SB Nation User Blog: marroncito

Tim Bulman: The Road He Traveled

marroncito — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:31:05 -0000

Tim Bulman is the kind of player the Texans want, the Texans need, on their team. All go, no quit. This guy has one gear - flat out balls-to-the-wall. In person, the intensity just radiates off him. He has a guileless smile that betrays his love for the game. If you knew him at any other point in his career, you might not recognize him now. He's a lean 276 lbs and in the best shape of his life.

He's fascinating to talk to. The road that brought him to Reliant is an interesting one, filled with the best kind of football, but to only read the details of his life misses what makes him a great player. The three facets that best define his game are aggression, control and playmaking ability. His coaches and the media compliment him on his high motor, but it's more than that. He has the aggressiveness of an angry wolverine. He believes that the best defensive linemen pursue a play. He makes tackles in the backfield and takes passes away from receivers. No matter the down or distance, Tim Bulman is striving to make a play on the ball.

Not everything has gone his way. A highly rated defensive tackle at Boston College, he ended up going undrafted and then bounced around practice squads. Yet this path hasn't deterred or dissuaded Tim Bulman from maintaining confidence that he is an NFL player. With a great deal of humility, Bulman explained that he only worried about things he could control. He doesn't choose the roster. He doesn't write the contracts. He worries about his motor - going all out every play. He worries about his conditioning - starting his training early for the offseason on January 23. He worries about making this year a career year. We call this character.

Tim Bulman told me that his college defensive line coach, Keith Willis, instilled an ideal in him that he works for every play. Coach Willis told him that any player could make any play. Tim Bulman realized that he could deflect a pass, sack a quarterback or block a punt. He's spent his whole career doing just that. He's deflected a pass intended for Ernest Wilford, covered punts and even long snaps. Simply put, Tim Bulman is a playmaker.

The Road There

Tim Bulman's sports career started on the basketball court. He still has his Larry Bird jersey, which he wears around the Texans locker room. He played basketball until his freshman year of high school. He followed the trail his older brother Andrew blazed onto the gridiron. A knee injury his freshman year made him realize two things: That his future wasn't in basketball and that he was really good with the pigskin. From that moment, he was filled with the determination to excel and succeed. He was clean cut all through high school. While other guys partied, he trained. He knew that his God-given talent was an opportunity to go places and he took it with a vengeance.

He got a scholarship and followed a grand New England tradition of becoming a "double-eagle", someone who attends Boston College High School and Boston College. He made plays as a freshman and sophomore as he grew into his body and his role as a defensive tackle. His junior season, Bulman really began to establish himself with 33% of his tackles behind the line of scrimmage. His senior season opened with promise. He was part of a monstrous defensive line next to Mathias Kiwanuka.

But the draft was unkind to Tim Bulman. Originally seen as a first day prospect, he continued to fall down draft boards because of the dreaded label of "undersized," despite putting up a combine best 35 reps and doing exceptionally well in other drills. His teammates were surprised that he went undrafted; they knew he was a big part of the maroon and gold monster. Tim Bulman uses the pain of that day to fuel his motor.

Arizona was his first stop in the NFL. He found he had to fill big shoes. When he got there he was issued Kyle Vanden Bosh's number. Everyone on the Cardinals defense knew that Vanden Bosh would break out in 2005 because of how hard he worked. Bertrand Berry and Reggie Wells told him he had to live up to that work ethic wearing that jersey. Texans' fans are going to see just how hard of a worker Tim Bulman is this year.

On December 11, 2005, The Cardinals took the field against the Washington Redskins. His parents were in the stands cheering. Because of injuries, the Cardinals only had 3 active defensive tackles for the game. Suddenly, Darnell Dockett went down with an injury and Bulman was sent in. First and 10, the Redskins had the ball at the 20. Clinton Portis takes the ball off right tackle. Bulman flows to the ball and into a fierce collision. Portis is stopped for no gain. After the play, he walked back to the defensive huddle and felt a pain in his ankle. He played out the rest of the series hurt. Bulman taped up on the sideline and finished the game. Lots of players exhibit this sort of toughness; it's a necessary part of being an NFL player.

Bulman fought, but not everything went his way. He spent 2 years on the sidelines as a practice squad and rotational player. He was then put on waivers and claimed by the Indianapolis Colts. They also brought in Dan Klecko. They only had one roster spot available and ultimately decided to sign Klecko for his experience. So Bulman drove his Yukon Denali to Houston when the Texans called.

Once again on a practice squad, Bulman didn't stop fighting. He caught and continues to catch Gary Kubiak's eye. Kubiak related: “He’s done a lot of pass rushing with the first group in Nickel and those type of things. He’s a guy that’s earning his keep. He’s done a very good job. He’s going to be hard to keep off the field. That’s the type of worker he is. He’s an interesting kid. I remember last year I went to him and offered to take him on a trip with us when he was on the practice squad. He said, ‘Coach, I’ll go when I earn my trip when I’m playing.’ So he’s earning his trip right now.”

Toro's New Bul

Now Bulman has shined in the Texans OTAs. He told me the best part of the work he's getting with the starters is getting in sync with the front seven. Hearing DeMeco's voice making the line calls. Working out signals with Amobi on stunts. Bulman plays up and down the line rushing the passer and dropping back in coverage. I couldn't get him to say much, but he dropped little hints at how aggressive the Texans defense is going to be this year.

Tim Bulman is always looking for every edge. This offseason he went to his friend Joel Dreessen and learned to long snap. He practiced with Dressen every day after workouts. Eventually, he caught Joe Marciano's eye. Marciano told him to be ready to be a back up long snapper. You're going to see No. 93 making a lot of plays.

Big Jeff, Jethro Franklin, gets under everyone's skin. He has a special way of getting under Tim Bulman's. There's a sign in the Texans locker room for all the defensive linemen to see. "Hard Work Beats Talent. Talent Doesn't Work Hard." Anytime Bulman makes a play, Jethro is calling out "See, hard work beats talent." Bulman always toys with Franklin and asks him if he thinks he's a talented player. Frank Bush has seen how talented Bulman is since his days at Arizona. Bush has been one of Bulman's coaches every year he has been in the NFL.

Bulman's locker is between Amobi Okoye and Dan Stevenson. When he gets ready for games he listens to everything from Cold Play to Metallica, and his tastes cover everything from classics to Eminem. Bulman rides the swell until he's ready to knock someone in the mouth.

The Man Bulman

When he's off the field, Bulman likes to hang out and kick back. He's a city boy that wants a yard in the city big enough to play in. He's got a girlfriend in Boston with her own successful career; she comes to games when she can. His mother makes the best clam chowder in all of New England. His brother Andrew set the J.C.L.A. record with a 667 lbs bench press. Kasey Studdard went up against Andrew on the field and has respect for both Bulmans' strength.

Jeremy Trueblood, the RT for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is his closest friend in the league. They were roommates at Boston College. They train together in the offseason. They battle it out in Halo together. Bulman said that several Texans and even NFL players are Halo players. They get together for big shootouts from time to time.

As we headed out of the restaurant after the interview, I could plainly see that Tim Bulman has a future with the Texans. He's a player in the mold of his fellow BC alum Chris Hovan-- a disruptive high motor player who never stops. "He's going to be hard to keep off the field."

(images via assets.houstontexans.com)

This isn't really worth a post in the News section so i thought I'd throw it up here. If you wan...

marroncito — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:19:38 -0000

This isn't really worth a post in the News section so i thought I'd throw it up here. If you want to check out a screen shot of Reliant Stadium head over to Operation Sports and check it out.

Battle Red Blog: Yahoo FF League

marroncito — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:58:38 -0000

It's official. The Battle Red Blog Fantasy Football League has commenced. It's a Yahoo! PLUS league with all the bells and whistles.

There can be up to 20 teams in this league. Everyone who expressed interest in this league on the Grab Your Cheatsheets post has dibs on teams. After that, we welcome all comers.

After the jump, check out more info about the league.

(images via via farm1.static.flickr.com)

Overview

I'm going for something a little different with this league. Last year I got sick of Tom Brady taking over leagues everywhere. So I adjusted some of the scoring to reflect each players contributions over an entire game. Tom Brady had a spectacular year, but it doesn't completely eclipse all the plays that every other player made. I tried to make it as interesting and balanced as possible.

Format

This is an IDP league with a few unique twists. Each team will have 25 players. 1QB, 3WR, 2RB, 2 flex WR/TE, 1 flex WR/RB, 1K, 3DP (defensive players), 3DL (defensive linemen), 3DB (defensive backs) and 6 bench players. If we can field the full 20 teams that means that 500 players will be on rosters at any given time.

There are only 32 starting QB/RBs and 64 starting WRs in the league. With 500 players, guys like Steve Breaston & Kevin Burnett matter. How deep is your NFL FF knowledge?

Because of the scale of this league, the draft will be held offline. It would probably be too difficult to arrange a time that was convenient for 20+ managers & co-managers. If Tim's willing, I'd like to hold the draft here at BRB.

Scoring

I tweaked the scoring to reflect what I thought actually happens in a game. I've based this scoring on a TD being worth 3 pts. This league currently uses fractional scoring to better equate each players contributions on the field.

Please give me some feedback here. I want to make this as complete a FF experience as I've ever had. I hope you look to make it the same.

Passing

I've always seen passing as a 2 man show. Neither the QB or the WR(etc.) does all the work.

Passing Attempts: .1 pts - if a QB is putting the ball up 30 times a game, it's worth something.

Completions: .2 pts - a QB that can complete 15 passes in a game has put his team in position to score.

Passing Yards: 100 yds = 1 pt - any yardage a QB throws for is a positive. a 300+ yd game is worth about a TD to his team.

Passing TDs: 1.5 - the QB does half the work and gets half the reward.

Recieving

I tried to balance the receivers' scoring between PPR and TD only leagues.

Receptions: .2 pts - hauling it in can contribute to scoring.

Recieving Yards: 100 = 1 pt - any yardage a WR makes is a positive.

Recieving TDs: 1.5 - the receiver does the other half of the work.

Rushing

Running Backs are still important in this league, but not ridiculously dominant.

Rushing Attempts: .1 pts - if your RB is getting 20-30 touches a game, he's contributing.

Rushing Yards: 100 yds = 1 pt - In today's ,teams need a 100 yds rusher every game.

Rushing TDs: 2 pts - each TD is based on 3 pts. The RB worked hard, but didn't do all the work. He got help from his blockers.

Special Teams

The scoring here makes you think about which players are also returners.

Return Yards: 100 yds = 1 pt - field position is always valuable.

Return TDs: 2 pts - like the RBs, they don't do all the work. They've got blockers and chaos helping them out.

Field Goal 0-39 yds: 1 pt - chip shots are worth a point.

Field Goal 40-49 yds: 1.25 - these shots are harder to hit

Field Goal 50+: 1.5 - these are just amazing. i figure it takes about the same amount of work to hit the long FG as it does to throw a long TD pass.

Extra Point: .1 pts - it's worth something.

Defense

No drafting team defenses here. Individual defensive players can make a big impact.

Tackle Solo: .2 pts - if you put up 15 tackles, you're taking over the game.

Tackle Assist: .1 pts - getting to the ball is worth something.

Sack: .5 pts - this isn't the only thing that the defense does, but it's still valuable.

Interception: 1 pt - part dumb luck, part skill, all momentum.

Fumble Forced: .75 pts - one half of a game-changing play.

Fumble Recovery: .75 - a major shift in momentum.

Defensive Touchdown: 2.5 pts - if you're scoring a defensive touchdown, you've done almost all the work.

Safety: 3 pts - just as valuable as if you'd put the ball in your own end zone

Blocked Kick: 3 pts - these are a thing of beauty.

Customizable

Until I finally click the "Begin Season" button, every little bit of this league customizable so let me know if you think something should be changed, added or deleted.

I'm Looking For You

I kept my end of the bargain and paid the $124.99 for the full Custom PLUS league. If you're on this list, please email me at marroncito@yahoo.com with your user name from BRB so I can give you the password to join the league and create your team.

bigfatdrunk

kcc28

karmand

ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBuck

hartley

Tim

Tailgate Andy

Triple347

SOLIS

jgrayson

MDC

bullpen116

Everyone else just email me or post in the Comments that you want to join the league.

I'm hoping that this can make for an excellent Fantasy Football season, as well as be a way to build the Battle Red Blog community. Draft info, etc. will probably show up in the Fan Posts section so as not to overrun Texans news.

A Gaping Void: Owen Daniels & Eric Winston

marroncito — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:57:59 -0000

(images via assets.houstontexans.com & via rotoworld.com)

Owen Daniels and Eric Winston are a gaping void on the strong side of the Texans line. By that, I mean that they have both excelled on the field and achieved playing time to void the final year of their contracts. Now they're both in their contract years. If the Texans stand pat and let these contributors play out their contracts, there will be a gaping void in the Texans line.

Thankfully, the Texans recently extended general manager Rick Smith who has a track record of making shrewd moves. These moves are going to be some of the most interesting the Texans will make.

Even though Daniels and Winston are in their contract years, they will not be free agents after the season. When the owners opted out of the current CBA, the rules for free agency changed. It now requires 6 years of experience to reach free agency, so Daniels and Winston would be restricted free agents for another 2 years.

So what kind of deals will keep 2 young building blocks of a rising Texans team in place for the next few years? Let's look around the league and see what kind of deals are out there.

Tackle Salaries

Ryan Diem

2/21/2005: Signed a seven-year, $36 million contract. 2008: $3.5 million, 2009: $3.75 million, 2010: $3.85 million, 2011: $5.4 million, 2012: Free Agent.

Kevin Shaffer

3/11/2006: Signed a seven-year, $36 million contract. The deal includes $12.5 in guarantees. 2008: $2.9 million, 2009: $2.65 million, 2010: $2.9 million, 2011-2012: $3.4 million, 2013: Free Agent.

Eric Winston is probably as solid as any RT out there, and he's only 24 this year so he's got some leverage. He'll also be looking for the big payday he missed in the 2006 draft.

The Texans can hold onto him as a restricted free agent, making just over $1 million for at least one year, maybe two, so I believe a deal will be struck. And the sooner, the better. Contract disputes make for nasty blood.

I'd expect him to sign an extension next year in the neighborhood of a 4 years, worth $35 million with $15 million in guarantees. So his cap numbers would be something close to this: 2009--$6.5 mil; 2010--$8 mil; 2011--$9.75 mil; 2012--$10.75 mil.

This deal leaves him as a free agent (Pro Bowler?) at 29, which would be a great age for another big payday.

Tight End Salaries

Antonio Gates

8/23/2005: Signed a six-year, $24 million contract. The deal included a $6 million signing bonus and contains $10.5 million in total guarantees. 2008: $3 million, 2009: $3.25 million, 2010: $3.625 million, 2011: Free Agent.

Jason Witten

7/22/2006: Signed a six-year, $29 million contract extension through 2012. The deal included a $6 million signing bonus and a $6 million option bonus in the second year. 2008: $1.905 million, 2009: $2.5 million, 2010: $2.641 million, 2011: $3.391 million, 2012: $3.641 million, 2013: Free Agent.

Owen Daniels has been building solid seasons year after year. Right now, he may already be a top 15 TE. In a few years, he may be a Pro Bowler. He's got the tenacity.

If he continues to grow as vital part of the Texans passing attack, I expect the Texans to lock him up long term. They would be looking for about a 5 year deal. How many zeros would it take for Daniels to sign? Something in the neighborhood of $35 million with $10 million guaranteed. That would make his cap numbers: 2009--$3.5 mil, 2010--$5 mil, 2011--$7 mil, 2012--$9 mil, and 2013--$10.5 mil.

Contract Year

That's great that you're looking one, two, or even five years down the road, but what does any of this mean this season? Contract years in the NFL are funny things. Players realize their future is on the line, and they tend to perform at an optimum level. Think back to Albert Haynesworth last year--he knew he was auditioning for his big payday, and he became the force everyone knew he had the talent to be.

Owen Daniels and Eric Winston both know they're in contract years. They're going to take it up a notch because they can smell the $$$ every time they (or in Winston's case, the offense) find(s) the end zone. Expect the strong side of the Texans line to change from gaping void to steel blue stampede this season as Daniels and Winston have a little bit of extra motivation to play for.

Texans On The Hardwood

marroncito — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:43:50 -0000

Athleticism. It's hard to quantify, but when you see it you know it. So I decided to experiment a little and put the Texans roster on the basketball court. I wanted to see which 13 Texans players would make the best NBA team.

Allow me to introduce your Houston Texans basketball team.

(special thanks to lp.imageg.net & i179.photobucket.com for images)

C - Ephraim Salaam 6'7" 302

One of the unsung heroes among Texans players; he's really athletic for his size, and he's tall. He's the backup center like Dikembe Mutombo. He'll get his minutes and contribute.

C - Eric Winston 6'7" 310

A big athletic former tight end that likes to push people around. This team needs his size. He's not the fastest guy on the court, but I doubt many players could stop Neanderthal.

C/F - Mario Williams 6'7" 291

I see Mario Williams being in the mold of young Tim Duncan or maybe Dwight Howard (Superman). He's got the size to play the low post, and the athleticism to defend most any big man. You'd see Mario swinging from the rim.

F - Duane Brown 6'4" 310

This is the guy who covered punts as an offensive tackle in pads. He's too big to be stopped, and he can run with the best. Can you imagine 300+ lbs driving to the hole? Brown would be a bowling ball on the court.

F - Earl Cochran 6'5" 285

He plays special team and blocks punts. This guy can run. He subs in for Duane Brown as another big guy that will be a handful for any defense.

F - Chaun Thompson 6'2" 255

He's one of the fastest linebackers for his size in the league, strong and explosive.

F - Owen Daniels 6'3" 247

The tenacity...does anyone fight each play more than Owen Daniels? This guy takes licks and gets in defenders' faces. You can expect him to be aggressive with or without the ball.

F/G - DeMeco Ryans 6'1" 230

A cerebral player with a chip on his shoulder. He's undersized, but that hasn't stopped his production on the gridiron. I see him as a larger version of John Stockton.

G/F - Andre Johnson 6'3" 220

A stud on the field, and he's be a stud on the court. He can run, jump, catch and break tackles. What can't he do? I see him as a healthy T-Mac. Dare I say Kobe?

G - Kevin Walter 6'3" 210

The hardest worker on the team, he gives everything on every play. He's the Shane Battier of this team. He could defend anyone.

G - Jacoby Jones 6'2" 207

This guy sets the return game on fire and has shown flashes of dominance on the field. He'd be a slashing point guard to pair with Andre Johnson.

G - Andre Davis 6'1" 195

He's made acrobatic catches and can really go up for the ball. His role on this team would be as another slashing player to compliment Jacoby Jones if they run small. I can see his return skills translating to solid penetration on the court.

G - Dunta Robinson 5'10" 184

(when healthy) He was all over the field. He made tackles everywhere. He made defensive calls. "Have you ever seen a little man hit like me?" He would not be scared to penetrate even against bigger players; he's fearless. Dunta would have no problem distributing on offense, and he should be able to run with the best.

Overview

This would be a strong, physical defensive team that can run. What they give up in height, they make up for in power and intimidation. Robert Horry would not mess with this team.

Starters

5 Mario Williams

4 Duane Brown

3 Owen Daniels

2 Andre Johnson

1 Dunta Robinson

This would be an explosive group. Mario and Duane are bigs. Owen Daniels can get after anyone. Andre should score from anywhere, and nothing would stop Dunta from either distributing or scoring himself.

Big

5 Ephraim Salaam

4 Mario Williams

3 Duane Brown

2 Chaun Thompson

1 Andre Johnson / Jacoby Jones

After a game or two, I don't think any team would want to play big against the Texans, since they could hit you with Mario, Duane and Andre and then bringing in Chaun and Ephraim. That's a great deal of size, weight and power.

Small

5 Mario Williams

4 DeMeco Ryans

3 Andre Johnson

2 Kevin Walter

1 Jacoby Jones

This team can also go small. DeMeco and Andre play as forwards; Kevin and Jacoby as guards, with Kevin holding whoever the leading scorer is, Andre and Jacoby will do damage. I bet Mario can keep up with anyone in a small set. And who's going to stop Superman?

Run

5 Duane Brown

4 Andre Johnson

3 Jacoby Jones

2 Andre Davis

1 Dunta Robinson

If teams want to run, the Texans can keep up. Duane is fast but still larger than probably anybody on the court. Andre and Jacoby could probably hold up as forwards, and let Apostrophe and Dunta run all over as guards. This would be fun to watch.

But This Is A Football Blog

So what does any of this have to do with the Texans? I see three things bubble to the surface in this experiment.

Depth

The Texans have a lot more depth now. It was hard cutting 80 players down to a 13 player basketball team, and I'm sure there are arguments for other players to be made.

Linemen

There's a lot of athletecism on both the offensive and defensive line now.

Wide Receivers

Everyone already knows this, but we suddenly have an awesome WR corps. It's just cool to see it shake out on a basketball team.

This was just something fun to do while we wait for kickoff. Can you think of anyone else who should have made the Texans basketball squad?

Live Chat with DeMeco Ryans

marroncito — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:17:14 -0000

The chat is being hosted by Chron.com in their sports section. Here's the link. The chat starts at 2 p.m. central.

The site says that all questions are being "approved," so be patient. I'm sure DeMeco is going to be swamped. I'm also sure he's going to answer a lot of repetitive questions.

Updated: The chat was short but interesting. Link to the transcript and commentary after the jump.

(images via images.chron.com)

Three words stood out for me in this chat. "It's our time." Simple and succint. The de facto leader of the Texans defense feels that the Texans' time is now. I can only imagine how this filters through the locker room and out on the field.

The chat teeter-tottered between fluff and interesting questions. You can read the whole thing here.

Down South

A really interesting thing was how 'just folks' DeMeco is. He's just another Southerner. Some quotes:

G-95691514: DeMeco, if you had to play for any other franchise, who would it be and why? Also let me state I hope you never play for any of the other teams. You are the heart and soul of this team.

DeMeco_Ryans: Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That was my favorite team growing up. I loved to watch the Bucs. But I love where I'm at and wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

G-95720257: which stadium, other than reliant, do you enjoy playing in most?

DeMeco_Ryans: Jacksonville. They play "Sweet Home Alabama" It reminds me of my good old college days.

You rarely get a chance to see a player be this real. I can just picture DeMeco joining Matt on a beach.

Being Humble

Another great Ryans quote:

Autra: What would you say the number one thing that got you to where you are today is?

DeMeco_Ryans: Being humble.

I'm betting Smithiak wants 53 guys just like this on the roster. And it's not just that he's humble. He gave a lot of quotes about leadership on the defense and on the team. Here's a guy who doesn't have a ceiling, who could potentially be a Hall of Fame player, and he's staying humble. You gotta love that.

Chocolate? Potato?

You've seen DeMeco fly around the field making tackles. Turns out he may have a chip on his shoulder:

rickstyles33: DeMeco, how does does it feel to be the face of the franchise after only a couple seasons in the league?

DeMeco_Ryans: Awesome. I never would have dreamed of being a face of a franchise in such a short period of time. Being a guy who's supposedly undersized and not fast enough, it's a honor to get recognition.

These are the kinds of quotes you hear out of guys like Steve Smith...players that just bring it every down.

It was a really good chat for how short it was. We all got to know DeMeco Ryans a little better. Don't forget to visit his official website.

Grab Your Cheatsheets

marroncito — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:47:19 -0000

It's Fantasy Football time again, at least at Yahoo. The BRB staff is kicking around the idea of starting a custom-BRB league on Yahoo, or another FF site you prefer. Let us know in the comments if you'd be up for BRB fantasy smackdown.

If we can get about 10 or so managers, we can start a custom league. If we get more than 10 that want to compete, the $124.99 for a Yahoo Plus Custom League is on me. (if i'm buying it's going to have IDP scoring so I can start Tim Bulman as a sleeper).

What Do These Have In Common?

marroncito — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:33:01 -0000

(images via tristarproductions.com)

If you've got a lot of $$$$ just laying around, you can find out.

Tristar is putting on a collectors show at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Friday, June 27th through Sunday June 29th. It's going to be an expensive affair, but it may be just worth going. It's only $9.99 to get in, and they nickel and dime you from there.

They're trotting out a lot of names of interest to Texans fans and Houstonians in general. Check out their website for the complete list.

If you can make your schedule work and go, you should grab one of these:

(images via nflshop.com )

These 4 rookies are all signing free autographs on Friday from roughly 5-7 p.m. Be sure to check the website to confirm times and locations. I think it would be awesome to be sporting an autographed Steve Slaton jersey when he breaks loose for the home run, or a Frank Okam jersey when he smothers Peyton Manning. I'm mildly curious as to why Antwaun Molden and Alex Brink aren't making appearances.

It's not football yet, but it'll be good to see these players and legends in person.

Who's Going To Hit Peyton Manning?

marroncito — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:06:40 -0000

The blitz was something on an endangered species last season for the Houston Texans. Much ink was spilled going back and forth between the need to blitz more and the desire not to get a patchwork secondary smoked.

Defensive coordinator Richard Smith can't be afraid to call blitzes, even if they don't work the first time. If the Texans have to surrender one big play for a chance to make two, then do it. Playing defense the way the Texans need to, from start to finish, is a mindset that's nurtured during the week as part of hours and hours of preparation.

Thankfully, a lot has changed since then. The secondary has gotten deeper. The linebackers have gotten faster and the defensive line has gotten nastier. Mario Williams has set the world on fire. Amobi Okoye is building on his solid rookie season. Frank Okam could be a beast in the middle. And the secondary has improved too. Fred Bennett is no longer a rookie cornerback. He's a proven commodity that can make plays. This year, the Texans are joined by speedsters Antwaun Molden and Jacques Reeves. At some point, Dunta Robinson will return to the field.

So, who is going to hit Peyton Manning? My guess--the linebackers. No one has come out and openly said it, but all through the offseason and into OTAs, people have been dropping hints that opposing offenses will be seeing linebacker blitzes this year.

Blitzing Works

Despite all the hoopla, when the Texans did it correctly, the blitz worked against the run: .

Great call by defensive coordinator Richard Smith. He called for a blitz, and the Giants called a run, and Brandon Jacobs was stuffed for a two-yard loss.

and against the pass:

In an effort to ignite the defense, coordinator Richard Smith is calling blitzes, and it just paid off because C.C. Brown intercepted in the end zone to kill the drive.

Offseason Depth

In an effort to improve these flashes into an consistent pass rush, the Texans brought in a lot of new blood. Despite the obvious lack of a book end for Mario Williams, several linebackers were brought in who had "pass rush ability."

Chaun Thompson, the other newcomer to the mix, is playing primarily at middle linebacker, but he's also has pass-rush ability. He can put his hand down on the line of scrimmage in third-down situations. He has looked solid in camp as well.

Even Rosevelt Colvin is getting a look-see because of his pass rushing skills.

"(Rosevelt Colvin) He's a good football player who is still available and so we decided to bring him in," Smith said. "He adds a pass rush type of element for us, if we are able to add him or are so inclined to do so. That's what it is. It's an exploratory type of visit. We want to get a look at him and see how healthy he is and continue to talk to him."

So as you'd expect, the Texans are looking for anyone they can find with pass-rushing ability. Even Tim Bulman. But I digress.

DeMeco Ryans

The heart of the Texans young defense is also the heart of the linebacker-blitzing effort. Since he's also a media darling, he's given a lot of sound bites that show what the Texans linebackers will be doing this season.

OTA 3

(on how the young players are coming along) "They are picking it up. We have some pretty sharp guys at the linebacker position, so they are picking it up well. It’s very impressive. But with that, we throw wrinkles in every day, so you really have to stay on top of it and really go home and study and stay on top of it, so it gets difficult at times, the more and more you put it in. But they are handling it well."

At first he was just mentioning wrinkles. How many wrinkles can a linebacker have in your standard run support package(s)? Yeah, there are some wrinkles you can throw in with pass coverage, but it just didn't feel like that was what he was hinting at.

OTA 5

(on if the defense will need to put more pressure on the quarterback with CB Dunta Robinson out of the lineup) "We are definitely looking forward to getting pressure with Dunta out or in. We are looking forward to getting pressure on the quarterback, creating sacks and causing turnovers. If we are putting pressure on the quarterback and making them make erratic throws, then we’ll get picks in the back end."

Just two days later, DeMeco seems to want to tell the world what cool things the linebacker corps are working on. He says pressure 3 times, and then describes the result of a good pass rush.

(on the importance of the pass rush) "We’re working on that more as a linebacker group. On the blitz, we are working on our pass rush a lot more. We’re just cutting things down to where we get good at certain things. With our defensive line, Mario (Williams) is definitely getting better, coming off the ball a lot better. They’re going to have to put two on Mario, so that’s going to open up somebody else on the other side."

And then he completely breaks down and reveals that they're focused on a linebacker pass rush. Specifically, it looks like the LBs will be the pass rush to bookend Mario Wililams.

This could work out really well. With two DEs, the OTs basically know where they're looking for the pass rush. With LBs consistently blitzing, someone on the opposition's Oline shouldn't know where their assignment is coming from.

Refuses To Let Up

Specifically, Ryans would like to see the linebackers create more turnovers and become more dominant pass rushers. Ryans thinks that more teams will double team defensive end Mario Williams next season, creating an opening for the linebackers to get to the quarterback on the weak side.

"We are looking forward to getting pressure on the quarterback, creating sacks and causing turnovers," Ryans said. "If we are putting pressure on the quarterback and making them make erratic throws, then we’ll get picks in the back end.

They interview Ryans again in the next day or so, and he gets even more detailed about his plans to rush the passer. He seems absolutely giddy that he's going to be let loose to get after the QB.

We know that Williams is going to dominate one edge. Okoye, Tr. Johnson and Okam should provide a push up the middle. The linebackers will be crashing the other side of the line of scrimmage. I can see quarterbacks being flushed from the pockets. From there, it's pick your poison. Do you dance with Mario? Get a bear hug from Okoye? Or try to outrun hungry linebackers who want to put you in the dirt?

With Ryans, Greenwood, Diles, Thompson, Bentley and maybe Colvin all trying to get a piece of the QB, I'd be willing to bet that the linebackers as a unit match Super Mario's sack count this year. Needless to say, it's going to be fun to watch.

As The Rosenfels Rotates...

marroncito — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:02:21 -0000

PFT, via the East Valley Tribune, is reporting that Kurt Warner has started talks seeking an extension. Next year, Sage Rosenfels will be in the exact same situation. Kurt Warner's deal this year could set the market for what it would cost for the Texans to keep Sage around in the years to come. There was a lot of talk about trading him before the draft, and specifically what his value was. Now, we'll get a better idea of what his relative value truly is.