Looking at the future

[lumberjackchris]

ESPN released its future power rankings and we came in 9th behind these teams in the order they were ranked, Green Bay, New England, Giants, 49ers, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Philly, and New Orleans. I don't thin we should be that low but I am a little biased but here's what they had to say on the 5 catagories they broke down

Roster: The Texans have an excellent young defense that should remain strong for years to come. But the offense worries me, particularly the receivers, as WR Andre Johnson and TE Owen Daniels probably will not be nearly as effective three years from now. -- Williamson(7.5 out of 10)

Quarterback: Matt Schaub is a perfect fit in the Houston scheme; no player throws a better deep ball in the play-action game. Playoff success will allow him to take the next step in terms of his league profile. T.J. Yates proved he's a good insurance policy, but he also proved that the Houston coaches have a system that they feel is transferrable. If they can run it effectively, QBs will succeed here. -- Dilfer (6.5 out of 10)

Draft: Houston has helped spearhead a defensive revival under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips through the draft. Phillips has a system he likes, and can target specific skills, but also maximize value, because he gives so many looks and utilize different players. Can DE Whitney Mercilus make up for the loss of Mario Williams? The 2012 draft could have several steals and the future looks bright. -- Kiper(7 out of 10)

Front office: Houston seems to have a real good feel now for what type of player it needs on both sides of the ball and is finding value in the middle rounds that fit their schemes. But this past free agency period didn't go all that well, which made me question how well the Texans will manage the change from a team in a rebuilding phase to a contender plugging gaps via free agency. -- Williamson(6.75 out of 10)

Coaching: Gary Kubiak's team finally surpassed mediocrity last season. There are a lot of pieces in place to continue to establish the Texans as an AFC powerhouse. Let's see how well this coaching staff deals with success. The hiring of Phillips as defensive coordinator yielded amazing first-year results, and Phillips should continue to field a top-notch defense over the next few years. -- Williamson(7.75 out of 10)
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^Kempes on the sick sig^

[treece300e]

The idea that Mercillus needs to replace Mario Williams has grown old, and projects a lack of study on the part of the analysts. Anyone who watched the Texans play last year can tell you that there wasn't really much concern with the pass rush. Mercillus will likely have a similar role to Aldon Smth last year; coming in as a pass-rushing specialist. I liked Mario, he seemed like a good dude and an amazing athlete, but he was too one-dimensional in his pass rush, a fact which many analysts either didn't see or choose to ignore.

I don't need to explain this to the Texans fans here, but we all know that Mercillus was not drafted to replace Mario, but to be OLB depth and a rotational/situational pass rusher.

[ServantofYHWH]

I hate ESPNs takes when they try to be very specific and microanalyze.

What did they want the Texans to do this offseason? Sign Mario for 100m and grab Stevie Johnson and Robert Meachem while we're at it? Those moves are good moves that help the Texans future. It shouldn't be a penalty.
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[texans_uk]

I will be disappointed if Mercilus doesn't replace Marios 5 sacks in 2011.
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