The Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts completed a blockbuster trade that sends former 2016 No. 2 overall pick, Carson Wentz, to the AFC South. In exchange for swallowing over $30M in dead cap, the Eagles are receiving a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 second-rounder that could mature into a first-round pick.
Indianapolis has been a revolving door at quarterback since Frank Reich’s arrival in 2018, but this may be the last revolution. Wentz had easily the worst season of his career in 2020. However, many speculate that reuniting with former offensive coordinator, Reich, could rejuvenate his career.
With a loaded Colts roster seeming to answer their biggest question, this leaves the Houston Texans staring at an uncomfortable truth: As they have dissolved into chaos the last six months, the AFC South has begun to evolve. The Texans may be the team on the verge of extinction in pro football’s survival of the fittest.
Outside of Indianapolis, Ryan Tannehill appears to be an entirely new quarterback in Tennessee and worth every penny they paid him last off-season. The Titans are well-coached and coming off of two consecutive playoff appearances. In April, the Jacksonville Jaguars will almost certainly welcome potential All-Pro quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The Clemson product will be joined with one of the most prolific college coaches of all time in Urban Meyer.
Even if Wentz isn’t who they want him to be in Indianapolis, Reich’s squad is the most talented in the division and Jonathan Taylor’s rookie campaign showed the dynamic kind of running back teams can build an offense around without star quarterback play. None of these teams are the dumpster fires the NFL used to hide on Thursday Night Football in Color Rush uniforms.
Meanwhile, Houston is a frigid wasteland more akin to an ex-Soviet province than a sports paradise. The greatest player in franchise history was granted his release and is openly being courted by other teams on social media. Chairman and CEO Cal McNair refuses to speak on the status of the front office and Jack Easterby. And Deshaun Watson? No one has heard a word other than multiple reports he wants to be traded.
If Watson is granted his trade request, with every sign pointing to an inevitable decision the Texans will have to make, things are looking desolate in Houston. Many of the rumored destinations for Watson offer picks in 2021 that don’t provide any guarantee of a top-3 rookie prospect. Bridge quarterbacks such as Jimmy G, Teddy Bridgewater, or Nick Foles are all considered bridge quarterbacks for a reason.
Fans were already prepared to potentially be the worst-coached, least-talented team in the AFC South for the 2021 season. With Wentz and Lawrence coming to town, it is time to face the reality they may very well have the worst quarterback too unless they can build a bridge soon. There is no reason to believe any rookie or gap quarterback will compete with those guys.
Maybe the Texans luck into a prospect such as Justin Fields or Zach Wilson. Maybe they get even luckier and that prospect is the “next Justin Herbert” as many analysts are hoping for. In reality, when has anything gone right for this franchise outside of Watson the last three years?
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