Houston Texans Would Be Wise To Avoid Nick Foles

It was recently reported by Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com that the Houston Texans may be interested in Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, if he is to become available. For the sake of Texans fans who have been down the road of trading for an average quarterback another team gave up on (see quarterback Matt Schaub), I hope this does not happen.

Yes, I know Foles was considered an MVP candidate in 2013 when he had a quarterback rating of 119.2 and threw 27 touchdowns with only two interceptions. However, as we all have seen in sports sometimes someone can take the league by surprise one year, then come back down to earth the following year.

It happened when Robert Griffin III took over at quarterback for the Washington Redskins in 2012. That year they won their division an he was the next big thing at quarterback. In 2013 people were calling for Kirk Cousins to replace him. In 2014 they were calling for Colt McCoy to replace them all.

The fact is, Foles took over a system run by Eagles coach Chip Kelly that the league had not seen before. This was similar to RG3 running a new zone read offense. Both were all the hype one year, then as teams figured them out and had more tape, they were nowhere near as effective.

Thus Foles went from 27 touchdowns and 2 picks in 2013, to 13 touchdowns and 10 picks in 2014. Much like Griffin in 2012 having 20 touchdowns to only five picks and then in 2013 having 16 and 12.

“Trust me, Ryan Mallett’s a starting quarterback in this league” – Mike Mayock

The similarities do not end there for these two passers though. Neither has yet to play 16 games in a season. Foles has played eight, thirteen and seven. While the rookie year was due to being a back up, he has not stayed healthy since he has been a full time starter. This is much the same for Griffin who has played in 15, 13 and now only nine games.

The main reason I would steer clear is simply because of the fact that he is rumored to be available. At least when the Texans took a shot on Matt Schaub it was because he was behind quarterback Michael Vick in Atlanta (pre-prison days). In this situation there is no entrenched starter holding Foles back. Instead, the team seems willing to move on from Foles with no clear replacement, which should be a huge red flag.

One theory is that Kelly wants to move up and take his old college quarterback Marcus Mariota. Let this sink in for a minute, Philly wants to move from number 20 to number one in the draft.

The Washington Redskins moved from six to two in 2012 and it cost them three first round and one second round pick. The Buffalo Bills moved from number nine to number four in this past draft and it cost the two first rounders and a fourth.

So, if that was the cost of moving around in the top ten, imagine what it will cost to go from 20 to the top selection. Now imagine the team with the top pick, Tampa Bay, having a desperate need for a quarterback.

For the Eagles to make this move, they will have to mortgage their future. If Foles is a worthy franchise quarterback, entertaining such a costly trade would never enter the minds of the Eagles brass, regardless of Kelly’s past relationship with Mariota.

Rather than buying false hope with an over rated player like Foles (who was on no one’s radar before he played for Chip Kelly) the Texans should stick to the players who they already know. Case Keenum may not have stats that jump out, but with 2,195 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his career, he has shown he is capable. Keenum combined with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Ryan Mallett to lead the team to a 9-7 record last year.

While I feel Keenum or Fitzpatrick could be just as good, if not better for Houston than Foles, I believe of the three Mallett has the most potential and should be given an opportunity to at least compete for the starting role. I am not alone in this assessment as NFL Network’s Mike Mayock called Mallett a legitimate starting quarterback after watching him this past training camp.

"“I was blown away today. I saw a legitimate NFL starting quarterback today backing up Tom Brady” Mayock said. “So as the season progresses and we get closer to draft time and what the Patriotscan or can’t do with him, I think they drafted Jimmy Garoppolo for a reason, as an insurance policy. But trust me, Ryan Mallett‘s a starting quarterback in this league, and he popped today.”"

Houston had a chance in the 2012 Draft to pick Nick Foles if they wanted him, and they passed on him. They should do the same thing now if he were to become available.

Next: How The Houston Texans Get To The Super Bowl In 2017

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