HOUSTON -- It's often said that once people know you want to trade someone, it becomes impossible to do so.
That's not the case with quarterbacks -- at least it hasn't been for the Houston Texans lately. As they work to figure out how to move on from Brian Hoyer, they'll explore options to get something in return. Their history of trading quarterbacks indicates they just might be able to do it.
Last season they traded Ryan Fitzpatrick to the New York Jets for a conditional seventh-round pick that became a sixth-round pick because of his playing time. During the 2014 offseason they traded Matt Schaub to the Oakland Raiders for a sixth-round pick. Both quarterbacks began the previous seasons as the team's starter, and both were eventually benched. By the time each offseason rolled around, it was clear the Texans wanted to move on, and they still got something in return for each.
Fitzpatrick's contract was appealing to the Jets, who then got a terrific season out of him upon his reunion with Chan Gailey. Schaub's contract wasn't ideal for the Raiders, and Schaub immediately had him take a significant pay cut from the $10 million base salary and $1 million roster bonus he would have gotten on the deal the Texans gave him.
Their backups have drawn interest, too. They traded Case Keenum to the Rams for a seventh-round pick after signing him away from the Rams in 2014. They traded T.J. Yates to the Falcons after they told Yates they were planning to release him.
The bottom line is quarterbacks, even backup quarterbacks, are hard to find. That makes them assets even when they cease to be useful to a certain team.
Hoyer's time as the Texans starter ran out when he threw a fourth interception during the Texans' 30-0 loss to the Chiefs in the playoffs. My feel on Hoyer is that he's still a very good backup who plays his best when he has nothing to lose. That's not a great quality for a starting quarterback, but he can help someone's roster depth at the position. If the Texans can find the right team, they'll be able to recover something for yet another quarterback mistake.