If you had the Texans #1 pick, what would you do with it?

[Juan]

I will be curious to see what the NFL lists his actual height at. The aggies list him at 6'1.

My guess is that he is less than 6'.

Winston is listed at 6'4.

MANZIEL – 5’11 ¾, 207 with 9 7/8 hands.

BRIDGEWATER – 6’2 1/8, 214 with 9 ¼ hands.

BORTLES – 6’5, 232 with 9 3/8 hands.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Johnny Football under 6 feet and light. RT“<a href="https://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks">@MoveTheSticks</a>: Johnny Manziel 5'11 3/4 207”</p>— The System (@tealtalk) <a href="

https://twitter.com/tealtalk/statuses/436842225600049152">February 21, 2014</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Teddy Bridgewater 6'2 1/8 214</p>— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) <a href="https://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks/statuses/436841117351288832">February 21, 2014</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Blake Bortles 6'5 232</p>— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) <a href="https://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks/statuses/436840738018426880">February 21, 2014</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Hand size: Bridgewater- 9 1/4, Bortles- 9 3/8, Manziel- 9 7/8.</p>— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) <a href="https://twitter.com/MoveTheSticks/statuses/436842824080715776">February 21, 2014</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Juan]

Fumble totals over last two years:

Manziel - 5

McCarron - 8

Bortles - 11

Carr - 7

Bridewater - 8

 

[Juan]

MANZIEL – 5’11 ¾, 207 with 9 7/8 hands.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>I was told that smoking would make you short but seems to me that nothing makes you shorter than going to the NFL combine.</p>— Chad Wilson (@GridironStuds) <a href="

https://twitter.com/GridironStuds/statuses/436882137514790912">February 21, 2014</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Juan]

More Clowney --

Measures -- 6'5 1/4 266 lbs. + 34 1/2 inch arms

This is ~10 lbs lighter than last yr when USC clocked him at 4.54 and his vertical jump was 38

If he can run sub 4.5 it will be quite an accomplishment

 

[Juan]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Appears, there r 2, elite,future All-Pro defenders in NFL Draft. Jadeveon Clowney/Khalil Mack.Can u risk taking 1 of the QB's ahead of them?</p>— Max Bretos (@mbretosESPN) <a href="

https://twitter.com/mbretosESPN/statuses/438328890616848384">February 25, 2014</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Embrey]

In my opinion, the best player is Watkins out of South Carolina. Whatever team gets this guy is getting a player from Day 1.

 

[doc longhorn]

More Clowney --
Measures -- 6'5 1/4 266 lbs. + 34 1/2 inch arms

This is ~10 lbs lighter than last yr when USC clocked him at 4.54 and his vertical jump was 38

If he can run sub 4.5 it will be quite an accomplishment

He almost did - at 266 lbs.

I still trade down.

 

[Juan]

In my opinion, the best player is Watkins out of South Carolina. Whatever team gets this guy is getting a player from Day 1.

You may be correct, but the Texans are not going that way with #1.

Too many other issues to resolve.

 

[Juan]

Interesting look at recent NFL drafting, generally http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/2/25/5430150/nfl-draft-history-worst-picks

How can the only people in the world who don't understand that Warren Sapp will be better than Kyle Brady be the same exact people who are in charge of an NFL franchise? Why is a team spending a second-round pick on a kicker? When the Browns select one of the greatest busts of the century in Brady Quinn, why is the great surprise not that he was picked in the first round, but that he wasn't picked far earlier?
With the benefit of hindsight and massive volumes of statistics, these errors are every bit as funny to me as a snap that pops an inattentive quarterback upside the head. After some stat-gathering and number-crunching, I've found lots to laugh at.

I chose to look at the five NFL Drafts between 2004 and 2008. With a minimum of five years of distance between then and now, we have a pretty solid idea of which players did and didn't pan out, and we can identify which picks were terrible. I found a few decisions that were staggeringly, comically bad. But before we get to those:

FIRST, SOME BASIC TRUTHS OF THE NFL DRAFT.

2004-second_medium

1. When studied as a single, giant organism, the NFL was actually not too bad at drafting.

 

[Juan]

Mixing up two popular topics --

 

[Juan]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>It's lying season in the NFL but I'm told Texans closing in on Clowney as top pick in draft: <a href="http://t.co/svuSboiXTV">http://t.co/svuSboiXTV</a></p>— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) <a href="

https://twitter.com/mikefreemanNFL/statuses/438699833142956032

 

[Juan]

Here is a radio interview with Ron Jaworski where he says he would not take Manziel in the first 3 rounds --





I smell an aggy boycott of Jaws.

 

[Brazilian_longhorn]

take Clowney with first and trade second pick to Washington and get Kirk Cousins at QB

 

[Juan]

Red Bryant was released today.

He has to be at least a possible target for the Texans.

And, if they got him, it could affect their overall draft strategy.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>THIS JUST IN: The Seahawks announce the release of WR Sidney Rice and DE Red Bryant.</p>— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) <a href="

https://twitter.com/ESPNNFL/statuses/439508165953355777">February 28, 2014</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Topstarr]

If Houston has not picked as of today, I would trade out of first for 2 picks (lower 1st and high 2nd, if possible)

 

[J.B. TexasEx]

Interesting look at recent NFL drafting, generally http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/2/25/5430150/nfl-draft-history-worst-picks

I expected Dallas to be ranked much lower. Interesting

 

[Agmaniacmike]

Clowney's combine performance will hopefully leverage the pick for more value and interest.

 

[Juan]

This is a very nice QB piece http://www.detroitlionsdraft.com/2014/03/2014-quarterback-passing-chart-spectacular/

2014 Quarterback Passing Chart SpectacularMARCH 2ND, 2014

Darren Page, DLD Lead Scout

Endless hours of charting passes and accumulating statistics have culminated in a barrage of information regarding this year’s class of quarterbacks. I will take you through the findings, statistic by statistic, while ranking the quarterbacks effectiveness in specific categories.

The specifics of this passing chart project can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15IKcAkid4HkQl2o2qmrf7JK5PMcsunnl9V7B19nXgyU/edit?usp=sharing

That’s where you can find 214 individual passing game charts and 24 cumulative season passing charts on 18 prospects. The games which were charted and totaled for each prospect are listed there. You can also find a table of the total statistics and how the quarterbacks compare statistitically. I will take you through the specifics of that totals table right here.

To come up with a holistic ranking based on the statistics, I averaged out how each quarterback ranked in 15 individual categories. Those categories including adjusted completion percentage and yards per attempt in the areas of total, beyond the line of scrimmage total, 0-9 yards downfield, 10-19 yards downfield, 20+ yards downfield, outside the hashes, and inside the hashes. Touchdown percentage, interception percentage, and touchdown/interception ratio are the final three.

In ranking how each quarterback landing in those 15 categories, I used a percentage instead of a 1-18 ranking. For example, if the highest yards per attempt in one category as 10.0 and the lowest was 6.0, a quarterback who scored at 7.0 would be credited with 25% and a quarterback who scored at 9.0 would be credited with 75% regardless of where either landed in a 1-18 ranking.

This is how the quarterbacks graded out in comparison with each other:

69.4% – Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville

66.6% – Blake Bortles, Central Florida

62.8% – Zach Mettenberger, LSU

59.2% – A.J. McCarron, Alabama

57.8% – Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M

57.8% – Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois

51.2% – Derek Carr, Fresno State

47.8% – Tajh Boyd, Clemson

43.5% – Keith Price, Washington

43.4% – David Fales

41.0% – Brett Smith, Wyoming

39.5% – Aaron Murray, Georgia

39.4% – Jeff Mathews, Cornell

39.2% – Connor Shaw, South Carolina

37.8% – Keith Wenning, Ball State

25.3% – Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech

25.1% – Tom Savage, Pittsburgh

24.3% – Stephen Morris, Miami

Remember that everything you see here is simply statistical and not a final ranking of quarterbacks. Certain players’ statistics are lifted by their situation and others have statistics which are deflated. As we go through the categories, I will note situations where I feel the number that came out is not wholly indicative of the quarterback’s ability.

As far as reading this information, look for simultaneously high completion percentages and high yards per attempt. In a vacuum, as completion percentage goes up yards per attempt should go down and vice versa. Being statistically efficient in both is telling.

My notes are just that, notes. The statistics should tell the story.

Lots of charts like this one .....

 

[Juan]

Wow.

Braddock likes him some Clowney.

Alot

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Just my opinion & I haven't watched everyone yet, but if I were the Houston Texans, there would be only 2 choices for me with the #1 pick...</p>— Jayson Braddock (@JaysonBraddock) <a href="

https://twitter.com/mgdunaway/statuses/440253693191913472">March 2, 2014</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/StephStradley">@StephStradley</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RealPittBull">@RealPittBull</a> my point is, it would take that much to get rid of Clowney. Picks are just picks. Have to acquire elite talent</p>— Jayson Braddock (@JaysonBraddock) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaysonBraddock/statuses/440256696976289792">March 2, 2014</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Juan]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>I've said on Sports Radio 610 in Houston that I'll eat the front page of the Chron's draft day section if Texans don't pick a QB. Yummy!</p>— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) <a href="

https://twitter.com/McClain_on_NFL/statuses/440294363860447232">March 3, 2014</a></blockquote><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>