Brock Osweiler agrees to 4 year 72 million

[Thorn]

We're anointing a man whose initials are B O as the new King of Houston.

 

[badboy]

We're anointing a man whose initials are B O as the new King of Houston.

No worries, Bo in Texas is about same as Billy Bob or Buddy

 

[DX-TEX]

1st Brock Osweiler jersey sale a unique one

Brock Osweiler wasn’t the first person to get a Brock Osweiler Texans jersey.

His father, John, holds that distinction.

“My dad got the first Osweiler jersey,” the Texans quarterback said Thursday on Texans Radio. “As soon as he heard the news, he went straight to the stadium shop and got the jersey printed up. But the best part is, they wouldn’t give it to him until I signed my contract.”

“The whole thing to me is like a movie,” Osweiler said. “It’s wild. My parents work for the RCS Carnival. My dad is in charge of security and my mom is in charge of guest relations. So they travel with this carnival for nine months out of the year and it just so happens to be in the NRG Stadium parking lot right now.”

The Osweilers have been in town for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s carnival, and they had a unique vantage point of their son’s professional move. On Thursday they didn’t have to travel far to attend the introductory press conference inside the stadium.

Pretty cool his parents were in Houston working the rodeo when he signed.

 

[DX-TEX]

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/03/06/peyton-manning-retirement-tom-brady-nfl

The Broncos will be an interesting team to watch in the first couple of days in free agency. Denver has two of the top players in free agency, and after the Broncos franchise-tagged Von Miller, defensive end Malik Jackson and quarterback Brock Osweiler could be stolen by aggressive teams. It is likely that Jackson will sign elsewhere, for as much as $15 million a season. Osweiler, however, will be Denver’s prime target, and you should expect him to be re-signed by John Elway. The Broncos GM is convinced Osweiler can be a star.

Great endorsement for your newly signed QB when a HoF QB is convinced he will be a star,

 

[Nitrofish]

See this is stupid to me. Kubiak wasn't there long enough to screw up the Broncos. Now it starts. That was John Fox's team.
I believe Peyton struggled because of Kubiak. And it now seems that Osweiler didn't want to stay because of Kubiak.

So its great to put up a picture of Kubiak like he was anything other than the luckiest bastard in the world to be in the right place at the right time and not because he had anything to do with it other than bring Wade Phillips with I'm, which btw, was Bob McNairs Idea.

The first step is admitting you have a problem. Think about what you are saying. The same guy who had a mini stroke on the field and was fired shortly thereafter is someone you are calling lucky? Whatever dude.

I haven't seen anything at all characterizing Os as anything but professional. No attitude problems, alarm clock or off field issues.

To be fair, we didn't hear any of that about Mallett either.

Any chance Gary signs Schaub for a year to help mentor a rookie? lol I would love to see it.

Someone already answered this, but since I quoted it.. WTH. Schaub signed with the Falcons already.

...O'Brien needs to go to work. No more excuses. He has HIS guys now.

Oh clearly both O'Brien and Smith are pushing their chips all in on these moves, but the QB move most of all. No wiggle room on this one. Both will lose their jobs if this does not pan out IMHO.

Peyton Manning retired with four Super Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl wins. I think when Brock Osweiler retires he's going to have five or six Super Bowl rings on his finger. He already has one (one shy of Peyton).


I think Brock Osweiler can become one of the all-time greats himself. Even better than Peyton Manning was, in terms of winning Super Bowls (not losing a couple of them).

There is like a 2 minute commercial when you start!

Which is good, if you are having problems with heart burn.

Broncos just traded for Mark Sanchez lol

They say buttfumble ®™ is just insurance and a "Plan B" backup. Kaepernick is said to be "Plan A."

And to add to this, maybe one of the reasons so few of Brocks interceptable passes are actually intercepted is BECAUSE of the velocity he has on the ball. I have yet to see a weak armed throw by the guy.

If Mallett taught us anything, it's that our receivers cannot catch hot passes with any kind of consistency. So that could be a bad thing.

 

[PapaL]

If Mallett taught us anything, it's that our receivers cannot catch hot passes that are thrown at their feet while they're running.

 

[Supdee]

So as I was clocking out the carnival today I saw on the window where we have to sign out "Proud Texans Mom" and I was in line just curious as to who is this woman's son. So when it my turn to sign out I asked "so who is your son if I may ask" and she giggles and says "who did we just sign" and I was like oh wow no way "YOURE OSWEILERS MOM" it was great man really sweet woman.

 

[Marshall]

Just got back from looking at some of the Bronco's Fan forums.

They are melting down in Denver. Fans are at each other's throats. Hilarious!

The GREAT John Elway acted like a man who just lost his wife to an interloper. I can't believe the people that say he didn't WANT him. He just wanted him cheap.

 

[infantrycak]

The GREAT John Elway acted like a man who just lost his wife to an interloper. I can't believe the people that say he didn't WANT him. He just wanted him cheap.

If you call $16.5 mil cheap.

It's absurd people are saying Elway and/or Kubiak didn't want Oz.

 

[Marshall]

If you call $16.5 mil cheap.

It's absurd people are saying Elway and/or Kubiak didn't want Oz.

Cheap is relative.

~Just ask anyone with a relative staying with them...~

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

The thing is, he has some wins where he played well against some quality teams...I'm trying to stay grounded, but I'm really liking how he looks on film....

The guy is making big boy NFL plays.

I was asked to look at Brock's delivery to see if I saw something that accounted for a 6'7" quarterback having so many batted down passes. I looked at many examples of his film and indeed the answer was there. You remember how Mallet's release point was well above his head? Well, most of Brock's release points are almost eye level, as his delivery commonly appears to be either 3/4 arm or side arm. [A perfect representative example of this is found in the closeup caught on the video you posted at approximately the 1 minute 25 second point] There is no way that he is not losing a significant portion of his height advantage due to his delivery. I'm hoping that the Texans coaching staff has already noted this and plan to help him work on and adjust his delivery somewhat to take full advantage of his height.

Brock with his 6'7" height actually plays at ~6'2" because of his low release point

as compared to Mallet who at 6'6" plays closer to 8' tall.

 

[Say Watt]

I was asked to look at Brock's delivery to see if I saw something that accounted for a 6'7" quarterback having so many batted down passes. I looked at many examples of his film and indeed the answer was there. You remember how Mallet's release point was well above his head? Well, most of Brock's release points are almost eye level, as his delivery commonly appears to be either 3/4 arm or side arm. [A perfect representative example of this is found in the closeup caught on the video you posted at approximately the 1 minute 25 second point] There is no way that he is not losing a significant portion of his height advantage due to his delivery. I'm hoping that the Texans coaching staff has already noted this and plan to help him work on and adjust his delivery somewhat to take full advantage of his height.

Brock with his 6'7" height actually plays at ~6'2" because of his low release point

as compared to Mallet who at 6'6" plays closer to 8' tall.

Also, for a comparison:

 

[michaelm]

I was asked to look at Brock's delivery to see if I saw something that accounted for a 6'7" quarterback having so many batted down passes. I looked at many examples of his film and indeed the answer was there. You remember how Mallet's release point was well above his head? Well, most of Brock's release points are almost eye level, as his delivery commonly appears to be either 3/4 arm or side arm. [A perfect representative example of this is found in the closeup caught on the video you posted at approximately the 1 minute 25 second point] There is no way that he is not losing a significant portion of his height advantage due to his delivery. I'm hoping that the Texans coaching staff has already noted this and plan to help him work on and adjust his delivery somewhat to take full advantage of his height.

Brock with his 6'7" height actually plays at ~6'2" because of his low release point

as compared to Mallet who at 6'6" plays closer to 8' tall.

I'm not sure I would start tinkering with his mechanics. He has a fairly quick release for someone so tall.
His motion is pretty compact, and the ball comes out with some zip on it.

He still has the visual advantage of his height at least.

 

[The Pencil Neck]

Yeah, his delivery is definitely not over-the-top, but most of the "batted" balls I've seen from the tape I've watched on Osweiler so far haven't been guys jumping up and knocking down balls because of his low release point, but rather from the rush getting to him and hitting his arm/hand as he throws. Mallett's higher release wouldn't have saved him in those situations and he'd have had a similar result.

OTOH, Osweiler is also more accurate with his throws than Mallett. He doesn't have nearly the problem of hitting people in the ankles and calves that Mallett has.

My concerns about Osweiler aren't so much his release as his information processing speed and his unwillingness to throw the ball away in certain situations.

With Osweiler coming in as the Day 1 starter and getting the majority of snaps in OTAs and TC, and with him getting a majority of OB and Godsey's attention, I think he's going to improve quite a bit very quickly.

 

[The Pencil Neck]

Duplicate. Sorry. Got impatient.

 

[michaelm]

Also, for a comparison:

View attachment 758

That picture of Osweiler shows his arm at a different postion relative to release. It's taken earlier in the throw so it's not a direct comparison to the first one.
Although, I'm sure you watched video for your analysis. The image just isn't really a great example compared to the one of Mallet.

 

[Say Watt]

That picture of Osweiler shows his arm at a different postion relative to release. It's taken earlier in the throw so it's not a direct comparison to the first one.
Although, I'm sure you watched video for your analysis. The image just isn't really a great example compared to the one of Mallet.

True, but it's very close to his follow through. It was only about a 10 yard pass or so though.

Here's another one, but it's after he released the ball. Not perfect either, but it shows his release point is actually a bit higher at times.

 

[infantrycak]

Here's another. A little sidearm but certainly not releasing at eye level:

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

Yeah, his delivery is definitely not over-the-top, but most of the "batted" balls I've seen from the tape I've watched on Osweiler so far haven't been guys jumping up and knocking down balls because of his low release point, but rather from the rush getting to him and hitting his arm/hand as he throws. Mallett's higher release wouldn't have saved him in those situations and he'd have had a similar result.

OTOH, Osweiler is also more accurate with his throws than Mallett. He doesn't have nearly the problem of hitting people in the ankles and calves that Mallett has.

My concerns about Osweiler aren't so much his release as his information processing speed and his unwillingness to throw the ball away in certain situations.

With Osweiler coming in as the Day 1 starter and getting the majority of snaps in OTAs and TC, and with him getting a majority of OB and Godsey's attention, I think he's going to improve quite a bit very quickly.

No doubt that is true. But his high release is not the reason. If you look at most of the succcessful NFL QBs, you will notice that they have their upper arm at least parallel to the ground or higher when they release the ball, allowing for a high release..........Peyton Manning, Brady, Brees, Rodgers to name examples.

A high release points contributes to accuracy as it offers more in-play adjustability. [Mallet's in-the-dirty problem was more related to the fact that he would flick his wrist down as part of the end of his motion.]

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

I'm not going to try to make the argument that Brock always releases the ball low....but if you watch his games in general, a low release is very much the rule, in no way the exception. (Very much in contrast to the other QBs I mentioned above.)

 

[TheRealJoker]

Interested to see who they pick 1st round. I'd like to see another OL whether it be center or an eventual replacement for Duane Brown.

There's also several guys at WR projected to go in the 1st with a similar style to Hopkins (Treadwell, Doctson) I think a young QBs best friend is having several tall WRs that can win jump balls against DBs.

Strong our 3rd rounder last year has that style too. Hopefully he makes a jump from year 1 to year 2.

Adding another guy like that would make life easier for Os. Watching some of his games a couple of his ints came when he threw it to his wr in a jump ball situation and the WR lost. Hopkins don't lose and i'd like to have a couple other guys that don't lose either!

 

[Say Watt]

Well what we also have to remember is it all depends on what type of pass some of these images are taken from. Is it a deep bomb, a short throw, an intermediate pass with velocity, etc. The situation greatly effects the release point.

But hey, this guy has done well with a release that is pretty close to Brock's:

 

[Say Watt]

And same goes for this guy:

 

[Thorn]

Do we have a figure yet on how many games a year Osweiler is contractually required to be injured? I wish they'd quit putting that in all our QBs contracts.

 

[The Pencil Neck]

Yeah, like I said, his release point doesn't bother me. There are a lot of QBs who've made a killing with a release that's not so different than Osweiler's. With a shorter QB it can be an issue, but his release is quick enough and high enough that I'm not worried about it.

I've still got to watch more of Osweiler's games, but I've watched 3 so far and I really haven't noticed a lot of balls getting batted down.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

Well what we also have to remember is it all depends on what type of pass some of these images are taken from. Is it a deep bomb, a short throw, an intermediate pass with velocity, etc. The situation greatly effects the release point.

But hey, this guy has done well with a release that is pretty close to Brock's:

View attachment 760

Still, most of Ben's ball releases during games is above his helmet level

 

[Say Watt]

Certainly not saying we shouldn't tweak his motion. I'm sure O'Brien will work with him on this stuff. Just as long as they don't tweak so much that he loses what he already is relatively successful with.

But this is what's great about this deal. We have a guy with potential that has spent 4 years in this league but with only 7 starts, he's still malleable. This isn't a veteran stuck in his ways. It's a fairly young guy that sat behind the best, or second best, QB of this generation and is now going to be taught how to become a franchise QB in the NFL.

Whether he's up to the task is the unknown. But he's worth the risk.

 

[Say Watt]

Still, most of Ben's ball releases during games is above his helmet level

I believe he's also tweaked it some since college. Which like I said, Osweiler should be able to do. I don't think his motion needs to be completely revamped but just raised slightly.

I was simply bringing Ben and Rivers into the equation to make the point that I doubt we'll ever see Osweiler have the prototypical release of Peyton and Brady, but he could turn into an accurate passer in the mold of Big Ben and Rivers.

 

[The Pencil Neck]

Certainly not saying we shouldn't tweak his motion. I'm sure O'Brien will work with him on this stuff. Just as long as they don't tweak so much that he loses what he already is relatively successful with.

But this is what's great about this deal. We have a guy with potential that has spent 4 years in this league but with only 7 starts, he's still malleable. This isn't a veteran stuck in his ways. It's a fairly young guy that sat behind the best, or second best, QB of this generation and is now going to be taught how to become a franchise QB in the NFL.

Whether he's up to the task is the unknown. But he's worth the risk.

Yeah, this is part of my point as well.

Osweiler has never, ever been "The Guy" through training camp and into the season. OB and Godsey will have lots of time now to work with him and get him to tweak things here and there to get him where they want him. If that means some minor adjustments to his throwing motion, fine, but I'm not going to expect any major changes. They've seen LOTS of tape on this guy, lots more tape on him than we've seen, and they saw him up close in practice. If his throwing motion was that much of an issue, I don't think they would have gone after him.

I don't think his motion is nearly as wonky as Rivers' and Rivers has been fine with that motion.

But OB and Godsey will work with him.

 

[Mollywhopper]

Os is 25 and he's thrown the football 10,000 times the way he's thrown it, and to a good deal more success than not. Nobodies tweaking his delivery really at this point. A steady diet of reminders at practice for defenders at the LOS, sure. But when the lights are on and the game is live his delivery will be his same old delivery. Tweaking deliveries four years into a pro career don't yield much.

 

[battleredready]

Yes please, let's stop all this criticism on his release. Kid can slang it however he wants.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

Os is 25 and he's thrown the football 10,000 times the way he's thrown it, and to a good deal more success than not. Nobodies tweaking his delivery really at this point. A steady diet of reminders at practice for defenders at the LOS, sure. But when the lights are on and the game is live his delivery will be his same old delivery. Tweaking deliveries four years into a pro career don't yield much.

Really? Then I guess a relatively game-inexperienced QB doesn't need a coaching staff to try to even tweak his characteristics to benefit his play. That's good to know.

 

[ChampionTexan]

Really? Then I guess a relatively game-inexperienced QB doesn't need a coaching staff to try to even tweak his characteristics to benefit his play. That's good to know.

Been there, done that... (and FWIW, this would have been under Adam Gase as QB coach, and Mike McCoy as OC)

Quarterback Brock Osweiler, who arrives via a second-round pick that could have been devoted to a player that could help the Broncos win withPeyton Manning, is working to change the way he gets rid of the ball.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/11/new-broncos-quarterback-debuts-new-throwing-motion/

 

[steelbtexan]

And same goes for this guy:

View attachment 761

This guy has done pretty well without a classic release point.

 

[Mollywhopper]

Really? Then I guess a relatively game-inexperienced QB doesn't need a coaching staff to try to even tweak his characteristics to benefit his play. That's good to know.

Yes, because delivery mechanics are all a pro coaching staff are for...

 

[Uncle Rico]

A lot of anger and venom in that write-up. Sounded more like a jilted fan than a calm and objective review. He says the sample size is too small to confirm anything good, but then turns around and uses that same sample size to try to prove uncorrectable mistakes and tendencies. And then he name-calls Bill O'brien. The guy could be completely right, but that's a fan talking there. You have to wonder how different his write-up would have been if Osweiler had stayed with the Broncos.

Not sure I'm picking up on the same type of vitriol you seem to have. Everything cant always be rainbows and unicorns. He makes really dumb mistakes at the QB position at times. Simple as that. He could also turn out to be Tom Brady 2.0, and name dropping by stating that O'Brien has been rummaging through NE's trash heap or by writing what everyone knows in what O'Brien covets in a QB? Okay, seems kinda sensitive but if thats how you feel then you're entitled to it.

 

[Uncle Rico]

I stopped at

yeah I would have replaced Winston with Bridgewater when trying to emphasize that point. Winston isnt a bad QB, and I'd take him over Osweiler for whatever thats worth.

 

[beerlover]

This is amazing we go from one camp that feel Texans paid too much then another who would not take him over #1 overall pick (Winston) Lol

Truth is somewhere in between both of those but at least now Texans have addressed QB need

 

[Uncle Rico]

This is amazing we go from one camp that feel Texans paid too much then another who would not take him over #1 overall pick (Winston) Lol

Truth is somewhere in between both of those but at least now Texans have addressed QB need

LOL ... "What a time to be alive"

 

[bah007]

A lot of guys release the ball at three-quarters or below on short throws. On short throws you have to account for the tall guys standing right in your face, and a lot of times releasing side arm is more about creating a throwing angle than anything else. Even at Osweiler's height, there are still OTs and DEs that are just about right there in length. And you can't just loft a slant over that guy's head. You either get it around him or you don't get it out. A lot of guys also feel like they have better accuracy and touch with a lower release point on shorter throws because they can't overthrow the ball.

If he's consistently using that release on intermediate and long throws that's when you have a potential problem. You can lose velocity which is obviously bad, because on longer throws that gives the DB more time to react. It can also change the spin on the ball which can affect your accuracy, which is bad because on longer throws the ball is in the air longer, so any affect on accuracy is magnified.

 

[phantom17]

Welcome to Htown Brock! Now we need a WR or OL in the 1st Rd!

 

[DX-TEX]

Going by this thread Oz is a mix of Brady, Ben, Brees, Rivers and Mallett.

I can live with that as long as the Mallett part is a hidden gene and doesnt stop OZ from getting an alarm clock

 

[ObsiWan]

Well said and they got Miller.

Of the recent acquisitions, I think Miller will have the soonest impact. It will take the new linemen time to gel with the other starters. It will take Osweiler time to learn (and most importantly, master) O'Brien's offense. Miller should have no problem being an instant upgrade over Blue and, soon, becoming our "new" Foster.

 

[xtruroyaltyx]

I was asked to look at Brock's delivery to see if I saw something that accounted for a 6'7" quarterback having so many batted down passes. I looked at many examples of his film and indeed the answer was there. You remember how Mallet's release point was well above his head? Well, most of Brock's release points are almost eye level, as his delivery commonly appears to be either 3/4 arm or side arm. [A perfect representative example of this is found in the closeup caught on the video you posted at approximately the 1 minute 25 second point] There is no way that he is not losing a significant portion of his height advantage due to his delivery. I'm hoping that the Texans coaching staff has already noted this and plan to help him work on and adjust his delivery somewhat to take full advantage of his height.

Brock with his 6'7" height actually plays at ~6'2" because of his low release point

as compared to Mallet who at 6'6" plays closer to 8' tall.

Honestly, I've never been a big release point point guy. Or messing with a guys throwing motion too much. Now footwork....that's a different story.

But with a guys throwing motion I just want to know if he can complete passes. Does he throw tight spirals more often than not. Is he able to make clean throws over the middle of the field.

Ugly tendencies come out when guys are full time NFL starters. If Os is not the guy we will find out soon enough.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

Honestly, I've never been a big release point point guy. Or messing with a guys throwing motion too much. Now footwork....that's a different story.

But with a guys throwing motion I just want to know if he can complete passes. Does he throw tight spirals more often than not. Is he able to make clean throws over the middle of the field.

Ugly tendencies come out when guys are full time NFL starters. If Os is not the guy we will find out soon enough.

I am am pretty excited about acquiring Brock and hopeful that he can develop into what we would want him to be. But then you may have to have some concern with his percentage of completions going straight down when his passes travel more than 15 yds or when he is in the RZ trying to get into the EZ. I'm going hold out great hope that our coaching staff will be able to help him make the appropriate adjustments to overcome his deficits.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

A trip into what was involved in targeting and attaining Osweiler:

Plenty of film study

After the Texans' 30-0 loss to Kansas City in the playoffs, O'Brien took off a couple of days before returning to the film room. First, he evaluated each of the Texans. Then, he turned to prospective free agents and watched tape before filing his report with Smith.

When O'Brien finished, Osweiler was at the top of his list of quarterbacks.

"We study all these guys," O'Brien said. "We watch their (regular-season) tape (and) their preseason tape. When you threw the tape on from (last season), it was impressive. He played in some very tough games, some very meaningful games.

"It's not easy to be a starting quarterback in this league. It's one of the most difficult things in sports to do. I think we got the right guy."

At the time, though, the consensus among the Texans and every team in the NFL was that Osweiler would re-sign with the Broncos.

The Texans had exhausted their interest in mid-level quarterbacks, nine who played in O'Brien's first two seasons, including seven as starters. Whether through the draft, free agency or even a possible trade, they were determined to get a player they believed could become their franchise quarterback.

Before the scouting combine in late February, Smith brought in his scouts from around the country. They set their draft board. Then, Smith, O'Brien and the assistant coaches reviewed the analysis of each prospective free agent prepared by Gaine and his staff.

Osweiler is the one

They decided how they wanted to attack free agency - what players Smith was going to pursue when the legal tampering period began March 7, two days before the start of the new league year when free agents could sign with other teams.

To make sure they were on the same page, Smith and O'Brien went to the film room and watched hours of tape on the 6-8, 240-pound Osweiler.

"We came out of the film room agreeing that Brock Osweiler was the quarterback to lead us where we want to go," Smith said.

The negotiation game

Sexton has represented players for almost 35 years. He's a shrewd negotiator. The Broncos knew, like any agent, Sexton would try to get every possible dollar for Osweiler.

When Sam Bradford re-signed with Philadelphia for an average of $18 million per year, the market was set.

In his negotiations with Denver, Sexton claimed other teams were interested. The Broncos had to determine if that interest was real during their negotiations to keep Osweiler, who backed up Peyton Manning for four years and was 5-2 as a starter last season.

The Broncos offered Osweiler a three-year contract worth $39 million. With bonuses, it could max out at $45 million.

Smith was willing to pay a lot of money, but he insisted on a four-year contract. Both sides showed flexibility but not on the four-year issue. Smith refused to budge during the all-day sessions and late-night phone calls.

On Tuesday - the day before Osweiler agreed with the Texans - Smith left NRG Stadium at 10 p.m. and got stuck in traffic exiting the concert at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. He and Sexton resumed their conversations.

On Wednesday morning, Sexton spoke with the Broncos for the first time since they made their $39 million offer. They increased their offer to an average of $16.5 million a year, including $30 million guaranteed.

As the Colorado media reported the negotiations and the Broncos increased their offer, there was optimism in Denver that Osweiler would stay.

Competing with Denver

Sexton had told Osweiler to go dark and not return calls, texts or e-mails from the Broncos, including his teammates, until the agent had reached an agreement with one of the teams. Sexton didn't want sentiment to play a role if he could avoid it.

Sexton never gave the Broncos a chance to match the Texans' offer.

Osweiler, a second-round pick in 2012 who made $660,000 last season, signed a contract that averages $18 million, ranking him 16th among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL this year.

"They wanted him in Denver, but Rick hung in there and got the deal consummated," Bob McNair said. "I couldn't be more excited."

link

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

Wilson presents an extremely interesting detailed chronology of Osweiler's roots to the present.........with lots of little known facts about the young man. After reading this article, I am excited more than ever about this kid.

Osweiler's attitude will serve him, Texans well
Brock Osweiler's attitude will serve him, Texans well
By Aaron Wilson
March 12, 2016 Updated: March 12, 2016 10:28pm

Brock Osweiler was a standout two-sport athlete in high school and had a number of football scholarship offers as well as a chance to play basketball at Gonzaga.
The humble roots of Brock Osweiler reach back to Montana, where he grew up near the mountains of Glacier National Park and the waters of Flathead Lake.

Although Osweiler was born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, it was the small town of Kalispell, Mont., population 20,972, that nurtured the future Texans starting quarterback and $72-million man. In Kalispell, Osweiler sprouted into a tall tree of a young man as an athletic prodigy possessing rare size, arm strength, coordination and body control.

The son of John and Kathy Osweiler and the younger brother of former Montana Tech football player Tanner, Osweiler was so imposing Florida State recruiters did a double-take and called his coaches at Flathead High School to confirm his age and size. They couldn't believe how big he was as a 15-year-old sophomore.

Despite wearing size 17 cleats to house his huge feet, Osweiler was surprisingly nimble. The 6-8, 240-pounder was gifted enough at basketball to earn a scholarship from Gonzaga. He once scored 50 points in a middle school basketball game, shook backboards with 360-degree slam dunks and displayed outstanding dribbling and shooting skills.

Osweiler emerged as the Gatorade Football Player of the Year as a senior after concentrating on that sport and signed with Arizona State after drawing scholarship offers from Alabama, Stanford, Florida State, Tennessee and UCLA.

Although Osweiler hailed from a small town, he held ambitions of proving himself on a bigger stage. He was determined to become an NFL quarterback.

A big-picture kid

"Brock was always a big-picture kid, and we talked about the things that would make him great," said Russell McCarvel, Osweiler's high school coach. "He's a great student of the game, an excellent leader and has always been a tremendous worker. He throws a nice ball, yes, but also has outstanding character. It was fun having him around. He's a great kid, was a babysitter for my boys. He comes from a great family.

"Kalispell is what you think of about Montana - mountains and beautiful lakes. People love the outdoors. They're hardworking, good people. Those kind of traits that have served him well. His calm demeanor and leadership will serve the Texans very well."

Kalispell, a Salish word meaning "flat land above the lake," is where Osweiler's parents instilled a strong work ethic in their youngest son. They gave him reminders about keeping his talent in perspective. His father was offered football scholarships to Montana and Montana State, but he chose to enter the military. His grandfather was a police officer in Great Falls.

"Montana is an incredible place," Osweiler said. "Where I grew up, it's beautiful. It's a fairly small town with a lot of really good people. It's a place I hold very close to my heart."

Coincidentally, before the Texans beat out the Denver Broncos in a bidding war to land the 25-year-old Osweiler with a deal that included $37 million guaranteed with a $12 million signing bonus, his parents had been in Houston for weeks. They quietly took in the considerable amount of buzz surrounding their son prior to him signing his blockbuster deal with the Texans. They work for a carnival company that's in town next to NRG Stadium. His father runs the security department and his mother works in guest relations.

"My family has been everything to me," said Osweiler, who married Erin last year. "My parents taught me what hard work, what being a good person and having good morals is all about. They raised me the right way. I'm grateful for them. I have a great brother. My wife is amazing. It makes it easier to focus on football when you have a support system like that."

Osweiler was 6-4 in middle school and grew to 6-8, 210 pounds by the ninth grade.

It was during his freshman year of high school when Osweiler attended a Gonzaga basketball game against St. Joseph's in Spokane, Wash. The 15-year-old quickly accepted a Gonzaga scholarship, but he gravitated toward football as his high school football coaches asked him to ponder whether he was a future NBA player or a future NFL quarterback. Osweiler and his father started sending DVDs to colleges sprinkled with highlights of him throwing touchdowns and dunking basketballs.

"I really didn't do anything to influence him, but I knew when he came to me and asked what I thought about him sending out DVDs to football schools that he would end up playing college football," McCarvel said. "In a few weeks, Florida State called and wanted to know, 'Is he really that big and only a sophomore?' The assistant coach was surprised that a guy that big can spit it that well, but Brock can."

Long before Osweiler piled up 2,703 passing yards and 760 rushing yards and passed for 29 touchdowns and ran for 13 scores as a senior, then-Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson became keenly aware of him. Erickson sent assistants Noel Mazzone, now the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, and Matt Lubick to Montana to check out Osweiler. They had him throw a few passes before they became convinced of his abilities.

An instant prospect

"Pretty much right away, Mazzone says to me, 'I don't need to see any more throws, I'm good,'" McCarvel said. "They were completely sold on him."

Erickson, a former Montana State quarterback and now the assistant head coach at Utah, had plenty of spies and buddies from around the state of Montana talking up Osweiler. Osweiler recalled sitting in class one day when a letter arrived from Arizona State. It wasn't a generic note. It was a scholarship offer.

"Brock was just a young guy, but he was a great basketball player and a tremendous athlete, a good student and a competitive son of a gun," Erickson said. "What really jumped out to me watching him play football is he was such an impressive athlete. Was he fully polished? No, but he was a big guy and one of the best athletes I've ever been around.

"He's a class act, has no arrogance whatsoever. He has confidence, but he's the kind of guy who keeps his mouth shut and just plays. He's a young man from Montana who's never changed. Houston is getting a guy with a lot of maturity. That's a good football team. They're pretty close to being very good, and now they have Brock."

People close to Osweiler describe him as a low-key, family-oriented guy always thinking of ways to improve.

Osweiler spent his high school years organizing film sessions with teammates, frequently texting and calling those who arrived late for workouts. He was a frequent visitor to McCarvel's home to study defensive schemes with an emphasis on pass protecting. Since being in the NFL, Osweiler donated a permanent board to his high school to honor the football captains each year.

"Money won't change Brock," McCarvel said. "He was an excellent leader. He went out of his way to make sure people understood how important his teammates were to his success. He was very well-liked at the school and around town. He's a son of Montana and people are proud of him."

Osweiler emphasized that he's not a flashy person.

"I'm a pretty laid-back guy, I'm a small-town guy at heart," Osweiler said. "My wife and I are big foodies. We like to try different restaurants. We're both very interested in the world and want to travel the world. If there's not time to do something like that, there's nothing better than throwing on a good movie and putting your feet up."

The career arc of Osweiler during his three seasons at Arizona State and his four years with the Broncos are marked by several parallels.

Initially a curiosity around campus in Tempe, Ariz., as a freshman quarterback, Osweiler played sparingly. During Osweiler's sophomore year, starter Steven Threet suffered his second concussion of the season and was forced out of a game against UCLA.

Facing a 17-point deficit when he entered the game, Osweiler rallied the Sun Devils to a 55-34 victory as he passed for 380 yards and four touchdowns. Street was forced to retire from football due to his head injuries.

"It was my obligation to stay prepared in case something happened to the starter, so my biggest deal was I didn't want to waste a single day," Osweiler said. "I wanted to get better in the classroom and practice field, so I would be prepared when my number was called. I'll never forget when Steven got hit from behind and knocked out of the game against UCLA. I wanted to be there for my team in a situation like that and step in. The team rallied around me."


Early exit from college

Osweiler played just one more season of college football, passing for 4,036 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior before leaving early for the NFL and being picked in the second round by the Broncos.

"When he got drafted there, I thought it was an unbelievable opportunity because he could learn and not have to play right away," Erickson said. "Brock got to be around John Elway and Peyton (Manning), two of the greatest quarterbacks ever. I told him, 'Shut up and keep your ears open.'"

With the Broncos, Osweiler absorbed knowledge from future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning for two seasons before stepping in for him for seven starts last season.

Osweiler went 5-2 as a starter, including wins over the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals. He completed 61.8 percent of his throws for 1,967 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions for an 86.4 passer rating.

Osweiler displayed a big arm and a classic throwing motion along with his trademark stature in the pocket.

"Obviously, the height helps him," Erickson said. "Sometimes when a quarterback is that tall, they have a long throwing motion. He's shortened it since he was with us. He has presence in the pocket and unbelievable feet. He's athletic enough to run out of trouble and he has a lot of maturity."

Osweiler won his first NFL start against the Chicago Bears as he completed 20 of 27 passes for 250 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

However, Osweiler did hold the football for a long time as he adjusted to playing on a full-time basis. He was sacked five times in a loss to the Oakland Raiders by defensive end Khalil Mack and 23 times overall last season.

Osweiler was ultimately replaced by Manning for the playoffs as the Broncos went on to win Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers. Although Manning was a shell of his old five-time Most Valuable Player form, he managed the games well and avoided turnovers as the Broncos were carried by a dominant defense. Manning retired this offseason. Osweiler has praised Manning for imparting lessons about the game and how to handle different situations.

"Until you start playing in this league and ultimately win games against great teams, you don't really know where you stack up," Osweiler said. "You think you know, you're very confident in your ability, but you really don't know enough.

"A coach once told me in the NFL nothing is given, you have to take everything you want, you have to earn it. I'm a pretty simple guy. I believe if you take it one day at a time and work hard a lot of good things will happen."

Welcome to Houston

A huge financial windfall and opportunity await Osweiler in Houston. The Texans have made a historic investment in a deal that averages $18 million per year and are banking on his size, arm strength and potential he flashed last season in hopes of ending their quest for a franchise quarterback.

"Pressure can create a diamond or people will break under it," Osweiler said. "Pressure is an interesting thing. I believe pressure is usually surrounded by an important or big situation. I keep my focus very small. I take it one day at a time."

During a packed introductory press conference, Texans owner Bob McNair didn't stop smiling after general manager Rick Smith signed Osweiler after his four-year, $3.516 million rookie contract expired.

The Broncos' final offer was roughly $16 million per year as opposed to the Texans' $18 million annual average. The offer from the Texans contained a lot more guaranteed money. Elway, the Broncos' general manager, issued a terse statement about Osweiler leaving and has since traded for quarterback Mark Sanchez and is contemplating a trade for quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Osweiler emphasized that he chose the Texans because he felt like he would be successful in their offense.

"Brock is the type of guy who thinks about things very clearly and goes through all the pluses and minuses," McCarvel said. "He's fired up about being one of the big faces of the Houston Texans. I know he's going to do well."

After a whirlwind Thursday in which he took a physical, signed his contract and was introduced to the city of Houston, Osweiler and his wife had dinner with Smith, Texans vice chairman and chief operating officer Cal McNair and their wives.

"I got back to the room with my wife and I just looked at her and said, 'I couldn't be more excited to be a Houston Texan,'" Osweiler said. "We absolutely made the right decision because there's good people in that building. I think it's a special group. I couldn't be more excited."

 

[thunderkyss]

Broncos never had a chance to match.


Interesting.

 

[DX-TEX]

Broncos never had a chance to match.


Interesting.

Brock was pissed at the Broncos and rightfully so

 

[badboy]

Welcome to Htown Brock! Now we need a WR or OL in the 1st Rd!

why? Not disagreeing but interested in why. There are WRs and OL that will be available day two.