Free Agency Update

It has been reported in a few media outlets that backup QB Rex Grossman has signed a 1 year deal with Washington. John David Booty was signed by Houston this past January to add depth to the QB position.

All indicators are pointing to the imminent departure of G Chester Pitts. He is set to visit with both Detroit and San Francisco this week. As one of the original remaining Houston Texans, it will be sad to see his run ending here, but I do wish him the best of luck with his remaining NFL career.

I read on the transaction wire that Houston signed G/C Wade Smith on Tuesday. His 8 years of NFL experience on the Offensive Line should give the Texans a nice boost. Last season he played in all 16 games with Kansas City, including 9 as a starter.

The 2010 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. The consensus, at least over at Foxsports.com, is that Houston is in need of a Running Back. At this point I'm not sure of Steve Slaton's status, but providing he is healthy I don't see much of a reason to try to draft another feature back. The fumble problems weren't confined to Slaton and all of the backs employed this past season had difficulty getting the ball any decent distance past the line of scrimmage. I have heard talk that Houston should get a big interior Defensive Lineman to help take some of the pressure off DT Amobi Okoye. Okoye does have the quickness and has shown flashes of what he can do, but he does need another big 300+ pounder to help him break through the interior blocking. The Texans also have a need at Cornerback. At this point the Texans already have 2 corners coming off rookie seasons, so I would look for a veteran to help these guys along in their development.

Update...

Several teams are making a run at WR Kevin Walter. There are predictions that he will sign with Baltimore, even though Houston has expressed interest in retaining him. It's hard to tell what's going to happen with this being an uncapped year. I'm glad there are no public bidding wars, but who's to say what will happen. The one free agent whom I would have liked to see come to Houston, RB Chester Taylor, has signed with Chicago. This will definitely take some pressure off Jay Cutler, but I would have liked to see the pressure taken off Matt Shaub.

Hmmm....

I just read that Minnesota RB Chester Taylor is an Unrestricted Free Agent going into this offseason. Although he is 29, he does have a lot of gas left in the tank and would add some serious toughness to the RB position for Houston. Add to that the fact that he has not been a feature back since Adrian Peterson joined the Vikings, Houston could get him relatively cheap. I would be interested to see how this plays out.

There are reports that Houston is very interested in keeping Kevin Walter. He is a solid number 2 receiver who could compete for a number 1 slot on any other team. I'm hoping that Houston does keep him. Letting him go will allow teams to bring more pressure on Andre Johnson.

The top players at CB right now consist of 2 rookies. I'm hoping that Houston can address this through free agency rather than through the draft as the team will need some veteran leadership at this position. The secondary at the corners was arguably subpar at times this past season.

Offseason Reindeer Games part 1

So the NFL season is over, we've gone through our football withdrawals, and have settled into an alternate routine. Now it's time for the reindeer games to begin. I'm not sure if Mardi will be posting too much concerning the offseason, but I'm going to try to keep up with it as best I can as this can sometimes get as exciting as the season itself.

I'm sure all of you have read by now that Gary Kubiak has been given a contract extension. Whether this is good or bad depends on your point of view. I personally think this is a good move. It provides continuity in leadership, which is going to be vitally important going into the offseason. The Texans are improving (albeit slowly - too slowly for some) and to shake up leadership would just be destructive. While some may say that the coaching is at fault for the disappointing 4 game losing streak, I can really point to only 1 play that had a big affect on the outcome of the game (halfback option, anyone?). It will be interesting to see who Kubiak brings in to replace Kyle Shanahan, who, despite making some rookie mistakes, overall did a good job as the Offensive Coordinator.

The other big news that just came out is that the Texans are not going to franchise CB Dunta Robinson, nor are they offering him a new contract. I can't say I'm all that sad about seeing him go. Up until his injury in the 2007-2008 season he was on his way to becoming a premiere cornerback in the NFL. Of course he lost a step or upon returning in the middle of the 08-09 season. Nobody faulted him for that, but he was faulted for holding out on the time right up until the beginning of the 09-10 regular season. Robinson missed training camp and his performance at many times was mediocre to average at best. He clearly was not happy with his contract situation. I wish Dunta Robinson good luck with his next team, but perhaps it's time to bring in some fresh talent.

There's my offseason update so far this year. Feel free to comment or question anything I have said and let's look forward to another great season of Houston Texan football!