Having never visited Houston, I have nothing pithy to say about this city, so my only tangential story has to deal with a Houston Oilers player I once saw in Vegas (Yes, I know the Oilers are now the Titans, but I got nothing else, so just shut up and listen). It was April (probably back in 2004 or 2005). After a night of carousing, thoughts of food at 4 or 5 in the morning was on the minds of me and my fellow friends, so for whatever reason we decided to hit the restaurant on the ground level of the Barbary Coast (not that we were staying there, but whatever). The place was packed so we actually had to wait for a table and so we milled around the casino floor while waiting.
From out of the blue near the gaming tables we heard shouts of "Run and Shoot!" So as my friends and I looked over we saw Hall of Famer (not then) Warren Moon making his way to the after hours club Drai's with two ladies in tow strapped to his arms. Hey, isn't Moon married? I'm sure they were just business associates. Or maybe we all saw a Warren Moon impersonator. A few nights later one of my friends sans women tried to get into Drai's, but he didn't have Mr. Moon's luck.
So, onto the pick...
The Texans fished last year 8-8 in the tough AFC South which contains the likes of Indy, Jacksonville and Tennessee. It's unfortunate this team can't move themselves to the NFC West, but then every team would want that cushy assignment.
While this team has overall basic pieces, they lack depth. While it's unlikely this team will move away from the middle of the pack anytime soon, especially in the division in which it plays, the biggest return on investment would have to be on the defensive side of the ball. This team ranked just in front of New Orleans in yards per game given up and tied with them in points per game given up.
This team's biggest need is probably secondary, but at this point those remaining don't warrant a pick this high. As a result we go to the LB position and choose...
15th Pick: Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
While there are concerns about the ability for this young man to stay healthy, "versatility" is the word most used to describe Cushing; and versatility is never a bad thing to have on your team.
The San Diego Chargers are now on the clock with the 16th Pick in the draft.
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Wow, Q. Your Warren Moon story is as tangential as mine! But I'm going to tell it anyway!!! ;-)
My real estate agent is married to a former Seahawks TE who once played with Moon. During my house search, my agent was out of town with her husband one weekend because they were in Canton to see Moon inducted into the Hall of Fame. So, if we're playing "Three Degrees of Warren Moon"... ;-)
Man, that Oilers-Texans connection is pretty bad (your "shut up and listen" notwithstanding). I kind of figured that you might go with a reference to Matt Maloney playing for the Houston Rockets instead. ;-)