How Tight is the QB Leash? Or is Schaub Just Too Conservative?

[Joshua]

I can't believe I'm actually about to say this, but of all the guys who we could realistically go after this offseason (and I'm using realistically pretty liberally as the Texans clearly are going with Schaub and this is all just messageboard fodder), the guy I would be most curious about is Vick. Get him and Schaub back together and let them compete. Vick had absolutely no chance last year with the horrid O-line the Eagles threw out there and pretty much the whole team started mailing it in around mid-October. Plus, after watching RGIII in Washington, the thought of Vick running the bootlegs for us sounds pretty good. If nothing more than a change of pace from watching Schaub lumber around.

[barrett]

The time to cut ties was last year when Manning was available (and reports had him interested in coming). We have a far better roster, and believe it or not far better coaching.

Now we are in a spot where the best available veteran QBs are not an upgrade.

So that leaves the draft as a means of improvement, and I cannot see a coach whose job relies on going deep in the playoffs hitching his wagon to a rookie QB. Especially not in a year where nobody is excited about any of the QBs, let alone the ones available in the late 1st/middle rounds.

It will almost certainly be Schaub again for this year (and likely for as long as Kubiak is here). We would have been better off with a home loss to Cincy that MIGHT have prompted change.

[Arky]

I'm just looking at it like this: What if Schaub gets injured (out for the year) in Week 2 of 2013? Who's going to be the break-glass-in-case-of-emergency QB waiting on the other side of the glass? Who do you want that QB to be? I'm thinking if TJ is still here, it will be TJ. Just like the playoffs last year, a vet would probably be brought in to be his backup....

The only QB competition I think to realistically happen in 2013 is to find out who is Schaub's backup.....

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by Joshua

I can't believe I'm actually about to say this, but of all the guys who we could realistically go after this offseason (and I'm using realistically pretty liberally as the Texans clearly are going with Schaub and this is all just messageboard fodder), the guy I would be most curious about is Vick. Get him and Schaub back together and let them compete. Vick had absolutely no chance last year with the horrid O-line the Eagles threw out there and pretty much the whole team started mailing it in around mid-October. Plus, after watching RGIII in Washington, the thought of Vick running the bootlegs for us sounds pretty good. If nothing more than a change of pace from watching Schaub lumber around.

Vick is intriguing: he can throw the ball vertically and certainly has the mobility to put some real teeth in those bootlegs compared to Schaub's boots which are just kinda amusing because they represent such an empty threat.
But in spite of Schaub's interception, I don't think he played that badly Sunday and could have beat the Pats with last years team. Without Brisiel, Winston, and Dresseen in the lineup the Texans field a much less formidable rushing attack.

[Keith]

Vick's career completion percentage is 56.3%. Only once was he ever over 60% in a single season (2010). Only once has he ever played all 16 regular season games (2006). Baggage aside, it's intriguing, a la Randall Cunningham in 1998. But realistically, yeah it's message board fodder.

Originally Posted by Arky

I'm just looking at it like this: What if Schaub gets injured (out for the year) in Week 2 of 2013? Who's going to be the break-glass-in-case-of-emergency QB waiting on the other side of the glass? Who do you want that QB to be?

Well, few teams are really strong at backup QB. Can't say that T.J. Yates is a bad one... I do realize he did win a playoff game. I'm ok with him and Keenum dueling for the backup job again next summer. One of them might show some true improvement.

[barrett]

Vick also averages more fumbles per game than anyone in NFL history.

He has already said he is not a backup, so he is not coming here to share time with Schaub or to be in a QB rotation. So if you sign him it is to make him the unquestioned starter. I don't see that for a guy who plays 8 games a year (and plays those 8 games in a mediocre way).

The veteran replacements are not upgrades. Maybe we sign a Henne type to push, but even then the best you can hope for is that the guy never sees the field.

I think you either continue to be a divisional round team with Schaub, or you hit reset in the draft (or through a guy like Cousins). I doubt we have the guts to reset, especially after the whole team already came out behind Schaub to try to put the story to rest.

I think McNair is more interested in running a "quality" and respected organization than he is in winning superbowls. If we go 12-4 and win division titles with Schaub than I am betting everyone keeps their job and we get to beat the Bengals in round 1 again next year.

[popanot]

With Eagles hiring Chip Kelly, they might very well consider keeping Vick around. He seems to fit Kelly's system better than Foles. With that being said, the Eagles might even be looking at drafting someone like Geno Smith with their #1 now and putting Foles on the trading block. I'm sure there's a few teams that would be interested in Foles (KC, OAK, AZ, JAX, BUF, etc.). Wish the Texans would be one of them, but we know better.

[Warren]

Throwing another name out there -- what about Kevin Kolb, as a Matt Leinart-type project? The Cards are expected to dump him because he'll be owed a $2 million roster bonus in March and then $9 million in salary for the season.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Warren

Throwing another name out there -- what about Kevin Kolb, as a Matt Leinart-type project? The Cards are expected to dump him because he'll be owed a $2 million roster bonus in March and then $9 million in salary for the season.

I'd do it. Kolb has the mobility for our system and he's very accurate on short throws. Plus one of kubiaks unquestioned abilities is helping a QB feel more comfortable. He could be a game manager in this system and he's at least got the possibility of upside.