Why The Houston Texans Should Be Gurley Men
By Mike Kerns
Before I start this off, I have to say that I am rather proud of the sports fans of Houston. I’m usually pretty rough on them for not supporting anything other than football and here we are, less than a week before the 2015 NFL Draft, and no one is talking about it.
The Astros are in first place and the Rockets are about to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2009. However, with the Draft just five days away, I wanted to take a moment to explain why I’m a big believer of not drafting for the biggest need in the first round for Houston, but drafting the biggest talent in this draft.
Gary Kubiak had us trained for years to the point where we all knew if a specific position or player was “off the board” in the first round or two. This has fooled people into thinking they know how Bill O’Brien thinks when it comes to the draft. He’ll do exactly what Bill Belichick would, right?
Just like last year when everyone was declaring there was no way that O’Brien would pass up on Blake Bortles because of the numerous “connections,” I still think of him as unpredictable. He has been a head coach for just over a year and to think we know exactly how he approaches a draft is to assume a great deal, in my opinion.
With this thought in mind, I am avoiding all uses or statements of the phrase “oh, Bill wouldn’t do that” when it comes to this draft. I don’t believe anything short of a punter in the second round is unbelievable. I am of the belief that the “best player available” approach is how this team is going. This is one of the handful of reasons I believe Georgia running back Todd Gurley will be a Houston Texan should he be available at 16.
Anyone who watched Gurley play while at Georgia, well I don’t have to sell his talent to you, obviously. But for those who don’t pay attention until the draft, this is a special player we’re talking about.
Gurley is lightning fast with a a second gear to take the ball the distance any time his number is called. He has unreal acceleration and can take away most angles from a defense just off of his pure speed alone.
While fast, Gurley is also is a power running that can break most tackles and just crush those defenders trying to tackle him head on. On the goal line, he is one of those that is next to impossible to stop even when everyone in the stadium knows the ball is going to him. To put it simply, Gurley possesses a perfect combination of and power and speed.
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Most fans have gotten it drilled into their head that the running back position is devalued at this time in the league and you should never take one on the first day. But this is a rare talent we’re evaluating. If healthy, most believe he could be the best player in this draft. He’s special. To put it in the simplest of terms; would you pass up on a young Adrian Peterson today because you think you can get another “serviceable” running back in the later rounds? Because Peterson-like is just how good this guy is.
But why would the Texans take him at 16 when he is coming off of an injury and the team already has Arian Foster at that position?
All signs are that the medical is pretty clear and Gurley will be a contributor as a rookie in 2015. Even with this injury, and at a position that has a lot of stigma attached to it, he is a consensus top 20 pick in the draft.
With the PR struggles Houston has suffered with Jadeveon Clowney, this leads many to believe that “no way” they’ll spend a top pick on another player with questionable health, but we must remember that they have access to medical reports we’ll never see. If he’s going to return to normal, they’ll know.
As for the Arian Foster question, I’m not even concerned about that. In fact, I think it works out perfectly. Even the biggest Arian honk thinks that this is going to be his last year in Houston. A combination of age, health and contract makes it pretty much a foregone conclusion.
The Texans have run Foster into the ground with his number of carries the past three years and by drafting Gurley, they can lighten his load a bit to ensure that he stays on the field in 2015. This also helps the team bring along Gurley slowly and eventually take the reins in 2016 as the featured back.
But the Texans have so many needs! Why would they possibly pass on an edge rusher or linebacker help for a “luxury” pick?
This one, too, is simple to me. By drafting Gurley this year, Houston avoids having running back as a need at this time next year, which it will be. There are so many questions at the quarterback position that creating a stud, clock-eating running game seems to be a priority. I know the programmed response is that you can find a good runner in the later rounds, but you aren’t finding one with gifts like Gurley has that late. You can, however, find edge rushers and linebackers in the later rounds that can make a huge impact.
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I’m a defense first kind of guy and even I can’t imagine passing on a talent like Gurley in the position that the Texans are in. I think it will help the hopeful success of Ryan Mallett by not putting too much on his shoulders all at once and help create a bully attitude for this team by saying we are going to beat you by punching you in the mouth with our defense and running it down your throats.
A 1-2 punch of Foster and Gurley in 2015 could help Houston chase the Colts while building towards the future. For me, if Gurley is surprisingly still on the board at 16, you should run to the podium as fast as he would on a breakaway to turn in that card.
Mike Kerns is a part-time contributor for House of Houston and the former host of Red Nation Radio and Luv Ya Steel Blue. You can read the rest of his work for House of Houston here.
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