2014 NFL Draft: CBS Sports Analysts Weigh In On The Houston Texans And QB Prospects

CBS Sports Network doesn't get the publicity that ESPN or the NFL Network do when it comes to draft coverage, but they have analysts that have opinions as well. These are some of those analysts expressing their opinions as they pertain to the 2014 NFL Draft, your Houston Texans, and various quarterback prospects. Enjoy.

(ON HOUSTON TEXANS’ NO. 1 PICK):

Bart Scott: If they want to take the best player available, they’re going to take Jadeveon Clowney. When you talk about playing within that division and stopping Andrew Luck – Batman needs a Robin. J.J. Watt needs somebody opposite him who is going to take the double teams off of him. If they believe that they need a quarterback, and Bill O’Brien really loves Blake Bortles, then you trade the pick out if you can. You get your quarterback and you don’t look back.

Tony Gonzalez: They want a quarterback and they need a quarterback. They should just trade that pick away to the Falcons. The Falcons can trade up, get Clowney, which they need, and everybody is happy. You get the stock pile in the Draft… I would take Bortles if he’s there or Manziel. I think Manziel is the best quarterback in the Draft for sure.

Houston Nutt: (Clowney) is very, very rare. He is a rare talent at 6’6½", 276 pounds. He’s a difference-maker. He’s a game-changer. There’s been some talk that he takes a play off here and there. But I’ll tell you what, when he wants to play, he’s like a jet coming off the edge.

Adam Archuleta: There’s so many places that I think Houston can go, whether or not it’s Clowney or Manziel. Any one of those guys can fit on their team. But when you talk to NFL coaches, defensive clip coaches, they’re salivating. The words that I hear every single time is, ‘Clowney is rare. And he is special.’ So I know that they have a lot of decisions that they have to make, but I don’t know how you pass up on Clowney.

Brian Jones: "Johnny Football" is rare. If he was 6’2", 6’3", 6’4", he’d be the number one guy by far and jumping off that board. He’s not… I haven’t seen anyone just captivate an audience the way this young man has. For all of those who question whether or not his craft means something, look at his numbers a season ago. He has gotten better in all areas. Everything increased. He did pay attention to detail. He did get better as a signal caller. I think "Johnny Football" is rare and he’s definitely special.

(ON JOHNNY MANZIEL):

Gannon: He has two more years of eligibility left. We need to keep that in mind when we evaluate Johnny Manziel. When you watch this kid play, there’s no question about it. He is an explosive, dynamic player… There are some things that can get cleaned up if he gets with a good quarterback coach and a good offensive coordinator.

Beuerlein: This is a guy that has GMs absolutely terrified. And it’s because they just don’t know what they’re getting in him… Wearing down is going to be an issue for Johnny Manziel but (so will) decision making in general. This is a guy who is so used to relying on that athletic ability. When he gets into trouble and when things do break down, his decision is to run. In college, a lot of those guys were just diving at his feet and missing him. In the NFL they’re going to be coming right through his chest. They are going to come right through the middle of him and it’s going to take a toll on him.

(ON BLAKE BORTLES):

Beuerlein: He has a good arm, but I don’t know if the ball comes out of his hand the way the ball needs to come out of his hand for a really pure pocket passer in the NFL. You compare him physically to guys like Andrew Luck. But that ball doesn’t come out of his hand anything close to the way the ball comes out of Andrew Luck’s hands. They’re not in the same category. Whoever gets him, they have a guy that has a chance to be a pretty darn good quarterback. But they have to work on that ball coming out of his hand more consistently with a tighter spiral.

Simms: When I watch him I see the size. You can see his presence. He walks around, he looks like the man. And he acts like the man. That’s going to go over well in the locker room.

(ON TEDDY BRIDGEWATER):

Simms: He has experience. He’s been on a team, and led them and shown leadership on the field… I think potentially the guy has a chance to learn to really be a good thrower. (He has) long arms. He’s limber. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t be able to throw the football with power.

Gannon: I think he can improve as a passer. But he doesn’t overpower you with his arm strength when you watch the tape. When you go back and look at the Pro Day… people wanted to go there and reaffirm what they saw on tape. They went there and didn’t see him throw well. They didn’t see the accuracy. I think it forced some teams to go back and look at that tape. And when they did, they picked it apart and saw it differently. It’s a big reason why this kid has really fallen down Draft boards.

(ON DEREK CARR):

Rich Gannon: I think he’s the best pure passer. People make the mistake of trying to compare Derek Carr to his brother David Carr. They are very different players. He’s got the size, arm strength and the experience in a pro-style offense. He has toughness. People criticize this guy because they go back and study one game against USC. There are plenty of examples of Derek Carr sitting in there and making the tough throw under adverse situations where he gets hit in the face, or the sternum. This guy has some toughness in the pocket.

Steve Beuerlein: He’s the one that stood out to me of these quarterbacks being considered for a first round draft choice. I think his accuracy, his athletic ability… He has the ability to find different lanes and angles to release the football. He’s very accurate. He can make throws in awkward positions and find lanes with the football. I think he’s the real deal and a lot of teams would be excited to have him on their ball club.

Phil Simms: What’s not good about Derek Carr?... It’s hard to find a weakness. You know what the weakness is? The last name. Because his brother didn’t succeed. It’s unfair… (People are questioning his toughness). I don’t see any evidence of that. It’s a really bad moniker for someone to give to you, especially when there is no truth behind it. The guy has size. He can make all the throws. And the guy can run. What is there not to like?