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Newest rumor: Coaches go, Rick Smith stays

I'm torn here. I'm not a Smith fan. The drafts have been ok and they haven't hit in Free Agency. But it does break up the Denver connection and who knows what kind of ultimatum he gets as to what he is allowed to do. I saw the General say the same thing in his chat today so it is out there. I'd prefer they let all Denver associates go.
 
I really don't have much of an issue with this, as long as he hires the best coach for the team, not just some guy he's buddies with. Seems to be an ongoing trend with this organization.
 
I have zero confidence in Smith's abilities. McNair is making a big mistake if this is what he is planning.

How many head coaches has he hired? :kubepalm:
 
Oh ****. Please say it ain't so.

Come on, Bob!!!!! You can't be that dense, can you?

:facepalm:
 
RIck Smith drafts to many BUST BOOOOOOO this idea sucks :kubepalm::wadepalm:

Why dont u just hire COwer and let him Hire da GM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
HoustonFrog said:
I'm torn here. I'm not a Smith fan. The drafts have been ok and they haven't hit in Free Agency. But it does break up the Denver connection and who knows what kind of ultimatum he gets as to what he is allowed to do. I saw the General say the same thing in his chat today so it is out there. I'd prefer they let all Denver associates go.
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We could have worst GM's than Rick Smith IMHO, we don't know why they didn't go after FA signings, we don't know if Kubiak was the issue or Rick Smith.. So if we end up with Kubiak gone, and Cowher in with Rick Smith, I'm ok with that.

He hasn't done what I consider a super job, but he hasn't done a bad one either.
 
Hopefully, it will be a Casserly-like stay, with Smith hanging on through the draft only. Otherwise, another total fail by McNair proving he just doesn't get it.
 
Lucky said:
Hopefully, it will be a Casserly-like stay, with Smith hanging on through the draft only. Otherwise, another total fail by McNair proving he just doesn't get it.
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Hopefully Smith does like Casserly did and has a world-class draft on his way out.
 
I'm ho hum about it. Not really a big fan of this decision (if it's true), but like it more than firing Bush and letting Kubes stay.

I don't see Smith not hiring an unproven guy.

Meh.
 
HoustonFrog said:
I'm torn here. I'm not a Smith fan. The drafts have been ok and they haven't hit in Free Agency. But it does break up the Denver connection and who knows what kind of ultimatum he gets as to what he is allowed to do. I saw the General say the same thing in his chat today so it is out there. I'd prefer they let all Denver associates go.
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I agree. To be honest, I don't know how much say he has in the organization.

I think we can give him credit for bringing in street FA's that overachieve.

I think he deserves blame for giving too much money to underachievers and not giving enough money to guys that do perform....but I'm not sure.

Maybe he'll go out like Casserly did after the draft.
 
silvrhand said:
We could have worst GM's than Rick Smith IMHO, we don't know why they didn't go after FA signings, we don't know if Kubiak was the issue or Rick Smith.. So if we end up with Kubiak gone, and Cowher in with Rick Smith, I'm ok with that.

He hasn't done what I consider a super job, but he hasn't done a bad one either.
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And this was really my point. I'm not a Smith fan. But it makes me wonder what was the relationship with Kubiak(was Kubiak the #1 lead and Smith just GM in name) and whether he had Drayton McClain type limitations from McNair. I'd say no to #2 but I'm not sure why you wouldn't just call the whole experiment a fail and move on with a better GM.
 
I want them ALL gone. We need a new staff from top to bottom.

That being said... if they had to keep somebody, I would be more receptive to keeping Kubiak over Ricky Smith. Far more receptive.

If true, I would believe this rumor to be a mega-fail and it also effectively eliminates Cowher from the table.
 
If it's an either / or, then I'm fine with this "either" path. However, better have that strong willed HC that can control this "yes man".

Guess Smith was bending McNair's ear during all the games in the box and on the sidelines.
 
Smith is signed through 2012. Why in the heck would we, the fans, want a guy who has not handled the HC process before leading the charge? Moreover, what big name HC wants to come in to work for a GM that may not be here after 2012?

This must be a trial balloon since I cannot find the competency in it. However, it reeks of the lack of competency that we have been seeing from this organization due to the cronyism and lack of experience.
 
Check my post history: I been telling you guys for more than a year now that McNair LIKES Rick Smith.

I have just always gotten that vibe. Rick Smith, IMO, is several things:

1. A minority. Hate me all you want, it DOES look good in this day and age if your organization has minorities at very high positions. This isn't "THE" reason, so don't go blasting me as a racist. It's more of a perk, in terms of positioning your organization as not being "A Good 'Ole Boys Club."

2. Contract structuring. Whether you like it or not, he's not giving goofy money to players such as Casserly did. We're out of the Dead Money era, and we're not going back there. Plus, look at how he stone-walled Daniels and Ryans during the off-season recently. They were chirping about wanting new contracts, then one day the chirping stopped.

3. He's young, AND he was brought in AFTER Kubiak. Which means he didn't hire Kubiak, he just had a prior connection with Kubiak and it was theorized they'd work well together.

In the end, it has to be understood that Gary Kubiak had a shorter shelf life than Rick Smith. Rick hasn't done anything, IMO, that outpaces the incompetence of Gary Kubiak and his coaches. IMO, McNair sees a clear distinction between GM and HC.

Which might give you all a heads-up about what type of head coach McNair and Smith will be looking at hiring: A head coach who will COACH and coach very well. Which means, IMO, that Cowher is a verrrrrry long shot at landing the Texans gig. The exception will be IF Cowher doesn't want full control.
 
disaacks3 said:
Lord I hope so....Cowher wants CONTROL.
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Kubiak had control. Smith was a facilitator. So-so at that. It could be that Cowher's guy wouldn't be available until after the draft.

Hey, I'm trying to stay positive. Kubiak on the outs gives me hope.
 
I'd much rather both be fired but something is a lot better than nothing. It might have much to do with Smith being the godfather to the grandchild of McNair. Is it Sunday yet? Oh, darn.
 
Smith is equally to blame for this mess as Kubiak and Bush. Fortunately this rumour came from Lance Z who also claims that Smith was overruled by Kubiak on all the bad draft picks but resisted Kubiak's interference on the good ones.
 
Smith or Kubes (whomever is responsible for the picks) looks good when a Diles or Foster do well but let's not forget the Okoye's and Kareem Jacksons. We can argue all day about these two players but neither have done what a first round guy should have accomplished. I hope they all go and we pick defense all 7 picks. I could use a back up QB in there somewhere but ok if not.
 
Some of you are seriously "bummed' if Smith isn't fired, too?

Gee Whiz! This is a GREAT rumor!!!! If we do, indeed, get rid of the head coach...then it's fantastic news.

Rick Smith is not, I repeat NOT, going to hire some flunky as head coach. Both he and McNair, with input from others in the organization, will find a guy whom they think is a better gameday head coach. They're going to find a true "battlefield General" who will lead the whole team and manage the whole team (rather than focus on calling the plays on offense all game long).

This, IMO, is a fantastic and wonderful turn of events if it indeed turns out to be true. You gotta' slow down and not be so quick to judge it as being "bad' just because Rick Smith survives the cut. Why? Because you know damn well that Rick Smith will now be in the corss-hairs for a future firing if he doesn't make the right calls. Kubiak's firing will now place Rick Smith in any future hot seat. It will be his time to prove that it's Kubiak, not him, who screwed everything up.

I think, after all this time of observing the Texans for the Kubiak era, that Rick Smith and Gary Kubiak drifted apart. I remember the training camp video when someone asked about if we were getting Cedric Benson, and Kubiak replied (paraphrased) "I don't know. I won't know until I hear from Rick on it." It was something to the effect of Kubiak being out-of-the-loop on how or when players are finally 100% acquired. I mean, at the time this all went down with Benson...we had no running game and needed an extra back in the backfield. I have a hard time thinking Kubiak was passive and didn't care. I think he wanted Benson, but the contract dollars didn't work out (didn't the Bengals give him perhaps $1 or $2 million more than we offered, AND a promise of increased touches in the game...as compared to the touches he'd get here?). My point with this is that I think Kubiak and Smith probably started off well, but over time Rick Smith outmaneuvered Kubiak and figured out very quickly how he (Smith) could solidify his own longevity with the Texans by getting into McNair's hip pocket and staying there.

Rick Smith, just by my observation, is a lot smarter than Gary Kubiak. He knew how to outlast the head coach. He knew his future depended upon making sure he wasn't truly 100% associated with the success or failure of Gary Kubiak. Think about it: If Kubiak wins, Smith wins. If Kubiak loses, Smith has to find a way to not be associated with that situation...therefore, he knew all along that he had to just abandon Gary and more or less let Gary sink or swim on his own.

I think contract structuring is Rick Smith's biggest asset. I know there are others on McNair's staff who play a large role in figuring out the contract dollars and how it affects future moves. But Rick Smith is the leader of that group. He quickly identified what is important to McNair: Staying consistent, staying stable, low risk/high reward moves, no big Casserly-type contracts to aging vets who would then leave us with Dead Money problems.

Rick Smith played things very cool. Yet he could still be fired after the draft. It happened before. It can happen again.

Hot damn I hope this rumor is true!
 
I don't see how this could keep Cowher from getting a job here.

We're all pretty sure that Smith acted as the yes-man for Kubiak. How do we know that he wouldn't operate in the same capacity under the next guy?

Unless he got promoted to "Strong GM" from "Yes-Man," then this will be Bob McNair making the call.
 
There isn't anything bad about this rumor.

If someone like Lance Z is sticking his neck out enough to place a rumor of the coaches being canned at the end of the season, then every person on here should consider it to be, at worst, a DECENT turn of events for us.

I'm not saying throw a ticker-tape parade or anything. I'm just saying that the "Cowher crowd" can't get what they want if Kubiak remains.

If he is fired, it means there's now a shot at it. And even if there isn't a shot at it...at least there won't be any of this :kubepalm: next year on our sidelines.
 
gary said:
I'll take this news for the good if it is true.
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Absolutely. Best news all year, if it's true.

Gotta' start somewhere, and the head coach (and a few others, as well) is a great place to start.

Hell, I think Kubiak's incompetence has even rubbed off on the special teams. It was a historically "over-achieving" squad throughout the Capers era, and was functioning well until this season. Hard to know if this year's woes on special teams is also partially due to no more "wedge" formations allowed.

Well, and the possibility of Kubiak having Slaton returning kickoffs for whatever freaking reason Kubiak has concocted in his head. I mean, I seriously doubt that Joe Marciano is the guy who wants Steve Slaton out there returning kickoffs. Joe doesn't seem like the type who would (a) advocate it, and (b) stick with it for this long. Does he?
 
By the way, speaking of Marciano and Special Teams....

How BALLS has Neil Rackers been this year? I mean, jiminy Christmas what a difference it has been when we line up to kick a field goal these days.

And yet WHO on the Texans is ultimately responsible for (a) not axing Kris Brown during the season, and (b) even toying with the idea of having Kris compete for the kickers spot with Rackers? I mean, Jeez Louise if Kubiak didn't have the sack to fire KB at the END of the season...then I don't have anything else to say about it.

He gets it in his head, and he tries to make it work. He stayed with Chris Brown too long. He stayed with Kris Brown too long, and he has stayed with Steve Slaton too long as well. Kubiak is just a very weird, almost college-minded head coach. He gets it in his head how things are, and that's it.
 
GP said:
If someone like Lance Z is sticking his neck out enough to place a rumor of the coaches being canned at the end of the season, then every person on here should consider it to be, at worst, a DECENT turn of events for us.
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How is he sticking his neck out? He is just reporting rumours.
 
GP said:
Absolutely. Best news all year, if it's true.

Gotta' start somewhere, and the head coach (and a few others, as well) is a great place to start.

Hell, I think Kubiak's incompetence has even rubbed off on the special teams. It was a historically "over-achieving" squad throughout the Capers era, and was functioning well until this season. Hard to know if this year's woes on special teams is also partially due to no more "wedge" formations allowed.

Well, and the possibility of Kubiak having Slaton returning kickoffs for whatever freaking reason Kubiak has concocted in his head. I mean, I seriously doubt that Joe Marciano is the guy who wants Steve Slaton out there returning kickoffs. Joe doesn't seem like the type who would (a) advocate it, and (b) stick with it for this long. Does he?
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All we can do is hope for somthing to happen on Monday. :kubepalm:
 
From AJ's April 2009 column on a Smith pre-draft presser:

- Smith said the Texans "one glaring need" was taken care of with the acquisition of Antonio Smith in free agency. He cited the acquisition of Cato June as a plus, and named Eugene Wilson and Nick Ferguson as key re-signs. I'll buy some of that.
- He said that he's counting on Zac Diles to come back from his injury and be a productive player, and Xavier Adibi to take "the next step" this year. I hope he's right on both counts.
- Despite saying the team had no glaring needs, Smith said "we still need some help all over our football team." He's right. To quote John Granato, 'who doesn't?'
- Smith talked about the need for a complementary running back to go along with Steve Slaton and said Chris Brown "could fill that role." I'm selling on that one.
- Smith talked enough about moving Antonio Smith inside (situationally) and the 'tweener' crop in this year's draft to convince me that drafting an edge rusher is still a strong possibility.
- Smith said that defensive coordinator Frank Bush’s philosophy will not change how positions are valued in the draft.
- Smith indicated that he received the list of players who failed drug tests at the combine and that only 'credible' information such as that (in addition to their own scouting intelligence) is in play when decisions are made on Saturday.
- The Texans will draft a corner, but according to Smith it's "not to leverage the Dunta Robinson situation." Part of me agrees with the philosophy of drafting corners every year, but if the Texans end up with Malcolm Jenkins or Darius Butler, it will most definitely change the landscape of negotiations with our unhappy franchise camper.
- Smith indicated that he has "pretty good confidence" that Demeco, Owen, and Dunta will be productive players this year for the Texans.
- Smith wouldn't rule out taking a running back early if he has "special ability."
- Smith doesn't rule out taking a quarterback late in the draft but they are still interested in seeing how Alex Brink develops.
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http://www.examiner.com/houston-texans-in-houston/gm-rick-smith-says-texans-have-no-glaring-needs
 
"We'd like to welcome Mike Sherman as the new head coach of the Fightin' Texas Ag errr Houston Texans!"

...

"With the 6th pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the Houston Texans select Von Miller, Defensive End, Texas A&M"

s


tongue.gif
 
Mr. White said:
I don't see how this could keep Cowher from getting a job here.

We're all pretty sure that Smith acted as the yes-man for Kubiak. How do we know that he wouldn't operate in the same capacity under the next guy?

Unless he got promoted to "Strong GM" from "Yes-Man," then this will be Bob McNair making the call.
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I like your thinking Mr. White. Cowher wanting full control essentially is the same thing Kubiak has now, having his say on draft picks, players, coaching personnel, etc. A high profile coach would enable Smith to keep his job without increasing his responsibility. I can't see him taking anytype of gamble on a first time coach or coordinator at this point.
 
badboy said:
Smith or Kubes (whomever is responsible for the picks) looks good when a Diles or Foster do well but let's not forget the Okoye's and Kareem Jacksons. We can argue all day about these two players but neither have done what a first round guy should have accomplished. I hope they all go and we pick defense all 7 picks. I could use a back up QB in there somewhere but ok if not.
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So is this on the player that was picked (and who did the picking) or the lack of abilty by the coaching staff to get the max out of the player after the pick?
 
What the hell do I know, I'll let it play out and cheer for whatever idiots line up, on the field and beside it :)
 
Your house stinks to high heaven. You look around for the source. In your kitchen you find 2 large turds on the floor that your great dane has left you as a present. You pick only one up, put in a plastic bag, seal it, and take it out to the trash. You come back into the house and voila................it smells like..................:kubepalm:
 
Rumor or not this tells me Kubiak and the rest of the coaches are done, which is good news. I like Rick Smith so im cool with him staying, if he does. I believe every late draft pick or UFA is a smith pick, and his gotten some productivity out of those players. This is off topic but does anybody else think Kareem was a frank bush pick? I honestly believe we were targeting Matthews (thank you SD) and really didnt like anybody else left. After the 1st round only Bush was out at the podium "defending" the pick. Back to this, if Smith and McNair (dont think McNair is just going to let smith pick a HC on his own) cant get a proven HC in such a crop of HC's then itll be more of the same. Different person same s**t. :kubepalm: We better target Cowher with everything we got.
 
Dude...eff this!!!!!!!! May as well keep Kubiak damnit!

Kubes and Smith are so buddy buddy I don't see him taking Cowher on as HC just to spite all the fans that have been calling for him to replace Kubes.

Bob......you get an EPIC FAIL on this one if this happens and I hope the S.E.C. does an investigation on just how the eff you became a billionaire with this kind of timid decision making.

CLEAN THE EFFING HOUSE OR DO NOTHING AT ALL!!!!!!!!!

:kubepalm:

BLOOD........PRESSURE......RISING.........
 
I have mixed feelings. I used to really like Rick Smith up until this season. But this season has been such an epic failure that I dont' see how he can't take some of the blame.

When a team starts to crumble, it's up to the GM to step in. He hasn't.

Now, it's quite possible that he's simply been Kubiaks puppet and hasn't had the power to do anything. Maybe McNair has told him, "Ok, you want to be a GM? Act like one and FIX TIHS MESS. I'm giving you full authority."

If that's what McNair has done, that's a good thing. I think Rick Smith is smarter and more savvy than Kubiak, and will do anything it takes to save his job and turn this team around.
 
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