidance as to how the Texans might try to create a palatable and appropriate deal for Mario Williams. I'm no capologist, and I won't even pretend to play one on this blog, but it would be beyond fantastic if Rick Smith could craft a deal similar to DeMarcus Ware's for Mario Williams.

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