[ESPN Insider] Williams should have big impact on defense

Williams should have big impact on defense

By Michael Smith
ESPN.com
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HOUSTON  Here are five observations from the Texans' July 31 and Aug. 1 practices:

1. If for some reason you still question the logic of the Texans selecting Mario Williams first overall over Reggie Bush or Vince Young all you need to do is pay a visit to Reliant Stadium and watch Williams practice, watch him move. In fact, all you need to do, really, is look at Williams. He is the definition of a specimen.

Mario Williams was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft.Texans head coach Gary Kubiak says Williams (listed at 6-foot-6 and 293 pounds) is even more powerful than Kubiak thought watching film from N.C. State. Williams is so quick ("He bounces around like a DB," defensive tackle Anthony Weaver says) and so strong that based on what I saw during pass rush drills this week, trying to handle him one-on-one literally will be a waste of time for most linemen. Once Williams really learns technique, how to read and react, and how to move efficiently (Williams often solicits information about Bruce Smith from ex-Bill Eric Moulds), teams are going to have no choice but to double him, slide their protection toward him, chip him, have a guard help out -- do something. And to make matters worse for opponents, Williams can play just about anywhere along the line, making it difficult to draw a bead on him. The Texans plan to have him rush from inside on passing downs.

Because of all the attention he's sure to receive from the opposition, don't judge Williams or compare him to Bush based on his rookie season sack total. Instead, judge Williams based on how much the Texans' defense, ranked 31st overall last season, improves in '06. Judge him on how big a jump Houston makes from last against the run and last in scoring defense. Williams' mere presence all but guarantees substantial progress.

Williams will be a true impact rookie because he will cause a domino effect. He'll be doubled, creating opportunities for his teammates along the defensive line, whose penetration will create turnovers, which will generate more possessions and better field position for Houston's offense. The Texans forced a league-low 16 turnovers last season.

Weaver, who signed to play defensive end but has packed on 15 pounds so he can move inside to "three-technique" tackle full time, should see nothing but single coverage as the closest man to the double team. Jason Babin and Antwan Peek, former 3-4 linebackers who have added 15-20 pounds each for a move back to their natural 4-3 end positions, should benefit on the other side from both the scheme switch and Williams' presence. Tackle Travis Johnson, last year's first-round pick, who also is a better fit in the 4-3, should get lots of one-on-one chances inside too, when he's lined up alongside Williams.

Kubiak says he's told Williams, "Hey just do your job. If you do your job you can make all 10 guys on the defense better."

Cornerback Dunta Robinson says he hoped the Texans would select Williams, knowing the secondary's job would become easier thanks to an improved pass rush. "When we drafted Mario I already felt like I had two interceptions to start the season," Robinson says.

Though the Bush comparisons always will be there. Short of Williams making of 15 sacks as a rookie, second-guessing is inevitable. But Williams says, "I don't have any pressure, I'm not trying to prove myself to anybody."

A lot of Bob McNair's money is in the Texans' defensive line. With the addition of Williams, he should see a handsome return on his investment, especially from Weaver, about whom teammates and defensive coordinator Richard Smith can't stop raving.

2. Look for the Texans to rotate perhaps as many as eight offensive linemen this year, much the way the Broncos rotated guys up front under Kubiak. Seth Wand and Zach Wiegert likely will begin the season as the starting left and right tackles respectively, but Houston is very high on third-round picks Charles Spencer (Pittsburgh) and Eric Winston (Miami) and needs to get its young tackles game experience without throwing them into the fire. Spencer could stand to sweat just a bit, though, as he needs to drop a few pounds off his listed weight of 337 pounds to play in Kubiak's system, which places a premium on mobility in offensive linemen. Kubiak says Wand and Wiegert actually might be better suited to the zone scheme.
Fred Weary, Chester Pitts, and Seth McKinney will all see time at guard flanking center Mike Flanagan.

3. Domanick Davis' lingering knee issues are probably the least of the Texans' worries. Seriously. Would they love to have the two-time 1,000-yard rusher healthy and in the lineup? Absolutely. Can they make do without him if it comes to it? Absolutely.
Remember, we're talking about a system that can produce a 1,000-yard rusher no matter who's doing the blocking and running. And perhaps, right now, the average fan is inclined to ask "Who?" when I bring up names like Chris Taylor and Damien Rhodes, rookie free agents from Indiana and Syracuse, respectively, but rest assured Kubiak and general manager Rick Smith know their names quite well by now. Both have impressed in camp thus far and look like they have a shot to make the squad. Veteran Antowain Smith, '05 third-rounder Vernand Morency (who is slowly learning to cut out the dancing and cut upfield in the one-cut scheme), and Wali Lundy, the rookie out of Virginia drafted in the sixth round, all had their moments this week. One thing is for certain: If Davis misses time, one of the aforementioned running backs will emerge and likely crack triple digits in a game(s) or quadruple digits for the season, if necessary.

Kubiak shares the story of how the Broncos discovered Terrell Davis. The coaches were watching film and noticed how Davis seemed to make every special teams tackle in the first few preseason games. The rest is history. "He went out and made tackles on kickoffs to prove to his team he wanted to play. I think these kids are proving everyday they want to play."

4. With all due respect to Dom Capers, a good man and a good coach, one can't help but notice -- and to a man the players confirm this suspicion -- that the team is simply better coached even though Kubiak and his staff have yet to direct a game. The scheme upgrades on both sides of the ball alone will make the Texans more competitive.
Kubiak seems as prepared as a first-year coach can be for the challenge of teaching a young franchise how to win. Mark my words: He has a chance to be the Nick Saban of this year's class of rookie coaches. Coincidentally, defensive coordinator Richard Smith came to Houston from Miami after last season because the Dolphins hired Capers to coordinate their defense. Smith's attitude and in-your-face intensity are exactly what the Texans' defense needed. The Texans' defense will be a swarming one, Smith will see to it.

"Last year, a guy fumbled the ball, people were like, 'Oh well, it's practice. I won't pick it up,'" Robinson says. "Now you've got guys returning interceptions and throwing blocks. Last year it was catch it, take a couple of steps or jog, and the play was over."

From an X's and O's standpoint, Smith also will be much more creative and attacking with his play calling than predecessor Vic Fangio. Last year, according to Robinson, the Texans' defense was too predictable; usually the call was for a "fire zone" -- a blitz from one side with zone coverage on the other.

5. Two players who appear poised for breakout seasons are wideout Andre Johnson and rookie linebacker DeMeco Ryans.
Johnson, who slipped to 63 catches for 688 yards and just two touchdowns last year after a Pro Bowl season in 2004, won't see as much coverage rolled his way with Moulds opposite him and Jeb Putzier stretching the field down the middle. "There were so many times last year where he caught so many double teams, it was almost to the point where it was irritating," says David Carr. "We'd get out on the field, and it was like, 80's out of the game. Let's do something else."

Apparently Johnson's drops, a problem that has plagued him in the past, are down as well.

"I think it's frustrating to him that he doesn't get mentioned among the best receivers in the league," Moulds says. That stands to change. Soon.

Meanwhile Ryans, the sixth linebacker chosen and the first pick of the second round, out of Alabama, is the talk of camp so far. The local paper speculates that he could be this year's Lofa Tatupu, who last year stepped in and started at middle linebacker for the NFC champion Seahawks.

Kubiak says of Ryans' work ethic and professionalism, "He's like a seven- or eight-year veteran already." Ryans has practiced at all three linebacker positions and will in all likelihood begin the season as the starter at one, possibly in the middle. He certainly has the instincts, the leadership skills, and the sideline-to-sideline ability to play the "Mike," his stated preference.

Just remember: Five of the past six defensive rookies of the year, including the last three, have been linebackers. Maybe Ryans is next in line.

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