The Texans have signed former Dolphins safety Chris Clemons to a two year deal. This signing comes a week after the Texans inked Kendrick Lewis to bolster the secondary and not long after Daniel Manning took a pay cut. ESPN analyst and former GM Bill Polian had Clemons as the 2nd best available safety on the open market and ProFootballFocus as of March 26th had him as the 2nd best available free agent on the market. As rated by Pro-football-reference.com, Chris Clemons posts a similiar average value to that of marquee safety T.J. Ward at a much more frugal price tag. Although the Texans ended up with the 3rd ranked pass defense, it was not heavily tested, and the secondary looks far more sound this upcoming campaign with the maturation of DJ Swearinger and the likes of Chris Clemons getting snaps in the stead of Shiloh Keo. Clemons is a sound veteran, and as recently as 2012 posted the sixth most efficient tackle rating of any safety. Granted, Chris is not a ballhawk, but he will play well in coverage and most importantly heavily in helping the Texans clean up a run defense that ranked 22nd last year. While starting in Miami, the safeties were responsible for a minuscule percentage of the passing yards allowed by the defense, and Clemons played a huge factor in that. Although the departure of Antonio Smith and Earl Mitchell will hurt, new defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel will have several pieces in place with the likes of Cushing, Watt, Jackson, Joseph, Swearinger, and Clemons. Acquiring Chris Clemons is a nice piece to the puzzle, and if the Texans brass can nail the draft, holes in the line and LB corps could be patched nicely.
May 8th will be upon us before we know it, and what the Texans will do with the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft remains cloudy. At this point it would appear trading down, or selecting Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles, Jadeveon Clowney, or Teddy Bridgewater are the likely scenarios. With each of the guys projected to go near the top of the draft, there are issues or concerns with all of them ranging from mechanical issues, to projectability, to motor and work ethic concern. Names such a Khalil Mack, Jake Matthews, and Greg Robinson have been mentioned near the top of the first, but will likely slot into picks 2-7 with a slim chance of being selected number one overall by Texans brass. I'll preface this by saying I'm certainly not the most credible source in terms of evaluating the skillset of a QB and how they translate to the NFL, but below we'll hope to provide a somewhat thorough profile of the possible draftees.
Johnny Manziel
The legend of Johnny Football. Manziel embodies the phrase dynamic. The Aggie great experienced a brilliant college career becoming the first freshman to receive the Heisman trophy. Johnny Football is best known for his truly unique ability to improvise and extend plays, working very well outside of the pocket with his feet. Johnny enhanced virtually every aspect of his game his redshirt Sophomore year, most importantly his effectiveness within the pocket. On five fewer passing attempts, Johnny threw for 408 more yards, improved his completion percentage to 70%, on 9.6 yards per attempt with an impressive 37 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. Manziel also placed a greater emphasis on his arm, making 57 fewer rushing attempts during his 2013 campaign.
Strengths in number two's game include his ability to extend plays, feel and elude pressure in the pocket, and short to intermediate accuracy with flashes of brilliant deepball placement. Johnny is a spark plug, a gunslinger, and a fiery competitor. The negatives in Johnny's game include reluctance to checkdown, a habbit of abandoning a closing pocket too often, and some question his mechanics, consistency in his deepball, ability to read defenses, and footwork. It remains to be seen how effective Johnny Football's legendary ability to extend plays will transfer to the next level, and his gunslinger mentality may get him into some turnover trouble. There are also the off the field concerns regarding his character, as well as his general size and how he'll be able to withstand the punishment an NFL quarterback with a tendency to scramble takes. I believe the size and character concerns to be asinine. The size argument is no longer valid after Drew Brees, and Russell Wilson shattered the stigma, Johnny is six feet tall, he can manage. The majority of character concerns arose over ESPN tabloid journalism. Bottom line is Johnny Manziel is special, he excels in the spotlight, and pundits such as Merrill Hodge who all but guarantee he will be a flat out bust should take a look at his game film against an NFL schemed Nick Saban defense. Those as well who argue he won't be able to assimilate into an NFL offensive scheme and develop into an standardized pocket QB should look at his 2013 numbers in the pocket, as well as open up to the realization that the position is evolving with several starting QB's sharing a similar skillset. The Texas native may very well bust, he may have the largest boom or bust deviation of any one of the QBs in talks at 1.1, who knows, but if he does reach his what I believe to be the highest of ceilings available in the draft, and he's not in Steel Blue, that will be a very bitter pill to swallow.
Blake Bortles
The UCF QB shot up draft boards this year with fantastic play to go with an ideally projectable frame. The 6'5 232 pound playcaller helped put a growing UCF program on the map with a Fiesta Bowl championship over a strong Baylor Bears squad on the national stage. Bortles threw for a completion percentage of 68% on 3581 yards with 25 touchdowns to 9 interceptions during his 2013 Junior campaign. Bortles has one of the highest ceilings in the draft and in the right system could flourish. Bill O'Brien is a huge Bortles fan and had great things to say about number five after he beat his Lions this past college football season, as well as high praise for him after his fantastic pro-day this past week. Bortles would be an ideal fit into OB's system and as is, one would think he's number one on Coach O'Brien's board.
Strengths of BB's game include an above average arm-cannon, a prototypical profile, athleticism at the position, ability to read defenses and make adjustments at the line at the collegiate level, and versatility in offensive schemes. Negatives in Bortles game include questionable and inconsistent mechanics that lead to erratic accuracy, as well as shaky footwork. Most consider his mechanics and footwork easily correctable under the tutorship of a knowledge QB guru, which OB just so happens to be. Coaches beam about Bortles and boast about his work ethic, and intangibles. OB described him as a student of the game, and his coaches have seconded that sentiment. His ability to read defenses is certainly attractive, and is a skill that he should continue to improve. In an ideal world, you're spending a number one overall selection on a blue chip, nearly surefire franchise quarterback, but unfortunately that does not appear to be a luxury available in this draft class. Bortles is certainly an attractive prospect, and if his mechanical and footwork issues are as easily correctable as presumed, then i'm certainly all in. Bortles has an upper-tier elite level ceiling, I'm just very unsure of using a number one overall pick on a QB with serious mechanical flaws. If the Texans do indeed select Bortles with the first overall pick, or even drop down a couple slots to take him, keeping him on the bench for a stead while he fine tunes mechanical adjustments may be a very real possibility a la Aaron Rodgers. There may very well be an elite QB within that 6'5 frame, it's up to the Texans brass to decide if they believe they can bring it out of him.
Teddy Bridgewater
The Louisville QB had a very successful collegiate career, and has spent the last two seasons garnering some Heisman attention. Bridgewater improved statistically across the board every year that he played, and jumped onto the national scene following a very impressive 2012 defeat of a stout Florida defense in the 2012 Sugar Bowl. This 2013 campaign Teddy posted brilliant numbers with a completion percentage of 71% on 3,970 yards, to go with 31 touchdowns to only FOUR picks. Bridgewater is slated as the number one QB from this draft class on most analysts boards and for good reason. Teddy is the most NFL ready QB, and has likely the lowest floor. With that being said, most analysts claim Bridgewater has most likely the lowest ceiling of the three QB's talked about at 1.1, I would argue otherwise and make the case he possesses franchise ability.
Strengths in Bridgewater's game include his impressive pocket mobility and awareness, above-average arm strength, the ability to quickly run through his reads, great decision making, and good accuracy on short to intermediate routes. Bridgewater displays fantastic pocket presence and excellent footwork within. Negatives in Teddy's game include inconsistent accuracy on his deepball and worries over a poor pro-day which has some questioning his stock. As is, there are no true weaknesses that are that concerning in Bridgewater's game, and he would appear to posses the most poise and understanding of defenses. Although it remains to be seen how it translates to the NFL, Teddy displayed an excellent knack for preventing turnovers, reducing his INT% each collegiate year he played. That being said, Teddy is not afraid to take his shots downfield, and he keeps his eyes down field as he makes his progressions and is no stranger to stepping up in the pocket and driving the football. Teddy appears to have the most impressive mental make-up and at the end of the day, what's between the ears determines success at the next level. Period.
Come draft day I would be fine with any of the three wearing steel blue and getting the keys to the car. I'm undecided as to which one I would prefer, and it depends on the day. Monday i'll be more than convinced that not selecting Johnny Football would be the dumbest damn thing the Texans could ever do, Come Tuesday i'll be enamored by Bortles projectability and potential working with OB, by Wednesday, sure that Teddy is the clear choice given his polish, and Thursday i'll be firmly entrenched in the Clowney camp petitioning for a QB to be taken at the top of the second. I'm not sure how it will be possible to pass on the best player in the draft in Jadeveon Clowney, and take an AJ McCarron, or Zach Mettenberger type at the top of the second. I'll close with this, it sure would be fun as hell to watch number two in a Texans uniform. In hindsight, passing on VY was certainly the right move but how bitter would it be if he had panned out and was handing it to us in Titans blue twice a year still. I would hate to see Johnny Manziel do just that. What do you believe the Texans should do with the number one pick in the 2014 NFL draft? Who's your QB?
Thursday the Texans inked veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to the tune of two years/7.5 million with four million guaranteed. As if it wasn't obvious previously given his contract situation, the Texans lack of cap space, and his poor play from the season previous, the writing is on the walls for Matt Schaub. Number eight has very likely taken his last snap in steel blue, and will either be traded or given his outright release soon. Fitz will provide one of the best back-ups in the league and an invaluable mentorship to the QB the Texans give the keys of the car to moving forward. Fitzpatrick is among the most qualified QB2's in the league, and would suffice as a stop-gap if the Texans feel the need to season a young playcaller before throwing him to the wolves. Fitz has started previously in stints with St. Louis, Cincinnati, Buffalo, and Tennessee for a total of 77 games started over the course of nine seasons. Most recently Fitz started nine games in Tennessee in Jake Locker's stead, posting a completion percentage of 62%, on 2454 yards passing with 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions with a respectable QB rating of 82. The arrival of the former Harvard grad will likely spell the end of the tenure for either TJ Yates or Case Keenum as Texans. I don't believe the signing of Fitz in anyway is foreshadowing as to which direction the Texans brass may be leaning towards in regards to the draft. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a proven commodity who will provide insurance to a team that may need it in the coming campaign. I believe it to be a sound acuisition, a bit costly, but a wise investment none the less. What do you make of the signing? Below is a look at Fitz' statistical body of work via pro-football-reference.com...
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