#Roderick Hargreaves

[grapecola]

Sixty-Six Per Cent

Do read my comic short story, Sixty-Six Per Cent, written for The Writers' Studio genre course #writer #writingcommunity

**In the next installment of genre writing for The Writers’ Studio, we have my comedy story. Great feedback again from my tutor. Writing comedy is a challenge, especially when you don’t think what you’re writing is funny.** Saturday 23 November – Friday 6 December 2024 The day had arrived that would enshrine Theo Colton in the annals of the most outstanding teachers in the history of Lady…

[awstenkightz]

Here's my kin list that nobody ever asked for:

- Dib Membrane

- Richie Tozier

- Klause Hargreaves

- Roderick Heffley

- Zeke ( from the movie Big Time Adolescence)

That's about it for now 😔😔

[junker-town]

Did the Texans do enough on defense to get back to the playoffs?

Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

Houston needed to address its pass rush and secondary so Deshaun Watson and the offense don’t have to do it all.

The Houston Texans had a pretty successful 2019 season. They won the AFC South and went on to beat the Buffalo Bills in overtime in the Wild Card Round. But then they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round, blowing a 24-0 second-quarter lead.

That alone probably should have been enough to get head coach Bill O’Brien fired, even though it wasn’t. Instead, the Texans promoted O’Brien to be general manager, replacing Brian Gaine, who was fired last summer. The good news for Houston is at least it still has quarterback Deshaun Watson. He can’t do it alone, though.

Houston Texans (10-6), lost in the Divisional Round

The Texans don’t have any first-round draft picks this year thanks to their trade with Miami to get offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Kenny Stills. However, they could get a lot out of free agency, especially with the $62 million in cap space they had going into the offseason.

Before free agency:

Defensive end: The Texans traded Jadeveon Clowney to the Seahawks right before the 2019 season started. J.J. Watt missed half of the season after suffering a torn pectoral, but he did return for Houston’s two playoff games. As such, the defense lacked some major production on the other side of Watt — defensive ends Angelo Blackson and Charles Omenihu combined for just three sacks on the year. Getting help during free agency or on Day 2 of the draft will be big for the Texans.

Cornerback: The Texans released Vernon Hargreaves III, whom they acquired from Tampa Bay in the middle of the season. No. 1 corner Bradley Roby is a free agent, as is veteran Johnathan Joseph.

Running back: The Texans’ offense could’ve been a lot more explosive with a consistent running game in 2019. Houston’s leading rusher was Carlos Hyde, who had 1,070 yards and six touchdowns. Its second leading rusher? Watson. While Hyde is a free agent this offseason, Houston could target a running back, such as LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire or Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins, in the second round of the draft.

What Battle Red Blog wants most this offseason: The needs for the 2020 Houston Texans are stark and unambiguous — cornerback and pass rush (likely via defensive end). If there’s a saving grace to having virtually no premium draft picks until 2064, it’s that there’s little doubt the only reasonable way to address these glaring holes is via free agency. O’Brien is going to have to be extremely aggressive when the gates open, or the Texans will be severely handicapped in their efforts to improve upon their 2019 campaign. — Tim McHale

After free agency:

Welp, O’Brien made quite possibly one of the worst trades in NFL history when he sent No. 1 receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals. In exchange, Houston got running back David Johnson, a second-round pick for 2020, and a fourth in 2021. Not great! Later, the Texans traded for wide receiver Brandin Cooks, which was ... maybe fine? However, it cost them one of their second-round picks.

At cornerback, Houston re-signed Hargreaves to a one-year deal. The Texans also re-signed Roby, their best corner from 2019. They added Phillip Gaines, who will provide some depth for the position.

1. Defensive end: The Texans didn’t address this in free agency, so expect them to do this during the draft.

2. Defensive tackle: After losing top rush defender D.J. Reader in free agency, the Texans could use some more beef on the interior of their line.

3. Offensive tackle: Houston brought in Brent Qvale and re-signed Roderick Johnson, who will both be swing tackles this season. Still, the Texans could use more help along the line this draft to give Watson some more protection in 2020.

After the draft:

The Texans only had five picks in the draft, and they used all of them on positions of need. First up was second-round pick TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, who should help the run defense. Next came Florida edge Jonathan Greenard in the third round. He could be the exact pass-rushing presence they need.

After that, Houston went with UNC offensive tackle Charlie Heck and Penn State cornerback John Reid, a former O’Brien recruit, in the fourth round. Finishing up the class was Rhode Island’s first draft pick since 1986, fifth-round wide receiver Isaiah Coulter. The biggest problem with Texans’ draft was that they just didn’t have many picks thanks to O’Briens maneuvering.

Dan Kadar’s draft grade: B

[junker-town]

The NFL’s best remaining free agents, by position

Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

The new league year is here, but not every big name has been signed yet.

The official start to the new NFL league year is here, with a new collective bargaining agreement and all. It also comes at a time when the world is upended by the coronavirus pandemic, but other than changes to travel and locking down team facilities, NFL free agency is continuing unabated.

With the legal tampering period beginning on March 16, many deals were already agreed upon before free agency actually began. Some became official right at 4 p.m. ET when the new league year kicked off, while others have yet to be finalized until teams can conduct physicals. We’ve also seen a high number of franchise tags this offseason, with players like Dak Prescott and Chris Jones sticking with their teams.

Even after all that, there are a slew of free agents looking for a landing spot in 2020. Below, we’ll point you to the best available players at each position, with updates throughout free agency. Note that not every signing is included, namely for players at the bottom of the roster.

Quarterback

Signed: Kyle Allen, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, Chase Daniel, Blaine Gabbert, Chad Henne, Taysom Hill, Brian Hoyer, Case Keenum, Marcus Mariota, AJ McCarron, Colt McCoy, Sean Mannion, Nick Mullens, Nathan Peterman, Dak Prescott, Philip Rivers, Nate Sudfeld, Ryan Tannehill, P.J. Walker, Jameis Winston

Best available: Blake Bortles, Joe Flacco, Josh McCown, Matt Moore, Cam Newton, Kyle Sloter

A strong group of free agent quarterbacks has been quickly depleted, with Dak Prescott getting the franchise tag and Tom Brady, Teddy Bridgewater, and Marcus Mariota landing with new teams. Cam Newton’s reported release made him a late addition to the list and an intriguing option for teams that. missed out on the first wave of QB signings.

Running Back

Signed: Ameer Abdullah, Peyton Barber, Matt Breida, Kenyan Drake, Austin Ekeler, Melvin Gordon, Todd Gurley, Derrick Henry, Jordan Howard, Kareem Hunt, Dion Lewis, J.D. McKissic, DeAndre Washington, Jeff Wilson

Best available: Devonta Freeman, Frank Gore, Carlos Hyde, LeSean McCoy, Lamar Miller, Ty Montgomery, C.J. Prosise, Wendell Smallwood, Chris Thompson, Jonathan Williams

The value of the running back position continues to swing wildly, but that didn’t stop the Titans from putting the franchise tag on Derrick Henry. Other names like Austin Ekeler and Jordan Howard were quickly locked down, too.

Wide Receiver

Signed: Geronimo Allison, Nelson Agholor, Danny Amendola, Robby Anderson, Travis Benjamin, Kendrick Bourne, DeAndre Carter, Randall Cobb, Keelan Cole, Amari Cooper, Phillip Dorsett, Keelan Doss, Larry Fitzgerald, Devin Funchess, A.J. Green, David Moore, Zach Pascal, Breshad Perriman, Demarcus Robinson, Emmanuel Sanders, Tajae Sharpe, Laquon Treadwell

Best available: Taylor Gabriel, Rashard Higgins, Johnny Holton

We already saw two blockbuster wide receiver trades involving DeAndre Hopkins and Stefon Diggs. The Cowboys didn’t let Amari Cooper hit the open market, as they signed him to a lucrative long-term deal. The Bengals tagged A.J. Green, but that still left some compelling names on the market.

Tight End

Signed: Ross Dwelley, Eric Ebron, Tyler Eifert, Darren Fells, Jimmy Graham, Demetrius Harris, Hunter Henry, Jacob Hollister, Austin Hooper, Blake Jarwin, Marcedes Lewis, Greg Olsen, Quinton Spain, Levine Toilolo, Jason Witten

Best available: Charles Clay, Jordan Reed, Luke Stocker, Geoff Swaim, Delanie Walker

A weak draft class at tight end put a premium on the free agents who became available. Hunter Henry got the franchise tag, while Austin Hooper was quickly snatched up. Veterans Greg Olsen, Jimmy Graham and Jason Witten had no troubles landing with teams, either.

Offensive Line

Signed: Daniel Brunskill, Bryan Bulaga, Anthony Castonzo, Jack Conklin, Rashaad Coward, George Fant, Cam Fleming, Ereck Flowers, Marcus Gilbert Graham Glasgow, Joe Haeg, D.J. Humphries, Joey Hunt, Roderick Johnson, Ted Karras, Alex Lewis, Justin McCray, Connor McGovern, John Miller, Justin Murray, Cedric Ogbuehi, Andrus Peat, Ty Sambrailo, Brandon Scherff, Brandon Shell, Matt Skura, Xavier Su’a-Filo, Joe Thuney, Ricky Wagner, Andrew Whitworth, Elijah Wilkinson, Daryl Williams, Stefen Wisniewski, Andrew Wylie

Best available: Demar Dotson, Cordy Glenn, James Hurst, Ronald Leary, Jason Peters

The Colts held on to left tackle Anthony Castonzo with an extension. Guards Joe Thuney and Brandon Scherff would have been next to new deals, but both received the franchise tag fairly quickly. Still, there’s a lot of beef out there!

Edge

Signed: Mario Addison, Arik Armstead, Shaquil Barrett, Vic Beasley, Ronald Blair, Bud Dupree, Dante Fowler Jr., Rodney Gunter, Bruce Irvin, Quinton Jefferson, Matt Judon, Roy Robertson-Harris, Branden Jackson, Carl Nassib, Yannick Ngakoue, Robert Quinn, Stephen Weatherly, Leonard Williams, Derek Wolfe

Best available: Jadeveon Clowney, Markus Golden, Everson Griffen, Clay Matthews, Cameron Wake

Getting to the quarterback is becoming more and more important as crazy-athletic passers continue to enter the league. The 49ers gave Arik Armstead a huge extension, while the Jaguars were quick to tag Yannick Ngakoue.

Defensive Tackle

Signed: Beau Allen, Andrew Billings, Michael Brockers, Adam Butler, Maliek Collins, Tyeler Davison, Sheldon Day, Brandon Dunn, Javon Hargrave, Shelby Harris, Chris Jones, Linval Joseph, Star Lotulelei, Gerald McCoy, Michael Pierce, Dontari Poe, Mike Purcell, D.J. Reader, Jarran Reed, A’Shawn Robinson, Danny Shelton, Ndamukong Suh, Josh Tupou, Antwaun Woods

Best available: Damon Harrison, Margus Hunt, Brandon Mebane

Chris Jones got the franchise tag, which is unsurprising because of how important he was to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win. After him, D.J. Reader got a huge contract with the Bengals, and the market is beginning to be pretty depleted.

Linebacker

Signed: Vince Biegel, Jon Bostic, De’Vondre Campbell, Jamie Collins, Brandon Copeland, Thomas Davis, Kyler Fackrell, Leonard Floyd, B.J. Goodson, Jordan Jenkins, Devon Kennard, Christian Kirksey, Nick Kwiatkoski, Sean Lee, Cory Littleton, Blake Martinez, David Mayo, Kevin Minter, Nicholas Morrow, Denzel Perryman, Kevin Pierre-Louis, Reggie Ragland, Elandon Roberts, Joe Schobert, Danny Trevathan, Kyle Van Noy, Nick Vigil, Tahir Whitehead, Kyle Wilber, Eric Wilson

Best available: Mark Barron, Anthony Chickillo, Kareem Martin, Alec Ogletree

There are a lot of tackling machines available this year, even after guys like Jamie Collins, Cory Littleton, Thomas Davis, and Joe Schobert got big deals elsewhere.

Cornerback

Signed: Mackensie Alexander, James Bradberry, Bashaud Breeland, Anthony Brown, Ronald Darby, Michael Davis, Pierre Desir, Grant Haley, Vernon Hargreaves, Chris Harris Jr., Byron Jones, Nevin Lawson, Jalen Mills, Emmanuel Moseley, Brian Poole, Xavier Rhodes, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Bradley Roby, Jimmy Smith, Desmond Trufant, Levi Wallace, Trae Waynes

Best available: Prince Amukamara, Eli Apple, Darqueze Dennard, Johnathan Joseph, Logan Ryan

It’s unbelievable that someone as good as Byron Jones hit the open market, and he wasn’t there for long, signing a megadeal with the Dolphins. There are still quite a few corners worth kicking the tires on, however.

Safety

Signed: Vonn Bell, Tre Boston, Chuck Clark, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Anthony Harris, Jeff Heath, Eddie Jackson, Malcolm Jenkins, Karl Joseph, Devin McCourty, Jordan Poyer, Damarious Randall, Andrew Sendejo, Justin Simmons, Jimmie Ward

Best available: Morgan Burnett, Blake Countess, A.J. Howard, Tony Jefferson, Colin Jones, Reshad Jones, Eric Reid

Several big names at safety, like Devin McCourty, Anthony Harris, and Jimmie Ward, were scheduled to be free agents. Unfortunately for teams in need of safety help, all three are staying put, leaving the next tier of safeties for the rest of the league.

[junker-town]

The Texans need a DeAndre Hopkins replacement to help Deshaun Watson

Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Houston needs pass rush and cornerback this offseason to help the the Texans’ star QB.

The Houston Texans had a pretty successful 2019 season. They won the AFC South and went on to beat the Buffalo Bills in overtime in the Wild Card Round. But then they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round, blowing a 24-0 second-quarter lead.

That alone probably should have been enough to get head coach Bill O’Brien fired, even though it wasn’t. Instead, the Texans promoted O’Brien to be general manager, replacing Brian Gaine, who was fired last summer. The good news for Houston is at least it still has quarterback Deshaun Watson. He can’t do it alone, though.

Houston Texans (10-6), lost in the Divisional Round

Before free agency

The Texans don’t have any first-round draft picks this year thanks to their trade with Miami to get offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Kenny Stills. However, they could get a lot out of free agency, especially with the $62 million in cap space they had going into the offseason.

Defensive end: The Texans traded Jadeveon Clowney to the Seahawks right before the 2019 season started. J.J. Watt missed half of the season after suffering a torn pectoral, but he did return for Houston’s two playoff games. As such, the defense lacked some major production on the other side of Watt — defensive ends Angelo Blackson and Charles Omenihu combined for just three sacks on the year. Getting help during free agency or on Day 2 of the draft will be big for the Texans.

Cornerback: The Texans released Vernon Hargreaves III, whom they acquired from Tampa Bay in the middle of the season. No. 1 corner Bradley Roby is a free agent, as is veteran Johnathan Joseph. If the Texans can’t afford to re-sign Roby, there will be some free agent options available, such as Logan Ryan.

Running back: The Texans’ offense could’ve been a lot more explosive with a consistent running game in 2019. Houston’s leading rusher was Carlos Hyde, who had 1,070 yards and six touchdowns. Its second leading rusher? Watson. While Hyde is a free agent this offseason, Houston could target a running back, such as LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire or Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins, in the second round of the draft.

What Battle Red Blog wants most this offseason: The needs for the 2020 Houston Texans are stark and unambiguous — cornerback and pass rush (likely via defensive end). If there’s a saving grace to having virtually no premium draft picks until 2064, it’s that there’s little doubt the only reasonable way to address these glaring holes is via free agency. O’Brien is going to have to be extremely aggressive when the gates open, or the Texans will be severely handicapped in their efforts to improve upon their 2019 campaign. — Tim McHale

After free agency

Welp, Bill O’Brien made quite possibly one of the worst trades in NFL history when he traded his best receiver in DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals. In exchange, Houston got running back David Johnson, a second-round pick for 2020, and a fourth in 2021. Not great!

At cornerback, Houston re-signed Hargreaves to a one-year deal. The Texans also re-signed Roby, their best corner from 2019, as well as Phillip Gaines, who will provide some depth for the position.

1. Defensive end: The Texans didn’t address this in free agency, so expect them to do this during the draft.

2. Wide receiver: The Texans signed Randall Cobb to a three-year deal, but that’s not exactly a replacement for Hopkins. Houston should take the best receiver available with their first second-round pick.

3. Offensive tackle: Houston re-signed Roderick Johnson, who will likely backup Laremy Tunsil this season. The Texans could use some more help along the line this draft to give Watson some more protection in 2020.

We’ll check back on the Texans after the 2020 NFL Draft to see how they did addressing the holes on the roster.