The Houston Texans may look at adding some competition at quarterback for 2016 and names like Johnny Manziel, Sam Bradford, Robert Griffin III, Connor Cook, Christian Hackenberg, Carson Wentz and Paxton Lynch could be potential options for head coach Bill O'Brien.
The Texans come into the offseason after a very disappointing loss to the Chiefs in the playoffs and the poor play of Brian Hoyer in that game only magnified some of the issues the team is dealing with at the quarterback position. The Texans used four different starters this season and did not get much consistency from the position and that could mean some changes in 2016. The team traded for Ryan Mallett last year, but that did not end up working out and while Hoyer had some good moments in 2015, overall he did not get the job done.
Texans owner Bob McNair spoke to the Houston Chronicle and said that the team is focused on getting a franchise quarterback heading into 2016. McNair said to the Chronicle that "the question is what's available, and what's the price? How many draft picks might you have to give up? You can't undermine the rest of your team while you're trying to get a quarterback." The Texans may have some options this offseason, as there are some names in free agency and the draft that could be fits Houston.
Sam Bradford is the top quarterback on the free agent market and if he doesn't return to the Eagles, he could be a target for Houston. Bradford showed this season that he can stay healthy after dealing with multiple knee surgeries and he could find it appealing to throw passes to star wideout DeAndre Hopkins for the next few years. Bradford did not put up great stats under Chip Kelly, but he could be a nice fit for O'Brien in Houston.
Robert Griffin III is expected to be released by the Redskins and he could end up as a target for the Texans. NFL.com reported earlier in the season that if Griffin were released, the Cowboys, Eagles and Texans could be potential fits. Griffin is likely going to be cut by the Redskins and could be signed to compete to start with Hoyer. Manziel is also an option, as Hue Jackson reportedly is ready to move on from him in Cleveland.
The draft also could be an option for the Texans, as the draft class for 2016 is pretty deep at quarterback with names like Carson Wentz, Paxton Lynch, Christian Hackenberg, Kevin Hogan, Connor Cook and Cody Kessler coming out. O'Brien has experience with Hackenberg at Penn State, while players like Wentz and Lynch are considered to be NFL-ready prospects.
Check here for more on the Texans and the QB situation for 2016.