2014 NFL Draft Grades: AFC South

The Indianapolis Colts ran away with the 2013 AFC South title, but the free fall of the Houston Texans from two time division champ to 14 game losing streak was painful to watch. The Texans got the prize of the 1st Overall Selection of the 2014 draft, and they grabbed the biggest prize on the board. Houston Texans: A Best Pick: Jadeveon Clowney Late Round Sleeper: Tom Savage Clowney is a supreme talent, and with everyone questioning his motivation I see him playing with a huge chip on his shoulder. At least until he signs his second contract. But the Texans hit all the high notes with their picks at the Top of the draft. Xavier Su'a-Filo will be an anchor on the interior of the offensive line. C.J. Fiedorowicz is a big target but he excels as a run blocker. One of the biggest steals of the draft was Louis Nix falling into the middle of the third round. Many thought the Texans would select a quarterback early, but getting Tom Savage on Day 3 could be their long term solution to a shaky quarterback problem. Indianapolis Colts: C Best Pick: Donte Moncrief Late Round Sleeper: Ulrick John The Colts did not have a first round pick, as theirs was traded to Cleveland for Trent Richardson. The success of this draft class will be tied in to how well Richardson performs for the Clots. They can only hope it will be better than last year. Jack Mewhort is a tough-minded offensive lineman who could move inside for the Colts. Donte Moncrief could be a long term replacement to Reggie Wayne. Late round sleeper Ulrick John could also find some playing time on the offensive line. Jacksonville Jaguars: A+ Best Pick: Blake Bortles Late Round Sleeper: Storm Johnson The Jaguars hit the jackpot in the 2014 NFL Draft. They got their franchise quarterback in Blake Bortles. They got two excellent receivers to replace Justin Blackmon when they selected Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson in Round 2. They beefed up the offensive line with the picks of Brandon Linder and Luke Bowanko. The secondary got two talented prospects in Aaron Colvin and Telvin Smith, and the defense got a pass rusher in Chris Smith. The Jaguars final pick in the draft was Bortles teammate at Central Florida, Storm Johnson. Johnson could get a lot of reps in the backfield with the departure of Maurice Jones-Drew. Tennessee Titans: B Best Pick: Bishop Sankey Late Round Sleeper: Zach Mettenberger The Titans stuck to their Best Player Available philosophy and selected Taylor Lewan in Round 1. The Titans offensive line is deep but Lewan is too talented to have sit on the sidelines, and pairing him up with last years first rounder Chance Warmack will go a long way to aiding the development of Jake Locker. Second round pick Sankey looks to replace Chris Johnson in the starting backfield. DaQuan Jones will add depth to the defensive line. Getting Mettenberger late in the draft could be a top sleeper pick if Locker continues to struggle.

TMG DraftZone Final 2014 Mock Draft

It's Draft Day. Finally. Now it is time to get the last mock drafts out there for all to see and for draftniks like myself to put out money where our keyboards are. I have Jadeveon Clowney going #1 Overall to Houston, and I have to laugh when I hear the big reason why the Texans will not pick him. He doesn't fit their 3-4 defensive scheme. Give me a break. When you have a player with that much talent, you change your scheme to fit Clowney. It's as simple as that, and I cannot believe that a Defensive Coordinator like Romeo Crennel can't change his ways find the best fit for Clowney on his defense. Can you imagine a Texans 4-3 defense, with Clowney on the right side and J.J. Watt on the left. Teams might be able to get away with double teaming just one, but I don't see that happening for long. So you have to put two blockers on the star pass rushers. A tight end on one, and a running back to get a chip block on the other. Do the math. How many receivers does that leave? Three. That's it. Houston would be able to bring a blitzer on every play and still have double coverage in the secondary. If I were a Texans fan, I'd take those odds every play. But I think back to two examples in the 80's that tell me the shortsighted would pass on Clowney now, and those with vision would take him and change their scheme to fit his abilities. In 1983, when the Miami Dolphins selected Dan marino, Paul Zimmerman was famously caught on the draft coverage making the comment 'Who is going to coach him?' Then Chris Berman came back with the correct response-Don Shula is a pretty good coach. Shula admitted later in making a mistake with Marino. The mistake was that he did not start him right away. Up until then, the Dolphins under Don Shula were what we now call a Ground and Pound team. Run the ball, then run it some more. In Marino's second season, the Dolphins threw the ball on 76% of their plays, and Marino set records for passing yards and touchdowns while leading Miami to the Super Bowl. Shula had the vision to change his scheme to fit his quarterback, and Miami enjoyed success for the next decade with a hall of Fame Quarterback leading the way. The next year, an example of shortsightedness came into play in the NBA. Everyone knows the story of Portland passing on Michael Jordan and selecting Sam Bowie. But before the draft, a conversation between Bob Knight and a member of the Blazers front office was recounted in John Feinstein's book A Season on the Brink. Knight was coaching the US Olympic Team, and Jordan was the star of the team. He was asked by a friend who worked for Portland about Jordan. Knight told him to take Jordan. The reply was 'we already have Clyde Drexler, and we need a center.' Knight told him 'Play Jordan at center. No one can stop him.' The rest of the story is what can happen when you draft to fit your scheme and pass on the once in a generation talent like Jadeveon Clowney. So here is the Final TMG DraftZone Mock Draft for 2014. I have these picked posted on NFL.com under the entry sycamore88. I'd like to see just how I am going to do against everyone else, but with this draft year you just never know. 1) Houston Jadeveon Clowney 2) St. Louis Jake Matthews 3) Jacksonville Khalil Mack 4) Cleveland Sammy Watkins 5) Oakland Blake Bortles 6) Atlanta Greg Robinson 7) Tampa Bay Mike Evans 8) Minnesota Johnny Manziel 9) Buffalo Eric Ebron 10) Detroit Darqueze Dennard 11) Tennessee Anthony Barr 12) NY Giants Taylor Lewan 13) St. Louis Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 14) Chicago Aaron Donald 15) Pittsburgh Calvin Pryor 16) Dallas Tim Jernigan 17) Baltimore C.J. Mosley 18) NY Jets Marqise Lee 19) Miami Zack Martin 20) Arizona Ryan Shazier 21) Green Bay Justin Gilbert 22) Philadelphia Brandin Cooks 23) Kansas City Odell Beckham 24) Cincinnati Kyle Fuller 25) San Diego Jason Verrett 26) Cleveland Teddy Bridgewater 27) New Orleans Kony Ealy 28) Carolina Morgan Moses 29) New England Ra'Shade Hageman 30) San Francisco Bradley Roby 31) Denver Xavier Su'a-Filo 32) Seattle David Yankey I have St. Louis taking Jake Matthews at #2, but I could have very well put Greg Robinson there. And even though reports earlier in the week said the Raiders would not take Blake Bortles of Johnny Manziel at #5, I can still see them taking the big signal caller from Central Florida who can give them their version of Ben Roethlisberger. I see Minnesota taking Manziel at #8 because new head coach Mike Zimmer has seen first hand what an average, vanilla quarterback can do after watching Andy Dalton the last three seasons in Cincinnati. Don't forget that the Vikings are moving into a new stadium in a couple of seasons. Just think what a quarterback like Manziel can do to energize the fan base in Minnesota. It's four hours until the start of Round 1 of the 2014 NFL Draft. Let's get it's going. It has been a long draft season.

TMG DraftZone 2014 NFL Mock Draft 2.0

When the 2014 NFL Draft season started, all the talk was 'Which quarterback will the Houston Texans take at #1 Overall?' Now it has become 'Which team is going to take a chance on a quarterback in the 1st Round?' But it makes me wonder just how certain a quarterback going first would be if it were not for the presence of Jadaveon Clowney at the top of everyone's draft boards. Clowney has moved to the top of my mock draft, even though I have touted Teddy Bridgewater since Day 1 to be that top pick. But it is beginning to look like Bridgewater will be the quarterback who drops the most this year. My last post was Trades To Be Made. If Bridgewater gets past Minnesota at #8, I wonder which team that passed on a quarterback at the top will make the trade to move up and get the one time potential top pick. In my mock draft, in regards to the teams looking to take a quarterback, I have Clowney going #1 to Houston, Blake Bortles #3 to Jacksonville, Sammy Watkins #4 to Cleveland, Jake Matthews #5 to Oakland, Mike Evans #7 to Tampa Bay, and Johnny Manziel #8 to Minnesota. From there it is a free fall down to Cleveland again at #26 to find a team looking to draft a quarterback. Arizona may be looking to find a future replacement for Carson Palmer, and the same for the Cincinnati Bengals with Andy Dalton, but if they take a quarterback I see it happening in Round 2, depending on the availability of A.J. McCarron, Zack Mettenberger, Derek Carr and Aaron Murray. So let's say that Bridgewater falls to the 20's on draft night. You are the Houston Texans. You just picked up Jadaveon Clowney. Now the quarterback you have taken a long look at is there for the taking, but you have to move up to the #21 to #25 positions to get him. What do you offer? You have the first pick in each round the rest of the way. #33 Overall would yield a very good player. Perhaps throw in your 4th and 5th Rounders as well. That might be pretty tempting. Or your 2nd Rounder this year and your #1 next year. A price to pay, but if the Texans make the playoffs that pick will be no sooner than #21 in 2015, and you keep the rest of your picks this year in a very deep class. Now you need a trading partner. Take a look at Kansas City. Andy Reid has a history of draft trades. And for now I have the Chiefs taking Xavier Su'a-Filo to shore up their offensive line. I have previously had KC taking a receiver at #23. In either case, they might be able to get a top player at either position at #33, and you can pick up an additional #1 next year. I can see the deal happening, but if Cleveland finds out and they want Bridgewater, there is going to be a very lucky team in that 21-25 range that will reap the reward of a draft day bidding war. Of course it could be that Bridgewater goes in the Top 8, but there are starting to be too many questions about him to make me think that will happen. But until the trades start to roll in, I'm going to put up my mock draft for where teams are drafting now, and who I think they will select. So here is the TMG DraftZone 2014 NFL Mock Draft 2.0: 1) Houston Jadaveon Clowney 2) St. Louis Greg Robinson 3) Jacksonville Blake Bortles 4) Cleveland Sammy Watkins 5) Oakland Jake Matthews 6) Atlanta Khalil Mack 7) Tampa Bay Mike Evans 8) Minnesota Johnny Manziel 9) Buffalo Eric Ebron 10) Detroit Justin Gilbert 11) Tennessee Anthony Barr 12) NY Giants Zach Martin 13) St. Louis Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix 14) Chicago Tim Jernigan 15) Pittsburgh Calvin Pryor 16) Dallas Aaron Donald 17) Baltimore C.J. Mosley 18) NY Jets Marqise Lee 19) Miami Taylor Lewan 20) Arizona Cyrus Kouandjio 21) Green Bay Darqueze Dennard 22) Philadelphia Brandin Cooks 23) Kansas City Xavier Su'a-Filo 24) Cincinnati Ryan Shazier 25) San Diego Louis Nix 26) Cleveland Teddy Bridgewater 27) New Orleans Dee Ford 28) Carolina Allen Robinson 29) New England Kyle Fuller 30) San Francisco Kelvin Benjamin 31) Denver Bradley Roby 32) Seattle David Yankey If the schedule was not changed, the first day of the NFL Draft would be in 12 days. But we get an extra two weeks to analyze who will be going where, and the moves teams are making to get the players they want. The Houston Texans are on the clock. I can't wait for May 8th to see Commissioner Goddell to walk to the podium. It's going to be a great draft for the NFL in 2014.

Mock Draft Mode

The TMG Draft Zone had to take a break as I have been in the process of moving, and finding the time to write has been a bit on the difficult side lately. But now that I have just about everything in place once again, and with a week before the Super Bowl, it is just about time to get back into Mock Draft Mode here in the Draft Zone. As you all know, I do not put out my first mock draft until after the Super Bowl. I believe in getting the draft order set (unless there is a coin flip to determine a spot in the order) before trying to figure out who will be going where come draft time. But publishing mock drafts is now a year round business, and they have been coming fast and furious lately. The latest one I read has caused me to want to reveal who is going to be at the top of my first mock draft, and he will be at the top of all the mocks I put forth unless the Houston Texans go out and pick up a quarterback somewhere. I have seen Johnny Manziel listed at #1, along with Jadaveon Clowney, and just today I looked at a mock draft that had Blake Bortles going first overall. Houston needs a quarterback, and I will put Teddy Bridgewater in the top spot until the Texans make a deal to get a new signal caller in this off season, if they do at all. I have lived in the Louisville area the last 6 years, but that is not the reason I am putting Bridgewater at the top. He is by far the most pro ready quarterback with the fewest question marks going in to the draft, and he will be the best of the group down the road. I listened to a number of Louisville games on the radio, and I cannot tell you the number of times I heard the announcers complain that the Cardinals were running a boring offense. It was the type of offense where the quarterback took snaps from under center, handed the ball off to the running backs, ran play action passes, passed the ball from the pocket, where he used his mobility to makes plays outside the pocket in space to find an open receiver, and could run for first downs when no one was open. Does this sound familiar? It should. It is called a PRO OFFENSE. Bridgewater is not going to need to be schooled in how the pros run their offenses when he gets to the NFL. He has been running that system already. His accuracy from the pocket and on the move is tremendous. Can he make plays in the open field? Take a look at the last two plays against Cincinnati this year. He scrambled out and got a first down running backwards, then threw a touchdown pass from more than 30 yards as he was being pulled down to the ground to win the game. Some will say he played against inferior competition in conference play? Take a look at what he did against Florida in the Sugar Bowl and Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Others will point out that he is slight of frame. I'm sure that he is already on a training regiment that will get him more muscle, and no one should question his toughness after playing with a broken wrist in 2012 to clinch the Big East title and a BCS Bowl bid. But what I am looking to see out of Bridgewater at the NFL Scouting Combine is what he scores on the Wonderlic test. People I have talked to in Louisville who know Bridgewater say that he is one of the smartest, most intelligent people they have met. He graduated in 2 1/2 years while playing football, and his athletic ability on the field might even be surpassed by his intelligence level off the gridiron. There have been a number of quarterbacks taken high in the draft who failed miserably in the NFL, and too many of them did not have the prowess above the neck to match what they had below it. I'll be putting out my first mock draft next week, and you will see Teddy Bridgewater at the top. And unless the Houston Texans make a bold move to trade out of the top spot of go out and get another quarterback, you will be seeing Teddy at the top until the 2014 NFL Draft commences in May.

TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades: AFC South

The Houston Texans were able to repeat as AFC South division champs in 2012, but the arrival of the 1st Overall pick in the 2012 Draft, Andrew Luck, put the Indianapolis Colts back on the map. Luck was everything he was advertised to be and even more. It looks like the AFC South is going to be a two team race for a long time. The Tennessee Titans are hoping that their first round pick in 2011, Jake Locker, can develop as well at the quarterback position and make the Titans a contender once again. The fourth team in the AFC South, Jacksonville, is not nearly as settled at quarterback as they would like to be. Blaine Gabbert was picked two spots after Locker, but he has the look of a journeyman signal caller. Chad Henne was brought in from Miami, but not many see him as the long term answer. I've been an advocate for the Jaguars bringing in Tim Tebow, but he needs to get a fair chance of winning the quarterback job instead of being the sideshow he was in New York with the Jets. I'd make the case right now that the best quarterback the Jaguars have is their 5th round pick this year, a player they selected to play running back, and that is Denard Robinson from Michigan. Any way you slice it, it could be a long year in Jacksonville. So here are the TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades for the AFC South, along with key selections and sleeper picks. Houston: B DeAndre Hopkins (WR) Sam Montgomery (DE) Hopkins is seen as the answer to giving Andre Johnson a running mate on the opposite side of the field, and if he can develop as teh Texans think he can, then it will open up the middle of the field even more for Arian Foster. The second round brought a tough, physical safety in D.J Swearinger, who should be able to make an impact right away in a secondary that still gives up too many yards. Montgomery fell down the draft boards after blurting out he took plays off in college, but he has the ability to be a very good edge rusher. With J.J. Watt on one side, Montgomery could be very effective for the Tecans. Indianapolis: B Hugh Thornton (G) Khaled Holmes (C) Bjoern Werner fell all the way to the Colts at #24, and he has a chance to thrive as the replacement to Dwight Freeney. Thornton was seen as a bit of a stretch pick, but the first priority for the Colts is to protect the franchise, and that is Andrew Luck. Thornton was the player the Colts pegged to do just that, and Holmes could eventually move into the center position. Holmes played most of last year injured, and even in the fourth round he will be a value pick. Jacksonville: B+ Luke Joeckel (T) Denard Robinson (QB) Whoever the Jaguars play at qaurterback, they will have the best player in the draft protecting his left side. Joeckel will be the anchor that the offensive line will build around, just as Jacksonville did when they were formed in 1995 when their very first pick was Tony Boselli. Johnathon Cyprien and Dwayne Gratz can form the foundation for a revamped secondary, and Ace Sanders is the speedy playmaker on the outside for the future. But it will be interesting to see if Robinson gets a chance to play quarterback. If he is seen as too small, then those critics should look at Russell Wilson. I watched Robinson play in college, and he isn't the prototypical quarterback, but he is a playmaker, and I would love to see him get a chance. Tennessee: B+ Justin Hunter (WR) Brian Schwenke (C) The Titans went to shore up their offensive line, and the found their man in Chance Warmack. They got the best guard in the draft, and for a protector for Locker and a road grater for Chris Johnson. Hunter will be a key pick. The Titans traded up to get him, and now Locker has an outside target to develop the passing game with. Blidi Wreh-Wilson was a value pick in Round 3, and Schwenke was as well in Round 4. Schwenke can team with Warmack to solidify the center of the offensive line for years to come.

AFC South Draft Grades: Houston Texans

The Houston Texans come off of a season where their offense was even more productive than ever, with the development of Arian Foster into the league rushing champion. Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson continued to shine, but once again the defense let them down, and the result was a 6-10 finish.

The defense was the focus going into the 2011 NFL Draft, and the Texans hit on all three levels. The first round brought J.J. Watt, the defensive end from Wisconsin. Watt has the size, speed, strength and motor to excel in Houston's new 3-4 scheme, and along with Mario Williams he should be an anchor on the defense for years.

Round 2 brought a pass rushing linebacker in Brooks Reed from Arizona. Reed is an outside speed rusher that many saw as a late first round pick. Reed should move into an outside linebacker position, and it looks as if Williams may line up on the opposite side. With one of the leagues premier pass rushers on the opposite side of the field, opportunities to rush the quarterback should present themselves for Reed.

The defensive secondary got help in Round 3 with the selection of Brandon Harris, a cornerback out of Miami. Harris may be a bit undersized by NFL standards, but he is a big hitter and tackler, and has the speed to cover down the field. Harris was seen as a 1st Round pick on many mock drafts, and the Texans got a steal in the third round.

Two late round sleepers look to be Rashad Carmichael and Shiloh Keo, defensive backs selected in rounds 4 and 5, respectively. The Texans secondary was one of the worst in the NFL, and along with Harris both players have a chance to rebuild the defensive backfield.

Draft Grade: B+

Day 2 In The Books

Day 2 of the 2011 NFL Draft is in the books, and winners and losers are starting to surface among the teams. Some have been doing this for a long time. Some are getting better. Some have me scratching my head.

The New England Patriots always seem to own the draft. They have been accumulating top picks the last few years, and 2011 is no different. Even looking to next year, the Patriots have already picked up an additional first and second round pick. But for 2011, they have selected a left tackle in Nate Solder to pair with Sebastian Vollmer that could be called, with acknowledgements to Tom Clancy's Hunt For Red October, Thor's Twins. Both are 6'8, young and very athletic. Tom Brady is going to be well protected for a long time, and they even got his future replacement in Ryan Mallett, who fell all the way to Round 3. New England picked up a pair of running backs to fill a need in Round 2, but the pick who could turn out to be the most valuable might be Ras-I Dowling, a cornerback from Virginia. He has ideal size and speed to play corner in the NFL, but has battled injuries in college and could use some seasoning in the pros. But if he develops, New England will have a pair of top flight corners in Dowling and Devin McCourtey for years to come.

The New Orleans Saints for two elite players in Round 1, selecting Cameron Jordan and Mark Ingram. But the third round brought two more impact players in Martez Wilson and Johnny Patrick. Wilson may be a bit raw, but he is a talented, gifted linebacker and Patrick looks to be a solid cover corner who also plays the run very well. The Saints got an infusion of talent at the running back position, where they had injuries all of 2010, and in all three facets of the defense.

The Cincinnati Bengals had an excellent draft in 2010, and this year has gotten off to a good start. A.J. Green was a near unanimous choice as the best offensive player in the draft, and with Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco Johnson most likely not returning he fills a glaring need. Carson Palmer doesn't look to be returning either, and the Bengals picked up Andy Dalton with the third pick of Round 2. Many draftniks had Dalton moving up into the first round, and Cincinnati was able to select him without having to trade up and relinquishing any of their other picks. Jay Gruden is going to install the West Coast system, and they will need a mobile, accurate quarterback to run the offense. Dalton is that, and he is a leader and a winner. Even if Palmer returns to Cincy, I can see Dalton taking over the starting spot during the season. Then the Bengals addressed the defensive side by taking Dontay Moch in Round 3. Moch is a disruptive force, who spends a lot of time in the opponents backfield. The Bengals could use Moch as a backup to Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga on the outside, and could line the three of them up together with Rodderick Muckleroy in some 3-4 schemes.

The Detroit Lions got perhaps the biggest steal of the draft when Nick Fairley fell all the way to #13, then they got two more solid picks in Round 2. Titus Young is the speed receiver to compliment Calvin Johnson, and Mikel Leshoure is the between the tackles workhorse to compliment Jahvid Best. The Lions need to keep Matthew Stafford healthy, and if they can address that need in Day 3 they will easily be one of the biggest winners of the draft.

The Houston Texans needed help on defense. A lot of help. And they got it and then some. J.J. Watt is the ideal 3-4 end, and in Round 2 they got an outside linebacker in Brooks Reed who can rush the passer. But one of the biggest steals of the draft has to be Brandon Harris going to Houston in Round 3. He may lack the ideal size, but Harris has speed and plays more physical than his stature might indicate. Harris was a popular late first round selection of many mock drafts, and I had him going #32 to Green Bay. He can pair up with Kareem Jackson to solidify the Texans pass coverage.

Then there is the Minnesota Vikings. They went into the draft needing a quarterback. And they got one. A lot higher than everyone thought Christian Ponder would be taken in the draft. Ponder is a good fit for the Vikings West Coast offense, but he may have to play right away unless Minnesota can acquire a veteran to hold the fort until he is ready. They also need to shore up the middle of the defensive line, add a receiver with Sidney Rice being a free agent and Percy Harvin with migraine issues, and the secondary needs help as well. So with their second round pick, the Vikings select...Kyle Rudolph. While Rudolph has the skills to be a top tight end in the NFL, and the Vikings could use some youth at the position, Minnesota could have also drafted Rahim Moore, Marcus Gilchrist, Marvin Austin, or Greg Little. I believe that any of these players may make a more immediate impact with the Vikings. But if you look at the players Minnesota could have had, Nick Fairley and Ryan Mallett were available and if they Vikings had picked those two, I don't see anyone looking at their draft and wondering what they were doing.

Day 3 of the 2011 NFL Draft is tomorrow. What surprises await teams, players and fans alike? We shall see.

Paying the Players

This is the time of year in the NFL when the best players feel they are underpaid and want more money. They show it by not attending voluntary OTA's, and let it be known through their agents they are unhappy with their contracts. Two of the best players in the game, Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans and Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans, want to renegotiate. One has a very good case, the other has a good point but won't get much sympathy.

Chris Johnson rushed for over 2000 yards in 2009, and with inconsistent play at the quarterback position he was their offense. He is also playing out a rookie contract that will pay him $550,000 in 2010. Tennessee is getting a wonderful return on their investment. Johnson is a gamebreaking back who can beat you running the ball and catching it out of the backfield. He has been arguing for more money for a while now and he should get it.

But Tennessee can point to Terrell Davis and Jamal Anderson as to why they should hold off with the new contract. Davis and Anderson lead their teams to the Super Bowl at the end of the 1998 season, then both players got hurt with serious knee injuries in the opening weekend of the 1999 season and never fully recovered. Running backs have a shorter and shorter shelf life in the NFL. Tennessee can argue that handing out a huge signing bonus to Johnson when he has the potential to get hurt the same way is pointless when he still has at least 2 years left on his contract. But when you are not willing to pay your best player it smacks of cheap. Tennessee needs to pony up and pay their thoroughbred back before it's too late.

Andre Johnson has already signed a big extension. 8 years, $60 million, with $15 million in guaranteed money. He has five years left on his contract. Johnson has been one of the best receivers in the league and with the development of Matt Schaub he is only getting better. But how much more money is he worth? He has never played in a playoff game, and only been on one team that has had a winning record. He got the big contract after putting up big numbers. What he needs to do now is get his team in the playoffs. Then he will have more leverage. Chris Johnson led the Titans to the best record in the NFL his rookie season. Andre Johnson has yet to have that effect in Houston.

Looking at their current contracts, Chris Johnson is underpaid. Andre Johnson is undeserving. Chris needs a new contract. Andre needs to put up or shut up.

Busted

Brian Cushing, the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year from the Houston Texans, has been suspended for the first four games of the 2010 NFL season after testing positive for a banned performance enhancing substance. There was speculation that he had tested positive at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2009. This suspension looks to have confirmed that point.

A suspension of four games comes after a SECOND positive test. Cushing claims that what he tested positive for was not a PED, but another substance that is on the banned list. I do have a question. If you have already tested positive once, wouldn't you get help from your team, your agent, your doctor, ANYONE, and find out what it is you can and cannot take?

The Texans are facing the toughest schedule of any team in the 2010 season. They have been notorious for being slow starters. Now they have to do it without one of their best players. But beyond that there is the psychological effect of the suspension. How many players are going to be thinking 'Not Again!' If they come out of the gates with just 1, or even zero wins in those first four games, will they be able to overcome the slow start to make a playoff run. It is going to put a load on the offense, and Matt Schaub will need to have an exceptional season if Houston is going to earn it's first playoff appearance.

There have also been some who are calling for the AP to withdraw the Defensive Rookie of the Year honor from Cushing. I say nonsense. Awards are given for play on the field, not behavior off the field afterwards. But I may change my mind when I find out what he tested positive for first. If it was a performance enhancing drug then you can make the argument. But right now it is speculation. But you do not need to speculate what is going to happen the first four games of the 2010 NFL season. Brian Cushing will be on the outside looking in. And the Houston Texans will be in a dogfight to make the playoffs because of it.

Draft Grades: Houston Texans

The Houston Texans have been on the brink for years now. They keep getting close, but seem to come up short. In 2009 they finished with their first record over .500 at 9-7. Many seem Houston as the team that will break through in 2010.

Cornerback and running back were the main concerns going into the 2010 NFL Draft. Dunta Robinson signed as a free agent with Atlanta, and Steve Slaton has had his share of problems holding onto the ball. With their first round selection Houston picked Kareem Jackson, a cornerback out of Alabama. Big and physical, he will be looked at to step in right away and shore up the pass defense. If his cover skills develop then it should provide more time for Mario Williams to get to the quarterback.

Many saw Houston possibly taking Ryan Mathews in the first round, but San Diego beat them to the punch and traded up to the #12 slot. The Texans got their back in Ben Tate, who they selected in the 2nd Round. The defensive front seven got help with the picks of Earl Mitchell and Daryl Sharpton.

The Texans look to have picked up one of the best late round sleepers in Dorin Dickerson, a tight end out of Pittsburgh. Many had Dickerson listed as one of the top 5 tight ends going into the draft, and he was not selected until the 7th Round.

Draft Grade: B