2019 Houston Texans Offseason

[The Earl of Texas 3161]

From the Chronicle:

Free agency: Fourteen players will become unrestricted free agents in March, including linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, cornerback Kareem Jackson, safety Tyrann Mathieu.

Contracts: The Texans are projected to have about $68 million in salary cap space. Their top priorities are re-signing the three aforementioned free agents.

The draft: After not having their first- and second-round picks in last year's draft, general manager Brian Gaine has a first-round choice, two in the second and the rest of his selections.

————————————————————

Obviously, we need to address the Oline and the secondary. But we have the picks and the cap space to do it. Hopefully our new GM doesn’t suck.

[Stella Link 534]

[F250 28809]

5 minutes ago, Stella Link said:

Pretty much. Trade him back to Penn in exchange for Franklin. Seriously, he's been a let down up until this point. Might as well bring in new blood. Shit, hire coach Bro, it couldn't hurt at this point.

[LTtxfan 49329]

Ugly loss today..... Need OL help desperately

Texans also need to get younger..... Looked old and slow against Colts today.....

[Ignatius 4017]

That $68MM includes $14MM to Demaryius Thomas and just under $10MM to Kevin Johnson, neither of which are going to happen...

[Sejjr 3246]

All three of those "prized" free agents should hit the bricks.

[tx 3 putt 77280]

Hire a true OC

OL help

DB help 

[Southernthunder 38]

BoB is the white Marvin Lewis. We are fucked until he is gone. Fuck. 

[Murfdogg21 4421]

BoB thought Fitzpatrick was a viable starting QB and wanted to roll with Savage instead of Watson. Terrible evaluator and developer of talent. He seems happy to settle for mediocrity, punt on 4th down late in the game when behind, just so long as you don’t get totally embarrassed so you can stay on the NFL coaching carousel. 

Clowney shouldn’t get an offer much larger than the average starting NFL DE, because that’s how he plays (being generous).

The entire CB position is in need of a reboot. 

[msbesq 385]

They also need to upgrade the RBs. At this point both Foreman and Blue are liabilities .

[Mr. Drummond 2199]

Sign Clowney and Jackson (move back to safety where he was dominating early in the year) - say goodbye to Mathieu.  Reed, Jackson, Hal are safeties next year.

Bye Kevin Johnson.  Sorry you had the bone density of a 80 year old asian woman. 

D. Thomas can come back at a much lower deal.  Assuming health.

JJo can come back at a lower deal.   Still has ability as 2nd/3rd db.

 

In the first 3 picks of draft - get 2 o-line and 1 cb.

In next 2 picks -  1rb, 1cb

Free agency - get the best Oline and CB you can within reason without setting team up for cap space hell.

 

Bill O - i think his management of the team has value - a few times they have started out the season badly, and he has kept them going and progressing.   BUT.  his offense is either too complicated or too shitty -   His in game decisions/time management are flat out bad.     He needs to be forced to make offensive changes.

But Gaine reports to BIll so, meh, whatever.   

 

 

[Rockethorn1978 6102]

Who cares. Nothing changes until BoB is gone.

[msbesq 385]

He is far too conservative for this era. McVay, Peterson and Reich have bought into the Reid and Payton philosophy of offense and he’s stuck in the older Tomlin  mold. Even Harbaugh bought in this year. That being said, nothing can change until the ol is overhauled and a reliable second receiver can be found.

[LTtxfan 49329]

Texans need to go younger like Cowboys did over last 3 years.  Rebuild that Roster on OL and Defense.  Not sure I would spend money to re-sign Clowney......

Also need an OC that can take better advantage of DeShaun

Edited January 6, 2019 by LTtxfan

[MonkeyDoughnut 10343]

1 hour ago, Rockethorn1978 said:

Who cares. Nothing changes until BoB is gone.

This... all I'm waiting for is this. I'm not interested in anything else as it won't matter.

[Brothahorn 10087]

Yes. It's true he got lucky as fuck winning 11 this year. It will never happen again in his head coaching career. Unfortunately, those 11 wins bought him 2 more years, at least.

 

Romeo damn sure has to go. That was just flat out embarrassing yesterday.

 

[mycox 582]

As a stated in the 2018 thread, I'm still surprised a lot of you thought this was a good team.

I think Romeo is fine. The defense held the Colts to 21 points with the offense going 4 and out the 1st half. He needs the players to execute, but they aren't capable.

 

[Machinator 32099]

Texans pick 23rd in the draft.

[MaybeACoordinator 8349]

"If we can just get a couple more studs in the secondary and on the OL this winter we're gonna be really good next year."  Every Texan fan, every year, since the franchise's inception. 

[texashorne 1178]

2 minutes ago, MaybeACoordinator said:

"If we can just get a couple more studs in the secondary and on the OL this winter we're gonna be really good next year."  Every Texan fan, every year, since the franchise's inception. 

Every NFL fan, every year, since their favorite team's inception. 

[MaybeACoordinator 8349]

Just now, texashorne said:

Every NFL fan, every year, since their favorite team's inception. 

Eh, for a lot of franchises (including the Texans for a few years) it's been a void at QB. The Texans seem to have been playing Whack A Mole with the DBs and the o-line since forever. 

[HoustonFrog 368]

1st round - OL
2 - OL/CB
2 - opposite of the above (unless a GREAT value on a RB)
3 - RB


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Slacks 6838]

On 1/6/2019 at 12:53 PM, Brothahorn said:

Yes. It's true he got lucky as fuck winning 11 this year. It will never happen again in his head coaching career. Unfortunately, those 11 wins bought him 2 more years, at least.

 

Romeo damn sure has to go. That was just flat out embarrassing yesterday.

 

Slowest DB unit in the league ain't on Romeo. 

Moving Jackson back to CB because the CBs are hurt or slow af, isn't on Romeo.  I mean, the fact that you roll him down to CB tells you how shitty the actual CBs were.

The absolute first thing that needs to happen is the Texans need to decide they're going to get faster at DB. CB first, then safety.

Then, pay Clowney.

Then find some OL that can block front, back, side-to-side

Then Bill O'Brien needs to let an actual good OC call the games.

 

Personally, I don't think O'Brien is the guy to win a SB.  Hell, throw everybody out and start over.  Hire Nick Saban and let him set up the way he wants.

[Brothahorn 10087]

As a stated in the 2018 thread, I'm still surprised a lot of you thought this was a good team.
I think Romeo is fine. The defense held the Colts to 21 points with the offense going 4 and out the 1st half. He needs the players to execute, but they aren't capable.
 

21 1st half points before he woke up from his nap. 200 yards on the ground.

The team can do better.

[Brothahorn 10087]

Slowest DB unit in the league ain't on Romeo. 
Moving Jackson back to CB because the CBs are hurt or slow af, isn't on Romeo.  I mean, the fact that you roll him down to CB tells you how shitty the actual CBs were.
The absolute first thing that needs to happen is the Texans need to decide they're going to get faster at DB. CB first, then safety.
Then, pay Clowney.
Then find some OL that can block front, back, side-to-side
Then Bill O'Brien needs to let an actual good OC call the games.
 
Personally, I don't think O'Brien is the guy to win a SB.  Hell, throw everybody out and start over.  Hire Nick Saban and let him set up the way he wants.

You got a damn good front 7, so figure out a way to not let your slow secondary get constantly burned.

[Slacks 6838]

1 minute ago, Brothahorn said:

24 minutes ago, Snacks said:

Slowest DB unit in the league ain't on Romeo. 
Moving Jackson back to CB because the CBs are hurt or slow af, isn't on Romeo.  I mean, the fact that you roll him down to CB tells you how shitty the actual CBs were.
The absolute first thing that needs to happen is the Texans need to decide they're going to get faster at DB. CB first, then safety.
Then, pay Clowney.
Then find some OL that can block front, back, side-to-side
Then Bill O'Brien needs to let an actual good OC call the games.
 
Personally, I don't think O'Brien is the guy to win a SB.  Hell, throw everybody out and start over.  Hire Nick Saban and let him set up the way he wants.

Read more  

You got a damn good front 7, so figure out a way to not let your slow secondary get constantly burned.

What do you suggest you do to keep slow people from being slow?

Jackson was always slow... which is why he got moved to S.

Matthieu is slow, which is why he was always a S.

J-Jo is old, which is why he is slow.

The other CB spot was manned by a bunch of junk... dudes that were placed on IR without injury and replaced by a dude with an actual injury...

 

You're talking about making chicken salad out of chicken shit...  when these dudes are runny puppy shit.

[Tylerocks 2553]

Playing man vs a bunch of crossing routes was a recipe for failure.

[HtownHorn 14760]

Still can't believe they let Bouye walk for Joseph, Jackson, and Johnson.

[Moby Ric 2058]

On 1/5/2019 at 10:50 PM, Stella Link said:

Yep, and he did just enough this year to keep his job.  Furk.

[ztejas 43526]

1 hour ago, Tylerocks said:

Playing man vs a bunch of crossing routes was a recipe for failure.

Fielding the secondary we did on Sunday was a recipe for failure. 

[Stella Link 534]

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/columnists/smith/article/2019-becomes-Bill-O-Brien-s-make-or-break-13512565.php

 

2019 becomes Bill O’Brien’s make-or-break season

The day after another horrible day, Bill O’Brien spoke for almost 25 minutes.

He made it through two questions before interrupting himself, looking to the side and telling the Texans’ vice president of communications that he would “stay up here as long as they need me.”

O’Brien was 20 minutes into an end-of-season assessment — the NFL playoffs just beginning; another long offseason already waiting — when he broke off again, wondering when all the stadium noise in the hallway was going to stop.

There was no sarcasm. Little humor. None of the edgy me-versus-the-world fire that often dominated O’Brien’s initial few years on Kirby Drive.

“There were a lot of personal things that guys were dealing with,” O’Brien said. “I take a lot of pride in these guys and coaching these guys that they were able to overcome some of that.”

It was a soon-to-be sixth-year head coach striving for long-term optimism (Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins, 11-5 after 0-3) while being as brutally realistic as possible the day after Indianapolis silenced the Texans’ 2018 season with a 21-7 wild-card victory.

Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton, Frank Reich and the remade Colts were clearly better.

Veteran defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel is staying, O’Brien said Sunday inside NRG Stadium. But he passed on a question about a change in offensive play-calling and kept emphasizing the obvious: Changes must be made if the Texans are going to truly deliver on the hope and promise that their young franchise quarterback represents.

“I feel terrible about (Saturday),” O’Brien said. “I woke up (Saturday) morning and felt really good about what we were going to do.”

He went in even harder on himself eight minutes later after acknowledging that the Texans were “terrible” in the red zone on both sides of the ball this season.

“I’m not trying to overstate this. I felt terrible about (Saturday),” O’Brien said. “That I couldn’t get that team to play better than they did. … That’s something that will stick with me for a long time, and I’ve got to figure that out.”

By noon Sunday, I had received about 150 Twitter messages and 20 emails that already had the answer.

Fire O’Brien, 90 percent of the messages said.

After an 11-win season and division banner. Five years into a tough tenure that has produced a 42-38 overall record and three AFC South titles during the last four years but has seen O’Brien go just 1-3 in the playoffs, with two demoralizing home wild-card defeats.

The Texans’ lone postseason win under O’Brien was at NRG against Oakland third-string QB Connor Cook, who has started only one pro game and is now hidden on Detroit’s roster.

O’Brien has already endured a 4-12 season and a power change at the top. Last January, former owner Bob McNair handed him a four-year extension that runs through 2022.

The 2019 season should be a make-or-break year for O’Brien.

Gary Kubiak finally broke through with the Texans during his sixth season — he also took over a significantly worse team. Kubiak reached a franchise-best 12-4 in 2012, then was fired mid-season in ’13. Two years later, he won a Super Bowl with Peyton Manning and Denver’s version of Texans North.

I wrote after the Colts gutted the Texans that I can picture Watson holding a world-title trophy one day.

Can you envision the Texans winning a Super Bowl with O’Brien as their coach?

That’s the first question that new man-in-charge Cal McNair should have asked himself Sunday morning.

Then there’s the reality that O’Brien doesn’t have to carry the weight of the Texans’ world on his shoulders. He should give up play-calling duties in 2019 and focus harder on the big picture. Keep motivating and uniting. Improve the X’s and O’s and attention to in-game detail. That’s already happened once before, and O’Brien didn’t immediately shoot down the idea Sunday.

“At the end of every year, we evaluate everything. … We’ll take a look at everything,” said O’Brien, who was vague about his future OC but direct and specific about Crennel’s return.

We’ve known since training camp that a horrible offensive line is dragging down the Texans. The defensive secondary is equally problematic and must be revamped.

If both aren’t significantly improved for Week 1 next season, don’t believe anything the Texans tell you about trying to win a Super Bowl in 2019.

This is a critical offseason for first-year general manager Brian Gaine. The organization must be Patriots-esque in its internal honesty.

Key pieces are in place (J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, Watson, Hopkins). The offense could be dangerous in ’19 if young receivers Keke Coutee and Will Fuller can consistently remain healthy at the same time.

Running back Lamar Miller is entering his eighth season and a contract year. He’ll be 28 when camp begins. He’s had only one 1,000-yard rushing season during three on-and-off years in Houston. The Texans need to do better.

Dallas fought off a very good Seattle team for a home wild-card win hours after the Texans were humiliated again. I’d take the Cowboys’ offense, defense, offensive line and running game over the Texans’ without blinking.

"You have to have a quarterback,” O’Brien said. “We have a quarterback."

The Texans still need so much more than that.

Cal McNair must be more demanding than his father.

Five seasons into the O’Brien era, the Texans are a playoff team. They aren’t close to being a Super Bowl winner.

It’s time for more change on Kirby Drive. The real hard work still remains.

“It didn’t end the way we wanted it to end,” O’Brien said. “We don’t feel good about the way it ended. We feel terrible for our fans, and we want to give our fans a winner. And we have to do that soon. We know that. We’re not blind to that.”

brian.smith@chron.com

twitter.com/chronbriansmith

 

[henrygandorf 29194]

we obviously need help in the secondary, but what i couldn't get over on saturday is the fact that we only have 2 decent offensive players, and one is still showing his age (2nd year qbs can't do it alone).  lamar miller (i guess) was our 3rd best offensive player on the field.  the dink and dunk and doing just enough to win close games doesn't work when you're trailing by more than one score, which was the situation because of the aforementioned secondary.

i would say let clowney walk, but then i hear (like every year) that there aren't a ton of free agent cb/ol to spend money on.  i bet we end up franchising him, which, whatever.  no need to give him a long contract, unless we bonus it up with the ability to cut him in 1-2 years without the cap hit.  he does stop the run well, which is what we couldn't do on saturday either.  we need a dc or someone who can get a little fancier with our blitzing.  i'm not a fan of having the oldest [anything] in the league, which romeo is. 

we seem to rely on our natural talent from our front 7 + watson + hopkins like the old vince/mack/davis dynamic.  counting on these guys to constantly be super-human isn't smart and isn't working.

we need two new corners and jackson back at safety.  obviously.  i'm fine with tyrann as the other, doubt we'll find better elsewhere.  he's a playmaker and you need those.  i liked what i saw from reid, so he's definitely got a future and should be nasty with a little more talent around him.  i also like cunningham and some of our younger front 7 guys, but man it seemed like mercilus and mckinney disappeared for chunks of the season.

draft linemen and cb.  throw money at any top linemen or cb not nailed down.  start using a fullback again if that will keep deshaun upright.  if none of that works, then go make a trade or get creative like other teams do (call luhnow and morey for advice if you have to).  plenty of big name talent has been swapped the past decade.  or shit, go get leveon bell.  just do something, please.  if andrew luck goes apeshit and out-duels watson and we lose 38-35, then that's just football.  but that was a bummer on saturday.

[Brothahorn 10087]

What do you suggest you do to keep slow people from being slow?
Jackson was always slow... which is why he got moved to S.
Matthieu is slow, which is why he was always a S.
J-Jo is old, which is why he is slow.
The other CB spot was manned by a bunch of junk... dudes that were placed on IR without injury and replaced by a dude with an actual injury...
 
You're talking about making chicken salad out of chicken shit...  when these dudes are runny puppy shit.

Stay in zone and keep everything in front of your slow secondary. Know your players, and help them out. By the time Romeo figured it, the game was essentially over.

BoB sucks, but he secure for next year. The rest of the staff needs major upgrades along with the players.

[Southernthunder 38]

Le’veon Bell anyone? I would like him but wouldn’t be upset if we don’t get him. He’ll probably go to the colts. They are only gonna get better with all that cap room they have 

Edited January 8, 2019 by Southernthunder

[Patrick Bateman 3918]

7 minutes ago, Southernthunder said:

Le’veon Bell anyone? I would like him but wouldn’t be upset if we don’t get him. He’ll probably go to the colts. They are only gonna get better with all that cap room they have 

Would you have the cap space?  I don't think Indy will go after him frankly.  Mack is a really good young back and they'd do better spending on another WR, pass rusher and OL piece.

[Southernthunder 38]

True. I would rather not spend money on a RB cause of so many you can find in the draft plus I still believe in Foreman. Regardless we need Oline help and I haven’t really looked at if there are any available in FA this year. I am seeing we have around $64-$67 mil.

No telling what the colts do. I have seen they have around $118-$124 mil they could spend. Bell is a really good RB but yeah they may want to stick with Mack who had a good year. 

Edited January 8, 2019 by Southernthunder

[David Dennison 18944]

On 1/5/2019 at 10:50 PM, Stella Link said:

Yep.

Think he can go toe to toe with Frank Reich every year?

[Stella Link 534]

1 hour ago, David Dennison said:

Yep.

Think he can go toe to toe with Frank Reich every year?

After watching Saturday's game, in a word, No. 

[elfenix 34331]

cal mcnair needs to be on the next plane to clemson to hire that whole staff

[Southernthunder 38]

Agreed. Go Dabo! 

[Zavala 1384]

Rick Smith has been gone a year,  now fire BoB before he fucks this up for Watson, Hopkins, and Watt 

[Murfdogg21 4421]

Clowney looks like Tarzan, but played like Jane in at least half of the games this season including the playoff game; the last film in a contract year the Texans and other teams will have to decide if and how much to pay him. There is a huge risk to paying him megabucks that he becomes a permanent resident of complacency-ville. I see more likelihood of him playing like Mario Williams for Buffalo or Albert Haynesworth for Washington than Watt or Donald played after huge second contracts. If you could get an above average OLB and OL for the price you’d pay Clowney, wouldn’t you? Wish Clowney would sign an incentive-based deal that would allow him to earn Donald money if he played like him. 

[LTtxfan 49329]

Any Texans news??

[texashorne 1178]

I think the secondary can be fixed rather quickly.. We did that before when we signed Manning and Joseph.. O line may be more of a challenge, but it can certainly be improved significantly.. 

Edited January 12, 2019 by texashorne

[Doc Sam Beckett 5797]

On 1/7/2019 at 8:13 PM, Murfdogg21 said:

Clowney looks like Tarzan, but played like Jane in at least half of the games this season including the playoff game; the last film in a contract year the Texans and other teams will have to decide if and how much to pay him. There is a huge risk to paying him megabucks that he becomes a permanent resident of complacency-ville. I see more likelihood of him playing like Mario Williams for Buffalo or Albert Haynesworth for Washington than Watt or Donald played after huge second contracts. If you could get an above average OLB and OL for the price you’d pay Clowney, wouldn’t you? Wish Clowney would sign an incentive-based deal that would allow him to earn Donald money if he played like him. 

 

Yeah I think Clowney is a great candidate to become a resident of "complacency-ville." I wouldn't take that risk. He's always been good, but he's going to get around 17 million, and that puts him in the top 5 range of pay for edge rushers. Is anyone comfortable with paying Clowney top 5 money? I'm sure as hell not. 

Even though Clowney's stats aren't far behind, I still don't think he can take over a game and disrupt an offense like guys like Bosa, Mack, Miller etc can. 

This draft is absolutely LOADED with DL. Too bad they couldn't trade Clowney, but I would still absolutely be in favor of signing a couple top free agent OL and filling Clowney's spot in the draft. 

[msbesq 385]

On 1/7/2019 at 10:13 PM, Murfdogg21 said:

Clowney looks like Tarzan, but played like Jane

Now that's a callback to the late, great Joel Buschbaum.  I still miss him.

[Brothahorn 10087]

I would rank the Texans D above the Chiefs. And here they are holding the Colts to not even a first down well into the 2nd quarter. Wonder why that is?

[ztejas 43526]

Just wanted to say fuck the Colts.

That's it. 

[HtownHorn 14760]

Interesting that both Jeff Allen and Brandon Brooks were playing this weekend in the playoffs. Brooks was even elected to the pro bowl, there should be no wonder why the Texans OL is shit.

[Machinator 32099]