Glenn

Earl

Earl originally had comparable draft grades to Bob Sanders, who was drafted by Indianapolis in the second round.

He has some IDP value, if only because he’s the projected starting strong safety in Houston.

The Notre Dame product was a highly touted player before tearing his ACL during his senior season. Look for him to replace Eric Brown in the starting lineup, giving him some IDP upside.

McCleon played the position with St. Louis early in his career. The Texans hope he or Von Hutchins will emerge as a starter so C.C. Brown can move to his more natural in-the-box spot on the strong side to battle Glenn Earl.

The Houston Chronicle compares the injury to the one DeMarcus Faggins suffered last year; Faggins missed the first half of the season. The Texans were already going to be poor against the pass. Either Brandon Harrison or Von Hutchins will pick up snaps at safety while Earl’s foot heals.

Earl isn’t a great player by any means, but his loss hurts a young Houston secondary. The team will likely move C.C. Brown to his spot and allow Jason Simmons, Von Hutchins, and Brandon Harrison to battle in center field. Earl will enter a contract year in 2008 coming off a career-threatening injury.

Earl is only 28, but was never the same after suffering a Lisfranc fracture in 2007 training camp with Houston. He finishes up with 119 career tackles.

Walker averaged 4.6 YPC last year and Houston figures to keep him on speed dial, but he couldn’t make a weak Texans backfield. The Texans will roll with Ahman Green, Chris Taylor, and Steve Slaton at RB to begin the season. All three are worth late-round fantasy fliers.

Earl missed all of 2007 with a Lisfranc injury. It is unclear if he needed surgery. Earl will compete for a roster spot as a backup strong safety.

Earl suffered a Lisfranc injury last preseason, but apparently didn’t need surgery. His one-year deal included a $300,000 signing bonus, so odds are Earl will be on the team even if he can’t beat out C.C. Brown or Will Demps.