Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien isn't sure what exactly a "O'Brien type of quarterback" is. Speaking during head coach and general manager interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine, O'Brien fielded questions about the team, but primarily what's going to happen with the quarterback position and the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Texans head coach Bill O’Brien unsure what an ‘O’Brien-type of quarterback’ actually is
Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien spoke about a number of topics at the Combine, but the most interesting centered around what exactly an “O-Brien-type of quarterback” actually is. He doesn’t know.
Rich Barnes-US PRESSWIRE
Blake Bortles of UCF has been labeled an O’Brien-type guy ever since he took over the reigns in Houston. Bortles, as everyone has already noted before, led the Knights to a 34-31 victory over Penn State on Sept. 14, throwing for three touchdowns and 288 yards. Most have made the connection that O’Brien took a lot away from that game.
More than that, Bortles is more of a prototypical pocket passer than anything, and that’s generally considered the kind of quarterback that O’Brien is after.
When asked if the Texans were close to figuring out who would be acquired with the first overall pick in the draft, O’Brien deflected and said that they’re “only a month and a half into this process,” and that “you don’t develop your thoughts right away overnight.”
The next question was whether or not the Texans had narrowed it down to “five or six guys” at this point in the process. O’Brien gave a simple “no,” and shook his head as though the thought was actually ridiculous. Either way, the talks about quarterbacks continued from there.
“I look for what’s best for the team. There’s no way that you just label yourself ‘you like this type over quarterback over this type of quarterback’,” O’Brien said, “In my career, I’ve been around quarterbacks that were 6’5 and quarterbacks that were 5’10. We’re just looking for the best fit at any position.”
In other words, according to O’Brien, the decision on a quarterback won’t be made on height alone. He said that it’s less about height than it is about how he’s built, when talking about Johnny Manziel in particular. As far as other positions go, he was asked about offensive linemen, specifically tackles, and he said that no team can ever have “too many tackles.”
Still, at this point in the process, mock drafts seem to favor a quarterback at first overall. O’Brien is adamant that the team hasn’t narrowed it down very far at this point, but the need is obvious, at the very least.
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