Texans extend Carr's contract

[The King]

I haven't seen this posted yet. It appears all systems are a go for Bush.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2325442



HONOLULU -- In a move that could augur the selection of Southern California tailback Reggie Bush (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=145158) as the first overall pick in the 2006 draft, league sources here for the Pro Bowl confirmed late Thursday that the Houston Texans (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=hou) have exercised a "buy back" clause in quarterback David Carr (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5887)'s contract, paying him an $8 million bonus to secure his services for three more seasons.

[Carlton Bailey]

Three more seasons? Damn. They're really going for broke here. If it doesn't work out, the Texans are screwed.

[casdhf]

He's one of the most over-rated QBs in the league, I think.

[The King]

I think its a smart move. He hasn't been terrible and with that line, that is an accomplishment. Kubiak will give him one year to show his potential, but the fact that he has completed 60% of his passes the last 2 years shows that there is hope.

[L.A. Playa]

Instead of drafting Bush they should really just draft Brick and fix their OL

[ICE74129]

The texans are morons. Bush? Screw that, get a damn OL! Ferguson would be the pick for me if I were the texans. They have running backs, good ones too. Put a damn line in front of Carr and the RB's and see how well they do.

[The King]

Instead of drafting Bush they should really just draft Brick and fix their OL

I dont disagree but you can't. My prediction is Davis gains 15lbs and plays FB then Houston adopts a Denver style offense. Feeding the ball to both Davis and Bush.

[L.A. Playa]

I wouldnt be suprised if they trade out of that pick, lets say they trade with the Jets they could still get Brick and even more OL help in the early 2nd and 3rd rds with picks they get from the Jets

[The King]

Thats the only way they go o-line in the first

[Typ0]

I have the Cardinals trading up and taking Leinhart with the first pick myself. I also think the JESTS will trade down. This draft is going to be very interesting.

[L.A. Playa]

I think if the Cardinals trade up they will take Vince Young

[dolphinssuck]

I think if the Cardinals trade up they will take Vince Young Maynot be a bad idea for the Cards to consider this.

[mysticsoto]

Instead of drafting Bush they should really just draft Brick and fix their OL

That's just what I was thinking. The popular vote is to pick Bush, but the best thing for the franchise and the team would be to pick Brick in the 1st and maybe a top guard later also. If they really believe in Carr and want to stick with him, they need to give him a chance...

If I'm Houston, this is who I target in the draft:
Attempt to trade 1st rd to anyone desperate enough to give extra rd picks. Unlikely anybody would pay that high a price, but you can try...

1) Brick - OT
2) Manny Lawson (DE/OLB - excellent fit for 3-4) or Gabe Watson (DT) if available
3) a) Top guard (taitusi Lutui maybe or Charles Spencer)
3) b) Top Safety

This would go a long way to improving the Texans, and though it probably wouldn't get them to the superbowl, it could certainly get them at the very least to .500 and a good start. There are certain people that they can also release to improve their cap situation and FA gains also...with some good coaching, they could even make the playoffs next year.

[patmoran2006]

Houston is in great shape.. They have TONS of cap room, the first pick of the draft, first pick of the second round and first TWO Picks of the third round..

They can afford to take a shot on Bush, because if he does work out, they'll have a franchise player. And they can use their other three first day picks to get guys who should start for them immediately.

I'd rather be in Houston's shoes right now than a lot of other struggling teams, including the Jets, Raiders, Packers or even Buffalo.

[gr8slayer]

Good move Houston

[vicmantak]

IMO this is only a signal that Texans are solidly paving a way for success. It was a smart move and even the press says that Houston will arguably pick Bush I would say that they would "surprise" many experts and will pick D'Brickashaw Ferguson.
As us, they failed several times to address their OL via free agency (even they addressed "unquestionable" starters...) and it doesn't make sense that they will not be commited to get as much as possible their franchise LT.

[dolphinssuck]

Very wise move by the Texans to keep Carr on board.

[mysticsoto]

If the Texans do take Brick instead of Reggie Bush, how do people see that change up propagating downward and affecting who chooses what afterward?

I'd change the top picks to the following if the Texans picked Brick:

1. Texans - Brick (OT)
2. NO - Bush (RB)
3. Titans - Leinhart (QB)
4. Jets - Young (QB)
5. GB - Mario Williams (DE)
6. Raiders - AJ Hawk (OLB)
7. 49ers - Michael Huff (S)
8. Bills - Ngata (DT)

I guess the Texans making that change would really not change the dynamics much except for the 1st 4. So, in truth, it would probably not affect us much either way. I was hoping that somehow, Mario Williams might fall to us with that change...but it's kind of doubtful.

[tampabay25690]

Instead of drafting Bush they should really just draft Brick and fix their OL

YOU ARE 100% right here......Dom Davis is a solid back now they draft RB 1st then have to wait to upgrade somewhere else......

[mysticsoto]

More ammunition to the fact that Houston probably WONT take Bush as their 1st choice. In fact, I'm starting to think a trade down might be likely! Houston might make out really well in this draft!!! And this is good for us b'cse perhaps someone will fall that wouldn't have fallen otherwise to us???

From nfldraftcountdown.com:

Have you ever seen a college player or pro prospect with as much hype as Reggie Bush has right now? I'm not sure I have, but quite honestly he deserves it because he is a phenomenal talent and potentially a special player. With that said, I think everyone penciling him in as a lock to go #1 overall in the 2006 NFL Draft had better pull back on the reigns a little bit.
Based on pure talent Bush will most likely be the #1 rated player on everybody's board (including mine), but as every draftnik knows "need" plays almost as big of a role in a teams selection as talent does. If Houston does indeed end up choosing #1 they sure don't need a running back, with Domanick Davis rushing for 1,000+ yards every season of his career and having just signed a brand new $21.1 million contract extension. Could they still take Bush? Absolutely, but if they do it will be simply bowing to public pressure to select the marquee name because regardless of how talented the guy is he simply does not fill a need and choosing him would be a lateral move for the franchise. Heck, he wouldn't even help them as a kick returner because Jerome Mathis has already established himself as one of the best in the league. The smart football move would be to trade down for a package of picks and address their horrendous offensive line, and you can bet that the majority of the teams looking to deal up will be after quarterback Matt Leinart, not Bush. Can you say New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins (just to name a few). In fact, it would appear that Green Bay and San Francisco are the only teams near the top of the draft order who would consider moving up with Bush as their target. Do the math and that's 4-to-1 in favor of the quarterback. The bidding would likely start at what the Giants paid to move up and select Eli Manning in 2004 and it could easily go far beyond that if the top underclassmen quarterbacks decide to return to college, essentially making Leinart the only game in town at the league's most valued position. In other words they can expect a king's ransom should they opt to deal the choice.
Another factor to consider is how much he would help a team even if, in a best-case scenario, he develops into one of the premier players at his position in the NFL. Let's take a look at some of the greatest running backs who have ever played the game and how they did when it comes to the Super Bowls which, after all, is why they play the games. O.J. Simpson never even played in one. Eric Dickerson didn't win one. Negative for Barry Sanders too. Emmitt Smith won a bunch but he also had Troy Aikman. Walter Payton didn't win a Super Bowl until the Bears had one of the best defenses in league history in 1985. Gale Sayers, the guy who Bush is most often compared to, never even played in a playoff game! How about some of the most productive runners from recent years. Jerome Bettis? Curtis Martin? LaDainian Tomlinson? No, No and No. The bottom line is that even some of the best to ever play the game did not take their team to the Promised Land. However from 1993 to 2001 seven of the nine Super Bowl's were won by teams quarterbacked by former 1st round picks, and that doesn't include Brett Favre who went 33rd overall and was later traded to Green Bay for a #1 pick. With that kind of history I'd stake my claim to Leinart providing I didn't already have a top quarterback because history has shown that even a slightly above average signal caller can take his team to and win the big one.
The 2006 NFL Draft is still months away but if I were a betting man I'd place my money on Matt Leinart being the guy who ultimately goes #1 overall come April 29th and while that might not be the flashiest pick history tells us it will be the right one.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

I totally agree with the premise of this article.

Even if you count Cutler, there are really only 3 first round QBs in this draft and at least a half dozen teams that really need a QB or need a young QB to groom to take over because their QB situation is tenuous. With the money that Houston has tied up in Carr and D.Davis, they would be foolish not to try to get a bidding war going to see how much they can get in terms of draft picks by trading down. There's a good chance that the Texans could trade down out of the # 1 slot and still get D.Ferguson and additional later first day picks in this draft that would go a long way towards turning their situation around.

All in all David Carr has not done a bad job of QBing their team when he has been able to stay upright long enough to throw the ball. No QB is going to be able to win or look that good when he is getting sacked more than 50 times a season every year, especially when he really has only one WR that has established himself. Give Carr an offensive line and another WR to go with A.Johnson and the Texans have plenty enough RBs in D.Davis, J.Wells and V.Morency to have a decent offense. They don't need Reggie Bush or another QB--they desperately need an offensive line!