The Houston Texans won't be tipping their hand on a rookie quarterback with the size of the contingent they send to pro-day workouts of the NFL draft's elite prospects at the position.
The same trio that attended the pro days of Central Florida's Blake Bortles and Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater -- new head coach Bill O'Brien, general manager Rick Smith and quarterbacks coach George Godsey -- will be on hand Thursday at Texas A&M for Johnny Manziel's workout, as well.
They'll also be meeting with Manziel afterward, and finally complete whatever evaluative puzzle can be constructed from comparing the pro day workouts of the three. But while which of the three quarterbacks the Texans prefer remains a mystery, houstonchronicle.com reports that recent moves by the club have removed doubts about whether the Texans will use their No. 1 overall pick on a quarterback.
While the Raiders' acquisition of Matt Schaub last week might have given Oakland more flexibility to use the No. 5 overall pick on something other than a quarterback, the Texans are the club who sent Schaub there, and adding Ryan Fitzpatrick as a replacement won't deter the club from committing the top pick to a rookie passer.
Manziel will aim to help make himself the one Houston wants on Thursday.
"It's going to come down a cold, isolated execution of a workout the NFL wants to see," Manziel's private coach, George Whitfield, told the MMQB.
Whitfield said Manziel, as a shotgun-formation quarterback in college, has worked hard on dropback steps in preparation for the workout. That'll be just what O'Brien, whose track record indicates a preference for patient pocket passers, will be looking to see.
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