After Richard Justice’s fawning column yesterday on new Texans’ receiver Eric Moulds, Chronicle columnist John McClain gets into the cheerleading act today as he states the following regarding Texans placekicker Kris Brown in his daily report on the Texans’ practice:
Despite the uncertainties in the return game, Marciano has no concern about three members of his special teams ó kicker Kris Brown, punter Chad Stanley and long snapper Bryan Pittman. All are solid veterans whose consistency helps a coach sleep better.
“I don’t know what I’d do without those guys,” Marciano said.
McClain might have a point about Stanley and Pittman, but it’s ludicrous to characterize Brown as a consistently good kicker. Last season, Brown blew at least a couple of games by missing quite makeable field goals and only two kickers in the entire NFL (Ryan Longwell and Paul Edinger) made a lower percentage of field goal attempts between 30 – 39 yards than Brown. And just to show that last season was not an aberration, Brown has been in the lower third of NFL kickers in overall accuracy for the past five consecutive seasons.
Thus, rather than “a solid veteran whose consistency helps a coach sleep better” and who draws $1.2 million in base salary, Brown actually ought to be fighting for his job during training camp. But the Chronicle never has let objective criteria get in the way of cheerleading for the Texans in the optimistic glow of the pre-season.
Optimism in the preseason is not a phenomenon that is specific to the Texans. It happens in just about all markets, not just here:
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Commentary/Columns/2006/wilkening063006.htm
Your point about Kris Brown is well taken, though I am not sure how much competition we could bring in to create competition at that spot. Bob McNair certainly is willing to spend money, but in a salary cap world, it is hard to bring in a guy to create true competition in the place kicking position.
Even if you find a young guy who can kick it through the uprights during training camp, it is different in a stadium full of people.
One thing to be critical from your computer chair, it’s another thing to come up with a name who would sign here with Brown in place. I am guessing that there were enough problems with the 2005 Texans without having to try to learn up a new kicker along with all the other changes they are making.
I am guessing that KB is staying because Marciano likes him, but I am guessing Kubiak’s patience will be limited with him next year if he has some game altering missed kicks again.
Stephanie, pre-season optimism regarding the home team is fine; failure of reporters covering a team to point out objective evidence of a team’s weakness is not.
Paying high prices for players such as Moulds and Brown when they are not much more (if any) more productive than a replacement-level player would be is part of the reason that the Texans have salary cap problems.
You are right that Bob McNair is as good an owner as there is in the NFL. A pure class act.
Where did you get the belief that the Texans have salary cap problems?
Who is the replacement player for Brown we could have a shot at acquiring but didn’t? Is this article grumbly enough on Brown for you? (see end) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/3884483.html
You really can’t be serious that you would find Gaffney and Moulds to be equivalent players? An undisciplined route running, non-mentoring player equals a 4 time ProBowler with 10 years of #1 receiver experience?
You can try to Money Ball this, but Moulds will be able to do what Kubiak asks him to, and gives needed veteran leadership to the WR corps, something that has been completely lacking since Day 1 of the franchise. Moulds is a good fit for this team at this time.
Under the new higher salary cap, salaries have gone up across the board. Brown and Moulds salaries really are not out of line.
I agree that the Chronicle could do a better job at more in depth articles about the Texans.
But in the real world, with a finite number of quality players and a set amount of money to spend on same, I don’t think Moulds and Brown are highest on the list of concerns with the Texans in 2006.
Stephanie, I believe that the Texans had only about $12 million in cap room as of the latest increase in the salary cap earlier this year. That was about 20th of the 32 NFL teams. Not bad for a good team, but not good for a team that has as many needs as the Texans.
As far as replacing Brown, I am not in the NFL personnel business, so I don’t have a clue. But given Brown’s rather mediocre performance in the league, it’s odd that the Texans aren’t bringing in competition for him during training camp. BTW, I wouldn’t call that Chronicle article that you refer to a scathing analysis (or even a particularly critical one at all) of Brown.
On the question of whether Moulds is an upgrade over Gaffney, it is largely irrelevant that Moulds has had a better career. The appropriate question is whether Moulds is likely to be better than Gaffney this season.
Moulds was marginally better than Gaffney last season (Moulds ranked in the mid-50’s among NFL receivers; Gaffney in the mid-70’s). But Gaffney is seven years younger than Moulds, so I would not be surprised if he outperforms Moulds this season, not even taking into consideration the greater injury risk (because of the age difference) that the Texans have with Moulds. However, the main point is that neither of these players have recently produced at much above replacement level and, thus, could be replaced with a player of likely commensurate productivity at substantially less cost.
Looking at things now, I would agree that neither Moulds nor Brown is among the biggest problems of the Texans (left tackle, running back, MLB, QB and cornerback opposite Robinson, among others, appear to be bigger problems). But overpaying declining players such as Moulds and Brown sure makes it more difficult to buy better players to address those bigger problems.
Finally, the subjective glow from Moulds’ supposed positive locker room influence will quickly fade if his production falls off the map. Trust me on that one.
I am not sure how much competition we could bring in to create competition at that spot. Bob McNair certainly is willing to spend money, but in a salary cap world, it is hard to bring in a guy to create true competition in the place kicking position.
One thing to be critical from your computer chair, it’s another thing to come up with a name who would sign here with Brown in place.
What in the WORLD are you talking about?
Many teams that have an established kicker still bring in a kicker to push that guy in training camp, and they will often do so in order to scout potential kickers (in case they need a replacement midseason or the following season). Competition at positions NEVER hurts, especially among kickers.
Further, the notion that the Texans couldn’t find a body to bring in for the minimum is just ludicrous. There are all sorts of unemployed kickers — undrafted free agents, unemployed veterans, etc. You aren’t going to take a salary cap hit simply because you brought a kicker to camp to push your starter or to evaluate.
If you’ve got an established pro-bowl kicker in place, maybe you don’t bring anyone in. That said, even Bill Parcells has a second kicker in camp, in case he decides VanderJagt can’t handle kickoffs, and Big Bill lamented not bringing in competition for his kicker in camp during one previous Cowboys season when that kicker faltered, even though they looked set at the position to start the season. The Hall of Fame coach is right. He should have, and so should the Texans.
Kevin-
All I was suggesting is that bring a kicker into camp for the “league minimum” isn’t likely to result actual competition. Not a very controversial point of view.
So, that is what in the WORLD I was talking about. 🙂
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