Texans could still draft QB early even if they get Tony Romo

The Houston Texans are in need of a young quarterback that they can develop into an NFL-caliber starter, and they could still be searching for that player even if they acquire Tony Romo this offseason.

With the Texans having moved on from Brock Osweiler and his ridiculous salary, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle expects the team to consider selecting a quarterback in the first round of next month’s NFL Draft. They have the 25th overall pick, so being in position to draft a potential franchise QB could require trading up. McClain says he wouldn’t rule that out.

No matter what they do in free agency, expect the Texans to use a high draft choice – and maybe more than one if Smith trades up in the first round for the first time – to select a quarterback.

Even if they sign Romo, they’re still expected to draft a quarterback.

The Texans have the 25th pick. Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and North Carolina’s Mitchell Trubisky seem to be the top-two prospects. They’d have to trade up to get either.

Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer and Texas Tech’s fast-rising Patrick Mahomes are others expected to be first-round picks. O’Brien likes quarterbacks with size and arm strength. Kizer and Mahomes show up well in those departments.

The Dallas Cowboys have not released Romo, as they are still holding out hope that either the Texans or Denver Broncos will want to trade for the 36-year-old. That seems unlikely based on all the reports we have heard, so Romo will probably be released soon. Or, he could decide to go in a different direction altogether.

Either way, Romo is not a long-term solution for the Texans. They would be trying to win a Super Bowl within the next year or two if they are able to sign him, but they need to think about adding a young QB if they don’t feel Tom Savage is the answer.