This was a Bob McNair decision, choosing Mario Williams over Reggie Bush. The Houston Texans owner didn't want a contract stalemate to ruin the PR value of having the first pick in the draft. The last thing McNair wanted to do was to select Bush and then possibly deal with a training-camp holdout.
The Texans weren't getting anywhere with agent Joel Segal on a long-term contract for Bush and once they decided earlier in the week that they would be happy with either Williams, the North Carolina State defensive end, or Bush, they moved in the direction of the player more willing to negotiate a contract.
The Texans were offering an 8 percent raise over what San Francisco's Alex Smith received last year as the first overall choice. That would be around $26 million in guaranteed money.
Why would the texans pass on reggie bush he is the most gifted player to come out of college this year and i would have given him what he wanted because hes such a rare talent what a mistake.
Wow, talk about adding drama to the NFL Draft! I'm not at all surprised to see the Texans shy away from Bush, they've always drafted for defense first, but to pass up on Bush when Davis is on the decline is just crazy. Let the trades fly...
McNair s commitment to a first class orginization , just took a hit. That's right, he was not in Houston when Earl came to town and made football fun in Houston.
Davis on the decline? He's been in the league THREE YEARS. I think the Texans made a good move and now the draft is going to be quite interesting the first couple of hours.
I am a Texans fan, this did come as a shock to me, but I am actually pretty happy with the move, I think that Kubiak can get more out of Davis. The Texans desperately need a pass rusher.
What are the Texans doing? They just passed up the biggest playmaker in the draft. Bush would have taken a lot of heat off of David Carr because teams would be less likely to blitz him (dump off to Bush). Also, Bush would have sold more jerseys and tickets in Houston. This is why the Texans will never become an elite NFL franchise!!!
Maximill, what makes you think the Saints can't afford Reggie Bush? They are probably in better position being way under the salary cap than anyone. The question is, will they pick him and get rid of Deuce?
The Saints could pick up a few extra picks to help fill all the other holes they have but if Reggie Bush is the second coming of Gale Sayers or Barry Sanders they HAVE to take him #2
The Saint have to pick Bush, not just because he is the best player and there is no Mike Ditka drafting this year to give them what they want. Bush will do more than impact the team he will impact a city and put people back in the stands not to mention the jersey sales
Good move by the Texans! They need defensive players badly and lately Heisman winners haven't panned out too well in the NFL. And New Orleans needs a player like Bush to spark some interest in their franchise.
the texans just made a huge mistake. mario williams as the #1 pick. you have got to be kidding me. good luck to him, he's going to need it because he isn't going to going up against those weak running backs that were trying to block him in college. the texans would have been better off trading down if reggie wasn't going to be their pick.
The 1st Round of the NFL draft is so overblown... There may be just two or less "no brainers" in the first round...Past them Im trading down for value and cap friendliness...This draft has one no brainer...Mario Williams....Charlie Casserly absolutely did the right thing....
The Saints should definitely trade down. They did the two running back deal before when they picked Deuce after having Ricky Williams already. If Deuce is sound, trade down to the Jets, get the #4, #29 and a 3rd or 4th rounder and draft either D'Brickashaw or Vernon Davis to help Brees. Even if they got only #4 and #29 it might still be worth it regardless of what the chart says. Pick up a need and have three of the first 34 picks.
Good for the Texans. Mario Williams is head and shoulders above Bush. Of course, so is Vince Young. Now, let New Orleans and Jets prove they have their head screwed on straight – neither Reggie Bush, his mother, step-father or agent do! Bush is not the "greatest playmaker of all time" – get real. He does expect to be a pampered and overpaid prima-donna. Good Luck!
There's a small problem with your Javon Walker blog suggesting a New Orleans and Green Bay trade: "Rodgers and Walker to New Orleans for receiver Donte Stallworth, a second-round pick and a third-round pick"...N.O. doesn't have a third-round pick.
Second problem: N.O. would only be interested in obtaining Rodgers if they planned to dump Drew Brees after this year...you obtain Rodgers to be a starter, not a back-up to Drew Brees for the length of Brees' contract. So, if N.O.'s plan is to start Rodgers, why wouldn't you take Matt Leinart or Vince Young at #2 (or even trade down and still have choice of one or both) considering they are both rated higher than Rodgers?
I am a Texans fan.. at first I was upset, then I let reason take over.... Kubiak with the Broncos has proven- he can take almost any journeyman running back and make him a 1,500 yd rusher with his scheme. Bush's agent was playing hardball and looked to be a holdout candidate. The Texans offered a good and fair increase over lastyear's #1, joel segal played hardball and lost. I guarantee that Davis will get 1,500+ yards next year, and the franchise will be better off.. not without Bush, but without Bush and Joel Segal.. Once you start giving in to premodonnas, the dominoe effect happens (ask the Phili. eagles) they are never happy. If a business offers a fair raise, todays athletes need to accept the tersm.. does anyone think they are getting underpaid??? The Texans are lacking the non-skill positions, they have always had plenty of skill position players.. Good job Texans.
Harry you are an ####, Kubiak is an ex-quarterback and a quarterback coach he had absolutely nothing to do with turning running backs into stars in Denver. That is all Shannahan stick to tiddlywinks. Boxcharts has also proven that his football IQ is less than par and is using his longhorn nickel brain to try to make million dollar decisions, the comments you make about Bush being a prima-donna are absurd, the guy is good get over it. Mario a safer pick due to contract issues maybe, Mario a better choice because Bush is an alleged Prima donna is idiotic.
I am a Steelers fan, but I have to agree with the Texans selection. Reggie Bush is really overhyped coming into this draft. Do the Texans really need to add offensive weapons, they made an excellent deal to acquire Eric Moulds and already have Andre Johnson as receiver. Also, they added Jeb Putzier who is a good TE. Dominick Davis is a very solid RB and I would have to say he'll probably get 1,000 yards at least this season. If they can possibly acquire the OT from Auburn in the second round or trade up and pick up someone like Winston Justice if he drops far enough, I would say they had a solid draft as is with their first two picks. Mario Williams is a superb athlete(4.7 40 and 35 reps on bench) and played for a college team whom is comparable to the Texans. NC State was not a good team so he will not get frustrated if they have a below .500 season this year and cause problems in the locker room. You give the Texans a year or so on the right path and they will be in the playoffs, they have the skilled players on offense, they just need to get some solid defensive players to compliment Dunta Robinson and Mario Williams. Excellent pick by the Texans, Reggie Bush may very well turn into a Charles Rogers or Desmond Howard type. I will love seeing Reggie Bush try to run against the Panthers, Buccaneers, and Falcons twice a year on the SAINTS. A RB who only handles 10-12 carries a game is NOT worth a massive contract.
I think this is great, and I hope it works out well for the Texans. Drafting Bush is worthless if you can't get him into camp and make him productive.
I think it was also brave of Mr. McNair to not let the hype in the media sway him. Sports journalists don't play the game, they don't manage teams, and they don't manage players. Their rankings are worthless.
Excuse me, Did any of you watch Reggie Bush absolutely ruin almost every single college team least year with Texas being the exception? This guy has got nothing but talent and superstar written all over him. He's got the moves of ####le Sears, the quicks of Barry Sanders and other moves that i've never even seen before. He can run back kicks, punts, and God knows what else. He's trained hard in the off-season and you know that fact that he fell to 2nd will do nothing but drive this kid. The Texans made a huge, huge mistake and they are going to pay dearly for it. I only hope that the Jets can make the right move and move up to get a true once in a generation talent. And by the way, the Texans are coming to the Meadowlands this year. We'll see what happens then if this indeed does happen.
It is hard to give Bush credit for the college schedule he played in the PAC10, it's garbage. They played Texas and Vince Young was clearly the best player of that game. Notre Dame's defense is not nearly one of the top in the nation so don't plead that argument. Mario Williams had 14.5 sacks in the SEC, simply dominant. Like I said before, how great were so many RBs of the past supposed to be just to be COMPLETE busts(Ki-Jana Carter, Tim Biakabatuka, Curtis Enis). This pick is excellent and their addition of Anthony Weaver this offseason gives them a good DE tandem for their switch to the 4-3 scheme. If they can add a safety in this draft, their defense will see vast improvement from last year. Also, one of those underrated MLBs in the 2nd round could solidify their defense from awful to decent. If they play their cards right this draft and rest of the offseason, I say they finish this year 6-10 or 7-9.
For those of you who think of this as a mistake...look at the numbers. All the Reggie Bushes in the world wont help them win if the Defense can not hold up. WIlliams will be a cornerstone on that side of the ball for a defense that desperately needed help. As for extending Carr's contract the man is now entering his fifth year in the league. He has proven that he can take a hit, he has ran an offense that has no offensive line, his receivers are just now hitting their stride. The jets have more needs then just running back, they are not trading up to get Bush when they can take a pro bowl tackle in ferguson and the texans have Travis Henry.
I totally love the Williams pick, for so many reasons. First of all, The Texans need another RB like Mel Kiper needs more hair. They have Davis, Wells, and lets not forget that just last year, they drafted Morency early in the 3rd round. Granted none of these guys are Reggie Bush, but they are all young NFL experienced running backs who can fill the RB position for this team. Other then Tomlinson, Davis is about the best receiver out of the backfield in the entire league. Houston taking Bush would have made about as much sense as taking Young to replace Carr. Since the their overtime loss to the 49er's in the dreadful "Reggie Bush Bowl", I have been saying that Houston needed to either trade the pick, or take an OL or DL with this pick. This team did best thing they could possibly do to move in the right direction. What they needed was help on the DL and the OL, and taking Mario Williams was a huge first step. I salute the Texans in making the move that they saw would best help the team, despite the outlashing they will take from the media, and sadly, Houston fans. Please be patient and you will soon (next 2-3 years) see a top 5 defense in the NFL. As far as Bush goes, he will be a great RB for many years to come for some team, but lets hope it will be a team who can use him the right way, not a team that just takes him because he is the best player on the board. That being said, I hope that the Jets end up with him. No I am not a Jets fan (Rams actually), but the Saints need another RB even less then the Texans, and the Titans desparately need a QB. So I hope
Has anyone else realized that USC rode 2004's National Championship through 2005 with a weak schedule and Journalist's giving them high ratings. Reggie Bush looked great against sub-par opponents. Then when a real challenge presented itself in Texas. USC and Bush Faltered. Bush is alot like Willis McGahee, he was awesome in college, with a huge ego. Well Guess what McGahee has been in the NFL 3 years and all he has done is be a great college running back, sure he has topped 1000 yds the two seasons he has played but that is an overrated stat, Yea he averaged at least 62.5 yds a game. Bush is not the second coming Barry Sanders. Perhaps he is the Second coming of Andrew Johnson or Robert Edwards.
Mario Williams is clearly the better choice afterall defense wins championships and Mario Williams is not only a great talent he is a team player, something Bush has not seemed to be.
williams is 21, bush is what 23? bush played along other great college athletes, name 2 people williams played that will be in the draft? williams is as fast a LB with the strength of any top DE. this kid will not be the next Keerse, LT, Peppers, he will be in a league of his own. His college coach didnt even spend alot of time with him, so his talents are sooooo raw and ready to just explode. Ill bet my whole month salary that this kid is worth more money then his contract even gave him. DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Kudos to the Texans. Bush was spectacular, BUT backs like him are not a sure thing in the NFL. It also sounds like Bush was "rididng" the hype, and was looking to extort the Texans. 68 mil.!?! Reggie should have cemented his legacy and signed right away.
Considering that the Texans have drafted defense over their first few drafts and still rank dead last in defense in the NFL you cannot sit here and tell me that he will take them from 31st to even 21st in defense. Williams should be an excellent player without a doubt. I'm not saying that it's the wrong pick. But i still have seen David Carr gotten his #### handed to him week after week after week and you cannot tell me that this is not going to eventually catch up to the guy. He's not a big quarterback. Yes, he's tough, and yes he's shown his metal and i love the guy but the best way to save a quarterback and add years to his life is to either protect him or add weapons to his arsenal. And Reggie Bush is an arsenal unto himself. Don't give me that week schedule b.s Who the hell did Texas play? Oklahoma, Okla St.. Texas Tech. Big deal. And did Mario Williams take N.C St. by himself to an ACC championship game based on his wonderful stats? No he did not. He was an outstanding player on a mediocre team in a good conference but not a Rosebowl caliber team. Reggie Bush has the ability to carry a team on his back and you will watch and see this for years to come. You Texas guys only saw that one game where Vince Young, was the absolute man. But i saw Reggie Bush against decent teams where he barely got the touches cause of the amount of weapons on his team. If there was no Lendale White or Leinart. Bush would have been the landslide Heisman by a mile over your Texas boy. (And by the way, Texas didn't have that tough of a sched. this year? Who did you beat for the B
riding the hype? Who the hell even thought of Mario Williams as a top 5 pick at the end of the year? I saw it as Bush, Leinart, Young, Ferguson, Hawk, Cutler. Maybe i was asleep. But Bush? Bush is not hype. Bush is a gamer and i'll be proud take him as a Jet if he goes that far or if the Jets don't trade up.. .We'll see tomorrow.
That's garbage. As a steeler fan I know that most of the good OL come in the 2nd-4th round range, we're known for having a great line and christ we protected tommy maddox. The texans can solve their OL woes later in the draft. Mario williams was an excellent choice. Bush is highly overrated, mainly for his receiving and returning skills. If you wanted someone who was quick and could cut, you may as well have signed randle el and made him a RB. I bet he could handle 10 carries a game. Bush is a waste of cap space and will accomplish very little as a Saint. The DL in that division will tear him up
Yes. Riding the hype. Um. Did Bush even start all of the games he played in? Did he split carries? Is he going to really be able to handle a full NFL season? Ask Caddy about how easy that is. Like V. Young, riding the hype. It was great of the Texans to set a presedent that they were not going to deal with someone wanting outlandish money. An 8% increase over last year's #1! Come on. He got greedy, and I'll be surprised if it doesn't cost him.
texan fans should have seen this coming.kubiak is not worried about offensive explosions or his running game.in denver they were never worried about running backs until middle rds and they just keep turning 1000 yrd rushers out.no,you want early success in this league,make sure you can stop someone!no problem with the pick,but you have to trade down and get some sort of value,with a player like bush still on the board
I am a native Houstonian and have lived here all my life. Today was a complete and total shock. I cannot believe that they passed up the greatest play maker of the last 15 or so years. Today was my last day supporting the Texans. I hate to say it, but I am now a Dallas Cowboy fan. To pass up Bush has to be the dumbest thing that this organization has ever done, and they have done some dumb things. I no longer care what the Houston Texans do as an organization. Go Cowboys!
This is great! The rest of the first round should be very interesting - the Sainst should pick Bush so that when they end up folding in NOLA and have to move to LA in a year, he'll be back in sunny southern California in front of his old fans and Drew will be able to wreak havoc on the Chargers, too.
Look at the reasons for the Texans' weak play over the last several years: defense in general and the offensive line. The coaching change over and the off season free agency signings have solved most of those problems.
Why didn't they pick Vince Young?
1. The Texans didn't need a quarterback; they need to protect the one they have and give him time to let the plays develop in front of him.
2. Don't forget that it takes time for a quarterback to learn and adjust to the speed and reads of the NFL game. David Carr has done that, and he has not lost any of his own offensive weaponry (size, courage, and strong arm). The dues have been paid, so why start over?
Why don't they take Reggie Bush?
1. Same as #1 above...the Texans didn't need another running back; they need to protect the one they have and open holes in front of him. We're back to the offensive line thing, again. This is where Gary Kubiak will make the biggest difference in the Texans. His approach to offense, his experience and success in Denver, and his grasp of the existing personnel in Houston will all be brought to bear. Give Domanick Davis some blocking, and he will be a different back this year.
2. There is absolutely no doubt that Bush will be an impact player immediately, but then so will Mario Williams. Williams was READY to make a deal; Bush and his agent wanted to play around with one.
3. One of the rules of making choices between "ties" in securing personnel is that you take the better athlete to fill the need. The Texans' greater need is for defensive play
The Texans made a huge mistake. Williams is a phenominal player and will make an impact. But if he has the best game EVER he will probaly only get 2 sacks, forced fumble and maybe if he is lucky 10 tackles. Bush on the other hand, 30 touches 250 yrds and 4 TDs? Not that hard of a stretch to think of that. Also what he could do for the short passing game. Texas just made a mistake which will give them the first pick for next year too...well Quinn is coming out next year.
The Texans didn't need Bush... Davis had a stellar year last year, especially considering he had no line. If they drafted Bush and didn't improve their OL (and DL for that matter) they'd be in the same fix as last year. They did the right thing. I'm impressed.
This is a setback in astronomical proportions. There were plenty of pass rushing ends available during free agency. Not to mention with experience. Nine million per year for a greenhorn who racked up sacks against inferior opponents? Why not sign a rush end or lb (Arrington, Carter) and still get Bush in the process?
Texas has one good(not great) RB. Bush would be a great backup for a few games before he won the starting spot in Houston. Williams will have the pressure of big things quick...that will either make him do it or he will fizz out in a game or so. The potential for Bush is HUGE, same with Williams but I think Texas just made a mistake. The OL can be adressed later in the draft with good lineman coming out of Big 10, Big 12 and Pac 10 schools, or with free agency. Bush wouldve been a better choice just because if he breaks one the game is in Texas hands, and they can always respond to a touchdown with a pass deep to the two good WRs
The Texans sealed their fate by not picking Reggie Bush. I am sure their QB is seriously upset. They have eliminated themselves from being a contender for the foreseeable future. What if Reggie ends up being a Colt?? They will have to draft another new head coach then.
That's why you have Football people Mr McNair! Once you decided not to take Bush you should have opened the bidding for the pick and turned it into at least 3 picks.I'm sure there's someone out there who realizes Bush is by far they best player in the draft and would have helped you get better faster.Remember this the fist 5 times you think of firing your coach! P.S. Thanks,you sure made the top 10 picks a whole lot more exciting!
I agree with the Houston's decision. That's what happens when you get greedy. Your suppose to love the game. I bet Reggie is kicking his agent in the head right about now.
Histoy has show that players that fit well into your system and have an attitude of teamwork can accomplish great things. Just ask the Pittsburg Steelers. Big Ben is not the greatest quarterback of all time, but he fits extremely well into the Steelers attack. He would not be as highly decorated in a system that doesn't match his talents and personality. Reggie Bush has let the sportswriters fill his head with ideas of invincibilty. He was not open to true negociations with the Houston Texans or with anyone else for that matter. Maybe this will serve as a wake up call that he has not proven himself on the NFL level. Until he does he should shut his mouth be grateful for the oppurtunity that thousands would gladly pay millions to have. Just ask T.O. what selfish attitudes and greedy agents will get you.
This kind of stuff is the reason why I am still a Oiler/Titans fan and why the only team in Texas I root for is Da' Cowboys...There is no way, you don't draft Bush, when your offense did not score many touchdowns last year. If you cannot get into the endzone you go with a guy who is going to help you open it up. This also keeps the pressure on Carr and will show why the 8 ger that he received was not earned.
Last edited by BoJangles on April 29th at 6:38 AM.
I am a Houston resident, been on board with the Texans since the start. I am proud of the fact that they used their heads and did not listen to the public pressure. Are we not always more enamored with running backs and QBs than linemen? Does that make them more valuable? Of course not. Kubiak and company know what they are doing. How many titles did Sayers, Simpson and Sanders win compared to Mean Joe Green, Bob Lilly and Buck Buchanon? It takes guts to make this pick and the Texans showed me they are serious about becoming winners, not just putting booties in the seats.
This will definetly make the draft more interesting. By the way, Davis is not on the decline. The problem there is the offensive line is terrible and even Reggie Bush would get ate up in the backfield until they do something on the Oline.
John Czarnecki, a former sportswriter with over 20 years experience covering the NFL, has been the editorial consultant for the Emmy Award-winning FOX NFL Sunday since its 1994 inception. Prior, he provided exclusive information to CBS Sports' The NFL Today program from 1991 to 1993, holding a similar position.
Prior to joining CBS Sports, Czarnecki was a pro football writer for The National Sports Daily (1989-91), The Dallas Morning News (1989), and The Los Angeles Herald-Examin er. An archive of work can be found here.
