There is one detail many seem to be missing here - Watson will get better. He will grow and mature in football stature. He will have better coaching and be the focus of the teams offense so will benefit.
As a casual observer of this thread, I find your post funny. On one hand, you mock the crowd touting his intangibles and your so called "justwinz" mantra by saying that people always tout players with less than ideal traits by saying they're winners and have various unquantifiable intangibles, but then you turn around and say things like, "given how raw and absolutely unready he is for the NFL...", which is something that is ABSOLUTELY not provable and essentially the reverse mirror image of the "justwinz" logic that you hate. How can you prove that he's absolutely raw and unready for the NFL? Because he threw some interceptions? Because he took most of his snaps out of the shotgun? Because someone says his arm speed didn't measure that well (which, apparently to there are some conflicting reports about)? Yeah, tell all that to the likes of Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson, or Derek Carr. How were any of those guys any more NFL ready from day one than Watson? In fact, you could venture to say that Watson is more ready because he's proven time and again that big games don't phase him and no moment is too big. None of those other guys ever played in games as big as Watson in college. There's a reason people that get paid boatloads of money have trouble projecting quarterbacks. There's also a reason they play the games and practice at the practices. Crazier things have happened. I'm not saying I want him to start right away. I don't. I want Savage to get another shot and see if he can stay healthy. I think Savage can be a viable NFL starting quarterback. Yes, I'm in the minority. I don't care. I'm just saying that when it comes time for camp, if he's better, he's better. That's always been O'Brien's way. Anything can happen.
I think you misunderstand, when I say that he's not ready it's because he doesn't have the skills that he needs to succeed at the NFL level....you know, the things people would be talking about instead of "justwinz" and other intangibles if he actually had them. He's coming from a spread offense and doesn't know how to run a pro style offense, that's part of why he's not ready and that's not an intangible or a "justwinz" situation. He doesn't know how to read defenses which is a skill he absolutely has to have in order to do well in the NFL. He doesn't know the offense on the team he'd be playing for, that's something else he'd need to know before getting in games. I know you are really going out of your way to be overly positive about this, but it's borderline ridiculous. Saying that Watson isn't at all ready to play games in the NFL isn't a controversial statement at all.
It's controversial in the fact that people said the same things, or at least had the same reasons that Dak and Derek Carr (and Wilson, to an extent) shouldn't have been playing right away. Granted they all have different reasons they got to play, but my point is just to illustrate that it can and does happen. And sometimes when it happens, those guys prove that they are, in fact, ready to play. That's my point. Not that it will, or even that it may, but that there are guys that come from spread offenses not having to read defenses and who obviously didn't know their team's offense a week after the draft, that end up starting from day one and proving they were ready. Key traits those guys all have is that they are poised, smart, hard working guys. And by all accounts, Watson is too. Once again, not saying it will happen, but I'm just saying, it's not as far fetched as some people seem to think.
The worst they could do with him starting right off is 9-7. So I say why not. The only bad thing about it is my man Tom Savage. He really does deserve the chance to start. I'm so confused.
It's a big mistake to believe this team has a 9-7 baseline. They outperformed last year. If they were to be the exact same team next year performance wise, Texans probably end up 6-10.
It's already going to be a better team with all of last season's injured players returning. Add in the new additions (hopefully )and you have a very good team. I think the added dimension of mobility from Watson completes this offense. Also count on the defense to score some this season as well.
Derek Carr was more highly regarded as a prospect, if he was in this class, he's the first guy off the board....and he still struggled his rookie year and Dak was in the easiest spot for a QB to land and look decent at least at first. Those aren't good examples to try and make your case. Like I said, I get wanting to hold out hope for a miracle, just so long as you realize that's what you are doing and that it's very much unlikely.
@Bobbythegreat I think everyone is excited because the team was just a QB and a RT away from serious contention. Getting a QB who you think is better than your current starter is a great start.
I get that Dak landed in a great spot with a very good oline and an elite back but his numbers were pretty sterling. He deserves some credit. It will be interesting to see if he can match the success next season. 68 percent comp, 8 yards per attempt, 23 td, 4 int, and a 104.9 passer rating He also went 24 for 38, 63 percent comp, 302 yards, 3 td, 1 int, 7.9 yards per attempt, and a 103.2 passer rating in his lone playoff game
There's a very real chance that the defense takes a step back. That doesn't mean they can't be better, it just means there isn't a 9-1 baseline. There's a reason Vegas put the line at 8.5
For the fun of it, here's what the scouts were saying about Dak as a prospect: WEAKNESSES Beat up this year thanks to poor protection. When he wasn't being sacked, he was being hit hard. Not as competitive a rusher in 2015. Sacks and usage in run game might be taking a toll. Increase in short pass attempts from 86 to 208 this year reason for higher completion numbers. Accuracy on intermediate and deep throws dropped sharply. Pocket poise has been compromised. Hyper aware of pressure around him and lacks awareness to slide and find temporary shelter to make throw. Concern over pressure too often trumps ability to get through progressions. Must speed up the pace of his reads. Footwork is a mess. Slight stride onto stiff upper leg with little weight shift. Restricted follow through and too often tries to muscle throws with upper body. Throws to target rather than leading or throwing them open on short/intermediate throws. Too respectful of underneath coverage and must be more willing to challenge the defense. Needs to improve anticipation. STRENGTHS Thick, muscular frame. Has proven over last three seasons that he can withstand a pounding. Has enough natural arm strength and hip snap to fit throws into an NFL window. Stands tall and delivers a tight spiral with over-the-top delivery. Very little windup and gets ball out with the flick of a wrist. When pocket is clean, can deliver accurate strikes around the field. Played with improved vision and care for football this season and eliminated many of the ill-fated throws that turned into interceptions in 2014. Still a work in progress, but continues to show a level of growth as a passer. Threat with his legs, scoring 37 rushing touchdowns over last three seasons and had 94 rushes of ten yards or more during that time. Can be used as goal-line rushing option. Willing to extend plays outside of pocket with legs but look to finish the play with his arm. Mentally tough enough to carry a heavy offensive burden for the Bulldogs over last three years. When protected better in 2014, showed an ability to challenge deep and strike with accuracy and touch. source: NFL.com The third-round talk surrounding Dak Prescott shows no signs of abating. Prescott’s skill-set, however, makes him a more realistic Day 3 target. He needs to improve his location, in particular, struggling to beat tight coverage at every level of the defense. Prescott can hit open receivers, but fails to show the kind of precision to complete tough throws into coverage. The game-manager label might suit Prescott, because he fails to stand out in any area. While he is a solid enough signal-caller, he doesn’t flash outstanding potential. Although the numbers appear promising, Prescott is far from the most effective quarterback under pressure. He recorded a -7.0 grade when disrupted in the pocket in 2015 (0.0 is considered average), despite throwing five touchdowns to just one pick. It may have seemed as if Prescott improved at protecting the ball in his senior season—he had just five picks in his final year at Mississippi State—but he benefitted from 11 drops from defenders to maintain respectable numbers. Along with the other quarterbacks in this piece, Prescott’s decision-making isn’t always consistent. His tapes against Ole Miss and Alabama are ugly. When games started to drift away from Prescott, he was rarely capable of changing the momentum back in his teams’ favor. After an underwhelming Senior Bowl, Prescott should only be considered towards the end of the draft. source: profootballfocus.com AAAAAND the Tim Tebow comparison: After serving as running complement to pocket passer Tyler Russell for two seasons, Rayne Dakota Prescott emerged as one of the SEC's most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks in 2014. The frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy in 2014 before his play leveled off in SEC play, Prescott is a true dual-threat quarterback with the mobility and size to power through would-be tacklers, along with the arm talent to push the ball downfield through the air. He needs to improve his consistency and ball placement, but in the right system could have a future at the NFL level. Prescott owns 38 school records (15 career) and was a two-time All-American, two-time first-team All-SEC in 2014 and '15 after winning MVP of the 2013 Liberty Bowl. Tim Tebow is the only SEC player who had 60 TD passes, 40 TD runs, 8,500 yards passing and 2,000 rushing yards. Head coach Dan Mullen -- who coached Tebow -- called Prescott the best player he ever coached, praised his leadership and community leaders lauded his involvement and volunteerism while at Mississippi State. Although the Tebow comparisons are often overused, Prescott has similar size, skill set, composure and leadership as the former first-round pick. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES STRENGTHS: Scouts are most impressed with his development above the neck, showing above average awareness as a passer, recognizing things quickly and working through his progressions to easily load and fire. Displays an ability to use his eyes and hold defenders and has a quick memory to move on from mistakes and not let the negative plays linger. Overall, he has a much more natural feel in the passing game than in 2013 and appears in complete control of that offense. When he does step into his throws, Prescott can deliver strikes. He's a very dangerous runner, combining aggression, agility and the power to break arm tackles. WEAKNESSES: Work in progress as a passer but has a live arm and good field vision. His footwork is inconsistent and he loses accuracy when his feet are not set. Tends to predetermine some throws and relies on a lot of back shoulder patterns, something that got him in trouble against Auburn and Alabama. Has not shown the consistency to lead his team through the air in tough road environments when the ground game is shut down. COMPARES TO: Tim Tebow, ex-Broncos, Jets, Patriots - It is the natural comparison, beyond just the connection to Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen, who was Florida's offensive coordinator when Tebow was in Gainesville. Although Prescott has a slightly better arm and more consistent mechanics, he and Tebow grade similar in several categories, including composure, mobility, power and leadership. IN OUR VIEW: Evaluators knew he was a bruising runner, using his size, quickness and toughness to run over defenders, but Prescott has shown a much improved feel in the passing game, displaying anticipation, decisiveness and above average awareness to recognize things quickly and react accordingly. He deserves credit for the positive steps he has taken, but a lot of evaluators aren't sold quite yet as Prescott tends to predetermine his throws and has the bad habit of locking onto his targets, missing open reads downfield. source: cbssports.com
He should start. (Savage) There's no reason not to start him. Texans better not start Watson until he's READY. They'll mess around and David Carr him and ruin him for life if they start him too soon. Just let him watch and absorb the game from the sideline at the beginning. Let Savage play, and if he does well, even better because then you now have trade bait.
I don't think anyone the league will ever be "David Carr'd" again since no NFL team's O-Line will be as bad as the early Texans' ever. I still contend David Carr would have been a fine QB if he started his career behind a competent O-line. This is why I really wanted Derek Carr because he really was so similar to David Carr.
This is literally true of every single rookie QB in the entire history of ever. A pro-style offense in college is literally meaningless; they look nothing like an actual pro offense and that's because the fields are so vastly different. Moving the hash marks changes EVERYTHING. With wider hash marks, defensive players have to declare their intentions in broad daylight and QBs, as well as coaches, can adjust on the fly - it's why so many QBs stand in the shotgun and look to the sidelines: they're waiting for adjustments after the coaches have read the defense. In the NFL, defenders can hide and really confuse an inexperienced QB, who has less time to recognize, process and make an adjustment. Further, there's much less spacing and much tighter windows in the NFL; again, this is not a component of offensive style but field coverage. And we haven't even mentioned the obvious disparity in talent. So it literally does not matter what system they ran in college, no rookie QB is "NFL ready" and to suggest otherwise demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of how radically different the two games are. Additionally, because of how much college coaches can take advantage of the wider field (in essence, dictate how a defense is going to cover you by how you line-up), the vast majority of offenses don't require a second read, let a lone a third one. It has nothing to do with whether a QB *can* do it. They lock onto receivers because there's a near-100% chance their first option will be wide open not because of skill but play design. So it's a giant mistake to assume that because they were one-read QBs in college that they must not be able to progress through reads if asked. They may struggle; or they may be football savants and be able to pick it up quickly. With Watson, I think that's why so many people are zeroing in on his intangibles - it hints that he might be able to adjust quicker than most because he's proven he's relatively unflappable. Rookie QBs that succeed - and there aren't many, frankly - are football-smart guys who can quickly process the changes, learn to recognize their impact and, eventually, how to effectively combat them. I have no idea what to expect with Watson - like virtually all rookie QBs, he'll likely struggle and make mistakes. But to assume he can't pick-up the pro game when you have literally no idea how he processes and reacts is a silly stance to take, IMO.
Not to start immediately due to Bill O'Brien's BS "system" that no one can run properly apparently. If we had better coaches on offense then maybe. Mark Sanchez had 6 game winning drives in his 2nd season where his best receiver was Braylon Edwards, and Sanchez managed 2 road playoff wins that season including one over the Patriots. It just shows that knee jerk reactions about QB's who land in cushy situations are often hilariously wrong.
