Clarkus76
06-11-2007, 11:40 AM
Waking up the sleeper teams
posted: Monday, June 11, 2007 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: NFL
It's hard to tell if teams get anything out of "voluntary" OTAs except hope. Lousy teams aspire for the playoffs; playoff teams aspire for the Super Bowl; Super Bowl teams expect a return trip. Nothing captures the spirit of OTA season better than this quote from Texans owner Bob McNair in Monday's Houston Chronicle:
"In this league, you really need 18-21 quality players if you want to be in the playoffs every year, and we're building to that. We're not there yet, but we're very close, and that's why we think we'll be competitive this year and why we think we'll be competing for a playoff spot. That's our goal."
Today's blog focuses on sleeper candidates. To qualify, a team has to have finished .500 or lower in '06. (If I were to include all non-playoff teams as sleepers, underachievers like Denver and Pittsburgh would be allowed to slip in.) A team like Houston fits perfectly.
You have to admire the Texans since the Dom Capers era ended because they're a gambler in a conservative league. Last year's gamble was picking Mario Williams instead of Reggie Bush or any of the top quarterbacks. This year, it's letting David Carr go for free, while paying a steep price (swapping picks in this year's draft plus two next year, not to mention doling out a six-year, $48 million contract) for Matt Schaub, who has exactly two starts in his career.
Splitting with Carr, the face of the franchise, was probably the correct move, if only because Carr was truly burned out. In Schaub, Houston gets a passer eager for his break, even if he's less naturally gifted than his predecessor. "Talent-wise, there's no comparison between them," says Trent Dilfer, one of Carr's best friends. "David can make every throw."
Still, Schaub's energy has rubbed off on the Texans. During the offseason, he was constantly around the facility trying to engage the guys. Says cornerback Dunta Robinson, "He's different than David. He's cocky. He's got a lot of energy. He walks around asking the DBs, 'Anyone ready to go outside so I can make you look bad?' That was never really David's thing."
I'm among the many that believe the Panthers stole Carr, even if no team wanted to trade for him when Houston shopped him back in March. But it's hard not to admire Schaub's moxie. Couple Schaub with an improved defense that struggled holding onto fourth-quarter leads in '06 and a hungry back like Ahman Green, and you have a perfect June sleeper. Here are four others:
• Arizona: Last year, Arizona was the popular sleeper. That makes the Cardinals perfect for this year because expectations have been lowered. Nothing will come easy this year for Arizona. I don't see enough improvements to a defense that finished 29th overall and allowed 24 points a game. But if the offensive line improves, Arizona will be able to move the ball with anybody.
• San Francisco: The Niners are this year's Cardinals, sleeper-wise. San Francisco has the same sort feel that Cowboys had in the early '90s, a young team loaded with talent that's starting to emerge: a No. 1 overall quarterback who's coming into his own, a star tailback, a young defense. I'm still not sure the Niners will end up making the playoffs in a very competitive NFC West, but we'll get an early indication as to what they're made of when they play Arizona, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Seattle and Baltimore the first five weeks of the season.
• Buffalo: In one sense, it's a wonder more people aren't talking about the Bills, who finished 7-9 in a tough division and had one of the stronger drafts in April. In the other sense, there are many who aren't inspired by J.P. Losman. But the early word out of Buffalo's OTAs -- where, remember, everyone is forever optimistic -- is that Losman has been making sound decisions and isn't forcing the ball downfield, but is still sneaking in big plays to Roscoe Parrish.
• Tennessee: The Titans won six-of-seven to close out the year. Vince Young looks like the league's next indefensible weapon, despite his 51-percent completion rate and despite being the target of Merrill Hoge's rants. Tennessee's defense played well last year, especially after the return of DT Albert Haynesworth. But the Titans will miss Pacman Jones -- for at least one day out of the week, that is.
:hurray:
posted: Monday, June 11, 2007 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: NFL
It's hard to tell if teams get anything out of "voluntary" OTAs except hope. Lousy teams aspire for the playoffs; playoff teams aspire for the Super Bowl; Super Bowl teams expect a return trip. Nothing captures the spirit of OTA season better than this quote from Texans owner Bob McNair in Monday's Houston Chronicle:
"In this league, you really need 18-21 quality players if you want to be in the playoffs every year, and we're building to that. We're not there yet, but we're very close, and that's why we think we'll be competitive this year and why we think we'll be competing for a playoff spot. That's our goal."
Today's blog focuses on sleeper candidates. To qualify, a team has to have finished .500 or lower in '06. (If I were to include all non-playoff teams as sleepers, underachievers like Denver and Pittsburgh would be allowed to slip in.) A team like Houston fits perfectly.
You have to admire the Texans since the Dom Capers era ended because they're a gambler in a conservative league. Last year's gamble was picking Mario Williams instead of Reggie Bush or any of the top quarterbacks. This year, it's letting David Carr go for free, while paying a steep price (swapping picks in this year's draft plus two next year, not to mention doling out a six-year, $48 million contract) for Matt Schaub, who has exactly two starts in his career.
Splitting with Carr, the face of the franchise, was probably the correct move, if only because Carr was truly burned out. In Schaub, Houston gets a passer eager for his break, even if he's less naturally gifted than his predecessor. "Talent-wise, there's no comparison between them," says Trent Dilfer, one of Carr's best friends. "David can make every throw."
Still, Schaub's energy has rubbed off on the Texans. During the offseason, he was constantly around the facility trying to engage the guys. Says cornerback Dunta Robinson, "He's different than David. He's cocky. He's got a lot of energy. He walks around asking the DBs, 'Anyone ready to go outside so I can make you look bad?' That was never really David's thing."
I'm among the many that believe the Panthers stole Carr, even if no team wanted to trade for him when Houston shopped him back in March. But it's hard not to admire Schaub's moxie. Couple Schaub with an improved defense that struggled holding onto fourth-quarter leads in '06 and a hungry back like Ahman Green, and you have a perfect June sleeper. Here are four others:
• Arizona: Last year, Arizona was the popular sleeper. That makes the Cardinals perfect for this year because expectations have been lowered. Nothing will come easy this year for Arizona. I don't see enough improvements to a defense that finished 29th overall and allowed 24 points a game. But if the offensive line improves, Arizona will be able to move the ball with anybody.
• San Francisco: The Niners are this year's Cardinals, sleeper-wise. San Francisco has the same sort feel that Cowboys had in the early '90s, a young team loaded with talent that's starting to emerge: a No. 1 overall quarterback who's coming into his own, a star tailback, a young defense. I'm still not sure the Niners will end up making the playoffs in a very competitive NFC West, but we'll get an early indication as to what they're made of when they play Arizona, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Seattle and Baltimore the first five weeks of the season.
• Buffalo: In one sense, it's a wonder more people aren't talking about the Bills, who finished 7-9 in a tough division and had one of the stronger drafts in April. In the other sense, there are many who aren't inspired by J.P. Losman. But the early word out of Buffalo's OTAs -- where, remember, everyone is forever optimistic -- is that Losman has been making sound decisions and isn't forcing the ball downfield, but is still sneaking in big plays to Roscoe Parrish.
• Tennessee: The Titans won six-of-seven to close out the year. Vince Young looks like the league's next indefensible weapon, despite his 51-percent completion rate and despite being the target of Merrill Hoge's rants. Tennessee's defense played well last year, especially after the return of DT Albert Haynesworth. But the Titans will miss Pacman Jones -- for at least one day out of the week, that is.
:hurray: