Travis Long and the NFL: Houston Texans
By Josh Davis
Houston Texans
Dec 18, 2011; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans helmet on the sidelines against the Carolina Panthers in the third quarter at Reliant Stadium. The Panthers defeated the Texans 28-13. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
The Texans have an intriguing crew of linebackers and are pretty strong across the board there. With Brian Cushing returning and the explosive young Whitney Mercilus and Brooks Reed already stepping in to compete for playing time, manning the position in the draft just isn’t necessary. Long doesn’t make sense at defensive end either, seeing that JJ Watt has one end locked and the other has a full slate of good youngsters that will have a nice battle already. Names include Jared Crick, Keith Browner and Antonio Smith.
The Perfect Storm:
The perfect storm for Long and Houston really is that the Texans just stay away. Even with a full recovery it will be tough to make that roster at any of those positions this Fall. I also don’t see the Texans 4-3 as the type of traditional defense that suits Travis.
While we’re talking about the Texans though, I will say that Long reminds me of a poor man’s JJ Watt in his relentless pursuit of the play. Don’t think Long has the athleticism and pure power that Watt possesses, but it’s an interesting comparison nonetheless.
Likelihood of Getting Drafted by Texans:
F-