A look back at the Texans a little over a year ago in March 2017, before they found their franchise quarterback in Deshaun Watson. Boy does it feel good to finally have a competent player at the most important position on the field. A guy that can go toe to toe with guys like Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, and all of the other great quarterbacks that are currently in the NFL.
The Houston Texans have a question mark at quarterback again, something that fans of the team have become all too familiar with over the years. As much as some like Tom Savage, no one thinks that he is truly the answer for the Texans at quarterback in 2017 and beyond. But there are options out there both for the short term as well as the long term.
Draft
As much as Texans fans hate to hear it, the team could decide to go with a developmental option at quarterback once again. The QB market in the draft is very slim, at least at first glance, but there are a few potential stars in the group. Deshaun Watson, a dual threat quarterback and 2017 national champion, would be a good fit on the Texans, who I’ve always believed would benefit from having a quarterback that could run. Getting Watson would be a long shot, as he should be a top 5 or 10 pick, but if he continues to drop the Texans would be smart to mortgage a few picks from the future to be able to move up and grab the Clemson star. Mitch Trubisky is another option, but in my opinion, he is way too much like Brock Osweiler. Trubisky is a tall lanky QB that spent much of his college career at North Carolina. It would take a lot of future picks just to move into the top 10, let alone top 5, to get one of the top QBs, but this would be a solid option for the Texans potentially for 2017 but more so for the future.
Free Agent
Tony Romo, the Cowboy’s all time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns, could become a free agent soon if the Cowboys cannot find a suitable trade partner for him. Romo would immediately become the best quarterback in franchise history, unless you’re one of the few that argues that Matt Schaub was a star a few years at the beginning of his tenure with the team. Romo could instantly make the Texans a Super Bowl contender. They have the pieces set at almost every position, both offensively and defensively, but just are missing that one piece that they’ve always missed, which is a competent quarterback that can carry the team. Jay Cutler would also be an option for the Texans, as he was just released by the Bears. Though he’s obviously on the same level as Romo, a gunslinger type of quarterback could be good for the Texans after the Osweiler debacle.
The Houston Texans have a very important next couple of months in regards to their future. No route is the clear cut best route, but on the bright side, we know they won’t be signing any career backups to two year, guaranteed deals this offseason, which is definitely a plus.
The Texans have clearly found their best quarterback in team history, which is not really saying much since until last year our best QB was Matt Schaub, and we all know how that turned out. If Watson can stay healthy, and after the addition of Tyran Mathieu on defense, this team can potentially do great things in the AFC South in 2018, although this is now one of the more competitive divisions in football just a few years removed from the Texans making the playoffs and winning the division in two straight seasons with a 9-7 record.