The Houston Texans have major quarterback questions heading into 2015 along with the possible trade or release of Andre Johnson and the team could consider making a trade for RG3 or Kirk Cousins, while names like Brian Hoyer, Mark Sanchez, Shaun Hill, Sam Bradford, Christian Ponder or Mike Glennon could be options for Bill O'Brien over Ryan Mallett, Case Keenum and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The Texans bounced back in a big way from their 2-14 season in 2013 to nearly make the playoffs in the AFC, but they used a combination of Ryan Mallett, Case Keenum and Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback and that simply wasn't good enough. The Houston Chronicle speculated after the season that the Texans likely would have been in the playoffs had they had a more consistent quarterback and that is now a main priority for Bill O'Brien.
The team had the chance to take Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater or Blake Bortles in the draft, but they opted for Jadeveon Clowney, who was injured for most of the year and may miss the start of next season. The Texans are likely to have a new starting QB this season and they may look at a number of options, including trades and the free agent market. The team also has to deal with Andre Johnson at wide receiver, as he likely will have to take a pay cut to stay in Houston and his future could be up in the air.
The team may bring back Ryan Mallett and Fitzpatrick, but there is a good chance they get another name at least to compete with that group if they do. ESPN.com reports that Fitzgerald is hoping to stay in Houston and while he has another year on his contract, he said that he knows there's a chance he could play elsewhere next season.
The team is at number 16 in the draft in the first round this season and while they like Tom Savage, there is a chance they could look at taking another QB at some point. The Redskins have RG3 and Kirk Cousins as potential trade targets, while Mark Sanchez and Michael Vick are also set to be free agents.
Johnson is one of the most prolific wide receivers in the NFL and after dealing with trade rumors and a sort of holdout before this past season, Johnson said he would be open to a return. Things may not be that easy though, as Johnson is set to make $10.5 million and will cost $16 million against the cap, which is tough for a receiver his age. Johnson posted 85 catches for 936 yards, his lowest total in a non-injury season since back in 2007.
The Texans went 9-7 this season and ended up just out of the playoffs and now they have a solid year to build on moving forward with O'Brien. The team ranked fifth in rushing yards per game after a strong season from Arian Foster, while the passing offense was 24th in passing yards per game. Losing Johnson would be a big hit for the team, but his production has slowed down a bit and the Texans are pleased with how DeAndre Hopkins has developed.