CK is wasted talent - I he was a five-star recruit coming out of high school (as was Seantral) - those guys have higher success rates than most prospects. He just never got his head right (and possibly his hip).
Whaley had some bad luck here, coupled with a bad resource-allocation approach to the roster.
The Pegulas wasted everyone's time by learning on the job and hiring two glorified scouts as GMs to learn on the job at the same time. Hard to blame Whaley. New owners should bring in experienced football/hockey folks.
From what I remember, you could usually tell how engaged he was from the look on his face during pregame warmups. There were many Sundays when he seemed totally checked out before the game even started.
I mean yeah, it's difficult to keep weight under control if you're an adult, period. But he's a professional athlete who needs to prove himself to a brand-new set of coaches who run a different scheme from the coaches who drafted him, and whose scheme requires lighter LBs. There is very little excuse for showing up fat.
If Ragland shows up over 240, for a new coaching staff, in a new defense, after a lost rookie year, being a questionable scheme fit, he's a complete, utter moron.
I too am quite skeptical, and a bit concerned by the approach. Why would you take a player like Tyrod and try to fit him into a timing offense, which requires precision and anticipation?
(Talking to myself like a lunatic) this article suggests he played a role, but that it was O'Brien who was the biggest proponent:
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texans/article/Osweiler-acquisition-began-in-film-room-ended-6886807.php