Texan WR news

[mudloggerone]

rotoworld,

Coach Gary Kubiak expects Jacoby Jones to compete with Kevin Walter for the starting job opposite Andre Johnson.

We're still not sure why the Texans overpaid to keep Walter ($8 million guaranteed) when Jones showed so much promise last year. With Trindon Holliday handling return duties, Jones is pushing for more offensive snaps. While Walter does the little things better, Jones has considerably more talent. He's a better fantasy pick than Walter this year.
Source: Houston Chronicle

 

[mudloggerone]

Here's the nfl.com spin on the Walter vs Jones competition.

The Houston Chronicle reports Texans coach Gary Kubiak is expecting WR Jacoby Jones to compete with Kevin Walter for a starting job this season. That's something Jones is looking forward to. "Whatever their plans are, I know it'll be big and it'll be fun," Jones said. He has been one of the Texans' bright spots during the first two weeks of OTA workouts. "He's pushing for more playing time on this football team," Kubiak said. "If the OTAs are any indication, he's doing a hell of a job."

Analysis: Walter had a down year in 2009 with 53 receptions for 611 yards and two touchdowns. But we still expect him to earn the starting spot opposite Andre Johnson. Keep an eye on what happens with Walter and Jones, but if Walter starts as expected then plan on drafting him with a late-round pick in all leagues.

 

[Coachnorm]

Thanks Mud, a nice bit of insight.

 

[mudloggerone]

rotoworld,
Coach Gary Kubiak hasn't been satisfied with sixth-round KR Trindon Holliday's work at wide receiver this spring.

"He is what we thought he was as far as his talent and all that," Kubiak said. "But in this league, he's going to have to play wide receiver, so he's got a long, long way to go. He's way behind." The Texans have alternatives on returns with Jacoby Jones and Andre' Davis, so Holliday may not be a lock for the final roster.
Source: houstontexans.com

 

[storminn0rm]

Walter should be the starter at the beginning of the season. I would like to see Jones handle more offensive snaps this year.

 

[mudloggerone]

rotoworld,
Coach Gary Kubiak has said he wants to groom sixth-round KR/WR Trindon Holliday to play the slot.

Holliday did catch 69 passes in his final two seasons at LSU, but he won't be able to do that at the NFL level. It's hard to see Holliday being effective as a receiver at 5'5/164. The college track star will be limited to trick plays and the return game if he ends up making the final roster.
Source: Houston Chronicle

 

[mudloggerone]

rotoworld,
Coach Gary Kubiak continues to shower praise on Jacoby Jones, this time noting that the enigmatic receiver has finally matured.

It's worth noting as Kubiak has often cited Jones' lack of maturity and consistency as factors holding him back. Jones has perhaps the highest upside of all the late-round fliers this year, but he may be another year away from a true breakout unless Andre Johnson or Kevin Walter miss extended time.
Source: houstontexans.com

 

[mudloggerone]

rotoworld,
Texans GM Rick Smith has put a Week 1 deadline on a potential contract adjustment for Andre Johnson.

"Our policy's been that we'll look at deals and we'll try to get things done during the offseason," Smith said. "But once the season starts, our entire focus as an organization goes to football and playing games." Smith did acknowledge that he's been in contact with Johnson's new agent, though a raise still seems unlikely.
Source: ESPN.com

 

[Coachnorm]

Throwing in a little TE info:

TE James Casey pulled his groin and will miss the next few weeks of minicamps, reports the Texans' official site. Analysis: Casey will be in a tough competition this summer for reps. Aside from starter Owen Daniels, the Texans also spent a high draft pick on tight end Garrett Graham. The sooner Casey gets back on the field, the better.

 

[mudloggerone]

cbssports.com,
Despite speculation that Texans WR Andre Johnson might hold out of training camp because of unhappiness with his contract, the Pro Bowl receiver was in uniform at practice on the first day. Texans owner Bob McNair stressed that he'd like Johnson to be a Texan for life, and Johnson believes he should be the highest-paid receiver in football. He's already up to his high level of play as he reeled in a 60-yard pass in practice from Matt Schaub with Texans starting cornerback Clover Quin wrapping him in coverage.

Analysis: Johnson isn't in a contract year, but might he play like he's in one? After all, the more impressive his stats and his play are, the more money he can likely land via a new contract. That's an exciting thought, but the truth is that so long as he is healthy and QB Matt Schaub is healthy, there's nothing stopping him from being the best Fantasy receiver to take on Draft Day. We like him as high as fifth overall in PPR leagues and seventh overall in standard formats, though a more modest expectation would be to see him go within the top 15 picks.

 

[gruntbusters]

Jacoby Jones overtakes him as the #1 WR in Houston by Week 10 anyway....:stoned:

 

[mudloggerone]

rotoworld,
Coach Gary Kubiak said he considers Jacoby Jones his No. 3 receiver right now, but added that "we have three starters, in my opinion."

The battle between Jones and Walter has been nip and tuck, with the incumbent starting both preseason games so far. That was expected considering Walter's status as the veteran with the hefty new contract. Look for the Texans to run plenty of three-wide sets and we still like Jones as the sleeper with more upside. The better player will get more targets.
Source: HoustonTexans.com

 

[gruntbusters]

Boo....I was hoping he'd be the #2 there.

 

[mudloggerone]

cbssports.com,
Texans WR Jacoby Jones continued his strong preseason on Saturday and is pushing fellow wideout Kevin Walter for a starting job. Jones caught five passes for 63 yards during Houston's rout of the Cowboys, including a 24-yard touchdown from Matt Schaub. He also returned three punts for 16 yards. Jones has 12 receptions for 131 yards through three games.

Analysis: Even if Jones doesn't end up beating out Walter to start opposite of Andre Johnson, he's outplayed Walter in the preseason and we expect him to be Houston's No. 2 wideout this year. Returning punts increases his value in Fantasy leagues that reward for special teams yardage, but in standard formats we view him as as a No. 4 WR.

 

[bobbeaux]

anderson is in the mix too . . . walter would be better in the slot for the team w/ jones and anderson swapping out opposite aj . . . since they lost their rookie pr/kr, i think it's going to hold jones back from taking over the #2 spot . . . they also have a plethora of te's to choose from for 2 te sets . . . however, jones is probably the receiver to own other than aj and daniels.

 

[Texans_Chick]

Consider Walter 2A player and Jones 2B player. Their roles are different--Walter is more possession guy, Jones is more explosive guy (one of the fastest players on the team). Jones will likely be doing punt return duties since Trindon Holliday got put on IR (though Slaton may be getting some of that)--the special teams duty may cut into WR time.

This year expect more of AJ and Jones on the field at the same time--previously, Jones came in more to give AJ a breather. Lots of 3/4 wide sets too.

Don't sleep on Walter. His numbers went down last season because he started the season injured. He's had a good camp, but so has Jones. I see Jones as more of the big play threat though Walter can have his moments.

Biggest problem with getting any wide receiver not named Andre Johnson is that there are so many targets on the Texans offense and Schaub throws it to either AJ (whether he is doubled or not) or the random open guy--whether it is RB, TE, wide receiver.