ESPN Search

Insider NFL analysts Mel Kiper, Gary Horton, Matt Williamson, Field Yates and Herm Edwards break down every NFL team in five key categories to see how the league might stack up three years from now entering the 2016 season.

Story | Conversation | June 19, 2013

The Chicago Bears' apparent decision to keep second-year fullback/tight end Evan Rodriguez despite two offseason arrests speaks volumes about the pressure the organization is under to protect its draft picks after former general manager Jerry Angelo ...

...

The Houston Texans have uncertainty at linebacker. But they also have flexibility and time. Two things are certain: Brian Cushing will be back from a torn ACL and manning the weak inside spot, and second-year man Whitney Mercilus will graduate to ...

After grabbing a strongside linebacker in the third round, the Houston Texans went with another in the fourth: Trevardo Williams from UConn. I initially figured Williams would be on the weakside, but linebacker coach Reggie Herring said he wou...

During his time at the NFL scouting combine, Sam Montgomery addressed concerns about the consistency of his effort as a college player. The problem is that he admitted there were concerns about his effort as a college player. He's now a member ...

They are two-time defending division champs and have been to the second round of the playoffs two consecutive seasons. Teams like that are not typically prime players in free agency. They have players they have to spend to retain, limiting the cas...

Reading the coverage ... Houston Texans Brett Kollmann of Battle Red Blog has a very thorough write-up considering how the Texans defensive will evolve in 2013. "To clear (Whitney) Mercilus from the franchise left tackles that bogged him down las...

Greg Colby and Mike Bellamy both have seen better days at Illinois. During Colby's first stint as an assistant at his alma mater (1988-95), Illinois shared a Big Ten championship in 1990 and reached six bowl games in seven seasons. Bellamy starred...

Personality-wise, Connor Barwin was one of the most affable, likeable guys in all of the AFC South. Production-wise, after a big drop-off from 2011 to 2012, we're going to have to wait and see. Tania Ganguli of the Houston Chronicle reports tha...

My plan for the Houston Texans as we approach the start of the 2013 NFL calendar year: Finances: Cut wide receiver Kevin Walter, saving $2.5 million in cap space. Restructure the deal of wide receiver Andre Johnson, reducing his base salary from $...

...

INDIANAPOLIS -- When the Houston Texans traded DeMeco Ryans after the 2011 season, and as they look to recover from a 2012 filled with injuries at inside linebacker, I've maintained that a one-dimensional position doesn't require big attention. It ca...

Sometimes people send stuff to my mailbag just to stir me up. This one worked. LX from CHUCO, TX writes: Do you think the Texans will pay to keep (Brian) Cushing or is he as expendable as DeMeco was last year? The Def did not collapse while he was...

Tom Gower of Football Outsiders runs through the top needs of the AFC South in this Insider piece . I've spent the day working on clearance to share snippets. It's been granted. Houston Texans -- Linebacker Gower: "On the inside, Brian Cushi...

Khaled Elsayed of ESPN Insider identified a list of buyer beware free agents to-be, and two of them are out of the AFC South. They don't qualify as surprises: Texans outside linebacker Connor Barwin and Colts receiver Donnie Avery. Barwin had a c...