Why the Texans are the way they are

[JoeSixPat]

http://www.boston.com/sports/footba...creening_process_has_some_holes_in_it/?page=4

The Texans' supposed interest in drafting North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams with the No. 1 overall selection is being met with skepticism around the league. As much as they like Williams, they can't afford to upset their fans (many of whom want the team to draft Young, the local hero) by passing on Southern Cal tailback Reggie Bush.

Can anyone picture BB/SP drafting a guy because the fans will be upset if they don't?

I think the Texans fans will be happy if the Texans will a lot of games and a Superbowl or two. The question that should concern the Texans is which player will have the biggest effect on the team's ability to win more games, adding Bush or Williams, not which player will make the fans (and media) happy.

All this talk is simply a negotiating tool in salary talks with Bush.

It is possible (but not likely) that a team like the Texans could draft Young or another player at number 1 if that player agreed not to make unreasonable salary demands. The prospect of that happening is meant to serve as a balance to Reggie Bush's high salary demands.

Indeed, many GM are beginning to realize that the number 1 draft choice can be an albatross for a bad team. A team that is perpetually bad winds up getting numerous top 3 picks - but also gets saddled a lot of cap space in just a few players. In weak draft years many want to trade down because the cap value doesn't fit the talent level, but they can't find willing partners.

Although the draft order is meant to help achieve parity, in reality it can have the opposite effect, with teams that are forced to use their successive high picks on limited high salaried players, leaving them with limited funds for the middle class.

Should some of those picks be busts a bad team is left in salary cap hell. Meanwhile teams like the Patriots stockpile value picks, moving up occassionally to the middle of the round for cost-effective rookies & cap friendly salaries.

Some think we should scrap the current system to let the worst team pick where it wants to draft.. 2nd worst team then gets to pick and so on...

For the most part the worst teams would still likely stay near the top - but you could have a situation where in a weak draft year, a good team winds up having the top pick because most of the other teams have determined the player value doesn't meet the cap price of a #1 choice.