My point is, the Texans need a qb with a decent amount of mobility. This draft is going to be flooded with these types of players. It wouldn't make sense to grab one in the 1st. The Texans need to bolster the offensive line within the first 3 rounds. You put Jones behind a good offensive line and he will look like Cam Newton. His performance last season means a lot more than anything he has done this season. His mobility alone makes him better than Hoyer and Mallet now.
I think a lot of people confuse elusiveness with mobility. Non-mobile QB's like Brady, Rothlesberger and Peyton (probably the best 3 QB's in the league right now) all couldn't run at all... but they're all ultra-elusive and know where the pressure is coming from, they know how to change the protection schemes, and they ultimately know where the sweet spots of the pocket are to avoid major contact. Its also not entirely about the O-line as well... although you do need a semblance of cohesiveness there. In the end, if you have a QB that can get the ball out quickly... and recognize what's going on up front on the defense... that goes a long way in the NFL and equalizes the ability of those QB's that have "mobility".
I agree offensive line should be addressed really early in the draft. I hate to refer to the cowboys but they have the best o-line in football. And they give so much time for the QB and so much running room for the RBs. It's just super hard to project offensive lineman correctly that I wouldn't be opposed to signing free agent lineman in free agency to address our offensive line.
What needs to happen in order for Rick Smith to get fired? I want a better GM in place to make the decision on our future QB.
GM is like QB, most of them are terrible. Rick Smith squanders picks and makes mistakes. So does just about everyone else. Smith has been middle-of-the-pack. We just hear, "WHY CANT WE BE LIKE SEATTLE" as if every team has depth.
People on here act like NFL GMs just go drafting and signing players with no interaction from the coaching staff.
Rick Smith stinks, should have been gone long ago. No one will argue that. Funny though how he bears all the blame. No QB? Blame Rick Smith! Bad draft pick? Blame Rick Smith! Good draft pick? Credit to the coaches. Rick Smith is just a figurehead. This is Bill O'Brien's roster, building the way he want it, with who he wants. If he wants all the Patriots backup QBs, then that's who he wants! Don't blame Rick Smith because Bill O'Brien passed on every QB in the 2014 draft not named Tom Savage or every QB in the 2015 draft not named Marcus Mariota/Jameis Winston or that they traded Ryan Fitzpatrick [for Brian Hoyer]. Jaelen Strong, for example, if he busts, folks gonna be screaming for Rick Smith's head again. Never mind 88% called it a "total steal". Louis Nix, just another Rick Smith bust! Right?! 96% liked the pick. But but but we're just message board nobodies! We're not paid to scout, analyze & project these guys! Through the first 5 pages. . . By miracle this franchise does something good, credit to the coaches. Screw up as usual, blame Rick Smith.
Good post. And you are 100% correct this is obriens team and he's building it the way he wants with who he wants. So my question to you is how does he want to build this team what kind of direction is he trying to go for what identity does he want so forth and so on?
JR bringing the heat. I will say that most our our picks have made sense at the time these past 2 years besides passing on Carr. We've made high risk, high reward picks that have not panned out at all. Last year's class is looking better with Clowney and even CJ coming along. X needs to get healthy asap.
The other thing no one is talking about is that you can win with Ryan Mallet as your QB. You just need playmakers at every level of your defense, not just the d-line. Make opposing teams scared of the pass rush, also scared of ball-hawks and play-makers in the secondary, and run-stopping ILBs. The texans have like 7 1st round picks starting on the defense. SEVEN! They have invested way more in the defense than in the offense. I expect more from them.
I hated both the Nix and Strong picks. Yes, this is O'Briens team, but Rick is responsible for the scouting and cap management. Just because OBrien deserves blame doesn't mean we can't do better at the GM spot. Get someone in there who can actually help OBrien get some insight into these draft picks and signings rather than just a figurehead.
And that's the problem with Rick Smith. As a GM, he sucks because...If OB is saying, "Bortles, Bridgewater, Carr, and Jimmy G are all average, I can do better by going after Mallett or Hoyer"...the GM should tell him to **** off. And that goes for any position, not just QB. The GM should be able to present to the coach a list of players he thinks are talented, hard working, coachable, and with potential. The GM cant just say "yes" to whatever the coach wants...as the coach doesnt have the time to scout all the players out there. That would be Rick Smith's job.
Who thought Fiedorowicz was the next Gronk? Did this come from Rick or O'Brien? Whoever said he could develop into a catching TE...yikes. And the JJo extension...whose idea was that? I mean it supposedly gave us some cap flexibility. That would be Rick Smiths expertise.
