In a surprise move to anyone that follows Arizona State football, Sun Devils' junior quarterback Brock Osweiler decided to pass on his senior season in favor of entering the NFL draft. The decision was quite shocking, considering he was the center piece to any potential success for the team in 2012.
While the Sun Devils had quite a disappointing season, their man under center actually had a nice season.
On the year, Osweiler threw for 4,036 yards with 26 touchdown passes and only 13 interceptions. He was also successful on the ground, punching in three TD's with his feet.
The individual success he had this past season likely left many in question of whether or not he could come back and do better, especially under a new system. Both coach Dennis Erickson and his offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone will no longer be running this team next season, as ASU decided to move into a new direction with former Pittsburgh head coach Todd Graham taking the reigns.
When the Sun Devils gave Erickson the axe, many were unsure what that meant for the rest of the coaching squad. With Mazzone ultimately leaving for the job under Jim Mora Jr. with the UCLA Bruins, things looked to just keep getting worse for the Sun Devils.
Now with Osweiler gone, things have definitely hit an all-time low for the Sun Devils this coming season. They potentially had one of the best passers in the nation, but now they are looking to be starting from scratch.
It isn't clear yet where Osweiler will land in this years draft. While he isn't the quality of a starting quarterback, many teams will likely find an interest in acquiring the 6'8" QB to play behind their current starter.
According to Bob Young of AZcentral.com, Osweiler currently ranks as the 10th best quarterback in the 2012 NFL Draft. That puts him right there with Houston Cougars' quarterback Case Keenum.
There is no doubt that Osweiler showed at times that he could lead an offense, but with only one full season of experience under his belt, many would argue that he is still extremely raw.
These teams should be giving Osweiler a look if they have a chance to grab him at some point in the draft.
Houston Texans
With losing two of their three quarterbacks during the regular season, and almost their third at one point, the Texans should be extremely interested in adding some depth at quarterback. There is no doubt that Matt Schaub will be leading this team in 2012, but one has to wonder what the fate will be of backups Matt Leinart and TJ Yates.
Leinart went down in his first start replacing Schaub, while Yates has taken the reigns for the rest of the season. In Week 17, Yates went down with a shoulder injury, but he was ultimately able to pull through and play for the team in their wild-card game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Texans will have a tough decision to make, but they could decide to move on from Leinart. He has yet to be effective since entering the league, so he appears to continue to be extremely expendable.
Chicago Bears
When quarterback Jay Cutler went down this season, many expected backup quarterback Caleb Hanie to step in and keep the Bears rolling.
Well, that didn't happen.
Hanie took the Bears on a dreaded four game losing streak, ultimately taking the team out of the NFL playoff picture. They then went with veteran Josh McCown, but he realistically isn't a long-term answer at backup.
The Bears could benefit by bringing in a young gun-slinger like Osweiler to play behind a guy like Cutler, as he could learn to from a player who plays an extremely similar playing style.
Buffalo Bills
Despite giving quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick six-year, $59 million deal this season, the Bills could definitely be looking to add a quarterback to their team this draft.
The only other guy sitting behind the former Harvard passer is Tyler Thigpen, who has never been able to prove himself to be a reliable backup.
Taking a guy like Osweiler late in the draft would give the Bills some insurance behind Fitzpatrick, as they would likely want to have options outside of Thigpen in-case he doesn't continue to produce when needed.
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