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Are the stars lining up for Gary Kubiak and Stephen McGee?
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Could Stephen McGee be on Gary Kubiak's draft radar?
That question is sure to elicit diverse and emotional responses, mostly along the lines of color.
Maroon or burnt orange?
A better question may be to ask whether former Texas A&M quarterback and current Texans head coach Gary Kubiak can remain impartial and objective when assessing the future of former Texas A&M quarterback and NFL draft hopeful Stephen McGee.
The reason I'm even going there is because of this article by Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram.
Kubiak had some very complimentary things to say about McGee during an interview at the just-completed NFL scouting combine at Indianapolis. You can read the full transcript of the interview here.
"[McGee has] the ability, the arm, the brain, the competitive nature to play in this league. … I think he’s got a chance to be a very good player."
- Gary Kubiak
I know. What else is he going to say, right?
But that morsel about Kubiak and McGee ending up on the same plane flight to Indy has me wondering if there's a higher power at work here, like that mysterious "can't understand it -- can't explain it" stuff that goes on around Joe Routt Blvd.
Kubiak also had the opportunity to observe McGee during several days of practice leading up to the East- West Shrine game in Houston last month.
"[McGee] was in the East-West game, which was right in our backyard," said Kubiak. "[That] gave me a chance to watch him practice every day."
Add the Mike Sherman/Kubiak connections to the alma mater connections and this one looks like a slam dunk -- even more of a sure thing than another Colorado State Ram being added to the Texans roster next season.
That was a joke. Sort of.
I think after this past season even the most hard-core Ags would've had a difficult time saying the words "Stephen McGee" and "fifth-round draft pick" in the same breath.
But to his credit, McGee has worked hard and turned in impressive performances at the East-West Shrine game and at the scouting combine, raising his draft stock considerably.
As Williams notes, some scouting websites now have McGee pegged as a fifth-round talent and the seventh- or eighth-ranked QB (in a relatively weak draft for quarterbacks). The National Football Post had McGee ranked sixth even before the combine.
Kubiak likes his quarterbacks, and I've mentioned before that it wouldn't surprise me if the Texans drafted another QB late in the draft -- especially now since Sage Rosenfels appears to be headed out the door. However, Rosenfels' #2 QB slot will almost certainly be replaced by a veteran QB with NFL experience.
So what would you do if the Texans drafted Stephen McGee in the fifth round?
I think McGee is a long-term development project whose upside in 2009 would be a spot on some team's practice squad. That's why it's important for Kubiak to put his maroon-colored glasses back in the dresser drawer on this one.
After running that option of Coach Fran's for three years, and getting only a couple games worth of experience in Sherman's pro-style offense (and I'm using that term loosely), McGee has a steep learning curve ahead of him.
Kubiak doesn't have time on his side, unless the Texans start posting a winning record or two. But I'm guessing that sense of urgency he's feeling (or should be) won't affect his desire to plan past 2009. Kubiak will do what he thinks is best for the team -- present and future.
But the Texans need more than a practice squad QB out of their fifth-round pick this season.
Sixth round, you say? Well ... maybe ... that's typically where you start taking the developmental guys like McGee. There or later.
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