What the hell do the Houston Texans see in Brock Osweiler?
I know, I know, there are 32 NFL teams and fewer than 32 franchise-caliber quarterbacks. And the Texans — who have all of the pieces in place except at quarterback — are desperate. But there’s a reason John Elway and the Denver Broncos didn’t get into a bidding war for Osweiler, whose stock rose rather inexplicably this year merely because he was in the right place at the right time.
Osweiler was a mere 57th overall pick. He has started a mere seven games in four seasons. His passer rating? A mere 86.0. He was benched last season in favor of the league’s lowest-rated passer. Sure, he’s big and strong, but he revealed time and again in 2015 that he struggles beyond his first read and is extremely ineffective under pressure.
His numbers weren’t even as strong as Houston’s latest stopgap quarterback, Brian Hoyer, or the one before him, Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Brian Hoyer in 2015: 60.7%, 19 TD, 7 INT, 7.1 YPA, 91.4 rating
Brock Osweiler in 2015: 61.8%, 10 TD, 6 INT, 7.2 YPA, 86.4 rating
— Brad Gagnon (@Brad_Gagnon) March 10, 2016
Again, I get it. When you don’t have a franchise quarterback, you have to swing the bat like crazy. But four years and $72 million with $37 million guaranteed for this guy? Feels like the Texans just swung at a wild pitch.
What’s also strange is Texans owner Bob McNair had said on several occasions this winter that the team would finally look to take its next swing at a quarterback early in the draft.
“There are a number of quarterbacks out there, college quarterbacks coming out and I think we have a good chance at getting one of them,” McNair said, per the Houston Chronicle. “There are four or five of them who look like they have enough talent and size and athletic ability. I don’t know any reason why we wouldn’t be able to do it.”
The Texans are slated to pick 22nd overall, which would have given them a realistic shot at one of the draft’s top three quarterbacks. They could have gambled on Carson Wentz, Jared Goff or Paxton Lynch, all of whom have higher ceilings and would cost less than Osweiler.
So was this a panic move or did the Texans fall in love with a veteran quarterback despite a mediocre résumé? Regardless, this is an act that is waiting to backfire.
