LEWIS - HOUSTON, TX, US: DO YOU THINK THE TEXANS WILL PICK MICHAEL BUSH IN THE 4 TH ROUND
Draft Day 2007:
Lewis, thanks for the question. This is Nick. I think Michael Bush (6-3, 247) has a ton of upside, and I think he is a player the Texans would consider in the fourth round, but I still think the team will look to address the offensive line before looking at any other position. If the value isn't there at offensive line in the fourth round, don't be surprised if Bush gets a strong look by the scouting department.
We're heading out for the night, but Carmine and I will be back Sunday to answer any other questions you guys have. Thanks for all of the great questions.
jon - houston, TX, US: do you agree that the texans made an intelligent move by continued emphasis on the defensive side of the ball.i am in total agreement that defense first is how you build a great football team.kudos to the texans' coacing staff and g.m..
Draft Day 2007: Jon, this is Carmine. I like the move. I saw this kid at the Senior Bowl and he jumped out at me. I thought at that time he would have been a great pick at number eight and the fact that we were still able to get him at 10 is tremendous in my view. The Texans pass rush is going to be among the best in the AFC next season.
Todd - Houston, TX, US: Do you think that the Texans will select another defensive end in this draft?
Draft Day 2007: Todd, thanks for the question. This is Nick. Sorry we're having a few problems with my answers getting cut off. We'll fix that shortly. Anyways, I would be surprised if we took a defensive end in the third round or the fourth round. But if there is a good end out there later in the draft, I think that would be a possibility.
Christopher Ryan Chambers - Pearland, TX, US: Do we have to ask a question? If so, Do you think that Amobi Okoye will turn out to be the second best (of course after Ryans) draft pick that the Texans have ever drafted? I really just wanted to say that I think it was a wonderful pick because Im all about building that D!!!
Draft Day 2007: Chris, this is Nick. Thanks for the question. I don't like to put the cart in front of the horse, so I won't say that Okoye will be the second-best draft pick in Texans' history quite yet. But I don't think GM Rick Smith would have drafted Okoye at No. 10 overall if he didn't believe that Okoye had that type of potential.
Stephen - Nashua, NH, US: Why dont the texans draft an O lineman? Im asking this in light of the fact that we invested SOOO much money in a new QB and we don't draft him anyone to protect him. Okoye is gonna be a stud, but Schaub is gonna get a rude awakening when he recieves the "David Carr." treatment, when he'll be on his back A LOT
Draft Day 2007: Hi Stephen, this is Carmine. The Texans can still add a offensive lineman in this year's draft. When Levi Brown went off the board at five, there really wasn't another offensive lineman available worthy of a top-10 pick. Also, I think fans are going to find out this season that Houston's o-line isn't as bad as some people think. You don't rush for almost 200 yards against the World Champs with a bad o-line.
Randy - Sugar Land, TX, US: Will we take Troy Smith if he's available in the third?
Draft Day 2007:
Hi Randy, this is Carmine...In a word no. The Texans have needs to address with the rest of this draft and QB is not one of them. Look for a receiver or possibly a offensive lineman to come off the board in the third.
Victor - Houston, TX, US: What did houston gain by making the trade in the 4th round?
Draft Day 2007: Hi Victor, this is Carmine. Houston gained another pick, obviously by trading down in the fourth, but more importantly Houston was able to snatch two players it coveted instead of just one, who may have been a reach early in the fourth round.
Stephon - Houston, TX, US: I am excited about the defense this year but even if Amobi was the best guy to choose with the 10th pick do you think it would have been better to add depth to the corner position? i think leon hall would've worked well with d-rob and everyone else.
Draft Day 2007: Hey Stephon, thanks for the question. This is Nick. Like I've mentioned previously, I don't think our corner situation is as dire as many people believe. Petey Faggins is a playmaker. Does he get caught taking risks sometimes? Sure. But I think with an improved pass rush, and better play from the safeties, Petey will make a ton of plays this year. I didn't see a ton of film on Leon Hall, but I did see Dwayne Jarrett catch a bunch of balls against him in the Rose Bowl this past year, so I'm not convinced he would've been the answer. Let's see how the draft unfolds. I think the Texans could find a nickel corner in the third, fourth or (maybe) fifth round. GM Rick Smith is a former defensive back, so let's see how good his eye is. I have a feeling that he'll be able to identify a gem in the later rounds. The reason why I like Okoye instead of a d-back in round one is because I don't care if you have Deion Sanders and Rod Woodson back there, if you can't stop the run and pressure the passer, you're going to get torched on defense. Okoye helps fill an immediate need.
Enea Zhonga - Auburn, AL, US: Who are the Texans going after with their third round pick? Or are they trying to move up to the second round for someone?
Draft Day 2007: Enea, thanks for the question. This is Nick. I would be pretty surprised if we didn't take an offensive player in the third. A tackle or wide receiver would be my guess. If someone we really like is still on the board in the second round, I don't think GM Rick Smith would hesitate to move up, but that would probably involve giving up more picks (possibly a fourth-rounder and our third-rounder this year). That would be a very tough decision to make. We all know how well Owen Daniels played last year, and he was a fourth-rounder. And third-rounders, like Matt Schaub was for the Falcons a few years ago, also are very valuable.
Ross - Fort Hood, TX, US: What does the pick the pick of Okoye mean to our need at defensive end? It seems like we have now solid depth at tackle, but only only one quality end. I am happy about demeco getting better protection from this pick.
Draft Day 2007: Ross, thanks for sending in the question. This is Nick. I think coach Kubiak is really banking on Mario taking huge strides this year. Along with Anthony Weaver at the other end, and with the depth provided by Jason Babin and N.D. Kalu, I think we're in a solid position at defensive end. Of course, if we suffer the same injuries we did last year along the defensive front, we won't be in great shape. But no team would be in that situation.
Jerome F. - Houston, TX, US: With all the these teams giving up additional picks why Houston do the same to pick up Jarret or Robert Meachem
Draft Day 2007: Hi Jerome, this is Carmine. With Meachem now gone, Houston would probably have to give up a lot to select Dwayne Jarrett. Look for us to add a receiver here sometime today or tomorrow, but I doubt it will be Jarrett.
Osvaldo Sotelo - Houston, TX, US: What is the focus on for the next pick?
Draft Day 2007: Osvaldo, good question. This is Nick. I think we're going offense for sure. Tackle or receiver would be my guess. But like general manager Rick Smith has always said, we're going to take the best player available. So if it's another defensive player, I wouldn't be completely shocked.
Dan - Tampa, FL, US: Was this the guy Houston wanted all along?
Draft Day 2007: Dan, good question. I think Okoye was a guy the Texans liked all along, but they really thought that he would be gone by No. 10. I know that's cliche. Every team sounds surprised that the player they chose was around at whichever spot they drafted. But to think that Okoye was the first DT taken off the board, it looks like the Texans got pretty good value. I don't need to tell any of you how much trouble we've had stopping the run in the past. This guy should help. If you look at our D-line now with Okoye, Anthony Weaver, Mario Williams, Anthony Maddox, Travis Johnson, N.D. Kalu, Jason Babin, Jeff Zgonina and Thomas Johnson, I like that depth. There's going to be some excellent competition in training camp.
Robert - Cheyenne, WY, US: Are the Texans giving any consideration to John Wendling, FS from Univ. of Wyoming? I got to see him play this past year, and was impressed. Speed, size, aggressive....not to mention outstanding character and very coachable. If he is not drafted, I hope he will be invited to camp as a free agent.
Draft Day 2007: Robert, this is Carmine. Wendling is certainly an intriguing athlete. Looks like we missed out though.
Cheryl - Houston, TX, US: I know we have our running back and have lots of needs but would the Texans be interested in taking Jackie Battle in one of the late rounds. I think he has a lot of upside if handled right.
Draft Day 2007: Hi Cheryl, this is Carmine. I don't see the Texans taking Battle though you would think that he should go to some team here shortly. He certainly looked pretty impressive at UH pro day.
Lee - Deer Park, TX, US: Why dont the Texans target Troy Smith for the 5th round pic at least as a back up
Draft Day 2007: Lee, this is Carmine. Unlikely. There's no need to take a quarterback in this year's draft. You could argue that the Texans already did that by trading their second-pick this year and next for Matt Schaub. Would you ever want to draft two quarterbacks in the same year?
Jason - conroe, TX, US: I like the commitment to defense in the draft, but who is left this late in the draft to help the O-line? Or is there perhaps some trading left to be done to address the issue?
Draft Day 2007: Hi Jason, this is Carmine. Not sure their are any deals in the work, but I would be surprised if the o-line wasn't addressed here shortly.
Jason Leslie - Sugar Land, TX, US: With Levi Brown gone now who are the Texans other top prospects?
Draft Day 2007: Jason, this is Nick. Thanks for sending in the question. Levi Brown went higher than I expected, but it just shows the premium that teams are placing on offensive tackles. I think Joe Staley from Central Michigan is an offensive tackle that could creep into the late first round. He really impressed teams with his 40 time. Unless the Texans trade up, I doubt Staley is around in the third round. I still think the Texans are going to target a wide receiver in this draft, so keep your eye on Dwayne Jarrett if he's around in the third (In an effort for full disclosure, I did attend USC, so I am a little biased. And Carmine went to Penn State, so don't get him started on Brown or Posluzny). And another PAC-10 receiver to watch out for is Washington State's Jason Hill, who can run in the 4.3 range. He should be available in the third.
Mike - Beaumont, TX, US: How did the Texans get the 10th pick of the 1st round?
Draft Day 2007: Mike, this is Nick. Thanks for participating. We got the No. 10 pick after trading with the Atlanta Falcons for Matt Schaub. We swapped first-round picks with them in this draft, and we also gave up a second-round pick this year and a second-round pick next year.
Gene - crosby, TX, US: Why are the Texans not getting players for their Offensive line which needs the most help?
Draft Day 2007: Gene, this is Carmine. I think we'll see some o-linemen taken here shortly. I think ideally they would like a young player that can play guard and tackle in a pinch. Stay tuned.
Fred - alice, TX, US: Overall i dont think the team did a good ob with the draft? What is your honest opinion?
Draft Day 2007: Fred, this is Carmine. The draft isn't over yet, but I like what the Texans have done so far. I think we'll know more after OTA's in May and mini-camp in June, but I have no concerns with Okoye and I think you'll see the Texans address all of their needs as the day progresses.
Ben Davis - Houston, TX, US: I continue to be surprised (and perplexed) by the front office on draft day. Management is mesmerized by "potential". Instead, they should be focused on high performance players who have competed at high levels. The Jones kid is a project..as is Jason Babin. Why do the Texans burn high picks on small-time college players?
Draft Day 2007: Hi Ben, this is Carmine. Let's remember that this is a different front office than in many year's past and coach Kubiak's first draft (last season) turned out pretty well. Let's see how these players perform before we say that the Texans are burning picks on projects. If Jones fails, it wll be because he simply can't compete athletically at this level, that's refreshing in a sense because many players fail for simply not working hard.
David Hight - Houston, TX, US: Jacoby Jones would have been available in the 4th round. Even though he has decent speed and excellent size, he has not competed on a high level. Bottom line: this kid is a project and will be limited to a return specialist. Why a 3rd round pick?
Draft Day 2007: Hi David, this is Carmine. A legitimate concern, but I'm going to have to disagree with you. The Texans had Jason Hill, Yamon Figures and Jones all graded around the same level. The fact that those three players were selected so close to each other, I think, validates the selection in the third even though a week ago I might have even thought Jones would be available in the fourth. Let's give Jacoby a chance before we label him as just a "return specialist.
Doug - Houston, TX, US: Given Kubiak's success with late round RBs, do you think Jackie Battle is a possibility in say Round 4?
Draft Day 2007: Hey Doug, this is Carmine. Coach has had some succes with late round backs, but I think the Texans have more pressing needs so don't look for Battle to join the Texans backfield.
Kunal Pasrija - Houston, TX, US: Do you think the Texans will take Reggie Nelson, the Safety from Florida?
Draft Day 2007: Hey Kunal. This is Nick. To answer your question, no, I think Reggie Nelson will be long gone by the Texans' third-round pick, and I don't think a trade up to draft Nelson is a strong possibility. I actually thought the Texans would trade down in the first round to acquire more picks and get a shot at Nelson and/or Dwayne Bowe from LSU.
