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Buck Harvey
Buck Harvey: Next Favre? A cure for a sick feeling
Web Posted: 03/27/2007 12:47 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
So the Texans could have drafted Vince Young, who would have been bigger in Houston than Yao.
They instead paid David Carr an $8million bonus. Lost games with Carr while Young became rookie of the year. Swapped first-round positions with Atlanta and gave up two second-round picks to get a backup quarterback who will earn about as much as Young does. And released Carr without getting anything in return.
No one would fault Bob McNair, the Texans owner, if he carried an airsickness bag wherever he went.
But Atlanta has known the same feeling, and maybe this story from the Falcons' past is the only way the Texans can overcome mistakes that have replaced their glossy logo as the symbol of this franchise. Years ago, the Falcons traded another backup quarterback.
And Brett Favre worked out all right for the Green Bay Packers.
Matt Schaub won't be Favre. He's a tall, prototypical NFL quarterback, which sounds fine, except Drew Bledsoe was one, too.
NFL scouts like Schaub's composure and leadership ability, and one told the Houston Chronicle this: "He's much better than Tony Romo. It's not even close. He manages a game better, from what we've seen, and he seems to always be in control. Superstar? I don't know, but quality, top-10 NFL QB, yes, definitely."
If all of that is true, then the Texans will be lauded for swallowing their pride, dumping Carr and moving forward with a smart move. If all of that is true, then the price the Texans paid is minimal.
But that's the rub. Is any of that true? This scout says Schaub manages a game better than Romo from what he has seen, but what has he seen? Schaub started two games in three seasons and lost both.
Romo routed the league for half a season looking like, well, Favre. And even now, no one is sure what the Cowboys have. Romo may build on last season, or he may have exposed flaws that limit him for his career.
Given that, nothing is certain about Schaub, meaning the Texans gambled a lot of money and draft picks. Besides, as an Atlanta columnist wrote last week, "If the Falcons really thought Schaub was prime real estate, they wouldn't be trading him."
Maybe McNair should keep two airsickness bags nearby.
But the Falcons have been wrong before about backup quarterbacks, and they were in 1992. Then, they had a wild, boozy rookie, as well as a coach who could act as tipsy.
Jerry Glanville, the former Oilers clown, never wanted his franchise to use a second-round draft pick on Favre. His general manager has said since that Glanville went out of his way to prove Favre was a mistake.
"I'm sure I didn't help my cause by trying to drink up Atlanta," Favre said later. He missed the team photo during training camp because of a hangover, and he once bet Glanville $100 he could throw a football into the upper deck of Fulton County Stadium.
Favre completed that throw, pocketed the $100 and was traded to Green Bay for a first-round pick. Atlanta reasoned at the time it had its quarterback, Chris Miller, who had played his way into the playoffs and the Pro Bowl.
The Falcons face a similar scenario today with Michael Vick. They are wed to him, partly because of a massive contract.
Miller would suffer a string of concussions, and Favre would turn into one of the best of this era. As for the first-round pick the Falcons received for Favre: Someone named Tony Smith rushed 87 times for 379 yards and two scores as a rookie.
Schaub doesn't have to become a three-time MVP, nor will he be required to start a few hundred games in a row. Whatever he does, he won't be Vince Young, either.
But Schaub needs to be special for the Texans to overcome their blunders, and he needs to make the Falcons feel as they did long ago about Favre. "We let a Hall of Famer go," said Taylor Smith, who was the owner and president of the Falcons then. "It makes you want to throw up."
A repeat of that?
McNair would feel better.
Buck Harvey: Next Favre? A cure for a sick feeling
Web Posted: 03/27/2007 12:47 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
So the Texans could have drafted Vince Young, who would have been bigger in Houston than Yao.
They instead paid David Carr an $8million bonus. Lost games with Carr while Young became rookie of the year. Swapped first-round positions with Atlanta and gave up two second-round picks to get a backup quarterback who will earn about as much as Young does. And released Carr without getting anything in return.
No one would fault Bob McNair, the Texans owner, if he carried an airsickness bag wherever he went.
But Atlanta has known the same feeling, and maybe this story from the Falcons' past is the only way the Texans can overcome mistakes that have replaced their glossy logo as the symbol of this franchise. Years ago, the Falcons traded another backup quarterback.
And Brett Favre worked out all right for the Green Bay Packers.
Matt Schaub won't be Favre. He's a tall, prototypical NFL quarterback, which sounds fine, except Drew Bledsoe was one, too.
NFL scouts like Schaub's composure and leadership ability, and one told the Houston Chronicle this: "He's much better than Tony Romo. It's not even close. He manages a game better, from what we've seen, and he seems to always be in control. Superstar? I don't know, but quality, top-10 NFL QB, yes, definitely."
If all of that is true, then the Texans will be lauded for swallowing their pride, dumping Carr and moving forward with a smart move. If all of that is true, then the price the Texans paid is minimal.
But that's the rub. Is any of that true? This scout says Schaub manages a game better than Romo from what he has seen, but what has he seen? Schaub started two games in three seasons and lost both.
Romo routed the league for half a season looking like, well, Favre. And even now, no one is sure what the Cowboys have. Romo may build on last season, or he may have exposed flaws that limit him for his career.
Given that, nothing is certain about Schaub, meaning the Texans gambled a lot of money and draft picks. Besides, as an Atlanta columnist wrote last week, "If the Falcons really thought Schaub was prime real estate, they wouldn't be trading him."
Maybe McNair should keep two airsickness bags nearby.
But the Falcons have been wrong before about backup quarterbacks, and they were in 1992. Then, they had a wild, boozy rookie, as well as a coach who could act as tipsy.
Jerry Glanville, the former Oilers clown, never wanted his franchise to use a second-round draft pick on Favre. His general manager has said since that Glanville went out of his way to prove Favre was a mistake.
"I'm sure I didn't help my cause by trying to drink up Atlanta," Favre said later. He missed the team photo during training camp because of a hangover, and he once bet Glanville $100 he could throw a football into the upper deck of Fulton County Stadium.
Favre completed that throw, pocketed the $100 and was traded to Green Bay for a first-round pick. Atlanta reasoned at the time it had its quarterback, Chris Miller, who had played his way into the playoffs and the Pro Bowl.
The Falcons face a similar scenario today with Michael Vick. They are wed to him, partly because of a massive contract.
Miller would suffer a string of concussions, and Favre would turn into one of the best of this era. As for the first-round pick the Falcons received for Favre: Someone named Tony Smith rushed 87 times for 379 yards and two scores as a rookie.
Schaub doesn't have to become a three-time MVP, nor will he be required to start a few hundred games in a row. Whatever he does, he won't be Vince Young, either.
But Schaub needs to be special for the Texans to overcome their blunders, and he needs to make the Falcons feel as they did long ago about Favre. "We let a Hall of Famer go," said Taylor Smith, who was the owner and president of the Falcons then. "It makes you want to throw up."
A repeat of that?
McNair would feel better.
