During my time in Arizona for the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl, I lost count of how many NFL people told me how impressed they were with what the Texans accomplished this past season.

Current and former players, coaches, general managers and personnel people praised coach Bill O'Brien and his staff for the job they did in leading the Texans to a 9-7 record - a league-best seven-game improvement.

O'Brien received well-deserved recognition at the Super Bowl, where he tied Dallas' Jason Garrett for second place in voting for NFL coach of the year behind Arizona's Bruce Arians.

In Arizona, just about everyone with an opinion said the same thing about the Texans: If they find a difference-maker at quarterback - someone who will excel and provide stability at the most important position on the team - they will have a chance to dethrone Indianapolis as AFC South champion.

My opinion is O'Brien, general manager Rick Smith, director of player personnel Brian Gaine - not to mention Bob and Cal McNair - know the Texans have to find or develop a big-time quarterback if they want to compete for a Super Bowl, which is their goal, of course.

They have to sign Ryan Mallett to a new contract to go with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tom Savage at quarterback.

I believe the Texans will have an additional quarterback, whether he's drafted in the first or second round or acquired through a trade or free-agent signing.

The Texans have the 16th pick in the first round of the draft. Ask just about anyone and they'll tell you the Texans are in trouble if they plan to use the draft to find a quarterback not named Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota.

But the Super Bowl featured Tom Brady (sixth round) and Russell Wilson (third).

Other quarterbacks in the playoffs drafted after the 16th overall pick, or not at all, were Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco, Tony Romo and Andy Dalton.

The fact is quarterbacks can be found and developed if the right team drafts them and the right coaches tutor them.

Burning questions

During my time in Phoenix, other than asking about the Texans' quarterback situation, here are the questions I was asked the most:

What's J.J. Watt really like?

How do you like dealing with Bill O'Brien?

Does Andre Johnson have anything left in his tank?

When will linebacker Jadeveon Clowney be ready?

Let's start with Watt, a defensive end who's become the best player in the NFL.

People around the league want to know what he's like behind the scenes, if he's everything they think he is or if he has a phony bone in his body, as so many do when they're off camera. I tell them Watt, 25, is exactly what they think he is and want him to be.

The perception of O'Brien by many is that, with the media, he's a Bill Belichick clone who can mumble responses or a tyrant who lashes out at any question he doesn't like. And that's not the case.

O'Brien never mumbles. He might roll his eyes, grit his teeth or bite his lip - or all at the same time - but he's always clear.

What happens is that when O'Brien is at his most intense at the podium - when he's emotional and can't hide his feelings - those clips are televised on highlight shows.

O'Brien's other side

People don't witness O'Brien's sense of humor or responses that can be interesting, insightful and intelligent - unless he's asked about injuries. O'Brien, 45, believes injuries are to be treated like the White House security code - only on a need-to-know basis.

I believe Andre Johnson, 33, has plenty left in his tank. Last season, he had 85 catches for 936 yards and three touchdowns. He missed one game. I think his failure to reach triple-digit catches could be traced to the quarterbacks more than him.

As for Clowney, 21, he's been undergoing rehabilitation after microfracture surgery, but has a long way to go. Doctors and trainers can do only so much, and the rest is up to him to do what he's supposed to when he's supposed to.

It might be the regular season before anyone knows about Clowney. Even if he's not the player he could have been, he could become the second-best pass rusher on the team at some point. Exactly when, nobody knows.