Yeah, finding a "Franchise QB" is a very easy task...hell, shouldn't it always be every QB drafted in RD1? Every talent advisor and team must have thought highly of the prospective QB's potential when they drafted him in the 1st round, shouldn't that make him a lock for success. In reality, no....b/c the majority of teams who have drafted early in RD1 are coming off horrible seasons and generally lack talent in multiple areas.
The second tier of QB's who have been drafted later in RD1 are usually lucky since they're falling into a team that is enjoying success and could at some point, be just a QB away. Basically, the foundation has been set for the success of a young QB.
The Texans have been in this situation 2 times, once with David Carr and now with Deshaun Watson. What were the similarities? In both instances that Texans got a top tier QB only to have him stand behind an OL that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemies. What is it with the Texans mentality of consistently relegating their OL to 2nd or 3rd tier status?
Now, I'm not under the influence of the old-fashioned running game at all cost but a better than average OL and strong running game can surely set-up today's pass happy offenses mush better than not having a dominant running game and a dominant running game is predicated on a stout OL. How did Schaub do when there wasn't an Arien Foster? How did Keenum fair when the OL dropped a notch and Foster was injured? Hell, how has Prescott done without Elliott? In regards to the Texans, anyone want to venture down the speculative path as to what Watson could do in the NFL if he had a stout OL and RB who could hit 1,500+ yards? IMHO, the defense would only need to learn how to hold leads.
So, for me, I'm questioning what was going through RS's and evidently O'Brien's minds when they traded away future picks and made no moves in the draft or FA to bolster their OL for the QB they obviously considered to be their "Franchise QB"? Now, their OL is in total shambles, they have no picks in the first two rounds of the draft nor do they possess a RD5 pick and FA market is looking really thin. Unless this braintrust can unlock the potential on 1 or 2 FA OL and somehow find some hidden OL gems in the draft, Watson could be in a situation much like the one Carr found himself in when the OL was treated as a secondary need.
I'm willing to say, that if I were given a chance to build an NFL Franchise from scratch, my focus would begin with identifying top position coaches, especially for the trenches. Second, I would draft and make smart FA moves to solidly the trenches as quickly as possible. Third, I would nail down RB's and TE's. Most important, if I felt that the guys I've targeted would still be on the board if I treated down, then trade down I would do while accumulating more picks. The beauty of this process, I could at any point sign a veteran FA QB to hold down or bridge the development time of a new QB while this primary group of trench-men develop. Is it an exact science...no but neither is investing a top pick or picks in a RD1 prospect. I will always be a firm believer that a great OL has a better chance at making a great QB than a great QB has at making a lousy OL look amazing. Before anyone types in Watson...he was 3-4 behind this OL instead of 7-0. But, like I mentioned above, what could Watson do in this offense with a top OL and a 1,500 yard RB? Hell, better yet, what would that mean to Hopkins and Fuller?