Former Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler inked a 4 year, 72 million dollar deal with the Houston Texans. Last season Osweiler did win games as a starter but generally it was the malicious Broncos defense that won the games in the end. Houston made a bold move by signing this unproven quarterback at best. The Houston defense is arguably one of the best in the league but the team has never been able to get over the hump on offense. ADding Osweiler to the offense leaves another huge question mark over a team that started four quarterbacks last season. Osweiler played at an average level as far as quarterbacks go in the weeks he did play (week's 10-17). As far as fantasy production goes, Osweiler was a decent quarterback but also had many letdown games throughout the course of the season. Fantasy production for Osweiler was average at best, averaging 13.6 fantasy points per game when it was all said and done. This was better than Peyton Manning who struggled to new all time lows in major stat categories in the regular season. A new offense in Houston (who just cut Arian Foster) puts Osweiler in a situation where he is in a sense “The Guy” in Houston.
Offensive Impact
The transition from the Broncos to the Texans is shockingly a lot more complicated than many may think. The Texans do have standout receiver Deandre Hopkins but lacks depth beyond him. Hopkins plays a much different brand of football than was played in Denver. Hopkins goes up for jump balls in the redzone and can stretch the field to a small extent. Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders both liked to stretch the field in Denver but did not tend to make the big plays in the red zone. Additionally the running game that Osweiler will have to rely on if things go wrong is not as strong as it was in Denver. The platoon system in Denver with CJ Anderson and Ronnie Hillman meant that the ball could have been handed off at any time. The Texans just cut Arian Foster who led their team in rushing yards in many recent seasons. No replacement has been found yet for Foster, the running game in Houston is lacking to say the least. The lack of running game and difference in play styles by wide receivers may make the transition for Osweiler harder than many may think.
Defensive Breakdown
Although I previously said that Houston had one of the best defenses in the NFL, Denver had a historic defense last year. There is a huge difference between a top 5 defense and a team that is argued to be the greatest with the likes of the ‘85 Bears, ‘76 Steelers, and ‘02 Bucs. These comparisons were made frequently especially when the Super Bowl approached last season. Last season Houston was ranked third in total defense behind only Seattle and Denver. Despite being third, the gap between Houston and Denver is considerably larger than expected. Houston gave up more rushing yards, passing yards, and points. To make matters worse the Texans had fewer forced fumbles and fewer sacks over the course of the season. It goes without saying that the Broncos defense of 2015 may have been slightly better than the Texans who so far have not made many changes on the defensive end. Osweiler will no longer be able to put the game on the line with his defense on the field like he was able to last season.
Verdict
Osweiler played at a slightly above average level last season. Despite this he will likely not be capable of adjusting to the new system in Houston. The defense in Houston is a top 5 defense but nowhere near where the Broncos were last season. Additionally the difference in the wide receivers and running backs around Osweiler will make things too difficult for Osweiler to adapt with the expectations being set so high. If Osweiler is going to adapt it will come down to whether or not the Texans want to sign more critical free agents to add more around him. This season is the determining year for Osweiler, more questions will be answered about Osweiler as well as the Texans ability to find a true quarterback.