Smith, coaches tie fate to choice at QB
When it comes to drafting a quarterback, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
We all know the Texans need a quarterback. Desperately.
We also knowthe Texans are going to draft one, probably in the first round, which would require general manager Rick Smith to cough up a draft pick or two. Or three, depending on whom they want and how badly they want him.
The top five quarterback prospects — and the order will change as we get closer to the draft — are Jared Goff (California), Carson Wentz (North Dakota State), Paxton Lynch (Memphis), Connor Cook (Michigan State) and Christian Hackenberg (Penn State). Smith andmembers of his personnel department have been scouting quarterbacks since last spring. The scouting process continued during the season and heats up next week at the combine in Indianapolis.
Asmuch as the NFL doesn’t want us to believe it, the most important part of the evaluation process begins at the combine and
continues with pro days and private workouts. Prospects rise and fall, basically in their underwear.
Which is preposterous, of course.
Smith, coach Bill O’Brien and offensive coordinator George Godsey are going to make a decision that, ultimately, could get them fired or signed to long-term contract extensions.
Let’s analyze what O’Brien wants based on what we know from his first two seasons.
O’Brien and Godsey have proved they can coach quarterbacks. In two seasons, they’ve coached nine quarterbacks who played and seven who started.
Despite a lot of injuries, ineptness and an overall lack of talent at the position, O’Brien and Godsey have helped the Texans compile an 18-14 record that includes an AFC South title.
Nowthey have to pick a quarterback they want, and Smith has to get him. And the price could be painful initially.
We’re not recommending a Robert Griffin III type of trade, but consider this: Everyone says what a bad deal with St. Louis that was for Washington, but Washington has won two NFC East titles in four years. The Rams have yet to finish with a .500 record.
So the trade with the Rams didn’t exactly ruin Washington for years, as many have claimed.
Back to O’Brien. He must get a quarterback he believes can fit his system, a quarterback he and Godsey want to mold. They won’t rush the quarterback into the lineup. He’ll play when O’Brien thinks he’s ready.
O’Brien’s quarterback must be intelligent because it’s a complicated system. Hemust make quick decisions at the line of scrimmage.
O’Brien and Godsey have done a tremendous job of giving quarterbacks a small piece of their system when they have to play on short notice. Like Case Keenum, T.J. Yates and Brandon Weeden. But the coaches prefer the quarterback learn the entire system over a period of time. That way, they don’t have to reduce the game plan.
So the quarterback has to be smart and make good decisions. The coaches want their quarterback to be a leader on the field and in the locker room.
Size and arm strength are important, of course. The top five prospects are at least 6-4 — at least until they’re measured at the combine — and they have good to great arms.
O’Brien prefers some mobility in a quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Hoyer are good examples. They don’t have to be Cam Newton-type runners who have designed runs in the playbook, but they need to be mobile enough to avoid the rush to buy time, to run bootlegs and to run for yards as a last resort.
If you’re a Texans fan, you should have confidence the Texans are going to make a good decision on their quarterback. They’ve proved they know howto coach quarterbacks, and perhaps most important, Bob McNair is a patient owner.
With McNair, there’s no knee-jerk reaction to losing, no impatience that causes changes in coaches and systems. That can be the worst thing possible for a young quarterback who’s trying to become the savior.