Looking at the list, my initial reaction was not to elaborate. I noticed that Tim Bulman and Frank Okam pushed ahead of Anthony Maddox, who was cut after having a sack and an interception in Thursday’s game. Also, the release of Roosevelt Colvin was a suprise. He was a fairly meaningful off season addition and I fully expect to see Colvin be signed by another team shortly. I didn’t fully agree with the cut of Mark Simmons (WR from Kansas), but then again, we already have a small, quick receiver with Derek Anderson. Finally, I was a bit torn when I saw that Darius Walker had been cut. Darius has the potential to be a decent back up in the NFL and don’t be suprised for him to be added back to the roster if Chris Brown is cut.

…the player who could eventually be the Texans‘ starting running back–Steve Slaton.

Well, the Houston Texans came out strong in their first game of 2008. Who cares if it was only the preseason- for Houston, a “W” is a “W”. In last night’s 19-16 win over the Broncos, I made a few comments to myself and the people sitting around me, here are a few points of interest that I noticed:

• Tim Carter should not make this roster. I know the odds are already stacked up against him, but after being on an NFL roster for the past 6 seasons, you can’t drop wide open passes.
• On a happier note at wide receiver, David Anderson looked great. As I mentioned to my friend, Anderson reminds me a bit of Indy’s Anthony Gonzalez. If Anderson continues this type of play, we could be looking at a battle at the fourth receiver position.
• Zach Diles did not disappoint. Six tackles in the first half, five of which were unassisted- impressive. The guy is definitely ready to contribute.
• Not one running back helped, nor hurt, their stock.
• Speaking of stock, BUY BUY BUY on Sage Rosenfels this season. Shane Boyd also contributed and should latch on to an NFL roster (just maybe not ours).
• Watching Matt Turk break a 15 yard run was great! I wondered if that were intentional, or if it were just due in part to a high snap?
• Jamar Fletcher is dying for playing time, and seems to be competing for the nickle position.
• Kris Brown can still kick. Maybe this year, he’ll get the respect he deserves.

All-in-all, the game went well. The fans were great! Now comes N.O. led by Reggie Bush. Wait- who dat?

In a recent article from the August 11th Sports Illustrated Magazine, they ranked the Texans offensive line as the number one unit in their “coming on strong” section. Here is what they had to say:

1. Houston. The most porous line in football not long ago, the Texans have found a way to stop the pass rush: Their 22 sacks allowed in 2007 were less than a third of their ‘ 05 tally (68). This year the run blocking will catch up, thanks to the hiring of zone-blocking guru Alex Gibbs, who worked with Texans coach Gary Kubiak when they were both in Denver’s staff. That’s good news for running backs Ahman Green and Chris Brown.

T-Minus 15 Days! Yes, just over two weeks until our Texans take to the field of Reliant Stadium to take on the Denver Broncos.

The Houston Texans announced today that they have signed fourth-round draft pick LB Xavier Adibi, the third Texans draft choice to sign.

Adibi (6-1, 236), was the 118^th selection in the 2008 NFL Draft from Virginia Tech.  Adibi helped keep the Texans streak alive of taking a linebacker in every draft since the team’s inception.  Houston has taken nine linebackers all-time.

Texans sign linebacker Xavier Adibi - KHOU.com

The Houston Texans are a rising force in the AFC, but even that doesn’t nullify the fact that they are the most injury-prone team in the league.

One thing that the Houston Texans have never been able to hide from (aside from the Colts), is a flurry of injuries. I’m not talking about ankle sprains to reserve lineman, but rather ACL tears to your Pro Bowl caliber cornerback. Yes, it WAS that bad for the Texans in 2007, who led the league for the second consecutive year in number of players on the Injuired Reserve list with 17. But what can be done about this? Well, besides patience, the options are limited. To accelerate the recovery time for the likes of Dunta Robinson, Andre Johnson, Matt Schaub, Ahman Green, Demeco Ryans, and all else who spent mandatory time on the sideline, Strength and Conditioning coach Dan Riley has devised a plan to keep players off the cart. Riley, a long time NFL coach, has developed numerous individual workout plans for all players who are battling injury, designed to target the area of injury and only strengthen the area of need. Thus, players are able to come back from injury, often, stronger than before. This great news is fully evident for Schaub, who has been praised during OTA’s by Head Coach Gary Kubiak. Kubiak explained that Schaub is now throwing better than ever and that Sage Rosenfels is clearly a valuable piece to the Texans’ offense. Playing with a bad shoulder is no longer a problem for Schaub, but if a problem occurs, Sage will be more than ready to step in and fill the void.

For being the youngest franchise in the NFL, the Texans are coming off their first winning season (8-8) in a tough AFC South, and expect even bigger things from the squad this year. The competition this offseason has pushed starters and Jacoby Jones knows what that pushing is all about. After separating his shoulder in Week 3, Jones seemed to lose his preseason form and fall from third receiver to fourth and only maintain his duties as punt returner. Jones this year, though, is expected to be a very key piece to not only special teams, but to the receiving corps, aswell. If Andre Johnson and Jones can both recover from the injuries that put them out for a combined ten games, then the Texans could possibly have one of the top 4-deep wideout groups in the league.

With a little prayer, the Texans will hopefully be able to drop that league leading 17 IR players to a number a bit lower. But look for the injuries to not hurt the team as much this year, as Kubiak recently confirmed, the Texans appear to be more filled with talent at ALL positions this year, than ever.

Though many have thought Chris White would have a chance to snag the starting center position this year, the coaching staff seems pretty optimistic of White serving a much larger role as a backup. This offensive line appears to be becoming more and more concrete as the days aproaching Training Camp pass.

Megan Manfull, of the Houston Chronicle, reporting for The Sporting News, reports Houston Texans OT Chris L. White has emerged as a versatile reserve for the team. White has the ability to play guard and center. However, he is unlikely to win a starting job because of his inexperience and will have to produce in training camp to battle the young offensive guards competing for a roster spot.

Courtesy of www.kffl.com

It’s April 20, 2002, and our very own Houston Texans are prepared to make the first overall pick of the NFL Draft. The buzz was there. The hype was there. The poise and confidence of the man who put on the draft day hat was there. And God only knows the amount of excited fans, waiting to hear the name called from Mr. Tagliabue’s mouth. Friends, this was the beginning of what has become known as- the David Carr era.

Coming out of Fresno State, the 6′3″, 215 lbs. prodigy quarterback was ready to join the ranks of number one picks, but more importantly, Carr felt he was ready to lead the Houston Texans. This is where the problem occured. For months prior to the draft, it was not clear who the 32nd NFL franchise would select. It was down to the side armed, pocket passing Carr, or the Oregon Ducks gun-slinger, Joey Harrington. Before the draft, the Texans decided that David Carr was there man who would hoist the No. 8 jersey on draft day. Little did the team know, only one quarterback (David Garrard) selected in the ‘02 draft would be a starter six years later.

After being the first ever draft pick of the young team, David Carr immediately became the face of the franchise, appearing on magizine covers, billboards, and store fronts city-wide. The 23 year old with the lucrative, 7-year, $46.25 million dollar contract had arrived, and the city was ready. Then, the season began. Things were looking great for the rookie- that is until Week 2. After a memorable win against Dallas, the team was outscore 23-82 for the next three games and this was the key for concern. Carr spent the majority of his first five seasons on his back, allowing the offensive line to be the Carr’s scapegoat. After the team’s front office was sick of not having a season over six wins, a change was made. The coaches nearly had all been reshuffled. The line adjusted. And David Carr was no longer a Houston Texan.

After his fallout in Houston and serious drop in confidence, David Carr signed a 2-year, $6.2 million contract with the Carolina Panthers. Here, the pretty boy would be the starter by default after an injury to Jake Delhomme. While in Carolina, Carr became infamous for wearing his white gloves, and soon adopted the nickname Mister Mittens. Mittens would play five games and account for five losses, before Carolina head coach benched him in favor of an undrafted rookie, Matt Moore. Carr was the demoted again, as the 44-year old, Vinny Testaverde jumped ahead on the depth chart. Carr was out of luck and the Panthers released him after a year of sub-par work. I guess the kittens have now lost their mittens.

And now, here we are in 2008. The Texans and Panthers both look promising this year. And David Carr gets ONE MORE CHANCE. No, not with either of the two previous teams, but with the defending Super Bowl Champion, New York Giants. Obviously he won’t start. And the team probably hopes that Carr will never have to actually play. But this could be it. It really could be. The once 1st overall pick, who at 23 was living the high life, is now working to earn another back up job. From a $46 million dollar contract to a 1 year, $1million dollar contract. David Carr is fighting for his football career. But hell, if he doesn’t succeed in that, I’ve been told that the modeling business is booming.

  In 2005, he sat. In 2006, he sat. In 2007, he sat. This has been the case for Boston College product, Tim Bulman. Bulman has seen his fair share of action throughout his four year career, the only problem with that is, it’s been from the sideline. Well, coming 2008, Bulman won’t be sitting. The 6′4″, 292 lbs. defensive tackle is out on a mission. No, not another tour of getting the starters their Gatorade and cold towels, but rather be the one who is ACCEPTING the Gatorade and towels. Tim Bulman is here. To stay.

  The name itself is quite appealing. Hell, a DT who has the last name BULman, what more could you ask for? Compare that to a skill position player, like Speedy McHands at receiver- it just works. But, if there is one thing standing in Tim’s way of substantial playing time in the coming season, it’s the plethora of depth on the defensive line. O’er the past two seasons Bulman has been stuck behind players like Travis Johnson, Anthony Maddox, Jeff Zgonina, and Amobi Okoye. Though, the average man would not have a problem with being behind those four skilled athletes, Bulman’s pissed. And now, he is converting that anger into a more realistic goal- to have teamates be stuck behind him. The man’s attitude speaks for itself. When asked, last year, by Head Coach Gary Kubiak to join the team on the road, Bulman declined due to his preference of only joining the team when he will be called upon to play, as oppose to watching, more, like a Practice Squad player would.  Throughout this years OTA’s though, Bulman and Kubiak are both beginning to gain a more positive light on the situation at hand. When asked about Bulman’s playing time in the upcoming season, Kubiak told reporters, “He’s going to be hard to keep off the field.”

  Though the crowded roster looks a bit intimidating at times, Bulman is prepared for anything that manages to step in his way, “On the field, I just try to get out everything I want to get out. I try to go as hard as I can every play. I try to take the mindset that I can make the play at every snap of the game.”. This aspect of his game- this attitude, motivation, drive, and confidence- is likely to take Tim Bulman to new places this year. Places that he has never seen before; an unchartered ground- the playing field.