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ISSUE #1, VOLUME #13
Table of Contents
LZ’s 20 Texans To Watch
Page 2Fantasy Rankings
Page 5 AFC Predictions
Page 9NFC Predictions
Page 13College Top 25
Page 17“Put the Film on Bro”
Page 34CFB Conference Picks
Page 43CFB Games of the Year
Page 48CFB Top 50 Draft Eligibles
Page 49CFB Award Candidates
Page 50Interview w/ Tennessee’s Eric Berry
Page 51
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View
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Sidelin
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Whole New World
A View from the Sideline gets a SWEET facelif
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Welcome to the Preview Edition of AView From the Sideline.
Yeah, it tooklonger to get this copy out than we wanted, but when you see how muchinfo we have packed inside this issueincluding a phenomenal college section,I think you will see why.I’m off to a late start on fantasy ratingsso I've only done the abbreviated version.
My full version won't beavailable until next week and it will beavailable in our pay version of thenewsletter, but I've got ratings, sleepersand potential busts in this very editionand we are doing a
fantasy footballdraft show on 1560 AM this Friday from 5 to 7 PM.Yes, it’s taken years for the two of us to get it together...also known as learning a newsletter program. But, we’ve finally done it and look forward to providing you all of the great information that we’ve provided in years past. Justhopefully in a more Megan Fox kind or way.So, show it to your buddies
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if they’refootball fans, it’s a must read. Well, if Ishould say so myself. No matter whatthe ‘newsletter’ looks like.
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Lance Zierlei
n
LISTEN DAILY TO 1560 THE GAME
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HOME OF LANCE ZIERLEIN AND JOHN HARRISLance Zierlein and John Harris have known eachother since 1984, but never thought in a million years they’d be able to join forcesoutside of A View from the Sideline.But, thanks a team of many toonumerous to name, LZ and John haveteamed up on 1560 The Game. Lancecontinues his dominant run in themorning in Houston sports radio alongside “TheBoss” John Granato from 6 am to 10 am.Harris has teamed with the 5
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timeSmackoff champion and intellectual giantSean Pendergast from 3 PM to 7 PM daily. Tune in for the best football coverage inHouston, or anywhere forthat matter. The website is www.1560thegame.com
VIEW FROM THE SIDELINE
20 TEXANS
LZ’S 20 TEXANS TO WATCH
Zac Diles, LB:
Diles has the ability to play all three LBpositions which adds to his value although he's not thebackup MLB right now and I'm not sure the weakside ishis best side. Diles really showed improvement in passcoverage last year until he got injured and was out for the year, but he's still below average in that department in my opinion. Diles has shown plenty of improvement sincehe's come into the league and gives the Texans pretty gooddepth at LB.
Kevin Walter, WR:
Walter continues to be underratedby NFL defenses, but I doubt that lasts for long. Walterisn't just a possession receiver, he's the total package. Hehas proven that he can get deep on defenses if they try and single him up
(
although he's not your standard "deepthreat"
)
and he's as sure
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handed on the intermediate andshort routes as any WR on the team. The mostunderestimated value that Walter brings to the team is his willingness to block on the outside during running plays.If you aren't a willing blocker at WR, you can't play under Alex Gibbs and Walter is more than willing to block.
Fred Bennett, CB:
Bennett got into the doghouse last year and never really got out because he was not showing the consistency and discipline that the team wanted.Personally, I feel like Bennett shows much better instinctsthan Jacques Reeves, but Reeves and the speed andquickness over Bennett. Bennett is willing to come up andtackle and with Reeves out, he has a chance to prove thathe can cover well enough to be the full time starter at CB.If Bennett plays well, it could have an impact on how the Texans handle Dunta Robinson in the offseason.
Eric Winston, RT:
Winston has flown under the radarof NFL pundits over the last couple of seasons, but thatprobably ends this year with what could be a his first ProBowl trip. Winston's feet have never been in doubt as he'sathletic enough to play on the left side
(
but doesn'tbecause of his shorter arms
)
. Winston is a technically proficient pass protector and his run blocking has gone tothe next level thanks to the ability to utilize hisathleticism in the zone scheme
.Ryan Moats, RB:
Moats reminds me of Mewelde Moore who has made a living in the NFL by being able to do a little bit of everything. Moats has good quickness throughthe hole and is willing to run inside despite his smallishframe. His ability to catch passes out of the backfield as well as help in the return game means that he has theflexibility that teams look for in 3rd RBs. Moats probably makes the team because he isn't a one
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trick pony. He's nothoroughbred, but the Texans can put him in the gameand he'll be a professional.
Steve Slaton, RB:
Slaton's burst and top
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end speed werehis calling card coming into the NFL, but the attributesthat have made him such a great fit for the zone schemehave been his vision, decisiveness and toughness running the ball inside. Slaton's ability to catch the ball in space issomething that terrifies defensive coordinators becausethey realize that he's one missed tackle away from big plays. In all honesty, I'm a little worried about Slaton this year because I don't know if he can get as many touches aslast year and run as tough as he did last year while stillremaining healthy.
Eugene Wilson, FS:
Wilson was a CB in college but thePatriots immediately transitioned him over to free safety.I think his background in coverage is still evident when you watch him on the field today as he is easily the bestsafety the Texans have ever had when it comes todiagnosing and making a play on the ball when he getsthere. Wilson did a nice job defending deeper passes onthe third level and my guess is that Frank Bush will feelcomfortable enough with Wilson as a single, high safety toutilize his SS in more blitz packages.
Duane Brown, LT:
Brown came into camp lighter this year which is a great sign because it shows that he put hismind to losing weight in the offseason and followedthrough with it. Having the discipline to lose that weightis important because discipline and consistency are two of the things you must have to be successful as an offensivelinemen in the zone scheme. Brown has the tools to be a solid pass blocker, but his technique is still very sloppy attimes. He still lunges and bends at the waist and hisfootwork is sloppy more than the Texans would probably like, but those things can be worked on. What I'm excitedabout is seeing if Brown's loss of weight will lead to a quicker, more agile athlete who can win at the POA.
Tim Bulman, DE/DT:
I listed Bulman as a DE and DTbecause that is the versatility that he offers. WhileBulman isn't the most dynamic pass rusher or explosiveathlete, his
VIEW FROM THE SIDELINE
20 TEXANS
LZ’S 20 TEXANS TO WATCH
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CONT’D
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motor is what first blew me away two camps ago and it isthe reason that he will play a while in the NFL. Bulmannever gives up on plays, and he never goes at anything lessthan 100
%
which means that he's always going to get a few sacks each season. I don't consider him much of a pass rushing threat at DE, but I do think that he can be a much bigger factor than some might think at rushing thepasser from the inside when he is bumped down to DTand paired up with Antonio Smith
(
if/when Okoye is onthe sidelines
)
.
David Anderson, WR:
Anderson might be the mostoutgoing and funny Texan on the entire roster, but don'tsleep on his ability as a wide receiver. What makes Anderson a coach's dream is that he might be small instature, but he's willing to crack
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back on DE's on one play and then work the middle of the field the next. Andersonhas very good hands and gives the Texans added value withhis ability to return punts. While he's not the mostexplosive punt returner out there, he takes care of the balland that is the kind of safety net that Gary Kubiak wouldn't hesitate to use if he needed it.
Chris Myers, C:
Myers will miss some practice time andpreseason games thanks to his high ankle sprain, but heshould be fine once the season starts. Many Texans fansthink of the Steelers game from Week 1 last season whenthey think of Myers and that was easily his worst game.However, nobody talks much about what a terrific job hedid on Shaun Rogers or the fact that he was a solid part of an offensive line that opened up running lanes for SteveSlaton. Myers will always have trouble against defensivefronts where he has a big NT lined up over him, but he gained 15 pounds this offseason in hopes of combating that. While Myers will get pushed around from time totime, he does work well in space and he does a good job of getting to the second level against LBs in the running game. I think he'll have a hard time battling AntoineCaldwell by next year, but he's the best center the Texanshave right now for sure.
Matt Schaub, QB:
Schaub's accuracy in the intermediateand deep passing game is one of the primary reasons the Texans made such a strong leap up the boards in terms of total offense last year. Schaub's arm strength is nothing special so he has to work off of timing and instincts morethan some other big
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armed QBs. Schaub's confidence haslooked a little shaky at times since taking over as a starter with the Texans, but his understanding of the offense andhow to execute it is clearly there. If Schaub can stay healthy and if he continues to improves with his decisionmaking and confidence in the red zone, he could be incontention for a Pro Bowl appearance at the end of this year.
Antonio Smith, DE/DT:
Smith has the size at DE thatmany teams love, but he's just okay as a pass rusher outthere
—
nothing special. What the Arizona Cardinalsfigured out is that Smith's athleticism and quickness gofrom being average outside to way above average when he was bumped down inside to DT on passing situations.Smith is pretty solid against the run as a DE which isobviously important to the Texans, but he is getting paidto get pressure on the QB and to do that he uses hisquickness off the snap to play in the gaps and he has a wicked spin move that less athletic guards have a hardtime dealing with. Smith gives the Texans the type of athlete who can be effective with the End/Tackle and Tackle/End twists which is something that have being doing quite a bit of over the last two years.
Andre Johnson, WR:
This one could be the shortestbreakdown of any of the players that I'll be taking a lookat since you already know what I'm going to say. Johnsonis the best combination of size, speed and strength in theleague and he did a much better job of hanging onto theball last year. Johnson has always had this ability, he justdidn't have an offense or QB to consistently get him theball where he could make big plays until now.
Dunta Robinson, CB:
Love him or hate him, he's easily the best CB on the Texans roster. Robinson gets dinged asbeing "bad in coverage" by some fans, but that isn't really accurate. Kerry Collins made a perfect pass to beatRobinson two years ago in Reliant on a drive thateventually won the game and many fans remember that.In reality, personnel people from around the league thinkhe's decent in coverage and one of the great run supportcorners in the league. DRob's lack of size will probably prevent him from playing safety since he would bethrowing his body around even more as a safety and wouldlikely start to break down. Robinson never looked like he was 100 percent recovered when he came back last year
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