Should We Go After Rolando Mclain?

[ServantofYHWH]

I think it wouldn't be a bad pick up considering how thin we are at linebacker. He'd only be a 2 down LB but he would help shore up are interior rush defense.
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[EliteTexan80]

[Texans02]

What ET80 said. However, not only is he a terrible human being, he's also a terrible football player. All of his potential has fizzled, as Raiders fans hated his slow, lazy on-field play just as much as his despicable behavior off it.

That said, he'll probably sign a minimum contract with the Patriots and turn into an All-Pro. Gahhhhhh Belichek!!!!! *fist shake*
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[longhorntexan]

Isn't he the one with the hilarious smiling picture when he's getting arrested?

If so, I'll pass.
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"You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas."
-Davy Crockett

[Texans02]

[Texansfan713]

Nope.

I was a huge McClain fan at Bama, and even though he would fit well in our 3/4 D as an ILB he has character issues and we all know thats a no no in our organization and his play on the field hasn't been good this season according to most Raiders fans.
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2011 and 2012 AFC South Champs

[Nsmith52188]

[texansfan]

I was critical of the Texans approach to only bringing in high character players over the past few years, but I think we are now beginning to see the benefits. We have a team made up of good players who are also good people off the field. This has led to a team that is 10-1, and seems to be about as cohesive as can be. Bob Mcnair is proud of his team both on and off the field, and I have a feeling that he wants that to continue.

I have no desire to start taking chances on some of these guys. Let them boom-or-bust somewhere else.
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[Apollo Stallion]

It always cracks me up that people continually treat "talent" and "attitude" as if they are mutually exclusive in a professional sport or any job for that matter. Unless you are running track or weightlifting, a significant measure of how good you are is how you operate within the team dynamic. Go watch young kids play soccer and you will quickly see how childish minds operate which is generally 10 kids in a mob all kicking at the ball. As kids mature, they understand that the world doesn't entirely revolve around what they want to do and actually playing their position is a much more effective way to move the ball or defend their goal. These "children" like McLain and Titus Young that think they can be effective while not advancing a team concept just don't understand that that makes them BAD football players, no matter how well they can run, catch, or tackle. There isn't a MLB in the history of the sport who could take on two offensive lineman and tackle a running back behind them with any consistency, so he needs to count on the d-linemen doing their jobs. Same story with a WR who can't run a route and be where he is supposed to be. In pro football, "go deep" doesn't work.

Beyond that, there is no human who is so extraordinarily gifted that they don't have to continually work at their craft and guys with crappy attitudes, generally don't and quickly slip behind. At every level of football, there are those guys who are great at one level, that flop at the next and I find that attitude is a much bigger predictor than any physical skill or development. There are all of those high school studs who don't take the next step in college and generally end up reliving high school glory for the next 25 years while selling insurance or arresting kids for underage drinking. Then there are college studs like McLain who were in the perfect situation in college to excel, yet stop developing as soon as they start getting paid to do the job. I don't care what career path you choose, if you think what you learned in college will suffice in the real world you might as well be Lindsey Lohan thinking that being a standout child actor will mean a damn thing in your 20's when you can no longer do your job because you have no work ethic and your innate "talent" only made you better than other 16 year olds and your toxic personality and lifestyle makes you unemployable.

I would LOVE to see some sort of study analyzing NFL players PROGRESSION thru various levels as I have long felt that the belief that Pro players have always been the top 1% is incorrect and that in certain cases and at certain positions high school and college success can actually be a negative. Looking at the Texans, I look at a guy like Ben Tate who was a high school stud who was one of the most coveted RBs in the nation (Rivals top 5) who had his pick of the top RB universities in the nation and ultimately parlayed a strong senior year into a 2nd round pick. Meanwhile, Arian Foster didn't even become a RB until his Senior Year of High School, was #3 on the depth chart as a freshman at Tenn, didn't become the primary back until his Junior year, and saw his stock tumble to UDFA status. Rick Smith took a flier on him and after showing a few sparks in a year on the PS clearly came to camp in 2010 with a fire and dedication that was night and day from Tate who came in out of shape, entitled, and lazy. The trendline has only continued separating the two with Tate probably still possessing more athletic skill, but his lack of work ethic and toughness has him constantly injured, and even when healthy still can't pick up a blitz or be trusted to not put the ball on the turf. See also, college studs like Ron Dayne and Steve Slaton who did nothing but regress as pro's.

Sure there will always be those extraordinary guys like AJ who are clearly destined for greatness, but you could also easily see the humility and work ethic present in AJ that led him to continue to improve as a pro that was absent in a loser like Charles Rogers. The magic is to find where "the peak" is with these guys and clearly Ro McLain peaked in college and you don't want to be the team with them sliding down the backside of that peak as they tend to take out plenty of others on their way down.
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Ten Year Texans Season Ticket Holder
Adopt a Texan 2012
Derek Newton - RT - #75 - Arkansas State
Antoine Caldwell - RG - #62 - Alabama

[Jacobys Homey]

[Tom Shean]

[Wolf6151]

Why isn't he in prison?

[texans_uk]

[ServantofYHWH]

[Tom Shean]