ON PRO FOOTBALL
A Young-Bush debate in Nashville? Hmm . . .
By JOHN MCCLAIN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
Let's see if we can get this straight. The Texans are going to give Bud Adams a choice between Vince Young and Reggie Bush?
Based on their recent flirtation with North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams, the Texans may be putting themselves in position to be haunted for years by Young or Bush.
The only thing that could be worse than Young's going to Tennessee would be Indianapolis' pulling off a trade to get Bush. Then four times each season, the Texans could play against one of the stars they passed up.
The more we think about the Texans' recent interest in Williams — the best defensive player in the draft, by the way — the more it makes sense. They're going to need an impact defensive player to chase Young all over the field twice a season for, say, the next 10 years.
Bush, who is one of the greatest prospects in history, can do a lot of things — leap tall buildings in a single bound, for instance — but he can't harass Young when Young leads the Titans against his hometown team twice a season.
Today, Young makes what could be the first of many trips from Houston to Nashville. The Titans are rolling out the red carpet for Young and agent Major Adams.
The Adams & Adams Show
If Tennessee uses the third pick in the draft on Young, his agent is going to become so close to Bud Adams that people might start to believe they're related.
Just think. Rather than throw up the Horns with Austin sideline buddies like Matthew McConaughey and Roger Clemens, Young can hang out with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Keith Urban and Victoria's own Cowboy Troy.
Houstonians can be sure that Adams — Bud, not Major — has been sitting behind his desk in his Galleria-area skyscraper soaking in all the Vince Young controversy.
The Budster knows that University of Texas fans — not to mention many others — want the Texans to use the top pick on Young.
He knows when the Texans select Bush or Williams (yeah, right!) that a lot of Houstonians are going to be so angry they'll be seeing burnt orange. He also knows that if the Titans draft Young, he'll get some UT fans from Austin to go with the UT fans he already has from Knoxville, Tenn.
If Adams pays attention to the national media, he'll see that many reporters believe Matt Leinart is a higher-rated prospect than Young. But if Adams needs to make a case for Young over Leinart, no matter how he crunches the numbers, they'll always look like this: 41-38, 266, 200.
And, Bud, that's not the combination to a safe.
Titans' contracts expiring
For more than a decade, Adams has been letting general manager Floyd Reese make personnel decisions, with input from coach Jeff Fisher. But Reese is in the last year of his contract. So is Fisher, although the team has an option year for the coach.
If Adams were to suggest to Reese and Fisher that he thinks the Titans might be better off drafting Young, they're not in position to put up much of a fight. Not that they would, anyway, because both already know what an incredible prospect Young is — just like Bush.
The Titans also have two injury-prone running backs in Chris Brown and Travis Henry. If the Texans were to actually draft Williams before New Orleans used the second pick on offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Tennessee would have a difficult decision.
Young or Bush.
Bush or Young.
Thank you, Houston.
No matter what the Texans do with the first pick — Bush or Williams (get serious!) — it says here that when the Titans make the third pick, The Eyes of Texas will be on Tennessee.
John McClain covers the Texans and the NFL for the Chronicle. john.mcclain@chron.com.
