Tired of QB Projects? Enter the Deep End

[HPF Bob]

Tired of the Fitzpatricks, Hoyers, Weedens and Osweilers but see nothing better in the draft? If you think QB is our biggest problem then take a chance on one of these guys. Yes, they are all expensive and they will all cost draft picks and cap room but at least you put the #1 defense (and J.J. Watt) together with an offense that can really compete.

Would you make a deal for...?

Colin Kaepernick?

Tyrod Taylor?

Jay Cutler?

Phillip Rivers?

Drew Brees?

Tony Romo?

Yeah, I know. Major red flags and you're giving up likely some high draft choices but if you're ready to get beyond the same whines of the past three years, there are some guys who might be on the trade block that still have something in the tank. Any appeal to you?

[barrett]

On that list I'd pay whatever it takes for Brees and stay away from everyone else.

[HPF Bob]

Just to be clear, I'm not advocating any of them at this time. I'm just trying to move the conversation beyond the tiresome "Gee, Osweiler stinks. Isn't he terrible? I think he's terrible. Tim Tebow would be better than this. Kyle Orton would be better. He's garbage. Don't you think he's garbage? We should cut him regardless the cost. A JV quarterback would be better than this. Harambe would be better than this."

Let's move this forward. What would YOU do to get a quality QB in here and who do you want? Are you willing to take on the cost knowing it will mean giving up draft picks, and perhaps cutting good players just to fit under the cap?

[Arky]

I'll take Brees or Romo.

They both would probably be out of the range of doable. Don't expect to keep Bouye and a host of other Texan FA's, though.... I would hate losing draft picks. Romo's durability seems to be going downhill; Rivers, while top 5 in yardage, also threw 21 INTs. Brees just turned 38 but is still going strong and probably the costliest of that group....

-------------------------------------------------------

Ya know, if I squint my eyes just so, Savage/Weeden/rookie doesn't look all that bad. In hindsight, we should have done that this year but instead wasted a year with Oz. In Savage's brief appearance this year, the offense had a pulse and Hopkins was "activated".... If Savage gets hurt again, I think Weeden can fill in admirably....

[nunusguy]

What about Jimmy Garappolo ? Maybe the Texans didn't like him that much in the 2014 Draft but unlike back then time is now of the essence for O'Brien and after the Osweiler fiasco he's got to make another move fairly soon in an attempt to solidify QB. Of course I don't know how expensive Garappolo would be in terms of Draft picks and/or starting players ?

[barrett]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

What about Jimmy Garappolo ? Maybe the Texans didn't like him that much in the 2014 Draft but unlike back then time is now of the essence for O'Brien and after the Osweiler fiasco he's got to make another move fairly soon in an attempt to solidify QB. Of course I don't know how expensive Garappolo would be in terms of Draft picks and/or starting players ?

I had 2 main issues with Brock when we got him and I made both known at the time.

1. I didn't think he was good
2. I think it's dumb to give up proven QB money to a guy that isn't proven.

Having a rookie QB is like a $15-20 million salary cap bonus. It can let you build the rest of your team to incredible levels (Seattle a few years ago), or it can let you make up for a giant salary cap blunder at QB (Dallas this year). Either of these appeal to us next year.

Having a good veteran QB is obviously preferred (look at the final 4 teams), but if you can't have one, have a cheap one that allows you to spend money everywhere else. Why pay for an unproven QB and get the worst of both worlds? If you are going to roll the dice on a QB with no history of NFL success, why not roll the dice on one with a small and controllable salary for the next 4-5 years?

Who is the last backup QB with no starting history to step in for a new team and immediately be good? Matt Schaub might be the biggest success story for guys like this in the last 10 years.

[popanot]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

Colin Kaepernick? Tyrod Taylor? Jay Cutler?

Very good chance these three are cut. Out of those, I'd go Taylor, Cutler, Kaep. I would definitely sign Taylor if it's a decent deal. Cutler will likely be reasonably cheap. It's a risk, but a cap-friendly 2yr deal is worth that risk, IMO, if I can't get Taylor. I'll take Cutler's antics over Kaep's any day of the week so I'm not touching him.

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

Phillip Rivers? Drew Brees?

These two aren't going anywhere. As long as Sean Payton is coaching in NO, he's not going to get rid of his best player and only hope at getting on top of that division again. The Chargers need to sell tickets in LA and gutting the team isn't the way to do it.

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

Tony Romo?

Please, no more team crushing business moves! Cap killing salary, fragile body and age doesn't mix well. Sure, he has talent. But the guy hasn't played in 2 years. I think the Tony Romo ship has sailed.

[nunusguy]

Former tight end Owen Daniels said the Brock Osweiler he watched with the Texans this season was not the same Osweiler who was his teammate with the Denver Broncos in 2015.
Daniels, who played his first eight seasons with the Texans and one each with Baltimore and Denver, where he won a Super Bowl ring with Osweiler, said the quarterback didn't seem to play with the same confidence or seem as comfortable in his new system.

"When I was watching (Texans) games this year, it didn't look like the same guy," said Daniels, who is retired and residing in Houston. "It's just weird.
"I know sometimes there's a transition period, a learning curve with certain offenses, like being in that (Texans) type of complicated offense for one year, I can see why he'd struggle a little.
"He was a super-confident guy in Denver (but) the confidence wasn't (the same this season), the pressure he put on himself or what."http://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/Owen-Daniels-Texans-Brock-Osweiler-will-be-better-10893796.php

[nunusguy]

"I think Brock's going to be fine said he believes quarterback Brock Osweiler is "going to be fine" in his second season with the Texans.
In 2015, his first season as Denver's coach, Kubiak was 5-2 with Osweiler as his starter. Osweiler struggled in his first season with the Texans, throwing 15 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions.
"I think Brock's going to be fine," Kubiak said Wednesday at Super Bowl LI. "You've got to remember he's a very young player. He played very well for us and got our team in position to win a championship.

"He's got 1½ years as a starter. His team went to the playoffs. There are a lot of things to grow from. He's being coached extremely well."
Kubiak won a Super Bowl ring with the Broncos in 2015 and retired after this past season for health reasons.
He agreed with his former tight end, Owen Daniels, who predicted this week that Osweiler will improve in his second season with the Texans.
Daniels played on the Broncos' Super Bowl-winning team with Osweiler. He said the Osweiler he played with in Denver wasn't the same quarterback he watched this season.
http://www.chron.com/sports/texans/a...d-10902092.php
****
So here's Gary Kubiak who corroborates the claim of his former TE Daniels on Brocks chances to succeed in the NFL.
Both are now former Texans & Broncos and I wonder do they have any credibility with their claims ?
Maybe O'Brien's system really is that user unfriendly but others may say they are just both washed up former NFLers who don't know squat anymore about football.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

"I think Brock's going to be fine said he believes quarterback Brock Osweiler is "going to be fine" in his second season with the Texans.
In 2015, his first season as Denver's coach, Kubiak was 5-2 with Osweiler as his starter. Osweiler struggled in his first season with the Texans, throwing 15 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions.
"I think Brock's going to be fine," Kubiak said Wednesday at Super Bowl LI. "You've got to remember he's a very young player. He played very well for us and got our team in position to win a championship.

"He's got 1½ years as a starter. His team went to the playoffs. There are a lot of things to grow from. He's being coached extremely well."
Kubiak won a Super Bowl ring with the Broncos in 2015 and retired after this past season for health reasons.
He agreed with his former tight end, Owen Daniels, who predicted this week that Osweiler will improve in his second season with the Texans.
Daniels played on the Broncos' Super Bowl-winning team with Osweiler. He said the Osweiler he played with in Denver wasn't the same quarterback he watched this season.
http://www.chron.com/sports/texans/a...d-10902092.php
****
So here's Gary Kubiak who corroborates the claim of his former TE Daniels on Brocks chances to succeed in the NFL.
Both are now former Texans & Broncos and I wonder do they have any credibility with their claims ?
Maybe O'Brien's system really is that user unfriendly but others may say they are just both washed up former NFLers who don't know squat anymore about football.

Fitzpatrick, Hoyer, Weeden, and Mallett are all mediocre to bad, but all played better here than anywhere else. O'Brien has not shown any kind of offensive genius in 3 years, but he also hasn't shown some fundamentally broken system that kept Brock from being a good QB. Brock isn't good. Does anyone think he will go on to success somewhere else if we move on from him? Not to mention this ringing endorsement comes from the guy who benched him 14 months ago and then was a part of letting him walk.

[popanot]

Main problem is, I don't want to find out if he's going to improve. I've seen enough to know he's not going to improve to the point where he'll win at a high level. I would go so far as to draft 2 QBs this year.

[Arky]

Texans owner Bob McNair expects competition at quarterback

McNair didn't try to sugarcoat the his quarterback situation. He knows they still have a problem.

"The challenge is what can we do with what we got," he said. "We'll still probably look at a young quarterback as we go into the draft. It's a question of what's available."

The Texans thought they solved their problem with Osweiler.

"It's up to him to meet the challenge," McNair said. "He has to step up. We need better performance out of the position."

[sinnister]

If given the choice, I would take Rivers and Brees, but with that being said, that is not going to happen. If I were the Texans, here are my moves with regard to qb:
1. I would sign Romo to a cap friendly deal with incentives based on playing time. I think Romo knows this is going to be the case if he wants to have a shot at a ring with a contending franchise.
2. I would draft a qb. For that matter, I would draft a qb every year, even if it is in a late round. Sometimes, I might draft 2. it is a position of need that must be solved.
3. I wouldn't cut Osweiler, at least not yet. Maybe he is still learning the system, but his accuracy is what concerns me. Also, there is a very real possibilty that Romo and backup Savage both get hurt, so the Texans would have Osweiler.
4. I would bring in Amendola from the Pats, if he doesn't resign. It's not my favorite move, but he can help Welker and the other WRs with this offense.

I hate to tie up 4 spots at qb, but what else can we do. We shouldn't be in this position, but the reality is that we are. Maybe we can redshirt the rookie we draft with a "injury", and let him begin to learn this overly complex genius of a system. Then he competes next year, and we can reassess this mess.