NFL College Player Combine

[HPF Bob]

If the combine highlights the "workout warriors", it also benefits the players with the ideal height/weight/speed numbers which benefits Bortles over Bridgewater and Manzeil.

Those "in the know" think Bortles will be better in 3-5 years than Bridgewater because of his tools but that Bridgewater is more ready now because of experience in a pro-style offense and his ability to read defenses. If this were the expansion Texans of 2002, Bortles would be the better choice because the roster around him would need time to build too.

The 2014 Texans, however, already have major pieces in place and will need to find replacements for Andre Johnson, Arian Foster, Owen Daniels and possibly Duane Brown in 3-5 years when Bortles is ready. You might as well trade them now Astros-style if that is the blueprint.

Bridgewater or McCarron gives the Texans the best chance of taking a rookie QB and jumping back into the playoff race. Yes, they aren't as athletic and possibly lack the upside but they seem the most poised to quickly rebuild the offense.

Drafting a QB at 1-1 means bypassing the best athlete in this and may other drafts, the Bruce Smith of this decade. But drafting Clowney means the Texans will have to be very creative to find a starting quarterback for the future.

We took David Carr over Julius Peppers and look what move would have been better but we also took Mario Williams over Young, Cutler and Leinart with underwhelming results.

I think Clowney is the no-doubt best pick of the draft *when motivated*. I also think he mailed in his last season at USC because he knew he would enter the draft and didn't want to sacrifice his future payday the way he saw teammate Marcus Lattimore get ruined. I bet he will be hell on wheels his first two years in the NFL. The question is whether he is still going to want it in the years that follow that. I'd liken him to the up-and-down career of Jevon Kearse.

But if the Texans draft Clowney they are probably stuck with a caretaker QB in 2014 yet won't be drafting this high in 2015. If they take a QBOTF, they are probably sacrificing their veterans while the new QB takes a few years to get up to speed

It's a Catch-22 with several ways to blow up in our face.