Was hoping the Bengals would have signed Vince Wilfork. Good pickup.

It will be difficult to run against the Texans defense in 2015. J.J. Watt restructured his contract to give the Texans more cap space to use this off-season. They were unable to sign Antonio Smith for defensive end depth with that extra money under the cap. He elected to sign with the Denver Broncos instead. It would have been nice to have "The Ninja" rotating with Jared Crick. I don't know if Jeoffrey Pagan is ready to become a difference maker entering his second season.

With the uncertainty of the offense it's critical that the Texans have a top 5 defense just to compete.
Jadeveon Clowney and Brian Cushing will become the X-Factors. Both are medically unknown right now.

This was a competitive 9-7 team last year that just missed the playoffs in the AFC. They lost a franchise icon in Andre Johnson but I think they're better equipped at the quarterback position entering the season. Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer aren't as bad as people make them out to be. I hope the Texans draft a wide receiver with the 16th pick in the first round. Obviously signing Cecil Shorts is not the answer as a long-term number two. I don't even consider DeAndre Hopkins as a consistently reliable go-to guy and elite number one wideout right now (he's good but not great), but he has the potential to become one.



The Texans never had a good nose tackle before (Seth Payne was decent, Earl Mitchell was average at best) and they have used a 3-4 defense for most of their franchise history (since 2002). An aging Vince Wilfork is still a huge upgrade over anything they've ever had. The good thing is that's a position where guys entering their mid 30s can still play at a dominant and high level. He's 33 years old so people shouldn't be surprised if he's still highly productive in 2015. If he's able to occupy two blockers, being the mammoth size of a man he is, that will make J.J. Watt's life a lot easier off the edge - he normally has to contend with two or three blockers himself.

But in order for the Texans defense to become special in 2015 (a big if at this point), Jadeveon Clowney and Brian Cushing have to stay healthy.

Good coverage guy but he isn't very athletic. Doesn't get a lot of INTs but iirc he had some FFs.

Shaun Cody was pretty good at NT.

May have to start rooting for the 49ers or raiders boys

You're right. I forgot about him. He had that weekly podcast that was entertaining. If only his body didn't break down so fast. Injuries forced him to retire after the 2012 season despite still being in his prime. That guy was pretty scrappy for a nose tackle. He didn't look any bigger than some of our linebackers even though he was listed at 6'4 and 290-plus pounds. He always looked smaller than that for some reason. I once saw him standing next to Brian Cushing back in 2011, who can't be anymore than 6'3 and 250, and Cushing looked bulkier and more muscular than Shaun Cody. Unless my eyes were playing tricks on me. Either that or Cushing really was on some nice performance-enhancing drugs.

Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
A bit unexpected: #UCLA QB Brett Hundley was spotted in Houston, set for a pre-draft visit with the #Texans tomorrow, I’m told.


Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer and Tom Savage: Just seems like too many roster sports on unproven quarterbacks even though Hoyer has the most experience of the bunch. I've always liked Brett Hundley's game (modern day Randall Cunningham potential) even though he's a bit raw as a prospect. He'd have to fall into the middle rounds for the Texans to take a chance on him.

Too many other needs to fill right now. I expect the Texans to draft a wide receiver and outside linebacker during the first two rounds but I wouldn't be surprised if they gambled on another quarterback as early as the third round even though it's not likely. They could always trade Tom Savage at a later time or keep a fourth quarterback on the practice squad to learn Bill O'Brien's system.

Ultimately the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans entering Week 1 for 2015 will either be Ryan Mallett or Brian Hoyer. I used to buy into the Ryan Mallett hype but I hope that Brian Hoyer beats him out. I'm not sure either of those guys are a long-term answer but they can be a nice "quick fix" solution.

I'm not too pleased with the offensive weapons the Texans have right now. Our tight ends contributed very little last season. Arian Foster is getting older but coming off a strong year. We need another playmaker to compliment DeAndre Hopkins as a legitimate deep threat. Preferably another wideout with good size and a great wingspan. We don't need another Cecil Shorts. I'm hoping that DeVante Parker out of Louisville falls to the Texans at pick #16 but he will probably be gone before then.



This kid could become a good pro quarterback with the right coaching. He has a strong arm with good athleticism and toughness.

"im never coming back to the sports forums again."

"i have cancer, give me fg"

1st round: Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
2nd round: Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi St
3rd Round: Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona St

Seems like the Texans are preparing to trade away Johnathan Joseph or they're not going to re-sign him next season. We have a ton of CBs now.
NFL.com compares ILB McKinney to Brian Cushing, and if he can play like him, it's a great pick.
Love the Jaelen Strong pick, would've prefer Tyler Lockett, but a lot of mocks had Strong going in the first. Good pick, my favorite so far. Possibly one of the biggest steal so far.

We have a 5th(#175 pick), 2 6th(#211 and #216), and one 7th(#235). Traded away our 2nd, 4th, and 6th pick, and received the Browns' 2nd and 7th pick. We used that pick on McKinney. We traded our 3rd, 5th, 7th, and DeVier Posey for their 3rd, which we used for Jaelen Strong.

Not sure what we'll do about OLB, I'm guessing they think Jadeveon Clowney will be back in time for training camp, but we still need another OLB on the other side.