Texans Morning Huddle: Texans in the top 100
By Randy Gurzi
Happy Monday Texans fans! Today we once again bring you the ‘Morning Huddle.’ Today’s links include a look at previous Houston Texans who have found themselves rated high among their NFL piers, as well as a less recent post by Tania Ganguli of ESPN which may give some insight to what head coach Bill O’Brien looks at when deciding his quarterback.
Texans have history in NFL Top 100 – by Drew Dougherty of HoustonTexans.com
"The Texans have a history in the NFL Top 100.J.J. Watt took home the 1-spot in the latest iteration of the honors, and it’s the third straight summer he’s made the list. He was ranked 5th in 2013, and dropped to 13th last summer.The rankings are made up of a poll of current NFL players. The list began in 2011, and has aired on the NFL Network each May, June and July.Watt’s teammate Arian Foster has been on the list four times. The running back clocked in at 25th in 2011 and 2012, 8th in 2013, and 80th this year.Left tackle Duane Brown has made it twice, as he was 48th in 2013 and 86th last year.In 2012, cornerback Johnathan Joseph was ranked 73rd, while linebacker Brian Cushing was 54th. Former Texans receiver Andre Johnson made the list four times, while former Texans defensive end Mario Williams was on the inaugural list in 2011, along with fullback Vonta Leach."
Houston Texans 2015 Training Camp Profile: RB Arian Foster – by Nik Zirounis of Rant Sports
"In mid November of 2009, the Houston Texans transferred rookie free agent Arian Foster from the practice squad to the main roster. That move may have been the best one the franchise has ever made. The running back is Houston’s all-time leader in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He won the NFL rushing title in 2010 and has participated in four Pro Bowls. The Texans need Foster to live up to that output once again in 2015 if they have any chance of dethroning the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South. The problem is, age and injuries are catching up to the man who is hard to catch on the field.Before this regular season starts, Foster will turn 29 years old. In 2013, Foster missed half the season due to an injured disc in his back. He came back last year and surprised some experts when he rushed for 1,246 yards and 8 touchdowns. He also showed his old ability to grab passes out of the backfield with 38 catches for 327 yards and five scores. Alas, Foster was absent from three games due to another injury.When the ex-Tennessee Volunteer vanished from the starting lineup he was replaced by rookie sixth-round draft choice Alfred Blue. The LSU product was a capable replacement and will be Foster’s backup again. A bigger dose of Blue this season will take some of the miles off of Foster’s knees and legs. Fantasy Football owners who are brutally loyal to this Texan may be upset to hear this, but sacrificing some of Foster’s stats may help Houston in the long run. Youngsters Chris Polk and Jonathan Grimes should also allow Foster to rest more."
Precision in footwork matters greatly in Bill O’Brien’s quarterback evaluation – by Tania Ganguli of ESPN
"One of the toughest transitions for young quarterbacks when they enter the NFL is understanding what to do with their feet.In the Texans’ offense, that skill is especially critical. The need for a quarterback who understands and can execute his footwork precisely hearkens back to a lot of Texans’ coach Bill O’Brien’s wish list for the quarterback positions. It’s something he’ll pay close attention to as he selects the Texans’ next starting quarterback between contenders Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer.“We have a certain way of protecting the pocket where we really depend on the quarterback being in the right spot for the play we call,” O’Brien said."