Tag: NFL Media

Peter Schrager questions whether any team would be willing to trade back with Vikings

The Vikings are expected to be one of the major trade-up candidates in next week’s NFL draft. Have they overvalued their draft positions?

When the Minnesota Vikings acquired the Houston Texans’ first-round pick in March, everyone immediately assumed it was to have the ammo for a trade up. The quarterback class was seen as top-heavy, and getting into the top four viewed as necessary to land a top prospect.

Peter Schrager of NFL Media is second-guessing whether that pick (No. 11 overall) would be enticing enough for a team to trade back.

While appearing on “The Dan Patrick Show” to discuss his latest mock draft, Schrager mentioned that trading back to 11th overall would “cross you off” from many of the top offensive weapons. Teams like the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers, and New England Patriots all need top offensive talent added during next week’s draft.

They also happen to be in the draft spots where the Vikings would need to trade up.

Minnesota very well could find themselves being unable to trade up if none of those teams is willing to fall that far back. Schrager had the Vikings settling for Terrion Arnold, who is a top defensive prospect, instead of trading up. Vikings fans have to be prepared for that. Despite GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s best efforts, they may not be able to trade up.

That doesn’t mean they can’t ace the first round, either. They could easily come away with two plug-and-play starters at Nos. 11 and 23. The sky won’t fall, Chicken Little.

Peter Schrager has Vikings staying put in latest mock draft

Peter Schrager of NFL Media dropped the first of two mock drafts that he does each cycle and the Vikings selections are interesting.

Mock drafts come at a dime a dozen anymore, but sometimes special ones drop. On Tuesday, Peter Schrager of NFL Media dropped the first of two mock drafts that he does each cycle. One comes the week before the draft, and the other comes the week before.

In his mock draft, the plugged-in Schrager gave the Vikings a pairing we haven’t seen often with their two first-round picks. Yes, they kept both their first-round picks, which means they did not land one of the top quarterbacks.

What he did for them, though, was fix, or at least address, two areas of need.

He has them selecting Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold with the 11th overall pick in the draft. The Crimson Tide alum plays a physical style and does very well in both man and zone coverage. Nick Saban is known for coaching up and having smart defensive backs, which best describes Arnold.

The second pick of the first round for the Vikings comes at 23rd overall and he has them taking a quarterback to compete alongside Sam Darnold. Schrager rolls with the Heisman Trophy finalist Bo Nix out of Oregon. Nix has some interesting traits and is a player that has evaluators torn. His coming to Minnesota with the weapons and staff they have helped, but the long-term potential of being the solution is questionable.

Vikings fans should be excited about the Arnold pick but they need to be prepared for a letdown selection at quarterback if they miss out on trading up for one of the top talents.

NFL.com lists Texans coach DeMeco Ryans as a bandwagon to join in 2023

If bandwagon passengers are looking for a new ride in 2023, NFL.com believes Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans is worthy transportation.

December is generally a bad time to pick a new favorite team or favorite player. The accusations of being a frontrunner would stick like lint on velcro.

May is the best time to make the switch for those with fair weather loyalty. The ongoing voluntary workouts across the NFL provide glimpses into some teams’ fortunes as they go through their installation periods to ensure a smooth training camp.

According to Adam Schein from NFL.com, Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans made his list of bandwagons to join in the 2023 season.

I really think the world of Ryans. That’s well-documented. From his playing days as a Pro Bowl linebacker to his coaching days as defensive coordinator of San Francisco’s top-ranked unit, Ryans is impressive at every turn. Thus, I have no worries about him adjusting to life as a head man. He’s brilliant. He’s a great leader of men. His team will be buttoned up and fundamentally sound.

All that said, this is far from a complete roster. Houston is absolutely going to suffer some growing pains with rookie C.J. Stroud under center. But I also think these [Texans] are going to catch some opponents by surprise, winning games they aren’t supposed to. In DeMeco I trust.

The makings are there for the Texans to at least shrug off the rebuilding label, even if they don’t make the playoffs or even avoid another double-digit loss season. The Texans have the third-easiest schedule in the league according to conventional metrics, and similarly easy using more advanced metrics. All it would take is a winning streak starting out, or a .500 record by their Week 7 bye to at least put forward the narrative the Texans were “fixed.” Houston could alternate wins and losses the rest of the schedule and still have the perception of being turned around under Ryans.

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Texans aren’t a viable ‘worst to first’ candidate for NFL.com

The Houston Texans aren’t a strong candidate to go from “worst to first” according to NFL.com.

One of the notable aspects of the modern NFL’s commitment to parity is the opportunity for last place teams to turn their fortunes around in a year and win the division. Take a look at the Jacksonville Jaguars, who went from last place in 2021 to winning the AFC South and a wild-card game in a season’s span.

According to Kevin Patra from NFL.com, who compiled a list of the eight last place teams from the 2022 campaign, the Houston Texans are seventh in terms of candidates to go from “worst to first” in 2023.

The Texans signaled they’re all in on 2023 by trading next year’s first-round pick to snag edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. immediately after selecting quarterback C.J. Stroud at No. 2 overall in last month’s draft. There are some good young pieces in Houston. Stroud should fit well in new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s scheme. Second-year running back Dameon Pierce is electric. Tight end Dalton Schultz was a solid addition. The defense — with Anderson, Jalen Pitre, Derek Stingley Jr., Christian Harris and other veterans head coach DeMeco Ryans brought in to run his scheme — could turn things around swiftly. But it remains a roster riddled with holes.

It may be easier for the Texans to make the playoffs at-large as qualification for the seventh seed isn’t as rigorous as winning a division title. If the Texans are an eight-loss team, there may be a chance they get the third wild-card spot.

To win the AFC South for the first time since 2019, Houston would need the rest of the division to falter. The Jaguars would have to tumble while the Tennessee Titans sputtered and the Indianapolis Colts endured severe growing pains with rookie coach Shane Steichen and rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson. These factors would be especially critical if the Texans are inconsistent throughout the year.

Winning the division may be out of the question, but at least it isn’t as impossible of a notion as it was the past three years.

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Texans’ C.J. Stroud keeps AFC South from the bottom in NFL.com division power rankings

Although a rookie, the Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud is doing well to keep the AFC South from the bottom in recent NFL.com QB power rankings.

The NFL is all about the quarterback. Aside from the center, virtually all offensive snaps are touched by the quarterback, who is the ultimate distributor of possessions. It isn’t too hard to fathom why quarterbacks get saddled with wins and losses, which is purely a team accomplishment.

There are some divisions in the league that are blessed with talent under center. The AFC West regularly is spoiled with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert.

According to Adam Schein from NFL.com, who ranked all eight NFL divisions by their quarterback talent, the AFC South is seventh-best in terms of its collective quarterback play. What helped sell Schein on the division was the Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud.

I do believe in this division’s two first-round quarterbacks. Stroud and Richardson need time, but it’s going to happen. Stroud was absolutely prolific at Ohio State, and DeMeco Ryans put together a really great offensive staff that will ease his transition into the NFL. Houston’s weapons aren’t great, but they are better than you think, with guys like Dameon Pierce, Robert Woods, Dalton Schultz and Devin Singletary.

Houston took Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick to solve a persistent issue under center since Nick Caserio became general manager in January 2021. With a possible franchise quarterback in place, the Texans can finally turn the page and complete the rebuild.

The AFC South has the possibility to become one of the best divisions for quarterback play in the NFL. For Schein’s list, the AFC North tops his list in 2023, which includes the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson and the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow. If the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence continues to blossom, and Stroud and Anthony Richardson excel in their rookie campaigns, Will Levis’ development may be immaterial as the AFC South climbs such collective quarterback rankings.

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Texans LT Laremy Tunsil earns spot on NFL.com’s ‘all-paid team’

Houston Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil has earned a spot on NFL.com’s “all-paid team” with his three-year, $75 million extension.

Houston Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil may not have made All-Pro last season, but he did make another all-list in the 2023 offseason.

According to Anthony Holzman-Escareno from NFL.com, Tunsil earned a spot on the “all-paid team” following his three-year, $75 million extension.

In March, the Texans gave Tunsil a three-year, $75 million extension that made him, once again, the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL. Tunsil was PFF’s top-graded pass blocker in 2022. Locking him in was the appropriate move for a team that knew it would be adding a young quarterback in the draft. (The Texans selected C.J. Stroud at No. 2 overall.)

Tunsil was appreciative of the contract extension when he spoke with the media on March 22.

“It means a lot for the team to believe in me especially coming from this organization that has unbelievable players like J.J. Watt, Andre Johnson, Vince Wilfork, (Brian) Cushing,” Tunsil said. “It means a lot to me that this organization believed in me and gave me another shot, another four years to contribute to the team.”

Tunsil is also one of the leaders in the locker room, especially in the offensive line room. The three-time Pro Bowler views himself as a mentor to the younger offensive linemen, such as Kenyon Green and Tytus Howard, and embraces the role.

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Texans earn A-minus grade from NFL.com for 2023 draft class

In the latest grades from NFL.com, the Houston Texans earned an A-minus for their 2023 draft class.

The Houston Texans produced a bold and bountiful 2023 draft class to cap off April.

The bountiful part came in their nine-man class, which matched their total from a season ago, and was the first time since 2013-14 the Texans had back-to-back classes of at least nine players.

The bold part of the Texans’ class came within the first three picks of the draft. Houston picked Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud No. 2 overall, and then managed to pull off a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for the chance to take Alabama defensive end Will Anderson with the very next selection.

According to Eric Edholm from NFL.com, the Texans earned an A-minus overall for their selections. Particularly the Anderson selection was intriguing as it gives new coach DeMeco Ryans a player who can excel in his scheme.

Will Anderson Jr. was dinged a bit for his lack of elite size and occasional penchant for sloppiness (penalties and missed tackles), but at his best, he’s a Khalil Mack-style game-influencer. Anderson can scream off the edge thanks to elite get-off and close fast with a great internal GPS system. He can be a star in the hands of DeMeco Ryans and Matt Burke, able to rush inside and out, drop in coverage and defend the run.

Anderson generated 51 combined tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, an interception, which was returned for a touchdown, and a pass breakup through his final 13 games with the Crimson Tide last season. Houston hasn’t had a playmaker off the edge since J.J. Watt left the team after the 2020 season. If Anderson were to have a fortunate enough season to collect double-digit sacks, it would be the first time since 2018 the Texans had a defender with double-digit sacks. Anderson would also be the first rookie in franchise history to do so.

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Texans trade with Cardinals, take QB in Daniel Jeremiah mock draft 4.0

The Houston Texans manage to take a quarterback and also trade with the Arizona Cardinals in the last Daniel Jeremiah mock draft.

The 2023 NFL draft is drawing nigh, which means there is even more of a flurry of late-addition mock drafts to be filed across the sports media.

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah released his fourth and final mock draft of the offseason Wednesday, and it is no secret what he thinks the Houston Texans should do.

After the Carolina Panthers take Alabama quarterback Bryce Young to kick off the draft, the Texans follow up by selecting Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick.

There is a lot of information swirling around this pick, but I keep coming back to common sense. Houston needs a quarterback, and Stroud’s the best one available at No 2.

The Texans wouldn’t need to worry about common sense if they had not failed to secure the No. 1 overall pick. However, the win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18 along with the Chicago Bears beating the Minnesota Vikings ensured Houston would not lead off the draft in Kansas City. The Bears dealt the selection to the quarterback-needy Panthers, and the Texans get to watch Carolina presumably take Bryce Young to start off the draft.

Jeremiah has the Texans taking Stroud, which should also be a no-brainer. Yet the Texans are still committed to taking a dominant edge rusher in the top-5 and go ahead and package their No. 12 overall pick along with other selections to take Alabama defensive end Will Anderson.

It’s no secret that Arizona wants to trade out of No. 3, and it’s no secret that Houston is seriously considering an edge rusher with the second pick. Both teams get what they want in this scenario. Houston now has a pillar on each side of the ball.

The price Houston pays to take Anderson is the only possibly downside to this otherwise fabulous first-round haul.

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Texans take Tyree Wilson with first Round 1 pick in latest NFL.com mock draft

The Houston Texans use their first pick of the 2023 NFL draft to take Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson in an intriguing NFL.com mock draft.

By April there are more mock drafts than year-to-date fares on the Sam Houston Tollway.

However, “Good Morning Football” cohost Peter Schrager released his first mock draft of the season, and it is unlike most others. Rather than going what he thinks a team should do, Schrager uses some of his insider information to lend insight as to what teams are thinking at their particular draft spots.

What could the Houston Texans be thinking at No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL draft? Try trading out of the pick. Schrager has Houston striking a deal with the Indianapolis Colts to help them move up to take a quarterback as the Texans bow out of the sweepstakes.

Would Indianapolis trade DeForest Buckner and the No. 4 overall pick to move up two spots? I think Houston would have to listen if it’s offered. Remember, new Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was with Buckner for three seasons in San Francisco, and “DeFo” just restructured his contract. If Buckner is not included in the trade, how about adding a second- or third-round pick instead?

Schrager adds that the quarterback at that spot — Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud — shares the same representation as Houston’s former quarterback.

The Texans then use their No. 4 pick to grab Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson:

After trading out of No. 2, Houston passes on a QB again and continues to build up the defense. Wilson has an 86-inch wingspan and grew up in Texas. Had a foot injury not prevented this gifted edge rusher from competing in the NFL Scouting Combine (or during Texas Tech’s pro day), everyone would have been buzzing about him for the last month and change.

The Texans don’t give up entirely on using the 2023 draft to take the quarterback of the future and grab Kentucky’s Will Levis No. 12 overall.

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Texans’ Nick Caserio ranks No. 24 in NFL.com GM power rankings

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio comes in at No. 24 in a recent NFL.com ranking of general managers across the league.

The Houston Texans have won seven games in the past two seasons with Nick Caserio as general manager. At some point, the team’s struggles to get out of the mud would sully Caserio.

According to Gregg Rosenthal from NFL.com, the Texans’ general manager ranks No. 24 overall in his power rankings of all GMs across the league. Even though Rosenthal notes that Caserio dealt with a year-long fiasco surrounding the franchise quarterback, the fact Houston is now on their third coaching hire in as many offseasons is a scarlet letter.

Caserio’s first two drafts have been average for the picks he had to work with. The volume of free agents brought in over the last two years rivals any team in football, with a decent hit rate. It’s up to new coach DeMeco Ryans and the incoming No. 2 overall pick to make all those moves look better.

The next general manager was the Denver Broncos’ George Paton, and then a crop of seven front office bosses in a “too new” category. In other words, Caserio is the second-worst general manager in the NFL among qualifiers.

What will help Caserio is having a great draft at the end of the month. Houston has tremendous optimism to complete the rebuild as they also have the No. 12 overall pick — obtained via 2022 offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns, thanks to Caserio no less — to either provide Ryans with a talented pass rusher on defense or take a spectacular wideout who can pair up with the quarterback Houston will presumably take with the second overall pick.

Thus far, Caserio has enjoyed the ride with Ryans and the new coaching staff as they prepare for the draft.

“It’s been a lot of fun to come to the office,” Caserio said at the NFL combine on Feb. 28. “The staff has been great to work with to this point. We know we have a lot of work in front of us. Nothing is going to happen overnight, but it’s been great to have him around. It really has.”

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