Trio of quarterbacks receives a passing grade from O’Brien

If Bill O’Brien was not excited about his quarterbacks, it would be painfully obvious observing a coach who does not try to masquerade his feelings.

Now that the Texans’ offseason program has ended and the players have scattered for vacations before reporting for training camp July 26, O’Brien can breathe a sigh of relief after watching his quarterbacks over the past nine weeks.

No matter how much progress Tom Savage, Deshaun Watson and Brandon Weeden made during the offseason program, O’Brien knows they still have a long way to go before they can be consistently productive in an offense that installed a revolving door at the position.

“All three of those guys really improved,” O’Brien said last week. “I’m really happy with where we are at that position.”

O’Brien points out that the improvement was relative to the circumstances of the offseason program — no pads and no contact. Much of the improvement he wanted to see involved the mental part of the game.

“The quarterback play this spring was very good with all of the things that were thrown at us,” O’Brien said. “It’s been good relative to the stages of their careers, with Brandon (33) being the oldest and Tom being in his fourth year. And Deshaun has been very impressive relative to being a rookie. There’s a lot of things he does well. He’s come a long way. There’s no questioning this kid’s work ethic.”

Not as thin at QB as some believe

O’Brien, quarterbacks’ coach Sean Ryan and offensive assistant Pat O’Hara watched every snap in the offseason program, closely monitored the quarterbacks in meetings and came away believing the Texans aren’t in as much trouble as many around the NFL believe they are.

“With the guys at that position, especially the guys that have been here, you’re looking for good retention of the system (and) being able to go on the field and execute it,” O’Brien said. “OTAs (are) hard because, from a defensive standpoint, you really don’t know what you’re getting on a down-to-down basis.

“So, you’re looking for (them) being able to read coverages, understand blitzes and being able to execute the play. From a rookie player like Deshaun, you’re just looking for his ability to improve day-today. Don’t make the same mistake twice. Be able to learn from one day to the next — the playbook, but also the execution on the field getting better.”

Because he’s the full-time play-caller for the first time since 2014, his first season, O’Brien has taken a more active role in an offense that has struggled with the passing game. O’Brien always has worked closely with the starting quarterback. And he doesn’t mince words about his starter.

“It’s a competitive position,” he said, “(but) Tom is the No. 1 quarterback. He has to earn it every day. Relative to their experience in our system, they’ve all commanded the offense well, but they had their share of mistakes, too.”

In his fourth season — and the last year of his contract — Savage is the starter for the first time. The coaches love his arm, demeanor and knowledge of the system.

“He threw for, I think, 66 percent in the spring,” O’Brien said. “I know relative to OTAs that’s a pretty good percentage with the team and the seven-on-sevens.

“I think the big thing is that it’s not necessarily as much getting better as it is with, say, when the pads are on (and) how do you perform in practices and games and get better every day? That’s what I look for.”

Receiver DeAndre Hopkins knows what he’s looking for — the ball. He’ll be Savage’s go-to receiver. They spend a lot of time together on and off the field because they believe communication and relationships are important to what they want to achieve.

“I like his leadership,” Hopkins said. “When he wasn’t playing last year, he was still telling us what we should do, helping us like he was the starting quarterback.

“Now that he’s in that (starter’s) role, it’s not a surprise to anybody on this field that he deserves it. He’s earned it, not just from playing but from the chemistry he’s built in the locker room with everybody.”

All eyes on Watson in West Virginia

Savage works hard to build camaraderie within the offense, especially with receivers and tight ends he’ll be throwing to.

“We always bond,” Savage said. “Everywhere, over at someone’s house — we’re always hanging out. We have a good group of guys, and I know we’re all excited to get training camp going.”

When the Texans report to training camp in West Virginia, everyone will be watching Watson to measure his development.

In the offseason program he stayed after practice and worked on weekends even though he was one of the most decorated quarterbacks in college football history.

“Mentally, he’s far from where I was as a rookie,” Hopkins said. “He’s picked it up well, and it’s the hardest position to learn. He did a lot of (impressive) things, not just on the field but off, too. Mentally, he has it. Everybody (saw) what he (did) outside the field, putting in his own time to make himself and this team better.”

Watson isn’t the starter for the first time since early in his freshman year at Clemson, but that doesn’t prevent him from preparing and practicing as if he was No. 1.

“Each time I take the field, I’m going full-throttle — prepared, mentally sharp, physically ready, and whatever opportunity that’s in front of me, I’m ready for it,” Watson said. “I want to be mentally sharp when I step on the field. I want to be able to operate the offense (and) be able to execute at a high level.”

If Watson has to wait for his opportunity, that’s good for the Texans. It’ll mean Savage is taking advantage of his opportunity.