The Houston Texans have named Brian Hoyer the starting quarterback over Ryan Mallett and now the team will move forward with Hoyer number one and this comes as Alfred Blue and Chris Polk are expected to step in for Arian Foster, while Charles James is making a case to stay on the 53-man roster in the preseason.
The Texans signed Hoyer this offseason as a free agent and also brought back Mallett on a contract after acquiring him in a trade with the New England Patriots last year. According to NFL.com, head coach Bill O'Brien has named Hoyer the starter over Mallett, although he said the competition was "close" through the offseason and training camp. O'Brien spoke with the players and on HBO's "Hard Knocks" he was quoted as saying it was about "consistency" since OTA workouts.
Mallett and Hoyer have been close and neither player has really pulled away, which is why it's not a surprise that Hoyer is the starter. Hoyer has much more starting experience than Mallett and he also signed a deal for more money. O'Brien said on the TV show that Mallett has performed well and that if things are not going the way the Texans plan, he is not against making a change and will do so if needed. Mallett and Hoyer each started a game in the preseason this year.
O'Brien told Mallett to continue preparing like a starter and it's likely he will get some playing time this season. Hoyer comes in with the edge in experience and that likely was the main factor with the players being close in their performance. Hoyer has 32 starts in his career and he put up a 7-4 record to open last season for the Browns, but the team floundered to a 0-5 finish. Hoyer was benched for a time by the Browns and now he is getting another chance to start.
Alfred Blue and Chris Polk likely will be the main running backs with Jonathan Grimes now that Arian Foster is out with a groin injury. The team is hopeful that Foster can make a fast recovery, but until that happens Blue will be the starter. Blue played well as a rookie last season and he stepped up for Foster when he missed three games and now he likely will get the chance to start again. Blue had 528 yards last season on 169 carries.
Cornerback Charles James is making a name for himself for the Texans, as Fox Sports reports he could play his way onto the 53-man roster. On "Hard Knocks," James was used as a running back in practice and looked solid and he also has performed well on special teams in the preseason. O'Brien said that James "showed up" in the preseason game last week and if he continues to perform, he could stick around.
Hoyer and Mallett are on two year deals, but Hoyer is signed to more guaranteed money with nearly half of his $10 million deal guaranteed. O'Brien can make a change whenever he wants and he opted to go with Hoyer to start the season. Tom Savage likely will be the third QB on the roster. Mallett has played in seven games over his career and he has only attempted 79 passes in NFL regular season games.
Check here for more on the Texans starting QB, running game after the Arian Foster injury and more on roster decisions.