Bush coming to Texas by way of a Brees
As a Houston-trade-down-and-better-your-team-so-that-we-can-have-a-more-competitive-NFL Fan, I am truly disappointed as to how this year's free agency has shaken out in relation to the Texan's handling of the #1 overall pick. With New Orleans previously thought to be taking a QB, namely Matt Leinart, with the #2 Pick overall, the Texans had all the leverage in the world to fancy offers from the Titans and Jets regarding a trade up to acquire the most polished signal-caller to come out of college since Peyton Manning. Having acquired Drew Brees, the Saints have solved their QB issues with free agency, making the second pick in the draft more likely to go the way of Mario Williams than Matt Leinart. Essentially, the Texans now have no more leverage than Saints to move down in the draft. Any team looking to trade up to acquire Matt Leinart now needs to only jump to #2 to be safe. Moving to #1 makes no sense with Matt Leinart out of the question for the Saints at #2.
In all likelihood, this means that the Texans will not be getting the jaw-dropping offer that they require to trade away the option to draft the equally jaw-dropping Reggie Bush. I expect Bush to be drafted #1 moreso now than ever before. While Bush certainly fills no immediate need for the franchise, he does present the team with a potential superstar at one of the most pivotal positions on the field. Sadly, for the Texans sake, Domanick davis does not present legitimate trade bait. Just last year, he was inked to a 6-year, $21m contract. In a league that is over-filled with competent running backs, Davis is not worth acquiring by most teams. Most teams that would prefer to gain an extra set of legs in the backfield (Patriots, Falcons, Panthers, Steelers, Colts, Vikings, Packers, 49ers) have found thmselves in favorable draft position for the same reason that the Texans are now out of favor for a trade down from #1: free agency. The Ravens and Cardinals, two teams predicted to address their RB needs early in the draft both made major splashes in Free Agency by acquiring the biggest names on the board.
The Texans best chance of still managing a blockbuster deal to move down on the board will come as a result of an absolutely disturbingly dominant performance by Bush at the USC Pro Day, March 23rd. Lets say Reggie Bush drops a 4.25 Michael-Vick-esque time and throws up 30 reps on the bench. Lets also assume that he looks dominant during positional drills, making LenDale White look like a minion at Reggie Bush's Draft Round-Table. Needless to say, every NFL scouting official with a pulse will be there to watch. Should one of the "Reggie Bush" teams like the 49ers or Vikings become totally enamored with Reggie Bush and his infinitely-high ceiling, they might just be willing to drop the talent necessary to justify the Texans moving down on the board. Bush is said to be running in the 4.25-4.31 range at the moment, which gives him the kind of elite speed that only a handful of players (eg. Deangelo Hall, Michael Vick, Jerome Mathis) in the league possess. Sadly, such a performance might also make the Texans equally -perhaps moreso- enamored in Bush, making them willing to part with Domanick Davis for a 5th Round pick.
Wish for Reggie Bush to have a jaw-dropping performance come next Thursday if you are in the same boat as me: waiting anxiously to hear that the #1 pick is traded away for the good of the Texan's franchise. Hope that his performance is dominant enough to have teams that NEED a Running Back willing to move up to acquire him. Also hope that the Texans do not become illusioned enough by the performance that they neglect the glaring holes on their own team. Nevertheless, prepare yourself for the worst. The chance that Reggie Bush being drafted #1 overall is in the neighborhood of 95% at the moment. Come March 23rd, this number will probably drop no lower than 85%. Now that the Saints have made a deal for a starting QB, pencil in Reggie Bush as a Houston Texan.
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Post-Brees Top Ten Projection:
( 1) Reggie Bush - Texans
( 2) Mario Williams - Saints
( 3) Matt Leinart - Titans
( 4) Jay Cutler - Jets
( 5) AJ Hawk - Packers
( 6) D'Brickashaw Ferguson - 49ers
( 7) Vince Young - Raiders
( 8) Haloti Ngata - Bills
( 9) Michael Huff - Lions
(10) Vernon Davis - Cardinals
The Saints signing Brees took all bargaining power from Houston
In all likelihood, this means that the Texans will not be getting the jaw-dropping offer that they require to trade away the option to draft the equally jaw-dropping Reggie Bush. I expect Bush to be drafted #1 moreso now than ever before. While Bush certainly fills no immediate need for the franchise, he does present the team with a potential superstar at one of the most pivotal positions on the field. Sadly, for the Texans sake, Domanick davis does not present legitimate trade bait. Just last year, he was inked to a 6-year, $21m contract. In a league that is over-filled with competent running backs, Davis is not worth acquiring by most teams. Most teams that would prefer to gain an extra set of legs in the backfield (Patriots, Falcons, Panthers, Steelers, Colts, Vikings, Packers, 49ers) have found thmselves in favorable draft position for the same reason that the Texans are now out of favor for a trade down from #1: free agency. The Ravens and Cardinals, two teams predicted to address their RB needs early in the draft both made major splashes in Free Agency by acquiring the biggest names on the board.
The Texans best chance of still managing a blockbuster deal to move down on the board will come as a result of an absolutely disturbingly dominant performance by Bush at the USC Pro Day, March 23rd. Lets say Reggie Bush drops a 4.25 Michael-Vick-esque time and throws up 30 reps on the bench. Lets also assume that he looks dominant during positional drills, making LenDale White look like a minion at Reggie Bush's Draft Round-Table. Needless to say, every NFL scouting official with a pulse will be there to watch. Should one of the "Reggie Bush" teams like the 49ers or Vikings become totally enamored with Reggie Bush and his infinitely-high ceiling, they might just be willing to drop the talent necessary to justify the Texans moving down on the board. Bush is said to be running in the 4.25-4.31 range at the moment, which gives him the kind of elite speed that only a handful of players (eg. Deangelo Hall, Michael Vick, Jerome Mathis) in the league possess. Sadly, such a performance might also make the Texans equally -perhaps moreso- enamored in Bush, making them willing to part with Domanick Davis for a 5th Round pick.
Wish for Reggie Bush to have a jaw-dropping performance come next Thursday if you are in the same boat as me: waiting anxiously to hear that the #1 pick is traded away for the good of the Texan's franchise. Hope that his performance is dominant enough to have teams that NEED a Running Back willing to move up to acquire him. Also hope that the Texans do not become illusioned enough by the performance that they neglect the glaring holes on their own team. Nevertheless, prepare yourself for the worst. The chance that Reggie Bush being drafted #1 overall is in the neighborhood of 95% at the moment. Come March 23rd, this number will probably drop no lower than 85%. Now that the Saints have made a deal for a starting QB, pencil in Reggie Bush as a Houston Texan.
Bush is dominant, but an imperfect fit in Houston
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Post-Brees Top Ten Projection:
( 1) Reggie Bush - Texans
( 2) Mario Williams - Saints
( 3) Matt Leinart - Titans
( 4) Jay Cutler - Jets
( 5) AJ Hawk - Packers
( 6) D'Brickashaw Ferguson - 49ers
( 7) Vince Young - Raiders
( 8) Haloti Ngata - Bills
( 9) Michael Huff - Lions
(10) Vernon Davis - Cardinals