The Houston Texans insist that right now they are not interested in adding a quarterback. Head coach Bill O'Brien is waiting to see what he has to work with which he might learn quickly is not much. There is a giant question mark on the Texans' quarterback roster after the team opted to not make any trades or drafts in the first few rounds for a potential starter. Instead they have four ok quarterbacks instead of one great one which might forced the team to make a move.
The Texans have veteran journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick, barely used draft picks TJ Yates and Case Keenum and newly drafted rookie Tom Savage. Not one of those players screams success which could be why Houston is quietly looking into the availability of other quarterbacks. Right now there is not a strong option already available which means the Texans will have to make a trade or hope someone gets cut in training camp.
The Texans have been linked to Ryan Mallett ever since the offseason officially began. O'Brien is familiar with the Patriots backup and most assume the quarterback has learned a lot from Tom Brady and could come in and make an immediate impact. Both the Texans and Patriots have denied the idea they will make a deal, but according to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com, Mallett is one of this summer's likely trade pieces and the Texans are the favorite to land him.
Wesseling writes that while Bill Belichick has no interest in dealing away Mallett, if newly drafted Jimmy Garoppolo looks ready to play come training camp then New England might have no other options. Mallett's stock is high especially since he is entering the final year of his contract. The Patriots traditionally carry two quarterbacks throughout the year and it makes sense to send Mallett packing before they lose him for nothing.
However, if the Patriots are serious about not dealing Mallett, the Texans will have to look towards another direction. ESPN's Dan Graziano, Ryan Nassib could be the better and more available option. Coming out of Syracuse, Nassib was considered one of the better quarterbacks of the 2013 drafts. The New York Giants took him with the 110th-overall pick to backup Eli Manning. However, the team also signed Josh Freeman to a deal in the offseason and could say goodbye to Nassib.
According to Graziano, Nassib is at risk of losing his roster spot to Freeman.The Giants prefer to keep just two quarterbacks on the roster over three and if Freeman looks strong in camp, both Nassib and Curtis Painter could be gone. If Nassib is on the market soon, he is favored over any option. With a year under his belt, Nassib is closer to start than any rookie will be.
