While I have been a big believer in the potential of quarterback Ryan Mallett, the fact is all he has at the NFL level so far is simply that, potential. Without a lot of experience under his belt the Houston Texans don’t have much to go on, other than what head coach Bill O’Brien has seen at practice and the few snaps he has gotten in New England and Houston.
More from Toro Times
- Houston Texans Draft: Michael Mayer should be a no doubter at pick 12
- Houston Texans already telling fans the Davis Mills era is over
- Houston Texans have hand forced, waste no time in firing Lovie Smith
- Houston Texans: Pros and Cons of keeping Head Coach Lovie Smith
- There is just one way the Texans can lose the No. 1 pick
In the most recent Toro Times mock draft we had the team waiting until the sixth round to select a quarterback, with them selecting Shane Carden out of East Carolina. Perhaps I am partial due to the fact that Carden is from the same southern California beach area as yours truly, or maybe because he played high school ball in Texas, but I love him as a prospect. It is also possible I am still enamored with his 427 yard performance during the Pirates upset of the Virginia Tech Hokies.
Why not draft a fourth quarterback this year?
Whatever the reason, I believe the team should at some point look to add some young depth to replace, I mean compete with, quarterback Tom Savage. Mike Meltser of SportsRadio 610 agrees with me that the team should look at quarterback, although he seems to think they could be ok with keeping more than the standard three guys on the roster.
"“I argue here for going against the grain again. With three QB options but no solution yet, why not draft a fourth quarterback this year, and possibly carry four on the team?” – Meltser"
While it is true that the Texans have three quarterbacks on the roster which is usually the norm, Meltser discusses other teams that were in a similar situation to Houston that decided to continue to search and even went with four guys on their roster.
"“[Albert Breer] compared the Texans to the pre-Russell Wilson Seahawks. Seattle consistently invested in various quarterbacks, without going “all-in” by using a first round pick. Breer cited the moves that were made during that time: starting Matt Hasselbeck, signing Tarvaris Jackson, signing Charlie Whitehurst, giving decent free agency money to Matt Flynn, before landing Wilson. As that process was unfolding, GM John Schneider and HC Pete Carroll were building the team that would eventually win a Super Bowl and reach a second.”"
Meltser mentions both UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley and Baylor signal-caller Bryce Petty as potential targets for the Texans. Hundley struggled at times to throw deep and Petty played in a shotgun heavy offense for Baylor.
The two have their issues but both seem like they have the tools to develop into solid professional players. Hundley and Petty would most likely be selected in the second or third rounds at the latest, though we have seen guys selected much higher than expected because they happened to throw the ball.
Other players mentioned who played in a pro-style system were Garrett Grayson of Colorado State and Sean Mannion of Oregon State. Although those two would most likely still be around in the later rounds.
If the team does decide to grab a quarterback, who do the fans think they should take? Let us know your thoughts in the poll below.
Toro Times is committed to giving a fan’s take on all things Houston Texans. And we believe it’s our staff’s unique and varied perspectives that makes us different than any other sports site on the internet. With that being said, getting our readers’ perspective on various Texans-related topics is essential for us to be successful.
Therefore, we’ll often use poll questions to gauge how our readers feel about a specific topic. Their answers not only influence our articles, but they also keep us in touch with what our fans actually think and feel about their beloved team. So, please considering giving your answer in the above poll and participate in the conversation below in our comment section.