Tag: NFL Media

Texans should not be disappointed if they must settle for Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud

The Houston Texans should not be disappointed if they must settle for Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud at No. 2 overall in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL draft.

The Houston Texans blew their chance to have No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL draft when they beat the Indianapolis Colts 32-31 in Week 18. The Chicago Bears now have the top pick.

The good news is the Bears don’t need a quarterback as they are satisfied with Justin Fields, which means the Texans can have their pick of the field generals. The bad news is if the Bears make a deal with a quarterback-needy team, that club will jump Houston to take the first signal caller off the board.

With Houston eyeballing Bryce Young, who is also considered the best quarterback in the draft class, there is a chance the Texans may have to look for a consolation prize at quarterback.

The next-best quarterback is Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. If another team takes Young, the Texans could be looking at Stroud as their potential franchise quarterback.

NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes Young is the best quarterback in the draft, but doesn’t believe there would be that much of a drop off talent wise if Houston had to settle for Stroud.

“I think he is just a pure thrower,” Jeremiah said in a conference call Friday. “The big question with him, it’s been talked about, was, okay, not a lot of off-schedule, not a lot of playmaking, but then all of a sudden you see the semifinal game and you are, like, dude, where has this been? He showed you he has that ability.”

With regards to the dearth of improvisational skills, at least on tape, there is an old scouting adage Jeremiah threw out to assuage believers in Stroud.

Said Jeremiah: “The old scouting adage is: if you can do it once, you can do it. So you know he does have that ability.”

According to Jeremiah, Young is “a little bit more of a playmaker,” which makes him the better player. However, adding Stroud after watching Young go No. 1 overall to another team wouldn’t be devastating for Houston.

“I would not be totally bummed if you sat there at two and ended up with C.J. Stroud,” said Jeremiah.

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Texans go with Bryce Young and Jordan Addison duo in Daniel Jeremiah mock draft 2.0

The Houston Texans take a familiar mock draft duo in QB Bryce Young and WR Jordan Addison in NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah 2.0.

Linking Bryce Young to the Houston Texans in a mock draft is as customary as placing a stamp on an envelope.

For Daniel Jeremiah from the NFL Network, he goes with that exact premise in the second version of his mock draft. Houston uses the No. 2 overall pick to select the Alabama signal caller after the Chicago Bears play it straight and take Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter No. 1 overall.

Young is the best quarterback in the class. I’ll think he’ll fit beautifully with the Texans as they try to work their way up in the AFC South.

Jeremiah goes with another common selection in mock drafts and has the Texans using their second first-rounder — obtained via 2022 offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns — to take USC wideout Jordan Addison.

Houston instantly adds some firepower for No. 2 overall pick Bryce Young. The selection of Addison, along with the return of John Metchie III, would give the receiving corps a huge boost.

No. 12 overall has been subject to a variety of selections, even in mock drafts where Houston stays with a receiver. Another name that gets associated with No. 12 overall is TCU’s Quentin Johnston.

In Jeremiah’s first mock draft of the offseason, the Texans went with Young as they did in the second version. However, he had Houston use their No. 12 overall pick to take Penn State cornerback Joey Porter. The latest version reflects an approach to instantly beef up Houston’s passing game with younger talent.

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NFL.com proposes tempting trade for Texans to take Bryce Young No. 1 overall

NFL.com presents a trade with the Chicago Bears for No. 1 overall that may be too tempting for the Houston Texans to pass up.

Trading 2023 draft capital to move up to No. 1 overall does not seem appealing to the Houston Texans.

Thanks to their 32-31 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18 at Lucas Oil Stadium, and the Chicago Bears losing to the Minnesota Vikings, Houston didn’t secure possession of the top pick in April’s draft. Instead the Bears have the No. 1 overall pick, and with a quarterback firmly in place with Justin Fields, they have the possibility to be sellers, especially with four quarterback-needy teams in the top-10.

According to Chad Reuter from NFL.com, the Texans do make a deal with the Bears to take Bryce Young with the first pick overall, and it does not involve a complete complement of 2023 picks.

The Texans get their guy with the No. 1 overall pick, swapping spots with the Bears to land Young. Houston sends two picks from [2022 offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns] (Round 3, 2023; Round 1, 2024) and get a 2023 fifth-rounder back from the Bears to balance the deal. Young’s lack of size (6-foot, 194 pounds) may be an issue for some, but his poise, leadership, athleticism and underappreciated throwing velocity give him a chance to be great.

Theoretically the Browns’ 2024 first-rounder is a firepower piece anyway. The Texans should be rounding the corner as a contender going into that draft. Who knows what the draft landscape will look like and where the Browns’ pick will actually land, especially since they seem to have upgraded at quarterback?

Dealing the pick to the Bears ensures the Texans get their guy and they get to use the No. 12 overall pick to grab a receiver, pass rusher, or cornerback. While the Texans won’t have twin third-rounders, they would have an extra fifth-round pick to build draft packages to take specific players, which has been a staple of Houston’s draft philosophy under general manager Nick Caserio.

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NFL.com advises Texans sign a veteran quarterback in the offseason

The Houston Texans should sign a veteran quarterback in free agency in the latest advice from NFL.com.

The Houston Texans have to address quarterback in the offseason. Davis Mills simply isn’t the answer.

According to Gregg Rosenthal from NFL.com, Mills isn’t even the answer as a backup, and suggests the Texans sign a veteran replacement in the offseason.

It’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Texans don’t draft a quarterback early this April. But do they want Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud to be backed up by Davis Mills?

The Texans will have to find a veteran quarterback before the draft, and it’s a deep group of free-agent signal-callers to choose from. There are clear backups like Case Keenum and Andy Dalton. Texans GM Nick Caserio was in New England when the Patriots drafted Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett.

This roster needs a lot of help — especially on defense — but the plan at quarterback should take precedence. Brissett feels like a perfect mentor and capable option if Houston needs him to play.

Mills finished with a 3-10-1 record and a 78.8 passer rating. The second-year signal caller was tied with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott for the most interceptions in the league with 15.

The Texans still have their former 2021 third-rounder under contract through the 2024 campaign. If the Texans cut Mills, it would merely be a move based on merit. The Stanford product will count $1,424,209 against their salary cap. Cutting him before June 1 would count as $578,946 against the cap in dead money and have a savings of $845,263.

Brissett was serviceable for the Cleveland Browns last season as he led the 4-7 record before being replaced ahead of their Week 13 showdown with the Texans at NRG Stadium. Signing Brissett would have a certain irony to it as he would more than likely be replaced by a Texans first-round quarterback — much like how his 2022 season ended with the Browns.

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Texans grab Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt in latest NFL.com mock draft

The Houston Texans look to the SEC to provide a Round 1 passing duo as they take WR Jalin Hyatt in the latest NFL.com mock draft.

The Houston Texans have a variety of directions they can go in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Even with the Texans using their No. 2 overall pick to take Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 12 overall selection — obtained via 2022 offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns — gives Houston options. Do they take an edge defender, a cornerback, or even a receiver?

According to Lance Zuerlein from NFL.com, the Texans use that extra Round 1 selection in his first mock draft of the offseason to take Tennessee wideout Jalin Hyatt.

Hyatt has almost unnatural speed, with the acceleration to leave man coverage in the dust. He not only is a deep threat, but he also helps move safeties out of the box.

Hyatt grabbed 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns last season for the Volunteers. If the Texans could get the NFL equivalent of that type of production from a rookie, it would elevate their passing game.

While not overtly written into mock drafts, the selections come with their own implications of what course a team has taken in free agency. If the Texans are going with a receiver in Round 1, it reflects a scenario wherein Brandin Cooks is no longer with the franchise. In such a scenario, Young would have a youthful trio of wideouts with Hyatt, John Metchie, and Nico Collins.

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Texans pair Bryce Young with Quentin Johnston in Bucky Brooks’ mock draft 1.0

The Houston Texans use Round 1 to infuse youth and talent into their passing game in Bucky Brooks’ mock draft 1.0.

The Houston Texans’ twin first-round picks represent an opportunity to upgrade an entire unit in the same round rather than piecemeal it throughout the draft.

Getting a quarterback and a receiver together in Round 1 would allow them the option to exercise the fifth year in their contracts and allow the franchise flexibility later on when it comes to keeping the two under contract, pending Houston’s first-round passing tandem is that productive over the course of their rookie contracts.

In Bucky Brooks’ first mock draft for NFL.com, the Texans use their No. 2 overall pick to take Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

Despite the concerns around Young’s size, the Texans opt for the most polished passer in the draft.

Brooks’ mock doesn’t feature any fascinating trades where teams try to jump Houston and pick No. 1 overall. The other quarterbacks who go in the top-15 are Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, who goes No. 4 overall to the Indianapolis Colts. Kentucky’s Will Levis goes No. 9 to the Carolina Panthers.

The Texans then use their No. 12 overall pick — obtained via 2022 offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns — to take TCU wideout Quentin Johnston.

Checking in at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds (school measurements), the super-sized speedster is a natural WR1 with big-play potential. 

Throw in a healthy, developing John Metchie and Nico Collins entering his third season, and the Texans would have a young passing attack that could instantly fix the offense.

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Texans select QB Bryce Young, CB Joey Porter in Daniel Jeremiah mock draft 1.0

The Houston Texans take QB Bryce Young and CB Joey Porter in the first Daniel Jeremiah mock draft of the year.

The NFL is all about the pass.

Teams have to be able to move the ball through the air first. The team’s success ultimately will be challenged on how well they can complete passes.

Teams also have to take the opposing quarterback down a notch. The means to this end can be accomplished through a ferocious pass rush or stingy coverage — or perhaps a blend of both.

The Houston Texans have an opportunity to upgrade their passing game immediately and also add to their no-fly zone in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL draft.

According to the NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, who released his first mock draft of the season, the Texans do exactly that. At No. 2 overall, Houston picks Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

Young is a very instinctual player with excellent accuracy and decision-making. However, his lack of bulk is a major concern and that makes his evaluation very difficult. If he can hold up physically, I believe he would fit in beautifully with some of the Texans’ talented young pieces.

Some of those pieces include receivers Nico Collins and John Metchie, who continues his recovery from battling leukemia. The Texans also have a promising run game with running back Dameon Pierce, who was 61 yards away from 1,000 despite playing in 13 games and being shutdown in at least two of them.

The Texans use their No. 12 overall pick — obtained in an offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns — to take Penn State cornerback Joey Porter.

Porter has rare length and would pair with last year’s first-round pick, Derek Stingley (No. 3 overall), to give the Texans an outstanding CB duo.

Along with safety Jalen Pitre, the Texans would have outstanding defensive back trio to challenge completions. Throw in a little pass rush, whether acquired later in the draft or in free agency, and the Texans defense could be surprisingly good in 2023.

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Seahawks share clips of bad media predictions for their 2022 season

The team has brought receipts.

The Seahawks finished their 2022 season with a 9-8 record and have snuck into the last playoff spot in the NFC. That’s a hell of a lot better than most people believes they would be heading into this season.

The team has brought receipts, releasing a video compilation on Twitter of media predictions that went bad, from Colin Cowherd to Mike Florio and a bunch of other analysts who thought Seattle would be awful this year. Watch.

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Texans fail to make NFL.com list of teams who could enjoy the biggest 2022 turnaround

The Houston Texans did not manage to make the cut as a team poised for a big turnaround in a latest list from NFL.com.

The Houston Texans have won four games in each of the past two seasons. The once dominant force atop the AFC South has been relegated to third place the last two seasons — only because the Jacksonville Jaguars have somehow been worse.

NFL Network analysts were asked to pick their team that could enjoy the biggest turnaround in 2022, and former Texans quarterback David Carr chose the New York Jets.

Carr immortalized his take about the Jets:

It’s been over a decade since the Jets were in the playoffs. That drought stops at 11 seasons. General manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh have overhauled this roster in the last two years, adding playmakers throughout the offense and defense. It’s a young team, but I believe it has the pieces to go from winning four games in 2021 to playoff contention in 2022.

If the Jets have this potential, why don’t the Texans? What Houston already has ahead of New York is stability under center. Second-year quarterback Zach Wilson is recovering from a knee injury while Davis Mills has completed all of his work in training camp and preseason as the first-team signal caller.

The Texans have also added playmakers on defense with the drafting of cornerback Derek Stingley and safety Jalen Pitre. If third-year defensive end Jonathan Greenard continues to take another step in his development, Houston will have a legitimate edge defender.

Nate Burleson chose the Detroit Lions, DeAngelo Hall picked the Jacksonville Jaguars. Marc Ross tabbed the Denver Broncos. Maurice Jones-Drew chose the Baltimore Ravens.

The Jets and the Texans are both at the same starting place, but New York is already facing setbacks to their 2022 campaign. Houston may not emerge as playoff contenders either, but they are a better candidate for a team to turn it around than the Jets.

LT Laremy Tunsil predicted to be Texans’ non-QB MVP

NFL.com predicts left tackle Laremy Tunsil will be the Houston Texans’ non-QB MVP in 2022.

The NFL is built around quarterbacks. The success of teams is built upon the stellar play under center. It is the reason why teams such as the 2000 Baltimore Ravens are so legendary: they won the Super Bowl without a big name as field general.

According to Kevin Patra from NFL.com, if the Houston Texans have a non-quarterback most valuable player in 2022, it will be left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

Who will be more vital to the Year 2 growth of quarterback Davis Mills than a stalwart left tackle shielding the blind side? Sure, offensive linemen get zero love when it comes to offseason awards — let alone the MVP — but for the rebuilding Texans, Tunsil’s presence makes the operation go. The behemoth LT earned back-to-back Pro Bowls before missing most of 2021 due to a thumb injury. When healthy, he’s one of the best pass protectors in the NFL. If the Texans are to make a miraculous turnaround after a four-win season, it’ll start with keeping Mills upright. And that begins with Tunsil. Give the big guys some love!

Tunsil was not present for organized team activities, but coach Lovie Smith was not worried as long as he was available at Houston Methodist Training Center for mandatory minicamp. The two-time Pro Bowler was at mandatory minicamp, and Texans fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief as Tunsil’s commitment to protecting Mills was evident.

“Anytime you have your players in the building, I think it’s a good opportunity for us to grow as a team and continue to improve, and every player has to make the decision they feel is best for them,” general manager Nick Caserio told “Payne & Pendergast” on Sports Radio 610 [KILT-AM] on June 16. “We’re glad Laremy is here, getting a couple of days of work in, and everybody is looking forward to training camp and what’s in front of us there.”

If the Texans get an MVP performance from Tunsil, it should help elevate the play of Mills and the fortunes for Houston in 2022.