McNair: Texans Open To Trading Down

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by Joshua

Sorry to go off topic but I'm curious about something. Seems like many here don't want us to take a QB or at least would be fine with it if we traded down and got a RT or something like that.

Right back at you - I'm curious why anybody would entertain using a top 5 or even top 10 pick on a RT ? And using the #1 overall on a guy who's going to be your RT tackle for years is just ludicrous IMO. It's kinda like saying you are gonna use a very high pick for your #2 WR.

[Joshua]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Right back at you - I'm curious why anybody would entertain using a top 5 or even top 10 pick on a RT ? And using the #1 overall on a guy who's going to be your RT tackle for years is just ludicrous IMO. It's kinda like saying you are gonna use a very high pick for your #2 WR.

I'm the wrong guy to ask because I'm not in favor of that. Bob can chime in since I'm pretty sure he was banging the Jake Mathews drum on here somewhere.

I'm of the opinion that sustained success only comes if you have one of the top 10 QBs. Anything less than that and best case scenario, we're back to where we were in 2011 and 2012. Good enough to get in if our running game and defense are clicking but not a tremendous threat to go the distance. So we must do everything in our power to get one, which pretty much means staying put at No. 1 and taking the best QB.

[HPF Bob]

My bad. Cleveland has the 4th and the 26th picks of the first round and they *are* as desperate for a QB as we are.

I would not take Matthews at 1-1 but it should be noted that the Chiefs already had Brandon Albert who was a higher draft pick than Duane Brown when they selected Eric Fisher at 1-1 last spring and he has helped turn their club around.

Jake Matthews can be used in a similar capacity - as an RT until Duane Brown is done then an LT for emergencies and for later down the road. There's no doubt to me that we haven't had decent play on the right side of the OL since Winston and Briesel left which had as much to do with the downfall of the offense as anything else. Solidify the line and put in an offense that emphasizes quick-strike throws and you can get by great with a mediocre quarterback.

If you can acquire a good QB some other way than a high first-round choice, I think you're further ahead than getting a rookie QB 1-1 and watching them go through a couple of years of learning curve.

[Joshua]

[QUOTE=HPF Bob;Solidify the line and put in an offense that emphasizes quick-strike throws and you can get by great with a mediocre quarterback

If you can acquire a good QB some other way than a high first-round choice, I think you're further ahead than getting a rookie QB 1-1 and watching them go through a couple of years of learning curve.[/QUOTE]

When you say "get by", does that include win a Super Bowl? The last 20 years suggest that's a long shot. While it's happened a couple times, it is not a course I would recommend.

Agreed that it would be nice to somehow find a franchise QB somewhere besides our first pick, but I note that the details of this plan are absent.

There are no guarantees in the NFL so you have to play the percentages. The numbers overwhelmingly suggest that a good QB is damn near a prerequisite to sustained success and that the best place to find one is the 1st round (and often the 1st pick). Or to bring it back to the particulars here, who do you think we're more likely to land in the 3rd round-a franchise QB or a RT?

[HPF Bob]

I see your point but we've already tried drafting a franchise QB at 1-1 and it didn't pan out. So folks will immediately come back with "Carr was ruined because they didn't build an offensive line for him" which kinda makes my point in reverse. The Oilers (God rest their souls) drafted Matthews, Munchak and Steinkuhler in the first round for three straight years, signed Warren Moon out of Canada and had a prolific offense for seven years.

Building an offense around a quality offensive line is just as valid as building around a QB.

Where I'm going with this is that Matthews is the safe pick in this draft. If we're not gobsmacked by Bridgewater, Manziel or Boritles, we can add elsewhere and then take our chance with a good QB at 2-1 bring aboard Ryan Mallett or Kirk Cousins or Matt Cassel and wait for the QBOTF to take over.

[Warren]

Speaking of RT, it will be interesting to see what the new staff does with Brennan Williams and David Quessenberry, last year's draft picks who spent the year on IR. Same with OLB Trevardo Williams on the other side of the ball.

[popanot]

Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt)
1/6/14, 3:00 PM
O'Brien likes big QBs. I could see #Texans trying to trade w #Patriots for Ryan Mallett, going diff direction in draft.

Couldn't figure out a good place for this post, but it could factor into a trade down. Don't like Mallett at all.