Houston Texans

*A bad offensive line got a little worse on Sunday when left tackle Charles Spenser broke his left tibia placing him on injured reserve.  If you didn't already have reservations about Texan offensive players, jump on the bandwagon with me.  There's lots of us here, but still plenty of room.

*Both Dayne and Gado will play this weekend according to Gary Kubiak.  The RB situation is very volatile in Houston right now, so I would not trust any of them at this point.

*Acquired Samkon Gado from the Green bay Packers.  Neither Lundy nor Morency impressed last week, partly because there was little room to run after the first drive.  I don't expect Gado to do much better, but at least now he will see action, possibly as a starter because his blocking skills are superior to Lundy's.  What I don't like is Gado's tendency to put the ball on the ground that might have Kubiak calling Lundy's number to carry the ball and Gado to block more often.

*Tony Kubiak says that although Lundy is the starter, Vernand Morency will get a significant amount of playing time.  We mentioned that Morency was still in the picture and if Lundy isn't cutting it, he will take over as the starter.

*Signed Ron Dayne after his release by the Broncos.  If he couldn't beat out Mike and Tatum Bell, he won't beat out Wali Lundy and Vernand Morency.  No, I'm not being sarcastic.  Lundy and Morency may be more physically gifted than the Bells, just not in as good of a situation to run the ball.  Dayne is in Texas because of his relationship with Kubiak and for depth.

*This should not surprise you if you have been paying attention this summer. Domanick Davis has been placed on IR and will not play this season.  Wali Lundy is your starter in Texas.  2 downsides to Lundy are the fact that Houston may have to throw a lot; he will not get those yards later in the game to wrap up a win.  Also, Vernand Morency is still in the picture.  The Texans have been so happy with Morency's progress, they let Antowaine Smith go.

*Antowaine Smith was released.  We're not surprised as he was the oldest, slowest back on the roster with a history of disappearing in games.  Looks like Dom Davis is out and for now Wali Lundy is in.

*We're hearing that if Domanick Davis' situation does not appear to have a bright future, he could be waived by this Friday.  Kubiak has already said that Lundy will start in his absence, though we're sure Morency will not be a forgotten man.

*Gary Kubiak announced that if Domanick Davis can't go, Wali Lundy will be the starter with Vernand Morency backing him up.  Lundy's value increases as Davis is beginning to fade away.

*There are no easy answers at running back for the Texans.  Domanick Davis has not been written off yet, but things don't seem to be improving for his knee.  That leaves Wali Lundy and Vernand Morency as the prime candidates.  But if it comes down to Morency and Lundy, expect them to split carries.  Either gamble on one of them late, or watch closely on waivers.

*I'm hearing that based on preseason performance, Vernand Morency has taken the #2 RB job in Houston.  This could be huge because Domanick Davis seems bent on missing a lot of time this year, and the Houston offense will center on the run with Gary Kubiak running the show.  Morency could be one of those guys drafted very late who ends up scoring 15 touchdowns.  Well worth the investment.  We've heard a lot of talk about Wali Lundy, but Morency seems to have the lead.

*Both Morency and Lundy impressed this weekend.  We're still saying Domanick Davis won't be a significant factor this season, so one of these two have a great opportunity to shine.  We're leaning toward Morency because he's been around longer, but Lundy got the start this weekend.  Considering the situation, I can't say draft both.  Gamble on one late and it could pay off with huge dividends.

*Bad to worse for Domanick Davis.  He is still unable to practice and word from Texas is that he will most likely miss the preseason.  Right now Antowaine Smith is the starter in his absence, but Vernand Morency and Wali Lundy are competing for time.  Without Davis, look for a committee approach.

*Domanick Davis is said to be battling chronic fluid on the knee.  Based on this as well as the first preseason game, don't forget about rookie Wali Lundy late in your draft or potentially as a handcuff to Davis.

*It looks like Smith has the inside track to the #2 back spot for now.  But preseason can be a long time.  Look for Morency to increase in value and rookie Wali Lundy to get his fair share of looks.

*Keep a close eye on the Vernand Morency/ Antowaine Smith battle for #2 in Houston.  Domanick Davis' knee is in bad enough shape that he is seeking a second opinion.  The #2 back in Houston will most likely see a lot of playing time.  We don't believe that Smith has what it takes to be a featured back, so our money is on Morency right now.

*Apparently the knee problems with Domanick Davis is experiencing are not getting much better.  Head coach Gary Kubiak is limiting Davis in practice and is cautiously optimistic at best.  Antowaine Smith is currently 2nd on the depth chart with Waly Lundy, Chris Taylor and Vernand Morency right behind him.

*Vernand Morency will be out some time with a foot injury.  We didn't expect him to have much impact this season anyway.

*Be aware that Domanick Davis is having major problems with his left knee right now.  The Texans aren't publicly hitting any panic buttons, but this has to be worrisome for them.  Davis is a player with some talent, but has always had trouble staying healthy.  And if Antowaine Smith is his primary backup, avoid the draft-and-handcuff scenario here.

http://www.houstontexans.com/ - Official Site

http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/sports/ - news site

http://www.houstonprofootball.com/

http://www.ourlads.com/secure/depthchart.cfm?index1=HOU - depth chart

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/texans/stats.htm - stats

http://www.nfl.com/freeagency/afc-signings - free agency