Brock Osweiler is a walking pile of bad money

The Houston Texans thought they were getting a franchise quarterback in Brock Osweiler. Instead, they got a really expensive mannequin.

After watching him stink up the joint against the Denver Broncos on Monday night, legions of NFL analysts and fans came to a unified conclusion on Brock Osweiler. He’s one of the worst free-agent signings in NFL history.

Osweiler might only be seven games into his Houston career, but all the signs are there for total disaster. Chief among them is his continuously lousy play, with eight touchdowns and an equal amount of interceptions in 2016. The 25-year-old has also been whiny off the field, reportedly getting into a heated argument with head coach Bill O’Brien and then complaining about criticism from fans.

General manager Rick Smith has been with Houston in this capacity since 2006, and perhaps it’s time for owner Bob McNair to move on. Smith gave $72 million over four years to Osweiler without having a face-to-face discussion with him. While the contract can be aborted after the 2017 season (with $9 million in dead money spread over the following two seasons), it represents both a huge waste of money and time.

Osweiler doesn’t have the physical tools that it takes to win in the NFL. He doesn’t move well in the pocket and has no feel for the rush. His arm is average and his lack of mobility isn’t helping matters behind a bad offensive line.

The Texans are likely going to win the AFC South, mostly because the division is a rancid dumpster fire. Houston will get back to the playoffs and get hammered just like it did last year, when it lost 30-0 at NRG Stadium to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round. That loss made McNair and Smith scramble for a quarterback, and then subsequently overpay Osweiler.

Here’s a final thought… Osweiler is on pace for 3,504 passing yards with 18 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Last year, Brian Hoyer played in 11 games and went for 2,606 yards with 19 scores and seven interceptions. Over 16 games, his yardage total is projected at 3,790.

Hoyer signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Chicago Bears this year. In other words, the Texans could have saved $70 million and been better.