Clarifying, three years of high draft picks. Washington had the #6 pick and only went up four spots; the Texans have the #22 pick. How high do you think the Texans should trade up to and how much will it take? I doubt they think there is a QB on the level of the guys you mentioned. The general consensus is that none of the QBs are on the same level as Luck and Mariota. Bortles, maybe. Does "do whatever" include a deal like 2016 1st round, 2016 2nd round, 2017 1st round, 2017 2nd round, and 2018 first round to get Paxton Lynch? Kicking the tires on Rivers and Brees doesn't mean anything if those teams aren't willing to trade them. Remember, they value a franchise-level QB just as much as the Texans do. So you would send three 1s and a 2 to move up four spots?
I like what the Ravens did with Flacco. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/football/2008-04-26-1965096895_x.htm They traded down and then used the assets to trade back up.
From http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2016/01/senior_bowl_north_practice_not.html "Though he's far from the most highly regarded quarterback in Mobile this week in terms of the draft, USC's Cody Kessler throws arguably the prettiest ball. Kessler was on the money with nearly every throw he made in pass skels and 11-on-11 drills Thursday, proving to be more accurate than Stanford's Kevin Hogan, Louisiana Tech's Jeff Driskel and even North Dakota State's Carson Wentz, a presumptive Top 10 overall pick in April's NFL draft." Kessler is rated as a late-round pick at best for the draft, largely due to his less-than-ideal size (6-1, 215).
Yes but this point is entirely moot because Baltimore had a competent GM. Apples and oranges with the Texans.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">ICYMI: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFL?src=hash">#NFL</a> Exec: 'If the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Browns?src=hash">#Browns</a> draft Carson Wentz at No. 2, they'll be set for 15 years' <a href="https://t.co/8n6HOlYPXX">https://t.co/8n6HOlYPXX</a></p>— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryKayCabot/status/693080904726482945">January 29, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But why would you want the Texans to do the opposite? The "competent GM" didn't jump at all costs to get Matt Ryan. And they didn't reach for Flacco either. Once Ryan was off the board, they actually traded down and then up to a draft position appropriate for Flacco.
— After watching the Houston Texans play in the playoffs, you can probably guess they'll go offense early in the draft, but I'm told by sources inside the Texans that they will focus on offense with all of their early picks. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2611508-2016-nfl-draft-matt-millers-scouting-notebook-for-senior-bowl-week
It depends on their evaluation, which I can't answer for. If they think there's a guy that can set us up at QB for the next 10-15; to put us in the same league, QB-wise, as Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Tennessee - then yes, they have to make sure they get that guy, IMO.
Remember that there's a lot of BS being spread before the draft. All this talk of the Browns taking Wentz at #2 just seems too much to actually be true. I call BS (to a degree). We know the Texans MO. It's generally not to draft for need and to take who they feel is the best player available. Now, there might be a desire or even pressure to use early picks on offense but I doubt they're going to pigeonhole themselves into what positions or even what side of the ball they're going to draft in the first few picks. It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility that we use one of those picks on a NT. "Draft Experts" often make mocks and projections based primarily on team need and as we know, that's not always how teams make decisions.
They've always drafted for need, despite what they say about drafting the best player available. The only area where they have avoided drafting for need is at QB in 2014.
I actually love that all of these mock drafts have us taking Ezekiel Elliot. I thought he was amazing in college, and we can still get a QB in the second, even if we have to trade up
I agree that it depends on their evaluation. If they think there's a 90% chance a QB will do what you just said then I'm with you. I just don't think that guy is in this draft. I think these QBs are in the 60-70% range. Bear in mind they still need a RB and a TE. Both safety positions are shaky. Cushing and Wilfork need backups/replacements ASAP. And they have two starters on the Offensive Line that will be free agents. The QB is the most important position but you can't totally ignore the rest of the team (see the Colts this year). They absolutely have to get a QB. I'm hoping the guy they really like is obscure like Prescott, Hogan, or Kessler (Cook to a lesser extent). One one hand we praise GMs for being able find gems without paying a fortune and then the next breathe we blame them for not trading up for a player who they don't think is worth the jump. No one credits the Colts for picking Luck and Peyton because they were obvious choices. but we praise Seattle (Wilson), New England (Brady), and Green Bay (Rodgers) for drafting intelligently and getting a good deal.
Not in the first round. CB wasn't a their top need last year. OLB/DE wasn't a major need the previous year when they drafted Clowney. They drafted for need with Hopkins but they had Barwin and Reed when they drafted Mercilus. I think they do hybrid of "best player available at one of the top 5 positions of need" or something like that.
Yeah, I didnt mean that it was the most glaring position of need...but they definitely take players at positions they need help in. For example, they wont draft a LT with their first pick, even if a top rated guy is on the board. They'll have their top few positions of need and take the best of the bunch.
Wentz hasn't impressed me yet though those drops by Miller and company isn't helping. Good for us though if he drops
Yep. He may have temporarily slowed the hype train. If I drafted a second quarterback, I'd draft Driskel in the sixth or seventh round and try and stash him on the practice squad or IR. He has potential.
Wentz is my candidate for drafted too early bust. Not really based on much... Except the Browns interest and quick rise. Lol
A lot of politics involved and false stories/opinions leaked to increase a players stock and hide others.
