Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

[Michael82]

The Houston Texans have their own Sam Bowie.

Yes, they passed on Michael Jordan.
The Texans announced Friday night that they agreed to contract terms with North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams, a move that makes him the first pick in Saturday's draft.

By agreeing to a contract with Williams, the Texans are passing on USC running back Reggie Bush, a playmaker in the Barry Sanders mold.

Normally, I'm a big proponent of taking quarterbacks, defensive ends, left tackles and corners with the premium picks in the first round. But Bush is different. He will be special. He's the type of player who comes around once in a lifetime.

Like Jordan.

Passing on him is a move the Texans will regret. That isn't to say that Williams won't be a great player. He has the chance to be a dominant pass-rushing end in the Julius Peppers mold.

But the Texans need some juice. A pass-rushing end isn't going to give you that.

Fans crave offense. Fans crave offensive stars. Bush can provide both of those things.

Fans don't go to games to watch defensive ends. Bush will be the next Gale Sayers, the next Sanders, the next big-play runner.

You don't pass that up, even if you couldn't come to an agreement on a deal with him. Find a way. Pick him and then do the deal.

Negotiations are important, but this is the kind of move that can backfire on a team. Picking based on money -- and don't let anybody fool you, this is about money -- is how franchises stay crippled.

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9404250

[Devin]

Re: Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

Agreed.

While Mario isnt necessarily a bad pick, I think the Texans screwed the pooch on this one.

[Bill Brasky]

Re: Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

The Houston Texans have their own Sam Bowie.

Yes, they passed on Michael Jordan.
The Texans announced Friday night that they agreed to contract terms with North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams, a move that makes him the first pick in Saturday's draft.

By agreeing to a contract with Williams, the Texans are passing on USC running back Reggie Bush, a playmaker in the Barry Sanders mold.

Normally, I'm a big proponent of taking quarterbacks, defensive ends, left tackles and corners with the premium picks in the first round. But Bush is different. He will be special. He's the type of player who comes around once in a lifetime.

Like Jordan.

Passing on him is a move the Texans will regret. That isn't to say that Williams won't be a great player. He has the chance to be a dominant pass-rushing end in the Julius Peppers mold.

But the Texans need some juice. A pass-rushing end isn't going to give you that.

Fans crave offense. Fans crave offensive stars. Bush can provide both of those things.

Fans don't go to games to watch defensive ends. Bush will be the next Gale Sayers, the next Sanders, the next big-play runner.

You don't pass that up, even if you couldn't come to an agreement on a deal with him. Find a way. Pick him and then do the deal.

Negotiations are important, but this is the kind of move that can backfire on a team. Picking based on money -- and don't let anybody fool you, this is about money -- is how franchises stay crippled.

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9404250

What a stupid article.

This guy acts like he's seen the best RB of all time before this guy has even played a down in the NFL.

Bush is great, but these sports writers nowadays only care about jumping the gun to get readers instead of looking at the damn facts.

If the Texans were smart, they would have taken Ferguson #1, but taking Williams is also a good move for them...

What good would it have done them to have Davis and Bush in the backfield with no OL help... David Carr doesn't take 50+ sacks every season of his career for no reason. You can have the best QB or RB in the world but they cannot create holes for themselves.

What this idiot writer doesn't realize is that dominant DE's are more rare than the Reggie Bush's who come out of college ever 2 to 3 years. Next year there will be another RB who everybody will say is the best RB to come out of the NCAA in the last 10 years, just like they say every year.

I bet if the Texans really feel that after this season Davis still sucks, they can still go out and get a 1,000+ back in next years draft.

It's not the end of the world and I think it's a good pick for the Texans... but the ******ed sports writers who always think they're right (and end being wrong 75% of the time) need to overreact and create controversy

[Michael82]

Re: Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

Agreed.

While Mario isnt necessarily a bad pick, I think the Texans screwed the pooch on this one.

I agree. Williams is going to be good, but Bush is going to be DAMN good. He was worth the money and the #1 pick.

[tat2dmike77]

Re: Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

What a stupid article.

This guy acts like he's seen the best RB of all time before this guy has even played a down in the NFL.

Bush is great, but these sports writers nowadays only care about jumping the gun to get readers instead of looking at the damn facts.

If the Texans were smart, they would have taken Ferguson #1, but taking Williams is also a good move for them...

What good would it have done them to have Davis and Bush in the backfield with no OL help... David Carr doesn't take 50+ sacks every season of his career for no reason. You can have the best QB or RB in the world but they cannot create holes for themselves.

What this idiot writer doesn't realize is that dominant DE's are more rare than the Reggie Bush's who come out of college ever 2 to 3 years. Next year there will be another RB who everybody will say is the best RB to come out of the NCAA in the last 10 years, just like they say every year.

I bet if the Texans really feel that after this season Davis still sucks, they can still go out and get a 1,000+ back in next years draft.

It's not the end of the world and I think it's a good pick for the Texans... but the ******ed sports writers who always think they're right (and end being wrong 75% of the time) need to overreact and create controversy

[ddaryl]

Re: Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

Gee, what happens if Mario ends up having a career that puts fear into opposing D's

Plus Bush now has baggage to deal with his family being evicted, investigations etc...

IMO Williams saved them some good dough, and he's going to be a better then average if not a great DE. Just think of what great DE have done for teams like Carolina. Bruce Smith help define our D in the SB years

This wasn't a bad pick-up at all IMO

[Spiderweb]

Re: Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

Gee, what happens if Mario ends up having a career that puts fear into opposing D's

Plus Bush now has baggage to deal with his family being evicted, investigations etc...

IMO Williams saved them some good dough, and he's going to be a better then average if not a great DE. Just think of what great DE have done for teams like Carolina. Bruce Smith help define our D in the SB years

This wasn't a bad pick-up at all IMO

The thought of Bruce Smith was exactly where I was at......seemed to work out very well for us.

[Mr. Pink]

Re: Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

The Houston Texans have their own Sam Bowie.

Yes, they passed on Michael Jordan.
The Texans announced Friday night that they agreed to contract terms with North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams, a move that makes him the first pick in Saturday's draft.

By agreeing to a contract with Williams, the Texans are passing on USC running back Reggie Bush, a playmaker in the Barry Sanders mold.

Normally, I'm a big proponent of taking quarterbacks, defensive ends, left tackles and corners with the premium picks in the first round. But Bush is different. He will be special. He's the type of player who comes around once in a lifetime.

Like Jordan.

Passing on him is a move the Texans will regret. That isn't to say that Williams won't be a great player. He has the chance to be a dominant pass-rushing end in the Julius Peppers mold.

But the Texans need some juice. A pass-rushing end isn't going to give you that.

Fans crave offense. Fans crave offensive stars. Bush can provide both of those things.

Fans don't go to games to watch defensive ends. Bush will be the next Gale Sayers, the next Sanders, the next big-play runner.

You don't pass that up, even if you couldn't come to an agreement on a deal with him. Find a way. Pick him and then do the deal.

Negotiations are important, but this is the kind of move that can backfire on a team. Picking based on money -- and don't let anybody fool you, this is about money -- is how franchises stay crippled.

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9404250

Mikey, I will assume you agree with this post considering you brought it to our attention. Now, I won't comment football wise on this other than with having Davis already Bush was a commodity and not a need for this team.

Sam Bowie, whom the writer brings up, was taken because at that time the NBA was dominated by the big man. And not a 2 guard. Not too mention the Blazers already had a 2 guard in Clyde Drexler. What they were missing was a center to lead them to the next level. Bowie was highly touted out of college despite injury concerns which plagued him throughout his NBA career.

Jordan, selected by the Bulls, wasn't a world beater in college. The Tar Heels system gave no indication he would be as good as he was in the pro-game. Remember they were a team with James Worthy and Brad Daugherty as well. To predict Jordan at that time would do what he did, would be ludicrous. Not too mention, where would he play in the Blazers lineup with Drexler already there?

The Blazers lost a coin flip to the Rockets in the Hakeem Olajuwon sweepstakes. And Patrick Ewing whom could have come out in the same draft class, and been selected by the Blazers at 2 opted to stay at Georgetown to get his degree. But I digress, shouldn't the Rockets also be critiqued the same way? They also passed on Jordan. Olajuwon only lead the Rockets to titles when Jordan decided to try and pursue a baseball career.

By the way, Bowie was traded after 3 i believe lackluster injury ridden years in Portland for Buck Williams. After they acquired him they met the Bulls in the finals. So while yes they did pass on Jordan, it's much of the same they went with "need" and what won in the NBA at the time, the big man. And in the NFL what wins championships? Defense. Not a 1000 yard rusher when there are plenty of those to go around. Even bad teams can have 1000 yard rushers, just look at the 2005 Bills.

[Dozerdog]

Re: Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

RBs- even pro bowl RBs, are a hell of a lot easier to find than Pro Bowl DE's. There seems to be 10-12 pro bowl caliber RBs in the league right now, can you say that about DE's?


Plus their careers last twice as long.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

Re: Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

Everybody keeps comparing Reggie Bush to Gayle Sayers. Now, Sayers was great--incredibly so--and maybe Bush will, in fact, be the second coming of Sayers. But, does anyone remember how long Sayers' career lasted? Not very long.... A couple of absolutely brilliant seasons. And, that was playing on grass.

Bush could end up being as great as Bush, but he could also end up having a career that is just as short. While you can never predict whether a player will or won't end up getting injured, the odds are that a good DE will have a significantly longer career than a good RB. Even if Bush has a greater impact than Mario Williams, if he has a much shorter career his value to the team would end up being the same or less, especially when you take into consideration the needs of the Houston Texans at this point in time.

Overnight I heard Chris Mortenson on ESPN describe Houston's choice of Mario Williams over Reggie Bush as being "a football decision". And, that's really what it was and the kind of decision that a GM should be making with that pick. The fans may be upset and disappointed that the Texans didn't take Reggie Bush, but deciding who to draft is not a popularity contest or about which player will be more exciting to watch play--it's about selecting the player who will be most able to help the team win! If the team is winning games, the fans and the media will show up and they will be excited--in greater numbers and more excited than they will be if the team has a big name star but stinks.

[Night Train]

Re: Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

RB's have an average shelf life of about 6 years. Bush is a sensational talent but never a full time starter. L. White touched the ball more and scored 58 TD's in his college career.

The Texans already had a good RB and needed a DE with switching from the 3-4 to 4-3.

Good pick, Texans.

[TacklingDummy]

Re: Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

I hope Williams is the next Bruce Smith and Bush is the next Ki Jana Carter.

It was smart for Houston not to take Bush. He wouldn't be much more productive then a healthy Davis.

[patmoran2006]

Re: Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

Mikey, I will assume you agree with this post considering you brought it to our attention. Now, I won't comment football wise on this other than with having Davis already Bush was a commodity and not a need for this team.

Sam Bowie, whom the writer brings up, was taken because at that time the NBA was dominated by the big man. And not a 2 guard. Not too mention the Blazers already had a 2 guard in Clyde Drexler. What they were missing was a center to lead them to the next level. Bowie was highly touted out of college despite injury concerns which plagued him throughout his NBA career.

Jordan, selected by the Bulls, wasn't a world beater in college. The Tar Heels system gave no indication he would be as good as he was in the pro-game. Remember they were a team with James Worthy and Brad Daugherty as well. To predict Jordan at that time would do what he did, would be ludicrous. Not too mention, where would he play in the Blazers lineup with Drexler already there?

The Blazers lost a coin flip to the Rockets in the Hakeem Olajuwon sweepstakes. And Patrick Ewing whom could have come out in the same draft class, and been selected by the Blazers at 2 opted to stay at Georgetown to get his degree. But I digress, shouldn't the Rockets also be critiqued the same way? They also passed on Jordan. Olajuwon only lead the Rockets to titles when Jordan decided to try and pursue a baseball career.

By the way, Bowie was traded after 3 i believe lackluster injury ridden years in Portland for Buck Williams. After they acquired him they met the Bulls in the finals. So while yes they did pass on Jordan, it's much of the same they went with "need" and what won in the NBA at the time, the big man. And in the NFL what wins championships? Defense. Not a 1000 yard rusher when there are plenty of those to go around. Even bad teams can have 1000 yard rushers, just look at the 2005 Bills.

Good points Sir Thomas.. If you look at that UNBIASED that's a real good case for Williams.. (Though I will correct you once, Brad Daugherty wasn't a part of that NC team. HOwever, Big Sam Perkins was)

Since we're geting comparisons to Bowie, I think the NFL rookie version of Bowie waiting to happen this year is Ngata. I think he's going to be a banged up DT in this league.. For that reason a lone, I'd much rather have Bunkley before him.

As for Reggie Bush, to me its not just about how many total rushing yards he has. How do I say this. Certain players simply make an offense better just by their PRESENCE, not just numbers.. Antonio Gates immeidately comes to mind. Bush is a home-run threat everytime he touches the ball.

Given Houston's pathetic offense, I think he would have been a major help to DAvid Carr. With Andre Johnson and Eric Moulds, this would have been one hell of an explosive offense.

Houston can pick up a RB early in the draft, but why? Bush was one of a kind in this draft.. I dont see Maroney, Addai or that tier or RB being better than Davis is now.

I guess we'll have to see though in time.. thats what the draft is all about..

Either Houston took a major step towards respectability, or they further entrenched themself as one of the laughinstocks of the NFL.

[LtFinFan66]

Re: Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

IMO we will come to find out that Bush is overrated and will have a tough time staying healthy in the NFL.. Just a feeling I have.

[Turf]

Re: Passing on Bush is costly error for penny-pinching Texans

They made a smart move and took a premier linemen. Not something we've done much of lately though I think this year we get it straightened around.