Texans Camp & Pre-season

[Uncle Charlie]

For being this early in camp, and with a team not projected to be a serious playoff contender, there certainly is a lot of drama.  The 2013 draft is looking rather week in the middle rounds, where teams often develop or stack the much needed depth in an NFL playoff team.  AJ is being mis-handled by Rick Smith (and others I presume).  JJ Watt has to be wondering if the Texans are going to be the right place to spend the next 5 years of his life.  Louis Nix ended up on PUP - a little bit of a concern.

I don't get the AJ thing.  Recent reports indicated he was ready to come back to work at the beginning of camp.  He had gotten comfortable and then the $1 million bonus for workouts became an issue.  He was looking for a way to earn back that money, but wasn't afforded that opportunity.  While I normally respect a common set of rules, and sticking to them, for the team, AJ is special.  Special players get special treatment and if he was going to earn it back, how is that a bad example?  It tells players that if you do good things (pro-bowls, re-structure contracts, etc) you get treated somewhat differently but still need to make amends if you break rules.  Amazingly, that's been fucked up and now I wonder if he'll ever where steel blue again.  To add insult to injury, AJ's mug is missing from ALL season ticket materials.  They have to solve this and solve it quickly.

On the other hand, JJ Watt provides a unique opportunity.  He's cheap this year and even next.  Due to a number of events, largely re-tooling and an increased cap number, we have almost $8 MM in cap room.  We're unlikely to need much of that, and if AJ gets traded or released then there is $3 MM more.  Why not use some of that for Watt and get the extension done.  He'll take a discount if we extend him now and provide him with some cash security.  Instead of paying a large bonus, give him a high salary this year.  Cash is neutral, but it saves cap space later.

All things being equal, I'm happy to see football creeping around the corner.  Only 2 1/2 weeks to first game...albeit pre-season

[Ty in Tampa]

Regarding Johnson, it's pretty simple really. You show up for the workouts, you get your bonus. No player should be special enough to skirt incentives, no matter what. He needs to man up and get to camp. THAT is the best example he can set.

[Limey]

Regarding Johnson, it's pretty simple really. You show up for the workouts, you get your bonus. No player should be special enough to skirt incentives, no matter what. He needs to man up and get to camp. THAT is the best example he can set.

This is what JJ said about such matters.  He's not wrong.

[Limey]

On the other hand, JJ Watt provides a unique opportunity.  He's cheap this year and even next.  Due to a number of events, largely re-tooling and an increased cap number, we have almost $8 MM in cap room.  We're unlikely to need much of that, and if AJ gets traded or released then there is $3 MM more.  Why not use some of that for Watt and get the extension done.  He'll take a discount if we extend him now and provide him with some cash security.  Instead of paying a large bonus, give him a high salary this year.  Cash is neutral, but it saves cap space later.

I'm not sure that's as simple as it sounds.  He's going to require that there be a plausible road map for the Texans to the Super Bowl (or maybe just the 2nd round) before making a long-term commitment to the team.  He would be crazy not to, especially as the Texans just started their nth reboot.

[Navin R Johnson]

This is about as uninterested in the Texans start of the season as I recall ever being.  Maybe O'Brien can turn this thing around and make them exciting but I have my doubts, especially as long as Smith is in a decision making role. 

[Uncle Charlie]

Regarding Johnson, it's pretty simple really. You show up for the workouts, you get your bonus. No player should be special enough to skirt incentives, no matter what. He needs to man up and get to camp. THAT is the best example he can set.

I couldn't disagree more that it's black and white like that.  If someone (i.e AJ) has done special things for the company, then the company should do special things for that person - I see it in my industry (Oil & Gas) all of the time.  If he just wanted the money without showing up, that would be one thing, but as I understand it he was willing to "earn it back".  AJ has been a model citizen as a Texan up until this summer.  There is no reason why he shouldn't be given a break.  That said, I DO agree with you that the best example he could set would have been to just show up...but sometimes life isn't perfect.

[Uncle Charlie]

I'm not sure that's as simple as it sounds.  He's going to require that there be a plausible road map for the Texans to the Super Bowl (or maybe just the 2nd round) before making a long-term commitment to the team.  He would be crazy not to, especially as the Texans just started their nth reboot.

In the world of football, where career limiting injuries are common and there are guaranteed contracts do exist, the player will almost always take a discount to get security.  How much of a discount is a bit of a debate, but its is the reason most contracts have such a large signing bonus.

[Ty in Tampa]

I couldn't disagree more that it's black and white like that.  If someone (i.e AJ) has done special things for the company, then the company should do special things for that person - I see it in my industry (Oil & Gas) all of the time.  If he just wanted the money without showing up, that would be one thing, but as I understand it he was willing to "earn it back".  AJ has been a model citizen as a Texan up until this summer.  There is no reason why he shouldn't be given a break.  That said, I DO agree with you that the best example he could set would have been to just show up...but sometimes life isn't perfect.

The only reason I believe it is this black and white is that it was an incentive and he pissed on it. Why should he be rewarded for that? That kind of behavior...trickles down. Where do you draw the line? He needs to be a man, realize he fucked up and get his ass to camp.

[HudsonHawk]

AJ has been a model citizen as a Texan up until this summer.  There is no reason why he shouldn't be given a break. 

This isn't the first time he's done this sort of thing.  He held out in 2010 and the Texans "gave him a break", giving in to what he wanted, which was a contract through 2016 making him the highest paid receiver in the league.  Now he's wanting...what?  To get out?  Still be paid for things he promised but the refused to deliver?  Sorry.  I love Andre.  But he's way out of line on this one.

[Limey]

Sorry.  I love Andre.  But he's way out of line on this one.

[Morgan Freeman] For once, you and I are in total agreement.  [/Morgan Freeman]

[Limey]

In the world of football, where career limiting injuries are common and there are guaranteed contracts do exist, the player will almost always take a discount to get security.  How much of a discount is a bit of a debate, but its is the reason most contracts have such a large signing bonus.

I understand this.  Also, signing bonuses are all-important because they are the only guaranteed money in a player's contract.  Having said that, Watt strikes me as a pragmatic dude who may look at what he has earned to date (I believe over $11mm through 2014) as being a lot of money, and so might "risk" an injury in favor of playing on a championship* team.

* Or hometown.  I don't know if Watt has many ties to the Texans or Houston outside of being drafted here.  He grew up in Wisconsin, about half way between Green Bay and Chicago, however...

[Limey]

The Chronicle weighs in.

The important bit that I was missing:

Watt, who's represented by Tom Condon, has no leverage other than to ... withhold his services. That's a player's only recourse when he can't get what he wants from his club.  The Texans can have Watt tied up for three more years if they choose, including 2016, when they could use the franchise tag on him.

[Ebby Calvin]

AJ returned to camp today.

[Limey]

AJ returned to camp today.

Day after my season tickets showed up.  Coincidence?  I doubt it.