The Houston Texans got their man this week.
Houston signed quarterback Brock Osweiler to a four-year, $72 million contract on Wednesday ($37 million in guaranteed money) the first two years. The final two years of the deal are not guaranteed.
So Houston fans took the streets and celebrated, right? It was shocking to see so many Texans fans up in arms over this signing.
Fans are already calling Osweiler a bust and the contract is too rich. Oh, Texans fans are so funny.
I recall this same fan base screaming the Texans never do anything worth a crap to improve the quarterback position. Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett were the two guys battling for the starting spot before last season with Hoyer winning out.
General manager Rick Smith finally pulls the string on a huge free agent deal to bring in a young quarterback and some Texans fans thumb their noses.
Osweiler’s contract pays the man the 16th most money on average at $18 million a year. It is the same amount the Cowboys pay Tony Romo a year and just above guys named Matt Stafford, Sam Bradford and Alex Smith.
This is the amount of money it takes to get a quarterback these days. Kirk Cousins this year signed a contract with the Washington Redskins that pays him an average of $19.9 million a year and Ryan Tannehill gets $19.25 million from the Miami Dolphins.
Teams have to pay to play with the big boys and up until this contract for Osweiler, the Texans never seemed too interested in this logic.
Houston paid Hoyer $10.5 million last year and cut Mallett after the guy missed flights and practices.
Osweiler is the guy the Texans wanted and they went and got him. That is enough reason to applaud Houston.
The money the team spent on Osweiler is the going rate for quarterbacks these days with a salary cap that continues to rise.
Denver general manager John Elway can pretend he really didn’t want Osweiler on the team and Texans fans have tried to make it seem the Broncos did not want him so it was bad news for Houston to pick him up.
The fact remains Denver increased its offer from three to four years and from $45 million to $64 million. Elway wanted Osweiler to stay but it was the Texans who finally outbid another team.
Osweiler was the best option for the Texans this year. Robert Griffin III, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick, by the way, gets $19 million a year from the San Francisco 49ers to sit the bench.
Philadelphia just paid Chase Daniels $21 million over seven years to most likely not win the starting job from Sam Bradford and be a back up.
The only other option was the upcoming draft. The Texans would have to trade almost their entire draft to get one of the two best quarterbacks available, California’s Jared Goff and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz.
Houston picks at No. 22 and the thought a decent enough quarterback would be there at that number is crazy.
The Texans did what the Texans needed to do. They spent a little money and got the best available quarterback.
Remember, if it does not work out, the Texans can cut Osweiler in two years and try again.
It is hard to find a franchise quarterback but just maybe the Texans have finally found their guy.
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Gabriel Pruett can be reached at 721-2436 or at gabe.pruett@panews.com. On Twitter: @PaNewsGabe