Although Weary couldn’t hold up the offensive line for the past six years, what Texans offensive lineman can actually said he did? But in all, Weary’s patience and fortitude for the Texans finally paid off as he’ll be hoping to make good ties with new offensive lineman coach/zone blocking guru, Alex Gibbs, for a starting spot going into the 2008 Regular Season.

In September of 2007, Johnson and another man, who is still at large, evaded Dunta’s home, held him at gun point with pistols, duct taped him and then stole jewelry and left. Thankfully, no one was injured during the robbery, but it became just one more robbery of a pro sports player in 2007.

This is one reason why the Houston Texans didn’t draft USC RB Reggie Bush with the first overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft: they can find a comparable third down back in the third round. According to the Texans Offensive Coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, that’s just what they did this year when they drafted West Virginia RB Steve Slaton with their second pick in the third round.

“I think he’s got a chance to be a special-type player,” said Shanahan. “You look at guys around the league like Kevin Faulk, a guy like Reggie Bush, guys who come in and fill a specific role on third downs. If you look at the top offenses in the league, they all have a player like that. I think this guy fits that role for us.”

For three seasons at West Virginia, Slaton totaled 3,932 rushing yards and set a school record for 50 rushing touchdowns.  With that, 2006 was Slaton’s best season before a not-so-downer season in 2007.  And now, in the pros, Slaton wants out of the comparisons for his chance to prove himself on the NFL level.

“Hopefully I can get my foot in the door (and) I can make my own comparisons and just be Steve Slaton,” he said on a conference call.

For Kyle Shanahan, he thinks Slaton will fit right in along with Houston RBs Ahman Green and Chris Brown.

“We have two guys right now we think can carry the load, but this guy fits a role for us,” Shanahan said. “He’s got the size and the quickness and the mentality to do the things we’re going to ask.”

It sounds like the Texans are building up for another exciting year. It looks like they’ll be preparing to play Slaton on third down rushing situations, in the backfield as a receiver, or in the slot as a dual threat receiving running back. Can you imagine a healthy Jacoby Jones and Steve Slaton in practice putting finishing touches on fakes, reverses and more? I just can’t wait.

1) ILB Ben Moffitt, South Florida: Moffitt played well inside for South Florida while making highlight plays look easy. He was instinctive with the movement and abilities to make stops after reading plays. He tackled well, but he lacked the quickness of direction that most inside linebackers need in the NFL. At South Florida, he was once recognized for his character. Moffitt was a faith-filled man and a married father of five years before his marriage fell apart and his wife filed for divorce early this year. At USF, he travelled nearly 60 miles a day from school to his family while having his wife complete his essays and online courses. Now, school’s out and he’s out of the cheating scandal at USF. So it’s up to him to make an impact for the Texans if he can keep his head straight and stick to playing football.

2) WR Ryan Grice-Mullins, Hawaii: This slot receiver let down Hawaii fans when he declared for the draft after his junior season. Grice-Mullins led the Warriors in receiving in 2007 with 1,372 yards. Check out his highlights here. Generally, Hawaii players that enter the draft have little experience against high level competition, but after researching Grice-Mullins I have a feeling he’ll make the practice team and the Texans’ game day squad sometime in 2008. The FootballExpert.com held him as a middle round pick, and as I see it, the Texans got lucky picking up a talent like Grice-Mullins after the draft.

3) WLB Marcus Richardson, Troy State. At Troy’s Pro Day, Richardson ran the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds and measured a 36-inch vertical jump, a 9′10″ broad jump while benching 225-pounds 22 times. At 6′3″ and 225lbs, this athletic linebacker seemed to be a sure-fire seventh round draft pick, and it looks again like the Texans got lucky picking up a talent after the draft who can better the team.

4) TE Cole Bennett, Auburn. The Auburner reported in 2006 that Bennett graduated early and was looking forward to graduate school to start his Masters in MIS. Here’s a video of Bennett talking about his upcoming opponent, South Florida. Bennett broke his ankle in 2006 after playing three games, but he returned in his senior season as a full time starter totaling 11 receptions and 108 receiving yards. SI reported that Bennett is a high-character prospect that plays with intelligence. He can fit in on a roster with three tight ends.

5) CB Josh Bell, Baylor. 6′ & 170lbs. Bell was invited and attended the Dallas Cowboys’ annual Dallas Day on April 11. Bell was one of three Baylor Bears to sign pro contracts after the draft. According to KWTX.com, Bell earned Baylor’s best defensive skill player award for his performance as a senior in 2007.

6) WR Darnell Jenkins, Miami. At the U, Jenkins filled the roles of Roscoe Parrish and Sinorice Moss. CSTV reported that his speed and good hands earned him a spot in the wide receiver rotation as a true freshman where he then gained experience as a possession receiver and also as a kick returner. Here’s a YouTube highlight video of Jenkins’ at Miami making spectacular catches and burning corners and defenses.

7) DE Jesse Nading, Colorado State. Nading had a great senior season for Colorado State. His college career was capped off with an invitation to the East-West Shrine Game. At the game, Nading, according to NFLDraftWatch.com, was “very active. He found his way to the ball a lot and made a few nice tackles. One of the better showings on the West defense.” Nading had a much better and bigger game than the highly athletic TCU DE Tommy Blake, who went undrafted as well.

DT Gabe Long, Utah. In college he was best suited to play nose tackle although he played defensive end. Prior to joining the Utes, he played Junior College football at Fullerton College before verbally committing to USC. He couldn’t play for the Trojans though for academic reasons (check out this Scout.com Interview with Long on the topic). Here’s a video of him playing for Utah making a sack and a forced fumble.

Picks: OT Duane Brown, CB Antwaun Molden, RB Steve Slaton, LB Xavier Adibi, DT Frank Okam, S Dominique Barber, QB Alex Brink
Positives: Brown, Slaton and Okam
Negatives: Molden
Bottom line: B. Give Houston a lot of credit for maneuvering around the draft, particularly after a mid-first round run on offensive linemen left the Texans without great choices at the No. 18 spot. They slid back to get Brown at No. 26, nabbing a need player at a better value spot. You also have to love the speed of Slaton, who can change a game in a hurry. However, Molden is too raw and the downside of Slaton is that he doesn’t like contact, making him a predictable runner. Okam, a former defensive tackle, is likely to shift to guard, a clever move by teams that realize that non-athletic DTs can make for cheap, athletic G’s.

TRADE:

The Texans’ first pick of the draft was put on hold after the Texans made a trade with the Baltimore Ravens. The Texans traded their 18^th overall pick for the Ravens’ 26^th, 89^th (3^rd round) and 173^rd (6^th round) overall picks. The trade ended the Texans chances to draft CBs Aqib Talib and Mike Jenkins, OTs Sam Baker and Jeff Otah, or RBs Rashard Mendenhall, Felix Jones and Chris Johnson. Although they passed on these talents, GM Rick Smith said on the Texans’ pick 18 for Baltimore’s picks 26, 89, and 173: “As a young football team trying to build, anytime you can move back and acquire draft picks … we felt great about that.” Plus, the Texans made out pretty well with their picks…

LT Duane Brown – 6′5″ & 308lbs. Virginia Tech – r-Sr.

The beast of an offensive tackle, Brown, transitioned from tight end to right tackle before moving to left tackle last season in Virginia Tech’s zone blocking system. He made special teams tackles, blocked a kick and protected the quarterback’s blindside well at Va. Tech. Now, Brown brings his athleticism and quick feet to the Texans’ zone blocking scheme with plans to help the run and pass game flourish.

“It is the ultimate challenge across the line,” Brown said on a conference call. “You have the number one job and that’s keeping the quarterback’s blind side clean. I feel like I have the ability to play that position and I’m going to work hard to learn the offense and polish up my technique and try to contribute very early.”

HC Gary Kubiak said on acquiring Brown, “I think this kid is an automatic fit for what we want to do running the ball.” After seeing him at the combine, Kubiak fell in love with what Brown could bring to the Texans. Kubiak said, “We like his length. We like his upside. We love his athletic ability.”

Smith and Kubiak have done good things for the Texans, and hopefully they’re right on with Brown at the left tackle position.

ROUND 2

No pick.

ROUND 3

CB Antwaun Molden – 6′2″ & 195lbs. Eastern Kentucky University – Sr.

Molden, an underrated cornerback/track star prospect out of Eastern Kentucky University, had an impressive combine and Texas all-star game while showing scouts his NFL-like instincts, his abilities to jam receivers at the line or backpedal and transition well into coverage with the recovery speed to keep up in the NFL when he gets beat. In this YouTube video from DraftGuys TV, Molden displays NFL-ready athleticism and technique, and then he’s interviewed about topics such as his high school coach, Ted Ginn Sr, and his music of choice.

Pick 89 (from Jacksonville through Baltimore):

RB Steve Slaton – 5′9″ & 197lbs. West Virginia University – Jr.

This Mountaineer may be short, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be a dud in the NFL, especially when he’ll have to prove himself for playing time behind Houston’s four backs in front of him (A. Green, C. Brown, C. Taylor, & D. Walker). Slaton can catch as a receiver and in the backfield while being able to run through arm tackles. His quickness and agility as a running back excelled Rich Rodriguez’ spread WV system with QB Pat White, and made him a Heisman canidadte hopeful going into his junior season. Here’s a video of Slaton’s top college plays. The knocks on Slaton that caused him to fall to the third round are his ease to be tackled and his durability and injury issues.

ROUND 4

Pick 118:

WLB Xavier Adibi – 6′1″ & 232lbs. Virginia Tech – r-Sr.

Abidi impressed NFL scouts and coaches during his college career at Va. Tech and later at the Senior Bowl with his ability to close in on tackles with good speed for his size. For the Texans, Abidi will play best in the their 4-3 system at the weak side linebacker position. For the Hoakies, he played well in coverage and while shedding single blocks, but Abidi will have to work on his ability to shed NFL blocks and double teams. So he’ll probably have to gain weight, which may slow him down. A memorable career came for Abidi came in the ACC Title game when he picked off a Matt Ryan pass for a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown with 11 seconds left in the game finalizing the score Virginia Tech 30, Boston College 16.

ROUND 5

Pick 151:

DT Frank Okam – 6′5″ & 347lbs. University of Texas – Sr.

Okam, as seen in this DraftGuys TV video, has the body size, strength and athleticism to be a big time defensive tackle in the NFL. There were many times at Texas when Okam could take on two offensive linemen at a time and still dominate, but at times he showed too many inconsistencies against lesser talented blockers that dropped him to a fifth round draft pick. This could be because he has never been NFL-DT-fast off the line of scrimmage, and that’s something he can work on with the Texans’ defensive linemen coaches. His biggest knocks come from his inconsistent effort on every down. But that doesn’t take away from his dominating sophomore season at Texas.

ROUND 6

Pick 173 (from Baltimore):

S Dominique Barber – 6′0″ & 210lbs. University of Minnesota – Sr.

Barber is a talented free safety with one big knock: speed. His 40 yard dash was clocked at 4.70 seconds, but that doesn’t take away from his senior season for the Gophers: 12 games played with 100 tackles and 8 pass break ups. He’s the younger brother of Cowboys RB Marion Barber III, and the son of Marion Jr, a former NFL and All-Big Ten running back of the Minnesota Gophers. He’s good for the Texans because he can make special teams plays and has the bloodlines to prove himself better and better in the NFL (like his brother). Although he was an inconsistent tackler, he’s football smart and can read the quarterback’s eyes while staying aware of the field.

ROUND 7

Pick 223:

QB Alex Brink – 6′2″ & 215lbs. Washington State University – r-Sr.

You have to see this Brink’s arm in this KXLY video of his 38 pass completions for 469 yards and five touchdowns in the WSU 45-17 win over San Diego. He only threw seven incompletions and broke Drew Bledsoe’s record of 37 pass completions from 1992. At Washington State, Brink also broke other WSU school records as he threw for 10,913 yards and 76 touchdowns. On the downside, Brink is undersized for a typical NFL QB. He also did not play well against higher ranked competition as seen in this KXLY video when he threw for 251 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in a 53-7 loss against the Oregon Ducks in his hometown of Eugene.

*HC Gary Kubiak on passing up a chance to trade down again from 26: “I actually heard the phone ring with about a minute left in Seattle’s pick and I screamed down, ‘Don’t answer it.”

*HC Gary Kubiak on drafting first round pick Duane Brown: “There were some very good offensive linemen in this draft … (but) we have really been in love with this kid for a long time. He fits what we want to do.”

*First round pick Duane Brown’s comments on playing for Zone Blocking Guru Alex Gibbs: “I’m very interested and excited about the chance to work with him,” Brown said. “I know he’s a great coach and he did wonders with the Broncos line and is looking for guys who are my type to help the lineup and I am going to do everything I can to help them.”

*Third round pick Steve Slaton on himself reported from, the unofficial site, SteveSlaton.org: “I have great speed and field vision. I’m also really strong. I love playing RB and I’ve been playing it my whole life. I have the speed, elusiveness and strength. I’d like to run over linemen more and be a more powerful runner.”

*Yahoo Sports reported from the Senior Bowl on fourth round pick WLB Xavier Abidi: “Sick speed and athleticism.”

*In high school preparatory, sixth round pick S Dominique Barber lettered two years playing hockey.

GM Rick Smith and HC Gary Kubiak will be on the clock this weekend with the 18th overall pick of the 2008 NFL Draft. The Texans have four more selections thereafter (Rounds 3, 4, 5, & 7) while heading into this year’s draft with a much deeper team than they had last year. The Texans needs are wide spread, but with five picks this weekend, the Texans should be looking to add a talented cornerback, an offensive tackle and guard, a pass rushing defensive end, and a running back or playmaking receiver.

CB

OT

Gary Kubiak said it best about left tackles, “(t)hey’re a special breed…that is a must position in this league.” Historically, the Texans haven’t had a “special” left tackle since the day of their inception. They’ve dealt with loss and folly while never quite finding the offensive tackle to save their franchise…or quarterback. This draft will have four tackles who can make a difference for the Texans in 2008, but one’s already off the board with Miami agreeing with LT Jake Long as the number one pick in the draft. There’s a rare chance Boise States’ Ryan Clady, Pittsburgh’s Jeff Otah or Vanderbilt’s Chris Williams will be there before 18. USC OT Sam Baker or even Kansas LT Anthony Collins, Nebraska’s OT Carl Nicks might be a stretch but I can see Collins and Nicks developing into good offensive tackles in the NFL. Beyond them the Texans should look at tackles and guards in the third, fourth or fifth round that will fit into new assistant coach Alex Gibbs’ zone blocking system. If the Texans select a corner in Round 1 then I’d hope for 6′8″ 308lbs. LT Thaddeus Coleman out of Mississippi State falls to Kubiak. The guy might not be Kubiak or Gibbs desired mold of a zone blocking left tackle, but there’s no doubt that if this guy pans out he’ll be great in any offensive system and definitely a premier NFL left tackle.

RB

The Texans have four running backs on their roster right now after dismissing Ron Dayne from his services, signing Chris Brown, re-signing Darius Walker and Chris Taylor. Here’s a video of what Chris Brown did in his sophomore year at Colorado against Nebraska so many injuries ago, but in Gibbs’ created zone blocking system. The re-signing of Darius Walker brings back our latest rusher who began blazing the field against opponents before the season ended. Chris Taylor’s re-signing brings back a good back that was impressive at the end of 2006 and has recovered from knee surgery stinting from a knee injury early in 2007. Then of course, the starter Ahman Green will be ready to roll as he’s healthy and presumably in shape for the season ahead. Four running backs that could take the field on any given day. Expect Kubiak to suit two to three on game day like he did last season, especially if their injuries start amounting with three out of four backs that have had NFL related surgeries in 2008. Thus, the Houston media is calling for a young back. I’d expect Arkansas RB Darren McFadden gone in the top 10 overall picks and that may leave one of Oregon’s Jonathan Stewart or Illinois’ Rashard Mendenhall. If they’re gone then the best backs available for the first round are the speedy Texas RB Jamaal Charles or Eastern Carolina RB Chris Johnson. Arkansas RB Felix Jones might not be worth the 18^th overall pick. If the Texans don’t go running back in the first round, then I expect them to draft one in their last two rounds. Houston RB Anthony Aldridge could be a late round pick that could help the Texans with his blazing speed. HC Gary Kubiak has had a history of drafting good backs in the later rounds and getting great productivity out of them. Later round probables are Toledo RB Jalen Parmele or Mississippi RB Benjarvus Green-Ellis. If not late or too early, then Central Florida RB Kevin Smith, West Virginia RB Steve Slaton, Michigan RB Mike Hart, Oklahoma RB Allen Patrick or Oklahoma State RB Dantrell Savage might be available in the third round for the Texans.

OG

The Houston Texans may most likely draft an offensive guard in the first round if Virginia OG Branden Albert is available. If not, I can see the Texans spending a day two pick on a guard to add depth to their offensive line. The drafted guard would also be a noticeably physical fit into Gibbs’ zone system. As of now, the Texans have LG Chester Pitts and RG Mike Brisiel and G Kasey Studdard while the Texans have yet to call back RG Fred Weary for another stint with the team. On April 22, Lance Zierlein posted some great values in the draft. He wrote this on one guard who’s moving up on the draft boards:

“OG: Chad Rinehart - Northern Iowa: Rinehart played tackle in college but will move to guard in the pros. While his teammate, OT Brandon Keith is getting plenty of attention, Rinehart is a steady player with long arms and good explosion at the point of attack.

Expected to be drafted in…. 4th/5th Round”

DE

If the Houston Texans select a cornerback or offensive lineman on the first day of the draft, then they’ll be looking at undersized defensive ends on day two. The Texans should be looking to add depth behind LE Anthony Weaver with a better-on-the-field pass rushing DE who can take the spot light that Weaver seems to not want. NFLDraftCountdown.com put out a good ranking list of defensive ends in this year’s draft, and it looks to me that the top 14 DEs will be gone by the Texans third round selection. Everyone below 14 are undersized and may not make the impact desired from the drafting team. I do like Tommy Blake’s college play, but there are definite questions to his NFL potential and motivation. The Texans right now would start RE Mario Williams and LE Weaver with RE Earl Cochran and LE N.D. Kalu as depth. Look for the Texans to find a jewel in the rough on day two as they’ve done before (i.e. TE Owen Daniels).

Now its just time to see what picks 18, 79, 118, 151 and 223 brings the Texans…