This Week In BRB Group Think: Waiting For A Quarterback

Free agency has started. Houston has only re-signed Ryan Griffin, Nick Novak, and Shane Lechler, and cleared Brock Osweiler's contract by giving up a second round pick. The idea is that all this waiting and extra cap space will net a quarterback. Who do you think Houston's quarterback will be in 2017? Who do you want to be Houston's quarterback in 2017? What would it take to get him?

Matt Weston:

I still want to see Tony Romo be the quarterback of the Houston Texans this season. As of right now, no one is giving in do Jerry Jones’ demands and giving up any assets to acquire potential former Starter brand endorsed quarterback. The rest of the league is waiting for his release. If Romo is released, Houston would be the favorite to sign him. They are possibly a quarterback away from being an actual contender. It’s an episode of “Lost” away on an airplane from Dallas and all of his people. In this situation, Houston wouldn’t have to trade anything and could sign him to a better contract because of title hopes and proximity to his home in Dallas, something no one else can offer.

When it comes to actually playing quarterback, there are concerns. Houston’s pass blocking was mediocre last season and was made worse by Brock’s pants pooping at the first sight of pressure. Right tackle is a problem. Xavier Su’a-Filo getting turnstiled once a game is, too. Having one of the league’s worst right guards is another one. Houston must make sure they keep their QB upright and limit the amount of hits his metal infused body takes. The other is Romo’s style of play. This isn’t super smart, three step drop, quick passing Peyton Manning we’re talking about. This is the wily gun-slinging kid who once loved to duck away from pressure, roll outside, and heave perfect bombs that left the stadium bombastic. Romo can’t play this way anymore. If he does, he will probably end up crumpled and holding his collar bone again. But if he can learn how to shoot fadeaways instead of driving to the rim, and Houston finds a right tackle, Tony Romo is the best quarterback for the best price. If it happens Houston would finally be able to win football games because of their quarterback, rather than in spite of him.

This is all a figment of my imagination. It’s a potential future that will probably never arise. Most likely, Tom Savage is going to be the Texans’ quarterback in 2017. He’s going to be terrible. Houston will draft another one in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. I expect everything to be the same it has been the last three years until it isn’t.

Luke Beggs:

Who do I think will be the QB? Tom Savage.

Who do I want? DeShone Kizer.

If we can get Tony Romo then sure, why not? To me, the Romo signing (while still offering a lot of upside) would feel like the Texans are still kicking the can down the road in regards to building longevity at the most important position on the field. I just feel that the investment in a Kizer or Watson couldn't possibly yield worse play than any of the current options on the Texans’ roster. That, along with the opportunity for upward mobility should said young QB continue to improve, can offer an overall road map upon which the Texans can build for the future.

That's all well and good, but if the Texans get Romo and we immediately become Super Bowl contenders, none of us will probably care about any of that.

Mike Bullock:

Who do I think will be the QB? Tom Savage.

Who do I want? Kirk Cousins or DeShaun Watson .

I really hope Tony Romo takes the offer from FOX and goes into broadcasting. Look at all the quarterbacks who have been injured in Bill O'Brien's system so far. Romo wouldn't make it to mid-season.

Kirk Cousins is smart, accurate, inspired, and is the sort of high-character player this team loves and this fan base rallies around. Watson is in the same mold, but his skill set seems to be more a fit for a Gary Kubiak offense. Could you imagine Watson bootlegging out to the right while the defense flows left chasing Lamar Miler who doesn't even have the ball? #BullsOnParade

For Cousins, I'd give up this year's first rounder and the fourth rounder Houston nabbed from Cleveland in the Great Osweiler Dump of 2017. And maybe even a future second rounder. If need be, I might even toss in Jaelen Strong or Will Fuller since Washington is now wide receiver needy.

Capt Ron:

Who do I think will be the QB? Tony Romo.

Who do I want? Drew Brees.

After the Brock trade to Cleveland, it was pretty clear that the Texans were aggressively trying to maneuver to get Tony Romo for a "win-now" scenario. I applaud that approach, given the narrow window of incredible opportunity Houston has with one of the best defenses in the league. I think Romo could provide the stability of success needed at the QB position to simply not lose games in the manner that Brock Osweiler, Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett and Ryan Fitzpatrick did when they were at the controls. That is IF Romo can stay injury free through 19-20 games in one year to win a championship, and that's far from certain with this offensive line and Romo's recent history in Dallas.

As for finding a QB in the draft, I just don't see any them making the leap in their rookie year. O'Brien's system is far too complicated for a rookie to learn and execute that quickly.

If the Texans really want to "win now," I'd prefer they find some means to pry away Drew Brees from the Saints. New Orleans is obviously in a rebuilding scenario, and there is very little chance Brees will sniff a Super Bowl before he retires if he stays there. The Saints are in dire need of defensive talent, so I could see Houston packaging a deal that includes a player and perhaps conditional draft picks to get Brees. This would give Houston a couple of years of a top talent under center to compete for a championship while they find and develop a younger signal-caller of the future.

Diehard Chris:

Who I think the QB will be: I do think there's enough smoke for me to believe it will be Tony Romo. I assume part of Jerry Jones' strategy is trying to force Houston's hand prior to the draft, but anyone with a pulse of brain activity knows Houston's draft plans for a QB are going to be the same regardless of whether they sign Tony Romo. If they don't get him, they need to grab a QB in the first or second round. If they do get Romo - THEY NEED TO GRAB A QB IN THE FIRST OR SECOND ROUND. I'm not a big Rick Smith fan, but I would be shocked if he doesn't have the same thought. It's a pretty obvious attempt at a solution.

Who I want it to be: Of the very limited scenarios out there, I'd rather try to acquire Jimmy Garoppolo than Romo. However, if it's true Cleveland is hot for Jimmy G, obviously they are dumb enough to GROSSLY overpay in draft capital, making this now a completely unrealistic option.

What's realistically left after that? For free agents: Cutler—HARD pass. Chase Daniel? The Return of Fitzy? Ugh. It's a menagerie of nightmares. Rookies—you know what, I'm not kicking any of the top names out of bed. None of them. Watson, Kizer, Peterman, etc. As long as it's a first or second round guy (who's worth a first or second round pick), bring them on, so it's Romo AND it's a rookie, with Romo being the obvious starter. I'd rather have him with Tom Savage or a rookie ready to step in than only the unproven, injury-prone Savage and an unproven rookie regardless of draft pedigree.

Brett Kollmann:

Who do I think the QB will be? Tony Romo.

Who do I want it to be? Tony Romo.

I expect the Texans to draft a quarterback early in this draft, but there is no guarantee that the guy they want will even be there at 25th overall. Mitchell Trubisky and DeShone Kizer could be long gone by the time the top fifteen picks are off the board, so it would be short-sighted of the Texans to NOT bring in Romo just to make absolutely sure that they have someone that can start on day one.

I used to think that Tom Savage might be our diamond in the rough kind of answer, but in between his frequent injury setbacks, he has never actually shown himself to be anything but backup material. Houston needs a starting caliber quarterback if they want to take advantage of their Super Bowl window, and that is going to come from either Tony Romo or a first round rookie. If they don't invest in either of those two things, we might as well start looking forward to 2018.

MDC:

Who do I think it will be? Kirk Cousins, oddly enough.

Who do I want it to be? Depends...if they land Cousins, I'm fine with that. If they don't (for example, if they get Romo), I want it to be Romo for one year as Deshaun Watson develops. (Related: F Kizer.) In either event, I don't want it to be Savage, because I think they are "fine" with him as a starter after a year of Osweiler in the same way that a person would be "fine" with bird flu if it meant their cancer was in remission.

Seriously, though...draft Watson. Do it, Rick.