Andre was also getting doubled last week. I've noticed more than a few times where an accurate pass to Andre would have been a completion.
Cam Newton. Matt Stafford. If you go back another year to 2008 then Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco. Versus 2nd round: Dalton and Kaepernick. Versus 3rd round: Wilson, Foles Versus 4th round and later: nobody
Okay, so out of all of these QBs you have listed, which one would you be absolutely upset about missing out on? Can you tell me definitively that Stafford or Newton are bonafide, rock solid, can't miss QBs? Can you tell me they are more worthy to lead a team than a 3rd round Russel Wilson? The point is that just because you take a QB in the first round doesn't automatically answer all problems. For all we know, we have the next great thing in Savage or Mallet. Those worrying that one these guys will actually do good and prevent us from taking a QB in the first round is ludicrous.
I can tell you that Stafford or Newton would make the Texans a playoff team this season. I don't mind taking a QB in the 2nd or third round if the Texans are sold on him. Having said that, a first rounder is probably more likely to be successful. Manning, Luck, Roethlisberger, Flacco, Rivers, Stafford, Cutler, Ryan, Rodgers, Eli Manning, Tannehill, Newton, Carr, RGIII, Smith, Bortles, Palmer all are first rounders. Brees, Kaepernick and Dalton all were taken at the top of the second round. Yes, Romo and Brady and Hoyer and Foles were taken later in the draft but they are the exception to the rule.
If we had Kyle Orton, we would be a playoff team so that's not saying much. Will you be pissed if Mallet goes out there and kills it?
No, but in the research that I did before the draft, the odds of a 1st round QB panning out, while not great, are significantly better than those of QBs taken in the 2nd or 3rd. Like 50% versus 16%. And the success rate of of QBs taken after the 3rd is virtually nil. People like to use Wilson as an example of how you can get a good QB later, but before him, the last "good" QB taken in the 3rd was Matt Schaub in 2004. The "best" QBs in between those two were Trent Edwards and Charlie Whitehurst. And the same was true for the 2nd round where there was a big gap between the Saints taking Brees in 2001 and 2011 when Dalton and Kaepernick were taken. No QB worth a damn was taken in the 2nd round from 2002-2010. Is it possible to find a franchise QB in the 2nd and 3rd? Yeah, but it's not very likely. Taking a QB in the 1st is hit or miss, but that's where most of the elite QBs come from. Of the Top 10 QBs in QBR, 7 of them were taken in the first round. And Brees was taken #32 overall.
Of course I won't be pissed off. I would love the Texans to find the next Joe Montana or Tom Brady or even Tony Romo in the middle to late part of the draft. I am only saying that statistically you are less likely to find a good to great starting QB later in the draft. As far as Mallet goes, I think he should be playing because Fitzpatrick is mediocre and that isn't going to change. Having said that, I am skeptical that Mallet will be anything special... I find it hard to believe that the Pats wouldn't have kept him if he was, and I have to believe he would already be playing for the Texans if his brilliance was obvious. Still it is worth a shot.
Who said I'm penciling them in? Those are positions that need to be addressed. Chances are we botch the picks, but we should at least try to address those positions.
I'll be pissed if Mallett shows flashes, the Texans re-sign him, do nothing else in regards to the position during the offseason, and then he comes back and stinks.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Ryan Mallett is ready to take over the starting job. He's spending his bye week in Houston- plans on lifting weights.</p>— Evan West (@Evan_P_West) <a href="https://twitter.com/Evan_P_West/status/529707883848814592">November 4, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>"Right here. Lifting weights and watching film."-<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash">#Texans</a> QB Ryan Mallett on how he will spend bye week.</p>— Drew Dougherty (@DoughertyDrew) <a href="https://twitter.com/DoughertyDrew/status/529707598426021888">November 4, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Mallett says he's used to being in the backup role, did it 4 years in New England. Always prepares as though he were the starter. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash">#Texans</a></p>— Deepi Sidhu (@DeepSlant) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeepSlant/status/529708479209304064">November 4, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In that sense, I might be inclined to go ahead and give Mallett a run even though I don't think O'Brien will. Who knows what the Texans would've done had we only had Case's first 2 games as a sample size last year. Well, I guess it wouldn't be that much different considering we didn't spend a high draft pick on a QB, but imagine the same level of passiveness next year.
I've defended the Texans not taking a QB in the 1st 2 rounds this past year, but it's getting harder and harder to justify. I can understand not using our #1 pick, but knowing that we drafted Su'a-Filo, who can't seem to beat out Ben Jones, with Carr and Garoppolo still on the board....yikes...
and also CJ fiedorowicz in 3rd round.. we could've traded 2nd and 4th to move up for manziel or bridgewater... bottom line is one of the 4 qbs we've mention should've been a texan..I think Andre wanted Manziel. We went into the draft with QB needs and left with those needs..
That's the most disappointing pick for me. More than Clowney, who I'm still willing to excuse because of the injury. But here's a guy who was taken 33rd overall who can't supplant a very mediocre OG. Earlier in the season I was watching Jones suck and wondering why the coaches weren't playing XSF. Then he'd get in for a few plays and and it was like "Damn, he's ****tier than our already ****ty LG". Only sliver of optimism for me is that OL Coach Paul Dunn sucks. He was awful in Atlanta and he's awful here. But he's here because OB dragged his feet trying to get Munchak or Ferentz in here and had to scramble when they declined the job. I expect Dunn to be let go in the offseason and to get a better coach and better OLine play next year.
The Patriots rountinely let *starters* walk rather than pay them. Why in the world is their decision to not invest in a back-up QB drawing more attention than the fact they kept him for three years? They could have literally had *anyone* back there. And it's not like they don't value the position because they've spent a 3 and now a 2 on their last two back-ups. I think it's far more telling that his former QB coach dealt a pick for him, isn't it? I have no idea what kind of player/student/teammate Mallett is - but O'Brien very obviously didn't see the set-in-concrete opinions so many around here seem to have of the guy. Otherwise, why waste a pick? He had a perfectly capable back-up in Keenum. I think O'Brien's plan all along was to reevaluate at the bye. If Fitzpatrick was overachieving, he'd make the switch. Fitzpatrick isn't overachieving.
We have what . . . 7 more games left I think Mallet should get 3 and Savage should get three The last game is a toss up . . .. Rocket River
