Here’s what they got."It’s NFL Conference Championship week
Tashaun Gipson Jersey White , and I haven’t given a speck of thought to the Houston Texans’ upcoming offseason. There will be months of it. Nine, in fact,
until the Texans play another game. There will be all of February to talk talk
about free agency, and March will be split between both free agency the upcoming
draft, with April full of draft talk. All that will be here soon. What we have
right now is finite. Three more games, soon to disappear altogether entirely.
Loyal reader, I wanted to take a second from my monomaniacal pursuit to
summarize the resources available to the Texans this offseason for everyone who
is in that mode.For those who have already moved forward to 2019. As of right
now, the Texans have $67,097,417.00 in cap space. This is the sixth most in the
league. They’ll be paying $1,769,452 in dead money to Jeff Allen, Braxton
Miller, Tyler Ervin, and Treston Decoud. Remember them? This number is also
before potential cuts. Houston can save $14 million if they cut Demaryius
Thomas, $9,069,000 if they cut Kevin Johnson, $6,203,125 if they cut Lamar
Miller, $2
Christian Covington Jersey ,687,500 if they cut Ryan Griffin, and dare I say it, $13 million if they cut J.J. Watt. Whitney Mercilus is also a possible trade
piece; Houston would save $6,250,000 if they cut ties with Mercilus. $67 million
is a lot of money, especially for a playoff team to have at their disposal. The
joys of having a quarterback on a rookie contract. The Texans have fifteen
unrestricted free agents, three restricted free agents, and one exclusive rights
free agent. That’s a long list. Rather than waste paper, here’s the list of free
agents Houston has via Over The Cap. In addition to the $67 million in cap
space, players they can release to create more room, and the 17 free agents they
have this offseason, the Texans have draft picks. They finally have their first
and second round picks again after the [NAME REDACTED] trade zapped a second
rounder; their 2018 first rounder was lost in moving up to select Deshaun
Watson. By trading second team All-Pro tackle Duane Brown in 2017, the Texans
gained a second rounder in the 2019 NFL Draft. Houston will select 23rd overall
in the first round, and then have back-to-back second round picks with the 54th
and 55th overall selections before moving on to their third, fifth, sixth and
seventh round selections as well.The fourth rounder is now Denver’s via the
acquisition of Demaryius Thomas back in October.These are the resources Brian
Gaine has to work with this spring. Keep this in mind as you scour upcoming free
agents and stroll through cyberspace on the backs of Mock Draft camels. Now,
back to the 2019 NFL Playoffs. Jamal Adams understands what the New York Jets'
record shows: a 4-10 squad facing an uncertain future.He also refuses to accept
that they are one of the NFL's worst, no matter what the standings or critics
say."Again, we're a good football team," the safety insisted after the Jets'
29-22 loss to Houston on Saturday night. "We're obviously in every ballgame
besides the Buffalo Bills game, but the rest we've been in. So I don't really
know where the speculation of just because we're losing we're a bad football
team (comes from)."We've just got to make more plays and play smarter at certain
times."The Jets have actually played a lot better since losing to Buffalo 41-10
on Nov. 11. A 14-point loss to New England followed
Womens Tyler Ervin Jersey , then a seven-point defeat at Tennessee. They snapped a six-game skid with a 27-23 victory at Buffalo last Sunday and then
held a late lead before falling to the AFC South-leading Texans.So, a play here
or there and the record could look a lot more respectable.Coach Todd Bowles
deals in reality, though, and there's no denying the facts staring him in the
face."Our record is what it is," Bowles said Sunday when asked about Adams'
postgame comments. "We are a 4-10 football team. We compete our butts off, but
no moral victories (for) playing hard. We've got to win ballgames."That, of
course, has been much easier said than done this season. And time is running
out, with a home game against Green Bay next Sunday followed by the finale at
New England.Bowles is likely to be dismissed after that, ending a four-year
tenure that included no playoff appearances. General manager Mike Maccagnan is
also no lock to be back, especially if acting owner Christopher Johnson decides
to start from scratch ??again.But, is Adams' overall assessment that far off, as
outlandish or optimistic as it seems at face value?Well, for one, the Jets
believe they have their franchise quarterback in Sam Darnold , and he has
certainly played like one in the two games since he missed three with a foot
injury.The No. 3 overall pick is 40 of 62 for 423 yards and three touchdowns
with an interception, and showed in both games an ability to take over drives
with both his legs and his right arm."Darnold's special, and you see it,"
cornerback Trumaine Johnson said. "He is special. He has kept us in games, for
sure."For a franchise in flux, having the quarterback to build around is a
start. Whether it's Bowles and Maccagnan or another combination of men in
charge, the Jets will head into the offseason expected to have more than $100
million in salary cap space. They'll have the opportunity to bring in the type
of playmakers that could have made a difference in those close losses.On
offense
Womens Shane Lechler Jersey , Darnold is working with a line that has been inconsistent and a backfield that is missing its top two players in Isaiah
Crowell and Bilal Powell because of injuries. Wide receiver Quincy Enunwa has
been banged-up and the rookie is beginning to establish a rapport with deep
threat Robby Anderson."Obviously, he's getting comfortable and he's making plays
with his feet and he's finding the open areas," Bowles said of Darnold. "He and
Robby have had the chance to work together for a while now and it's just
starting to click."Anderson was targeted 11 times by Darnold against the Texans
and finished with seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. Against Buffalo,
Anderson had four catches for 76 yards and a score on seven
targets."Communication, repetition and connecting," Anderson said of what has
changed between him and Darnold since training camp.There's still some
fine-tuning needed, though, as shown when Anderson couldn't hang onto Darnold's
pass on fourth-and-14 from the Jets 21 late in the game that led to a field goal
for the Texans with 57 seconds left."Every throw that I throw to our receivers,
I feel like they can catch," Darnold said. "But at the same time, I've got to
put it in a better spot. That's just the name of the game."There have also been
frequent breakdowns on defense late in games, including allowing Deshaun Watson
to march the Texans down the field 75 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. That has
been an ongoing theme throughout the season, something that will need to be
fixed moving forward, whether it's adding additional playmakers, a new scheme,
or both."It was just a couple of plays here and there that we could have made,"
cornerback Morris Claiborne said. "For the most part, I felt like we put
together a good game. Probably one or two plays that separates them. That's the
difference in this league. I felt like we came out with some good energy. We
came out and played fast. It just didn't come out our way."NOTES: Bowles said RT
Brandon Shell was scheduled to have an MRI later Sunday after he was carted off
the field with a knee injury. "I don't think he'll be back anytime soon," Bowles
said. ... Bowles said WR Rishard Matthews (hamstring) is also having an MRI, and
DB Darryl Roberts has a sprained toe.
