BOCA RATON, Fla. -- The Texans thought enough of Brock Osweiler to pay the former Broncos passer $37 million guaranteed to become Houston's new starter.
While Osweiler shows promise, his big-money deal sparked plenty of speculation about whether he's shown enough after just seven starts to deserve that type of commitment from any NFL team. The Broncos, after all, chose not to match the contract, but Texans coach Bill O'Brien said Sunday that his team has no doubts about Brock.
"We didn't just study the seven games," O'Brien told NFL Network's Steve Wyche on Sunday. "We studied all of the snaps he had. He is tough. He is an accurate passer. I like his leadership. Of all the people who have coached him, everybody spoke highly of him."
Said O'Brien: "We are really happy with our decision to sign him."
The coach then went on to confirm that last year's starter, Brian Hoyer, still has a place as "our backup," but emphasized: "The best move in that position was to go get Brock."
If nothing else, Osweiler landing in Houston turns the AFC South into an interesting division after operating for years as a comprehensive snoozefest. The juicy lineup of young quarterbacks -- Osweiler, Andrew Luck, Blake Bortles and Marcus Mariota -- is enough to suggest plenty of emerging rivalries for seasons to come.
Of all those arms, Osweiler has started the fewest tilts and has the most to prove with all that guaranteed scratch. The Texans, though, don't believe they overreached for his services.
You can catch more of Steve Wyche's interview with Bill O'Brien on Monday's edition of NFL HQ.