...However, if we were honest & admit Weeden is far & away the best QB on the team...
Remains to be seen. This determination won't be made until after the final preseason game. However, if Weeden proves to be the best QB on the team, he should start. If Savage improves to the point of pulling even with Weeden, maybe he's earned the right to start, with the age factor being the determining factor.
At the conclusion of this coming season, an attempt to sign either Weeden or Savage should be made. Otherwise we go into the 2018 off season with an unproven second year QB and nothing else.
Weeden's age is actually a positive. If he becomes our starter, it's for the short term, with Watson being groomed as our future starter. This provides the time to draft another QB next year and prepare him to be our backup after Watson becomes our starter.
Savage is the joker. If the team is committed to Watson as our future, then Savage is gone after this season. So why play him over Weeden, unless he clearly surpasses Weeden. If Savage plays well and we commit to him being our future, Watson becomes an expensive backup or trade bait. But in this case, I see Smith's ego coming into play. After the Oz mistake, will the organization admit a second mistake in drafting Watson? I don't think so. I think Waton is our future QB.
This makes Savage a lame duck Texan.
It makes more sense for Weeden to be our QB this year and to resign him to a short contract after the season.
If you make Watson our starter this year, then both Weeden and Savage are likely gone. And you have no experience behind Watson going into the 2018 season. You face the strong possibility of being out of the playoff picture for the next two or three years, minimum.