I think the three most attractive free agents to the Texans should be: WR David Boston WR Peerless Price S Donovin Darius LB Takeo Spikes Boston: a big, strong, fast number one option... he's a playmaker and from Humble so he's a hometown boy. I know he had a down year last year, but I think he's got unbelievable potential... he might be a restricted free agent though and expensive. Price: not quite as "sexy" a player, but cheaper. He's a playmaker at wide reciever and rather than inserting a rookie there (we all know how long rookie recievers not named moss take to develop) the Texans get a saavy vet (and 1,000 yard reciever). Darius, while not a superstar, is a solid safety... which is a huge upgrade from last season. Takeo Spikes speaks for himself... we get a run stuffer/quaterback chaser for the OLB position opposite Jamie Sharper. If we resign Ryan Young, add to both O and D line with the draft (jimmy kennedy, gross?), and we'd have a pretty respectable team. Is there any way this stuff can happen???
I would absolutely love to get Price. The guy has improved in each of his first 4 years. I think he would automatically become the number one receiver on this team.
I dont think that Price would be cheaper than Boston. They are both great WR's but I think Price is better, and would cost more...I wouldn't mind any of your hopefuls, though.
Darius is a real possibility, Jacksonville will proably just let him walk they've had issues in the past. Price will be allowed to walk as well but the Texans would have to get in a bidding war with a team like Atlanta for his services and I don't think they'll overpay for him. Boston will most likely be franchised and no one would give up two first rounders for him and his baggage. Spikes could get the tag and it might turn into the Jeremiah Trotter situation. If he is let go to test the market he will get a ton of interest and the Texans may be willing to open up the vault. Put Falcons LB Kieth Brooking in this same situation. If Spikes and Brooking are tagged expect the Texans to make a huge offer to LB Roosevelt Colvin who will be let go by the Bears. Colvin will also get a ton of interest. The Texans are sure to be looking for O-line help as well. Maybe Jeff Saturday or Randy Thomas, former linemates of McKinney and Young respectively? If Orlando Pace or Walter Jones escape being tagged I bet the Texans would fall all over themselves with huge offers. On the trade front rumors circulate that Chiefs OT John Tait and Saints OT Kyle Turley may be available. Trades are always few and far between in the NFL but if anyone was to make one it would be Casserly.
IMO, Price is going to end up like Alvin Harper. He'd be better off being part of a tandem like he is now.
That's my concern about Price... he's only 5-11 (a little too small to be a number 1 imho) and he's never had to carry a team's recieving corpse lining up across from Moulds. The player I left off of this list that really, really makes my mouth water is Orlando Pace. Phillyrocket mentioned that he'll probably be franchised by the Rams, but I would love to get him on our OLine... he's a real monster and still pretty young. In a trade, Turley would also be nice to see in a Texans uni. He could bring a lot of fire and emotion to our team and also discourage the cheap shots on Carr (you know how seriously Turley protects his QB).
I hope that is the case... I think that safety was one of our weakest positions last year and that allowed teams to break big plays on us. At his worst, Darius is a BIG hitter that will definately help keep opposing running backs in front of us. At his best, he has the tools to be a complete safety but his coverage skills are less than stellar at the moment.
price is better than alvin harper, imo. harper (not unlike our own corey bradford) basically had one skill: speed. the perfect compliment, he was never the answer. nitpicking aside, i agree on price. it's foolish to give #1 money to a #2 WR.
I would like to get Darius. Good call on that one. As for Boston, rumor has it that Arizona is going to put the tag on him. Plummer is going to leave, so they will make sure Boston doesnt do the same. Price is overrated. His numbers are inflated because one of the best receivers in the game was lined up on the other side of the ball on a weekly basis. That being said, I would still like to have him, but the Texans must be careful to not overpay him. Spikes would be really nice. As would Brooking. Im a big fan of linebackers. Any talent added to that area of the defense would make me a happy man.
I think spikes and darius would get us alot closer to having a good, consistent defense (rather than just a sometimes overachieving defense). Our D-Line could also use some improvement but I'm not sure who's out there. About linebackers: I totally agree with rezdawg, we should stockpile good linebackers and Spikes is a great one. In the 3-4 a deep linebacking corpse is absolutely neccessary.
I can just see it now: Peerless "the Undertaker" Price carries Texans' "receiving corpse" -- appears "dead set" on victory. I agree with your point that Price's production would suffer if he became a #1 receiver for some team, which is probably what he'll end up doing.
The reasonably low $3 million price for franchising safeties could take Donovin Darius of the Jaguars and Tebucky Jones of the Patriots off the market. The franchise tag gives a player a tender offer equal to the average of the top-five salaries at the position from last year. It costs two first-rounders to lure a franchise player away from a team. The transition designation only allows a team to match an offer from another team, but the price is the average of the top 10 salaries.
