HOUSTON -- Ever since Washington benched him, quarterback Robert Griffin III has been tied to the Houston Texans. Those assumptions ramped up Monday as Washington officially released Griffin.
The Texans need at quarterback is glaring, and when you combine that with a local desire to see Griffin succeed, the connections are natural. He's a Texas native, a Baylor alumnus. He had a thrilling rookie season that have his fans still wondering if he couldn't get back there once again.
It's a union, though, that's unlikely for the Texans.
Based on what I've heard in assessing the Texans' interest, I'd be shocked if they brought him in. The Texans got an up close look at Griffin during training camp this year and have connections to people who have been frustrated by coaching Griffin during his time in the NFL. His regression after his rookie season and his difficulty operating the Washington offense wouldn't bode well for playing in the Texans' offense.
In the two seasons Griffin started after his rookie year, his winning percentage was just .250, the lowest among quarterbacks with at least 20 decisions, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Now that's not as telling a stat for a quarterback as it is for a pitcher, but he also threw 18 interceptions to 20 touchdowns and had a Total QBR of just 39.
The Texans do have interest in Denver quarterback Brock Osweiler, though the aggressive nature of the reports about how Houston might swoop in to steal him from Denver reek of negotiating tactics hoping to scare the Broncos.
I do believe the Texans like him. But will they enter a bidding war with the Broncos for a player with such a small sample size?
The Broncos offered Osweiler a contract worth up to $45 million over three years, according to NFL Network and CBS. Mike Klis of KUSA 9News in Denver says the Broncos offer is worth more than $45 million over three years.
If the Texans believe he can be more than a stopgap, that's a price they'd be willing to pay. Short of that, though, I don't see it. Recall, last year the Texans were significantly below average in what they paid their quarterbacks. Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett together didn't make nearly what Osweiler will make next season.
Consider, also, the Texans are paying Tom Savage just $600,000 in 2016. It's the rookie salary of a fourth-round pick who hopes to win over the Texans' coaching staff this offseason. He's already been back in Houston for an entire week at the staff's behest to get started on that process.
Houston has struggled to solve its quarterback position. And while you could apply that sentence to almost the entire history of the franchise, it was particularly relevant last season.
They started four different quarterbacks last season,in part because they lacked a clear winner at their quarterback competition and in part because of injuries. Brian Hoyer, who began the season as the starter, was benched during his first start, replaced as the starter for four games, regained his starting spot and then missed games with two separate concussions. T.J. Yates took over, but suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which paved the way for Brandon Weeden's start.
Again the starter for the Texans' playoff game, Hoyer struggled greatly, turning over the ball five times.
It's still possible Hoyer returns to the team next season, but it's very unlikely he'll have the chance to be their starter again. The process for determining who will is still in its very early stages.