Front Office Insider: Does Hoyer have edge in Texans QB battle?

The Houston Texans are one of several teams with questions at the quarterback position.

This week, coach Bill O'Brien told reporters there is no timetable for choosing a starter from among Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer and Tom Savage.

In fact, this isn't the first time Mallett and Hoyer have battled for a role. Both quarterbacks competed for the Patriots' backup job in 2011, when O'Brien was New England's offensive coordinator. Hoyer eventually emerged as Tom Brady's understudy.

Some people, including a rival scout, believe Hoyer has the edge in the competition even though he's the only one of the three who wasn't with the Texans last season.

"Mallett has more talent and potential, but Bill values efficiency," an AFC scout told FOXSports.com "Hoyer gives him that. That's why he decided to go with [Ryan] Fitzpatrick so soon last year."

Eventually, Fitzpatrick was benched in hopes that Mallett could provide a spark. But the 6-foot-5 pocket passer sustained a torn pectoral during a freak weight-room mishap, prematurely ending his season. Mallett, 26, has since made a full recovery.

Though Mallett is known to have a stronger arm and some believe he has higher ceiling, Hoyer is viewed as a quarterback who will make sound decisions and manage the game. O'Brien also has a short fuse when it comes to mistakes, which works in Hoyer's favor.  

"You can be the most physically talented quarterback there is, but if you don't know where to go with the ball, you're going to be lost," Hoyer said last week, according to the Houston Chronicle. "The mental part is by far the most important part of it. And it really requires you to be accurate. So footwork and throwing motion matter a lot. You have to get your body in position to make the right throws."

Hoyer, 29, was entrenched in a high-profile quarterback battle with the Cleveland Browns last season. He edged first-round pick Johnny Manziel for No. 1 job, starting 14 games and completing 55.3 percent of his passes for 3,326 yards with 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Savage, 25, appears to be a long shot for the starting role, but O'Brien said this week he has seen improvement in the second-year pro, noting his pocket presence, quicker release, football IQ and 5:30 a.m. arrival time.

O'Brien declared his starter during last year's organized team activities, but expect this battle to go into the summer.  Hoyer-Mallett will be a key story line in this year's version of HBO's "Hard Knocks."

Examining New Orleans' punt returners

The Saints ranked 31st in the league, behind only the Bears, in punt return yardage last season.

During OTAs, the Saints have emphasized turning that around. Last year's first-round pick Brandin Cooks, C.J. Spiller and Jalen Saunders have been working with the punt return unit, according to a source.

A broken thumb cut short Cooks' 2014 rookie season, but he will be one of the primary targets on offense now that the Saints have moved on from tight end Jimmy Graham and wide receiver Kenny Stills. Can they afford to use the dynamic speedster on special teams?

Spiller signed as a free agent after five seasons as a Bills running back and return man, and coach Sean Payton said this week he will prioritize getting the Clemson product the ball "in space." Spiller has a decorated kick return history and even returned punts during his first two years in Buffalo. In those seasons, Spiller averaged 12.1 yards a punt return. That average would've ranked second in the league last season behind Eagles return artist (and former Saint) Darren Sproles.

Saunders, who was selected in the fourth round by the Jets and later was released, had an 11.0-yard punt return average in the Saints' final six games and a 99-yard kickoff return against Atlanta.

No matter who is fielding punts for New Orleans next season, special teams coordinator Greg McMahon will be emphasizing marked improvement.

Bridgewater plus Peterson equals ...

Adrian Peterson returned Minnesota Vikings' training facility Tuesday after missing the first week of OTAs.

No player will benefit more from Peterson's presence than second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

Last season, Bridgewater led the league in completion rate on plays under pressure at 75.2 percent, according to Pro Football Focus.

One reason Bridgewater was so efficient is he has been schooled by quarterbacks coach Scott Turner to check down to the running back. Bridgewater completed a collective 66 passes for 367 yards on 92 targets to Matt Asiata, Jerick McKinnon and Joe Banyard in 12 games.

To put that statistic in context, the New Orleans Saints led the league with 132 receptions by running backs, and the Detroit Lions led the league with 168 targets to running backs last season. It should be noted that both of those teams finished in the top five in pass attempts.

Though Bridgewater's primary target almost certainly won't be out of the backfield, Peterson offers him a rather lavish security blanket. The 2012 NFL MVP has never caught more than 43 passes in a season, but that could change. Expect the veteran running back to have a consistent role in offensive coordinator Norv Turner's passing attack.

Ravens planning something big at tight end

The Baltimore Ravens moved up in the second round of the draft to select former University of Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams.

Three rounds later, Baltimore added one of the draft's best blocking tight ends in Delaware's Nick Boyle. With second-year talent Crockett Gilmore and veteran Dennis Pitta – although his future is uncertain due to a hip injury -- it's clear that the Ravens hope to get some production out of that position.

Pass catching tight ends have been a staple in offensive coordinator Marc Trestman's system, and quarterback Joe Flacco loves to get them involved.

"Looking at their situation at tight end, it's clear they have a plan," one NFC scout said.

Williams, who has "Jeremy Shockey-like ability after the catch," according to another scout, is an acrobatic playmaker but isn't afraid to assist in the running game.