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Nick Caserio - New GM
- Thread starter gwallaia
- Start date
House of Pain
Wild Speculator
I truly believe that the Texans ownership is inept and has been for quite some time. But hypothetically, if you are underestimated as an organization, other orgs are less likely to view you as a threat and share certain info with you because they don't think you can do anything with said info. Am I saying that's what the Texans organization is doing or has done? Based on their track record, I'd say its doubtful. But in the land of hypotheticals, it would give a reason for some of these unusual moves. We aren't used to having people in the front office that effectively use misinformation to their advantage.
Which brings me to my next point...
I think the hardest thing for Texans' fans to come to grips with is that...(and make sure everyone is sitting down for this) sometimes organizations LIE or MISLEAD the media. They do this for a lot of different reasons. I personally believe that most successful organizations (in sports, especially) need to do this. It doesn't matter that the fans or the local sports radio crew doesn't know why the team didn't do "this" thing or hire "that" person or whatever. There is absolutely no benefit on giving this info out, the media is there to get clicks and viewers, not help the team win. Maybe other teams being able to find out what's going on behind the scenes has stopped this organization from taking the next step? (IMO it's more likely because we have never had depth, but I digress) Fans are only going to care about wins and losses and I'd much rather have a FO and team that focused on that, instead of what some s***head in the press has to say about them. But you HAVE to win to do this.
Long time Houstonians have to wake up to the fact that things have changed drastically here, and the press (even your favorite local personality) does more harm than good with their histrionics and trying to get the scoop. It's amazing how many hit pieces came out about the Texans once the Texans/Easterby got rid of those two presumed leakers (Rootes and Palcic). Until recently, I've never heard the media lay into the Texans like they have. Did they criticize their moves? Yes. Did they make it so personal? No way. Gloves are off here, and you'd have to blind not to see it.
I would like to note that Easterby is a douche, but NC may want to keep him around because it takes the heat off him. NC can try all types of ridiculous things and if it doesn't work out? Blame JE (everyone believes everything they hear about him and the man does himself no favors), fire him, all the people begrudgingly give you credit and buy yourself some more time. If that's what NC is doing, it's a brilliant plan. The media has a huge hard-on for the Easter Man, why not keep the boogeyman around and operate in the shadows? That's what I would do.
Thank you for indulging my wild speculation.
SeriousShizzle
Rookie
Hrmmmmmm...... I am wavering on Nick. The Culley/Lovie situation was a little "iffy". Not a strong move for a GM if ya ask me.
TexansBull
Hall of Fame
The entire Rootes and Palcic "leaker" angle is pure unsubstantiated speculation that should go into the same dubious category as "Easterby being puppetmaster of everything".
There is a much simpler explanation.
After Bob McNair passed, O'Brien the asshat and Easterby the snake turned the entire front office into a toxic work environment. That type of downturn, in an organization that used to be a good place to work, tends to have a negative effect on people. Maybe it's as simple as the workplace improving because O'Brien is gone and Easterby has been relegated to making sure the trains run on time.
It's not like there were years of leaks. It started when O'Brien became emperor and Easterby was hired. Bob McNair's Texans had none of this drama. They kept it all in-house, even with Rootes and Palcic in the building.
And besides, THERE ARE STILL LEAKS. We have two very respected members here that are getting insider information. Fortunately, local/national media pays no attention to a fan forum so we get those insider sources to ourselves.
As far as the rest of your post, I hope you are right that we have a GM that is able to play 3D chess and be a shark in the shark tank. For me it remains to be proven, but I do hope you are right on that wild speculation for our sake as Texans fans.
The entire Rootes and Palcic "leaker" angle is pure unsubstantiated speculation that should go into the same dubious category as "Easterby being puppetmaster of everything".
There is a much simpler explanation.
After Bob McNair passed, O'Brien the asshat and Easterby the snake turned the entire front office into a toxic work environment. That type of downturn, in an organization that used to be a good place to work, tends to have a negative effect on people. Maybe it's as simple as the workplace improving because O'Brien is gone and Easterby has been relegated to making sure the trains run on time.
It's not like there were years of leaks. It started when O'Brien became emperor and Easterby was hired. Bob McNair's Texans had none of this drama. They kept it all in-house, even with Rootes and Palcic in the building.
And besides, THERE ARE STILL LEAKS. We have two very respected members here that are getting insider information. Fortunately, local/national media pays no attention to a fan forum so we get those insider sources to ourselves.
As far as the rest of your post, I hope you are right that we have a GM that is able to play 3D chess and be a shark in the shark tank. For me it remains to be proven, but I do hope you are right on that wild speculation for our sake as Texans fans.
The Texans are in a much better place with Rootes/Palcic gone and the leaks to the SI's/PFT's of the world have stopped since they exited Kirby.
Rootes was over 20 yrs of failure. He did help make the McNair's billions while fostering a culture of sexual harassment in the FO.
Texansballer74
The Marine
I wouldn’t say the Texans are in a much better place right now. As of now they’re the biggest laughing stock in the NFL and currently talentless because of not having any superstar/s.
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
The entire Rootes and Palcic "leaker" angle is pure unsubstantiated speculation that should go into the same dubious category as "Easterby being puppetmaster of everything".
There is a much simpler explanation.
After Bob McNair passed, O'Brien the asshat and Easterby the snake turned the entire front office into a toxic work environment. That type of downturn, in an organization that used to be a good place to work, tends to have a negative effect on people. Maybe it's as simple as the workplace improving because O'Brien is gone and Easterby has been relegated to making sure the trains run on time.
It's not like there were years of leaks. It started when O'Brien became emperor and Easterby was hired. Bob McNair's Texans had none of this drama. They kept it all in-house, even with Rootes and Palcic in the building.
And besides, THERE ARE STILL LEAKS. We have two very respected members here that are getting insider information. Fortunately, local/national media pays no attention to a fan forum so we get those insider sources to ourselves.
As far as the rest of your post, I hope you are right that we have a GM that is able to play 3D chess and be a shark in the shark tank. For me it remains to be proven, but I do hope you are right on that wild speculation for our sake as Texans fans.
Both are certainly plausible...but i think the Easterby thing has been way overplayed by the media...largely b/c they simply don't have the access that they once did. Palcic at the time of her firing was regarded as one of the best at what she does...but she was also the 1st female in the industry to make it that high (VP) doing what she did too. Im sure the criticism of the Texans for her firing had something to do with that as well too. Don't recall half as much backlash when Gaine & Olsen were fired. As House of Pain states, the timing was just way too coincidental. Sure, the work enviornment may have been great before BoB & Easterby.....but that's not saying much. The work enviornment was great at Stratton Oakmont & Enron too before they all became infamous for corruption & shady dealings.
Easterby has not been operating with complete autonomy. Cal, Janice, BoB & now Caserio ALL have signed off on keeping this dude around; & contrary to popular sentiment it ain't b/c "they're all dumb". He's around & continues to be around there for a reason & its more than likely b/c of something the media and us aren't privy to. There's a reason none of the folks who were fired (Palcic, Gaine, Olsen) have spoken out about their situation here. Palcic is the only 1 who did.......... & she was very careful in what she said…which tells me she was likely at the center of whatever went down.
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They're in a better place because after this coming yr they will have 2 full draft classes to rebuild upon and hopefully a Derrick trade to also help the rebuild.
As opposed to where they were before, a few selfish superstars, with very little draft capital and a QB taking up 35-40 mil worth of cap space for the next decade. Tell me whichQB has won a championship taking up that much cap space? I'll wait.
Texian
Hall of Fame
Yep, the bigger the dumpster fire, the grander the Kirby Circus, the more folks can't help themselves and have to share a good train wreck. They just can't help themselves. You're not going to believe what these clowns did today......
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
They’re on the way, and in the not so distant future…Watson’s contract will be paltry.
The thing about Easterby is the fans & the media hate him. He is a lightning rod for criticism. I really don't know what he could possibly bring to the table that would makes him worth all headaches the Texans have to deal with because of him.
It sure as hell can't be because of his performance. He was hired in April of 2019. 2019 is when all the jackass trades & cuts started happening. As far as on the field production since Easterby has been in the building the Texans record is 18-31 .367.
The only things that I can think of for the Texans to keep him are:
1. The McNairs flat out refuse to be dictated to by the fans.
2. They signed some ridiculous contract with him & don't want to have to pay anyone else who is long gone. (Smith, Gaines, O'Brien, Culley). Sooner or later this has to start adding up to some serious cash.
So far it's never happened. What makes you think almost 30 yrs of proof will change anytime soon.
If you dont learn from the past then you will fail.
TexansBull
Hall of Fame
I think Easterby is doing an excellent job since BO'b has been ousted.
Lower ticket prices, lower concessions
Lower ticket prices, lower concessions
cuppacoffee
Resident Grouch
michaelm
vox nihili
John Lopez in particular seems to have a grudge against Easterby.
Every time he mentions Easterby, it feels like he is pushing an agenda. Hard.
Which I kind of find odd, since Lopez works for the Texans flagship radio station.
I'm not sure why the team hasn't put pressure on 610 to cool Lopez jets.
Either they don't want to come across as dictating the content of the station, or maybe they're encouraging Lopez to do it for some reason.
Maybe I'm crazy.
Speedy
Former Yeller Dweller
Well, except for the fact that that's not his job either. That's the job Rootes used to be doing, and now Greg Grissom is supposed to be doing.
Mr teX
Hall of Fame
something close to that imo…but not in the sense of pure blackmail like you’re asserting. The “stop snitching” campaign may have originated on the streets, but no one really likes a snitch even if they have noble reasons for why they’re snitching or they’re trying to do the right thing….So I just think he’s the office snitch & the McNairs used him appropriately in that regard to unearth some stuff that resulted in some well liked folks getting the axe. Truthfully, that’s the only thing that makes sense; you can’t really fire a guy for doing what he was likely asked to do/doing the right thing. He’s the Mike Fiers of the Texans basically. The only difference is he’s still employed by the team he snitched on….& no one knows exactly what he may have unearthed.
but even if the media had known, they’d still likely crush him & the Texans….b/c that’s just what they do…brush whatever they deem to be unimportant under the rug in order to push their agenda.
Lower expectations.
I've had low expectations since 2010.
leebigeztx
Keep it Movin!
You know what gms get fired for? Missing on 1st rd picks. Smith had a very good track record for 1st rd picks, his middle rounds missed mostly because as you state , they weren't Texan worthy. Normally, the 3rd rd is full of guys with 1st rd talent, but had some kind of issue in college. The Texans take those guys off their draftable board. If they continue this, they will continue to have holes in their roster. Justin Houston v Brooks Reed. Marcus Peters v Johnson. When you write off a 22 yr with uber talent because he may have had an issue in college, you're shrinking your talent pool.
Texian
Hall of Fame
Those expectations should be even lower today.
Why?
They're the same, I had hope things were changing until the latest HC hire and I like the Lovie hire. The McNair's haven't changed a bit.
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
You know what I’m looking for….the day the Texans can win in spite of the McNair’s. Bengals just got there in spite of Brown and the Colts won in spite of the Irsay’s, so if the Texans have put the right group together in Caserio, Smith, and Hamilton….they could get there as well.
Highly unlikely
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
Then why would you even bother in continuing to endorse Caserio, Lovie, and Pep? The only way the Bengals and Colts succeeded in spite of their not so bright owners was the FO and coaches they brought in to lead their organizations.
I gotta' disagree with you there.
The Texans were not like the Saints first 20 years (who did not even have a winning record in their first two decades). I was honestly concerned that this would happen to us before 2009.
They started from scratch and built one of the most valuable sports franchises. They built a winning product under two different head coaches. That's simply not 20 years of failure.
And yeah, it was not championship caliber, but I'd take the last decade of Texans history over what Lions or Browns fans have had to endure. Heck, this franchise has more playoff wins in the past ten years than the Cowboys have since 1997.
While I chuckle at division "championships", I'll still take the 6 they've earned over nothing. Those were fun years and I was entertained.
I hope you were, too, because if not, what's the point of even bothering to follow this franchise?
Fostering sexual harassment? If you really believe this, then how can you be so critical of Amy Palcic? Your hyperbole is now contradicting and undermining itself. It's become a dog chasing its own tail.
I truly believe the "media leaks" did not start until the front office became a really shitty place to work under O'Brien. We just don't see the history of it before Bob McNair passed. If anything, they were more closely guarded like the KGB. McClain used to complain all the time about he was being shut out as a reporter.
Good post, man.
While I've enjoyed having fun about Easterby - and let's face it, he's low hanging fruit and an easy target - ultimately he is indicative of ownership. I seriously doubt he would be here if Bob McNair was still alive. He's served, and is still serving, a purpose on behalf of the owners. And that ultimately reflects on them, not Easterby.
That said, I think they've learned some kind of lesson about him and have relegated him to making sure the trains run on time. I think his ego still gets him involved, and McCown's HC candidacy is a reflection of that, but he clearly does not have the sway in the front office that he had in 2020.
I predict that he's either going to learn his place and stay in his lane or he will eventually get himself jettisoned for stabbing the wrong person the back. JMO, of course, but I know his type and narcissism is a self-serving end game.
lol Not gonna' lie, I do enjoy this kind of speculation. It's part of the fun when your team stinks.
I think your no. 1 is right on the mark. Billionaires rarely hear the word "no", as money is power in our culture. So having a bunch of working class customers...errr, fans, tell them what to do is surely something their arrogance and pride will simply not tolerate.
lol I like the conspiracy theory
. . . nice and juicy at that. . .but it's probably something simpler like that they seem to have a common bond that helps insulate them from the repercussions of their bad management decisions. According to our forum sources, it seems more like he's some kind of counselor to these people and has wormed his way into an executive position, most likely by telling them what they want to hear.
Hey Double Barrel, you might want to checkout the lawsuits that were brought against the Texans org and FO personnel for sexual harassment. People got fired before Rootes/Palcic exited Kirby.
Because eventually they might get lucky. Or the McNair's could sell the team. I just don't see the Texans ever winning a championship with the McNair's as owners. BTW Paul/Mike Brown have never won a championship either.
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
……but they’ve been there 3 times. I’d take that any day over, never.
Dejaview
All Pro
So I can understand you better please post your qualifications that make you less low hanging fruit than Easterby. Please provide facts and points that prove you are right so we can go forward. And no, staff member is low hanging fruit.I gotta' disagree with you there.
The Texans were not like the Saints first 20 years (who did not even have a winning record in their first two decades). I was honestly concerned that this would happen to us before 2009.
They started from scratch and built one of the most valuable sports franchises. They built a winning product under two different head coaches. That's simply not 20 years of failure.
And yeah, it was not championship caliber, but I'd take the last decade of Texans history over what Lions or Browns fans have had to endure. Heck, this franchise has more playoff wins in the past ten years than the Cowboys have since 1997.
While I chuckle at division "championships", I'll still take the 6 they've earned over nothing. Those were fun years and I was entertained.
I hope you were, too, because if not, what's the point of even bothering to follow this franchise?
Fostering sexual harassment? If you really believe this, then how can you be so critical of Amy Palcic? Your hyperbole is now contradicting and undermining itself. It's become a dog chasing its own tail.
I truly believe the "media leaks" did not start until the front office became a really shitty place to work under O'Brien. We just don't see the history of it before Bob McNair passed. If anything, they were more closely guarded like the KGB. McClain used to complain all the time about he was being shut out as a reporter.
Good post, man.
While I've enjoyed having fun about Easterby - and let's face it, he's low hanging fruit and an easy target - ultimately he is indicative of ownership. I seriously doubt he would be here if Bob McNair was still alive. He's served, and is still serving, a purpose on behalf of the owners. And that ultimately reflects on them, not Easterby.
That said, I think they've learned some kind of lesson about him and have relegated him to making sure the trains run on time. I think his ego still gets him involved, and McCown's HC candidacy is a reflection of that, but he clearly does not have the sway in the front office that he had in 2020.
I predict that he's either going to learn his place and stay in his lane or he will eventually get himself jettisoned for stabbing the wrong person the back. JMO, of course, but I know his type and narcissism is a self-serving end game.
lol Not gonna' lie, I do enjoy this kind of speculation. It's part of the fun when your team stinks.
I think your no. 1 is right on the mark. Billionaires rarely hear the word "no", as money is power in our culture. So having a bunch of working class customers...errr, fans, tell them what to do is surely something their arrogance and pride will simply not tolerate.
lol I like the conspiracy theory
According to our forum sources, it seems more like he's some kind of counselor to these people and has wormed his way into an executive position, most likely by telling them what they want to hear.
They've been in business 53 years
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
I didn't mean to imply Houston teams were better
The Pencil Neck
Hall of Fame
Just a nit, but the Super Bowl started before 1970. So you should add 4 seasons to cover them.
The Oilers did when the first two AFL Championships.
So.
There's that.
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
True, but I was only counting the 2 Houston teams since the Oilers joined the NFL.
Thanks for the heads up, man. The only one that I could find was about Kristen Grimes, especially since Googling "Texans sexual harassment" is now dominated by Watson. *blech*
Kristen Grimes' story is sordid, indeed, and one that I certainly have no desire to defend the Texans management and owners. That crap happened while Bob McNair was still heavily involved, so honestly, it just makes me think less of ALL of them.
Seriously, it's pathetic how these massive corporations play their little legal games and walk over regular people.
It makes me feel kind of icky to even be a fan of this garbage. There is just disgust here, and how I ultimately process that is something I'll have to ponder.
LMAO!!!!
I'm just a lowly Texans fan with an opinion on a Texans fans opinion forum. You do understand how this works, right?
lol
The Pencil Neck
Hall of Fame
OK.
That's just not a distinction I would have made. If we're counting Super Bowls, I would have gone back to the first one.
Like I said, it's a nit.
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
Oilers merged with the NFL in 1970 which is where I started counting from.
Forget Rootes/Palcic. O'Brien was one of the worst leakers in the building. Where do you think Albert Breer got the majority of his Texans info? Breer is basically a PR guy for BOB.
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
…..what a bucket of shite!!! It’s going to take Caserio at minimum 3 seasons to correct everything OB screwed up….as the smartest man in the organization.
Even if Mills' ceiling is Kirk Cousins or Andy Dalton and he becomes a bridge QB, you have to give Caserio credit for taking a 3rd round flyer on him.
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
….and he could have very well found the Texans their next QB1 to build around. Let’s see if he can get some more pieces around him this season that help him with that next step.
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If you consider working for the McNair's to be the main issue then this tweet is closer to the truth than most would like to admit and dont take this as a I'm backing BOB post.
Hottoddie
Veteran
Personally, I think his greatest accomplishment thus far has been to clean up the salary cap. Since we didn't have much in draft capital to work with, the next best thing is to remove bad or bloated contracts from the books & take the dead money hit right away. I love the fact that he got rid of many of O'brien's favorite players that were overpaid & not very good. That point is further illustrated by the fact that most of them are either out of the league or just backups on their current teams. JJ was the only one I hated to see leave, but he deserved a shot at a Superbowl & the cap relief helps the Texans moving forward. He then signed a significant number of players to one year "prove it" contracts. In my opinion, many of them out played the players they replaced & some will become good depth on the roster as new starters are brought in. The second thing I like about what he has done, is that he didn't just dump Watson to keep the team from being embarrassed. I don't know what he'll be able to get for Watson this time around, but I really like our chances.