Brian Hoyer Reportedly Plans To Sign With Houston Texans
By Randy Gurzi
Free agency hasn’t even officially started, but contract agreements were flying in all weekend around the league. Another report is out there as Josh Alper of Profootballtalk.com reported that quarterback Brian Hoyer, formerly of the Cleveland Browns, has agreed to sign with Houston.
“If Hoyer comes to Houston, it would be like a family reunion.” – McClain
For some reason the NFL opens up the league for negotiations but not actual signings. It makes no sense, but because of this odd rule, Hoyer and the Texans can’t officially ink a deal until Tuesday.
Previously John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reported that both Hoyer and Ryan Mallett were in the plans for the Texans at quarterback. Head coach Bill O’Brien worked with both quarterbacks while an assistant for the New England Patriots.
"“If Hoyer comes to Houston, it would be like a family reunion. In 2011, O’Brien was New England’s offensive coordinator. George Godsey, the Texans’ quarterbacks coach, was an offensive assistant with the Patriots. Hoyer was in his third season with O’Brien. Mallett was a rookie third-round draft choice.” – John McClain"
In 2012 the Patriots decided to keep Mallett over Hoyer. He then bounced around the league going to Pittsburgh and Arizona before finding a home for a couple seasons in Cleveland.
In 2013 Hoyer and the Browns looked to be a perfect match as he was 3-0 in his first three starts. A torn ACL prematurely ended his season and the team was non-committal to him in the offseason.
The Browns brass moved up in the draft for Texas A&M quarterback and party boy Johnny Manziel. Hoyer played 2014 with the threat of job loss to the rookie and a lack of help on offense.
Hoyer ended the year with 3,326 passing yards on the season. He had 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with a rating of 76.5.
Coming to a team with more stability than the Browns can be a great fresh start for Hoyer. Working with O’Brien again and competing with Mallett could be good for both players, as well as the organization itself.