Beyond the Boxscore
Matt Leinart proves to be a baby man, but the Texans need a beyond MarioWilliams plan
Matt Leinart calls the signals during one of his unimpressive preseason gamesfor the Houston Texans.Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
If these cuts allow the Houston Texans to keep Mario Williams (90) with AntonioSmith and the rest of this Bulls On Parade defense, they will be a rousingsuccess.Photo By Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
Where's the impact addition who will make the Houston Texans less dependent onJacoby Jones?Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
You want to believe that Bob McNair has a plan for the Houston Texans' freeagency that includes a significant addition.Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
The Houston Texans waived two valuable players — and Matt Leinart. And guess which one of the three threw a Twitter fit?
Yes Leinart, the colossal bust, who never came close to living up to the Golden Boy promise he showed at USC, went off on critical fans. "It's very funny to me how people can be so ignorant and opinionated on topics they know nothing about," Leinart tweeted at one point. He also tweeted a placard on why people hate to "the others."
On the other hand, right tackle Eric Winston and fullback Lawrence Vickers — guys with legitimate gripes over being cut — didn't raise a peep.
Winston and Vickers took it like men. Leinart acted like a baby man.
Sounds about right. And it figures to work out all right for the Texans.
Stubbornly refusing to cut Jacoby Jones is one thing. Insisting that he'll remain the No. 2 wideout on a Super Bowl scheming squad is another.
Sure, Houston will miss Winston and Vickers if capable replacements aren't found. But that's an unlikely If. Expect Texans general manager Rick Smith to get a right tackle and a fullback good enough to keep Houston's running game at an ultra-high level.
The Texans lost a much better fullback, a Pro Bowler, last offseason in Vonta Leach and came out more than OK. Winston is good, but not close to consistently great and that's the gap between must-have and can-let-go players in the NFL.
Sports Illustrated NFL guru Peter King tabbed Winston as one of the two Texans on his midseason All-NFL team last year. Winston deserved the spot too. But the 6-foot-7, 302-pound Winston wasn't as effective in the season's second half.
One of the enduring images of Texans' late regular season struggles is Winston sitting in front of his locker in full uniform after the surprising Indianapolis loss, lamenting how poorly he played.
The Texans are down two good players, but no difference makers.
They re-signed the difference maker they absolutely couldn't afford to lose (tailback Arian Foster) to a long-term deal. They haven't lost another one yet.
Of course, that all could change quickly if defensive end Mario Williams bolts town for a mega-sized deal.
Williams started his version of the Peyton Manning Tour in Buffalo Tuesday night and there will be stops beyond the Nickel City — likely Chicago and Nashville.
The Texans can't be considered one of the favorites to sign Mario, but they're not completely out of it yet either.
"We want Mario," Texans owner Bob McNair said at the press conference Tuesday, the first day of NFL free agency. "We'd like to have him . . . We have limitations that constrain us, but we're going to do anything we possibly can to keep him here."
If dropping Winston, Vickers and Leinart get the Texans into the Mario race, it's all more than worth it. If the Texans use that salary flexibility to sign a different impact free agent, it's also all more than worth it.
Getting rid of Winston and Vickers only haunts if the Texans don't do anything else significant. Losing Leinart is a plus no matter what.
Catchless
What's much more alarming than Williams' private jet courting in Buffalo (welcome to a lifetime of highly-paid NFL irrelevancy!) is how quickly big-time receivers are disappearing from the market with apparent little interest from the Texans. Stubbornly refusing to cut Jacoby Jones is one thing. Insisting that he'll remain the No. 2 wideout on a Super Bowl scheming squad is another.
Vincent Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Brandon Marshall, Marques Colston . . . those are all clear impact players at a position where the Texans desperately need an impact. And any of them could have been had for much less money than Mario will command.
If you're going to cut starters, you'd better add a more impactful starter or two. Especially if the Texans do lose Williams and end up drafting another pass rusher.
Of course, if Smith shockingly re-signs Williams it all becomes moot, with the offseason instantly transformed into a great one.
Those Thrown Aside
It's hard not to feel at least a little bit bad for Winston, a University of Miami product who threw himself into the Houston community. He won't be here to see the Texans attempt to take that next big Super Bowl step.
Leinart should be thanking Kubiak he's still in the league. This guy is Heath Shuler with a better guardian angel.
That's a shame. That's what happens to good teams on the rise though. They're always tweaking, always trying to become just a little bit better.
As for Leinart, the Twitter tough guy?
He proved to be nothing but an overcautious, check-down-happy quarterback in every chance with the Texans — from preseason to that first half in Jacksonville.
Leinart should be thanking Gary Kubiak he's still in the league. This guy is Heath Shuler with a better guardian angel.
He will get another backup chance, at least one more NFL chance.
Leinart leaves Houston looking more than a tad self entitled though. Which is the same way he looked coming out of USC.
It's better to depart a silent man than a baby man.
The Texans are moving on. Good for them. Now, they need to make sure they end up moving up.
Impact buy required.
