SB Nation Houston: All Posts by Keith Cordero Jr

NFL Free Agents Still Available

2012-08-01T02:44:38Z

As NFL Training Camps open up and fans get excited for the likes of Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and the return of Peyton Manning, let's not forget that there are veterans that have remained unsigned this summer. Here are my top available NFL free agents that can help a team right now.

Running Back Cedric Benson

2011 team: Cincinnati Bengals

Benson is still out there and waiting for a call from an NFL team. The former Bengals and Bears running back is coming off a solid 2011 campaign in which he had 1,067 rush yards and six touchdowns for a young Bengals team that went to the playoffs.

Benson is a workhorse and a veteran back that can be an impact player in 2012. In his last 3 seasons he's eclipsed 1,050 rush yards and has scored at least six touchdowns. Benson's best fit to be signed would be in Baltimore as a back up to star Ray Rice. The Ravens lost Ricky Williams to retirement at the end of another deep playoff run and Benson could be a nice 3rd down running back who could start if necessary.

Wide Receiver Plaxico Burress

2011 team: New York Jets

The embattled wide receiver Burress is on the market and with his height, Super Bowl experience and raw ability, a team has to be enticed to bring him into camp. Coming off a decent season in the Big Apple with Mark Sanchez as his QB, Burress still has something left in the tank. Burress like Benson is coming off a solid 2011 season. He had 45 receptions, 612 yards and eight touchdowns for a Jets team that missed the playoffs.

Burress' best fit in 2012 might be here in Houston with the surging Texans. Andre Johnson continues to be injury prone having missed parts of the last two seasons and again getting hurt (groin) in the early parts of this 2012 training camp. The Texans are thin at WR and have a few rookies on the roster. A potential Burress add to the team would put fans in the seats and give Matt Schaub another redzone target.

Running Back Ryan Grant

2011 team: Green Bay Packers

A year removed from a Super Bowl Championship and Grant is without a team. Despite only 559 rush yards and two touchdowns last season while splitting time with James Starks, Grant still has something left in the tank for another season. After missing all of 2010 with injury and playing part time in 2011, Grant has less wear and tear on his body then other NFL running backs. He's still just 29, but his 2008 and 2009 seasons had him combined for over 2,400 yards and 15 touchdowns. If a team gets the old Grant as opposed to the current Grant, he can make an huge impact.

A fit in my mind for Grant in 2012 would be in Oakland where he could backup Darren McFadden. The Raiders have Taiwan Jones and Mike Goodson on the roster at RB, but I'd feel more comfortable as a Raiders fans if Grant was signed as the backup to take over for the departed Michael Bush (Bears).

HBO Gold?

2012-06-12T22:31:27Z

Chad Ochocinco was cut by the New England Patriots on June 7 and will now be bringing his talents to South Beach. Ochocinco and the Dolphins agreed on a one-year deal just four days after the Patriots cut him due to "a lack of football I.Q." coming off his worst season of his career.

Could it be a coincidence that Ochocinco signs with the Dolphins? He lives in Miami. The Dolphins were selected and accepted HBO's 2012 Hard Knocks invitation. Ochocinco could be a home run for HBO and its ratings following a off year last season for the show. He's got a huge Facebook and Twitter following and his on and off the field antics are perfect for TV ratings.

The six-time Pro Bowl WR Ochocinco managed only 15 receptions, 276 yards and one TD in 2011 after a seven seasons in Cincinnati in which he had 1,000 plus receiving yards.

Ochocinco, 34, will be on Hard Knocks for the second time in his career (Bengals, 2009) and will look to resurrect his name and football ability following a washed up 2011 campaign in New England. The Dolphins have more then a few story lines heading into the 2012 season:

1. Dolphins sign veteran WR Chad Ochocinco

2. Can Reggie Bush duplicate a solid 2011 season?

3. QB Battle- David Garrard, Matt Moore and 1st-round pick Ryan Tannehill

4. New Head Coach Joe Philbin takes over

5. Can Dolphins replace WR Brandon Marshall?

(81 rec., 6 TD, 1,214 yards in 2011)

After an 0-7 start in 2011 the Dolphins played great in the second half of the season winning six of their final nine games led by the Bush and Moore, can they keep it going in 2012?

No Love for HBO's Hard Knocks?

2012-05-20T01:21:31Z

Well the last time we saw Hard Knocks was way back in 2010 when the New York Jets and entertaining coach Rex Ryan graced our lives on HBO. The NFL reality TV show is riveting TV and nothing short of a spectacular reality show for a NFL fan to follow his or her team in training camp and the preseason.

Last season Hard Knocks took a year off due to the NFL lockout and the labor situation that was uncertain. A year has passed and fans are eager to find a new team to take the reigns of Hard Knocks.

NFL teams are passing on a shot to be on the show left and right and I am not happy about it. As a Baltimore Ravens I was stoked in 2001 when Ray Lewis and the Ravens made the show. Times have changed as it seems no team wants the distraction of the cameras as they prepare for the upcoming season.

So far the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins, Houston Texans, New York Jets, Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers have passed. One of these NFL teams have to take it right? Could the show be in trouble? Supposedly the Arizona Cardinals are in the mix as the next team in line, but I think HBO should simply throw it out there as an open invitation at this point to the entire NFL.

As a NFL fan all we need is one team and the hour long reality drama can start filming and catching the eyes of the Hard Knocks starved fans all over the country. Why not the Ravens again?

Patrick Edwards To Lions - A Great Fit

2012-05-03T02:24:19Z

After going undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft, former Houston WR Patrick Edwards was now a free agent. He wasn't a free agent for long. Edwards was inked by the upstart Detroit Lions and has a good chance to make the final roster with his well rounded ability as a wide receiver, kick and punt returner.

A sensational college career was put together by Edwards at Houston and it may have been in jeopardy back in 2008 after his horrific leg injury in a game at Marshall. He ran into a cart in the endzone when a pass was overthrown in his direction. Edwards slammed into the cart full speed injuring his leg severely.

The speedy WR bounced back nicely to put together some crazy stats from 2009-2011. Edwards is a bit undersized at the WR position is 5'9" and a mere 175 pounds. A touchdown machine, Edwards racked up 33 touchdowns in his final two seasons and was over 1,000 yards receiving from 2009-2011.

Edwards was the 2011 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year with 89 receptions, 1,752 yards, 20 touchdowns and a 19.7 average per catch. He also had five touchdown catches in a 2011 rivalry game against the Rice Owls.

Edwards was one of the favorite targets of former Houston QB Case Keenum who was scooped up by the Texans. Keenum will stay in Houston, much to the applause of Cougar fans across the city.

Edwards will be a nice NFL player in Detroit. He will get better with veteran wide receivers Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson teaching him the ways of what it takes to perform at the NFL level. The Lions also have 2nd year WR Titus Young from Boise State who can help Edwards get through his rookie season as Young just finished up his rookie campaign.

Matthew Stafford is the QB in Detroit and the Lions love to air it out as did the Houston Cougars and Keenum. Stafford will look for Edwards in the slot and on the outside with the double teams and safeties shading to superstar Johnson. Also not to jump the gun, but with the Madden curse seemingly a real thing and with Johnson on the cover, Edwards may get more playing time then he expects as a rookie. Johnson is a great player, but after the season Peyton Hillis had last year after his Madden cover makes Lions fans nervous. It is something to keep in mind for Megatron in 2012.

All in all, Edwards to the pass heavy Lions is like peanut butter and jelly, it just works.

Cougars Add Guard Depth For Next Season

2012-04-20T01:57:12Z

The Cougars haven't done much following a NCAA Tournament berth back in 2010. Houston (15-15, 7-9 C-USA) last season were a disappointing basketball team to say the least. The frowns are now smiles on campus at the University of Houston with a stellar incoming draft class of freshman and junior college transfers that look get the Cougars back on track.

Houston added guard Tione Womack to that class. A two-year stud at Hagerstown Community College, Womack led them to a 54-11 record in his stay and will come to Houston with two years of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot-1, 170 pound Womack will fill a void at guard the Cougars had all last season.

Houston only had one guard average double-figures last season in freshman Joseph Young who averaged 11,3 points per game. Senior guard Darian Thibodeaux departs after only averaging 5.8 points per game last season.

Womack, from Baltimore, Maryland is a quick and savy point guard who can defend and he plays with a pass-first mentality. Womack will join a rivals.com #14 ranked draft class that is poised for a solid season with Young returning and upstart forward Tashawn Thomas (10.7 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game).

Also in Womack's recruiting class are freshman Daniel House, Danrad Knowles, Valentine Izundu and junior guard Brandon Morris. The freshman are all from Texas and Morris is a Louisiana product who attended Kansas City Community College.

Fred Couples Represents UH At Masters

2012-04-09T01:52:53Z

Bubba Watson may have won his first career Major Championship Sunday at Augusta National with a thrilling final round playoff win over Louis Oosthuizen, but University of Houston graduate Fred Couples, 52, played a heck of a tournament. Couples finished in a tie for 12th place with 2012 Shell Houston Open winner Hunter Mahan, Kevin Na, Graeme McDowell and Sergio Garcia.

The oldest player to make the cut at Augusta National was Couples, who shared the 2nd round lead heading into Saturday at -5. A rough weekend for Couples resulted in a 75 on Saturday and 72 on Sunday to fall out of the pace that Watson and Oosthuizen set to the end and into the playoff that Watson won.

Couples celebrated his 20-year win at the Masters in 1992 this year with a solid tournament. A former world No.1 player in his prime, Couples' smooth stroke and relaxed attitude on the course showed the faithful at Augusta that he's still got some kick in his game.

A fan favorite, the world would of enjoyed a Couples win at Augusta National, but the veteran will take a Top 12 finish at his age any day of the week. In 2006, Couples had another nice showing at Augusta with a tie for third place finish in 2006 (-4) with Tiger Woods.

Couples now platoons on the Champions Tour and PGA Tour, but when he is in contention "Boom Boom" as they call him is fun to watch and has always had a strong following on the tour. His last PGA Tour win came in 2003 at the Shell Houston Open at age 44.

Danny Manning To Tulsa

2012-03-29T02:03:25Z

Kansas assistant coach Danny Manning has found is first coaching job. Manning has accepted the head coaching job in Conference USA with Tulsa. The Hurricanes finished the season with a 17-14(10-6 C-USA).

Tulsa lost their final three games of the season, but had a nice seven game win streak in the middle of the season from Jan.11-Feb.4 after a 4-6 start.

A former NBA player for 15 seasons, Manning has become a familiar face on the Kansas bench in the NCAA Tournament as the Jayhawks make yet another run to the Final Four. A star at KU, Manning led the Jayhawks to the 1986 Final Four and 1988 NCAA Championship in addition to being Kansas' All-Time leading scorer and rebounder.

Manning, 45, should be able to recruit in Oklahoma having been gaining a following with Bill Self in Lawrence, Kansas. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State may nab a few recruits in the state of Oklahoma but Manning should be able to recruit some nice players in the South.

Manning will replace former Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik who was canned after six seasons. Wojcik went 140-92 and won 20 or more games in four of his six seasons.

Manning began his NBA career in 1988 with the LA Clippers and finished it up in 2003 with the Detroit Pistons. The former Jayhawks star averaged 13 or more points from his rookie season all the way to 1998 when he won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.

Baylor vs. Xavier Preview

2012-03-20T03:15:52Z

After a 17-0 start then a fall back to earth with five Big 12 losses the Baylor Bears looked they were just an average team that may win a game in the NCAA Tournament. Well the Bears have silenced the doubters and have won two tournament games to secure a spot in the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons. The one great thing about this super athletic Bears team led by senior Quincy Acy is that they haven't had a "bad" loss all season.

The Bears have lost only seven games all season and all of their losses have been to teams that made the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Baylor has won seven of their last nine games and their two NCAA Tourney wins have come by a combined 25 points. #3 Baylor heads to the Sweet 16 after a 68-60 win in a hard fought game vs. a scrappy #14 South Dakota State team in the 2nd round and a 80-63 win over former Big 12 team #11 seed Colorado in the 3rd round.

#10 Xavier is no SDSU or Colorado, but better. The Musketeers are headed to the Sweet 16for the fourth time in the last five seasons and are led by NBA talent with the likes of Tu Holloway. The senior point guard Holloway is averaging 17.4 points per game to go with 4.9 assists on the season. He may be their best player, but the X-Factor (pun intended) for the Musketeers is big man Kenny Frease (35 points and 15 rebounds in two NCAA Tournament wins).

Frease will have to battle the likes of Perry Jones III, Quincy Miller and Acy in the paint while banging and bruising to get a double-double. Frease needs a big game vs. the Bears having scored in double-figures in seven of his last nine games.

What got Baylor to this point is their athleticism and shooting with Pierre Jackson and Brady Heslip on the perimeter. Heslip had the game of his life against Colorado as he drained nine of 12 shots from 3-point range for 27 points. Jackson will need to push the tempo and make Holloway work on defense. The Baylor point guard has scored in double-figures in eight of his last nine games including a double-double (15 points and 10 assists) vs. Colorado.

Look for a high-scoring game from both teams as the winner heads to the Elite 8. Baylor went to the Elite 8 in 2010 and lost to eventual champion Duke. Well #2 Duke was bounced this season by #15 Lehigh in a major upset in the second round on Friday. The Bears have avoided the Blue Devils in the next round, but if the Bears win a potential match-up with #1 overall seed Kentucky is looming with a shot at the Final Four on the line.