Texans thinking big

Look for Houston to get mix of youth, star power

I spent the better part of this week down in Mobile, Ala. at the Senior Bowl practices watching this year's draft class showcase their talents. I had the opportunity to spend time a good chunk of time with Texans general manager Charley Casserly and our discussions ranged from college players to the expansion draft to the free-agent crop.

We sat together as David Carr threw and it was hard not to be impressed by the Fresno State quarterback. Carr has field presence, athleticism and talent. With Oregon's Joey Harrington out, Casserly knows he has a lot more evaluating to do of this position, but for now it's safe to say he likes what he sees in Carr.

With an eye to the unprotected players list that has trickled out all week, Casserly said that he and his staff had gone through a number of mock expansion drafts over the past few months. They had managed to anticipate many of the names that had surfaced but not all of them. You can be sure Houston will bring Tony Boselli in for a complete physical. Boselli has said he'll be 100 percent healthy by late April -- sounds like he's advertising for a job with the Texans.

There are so many ways Houston can go in the Feb. 18 draft. The Texans could pick a few high-priced stars -- say Boselli, Aaron Glenn (who is from Houston) and Jamie Sharper -- or they can go for volume by grabbing every young cheap player to fill up their roster. It may be just too tempting to go after some of the diamonds. Head coach Dom Capers pointed out to me that when he helped build the expansion Carolina Panthers, he went after return specialists right away. I'm sure Capers was glad to see all-pro Jermaine Lewis on the expansion list.

I suspect Houston will come out of this phase of building their franchise with 10 ready-to-go players and a few young projects. In effect, the Texans will use this draft to catapult them into free agency. When unrestricted free agents see the kind of players already in Houston and realize that Casserly has 28 draft picks in the next two years, there will be genuine excitement about the Texans.

Diamonds in the rough

Speaking with some of the Texans' coaches and personnel people, it was obvious that Indiana's Antwaan Randle El had made an impact. The quarterback-turned-wideout had no downside to his performance on the practice fields in Mobile. He ran routes like he'd been doing it all his life and he grabbed passes like he had glue on his fingers. It was clear that he'll be a threat to go the distance with the ball in his hands.

On defense, Kansas State's John McGraw was equally eye-popping. The quarterback-turned-safety is off the charts with his smarts, has range, demonstrated man coverage skills and is tough. Believe me, you have a lot more interest in the draft when you have 14 picks next spring like these Texans do.

Pat Kirwan, who spent 12 years as a pro football coach, scout and personnel administrator, is an NFL analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNNSI.com.

 

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