Thu, Mar 22, 2007 at 12:00am

TEXANS PAY BIG FOR SCHAUB

The Houston Texans acquired quarterback Matt Schaub from the Atlanta Falcons for a flip-flop of spots in the first round of the 2007 draft (No. 10 vs. No. 8), a second-round draft pick in 2007 and a second-round draft pick in 2008.

What does it give the Houston Texans
It gives the Texans a very underrated new starting quarterback to replace David Carr. Schaub has been mostly excellent in every opportunity he's had at the NFL level, and he has the goods to become an above-average pocket passer for Houston. The Texans still need work on the offensive line (which was a big reason Carr struggled so much), but the team needs a change after the offense stagnated in 2006. Carr never really panned out after being made the face of the franchise with the No. 1 pick of the 2002 draft, and rumors abound about what the Texans will now do with him. Houston only moves down two spots in the draft, so that's not too big a loss.

What does it give the Atlanta Falcons
Some very solid picks and a chance to move up two spots in this year's draft. Atlanta obviously has a player in mind for their new position in the first round (No. 8 overall), and felt the need to move up (from No. 10) to get him. While it's hard to see this as a bad deal for the Falcons, it is worth noting that their offense was often better with Schaub completing passes than with Michael Vick scrambling.

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