Texans: Could Trey Lance rumors really change team's draft plans?
By now you've probably heard about every possible decision the Houston Texans could reach when it comes to the second overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. Most would expect them to take a quarterback. After all, it's only Davis Mills on the depth chart as of right now. Okay, if you press me I […]
By now you've probably heard about every possible decision the Houston Texans could reach when it comes to the second overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Most would expect them to take a quarterback. After all, it's only Davis Mills on the depth chart as of right now. Okay, if you press me I guess I'll also mention Case Keenum and E.J. Perry. But if we're being real, the team simply doesn't have its starting quarterback as of today.
But recently, things are getting a bit blurry as the Draft inches closer and closer. Many insiders from different outlets are hinting at the Texans not pulling the trigger on a quarterback at No. 2 Is it nothing but smokescreens? Perhaps.
Then again, GM Nick Caserio and HC DeMeco Ryan might share a similar philosophy going into this thing in the first place. Their backgrounds suggest they're not the kind of guys who will "reach" for a guy they don't like at QB.
Well, a recent report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport slightly opens to door to another possibility. According to the insider, the San Francisco 49ers have been fielding calls for quarterback Trey Lance as many teams expect Brock Purdy to be the starter.
While the report doesn't point out any specific teams, it's easy to speculate about every single QB-needy team, like the Texans. Could they be about to shock everybody and opt for Lance?
As Daniel Jeremiah pointed out on Twitter, it would go a long way toward clearing things up heading into the Draft. Teams like the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans would see more value in trading up to No. 3 with a shot at taking the second quarterback off the board.
So should we expect the Texans to go after Lance?
You can certainly build a case around the whole thing, right? Ryans is familiar with Lance since he comes from San Francisco and we know (at least per the reports) that they might not love the idea of taking a QB not named Bryce Young.
If the compensation is right I wouldn't be at all shocked if Houston opts to go after the guy Kyle Shanahan aggressively targeted a couple of years ago. Even less so if you're offensive coordinator, Bobby Slowik, comes from Shanahan's coaching tree.
And yet, I don't buy it. On several levels.
First of all, I'm not entirely sure the 49ers are entirely sure about Purdy. While they went on a winning streak with him and even got to the NFC Championship Game with him, his game is still flawed and the jury is still out on where he fits in the NFL QB rankings. It's probably not too high at this point.
Does San Francisco really want to get rid of one alternative for the position? I don't think so.
Secondly, it feels like a risky gamble for GM Nick Caserio. Let's not forget jobs are in play here for those calling the shots and passing on a Top 5 quarterback prospect from this year's class in favor of a third-year quarterback with four starts under his belt (and not much college experience, either) is one of those risky moves that can get you fired if it doesn't go right.
Ultimately, I think Lance stays a 49er through this whole thing. But this conversation sure adds an interesting layer to the whole process.
