I have to ask. Why do so many people still hate Mario? I can't understand this. I was thinking about that today, and I was saying to myself that the St.Louis Rams would chop off their arms to make sure they would lose every game to get him in the draft. Same goes for the Dolphins. I just don't understand why poeple hate Mario Williams so much. I love the dude, I root for him every play and I can see the difference between his rookie year and his second year. Why can't other people?
Mario Williams was the #1 player on Bill Parcells' 2006 Draft Board and I'm quite sure that if he was on the Cowboys' board he was on others. But when the Texans take him they all say that Mario is an automatic bust and that he won't ever live up to his draft status. But it was almost asured that Mario would have went to New Orleans with the 2nd pick. So how does being the #2 pick differ from the #1 pick? I mean really? It seems like when Mario was taken with the #1 overall, people took it so personal and they took it like a slap in the face. Why? These people (NFL front offices) are in these jobs for a reason. They forget more then any of us will ever know. If you people are such draft guru's why are you posting mock drafts in some "nobody cares" forum on some second rate website? It's mind numbing.
But you people know that Mario Williams was a mistake? Please. I assume these two guys would have fared better in Houston and have done better so far?
Vince Young 2007 season: 33rd ranked QB in passer rating.
But some how because the Titans are 6-2 Vince Young gets a pass. I would argue that the Titans are winning in spite of Vince Young's horrific performance thus far. Their defense and running game have been elite while Vince Young has been in the cellar consistently.
Reggie Bush 2007 season: Not even the starter untill Duece McCallister went down.
Reggie Bush also gets a pass becuase some how he isn't a prototype NFL RB. He's considered a hybrid, not a RB, a hybrid. Gimme a break. Have you ever heard of anything more pathetic. People know he can never carry the work load so they make an excuse for him and call him a hybrid. Adrian Peterson is a playmaker, but he's a RB first. Bush gets a pass because people know he isn't a pure RB, but they make excuses for his size, strength and ability to carry the load. What a bunch of ####. I wouldn't take him over Peterson and I wouldn't even take him over Darren McFadden, but some how the Texans were completely retarded by not taking him.
I guess Bush and Young are franchise stalwarts who are far and wide better than Mario. Gimme a break. Mario's stat line is 23 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 defensive TD. Not bad considering he's playing on one of the youngest defenses in the league. Not bad considering that the offense can't stay on the field and the defense can't get off, not bad considering that Petey ####gins could be the worst starting CB in all of professional football, not bad considering that the two starting safeties are both no names, 1 was drafted in the 6th round by the Colts and cut and the other was an undrafted free agent signed by the Ravens then signed with the Giants then CUT, not bad considering that everyone behind Mario besides Dunta Robinson and DeMeco Ryans are completely useless and wouldn't start on 90% of the NFL teams in the league. But some how Mario Williams is the one to blame, some how Mario Willims is the player that should win games all by himself. What a bunch of total ####.
I understand that he needs to pick his game up and play with more passion, but he's been ultra consistent this year. He never gets hurt and he plays with great explosion and atheticism. Coach Gary Kubiack has been pleased with Mario performance more than any other player including the beloved DeMeco and Dunta. And we all know that if Kubiak doesn't like whats going on with a player he doesn't have any problem sharing it with the media and the fans. David Carr anyone?
So in essence I think we owe it to Mario just like we owe to other top draft picks to let them adjust and get totally acclimated to the NFL and the lifestyle of playing football as a career. Just like we allow Vince Young, Reggie Bush, Cedric Benson, Cadillac Williams, Alex Smith, Matt Leinart, Michael Huff, A.J. Hawk and many many others. To dump on Mario Williams because it's the popular thing to do seems sort of lame and kind of a cop out, especially if you've never watched him play and are going by what some TV analyst says.
My boy was a one man wrecking crew on Sunday. Super Mario racked up 5 tackles, 2 sacks, and a fumble recovery for a......that's right biaaaaaatch......a 40 yard TD.
Mario was so dominant that by the end of the game the Chiefs were not just doubling him off the snap but even using chips and TE's to try to control him with the double. And also there were even a few times during running plays that he was being TRIPLED. Yeah, that's right, tripled poeple. Herm Edwards knew that Mario is a different level than other defensive lineman and that to at least have a chance the Chiefs would have to control him. They didn't.
During the 1rst quarter he switched from the right to the left and went up against Kyle Turley. As the ball was snapped Mario got off the line like Howitzer and charged Turley. Mario hit Turley so hard that he looked as if he were doing jumping jacks going backwords in the middle of a play. Needless to say that was the last time Turley went up against Mario one-on-one again.
Mario Williams was a total terror in yesterday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He was chasing plays down from behind and getting constant pressure on the quarterback. He was also being moved from left to right all game giving Huard a difficult time trying to fing him. He in essence was a total beast who was uncontrolled by anyone yesterday. Mario showed his dominance against yes, a lowly Chiefs team, but non the less was a NFL team. He showed yesterday why the Texans drafted him with the 2006 #1 overall pick and he showed what a domianant defensive force can do to win the game and what a player can do to get his team fired up.
Mario will be a Pro-Bowl player and this isn't coming from some lame who just watched yesterday's game, this is someone who has been watching Mario since his soph.days at NC State. He has the ability to be great and this year WILL BE his breakout year into becoming a Pro-Bowl player.
As I page through the new NFL preview mags and the many, many NFL websites I can’t help but feel something special in the air this year. Most of the time I’ve said this in all previous years, but this year seems different and the excitement is almost to a boiling point within me. The stories and the drama that will make up this years NFL season will be like a super reality series that will come to a volcanic climax on Super Bowl Sunday eight months from now. But when the season unfolds on September 6th in Indianapolis when the Saints take on the Colts we as the typical football fan will be in utter bliss. This year more than ever will be some of the most interesting and intriguing plots and sub-plots the NFL and their respective fans will have ever seen. Every team except Oakland, who should be picking in the top five of the 2008 NFL Draft, will have an appealing story line. And even they have an interesting plot going into the ’07 season.
One of the more interesting, actually probably the most fascinating stories that will be followed this year will be the play of the New England Patriots. With the huge free agent signings of Adalius Thomas and Donte Stallworth along with the subsequent trade for Wes Welker that cost the Pats 2007 2nd and 7th round draft choices. Not to mention the Pats only having one pick on the first day of the draft that landed them Brandon Meriweather, the troubled safety from the U. And easily one of the most immense stories of the past few years was the gigantic draft day deal that sent Randy Moss to the Patriots for a 4th round pick. This consequently could be the most important and the most closely watched stories of the entire year. How could you not be completely fascinated with the New England Patriots this year? This story line will yield how Bill Belichick can rope in the wild and ego eccentric Moss, who could quite be the most talented wide out to ever put on the pads, but not necessarily the hardest working. Most non-Moss fans will say that the Pats sold their soul for another run at the Super Bowl and that Moss is going to be Moss no matter where he goes because he’s going to bring himself along. But to the entire nay Sayers against Moss apparently Belichick, Tom Brady and even Brett Favre all think he is something special or they wouldn’t have made such a fuss to garner him. And as far as I’m concerned Belichick, Brady and Favre all carry a little more weight than any fan or any NFL analyst. But I regress. The story of the 2007 New England Patriots is going to be a highly watched one even more so than the Dallas Cowboys of last year, because unlike Dallas, New England actually has an excellent chance of winning their forth championship in the past six seasons.
The Patriots aren’t the only team that has a story line raising eyebrows this coming season. The San Diego Chargers who probably have the best all around team on paper even have questions that must be answered. Can Norv Turner who has failed at his last two coaching jobs, Washington and Oakland, succeed in San Diego? Will LaDainian Tomilinson add to his MVP performance of 2006 with another MVP showing? What about the departure of Donnie Edwards? Will the Chargers be affected by the absence of Edwards or will Matt Whilhelm be able to take over and the defense not miss a beat? Also, what about Philip Rivers? Will Rivers be the quarterback that we all saw at the beginning of the 2006 season or will he be the QB we saw struggle at the end of last year? Will Shawn Merriman repeat as the sack leader in only his third year after missing time to substance suspension? Lastly, what about rookie Eric Weddle? The safety from Utah was the most coveted player the Chargers drafted giving up multiple picks this year and next year, will he be the safety the Chargers have been in so desperate need of or will the Chargers be regretting the fact that they didn’t sign a veteran during the off-season? These questions and more will be answered this upcoming season.
The Chargers and the Patriots along with the Indianapolis Colts all have the best chance of taking home the crown, but the teams to watch will be the teams challenging for the other three playoff spots in the AFC. Will the Jets be able to build on last years amazing turn around? Will Chad Pennington be able to survive another full sixteen game schedule? What about Thomas Jones? Will he be able to carry the rushing work load that Eric Mangini will install and more importantly succeed?
The Baltimore Ravens were two games away from the Super Bowl last year. Will they be able to get over that hump this year with aging players Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden, and Steve McNair? And how much does the aging Raven defense have left? Will they be able to duplicate their success this year and be one of the stingiest defenses in the league? Will Willis McGahee live up to his title of being the best running back in the league behind the Raven offensive line, or will he flop and be just as much of a distraction this year as he was last year when he played in Buffalo?
Will the Cincinnati Bengals ever live up to the hype? Will Carson Palmer be able to propel his team over the good mark and turn them into elite? Will Willie Anderson continue to be the standard for offensive right tackles at his age? Will Andrew Whitworth be able to fill the massive shoes left by OG Eric Steinbach? Will the defense ever get it? Will Justin Smith finally live up to his lofty 4th overall draft selection and produce like a franchise defensive end? How well will Leon Hall play in his rookie year? Will Jonathan Joseph along with Leon Hall be the new Antoine Winfield and Nate Clements? Will David Pollack ever be able to come back from his horrendous neck injury he suffered in week 1 of last year? And speaking of linebackers how well will Ahmad Brooks do as the starting MLB? Will Brooks be the star everyone says he can be? Will Ahmad Brooks be able to be the leader of the Bengal defense that Coach Marvin Lewis so desperately needs?
What about the Denver Broncos? Will they be able to completely forget about the wasted year that was 2006? Will Coach Mike Shanahan ever be able to return to the promise land with a QB not named John Elway? Will Jay Cutler live up the expectations of being the next great gunslinger, a la Brett Favre? How will the rushing attack be once Travis Henry becomes familiar with the Bronco kind of running style? Will Travis Henry be the missing piece they haven’t had since the loss of Clinton Portis? Will the offensive line hold up for one more run at Super Sunday? How will the defense react to the loss of long time leader Al Wilson? Will D.J. Williams be able to take over the Mike duties with the tenacity that Wilson did? How much does superman John #### have left? Will Dre Bly be content with being the number 2 corner, or will his ego and mouth be more trouble than its worth?
The Chiefs are another team at a cross roads and their story line will be interesting from the stand point of how will Herm Edwards react to not having Trent Green? Or how will Larry Johnson hold up to another pounding that Herm will inflict on him by having Larry carry the ball 400 plus times? Will the Chiefs’ secondary with 10 plus year veterans Ty Law and Patrick Surtain be able to play up to their high standards and the live up to the fans’ expectations? Will Jared Allen and Tambi Hali become one of the best young defensive end duos in the NFL? Does Tony Gonzalez have another Pro-Bowl year in him or will the constant focus of the defense give way to the decline of the aging superstar? Can Damon Huard be legit QB, or is Kansas City just buying more time for Brodie Croyle? Will MLB Donnie Edwards resurrect his career in Kansas City as a WLB? But most importantly can the Kansas City Chiefs finally break into the playoffs after a 5 year drought and will Herm Edwards be the coach that everyone expects him to be? Or will the Kansas City stop on the Herm Edwards express be yet another failure and more evidence that Edwards isn’t NFL coaching material.
What about the other AFC teams that is on the cusp of playoff contenders? Are the Pittsburg Steelers, a team that is only two years removed from being Super Bowl champs, back to there 2005 form or are they back to the drawing board? Is Big Ben Rothlisberger back to his Super Bowl, Pro Bowl form or is the quarterback that led the league in interceptions last year the guy behind center? What about the new regime? Will Mike Tomlin be able to have the more than ten years of success and respectability that Bill Cowher demanded? Will Willie Parker be able to duplicate the Pro-Bowl form of last year or will the Pittsburg brass be regretting not taking a bruising tail back in this past April’s draft? What does the future hold for the Pittsburg defense? Will they stay the same using a multiple 3-4 base defense? Or will they now incorporate Tomlin’s base 4-3 scheme into their repertoire? What will the future hold for first ballot Hall of Fame, All-World guard Alan Faneca at the end of the 2007 season? Are the Pittsburg Steelers building from square one or will they pick up were they left off after their improbable run to the Super Bowl in the 2005 season?
If there was ever a team that could duplicate a repeat of a championship it would have to be the Indianapolis Colts. Can they do it? Can Peyton Manning do the unthinkable and follow up his Super Bowl MVP with another run to Super Sunday? Can Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne be as reliable as ever and provide Manning with one of the most consistent receiving duo in the league? Can Joseph Addai be the running back everyone in Indy thinks he can be? Can Addai fill the huge void left by Edgerrin James and be the primary back? Will the defensive line ever be able to be a force against the run or will the run defense be the Achilles for the Colts’ defense? But most importantly will Peyton only win one champion?
The Jaguars, once a team on the ascension, have been struggling with a QB controversy the past year and are at the end of the line with former top 10 draft pick Byron Leftwich. Will the 2007 season be Byron’s last year in Jacksonville? Will his backup, David Garrard, be the quarterback of the future? If not Garrard or Leftwich where does this team turn? They passed on Brady Quinn in this past April’s draft and I truly don’t believe that the Jags will be bad enough to pick atop the 2008 NFL Draft to get a shot at top QB prospect Brian Brohm. The good news on offense is that the Jags have two quality running backs in 9 year veteran Fred Taylor and second year man Maurice Jones-Drew. You can’t really talk about the backs without asking the question of can Fred Taylor stay healthy for the full year? If he can’t can Maurice Jones-Drew be the feature back? Will Jones-Drew be able to carry the ball 20-25 times a game like Taylor? Another major
Impact player that needs to come back from his injury last year is Greg Jones. Jones, one of coach Jack Del-Rio’s favorite go to guys, has to be the player he was before his season ending injury. Can he be that player? Can the receiving corps live up to their lofty expectations? Can Reggie Williams build off of a solid 2006 and finally become that impact player that Jacksonville envisioned when drafting him with their 2004 top 10 pick? Will Matt Jones be able to finally learn the nuances of the wide receiver position? Will Matt Jones be more of an offensive down the field threat instead just a big red zone target? Although there are many questions on the Jags offense, the defense is more than capable of playing at a high level and shutting down opposing offenses. The only questions I can even think of is there a DE on this team that can consistently get after the quarterback? Can Reggie Hayward be that guy? Or is he just another high priced free agent bust? And can FS Reggie Nelson take over for fan favorite, Deon Grant? The defense is more than playoff and Super Bowl worthy, but the real question for the Jags is can there offense finally come together and lead this team into contention?
The Tennessee Titans were one of the Cinderella stories of the 2006 season and Vince Young solidified himself as the next big thing. Will the off the field issues of Pac-Man Jones still be a distraction or is this team finally through with their former top 10 pick? Will the absence of Travis Henry be the subtraction that most limits the Titans? Can LenDale White ever recapture that amazing potential we all saw during his days at USC? Can anyone of the Titans’ receivers stand out this year? Or will Young be left by himself to repeat his death defying performances of last season? Can Albert Hanynesworth ever be the guy the Titans envisioned him being when they selected him in the 1rst round? And most importantly can the Titans build on last year or will they regress to the misery that is the land of the bottom feeders?
Buffalo has been on the fence the last couple of season bordering on mediocrity and solid. Can this prove different with J.P. Losman at the helms? Or will Losman just be another non-factor? Can he live up to his success of last years unthinkable 8 wins? Will Marshawn #### be able to replace Willis McGahee or we #### be another Cal disappointment along the lines of J.J. Arrington and Aaron Rogers? Can the Bills defense ever get back to the stingy days of early this century? Can John McCargo become the beastly DT that Marv Levey thinks he can be? Will Paul Posluszny become the force that the Bills need in their LB corps? Also will Posluszny make the teams that passed on him regret it with his excellent instincts and nasty style of play? And can Ko Simpson and Donte Whitner build on last year’s chemistry to become the best young safety duo in the NFL?
The Cleveland Browns have had one of the better off-season builds of all 32 teams. The 2007 NFL Draft could go down as the draft that put the Browns on the map the same as the ’96 NFL Draft did with the Baltimore Ravens when they selected Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis. Cleveland selected the behemoth OLT Joe Thomas with the 3rd overall selection and then went onto pull of one the biggest moves in the off-season by trading back into the 1rst round and selecting home town boy Brady Quinn. Can Brady Quinn and Joe Thomas do for Cleveland the way Ogden and Lewis did for Baltimore? And when will Brady Quinn get the call to start? Can Quinn shake the stigma of not being able to handle the pressure situations? As for the rest of the Browns can they ever become a winning franchise or will this be another year of bad luck and disappointment? Will this be Romeo Crenel’s last year? Will he be the one former Bill Belichik protégé that doesn’t succeed? Can Kamerion Wimbley build on his impressive rookie campaign? Will the Browns cornerbacks ever be able to stop anyone? Will Sean Jones be able to take the next step to the Pro-Bowl? And will Brodney Pool ever live up to his 2nd round billing? How much does the former Louisville 1rst rounder Ted Washington have left in the tank in his 17th year? Will Cleveland’s two most talented players, Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow II, take the next step to super stardom and live up to the fans’ expectations?
The Houston Texans are finally through the David Carr era and are now entering the Matt Schaub age. Will Gary Kubiack and Matt Schaub have that powerful relationship that other great coach and quarterbacks have had such as Brady and Belichik, Elway and Shanahan, Montana and Walsh and Favre and Holmgren? Will the addition of Ahman Green give some energy and excitement to an anemic running game? Will Andre Johnson be by himself again or will one of the young receivers step up and take the #2 job? Can Jerome Mathis return to his Pro-Bowl form of returning kicks? Will Jacoby Jones be able to handle the jump from lowly Lane College to the NFL? The defense seems to be the most important part of the success to the Houston Texans organization if you take how they’ve been drafting into account. Will this defense be the backbone of the Texans? Can the defensive line made of almost entirely of 1rst round draft picks live up to the high expectations? Will Amobi Okoye be able to handle the strength and power of the interior at such a young age? Or will his learning curve take longer than expected? Can Jason Babin build of a strong 2006 season and break the 10 sack mark? Was DeMeco Ryans’ rookie season a fluke are will he be the next great NFL MLB? Can he sustain a high level of play in his 2nd year or will he be plagued by the dreaded sophomore slump? Can Dunte Robinson reach the elite level of other press corners or will he be just another solid NFL CB? What will happen with the Texans two safety spots? Can these two positions be strength or will it once again be the Achilles of the defense? And most importantly for the Houston Texans success, can Mario Williams quiet the nay Sayers? Will he be able to prove to everyone that the Texans made the right choice by taking him with the #1 overall pick in 2006? Can he break into the elite company of Julius Peppers, Dwight Freeney and Jason Taylor? And will the Texan fans finally embrace him as one of their own?
What about the Miami Dolphins? Can Cam Cameron turn this once glorious franchise around and out of the gutter? Or will they forever be in the dire portion of substandard teams? Can they make a run while Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor; the teams’ only Hall of Fame players are still productive? And really how much does Zach Thomas, in his 12th year, and Jason Taylor, in his 11th year, has left in the tank? Will Trent Green be able to bring his efficacy and leadership to the Dolphins? Can Ronnie Brown make the jump to becoming one of the top backs in the league? Will he ever justify his #2 overall pick status? Can Chris Chambers recapture his 2005 form when he was one of the more dangerous receiving threats in the game? What about the Dolphins secondary? Can the corner backs with stand a full season of being one of the weaker units in the league? Will the safeties be a revolving door or will there be consistency with them? Can Jason Allen live up to his 1rst round billing or is he just another Nick Saban picked bust? Will Joey Porter be able recapture his Steelers form or was the Pittsburg organization justified in letting him go? Can the O-Line block somebody and begin to be a cohesive unit? Will Ted Ginn Jr. be a star in the making? Or was he figment of huge draft hype? Can he be a playmaker or were the fans that booed his selection right? Will the passing on Brady Quinn begin to haunt this team starting this year? Will the Miami Dolphins be selecting in the top 5 of the 2008 NFL Draft?
The Oakland Raiders were easily the worst team last year and could’ve quite possibly been one of the worst teams in the history of the league, or at least in the salary cap era. Will this team be on the ascension or will they be, once again, the worst team in the NFL? Can this team win more than 5 games this year? Who will be their starting quarterback? Will Dunte Culpepper be able to revive his once super star career? Can Joey Porter play by the rules or will this be his last chance in Oakland? Will Mike Williams ever be able to live up to his top 10 overall pick? Can he become the receiver so many thought he could be under his old offensive coordinator at USC? And speaking of coaching, will Lane Kiffin make Al Davis look like a genius are like an old kook? Is Robert Gallery a bust? Remember he was drafted in the Eli Manning draft and we don’t consider Manning a bust. So I’ll repeat, is Robert Gallery a bust? Can he live up to the huge expectations of the Raider fans and Oakland front office? And will the O-Line have some sort of organization to it this year or will they be once again the worst in the NFL? Can LaMont Jordan be the back Al David wants or will he be another high priced FA bust? As for the defense the Raiders were ranked as one of the top units in the league, can they do it again? How long can Warren Sapp play at such a high level? Can Gerard Warren be a brick wall defender or he reverts back to his bust days in Cleveland? Can Fabian Washington and Nnamdi Asomugha become one of the elite CB tandems in the NFL? Will Asomugha build on his unbelievable performance of 2006 and finally make the Pro-Bowl in 2007? Can Kirk Morrison crack the elite status of his own? Will Morrison be recognized as one of the true up and comers of the MLB position in the NFL? What about Thomas Howard? Howard could quite possible be the most athletic and fastest OLB in the entire league, can he become an elite LB? And will Michael Huff live up to his top 10 pick status? Can Huff break into the level of other great safeties like Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, Sean Taylor, Brian Dawkins, Roy Williams and Adrian Wilson? And will Huff fortify the Raider secondary to assemble one of the best secondaries in the NFL?
These and other inquiries will all be answered come the end of January. But more important than all of these questions and their subsequent answers is us the fan. This year will be a special year for the fan because the NFL is bigger than ever. The popularity of the sport has grown into a magnificent beast that will even take a regular season game overseas. Of all the leagues the NFL, even more than the MLB, is the league that I’m the most proud of being a citizen of the United States. Every year I cherish this first week of football because I know that the next 5 months will be action packed and more exciting than all the other sports put together. We as the fans can’t wait for these questions to be answered and we can’t wait for the next batch of questions. So in closing all I can say is, “ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?”
The Texans may have had one of the best consecutive defensive drafts this side of the millennium. People obviously outside of Houston absolutely despise Charlie Casserly because many believe he was the ring leader behind the Mario Williams pick. But if you, the reader, take the time out, register and read some of the threads and posts in the Houston Texans official website you’ll find out how real Texan fans feel about Mario. The short story, we love him. As much as I would like to counter any argument and explain how great Mario will be, this years draft is just half about him. The 2007 NFL Draft for the Texan fans is more about our new team badass; Amobi Okoye.
At 6’2 305 lbs. the 19 year-old Amobi Okoye has quickly become one of the most intriguing prospects the league has seen. Before his senior season this past year Okoye was literally a speck on the NFL prospect radar. No one knew nor cared who he was. The only thing that even made him interesting was that he was a 19 year-old senior. Other than that Amobi was seen as a nobody. But then came his senior season and like any other true football player looking to turn scout heads and raise GM eyebrows he busted onto the seen with a new attitude and competitiveness. Amobi put extremely high numbers up for a 19 year-old kid, not a man yet, a kid. Okoye set a high standard during the 2006 season posting career bests in tackles (55), sacks (8), tackles for loss (15) and forced fumbles (3). With these outstanding stats coupled with his incredibly high ceiling for potential scouts surely took notice of this ####ian native.
After the 2006 NCAA season Amobi Okoye was being heralded as a top 25 pick, but still behind Alan Branch, #1 ranked DT. Then the pre-draft schedule and workouts where scouts, general managers, and coaches could get a chance to poke and prod the athletes started. This was the time where Amobi Okoye was going to distinguish himself from the rest of the defensive tackle competition…….And he did. He started his massive assault on the DT field at the Senior Bowl where he continuously dominated offensive lineman, not only in one on one drills, but during full pad scrimmages and then during the Senior Bowl game itself. Amobi Okoye was now moving himself up into the top 15 range and quickly making a case for himself as the top DT in the 2007 draft. The next scheduled event where he could show off his extreme athletic ability would the NFL Combine at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. This is where he would show off his strength, agility and most importantly his explosiveness. During his combine workouts he once again impressed scouts, general managers, and coach’s alike running a 5.07 40 yard dash. He also showed his explosiveness during his sprint with 1.81 10-yard and 2.96 20-yard increments along with his 30 inch vertical and 9-foot-3 broad jump. His agility was no joke either with a time of 7.46 in the 3 cone drill. Not to mention his 29x225lbs. bench press. He really showed his athletic ability along with his strength and he had wonderful interviews with teams that showed his maturity and great character. His Louisville Pro-Day also showed very good numbers with a sub 5.00 40, 4.97. Amobi also upped his bench press total with 33x225lbs. But more importantly during all of these workouts and pre-draft events Okoye showed his personality. Amobi showed his maturity beyond his years and I believe that is what impressed coaches the most. Think about it this way. Going into the off-season workouts most analysis had Alan Branch as the number 1 DT, but Amobi Okoye took advantage of all of these face to face times with NFL front office people while Alan Branch disappointed workout after workout and interview after interview. Once the dust had settled Amobi had positioned himself as the #1 ranked DT.
When the Houston Texans were on the clock on Saturday for their 1rst round pick I was praying that the they would take Amobi instead of taking Alan Branch. I was literally praying on my hands and knees. This draft pick was the single most important pick not for the Texans or the Houston fans, but for Mario Williams. This pick was going to signify how the Texans felt about the Mario Williams pick. The 10th overall pick was going to be either be a focal point of the defense or be a focal point of the offense and since Adrian Peterson didn’t fall to the #10 spot Amobi Okoye was the perfect fir for them. Amobi Okoye and Mario Williams are going to be one of the most dominating defensive sides of the line there is in the entire NFL. The kind of athletic ability these two defensive players own is unbelievable and almost inconceivable. The only other team that has 2 dominating players in a 4-3 scheme with that much ability is Carolina with Julius Peppers and Kris Jenkins. This combo is as important to the Texan defense the way Simeon Rice and Warren Sapp were for the Tampa Bay Bucs defense. Amobi Okoye has the ability to not only play in the one gap system but he also has the potential to occupy two blockers and let Mario Williams face a single offensive lineman. This combo may not produce as much in this upcoming year because of the youth factor that’s involved with Okoye, but the following seasons the two, Mario and Amobi, will be a combo to be reckoned with. Both have incredible speed and burst off the line, and both have incredible athletic prowess.
The offensive line needed help but neither Joe Thomas nor Levi Brown was within range for the Texans to take. The next best thing was to build around their all world talent Mario Williams and they did with a phenom 19 year-old Amobi Okoye. I, as a Texan fan am seriously happy with this pick. I wished we’d have had a 2nd round pick, but with our 1rst round pick being so good I’m confident the Texan front office has done the right thing for this organization. Great pick Texan front office, great decision, just watch people, Okoye and Mario are going to be Pro-Bowl mainstays for years to come.
Will Alex Smith suffer the same fate David Carr suffered in Houston? Will the 49ers franchise head honcho’s build around Smith? Or will the front office neglect him just as the Texans did with Carr? Who will the 49ers draft in this upcoming April’s draft? Will they add more defense to this year’s big free agent signings are will they draft players that will grow, help and progress along with Alex Smith’s career? What will the future hold for the University of Utah product?
These are the questions that I’ve been asking myself in the last few months. Especially seeing what has happened to my beloved Carr and the correlations between him and Alex Smith. I’ll start out with a few similarities that I’ve seen with Carr and Smith. First is obvious. They both are from small programs, Utah and Fresno Sate. Both of those schools are not exactly NFL pipelines especially for #1 overall picks. Second comparison is that both are incredibly mobile capable of breaking off 10 or 15 yard gains. Carr and Smith also share a very good understanding for the game and they both are very intelligent. They both don’t have a tremendously strong arm, but they can make every NFL throw. And they also have the accuracy to succeed in the league too. And finally they both have that good boy attitude that makes them very likable in the media and among their teammates. There characters were never a question when being interviewed by the Texans or the 49ers during their respective draft combines and workouts.
Well, I spoke about the positives the two shares, but what about the negatives that Carr and Smith have. As I said before their good ol’ boy attitude is not exactly a great thing in the rough and tumble ego heavy NFL. What I mean is that they are both quiet family orientated guys. Will Alex Smith hold up when being criticized heavily? Obviously one of David Carr main down falls was that he had a tremendous time trying to thrive under the pressure of the media and horrid treatment he started to receive in the final games of the 2005 season. Next, when you talk about Alex Smith or David Carr you will never find any knowledgeable fan say that they are a pure franchise QB. They both are quarterbacks who need their franchises to surround them with offensive talent for them to succeed. They will never be mistaken for Carson Palmer, Payton Manning, Donovan McNabb, or Tom Brady. All of whom can succeed with minimal talent around them.
David Carr could’ve succeeded in Houston had the organization provided him the talent and veterans he deserved. Only selecting 1 offensive player with the 1rst round pick in five years isn’t exactly installing confidence in the David Carr run offense. After the selection of Andre Johnson the Texans managed to pass on plenty of offensive talent. None of which was more shocking than in 2005 when the Texans passed on offensive tackles Jammal Brown and Alex Barron and selected a one year wonder in defensive tackle Travis Johnson. Even in free agency I bet you can’t name one offensive significant signing that the Texans made during that time. I’m not saying that David Carr didn’t regress during the past two seasons or that he could’ve gone deep, or he stared down his receivers a little too much, but most of the blame is on the shoulders of the GM Charlie Casserly and the last coaching staff. We as NFL fans literally watched a QB with an enormous amount of potential totally and completely waste right before our eyes. It was quite horrifying to watch if you were a fan of David Carr.
As for Alex Smith the comparisons aren’t that far off when talking about the 49ers organization. The 49ers have now for the past five years been a laughing stock right along with the Houston Texans. And the media sure didn’t let up until the end of the 2006 season. But as you probably already know after the Houston Texans first two seasons they looked to be on the right track too. But now look where we are at……starting all over again. Before Mike Nolan was the 49ers coach in 2005 the San Francisco front office had been making horribly bad personnel decisions. Drafting guys like Reggie McGrew, Mike Rumph, Kwame Harris, and Rashaun Woods. None of whom except Harris is still with the team. But since Mike Nolan came in he made sure that the draft is how he would build the franchise. And after taking Alex Smith they made sure to take the 2nd best guard in the 2005 NFL Draft out of Michigan, David Baas. The 49er organization also found a 3rd round steal in RB Frank Gore who in 2006 was one of the best backs in the entire NFL. With the first four picks in 2005 the 49ers drafted offense to go along with Alex Smith. In the 2006 NFL Draft the 49ers again drafted 3 out of 4 of their first 4 choices on offense, adding a playmaking TE in Vernon Davis and a WR in Brandon Williams. Can you see where I’m going with this? The 9ers also have signed veteran offensive lineman. In the 2005 free agent singing period they netted offensive tackle Jonas Jennings away from Buffalo. And in 2006 they signed guard Larry Allen the All-World, Hall of Famer away from Dallas and also signing a very capable and solid WR in Antonio Bryant. Not to mention also in 2006 they traded for QB Trent Dilfer to backup and mentor Smith. They are building around Alex Smith surrounding him the talent to succeed in the NFL. And in the upcoming 2007 draft I wouldn’t be surprised if the 49ers would draft wide receivers Dwayne Jarrett or Ted Ginn Jr. Two of the most highly touted and productive wide receivers in college to also go along with their 2005 #1 pick.
The way the 49ers have been fortifying their team with offensive talent is how you build around a young QB. This is where the Texan organization failed David Carr. As a matter of fact the 49ers literally turned a laughing stock into a playoff contender in just two seasons. Had the Texans GM and coaches made sure to build around Carr instead of trying to build a fledgling defense maybe Carr might be a top 10 QB.
Thus answering my burning question at the beginning of my thread. Alex Smith won’t turn out like David Carr despite his physical similarities. What a shame, maybe David Carr can resurrect his flailing career in Carolina. Maybe even following in the footsteps of Steve Young, who once was a high draft choice, but soon became a tackling dummy playing for the God awe full Buccaneers. To then go on to become one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
