NFL: Biggest Offseason Question For Each AFC South Team

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 27: Deshaun Watson of Clemson reacts after being picked /

Houston Texans: Is rookie Deshaun Watson the answer at quarterback?

After the atrocity that was the brief Brock Osweiler era in Houston last season, the Texans made the logical move to bring that era to an end. The team selected Watson at 12th overall in this year’s draft with the intentions on solidifying the quarterback position for seasons to come.

The starting role will not be handed to Watson however with veteran quarterbacks Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden also involved in the quarterback competition this offseason for the Texans.

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Savage is probably Watson’s biggest and best competition at this point. The former fourth-round pick in the 2014 draft has only played in five career games, with two of them coming last season. He came off the bench in relief during the team’s Week 14 victory over division foe Jacksonville and passed for 260 yards while completing 63.8% of his passes with no touchdowns and no interceptions. Although Savage still has kinks to work out, he is the most reliable at this point for the Texans.

As for Watson, the Texans will not be afraid to start Watson in week one, but they would also be in favor of bringing Watson along slowly. The athletic quarterback from Clemson is a dual-threat and needs to fine tune his throwing mechanics. What he does have that head coach Bill O’Brien and the staff will not have to teach him is a winning moxie. Watson went 28-2 as a starter in the past two seasons at Clemson and guided the team to the national championship game in back-to-back seasons, coming off a title game win over Alabama this past season.

The Texans have high hopes in Watson, and after trading up in the draft for him, the pressure to have Watson on the field will loom larger if the team sees no consistency from Savage or Weeden.

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