Houston Texans IDP Report

[Ziachild007]

During this offseason the Texans brain trust has made a big push to get the defense younger and faster to match their offensive counterparts. Part of this process included letting several key veterans leave town one way or another, including the franchises top two career leaders in tackles MLBs Jamie Sharper and Jay Foreman, the teams career leader in interceptions Aaron Glenn, and a former starter at SS, Eric Brown. But with this process of revamping comes a lot of options, which I will try and explore for you as in depth as possible.

 

 

Defensive Line

 

The defensive line has been a major concern for the Texans, since the franchise came into existence. They have some talent, but the main problem has been keeping all of the players healthy and on the field at the same time.

 

Projected starters: Gary Walker, Seth Payne and Robaire Smith.

 

LDE - Robaire Smith will once again hold down the left defensive end spot that he manned for all 16 games in 2004. In his first year with Houston, he managed to set a new career high for tackles with 53. Smith is a perfect fit for the DE in the 3-4 scheme. But unfortunately for IDP players, most DEs in this defensive alignment do not put up big fantasy numbers, this includes Smith.

 

NT - Seth Payne returned to the NT spot last year after missing the 2003 season with an ACL injury, to play in 16 games starting 12 of them. Payne is a big body that takes on blockers and allows the LBs behind him to get to the ball. But even if he manages to stay healthy again this year and hold on to the NT spot, he will never have great tackle or sack totals.

 

RDE - Gary Walker had his worst statistical year as a pro in 2004 (other than 2003, when he missed 12 games to various injuries.) He managed only 29 tackles and .5 sacks, while starting all but 1 game. Many, including Walker, think the front office was trying to send him a message by drafting Travis Johnson with the 16th overall pick in the 2005 rookie draft. Will be entering into his 11th year and like Smith does not put up big numbers mainly due to his role in the 3-4 defense.

 

Key backups - Johnson will likely have the biggest role as a back up this year, since the coaching staff intends to give him some playing time at both DE spots as well as filling in for Payne at NT. He has the potential to develop into a force for on the defensive line, but even if he out performs his line mates will be no better than a 4th or 5th fantasy player. Junior Ioane will be used at some points to spell Payne, but has little to no fantasy impact. Jerry DeLoach and Corey Sears will also be used along with Johnson at the DE spots, but also warrant no fantasy consideration.

 

Linebackers

 

As in most 3-4 schemes the linebackers are the key to success. In the past 2 year the Texans have had 2 of the best ILBs fantasy wise in Jay Foreman and Jamie Sharper. The only problem with that, is they both now play for other teams. So with both of them gone the linebacking corps is where the major overhaul of the Texans defense comes. While Jason Babin and Kailee Wong both return from last year, only Babin is locked in at his LOLB position. Also vying for a starting spot are newcomers Morlon Greenwood formerly of the Dolphins and ex-Charger Zeke Moreno, 2004 injury fill-in DaShon Polk and special team aces Antwaan Peek and Troy Evans. On top of that, Houston has expressed some interest in signing former Raven Peter Boulware. So, since Dom Capers doesn't even seem to know who is going to play where, the best I can do is give you my opinion on how things will shake out.

 

Projected Starters: Jason Babin, Morlon Greenwood, Kailee Wong, and Antwaan Peek.

 

LOLB - Jason Babin looks to be the only 2003 opening day starter that will return to his same position. Will look to improve upon a good rookie season in which he was fifth among the Texans in tackles behind Shaper, Foreman, Wong, and fellow rookie Dunta Robinson. The Texans would like to see Babin get to the QB a little more and improve on his 4 sacks from last year. From a fantasy standpoint, Babin should be considered as a solid bye-week filler or spot starter (especially in bigger leagues) as he gains more experience in the defense and has another year to get used to playing LB.

 

LILB - Morlon Greenwood comes over from Miami, where he finished only behind Zach Thomas in tackles. Greenwood will likely be making the transition from the outside (he played both SLB and WLB for the Fins in his 3 years there) to the LILB spot formerly manned by Sharper. History shows that the ILBs, more specifically the LILB spot in coach Capers 3-4 defense is usually the focus of the defense, going back to his Panther defenses where he had Sam Mills. Also worth noting is the fact that Sharper's 3 best years statistically all came after he moved into the ILB role in Houston. So Greenwood should be able step right in and have an immediate impact for both the Texans and fantasy owners. He should be a mid-round steal and a top 10 LB in 2005.

 

RILB - Kailee Wong will likely move from the ROLB spot where he started all 16 games last year for the Texans to fill the vacancy left by Jay Foreman. Wong has played MLB before when he was with the Vikings and put up his best stats there in 2000 with 112 tackles. In his one 2004 start inside for the Texans against the Colts, he had 5 tackles. So the move to the inside should be a relatively smooth one. Wong put up good enough stats in 2004 to warrant fantasy starter status as a 3rd LB. With his move to the inside he should build on these numbers and be bumped up to a borderline LB1/LB2 (depending once again on league size) as long as he can hold off Moreno and Evans. In the unlikely event Moreno or Evans do somehow manage to win the RILB job, they still warrant some fantasy consideration.

 

ROLB - Antwaan Peek has a ton of upside and the coaches love his raw ability. In 2004 they tried to get him on to the field in as many situations as they could, but given the solid play of Wong and Babin, the opportunities were not that great. He did receive one start at 2004, while Wong filled in for Foreman and managed 4 tackles in that game, but did most of his damage during the season was done while leading the team in special team tackles with 18. Peeks biggest challenge for the ROLB spot, oddly enough comes from Wong. While they would like to groom Peek for the future, Wong is clearly the more complete player at this point. But this would mainly be a factor only if Wong didn't stay inside. Peeks raw ability to find the ball and make a play gives makes him worth a late round sleeper in most fantasy drafts, but don't count on him to be real consistent in his first year as a starter.

 

Key backups - The backup situation is about as clear as the starters right now. There are a few guys that Capers and crew want to look at, but whether they actually have what it takes to become a starter or not is still unclear. The main competition is at the ILB spot and this group includes Zeke Moreno, DaShon Polk and Troy Evans. Moreno was signed this year as a RFA from San Diego to add depth and challenge for a starting spot. Moreno had his best year with the Chargers in 2003, while trying to help fill the void left by the release of Junior Seau. In the 12 games he started that year Moreno had 96 tackles and 2 sacks, both career highs. In 2004 he was replaced by Randal Godfrey and only managed 9 tackles before being placed in IR for the year. Moreno has the ability and talent to be a NFL starter, but will have a hard time pushing Wong out, due to Wongs familiarity with the defense and his consistent play. Keep an eye on Moreno through the offseason, although he is lower on the depth chart right now, i believe he will emerge as the most serious challenger on the right side. Polk had the biggest impact of his career last year while filling in for the injured Jay Foreman over a 5 game span, while starting 4 of them. While he did a serviceable job in his limited starting role, he is mostly just going to be a back up and special teams player and should not be considered for your fantasy squad unless a starter goes down to injury. Evans is another special teams standout who has 45 ST tackles in two years with the Texans. He has great speed, but lacks the experience and recognition skills to become a star at linebacker. There is always an outside chance he could break the starting lineup, but realistically should get no fantasy consideration.

 

Defensive Backs

 

In 2002 & 2003, the Texans ranked dead last in pass defense. They made some personel changes in 2004, but still finished in the bottom 1/3 in yards allowed and tied for 31st in TDs allowed. This offseason the have once again made some major moves in an effort to upgrade against the aerial attack. Part of these moves included giving former starters, RCB Aaron Glenn and SS Eric Brown, their walking papers. Glenn was given the chance to stay and compete for the starting spot or take a reduced role as the nickel back, but opted to sign with the in-state Cowboys instead.

 

Projected Starters: Dunta Robinson, Marcus Coleman, Glenn Earl, Phillip Buchanon

 

LCB - The Texans started their youth movement last year in the defensive backfield, with the drafting of LCB Dunta Robinson. Heading into the 2004 draft, Robinson was billed as one of the top prospects at his position. He had no problem living up to that billing, while racking up 87 tackles, 3 sacks and picking off 6 passes on his way to finishing second in the defensive rookie of the year voting. Although, Glenn is now gone and Dunta steps into the role of the #1 CB, he should still post great fantasy stats and be a solid starter for years to come.

 

FS - The success of Robinson in the early 2004 training camp, left the Texans free to move former CB Marcus Coleman back to FS. Coleman seemed to make an easy transition and was having a great season, before it was ended prematurely by a shoulder injury in week 12. Coleman is a solid fantasy play, but will likely go in the later rounds due to his age (he will be entering his 10th season this year.)

 

SS - Before a torn ACL injury ended his senior season at Notre Dame, Glenn Earl was considered by some to be the top safety prospect of the 2004 draft class, even ahead of Sean Taylor. This dropped him to the 4th round, where the Texans took the chance he would return to form. After rehabbing his knee during the early part of 2004, Earl took over for former starter Eric Brown midway through the season and started 7 of the last 8 games of the season. For the season he totaled 44 tackles, and should improve greatly on those numbers as a full time starter. Like Robinson, could become one of the best young DBs in both the NFL and fantasy leagues alike.

 

RCB - A three year starter for the Texans, Glenn was made dispensable after the Texans traded for the services of former Raider, Phillip Buchanon. The Texans feel that their new starter is not a drop off in talent, only a drop off in age. Buchanon put up solid numbers in his three years in Oakland but, due to disagreement with the Raider brass, he wanted a fresh start somewhere else. He finished 2004 with 59 tackles and 3 interceptions, one of which was returned for a TD. He should continue to put up good fantasy stats as the Texans #1b CB. For any leagues that award extra points for individual return yardage, you may want to bump him up slightly and monitor who ends up as the main return man. The Texans released last years leading returner, J.J. Moses, so they will look for his replacement among Buchanon, FA signee Reggie Swinton and rookie WR Jerome Mathis.

 

Key backups - As far as this year is concerned, there is not much in the way of fantasy contributors, from this group of backups. Demarcus Faggins, Jason Simmons, and Ramon Walker will all return in 2005 as backups to the Texans new look secondary, with Faggins likely playing the in the nickel and Simmons playing in the dime. Also look for former Brown, Lewis Sanders to get some work in as a back up CB. The one diamond in the rough that you may be able to pick up cheap off of waivers, is former Cornhusker QB, Jammal Lord. Lord spent most of his rookie year on the Texans practice squad. But he is not needed in the near future, as Coleman looks to be able to give the team probably one or two more years at the FS position. Lord has outstanding athletic ability, so it is just a matter of learning the new position a little more. If your league uses a Taxi Squad, you may look at stashing him away to see what develops.

 

Like I said, the Texans defense is in a state of rebuilding this year, so there is not a whole lot that is crystal clear as far as the defense goes. But hopefully this gives you a little insight as far as who to keep an eye on and what avenues the team may explore.

[spain]

Great job Z! Please tell me why they let Sharper go. Was he a salary cap casualty? He has been absolute idp monster the past few years...

[Ziachild007]

Great job Z!  Please tell me why they let Sharper go.  Was he a salary cap casualty?  He has been absolute idp monster the past few years...

 

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Yeah, it was mainly a move to clear up some cap space. He would have counted $6.125 million next year and cleared up $4.75 million against this years cap. But it was as much about getting younger, in my opinion. They signed his likely replacement, Greenwood, to a five-year, $22.5 million deal with $7 million signing bonus, but got 6 years younger in the process. As far as the fantasy numbers go, I wouldnt be a bit surprised to see Sharper's stats take a big decline, especially if he stays at the SLB spot.

[Rovers]

Great report, Z man! Earl was under my radar, but not anymore!

 

Didn't Sharper also shoot his mouth off at the end of last year saying the team didn't have, or wasn't getting enough direction from the coaching staff? I remember a bit of a ruckus over that too.

[Ziachild007]

These injuries dont really have a great big IDP impact, due to the 3-4 scheme, but they are still injuries, so I decided to go ahead and post them.

 

The Texans received a scare late in Tuesday's second practice when defensive end Robaire Smith sprained his neck while the first-team offense was going against the first-team defense.

 

Smith was knocked to the ground in a head-on collision and lay on the field for about five minutes before trainers helped him sit up.

 

Smith walked off the field but left practice to have his neck checked by doctors. General manager Charley Casserly said Smith received good reports and is expected to be healthy for the start of camp.

 

Smith will be held out of the last minicamp practice today.

 

Defensive lineman Gary Walker rejoined the team Tuesday but did not participate in practice because of a pulled hamstring. Monday's MRI revealed the injury was nothing more significant.

 

Strong safety Ramon Walker was held out of practice because of swelling in his knee. Linebacker Frank Chamberlain worked on a limited basis because of a groin injury

 

Defensive tackle Travis Johnson, hampered by an hyperextended elbow during the final coaching sessions last week, was held out of Monday’s mini-camp practices by Capers with the same lingering injury.

 

The rookie first-round pick from Florida St. did some running on the sidelines with his left elbow wrapped up. While he won’t participate physically in this week’s mini-camp, he’ll be involved mentally.

 

“We don’t want to take a chance on him re-straining the elbow right now,” Capers said. “We have a lot of time, so this will be more of a mental camp for him than a physical camp because we just don’t want to take the chance of him going in there and setting the thing back.”

 

Asked if defensive line coach Mike London is keeping him busy this week, Johnson said his plate is full with film work. The rookie couldn’t hide his disappointment in not joining his teammates on the field, but he’s optimistic that he’ll return 100 percent for training camp.

 

“It bothers me a little bit, but I’ll be all right,” Johnson said of his elbow. “I feel really good (otherwise). I’m starting to get a hang of the defense. I’m starting to get adjusted and knowing what’s asked of me and really I’m just trying to get better every day.”

[darin3]

Any thoughts/comments on LB Pettway?

[Ziachild007]

Any thoughts/comments on LB Pettway?

 

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As of right now, he is buried on the depth charts and seems to be more of a project than anything. He was a standout DE at Grambling, but didnt really face any big time talent, and will be making a switch to OLB. The main problem there is his speed, which is necessary for a 3-4 OLB. He could surprise me, but I dont see him as anything more than a backup, and having almost 0 fantasy value.

[darin3]

As of right now, he is buried on the depth charts and seems to be more of a project than anything.  He was a standout DE at Grambling, but didnt really face any big time talent, and will be making a switch to OLB.  The main problem there is his speed, which is necessary for a 3-4 OLB.  He could surprise me, but I dont see him as anything more than a backup, and having almost 0 fantasy value.

 

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I think I got him for like 5 bucks in a dynasty league and he's certainly on my developmental taxi squad......