Texans Morning Huddle: Broncos Deny Report, Average Offseason
By Randy Gurzi
Happy Thursday morning Texans fans, and thank you for checking in with us on another edition of the ‘Texans Morning Huddle.’ Today we read stories about a warning the rookies receive from Chris Herren, why the Texans’ offseason was only average, and predictably, the Denver Broncos try and put the toothpaste back in the tube after word got out they tried to dump their aging quarterback on Houston. Enjoy!
Offensive uncertainty gives Texans average offseason grade – by Tania Ganguli of ESPN
"Best move: Signing nose tackle Vince Wilfork. This 11-year veteran is in the twilight of his career, but he’ll be a big help to the Texans on the field and in the meeting room. They signed the defensive lineman to a two-year deal worth $9 million, reuniting him with the defensive coordinator with whom he began his NFL career. Romeo Crennel’s last year in New England was the year the Patriots drafted Wilfork. Signing him enables somewhat of a transitional period for the Texans. He won’t play 11 years with them, naturally, but while they look for the guy who will, they’ll have one of the best ever to do it as part of their team.Riskiest move: Cutting Andre Johnson before having a clear plan to replace his production. The Texans feel confident they can replace Johnson’s production with the players they have on their roster, and I’m not saying that won’t be the case. But the decision to move on from Johnson came before the free-agent signings of Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts III, and long before the draft. It left a hole in the roster that became a significant and pressing need for the Texans, and there was an air of desperation to Houston’s actions in the third round of this year’s draft. The Texans absolutely had to select a receiver with that pick, and everyone knew it. It was a risky position, and one completely of their own doing."
Broncos deny they tried to trade Peyton Manning to Houston– by John Breech of CBS Sports
"The Denver Broncos claim they didn’t try to ship Peyton Manning off to Houston this past offseason, despite a report on Tuesday night that suggested otherwise.Two sources told Benjamin Allbright of 94.1 FM in Denver that the Broncos tried to trade Manning sometime before the Denver quarterback signed his restructured deal with the team on March 4.A Broncos spokesman was quick to deny the rumor on Twitter, “The speculation is false, and [the] report is inaccurate,” the team spokesman wrote.Allbright was one of the first to speculate that Nick Foles would be traded to the Rams back in March.Although the Broncos are denying that they tried to dump Manning, the Texans haven’t denied anything yet.When reach by ProFootballTalk, Houston didn’t deny the story, but the team did offer a “no comment.”"
Texans rookies receive emotional message from Chris Herren – by Eric SanInocencio of HoustonTexans.com
"Sometimes the best way to learn is to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.With that mind, the Texans rookie class, along with other first year players from the AFC, spent a few days at the Bertram Hotel in Aurora, Ohio attending the 2015 NFL Rookie Symposium. The event, put on by the league, is an introduction to life as a professional football player. The three-day event features motivational speakers and group panels that discuss what players can face as they embark on their careers. Activities begin around seven in the morning, with some meetings lasting until nine at night. The journey ends with a group outing to the NFL’s Hall of Fame in Canton.Among the speakers was former basketball star Chris Herren, who was profiled in the ESPN documentary ‘Unguarded’. Herren’s substance abuse issues ruined a promising NBA career and he now serves as a warning, sharing his story with others across the country.“In this room, fact, there are more future drug addicts than millionaires. That’s a fact,” said Herren as part of his speech to the AFC’s rookies, which you can see in the video above. Herren, in an exclusive interview with NFL Network’s Jeff Darlington, talked about the need for rookies to find the right role models on their new teams. “I believe they should already have in place the research to see who in their locker room is somebody they can buddy up with,” Heren added"