Texans owner Bob McNair reiterated the stance general manager Rick Smith took late last week: Houston is open for business with the No. 1 pick.
"Really at this point we don't know and we really won't know until right up at the time we have to make a decision because people are talking to us about the possibility of trading down and it's a question of what people offer, whether their offer is such that it's worthwhile to trade down," McNair told KRIV-TV in Houston on Friday.
McNair, however, was more specific than Smith as to who the Texans view as the draft's top player.
"You take a guy like Jadeveon Clowney," McNair said. "He's obviously the best player in the draft, but he's a defensive end. He's not a quarterback. If he's a quarterback and the best player it's easy, but that's not the case. So can that defensive player have a greater impact on the success of your team than one of these quarterbacks? It's not a sure thing that he is."
The Texans' owner made it clear that if a signal caller came close to Clowney in terms of talent, the team would have a tougher call.
"You got three quarterbacks and all of them have some holes in their resume," McNair said. "A quarterback that goes out and performs for you and is a franchise quarterback is more valuable than a player playing another position, but there's a lot more risk there. It's a more difficult position to play and there are lot more failures."
McNair knows what it's like to watch terrible quarterback play. Now he stares down a season with Ryan Fitzpatrick as his starter.
The need at the quarterback position doesn't mean the Texans are going to pass on a talent like Clowney -- unless someone pays them.
"If somebody wants you to drop down and they give you two or three more picks that would let you get two or three more quality players, are you a stronger team dropping down a little bit, getting these additional picks and getting more depth?" McNair said.
As we creep closer to draft day, it's appearing clearer that Clowney will go No. 1. The question is whether he will be a Texan.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" breaks down draft news and rumors and plays the popular prediction game, "Go Get My Lunch!"
