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Crystal Ball - TEXANS MAKE BIG MISTAKE PASSING ON BUSH

Houston, you will have a problem...
Posted On: 5/5/06
Written By:  
Dev Panchwagh
TEXANS MAKE BIG MISTAKE PASSING ON BUSH
Houston may never admit that they passed on Reggie Bush due to the off the field allegations that were made against him, but that issue certainly played a large part in why the Texans ultimately passed on the “do everything” offensive dynamo from USC. In addition, Texans’ owner Bob McNair boldly stated before the draft that he wanted to avoid any potential holdout involving whoever they drafted with the first pick. Clearly, Bush’s representatives gave Houston a hard time during the negotiation process while Williams’ side was more agreeable.
 
Those reasons aside, the Texans may have made the biggest blunder in draft history by passing on Reggie Bush. It is obviously hard to guarantee that any player will live up to his draft status, but in the case of Bush, he seems to be the real deal. He is the most versatile offensive player to come through the draft since Gale Sayers did in 1965. Given that Bush is a once in a lifetime weapon capable of lining up anywhere on offense and is an equally deadly return man, it is hard to justify how the Texans could have passed on him. Aside from the impact that Bush could have made on the field for the Texans, his potential financial impact is no less compelling for a team like the Texans that has a fan base in need of a boost.
 
If Bush flunks out of the NFL, no one would blame the general manager who pulled the trigger and took him with the first pick of the draft. He is the type of athlete that cannot be passed up because there is so little chance that he will not succeed…
 
The Ravens grabbed a receiver in the fourth-round who could emerge as the perfect complementary piece to wideouts Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton. Demetrius Williams is a lanky, tall playmaker who can stretch the field. At Oregon, Williams played at a dominant level during his senior campaign. He snagged 59 balls and averaged 17.9 yards per catch.  In the Ravens’ scheme, Williams may have what it takes to line up on the outside on third-down, allowing Mark Clayton to move inside in the slot position (Clayton could be an asset as a slot receiver). Although Williams clocked in at a 4.5 speed in the 40, he displays better speed on the field. In fact, he is more adept at gaining separation away from a cornerback than Mason and Clayton are.
 
By all accounts, Williams should have been selected in the second-round of the draft. It did not take much time for the Ravens to claim him off the board once they went on the clock…
 
Overall, the other AFC North teams appeared to do a nice job of solidifying their areas of need through the draft. The reigning Super Bowl champions secured holes at safety and receiver by acquiring Santonio Holmes (Ohio State) and Anthony Smith (Syracuse). Holmes is a true Steelers style receiver. He is tough, physical, does a nice job of blocking and can occasionally make big catches down the field. Smith may not be the most athletically gifted player, but he does a nice job of using his technique and knowledge to make the plays that he is supposed to make. Smith is rarely out of position, and is not easily influenced by misdirection or play-action fakes. The Steelers also made a couple of sound selections in the later rounds, grabbing Orien Harris and Omar Jacobs.
 
Cincinnati primarily addressed defense with their picks, which is not a surprise. They used four of their first five picks on a cornerback, defensive end, defensive tackle and outside linebacker. Of that group, A.J. Nicholson (Florida State) could be the biggest surprise. Nicholson is a versatile linebacker who can line up at either outside post. He has the quickness and ball skills to be solid in coverage situations, and the aggressiveness and physical instincts to attack the line-of-scrimmage. In time, he could team up with Odell Thurman and David Pollack to form an athletic trio of backers.
 
The Browns made sure to address the linebacker position by drafting Kamerion Wimbley and D’Qwell Jackson with their first and second-round picks. Both are fine prospects. Wimbley seems to be a perfect fit on the outside in the 3-4 scheme, because he has the right combination of size, strength and speed to play the position. Jackson is an undersized player but he has the instincts and toughness needed to succeed at either inside spot, so long as the other inside linebacker who lines up next to him is able to free him up. Cleveland’s best pick may have been the selection of Babatunde Oshinowo (Stanford). Oshinowo was among the sleeper defensive tackle prospects that were available after the third-round. He has the quickness to penetrate into the backfield, but also does a nice job of taking on and fighting through double teams.
 
If I had to grade out each team, I would give Pittsburgh an A, Cincinnati a C and Cleveland a B.

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Posted On: 5/5/06
Written By:  
Dev Panchwagh

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