The quarterback carousel is raging across the NFL, there’s really no other way to describe it. Teams are frantically working to upgrade the position that has the biggest direct impact on winning football games. The results thus far have been a mixed bag.
The Washington Commanders dramatically overspent early in the cycle to acquire Carson Wentz for two third round picks. The Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos opted to go all-in for Super Bowl contention with the acquisition of Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson respectively. The Indianapolis Colts found a bargain deal in Matt Ryan, acquiring the disgruntled Atlanta Falcons longtime franchise cornerstone for just a singular third round pick. Atlanta signed Marcus Mariota and New Orleans opted to bring back Jameis Winston.
Never before has the position been so fluid and have organizations been so aggressive in their attempts to upgrade. It’s a sign of the times and the level of confidence offensive coordinators have in relaying their schemes to highly trained quarterbacks.
Then, of course, is the Houston Texans. Amongst the chaos in the departure of Watson, the team has simply sat still. Despite the relative unproven commodity that second year quarterback Davis Mills represents, the Texans have been unwavering in their commitment to Mills.
They’re ready to ride with No. 10, for better or for worse.
Houston signed quarterback Kyle Allen last week from the Washington Commanders to serve as a backup to Mills. Allen has started 17 career games and has a 24:17 touchdown to interception ratio over 4 seasons. The 7-10 career starter represents an inferior talent and virtually no chance to compete with Mills for the starting job in the 2022 training camp.
The third string quarterback, Jeff Driskel, was moved to tight end by Houston last year. Needless to say, he doesn’t factor into this discussion.
My interpretation of the Kyle Allen signing.
Houston is going ALL-IN on Davis Mills. Nobody on the roster is near as talented as him.
If he bottoms out, Houston is in a position to draft CJ Stroud or Bryce Young in 2023. If he hits, we'll know quickly.
Here we go #WeAreTexans
— John Crumpler (@TexansDoc) March 16, 2022
Mills’ presence alone on the roster as the most talented quarterback has set up an interesting situation for 2022. Houston has, in essence, decided to set sail without a life raft. If the quarterback becomes the franchise signal caller many are hoping for, the Texans could exceed expectations and potentially compete as soon as 2023. If Mills is unable to build on his rookie campaign, or is injured, Houston will be virtually guaranteed a top-3 pick with the likes of Atlanta and Detroit.
It’s a bold strategy for the front office and an admirable one as they attempt to decipher what kind of talent they have in the Stanford product.
Many speculate that Mills would be the first quarterback off the board in this year’s 2022 class had he simply waited another year to declare. Lacking the athleticism of a Malik Willis or Matt Corral, Mills’ relative stature and field processing would have an advantage over a weaker quarterback field.
I am so glad that Davis Mills played well down the stretch because otherwise I would 100% be convincing myself right now that Pep Hamilton is the guy to take Malik Willis to the next level
— John Crumpler (@TexansDoc) March 6, 2022
Regardless, as things project it appears that Nick Caserio and Lovie Smith are going to bet it all on Mills for 2022. In a league that’s scrambling to find even moderate upgrades at the position, we’re seeing a team commit to the development of a day two quarterback.
It could mean brilliance and admiration for a front office that is finally gaining some recognition after the lions’ share received in the Watson trade. It could mean public ridicule if the Texans have another four-win season.
The residents of Houston are going to see just what this 2022 team has to offer and make no mistake: it’s going to be about their second-year signal caller.