The Houston Texans need to zero in on a quarterback and do what’s necessary to land that player in the 2016 NFL Draft
Houston Texans fans have suffered long enough, and this is an open call, or flat-out begging if you will, that it’s past time to get a true franchise quarterback. Matt Schaub had some decent seasons, Ryan Fitzpatrick looked good at times, even Case Keenum had his moments.
Still, sending out guys who bounce around the league as your opening day starter has not, and will not ever work. Brian Hoyer is the latest example, as he showed some signs of being a decent player during the season, but when the playoff pressure was put on, he folded.
The five turnover debacle in Houston was bad. What was worse, is with only Brandon Weeden active behind him, the team really had no one to turn to that they trusted.
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General manager Rick Smith has passed on quarterbacks in the draft for long enough. If he stays in town (if it were up to fans, there would be no if…he would be gone) this season has to be different.
Players like Cal’s Jared Goff and Paxton Lycnh of Memphis will most likely be off the board when Houston makes their selection in the first round of the NFL Draft this spring, but that doesn’t mean the team should simply ignore the position again.
Quarterbacks like Christian Hackenberg and Carson Wentz should be available. Head coach Bill O’Brien worked with Hackenberg during the passer’s freshman season while he coached Penn State. If he feels there’s potential there, he may pull the trigger.
Hackenberg has his flaws, but at 6’4″ and 234 pounds he has the size that scouts love and he put up decent numbers behind an atrocious offensive line. The junior completed 56 percent of his passes for 8,457 yards with 48 scores and 31 interceptions.
If O’Brien doesn’t believe in his former player, he could go for Wentz, who played at a smaller school in North Dakota State. The 6’6″, 235 pound passer looks the part and has the stats to back it up. With a completion percentage of 64.1 he is more accurate than Hackenberg.
He also had a much better touchdown to interception ratio with 45 to 15. If things stay as they are, Wentz may be available for Houston. If the kid turns some heads in the combine, they may need to move up and make the pick.
Wentz may take some time to season due to the level of competition he faced at college, but is probably a much better prospect than Hackenberg. Trading some draft picks to move up for him would be worth it, because the fans deserve anyone other than Hoyer under center.