By Jordan Long
The Houston Texans signed another quarterback to the roster. The Texans have no idea if Deshaun Watson will sit out because he asked for a trade or be suspended for his off the field legal issues. In any case, the Texans agreed to a contract with Jeff Driskel which puts them at 5 quarterbacks.
Watson, of course, is the starting quarterback. Watson has already asked for a trade, but that has yet to happen. Teams are shying away from him and haven’t contacted the Texans because of these concerns. For right now, Watson is the #1 quarterback but he could always sit out to force his way.
After Watson, the Texans have depth in Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Finley, Jeff Driskel, and Davis Mills. Taylor, Driskel and Finley have started games in this league. Taylor has the leg up to be the starter for the Texans. He played 10 years in the NFL, starting 47 games. His record is 24-21-1 passing for 9,770 yards, 54 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions.
Taylor is the same type of player Watson is. He can move around in the pocket to make defenders miss to buy time to throw the football. This allows his receivers to be open for him to find them. Once they catch the football those are for first downs or longer and they move the chains. He can also use his legs to run to make plays. He has a total of 1,850 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. The playbook wouldn’t have to change with Taylor.
Driskel started 9 games in the NFL for 3 different teams, the Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Denver Broncos. His record is a disappointing 1-8. In those games, Driskel passed for 2,120 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He is not a running quarterback. When the pocket breaks down, Driskel isn’t as mobile as Taylor rushing for 309 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Finley’s record as a starter is 1-3. Those came when he played for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2019 to 2020. During those starts, Finley tossed for 638 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. He will take chances downfield, trying to fit the football into his receiver even when they are covered. Those are easy interceptions. Finley can run, but he isn’t as fast as Taylor. He won’t make defenders miss but totaled 143 yards with his legs. He isn’t a bad option to be the 2nd or 3rd quarterback on the roster if Watson has to miss time.
Davis Mills is a rookie. The Texans selected him in the 3rd round of this years’ Draft. He may not even make the active roster. He needs to learn the NFL game first. More than likely, he will be on the practice squad. Mills needs time to develop into an NFL quarterback.
The Texans have plenty of depth at quarterback. They at least have quarterbacks who have played in this league in case Watson is suspended or holds out. The Texans will have a competition during training camp. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Houston has to cut Taylor, Driskel, or Finley just because they have too many players and not enough roster spots.
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