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Sports

Carr finally put out of his misery 

The Original

Eli Jabbe

Houston saw the departure of one its most polarizing sports figures last week with the release of former Texans quarterback David Carr. The former No. 1 overall draft pick' s days in a Texans uniform are finally over. 

To many, it seemed Carr' s tenure in Houston was doomed from the start as there were numerous negative signs early on. For instance, many fans complained the awkward side-armed motion he used in his successful college career at Fresno State would need to be altered once he got to the NFL. 

His rookie season featured some highlights, but the number that most fans will remember when they think of Carr' s initial campaign was the 76 sacks he suffered, which set an NFL record.

In many ways, Carr' s first season mirrored those of his four other seasons with the Texans. Those who sympathized with Carr blamed the high sack numbers on a porous offensive line time and again, while others felt Carr' s speed (or lack thereof) was the reason for him being sacked unremittingly. One thing is for sure: Carr is unanimously praised for at least being tough because he never missed any games during the season, with the exception of four in 2003.

When the Texans traded for former Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback Matt Schaub last week, the end of Carr' s career as a Texan became inevitable. He was released a day later, along with running back Domanick Williams (formerly Domanick Davis), who had a bright start to his career with more than 1,000 rushing yards in his rookie season in 2003. However, nagging injuries forced him to miss all of 2006. 

Fortunately, his void was filled by the presence of Ron Dayne, who had a great performance last season. During the offseason, the Texans added former Green Bay star running back Ahman Green, which increased the team' s depth at running back. Green, however, is 30 years old, so fans shouldn' t expect the back to replicate his wonder years as a Packer unless he takes a magic pill.

Many wonder if the signing of Schaub, who has completed only 84 passes in his career, is going to help the Texans' future. 

At this point, there' s no telling how things will turn out. 

One thing is clear, however: the team surely can' t get any worse. Carr never set high standards as a quarterback, and things were probably at their worst last season as he was picked off time and time again, finishing with a sub-par touchdown-interception ration of 11 to 12. 

Here' s to Schaub having a solid career in Houston, unlike previous quarterbacks such as Carr and former backup Tony "Turnover" Banks. 

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