The team went 10-6 and broke the playoff barrier emphatically with a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at Reliant Stadium. It’s Kubiak’s third contract since joining the Texans in 2006.

Owner, Bob McNair is secure in his decision to extend the coach and general manager.

“I think they’ve done an outstanding job,” McNair told the Houston Chronicle. “I’m pleased with them, and if that wasn’t the case, we wouldn’t be extending them.

“We’ll start working on that,” McNair said. We’ve just had a lot of other things on our plate. We typically will visit with Gary first and then with Rick. That’s sort of the sequence we go through.”

Extending Kubiak was not always as cut and dry as it is today.

After the Texans 2010 season culminated with a victory over the beaten and battered New England Patriots and the team’s first winning season, head coach, Gary Kubiak and general manager, Rick Smith were rewarded with contract extensions amid much fan disagreement. It showed Bob McNair’s resolve as an owner and his willingness to stick to the plan.

It was not popular at the time. Kubiak had a year remaining on his current deal and many believed the extension was premature. After a disappointing 6-10 season the following year -which was marred by injuries-, many were saying “I told you so.”

After Smith’s influence on the talent base, through the draft and free agency, and Kubiak’s ability to coach them into good players -at least for one year- McNair can say I told you so.

The Texans have been a staple of stability the past seven years.

According to the Houston Chronicle, ” Only Philadelphia’s Andy Reid (1999), New England’s Bill Belichick (2000), Cincinnati’s Marvin Lewis (2003), the New York Giants’ Tom Coughlin (2004) and Chicago’s Lovie Smith (2004) have been with the same team longer than Kubiak.”

What is clear is that Kubiak and Smith have had a major hand in elevating a two-win franchise in 2006 into a legitimate playoff contender. The growth and development has happened before the eyes of all Texan fans. The players believe in their coach and general manager. To some degree, so do the fans.

The measure of the Texan’s will be sustained success. Can they continue at a championship level?

If so, this deal will prove to be a great decision. The Texans have their stability. The architect’s of their success will be in place for the long-term.

But if the team slinks back to its mediocre ways, McNair will be criticized heavily by fans. But if the 2010 deals are any indication, McNair doesn’t care what any of us think.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not questioning King Midas’ logic, for everything Smith does seems to turn to gold.  And I learned my lesson when I questioned then GM Charlie Casserly when the Texans selected Mario Williams.   The Texans’ management has certainly done a great job building long term and long standing success. Certainly they will continue to do so.  So, for the sake of argument we say wide receiver and offensive line are the next areas addressed, who do we pick?

Let me suggest the option of trading up a little to pick Rueben Randle, wide receiver from LSU.  I have previously suggested the same and stick by this thought.  Randle certainly has the size, speed and hands to make it in The League. And he is still available.  So is Stephen Hill, but I look for him to go rather early in the second round and don’t believe he is worth trading up that far to get.  Randle is a familiar sight with many similarities to our own Andre Johnson including the same agent.  With Justin Blackmon, Kendall Wright and Michael Floyd gone Hill and Randle will most certainly be next.  There is certainly a demand for them around the league.

With the loss of 2 offensive line starters, depth here has to be a concern.  The Texans have given the vote of confidence to backups Antoine Caldwell and Rashad Butler but a little competition never hurts.  Only 4 offensive linemen were selected in the first round meaning several highly rated picks are still available.  The first that comes to mind is Kelechi Osemele from Iowa State. Osemele displayed all the tools necessary to compete in the NFL with size, quickness and strength.  The Texans coaching staff has done a tremendous job developing their players on the offensive line and with the tools Osemele has, their job could be even easier.

Regardless of the direction Smith and the Houston Texans’ management decide to go, I am on board.  Another big play wide receiver or offensive line depth would make me happy, but hey Rick Smith hasn’t contacted me yet.

Follow me on Twitter @ericdroddy

However when you consider the draft history of the Texans, Mercilus makes perfect sense and should not be a surprise at all.  Considering the off season loss of previous first round pick Mario Williams to the Buffalo Bills, the Texans certainly did not hurt themselves adding depth to his position.  While Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed had excellent seasons and will only get better, in Wade Phillips 3-4 defense you can never be deep enough at the defensive end/outside linebacker position.

It seems Mercilus may be the steal of the night.  Even though the Illinois only finished 7-6 on the year and were not a good Big Ten team, Mercilus stood out.  In his only year as a starter he led the NCAA with 16 sacks and recorded 9 forced fumbles.  He was voted a unanimous 1st Team All-American and won the Hendricks award for the top defensive end in the nation.  He certainly made the most of his only full year starting.  Phillips was very impressed with Mercilus and the Texans actually discussed trading up to get him.  He had this to say after the pick;

“They say one-year wonder, but you wonder why they didn’t play him the year before is what I wonder,” Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. “He’s a natural pass rusher. He’s got the skills that you look for in pass rushers. He’s a little different than Brooks Reed was last year. He more used to using his hands, and he’s got a speed rush, he’s got a power rush and he’s got a quick inside move.”

Mercilus’ value cannot be understated.  This was a good first round selection for the Texans.  It will be even better if they are able to successfully address their needs at offensive line and wide receiver throughout the remainder of the draft. If GM Rick Smith‘s past success is any indication, the Texans are in good shape.

Matt Kalil of USC and Riley Reiff of Iowa would be great picks for the Texans, but they will most likely be out early.  A good pick here would be David DeCastro, offensive guard from Stanford.  A 3 year starter at Stanford, DeCastro has plenty of experience in a zone, power run oriented offense that would quickly translate with the Texans style of play.  With the loss of Texans starting right guard Mike Brisiel to free agency, DeCastro could certainly push for a starting spot. Projected starter Antoine Caldwell has seen playing time at guard but could be challenged.

Offensive Tackle Jeff Allen of Illinois would be another excellent choice for an offensive line draft pick at number 26.  A four year starter and captain at Illinois speak to his character and ability.  Allen anchored and offensive line that rushed to the Big Ten rushing title while ranking 11th in the nation in run offense.  Chad Reuter of NFL.com had this to say about Allen and his ability

Jeff Allen, OT/OG, Illinois: A rising prospect in NFL circles, Allen was simply difficult to beat on the edge during his four years as a starter at both tackle spots. (He often played both sides in the same game over the past couple of seasons, as the Illini would flip the line based on the play call.) His build (6-3 7/8, 307) is more consistent with that of a guard, and he could transition inside if needed. Duane Brown, who was just one-quarter inch taller and eight pounds heavier than Allen when he was measured at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine, was picked 26th overall by the Texans and has held down the tackle spot for the past four years. Allen has similar potential.

I know that it has been Houston Texans GM Rick Smith and HC Gary Kubiak‘s modus operandi to draft heavy on the defensive side.  They have made excellent 2nd and 3rd round picks in the past to bolster that side of the ball.  I wonder if this year may be the year to take the best available offensive lineman in the first round?  If either DeCastro or Allen are available, I say pick ‘em.  The NCAA world is full of pass happy offenses that feature premier NCAA wide receivers. They may not be NFL ready.  In DeCastro and Allen you have heavy run oriented players from run oriented offenses that could step in immediately and push for a starting spot.  In the end, that is what everyone wants, an immediate starter with a first round pick.

Follow me on Twitter @ericdroddy

The Texans will once again open at home, a luxury that Gary Kubiak admits he is happy to have once again.  “It’s nice to open at home.  It’s a few years in a row that we’ve had the chance to do that” Kubiak said.  The Miami Dolphins have struggled and look to continue that with a huge question mark at the quarterback position.  With a week 2 road game at divisional opponent Jacksonville Jaguars, the Texans should start with a 2-0 record.

The first big test for the Texans will be against the Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning on the road.  With Manning leaving the divisional rival Indianapolis Colts, it looked as if the Texans would finally be rid of their nemesis in Manning.  Not so says the NFL.  Manning and the Broncos looked to be much improved as they were extremely busy this off season with several new acquisitions.  The path to continued success for the Texans certainly gets no easier when they face Tennessee Titans in a divisional contest whom they split with in the 2011 season.

Even as good as the Houston Texans will be with Matt Schaub back at quarterback and returning a strong defense, the next 3 weeks will be very difficult.  What I consider one of the toughest 3 week stretches in the NFL starts with a Monday Night Football contest on the road against Rex Ryan and the New York Jets.  While games at home against the Green Bay Packers and the Baltimore Ravens will be fun for the city of Houston and Texan fans, it could be very rough for the players.  The Packers come to town for a Sunday night prime time contest in a short week for the Texans to prepare following their Monday night game.  The first half of the season ends with a rematch against the Ravens, the team that ultimately ended the Texans playoff run last season.  Thank goodness for a mid season bye week.

But wait, things don’t really get any easier in the second half.  It starts with a home game against the Buffalo Bills, you know, Mario Williams?  Should be interesting to watch the homecoming.  The Texans then face a tough Chicago Bears on the road in Prime Time on Sunday night.  After coming home for a divisional game against the Jaguars, the Texans go on the road for 3 games including their first Thanksgiving contest against the Detroit Lions and another Monday Night Football game against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

The Texans saving grace in all of this is their last 3 games, 2 against divisional opponent Colts and Andrew Luck.  Let’s not forget however, that Luck will have had 10 weeks to settle in to his role as the new man in Indianapolis.  In spite of that, I look for the Texans to win both contests and wrap up the Division once again.  The Texans will be doing very good to finish at 10-6 again this season and could very well end up 8-8 considering several teams on their schedule.  The difference in the playoffs will be a healthy Matt Schaub.  Could this be the season the Texans make it to the Super Bowl?  Time will tell, but make no mistake, their schedule should have them ready to make that run.

First of all, strictly from a statistical standpoint, Wilson has the numbers to back up taking a shot in the draft.  However, with so many pass happy offenses in the college ranks, so do a lot of other QB’s.  One thing that can’t be overlooked though is his 72.1 percent completion rate and a passer rating of 191.8 in his senior year at Wisconsin.  Add to that a TD to interception rate of 8 to 1 at 33 td’s and only 4 int’s you have a guy that stands out.  Want more evidence of his ability, take into account that these numbers occurred in a pro style offense that was dramatically different in scheme and terminology than the West Coast offense he had spent the last 3 years in at North Carolina State.  And he only started learning the offense in July of the upcoming season.  A testament to his intelligence no doubt.

Wilson has also shown to have an NFL caliber arm.  He possesses the arm strength to complete all the throws that NFL scouts look for in workouts.  Wilson’s high, quick release is typical of NFL quarterbacks.  Check out the combine video to see Wilson’s release.  Aside from his ability to throw through passing lanes in the pocket, Wilson’s ability to move the pocket and extend the play is noteworthy.  Athletically, Wilson is a top of the line QB reminiscent of New Orleans Saints’ Drew Brees and Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles.  The biggest knock on him seems to be his height, a whopping one inch shorter than superstar Drew Brees, you know the man who just threw for over 5,000 yards breaking Dan Marino’s single season record.

Then there are the intangibles.  Those qualities of maturity and leadership often talked about by arm chair analysts when breaking down the abilities of professionals.  Well, here again, Wilson gives evidence of what makes an elite QB.  The biggest example is the fact that he was able to successfully transition from one offense to another in such a short amount of time.  Two different styles and systems of offense.  He was a captain when he left NC State and immediately upon starting at Wisconsin was named team captain there as well.  In the midst of all the change and challenges, Wilson had to deal with the death of his father.  He did so with poise and success.

So when I say Russell Wilson deserves comparisons to Drew Brees, it goes well beyond questions of his height.  Wilson possesses many of the same qualities of athleticism, leadership, maturity and passing ability as Brees.  Whoever decides to take a “chance” on this young man will definitely have the last laugh.  Wilson could be as big a steal as Pro Bowl Houston Texans RB Arian Foster.

Follow me on Twitter @ericdroddy

It’s a lot of high-motor guys that’s on this defense, and you can tell they’re very self-motivated. The cohesion is here, and these guys get after it. Just watching film and being in Texas, we got a chance to keep up with each other. Having that 3-4 experience, you just keep up with other [teams] who’s playing the 3-4 and see if we can steal something, because it’s a copy-cat league. They just stuck out all the time. Cush played well. [Danieal] Manning played well. Antonio Smith played well. All these guys. J.J. [Watt] is just – he has a high motor. The two outside ‘backers [Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed]. Coming from Dallas, we had D-Ware [DeMarcus Ware] and [Anthony] Spencer. We have two outside ‘backers that are just relentless. This whole defense, if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do and if you’re not flying around, you will stick out like a sore thumb.-Bradie James

Aside from tallying over 100 tackles in 5 of his 9 seasons (including 200 in 2008 joining Eugene Lockhart as the only other Cowboy to accomplish the feat), James brings other positive intangibles to the Texans.  James was the Cowboys defensive captain for several years while playing for defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, displaying leadership that will only serve to make an already top defense even better.  Furthermore, James handling of his diminished playing time last year under Rob Ryan is more evidence of great character.

“When I was younger, it would have been tougher to really understand what is going on,” said James, who volunteered for special teams work early in the season but wasn’t on any of those units Sunday. “Now, I see. My legacy is helping these younger guys and winning football games. That’s all I care about and that’s what we stress in practice all day long. … “

The Texans have managed to put together a strong team that has stayed away from most off field negativity.  James will be a great a fit for the Texans on the field with his familiarity of Phillips and the 3/4 defense.  His experience and leadership will serve the team perfectly.

The Houston Gamblers haven’t been in town for quite some time and unfortunately, his college eligibility is up, so the University of Houston is out of the question.  Surely he wasn’t talking about fitting in with the Houston Texans? Well, maybe he was.  The good news is, general manager Rick Smith and wwner Bob McNair are much too savvy to make that move.

Granted, Young had an amazing career at Madison High School as a Marlin (the Alma Mater of my own parents by the way). Things got even better for Young on the way to a national championship with the University of Texas.  But his career since then has gone the way of many first-round draft picks before him - unfulfilled potential.  Early on, Young showed signs of fulfilling the hopes that Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams once had for him while earning the Rookie of the Year award in 2006.  Vince followed that season by leading the Tennessee Titans to a Wild Card berth in 2007.  Since that time, injuries have hampered Young’s performance along with some personality conflicts with then-Titans coach Jeff Fisher.  An even more dismal short stint with the Philadelphia Eagles in the absence of Michael Vick makes Young signing soon an even greater stretch of the imagination than his dreams of playing in Houston.

I must say that this take on Young playing for the Texans (or not playing for them actually) has been very tough for me to rant.  I remember watching video of Young playing at Madison High School.  I remember vividly the excitement I had about the National Championship at the University of Texas and what it meant to the future of the team I loved to root for.  And I also remember the heartache I felt when the Texans passed on him in the NFL Draft and selected Mario Williams.  Things seemed to work out for the Texans though.  They have built an organization committed to and set up for continued long-term success.  It is this thought that makes me very confident Vince Young will not be a Houston Texan.  I love you Vince and wish you the best, just not as the starting QB for the Texans.

Follow me on Twitter @ericdroddy

The Texans have little depth at the wide receiver position and are need of another deep threat for Matt Schaub to complement one of the league’s best wide outs Andre Johnson.  Johnson, while maintaining his reputation as one of the best at his position, has been prone to injury.  The Houston Texans offense is much better with him on the field and could certainly use more depth for when he misses again.  Weighing in at around 10 pounds less than Johnson, Randle seems to have many similarities to the 5-time Pro Bowler and Texans all-time leading receiver.  Johnson was also a junior when he was selected in the first round by the Texans.  Additionally, Randle has shown ability to stretch the field running past defenders vertically as well as threatening the middle on crossing routes.  With his size, Randle is able to shield defenders for the jump ball when necessary as well.

Most NFL draft experts agree that Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State., Kendall Wright of Baylor and Stephen Hill of Georgia Tech are the tops of the NFL Draft.  The problem is there are many other teams looking for that big play receiver to complement today’s pass happy style of offensive play in the NFL and these players will most likely be gone.  Selecting Randle in this 26th spot for the Texans will be the best way to fill what they deem as one of their most pressing needs. Randle certainly has all the right answers in this NFL Combine video and showed throughout his career at LSU his ability to back them up.  With the same agent as Johnson, this deal is closer to reality than some may think.

“We’ve talked many, many times about the fact that we build through the draft and we supplement through free agency,” Smith said.  http://blog.houstontexans.com/

This is a win-win situation for both teams involved.  For the Eagles it helps to fill a tremendous need at the inside linebacker position where they were sub-par as a team.  For the Texans, it will once again allow younger players to step up and fill in.  Much like the loss of Mario Williams, Eric Winston and Mike Brisiel will allow.  Fortunately for the Texans, there are players on the roster that have been given past opportunities to show what they can do.  Daryl Sharpton should do well on the inside coupled with Brian Cushing, a proven veteran.  Another positive for the Texans in the trade include opening up salary room for future draft picks.  Although Ryans was the Texans’ all time leading tackler, he has suffered the injury bug with an achilles injury that ended his 2010 season and playing through all of last season with an elbow injury.  Ryans’ playing time had also been reduced in the switch to Wade Phillips‘ 3-4 defense in passing situations.

DeMeco is the epitome of a team captain. A true leader, who'll most definitely be missed. Wishing him nothing but the best. We got this...

March 20, 2012 6:51 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@JJWatt

JJ Watt

Even though the Houston Texans did not go all out to keep Mario Williams and now trade another starter on defense, I see no let down on the defensive side of the ball.  This top NFL defense has plenty of blue collar talent to maintain its 2011 form.  Defensive ends J.J. Watt and Antonio Smith and Outside Linebackers Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed will continue to be a force in Phillip’s defense.  This move, coupled with not re-signing Mario Williams will allow more room for the Texans to pursue the wide receiver position most believe they are making their main target in the NFL Draft.