One thing I can be almost 100% certain about. Phillip Rivers, right now, is better than Hoyer or Mallett will be over the next few seasons. I dont see how pushing aside Rivers in the hopes of Mallett being an elite QB gives us a better chance of winning a SB.
Uhm... You're aware Rivers played with Tomlinson, Jackson and Gates? Two of those guys are going to Canton. Not to mention Turner, Sproles....... You'd be hard-pressed to argue Schaub played with more talent than Rivers.
Will the Schaub arguments ever die around here? The VY arguments took almost 10 years. I hope the Schaub ones don't take that long.
The goal should be to make the playoffs. Only among delusional, ill-informed fans who don't understand how hard it is. Or posters desperately trying to defend a position. The run game has an expiration date; likely next offseason. The defense might, as well. How many producitve years does WIlfork have left? Cushing and JJo are likely gone next year. Duane Brown isn't getting younger, either, btw, speaking of older, expensive players. The window on this nucelus is rapidly closing.
What other moves would we have to make in order to make room for Rivers though? I just don't see it as a move that would lead to a SB.
No brainer... Win now and worry about rebuilding 3/4 years down the road for 3/4 years down the road....
The Texans are in a pretty good position to make the playoffs as they currently stand, in your mind is it best to start creating holes on the team in order to have the cap space to swing a trade for an old QB? Also "the run game" doesn't mean Arian Foster, with the right scheme and O line talent you can make a lot of RB's look good. Arian Foster level? Maybe not, but it's not like the run game is going to be non-existent next season.
Restructure Watt, Cushing and/or JJo; release Graham... it wouldn't be terribly difficult. Plus, he's looking for an extension so you could do it in a way that would provide some '15 cap relief, I'm sure.
Restructuring Watt, Cushing, and JJ0 along with releasing Graham doesn't create the 17 mil worth of cap space needed. Sure maybe a new deal for Rivers could help, but honestly this isn't a realistic possibility.
I wouldn't term the Texans' position as "pretty good." I think they should absolutely be in the discussion when it comes to playoff contenders... but several things would have to go their way. It's going to be an uphill climb. In terms of holes - why are they creating holes? Restructure contracts. And 33 is not old. Sure; but if the idea is to build your team around the run game then, yeah - you need an Arian Foster. Alfred Blue's not going to carry a team to the playoffs. He might go to the playoffs on a team with Phillips Rivers... but if he's your primary weapon, you're in toruble, no matter the oline or scheme.
Well, releasing Graham gets you down to needing less than $15MM. Now, I won't even remotely pretend I understand the cap - but... those three players have a combined $42.1MM cap hit in '15. I'm sure you can carve out enough $$ to satisfy Rivers (if he wants to come here).
And this is another reason I hate the Hoyer signing. Using up unnecessary cap space and limiting yourself with future transactions.
Between Cushing and Watt you have flexibility to create enough cap space to make it work. Especially since Rivers current contract is basically 100% base salary, you'd have a ton of flexibility with an extension to convert his 15 cap number, or just essentially void this year and give him a new contract. I don't think we need to worry because I don't think BOB has any desire to go that route and I don't think we'd pay the price anyway, but I would do it personally. I don't see how anyone can think that between Mallet and Hoyer we have anything better than a longshot chance of having good QB play in the next two years. And for me personally, I don't want to waste Watt's prime. The way the NFL works, who knows that he's even a star for you in 3 years. If I have a chance to fix the QB situation for even the next two years, I do it.
I just don't think people give enough thought to how quickly you dry up in the NFL. JJ Watt has been the best player in the league on defense the past 3 years. What are the chances that he's dominant 6 straight years? It's very possible that he has peaked and will not post another season as dominant as the last one and that 3 years from now he's declined significantly from elite to just a good defensive linemen. I really REALLY hate that this team will run out Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallet at QB next year and then if it fails, you are back at square one in the offseason. Really hate it.
Love Rivers. At his advanced age I'm unsure about acquiring him. If it were an acquisition for this season I would say yes, next season? I'm not so sure. He's 33 and the dude gets beat the hell up every year because they can't even build a legit O-line. If he was completely fresh, with no ill side effects from prior injuries I would go in on him for maybe 2-3 years. Maybe longer depending how he holds up. Yes if he's physically and mentally intact. No if he's regressing and showing battle scars from previous years.
Yeah, "very" is the wrong word. Just possible. It's pretty rare for a defensive lineman though to be "best defender in the league" level for 6+ consecutive seasons. I'm not saying that Watt is going to regress though, I'm just saying in the NFL you need to strike when the iron is hot. Time runs out quickly.
