Houston Texans: Deshaun Watson is leading by example

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is leading by example even though the quarterback competition is still up in the air.

The quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Tom Savage may turn out to be nothing more than smokescreen as Houston Texans training camp gets underway. The Texans have been gushing about Watson since making him a first-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft and it feels inevitable that he will take over at some point in the 2017 season.

Despite Savage being called a “clear favorite” by Gil Brandt just a month before camp, it’s Watson who continues to get all of the attention. And that attention comes for all the right reasons.

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport’s report on Watson was illuminating. It highlighted the classic work ethic that Watson brings to the Texans and his quiet approach to leading by example. Says Rapoport:

"It’s pretty safe to say the Texans have been blown away with the progress that he has made just as far as work ethic-wise and the mount of time he has put into learning the game of football. He’s the first out on the field always. He takes copious notes. He works incredibly hard and cares about being good."

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While this gets blown out of proportion as the Texans being “blown away” by Watson in some reports, the work ethic that a young quarterback displays should not be overlooked. Simply putting in the time can be what separates a player from devolving into a Johnny Manziel mess or turning into the next Derek Carr. Working hard, taking notes, getting to the field early and showing a genuine care for the game and being the best are all important. Watson is not simply in Houston to make some money, he’s there to win.

In the modern NFL where teams live or die by the quarterback, having a player that invests the time and starts doing everything right from the start is critical. Watson will have a leg up on other quarterbacks if he keeps being diligent and putting 100 percent of his effort in every day. There are small daily gains that can have big payoffs in the coming year. Those big payoffs lead to solid foundation on which a steady NFL career can be built.

Next: NFL Power Rankings 2017: Training camp edition

There are no promises that Watson ends up being a stellar NFL quarterback. There are no guarantees that he ever increases his ceiling. Many quarterbacks never “get it” and manage to put it all together.

This first step, at least, is promising.

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