the anti-bridgewater crowd doesnt provide much reason other than "hes gonna bust and thats all there is to it." then you guys say things that dont make sense, you say you dont like scrambling qbs(teddy is not a scrambler) then say that tebow(the scrambler) was better. then you guys ramble off long lists of black qbs that busted. you guys talk about how he plays in a weak conference then suggest bortles.. you talk up winston when bridgewater has performed just as well if not better against some of the same teams, in bowl games none the less..
I don't see how the Texans pass on Bridgewater. Nothing short of a disastrous Bowl performance and a shockingly poor scouting combine would be enough to consider one of the other QBs. I will admit that Manziel would put the Texans on the map, but who cares about being "on the map", I'd rather the Texans win a SB, and I don't believe that Manziel can stay healthy.
First round: Bridgewater Second round: Offensive Line (OT/G/C) Third round: Secondary Fourth round: DE (this draft is stacked with good DE's IMO) Fifth round: OLB Sixth round: Offensive Line 7th round: Offensive Line I hate Fat Randy but he has bought himself some time by producing at the end of the season.. Don't know much about O'Brien or Wiz so can't go out and say hire either. But I hope we get a good Special Teams coach. Such an underrated aspect in football IMO. Can make or break a season.. Outside of a good offensive line, one of the key factors for Bridgewater/Rookie QB to be successful will be a strong running game. Foster needs to come back rejuvenated.
Texans' options with the No. 1 pick Spoiler At the start of the season, the Houston Texans were considered Super Bowl contenders -- not candidates to land the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL draft. But after finishing with the worst record in the league, the Texans will pick first overall following an 0-14 closing stretch that featured the benching of QB Matt Schaub and the firing of head coach Gary Kubiak. Whom will the Texans select with the No. 1 pick? We’ve got a long way to go between now and the opening night of the NFL draft (May 8), but let’s take a look at the team’s likeliest selections based on where things stand right now. 1. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville Cardinals I had Houston selecting Bridgewater in my first mock draft earlier this month. My reasoning then is the same as it is now: Given the importance of quarterback play in the NFL and the Texans’ need at the position, it’s hard to see the Texans not talking themselves into taking the top quarterback prospect on their board. The top QB prospect on our board right now is Bridgewater. Granted, he isn’t on the elite level of Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III; in fact, he’s only the ninth-ranked prospect overall in our rankings. (It’s also worth noting that he hasn’t yet said whether he’ll leave school early for the draft.) There are concerns about his long-term durability in the NFL because of his lean frame, and his ceiling isn’t as high as Luck’s, RG III’s or even the second-ranked QB on our board, UCF’s Blake Bortles (more on Bortles later). But there is a lot to like about Bridgewater’s game. He has proved he can beat opponents from inside the pocket with his accuracy, quick release and ability to read defenses. He is also very mentally and physically tough, and he has good mobility. (Check out his TD run in the Cardinals’ bowl win over Miami on Saturday night.) So although he isn’t a perfect prospect, I’ve got him as the No. 1 QB in this draft class right now, and if the Texans feel the same on May 8, I think that they’ll make him the top overall pick. 2. Blake Bortles, QB, UCF Knights Bortles is one of the fastest-rising prospects in the entire draft. He didn’t debut in our Top 32 rankings until Dec. 4, and we had him going No. 3 in our mock draft just two weeks later. But even though many fans are unfamiliar with him, it would not surprise me if he eventually unseated Bridgewater as the top QB prospect in this class -- if he opts to leave school early, that is. Bortles has a higher ceiling than Bridgewater, with a strong, accurate arm, good size and the ability to move around in the pocket and deliver throws even when defenders are hanging all over him. (He resembles Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco in that respect.) He has a chance to improve his stock in Wednesday night’s Fiesta Bowl, when the Knights play Baylor. Placing Bortles as the No. 2 option here is all about the value of the QB position and Houston’s need for one. Sure, getting an elite offensive tackle or elite pass-rusher (two of the Texans’ other options with the top pick) would be nice, but you don’t need either of those to win a Super Bowl -- and when’s the last time a team won it all with a quarterback who wouldn’t be classified in the league’s top 10 at the position? Exactly. It’s not surprising to hear ESPN colleague Adam Schefter's report Sunday morning that Texans GM Rick Smith is spending the week scouting several college quarterbacks in their bowl games, Bridgewater and Bortles included. 3. Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M Aggies If the Texans do decide to pass on a QB with the No. 1 overall pick, and they aren’t able to find a trading partner to move back in the draft, I think Matthews is the next-likeliest pick. Houston’s second-biggest need is offensive tackle, and Matthews has the potential to be a very good one at the NFL level. Matthews is versatile, having played both right tackle and left tackle at a very high level for Texas A&M, which could be an asset for the Texans as they attempt to rebuild their offensive line. Additionally, Matthews has the pedigree (he’s the son of former Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans OT Bruce Matthews), durability and work ethic you look for at the position. 4. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina Gamecocks/Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA Bruins I'm listing these two guys together because (A) I don't consider it all that likely that Houston would take a defensive player here and (B) we don’t yet know what type of defensive scheme the Texans are going to install under their new coaching staff -- will they keep the current 3-4 alignment or switch to a 4-3? Clowney is best suited to play a 4-3 D-end, while Barr is best suited to play a 3-4 OLB, but both players have the versatility to be used in different ways if the Texans fall in love with one or the other. Clowney is the most talented individual prospect in this entire draft class, but Barr has great potential as well (having played on the defensive side of the ball for only two seasons at UCLA), and he was very disruptive and productive during the 2013 season (more so than Clowney, whose effort was up-and-down toward the end of the season). I think it’s far likelier that the Texans go for a QB or offensive tackle with the No. 1 pick, but either Clowney or Barr would provide good value. (Clowney is currently No. 1 on our board, and Barr is No. 2.) In particular, the idea of pairing Clowney with J.J. Watt on the same defense could be awfully tempting.
I remember when people was saying Cam Newton wasn't talented enough to be taken with the #1 pick.. then by the time of the draft he went #1.. If Bridgewater is the best QB talent in this draft, and we happen to get the quarterback whisperer as Coach.. then that's too good a deal to pass on in my opinion . .
So Bridgewater is the #9 top prospect on ESPN's board, and has a lower ceiling than Bortles. Not exactly a slam dunk...
I have to admit Blake Bortles is intriguing. Hope he and Teddy show up in their respective bowls and combine so we can get a better look at their strengths and weaknesses. Haven't really seen much on Bortles besides a few highlight plays, due to his team being in such a weak conference.
Why would you put ANY stock into what BSPN ranks??? Mike Mayock would definitely be a guy I'd like to see's input, regarding all these quarterbacks and elite line players (Matthews/Clowney).
Teddy played a great bowl game. I'm curious to see what Bortles does. How's Baylor's D? I know they are a more offense-oriented team, but isn't their defense decent, too?
"Has a lower ceiling than..." is just a CYOA way of saying "we don't know as much about him/haven't paid as much attention to him". I put little stock in it.
DEFENSE 136.3 (24th) 207.8 (23rd) 17th Not too shabs if you ask me. Man! I missed the Louisville game. Does anyone have a link to where I can watch? I'm gonna search on Youtube later, if not.
Bortles was 1st team AAC QB, Bridgewater was 2nd team. Plus UCF took down Louisville AT Louisville. Some things to think about.
