Texans banking on unproven Matt Schaub

Filed in archive NFL on April 13, 2007

Courtesy NFL.com

You have to wonder if the Houston Texans and head coach Gary Kubiak believe they can compete for the playoffs with Matt Schaub as their starting quarterback. The Texans allowed embattled starter David Carr to head to tobacco road, where he will likely be a backup for the Carolina Panthers.

Enter Schaub, the sexy pickup of this year's NFL free agent market. So, just who is Matt Schaub?

If Matt Schaub were a story, he'd be nothing more than a blurb on a newspaper's agate page -- roughly two to three sentences in 8-point type. Schaub wouldn't even merit bold print.

Schaub has spent three seasons backing up Mike Vick in Atlanta, where Schaub has attempted just 161 passes, completing 84 for 1,033 yards, 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. But Schaub, who played collegiately at Virginia, has that protypical look over which NFL scouts, GMs and head coaches drool.

He's 6-5, 237 pounds, is sound fundamentally and has performed admirably in a few games in Atlanta.

David Carr has been less than stellar, spending most of his time in the NFL on the seat of his pants, behind a porous offensive line. So, Kubiak and the Texans believed it was time for a change.

Rather than trading up to draft a stud rookie, like JaMarcus Russell or Brady Quinn, Houston is going with inexperienced, unproven, corner-of-the-agate page Matt Schaub.

Kubiak and the Texans are selling Schaub as the next great young quarterback in the NFL.

You have to wonder if even they believe this to be true.

We'll all know soon enough.