NFL Supplemental Draft: Texans make a bold move

[cthomer5000]

Apparently no one else was as interested in today's supplemental draft as I was, because I don't see anything up here yet.

Anyway, the big news was the Houston Texans using a second round pick (Oakland's 2004 2nd rounder) to select RB Tony Hollings from Georgia Tech. Hollings has only played 4 games at running back (all against suspect competition), before tearing his ACL in the 5th week of college football last year.

To me it seems like they took him in the 2nd round as more of a defensive move, thinking some teams might have taken him ahead of them in the third.

any thoughts on this?

linky (http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1579086.html)

[Kodos]

Did anyone take a flyer on the Colossal Squid, Sturgeon, or Gelatinous Mass?

[Franklinnoble]

Do the Texans need an RB that bad?

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by Kodos
Did anyone take a flyer on the Colossal Squid, Sturgeon, or Gelatinous Mass?

there was some thought to any of them going in the seventh round, but alas - no selection. They're all free agents now.

[digamma]

Hollings's stock was rising. He was rated as the second best senior running back by NFL scouting services before his academic troubles. He was impressive at his work out the other day. I think the Texans probably planned on taking him in the third or fourth round, but heard that someone was was going to grab him in the second.

Hollings only played four games against "suspect" competition, but his performances were anything but suspect. He had 4.35-4.45 speed before the acl injury. This is nice, but he had amazing game speed. He hits holes fast and has amazing vision. His speed to the corner is especially nice. I think he was certainly a legitimate 3rd or 4th rounder in the supplemental draft, but I don't think he is a reach in the 2nd.

Just my opinion though.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by cthomer5000
there was some thought to any of them going in the seventh round, but alas - no selection. They're all free agents now.

I hear the colossal sturgeon might work out for the Iowa Barnstormers this year...

[thesloppy]

I was surprised by that pick up as well. To pick defensively when you are a building expansion team seems idiotic to me. They gave up a second round pick next year for a guy who, as you said, played against suspect competition for only four weeks, and whose outlook for this season is questionable at best.

The Texans have stunned me throughout this offseason by not addressing their horrid offensive line, and I don't see why they needed to give up what was likely an early second round pick next year to take Hollings. Although some think Hollings might be ready by camp, the definition of 'ready' after an ACL tear seems to mean 'ready to run for a 1.5 yard average'. If his knees are at all suspect, should he really be running behind a line that gave up over 50 sacks last year?

And even if they thought he was going to go in the third, did they think he was going BEFORE thier pick? Obviously, I don't think this move was too slick.

EDIT: I didn't realize they used a later pick they had in the second round, but I still think they could've found better value in next year's draft with a second rounder.

[tucker342]

What the hell is the point of the supplemental draft?

[tucker342]

dola-

Nevermind, I figured it out

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by tucker342
What the hell is the point of the supplemental draft?

I know you've figured it out now, but for those who haven't:

The supplemental draft is usually made up exclusively of players who had planned on playing college football this year, but found out after the April draft that they were now academically ineligible. In the case of Hollings, he was heading into his senior year, so waiting it out and playing next year wasn't an option.

So they're generally all academic rejects.

[digamma]

Actually, waiting it out was an option for Hollings because he played as a true freshman and would have been a true senior. He could have sat out this year and still had his fifth year to play his fourth.

[GrantDawg]

I was really looking forward to what he might do in college this year (even if for the dreaded enemy), but I don't know how well he'll do as a pro, at least this year. The first year back is always tough.

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by digamma
Hollings's stock was rising. He was rated as the second best senior running back by NFL scouting services before his academic troubles. He was impressive at his work out the other day. I think the Texans probably planned on taking him in the third or fourth round, but heard that someone was was going to grab him in the second.

Hollings only played four games against "suspect" competition, but his performances were anything but suspect. He had 4.35-4.45 speed before the acl injury. This is nice, but he had amazing game speed. He hits holes fast and has amazing vision. His speed to the corner is especially nice. I think he was certainly a legitimate 3rd or 4th rounder in the supplemental draft, but I don't think he is a reach in the 2nd.

Just my opinion though.

Maybe I looked like I was attacking this move. I'm pretty neutral on it. I like everything the Texans have done with their team so far. If you're looking at this from a Pro-Texans standpoint you can say the following things:
He was rated as the second best RB by two scouting services
The second rounder they gave up for him was really the 2003 3rd rounder they traded for Oakland's 2004 2nd.
He was tearing shit up last year before injury, leading the country in rushing at the time of the injury
this could help the entire Texans organization become better, faster. In these 2 off-seasons they've found their QB, TE, WR, and now RB. They could be primed for a big 2004-2005 season.

[bigdawg2003]

I like the move, because if he had gotten to play his senior year and torn it up (not his knee mind you), he would've been a first round pick, maybe even the top back for next year. As an expansion team, they get bonus picks to help them stock their roster. Sure, it would've been better if he had fallen to them for round 3, but I'm glad we have him. Stacey Mack ain't the answer.

[Radii]

wow, the last I'd read is that he was a 4th round pick and someone *might* jump up into the 3rd round to take him. Perhaps the Texans feel that Oakland will be very good this year and that 2nd round pick will be late late 2nd round so it might as well be a 3rd rounder? It seems a bit over agressive to me.

[Buzzbee]

Here is some additional info that migt shed a little light on this pick.


2002: The nation’s leading rusher (158.3 yards per game) and
second-leading scorer (16.5 ppg) after four games . . . Only five
ACC backs finished the season with more rushing yards than his
total of 633 yards on just 92 carries . . . Rushed for 11
touchdowns, surpassed only by first-team all-ACC backs T.A.
McLendon and Chris Downs . . . Had four straight 100-yard
games, a first for Tech since Eddie Lee Ivery had seven in a row
in 1978 . . . The first Yellow Jacket to top 100 yards rushing in his
first game as a running back with 153 yards and two touchdowns
versus Vanderbilt, a game in which he played just one series in
the second half . . . Tied a Tech record held by five other players
by scoring four touchdowns against Connecticut, all in the first
half; one of only three Yellow Jackets to rush for four touchdowns
in a game . . . Rushed for 144 yards on just 16 carries against
the Huskies despite playing only the first half . . . Gained 147
yards against Clemson, including a 72-yard touchdown run . . .
Also had touchdown runs of 56 yards vs. Vanderbilt and 34 and
46 yards vs. Connecticut . . . Carried the ball 36 times for a
career-best 189 yards and scored three touchdowns in Tech’s
win over BYU, but injured his right knee late in the game . . .
Named ACC Offensive Back of the Week.

2001: Backup in the secondary and a key special teams
player . . . Totalled 10 tackles on the season . . . Career-high four
tackles and two pass breakups against Navy . . . Added three
tackles against Duke.


2000: Played at both safety and cornerback as a true
freshman . . . Saw most of his action on special teams . . .
Recovered a blocked punt in the end zone for a touchdown in
Tech’s win at North Carolina . . . Caused a fumble that Tech
recovered on kickoff coverage against Maryland, leading to a
touchdown . . . Made seven tackles on the season.


HIGH SCHOOL: Member of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s
Super Southern 100 and Top 75 in Georgia . . . Also listed among
the South’s Top 100 by Bill Buchalter of the Orlando Sentinel . . .
The No. 54 prospect in Dixie by SuperPrep . . . Outstanding two-
way athlete who played quarterback and defensive back for
Twiggs County High . . . Rushed for 1,360 yards and 10
touchdowns while passing for 672 yards and seven scores . . .
On defense had 25 tackles and one interception and returned a
punt for a touchdown . . . As a junior he rushed for 1,392 yards
and 20 touchdowns, passed for 600 yards and six scores and
made 33 tackles and six interceptions . . . Coached by Dewayne
Wells . . . Also a track standout who was named the Macon
Telegraph’s Male Athlete of the Year . . . Lettered four times in
football, basketball and track.

<pre>
GAME-BY-GAME STATISTICS
2002 Rsh Yds TD LP Rec Yds TD LP TD
Vandy‡ 17 153 2 56 0 0 0 0 2,56
UConn‡ 16 144 4 46 0 0 0 0 34,1,46,1
Clemson‡ 23 147 2 72 2 24 0 15 72,1
BYU‡ 36 189 3 24 1 12 0 12 1,2,2

CAREER STATISTICS
Rushing G-GS Att Yds Avg YPG TD LP
2002 4-4 92 633 6.9 158.2 11 72

</pre>

[Abe Sargent]

Originally posted by Franklinnoble
Do the Texans need an RB that bad?


Ummm...yeah. If they play in teh same NFL that I watch on TV they do. 2nd worst running attack in the league last year + bad RB crop in draft and free agency this year = not so good running game.

Pick makes sense for the Texans.

-Anxiety

[JPhillips]

Buzzbee- That's the most unreadable text I've ever seen. You could hide all sorts of secret message in there.

[Buzzbee]

Originally posted by JPhillips
Buzzbee- That's the most unreadable text I've ever seen. You could hide all sorts of secret message in there.

Sorry. I tried editing it, but it didn't help much. I'll see what I can do.

{Damn HTML tags. Had one in the wrong place. Should be better now.}

[Buzzbee]

Also, 24 NFL showed up at a recent workout that he held. I'm guessing that his performance in the workout raised his stock. It might also have shed fears about his knee.

I'll see if I can find a link.

[Buzzbee]

Here is link:

Linky (http://www.draft2003.com/nlsports/Draft2003.nsf/0/893EF883F67BC40188256D57001C1AAB?OpenDocument)

And a few excerpts:

The Jeffersonville, Georgia native has been steadily improving from surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. Scouts and coaches from 23 NFL teams were in attendance for his workout on Tuesday, which featured him doing 17 reps of 225 pounds, an eye opening 36.5" vertical and performing several other drills, as several team doctors viewed him closely. "He (Hollings) is ahead of schedule in his rehab, but decided against running the 40 yard dash because he was not able to train for that event, and we did not want to risk him hurting himself on the start or finish," explained Todd France, the agent for Hollings.

Hollings has the unique ability to almost always be falling forward after initial contact; showing very good strength and balance for his size. He has also shown good hands when used as a receiver, but durability and a lack of true game experience would be the big questions surrounding his game initially. "You really have to like what you see in those four game films from last year... he (Hollings) flashes some big time potential as a runner," said one NFC scout who attended Tuesday's workout.

He has big play potential, strong work ethic/character and the ability to become 1,000 yard rusher in the league. Another benefit is that he will not turn 22 years old until December of this year.

[lynchjm24]

Originally posted by digamma

Hollings only played four games against "suspect" competition, but his performances were anything but suspect. He had 4.35-4.45 speed before the acl injury. This is nice, but he had amazing game speed. He hits holes fast and has amazing vision. His speed to the corner is especially nice. I think he was certainly a legitimate 3rd or 4th rounder in the supplemental draft, but I don't think he is a reach in the 2nd.



The UConn defense he torched for five touchdowns did shut down Boston College the week beforehand. He was brilliant that day, just unbelieveable.

[IMetTrentGreen]

houstons troubles had to do with no passing game and a bad OL. rb is the most overrated position in teh game, and taking a risk with a 2nd rounder is stupid. if he works out, fine, but i don't think its worth the risk

i'd im the nfl, i copy what denver does. its the same thing oakland does with closers, they make them seem better than they are, then sell them off. buy low, sell high. pay the OL, and any rb can run for 1300 yards