Houston Texans: Team should target Brett Hundley if released
The Houston Texans still don’t have the right answer at quarterback in Brandon Weeden. The team needs to target Brett Hundley — if released — and here’s why. Let’s look.
The Houston Texans definitely appear to have hit it big on selecting their quarterback for many years to come in Deshaun Watson but I think selecting the backup quarterback is just as an important decision to make.
It’s apparent that the franchise has settled with the idea of Brandon Weeden as the No. 2 guy behind DW4. To be honest, I feel that the Houston Texans can do better than that. It’s imperative that this team has some sort of continuity if Watson has a setback or somehow manages to get himself hurt for an extended amount of time.
But what the Houston Texans are doing is that they’re basically mortgaging the entire season on one man and that’s not necessarily the most prudent stance to take. I love Deshaun just as much as you do but he’s a human being and human things can and will happen.
I’m fairly confident that Weeden could go out there and keep the Houston Texans in games — possibly win a few — but he’s certainly not the guy that you can lean upon for an extended amount of time.
But I’ve got an answer for you so please try this on for size…
The Houston Texans need to be first in line to bid for Brett Hundley‘s services if he’s released from the Green Bay Packers.
I’m serious — he’d be a hell of a lot better option than Weeden. I don’t necessarily care if Weeden is more familiar with the system but it’s the physical traits that Hundley is blessed with that could help this team stick more to the game plan if Watson were playing.
This idea came across on a conversation I had with sports guru Jayson Braddock last month — formerly of SportsTalk 790 AM — on my Houston Texans podcast titled Locked on Texans — part of the Locked On Podcast Network — that I co-host with local media personality Robert Land.
Take a listen to the show here:
Braddock was the one that brought it up and I totally agreed with it. Why can’t we have Hundley and what reason why it couldn’t work in Houston despite his lackluster play with the Packers?
There will be a backup QB competition in Green Bay with the recent acquisition of DeShone Kizer from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for cornerback Damarious Randall and a pick swap in the later rounds of this past draft.
Although Kizer had failed to get a “W” of any of his starts with the Browns, the Packers obviously see developmental potential in Kizer and they would’ve have made such an investment if they didn’t want to have a significant interest in that. Outside of Kizer, Hundley, undrafted rookie Tim Boyle and, of course, Aaron Rodgers are the only other QBs on the roster.
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Since Boyle is a rookie, he’d be an easy stash on the practice squad but not so much for Hundley. I’m sure that the Packers’ incoming general manager in Brian Gutekunst will try to trade him to get some value but I’m projecting right now that he won’t be able to. Our best hope is to claim him as soon as he clears waivers.
We all saw him in college, he was a dual-threat quarterback that could do damage with both his arm and his legs. It’s certainly why the Packers drafted him out of UCLA in the first place because he shares that trait with Aaron Rodgers. I wrote a piece about Hundley back in 2015 when the Texans were looking for a starting quarterback but now I’m writing this in a crazy sort of a rehash to somehow get him in a Houston Texans uniform once again.
It’s important to note that Hundley rushed 36 times for 270 yards and two touchdowns in 2017, mostly in the time that he filled in for the injured Rodgers.
One of the things I like about Hundley is that he can get rid of the ball quickly. According to Pro Football Focus, Hundley has a 93.3 QB Rating when he holds onto the ball in the pocket for 2.5 seconds or less. I think that’s his calling card because the longer he holds onto the ball the worse things get for him. When he’s holding onto the ball for 2.6 seconds or more, his QB Rating is a 42.4. Ewwwww!
The only thing I do worry about is his ability to perform well when there’s pressure. If he does have to play, it will be this Houston Texans’ offense protecting him and there certainly will be pressure exerted in some way toward him.
Take a peek at this — Hundley had a 36.6 QB Rating when under pressure but had a respectable 86.3 rating when he worked out of a clean pocket.
Hundley was also ranked 12th in the NFL in adjusted completion percentage (73.2). In contrast, Drew Brees was the leader in 2017 with an 80.7.
Here’s how PFF defines the adjusted completion percentage:
"“[The AC%] accounts for dropped passes, throw aways, spiked balls, batted passes, and passes where the quarterback was hit while they threw the ball – factors that hurt the quarterback’s completion percentage but don’t help show how accurate they are.”"
All these traits are indicative that he could work quite well in the Texans offense but I wrote this predicated on the fact that he’d be available for them to sign, to which I think he will be.
We’ll see so hang on to your hats!
Next: Predicting the Texans position battles
Hundley, 25, passed for 1,836 yards and threw nine touchdowns to 12 interceptions for a 70.6 QB rating through 11 games — seven starts — for the Packers in 2017.