NFL quotable: Texans still mulling what to do with top pick

"Are you a stronger team dropping down a little bit, getting these additional picks and getting more depth?"

-Bob McNair, Houston Texans owner

The Houston Texans have an idea of the kind of player they're after at No. 1, but that's if they decide to keep the pick. Talk of potentially trading down has been around since the regular season came to an end. It's not that the Texans can't use the pick or that it's undesirable, it's that Jadeveon Clowney is the consensus best player in the draft and teams should be willing to give up a great deal for the opportunity to draft him.

Texans owner Bob McNair said that the team still doesn't have a definitive plan for the top pick, saying that they "really won't know until right up at the time we have to make a decision," according to Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports. McNair went on to say that the decision would be easy if a quarterback was the best player in this draft, but that's not the case.

In other words, Clowney is great, but does that outweigh potentially acquiring the proper picks to get a franchise quarterback later in the round, plus the extra players that would come as a result of trading down? That's the current dilemma facing the Texans.

"I think it's something that the league is seriously taking a look at."

-Stephen Jones, Dallas Cowboys VP on the NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium

The NFL does not want to leave the format of the NFL Draft alone. They've expanded it to three days, it's all in prime time, they've pushed it back a couple weeks and will likely keep it that way and, recently, there was talk of stretching it out across four days. Just to drive you insane.

But another aspect of the draft could be changing, and it's been talked about for some time: where the draft is held. It's been at Radio City Music Hall in New York for some time, but cities and venues might bid to host the draft in the not-too-distant future. On Saturday, Dallas Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said that the Cowboys would love to host the draft at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas News.

Jones said that the Cowboys "like the idea," and that the league is exploring many different options, including holding different days of the draft in different locations.

"Teddy Bridgewater is in discussion as [a] fallback option."

-Chris Mortensen, ESPN

Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has watched his draft stock plummet (for some reason) this offseason. He was once considered a top-10 pick, but his stock has dropped considerably over the past couple of months. It's dropped so far that Bridgewater could be a "fallback option" for the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.

For reference, Cincinnati picks at No. 24 in the first round. Bridgewater falling that far would be a big deal, but the move would make sense for Cincinnati. Andy Dalton has failed in each of his three playoff starts, and contract time is coming up. Cincinnati doesn't want to give him a ton of money until he shows he can put it together in the postseason, which would give Bridgewater a lot of value there. However, it still seems unlikely he will be available.

"I still think the Saints are considering bringing back veteran Jonathan Goodwin."

-Mike Triplett, ESPN

Free agent center Jonathan Goodwin is the last starting-caliber center on the market. He was a Pro Bowler with the New Orleans Saints and just completed a couple of solid seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, but is still unsigned. Both the 49ers and the Saints have a big need at center, but they both could be looking elsewhere.

On Saturday, Mike Triplett of ESPN suggested that the Saints are still considering bringing back Goodwin, and that it might depend on what happens in the NFL Draft. New Orleans obviously has center as a need on its board and will attempt to draft one regardless of what happens with Goodwin, but if the Saints get a guy who might need to sit and learn for a while, that could mean Goodwin will return to New Orleans.

"[Anthony] Barr would make a ton of sense for Arizona, but I don't think he'll be on the board."

-Mike Mayock, NFL Network

UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr was once considered a consensus top-10 pick, but has since been highlighted as a player that could slide in the first round. According to NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock, the slide might be exaggerated though, as he doesn't believe Barr will be available when the Arizona Cardinals are on the clock with the 20th selection.

If Barr were to slide to No. 20, it would be an interesting fit for the Cardinals, as they could use pass rushers in their 3-4 system. John Abraham, who will turn 36 on Tuesday, led the Cardinals with 11.5 sacks and is under contract for one more year. After Abraham, the only other legitimate threat to rush the passer was Calais Campbell, who finished 2013 with a career-best nine sacks from the 3-4 defensive end position.