Death to Google Ads! Texans Talk Tip Jar! 🍺😎👍
Thanks for your support!
Nick Caserio - New GM
- Thread starter gwallaia
- Start date
Texansphan
Football connoisseur
pffftSpeak for yourself...
zshawn10
All Pro
FMIA: Snyder's Long Goodbye, and the First-Round Case for Bijan Robinson - ProFootballTalk
Peter King reports on Dan Snyder and the potential Commanders sale, plus everything he is hearing around the NFL the week before the draft.
profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
sandman
Brexit Advisor
Is this why Texian doesn't mention Eliot Wolf anymore?
Texansballer74
The Marine
GM Nick Caserio meets with the media pre-draft | Houston Texans Press Conference
Houston Texans GM Nick Caserio meets with the media before the 2023 NFL Draft. FOLLOW THE TEAMhttps://www.facebook.com/HoustonTexans/https://twitter.com/Hous...
www.youtube.com
zshawn10
All Pro
Here's the link to it:
"I am not leaving, no substance at all to the sort"
"as long as ownership approves of what we do"
"I am not leaving, no substance at all to the sort"
"as long as ownership approves of what we do"
michaelm
vox nihili
I don't know, he came off a little shaky to me. Felt like he was bullshittting, but isn't very comfortable doing it
Texansballer74
The Marine
And some of these jokers will still believe in these outside sources. Lol just watch and see.
Last edited:
The internet is making the collective of humanity dumber by the day.
"I know it's true because I saw it on the internet!"
lol
"I know it's true because I saw it on the internet!"
lol
Thorn
Dirty Old Man
The internet is making the collective of humanity dumber by the day.
"I know it's true because I saw it on the internet!"
The AI behind the internet is responsible, as it intends to take over someday.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
[Transcripted]
GENERAL MANAGER NICK CASERIO
Opening Statement
“Exciting time for the organization, for the city, for a lot of people involved. We think we've had a fairly productive spring to this point. I think everybody is excited about the opportunity next week to add players to our team. I think before we move forward with anything, just a few thank yous I think are in order. Any time you do something of this magnitude there are a lot of people that are involved in that process from the beginning. As far back as let's call it last August, last June being last May, I think we've had a really I would say productive and collaborative effort this spring between scouting staff and the coaching staff. Even with the changes that have taken place on the coaching front, we've had really a lot of constructive discussions with everybody involved. This process isn't about one person. It's not about one player. It's a collective effort, and that's our mindset organizationally. But specifically just on the scouting side, I think you all had an opportunity hear from a Liip (James Liipfert) last week or a few weeks ago. Really can't thank him enough for his effort and the way he organizes the group and the work and the time and the commitment that he puts in. But kind of go through these guys really individually. Just don't want to leave anybody out. Liip, Tom Hayden, John Ritcher, Zique (Mozique) McCurtis, Bailee Brown, Blaise Taggart, George Panos (Panagiotopoulos), Najja Johnson, Brad Matthews. Those guys really put in more time than anybody specific to the college scouting process and they've enabled us to get to this point. Then we have a number of folks in-house involved in the process as well. Nate (Leopold) and RJ (Goodwin). On the pro side, when we involve the pro scouts, and part of the pro scouting process is understanding the league, some of the needs and some of the direction where other teams are going to go. We allocate time and resources in that group. Ronnie (McGill), DJ (Debick), Todd (Jones, Jr.), Frank Edgerly, Rohit (Mogalayapalli), Sam (Thick), Andrew Brown, who's involved in I would say the visit process. Those people deserve as much credit I would say as anybody in the building, so just think it's appropriate to acknowledge them as we work through this here in anticipation of what is going to happen next week.
"Before we take any questions, quite frankly I'm also embarrassed that I have to say anything. I feel like Leonardo DiCaprio in the Wolf of Wall Street. I'm not leaving. There has never been any substantive discussions of the sort. Grateful and appreciative of the opportunity that my family and I have here in Houston. We understood when we arrived, when we got here, that there was a lot of work to be done, and I think when you look across the NFL landscape there is work to be done in every organization. I think we've made some progress. We still have a lot of work in front of us. Certainly it's been a joy to work with DeMeco (Ryans) in concert as we build the team and continue to build the staff. Unfortunately, I think this time of year there is a lot of information and a lot of topics that are discussed. Some are more accurate than others, and I think it transcends multiple landscapes. I'm honestly almost embarrassed that I have to say anything, but I feel like I have an obligation to make that statement. I don't think there is anything else to say or question about it. Again, appreciative of the opportunity that we have here. Very grateful. My philosophy and goal is just to try to do the best job that I can for the people in this organization, in this building, for the city, and as long as ownership approves of what we're trying to do, then certainly their sport is welcomed. So having said that, take some questions here and go from there.”
How important is it to get your quarterback issues solved?
“Yeah, I think there are a lot of different ways to go through the team. We'll look at everything. I think DeMeco (Ryans) made some comments, I want to say he spoke last Monday or something like that and was asked some questions. We want to have a good football team. I think building a team is the most important thing. How that all comes together, there is always multiple moving parts, so we'll do whatever we think is best for our team and try to make good decisions. The goal so to try to make good decisions over the course of time. Next opportunity is next Thursday night, so we'll continue the team building process and build on some of the things we've done here in the spring.”
I know you're obviously not going to tell us what position you're looking to draft or who you're going to draft, but are there a couple positions as you enter the draft where you're like, these are our biggest needs?
“I think we've been pretty consistent from the beginning that we just want to try to add good football players. You know, if you look at where we are as a team here today, I think we have 69, 70 players on the team. If we had to go out there and play a game today I think we would be able to field a team and put a team out there. We're always trying to add players throughout the course of the draft that we think are going to help us in some capacity. I would say some players are going to be more right than others to participate. There is going to be competition, regardless of who we draft, and those players are going to have to earn their role and kind of find their niche on the team. So going back to what I said a little bit earlier, we've had a lot of very constructive substantive discussions with the coaching staff, with the offensive staff, with the defensive staff, factor in the kicking game, identify different pods and different I would say groups of players, and then you have to look at where is the likelihood of us being able to add these players to the roster, and they're probably going to come at different points in the draft. One thing I think we've learned, that I've learned in 23 whatever it is years in the league, is good football players can come in a lot of different areas, a lot of different parts of the draft. As a matter of fact, I was reading an article the other day about the first round. You start to look at even going back to 2020 and some of the fifth year options and some of those I would say players. I mean, again, not that the draft is a coin flip, but the draft is a coin flip. Our philosophy and goal is to try and make good decisions, get the right players with the right traits and characteristics, bring them into our building, simulate them to our culture, and then the competition bear itself out in terms of who is going to play. We don't have to play a game until September, so we have a lot of work in front of us. There will be plenty of opportunities, plenty of players to prove that they've earned the role that they deserve to have.”
You denied that report that you’re leaving, but do you know where that kind of came from or originated from?
“You guys know more than I do. Again, I mean, my first inclination -- people are reaching out to me last week and I'm like literally laughing. So I can't speak for anybody else other than myself. So, I mean, again, like maybe you can do some digging on that. I mean, my focus is on the draft, the team, the people in this building. It's on the coaching staff. My responsibility is to the people that are here.”
Do you feel like you have flexibility with the draft because of the free agents you’ve added?
“I think to your point, I think we've created some optionality in a multitude of ways, so we're fairly well positioned the first, four, five picks in the first 75. Then we have a pick at the top the fourth round, actually a pretty valuable pick. So between that grouping of picks where we're positioned, there probably will be some movement up or down through the course of the draft. So what we try to do in free agency is just add players we feel are good football players that we think can help our football team in some capacity, that are the right players, right fit for what we want to be and how we want to play. So we really won't know the answer to the question about how that's all going to go, but I would say right now we feel pretty good about where we are. We just want to try to continue to add good players with the right traits and characteristics to the building and just to build on some of the things we're trying to do.”
Nick, when you looked at positional value in this year's draft, you see a surplus of talent start at one position and maybe less at another position. Does that factor into your draft process and the selection process, whether you move up or down?
“Yeah, there is a certain strategy that's going to be involved. You could have a certain number of players graded. Maybe they're closely graded, but they might not be closely graded based on the role, the value. So draft is about supply and demand. Picks are about supply and demand. Trades are about supply and demand. How you position yourself accordingly is based on where the optionality you feel is. So if you pick the player at a certain level, can you get an equivalent player at a later point. If you can, where is that breaking point? Therefore, how do you position yourself accordingly. I would say it's certainly going to be -- there is going to be relevance relative to some of those positions. So we'll go through draft strategies, scenarios. If we pick here, all right, here is our choices. If we move on from this pick, where can we pick up another player. What's the recourse there. So we're actually having these discussions not daily, but kind of every couple days just sort of recalibrating based on some of the information. Might get some new information. Today we are finishing up our draft here this week. Those have been very productive I would say. We started them actually a week after the combine, so tried to get ahead of that process here a little bit in March. I think we brought in maybe eight to 10 players kind of in March after the draft so we weren't too hard pressed to try to race to the end. Maybe you lose out on a player that you really want to have in the building. I would say that process has been a very productive process in terms of bringing the players in the building. Not to go behind the curtain a little bit, but what we try to do with that is simulate as best we can what a day is going to entail for that player. So from the time they come in the building it's 6:30, 7:00, to the time they leave at 4:00, it's coaching staff, strength and conditioning, player development, it's scouting, it's all the different people that are going to touch them in the football operation. We try to give them a picture of what we're trying to create, and we've gotten a lot of constructive feedback from that process. In the end, we're just trying to put ourselves in the position to make good, sound decisions with the right people and the right players. You know, hopefully gets to an end point that we can all be proud of and happy about come draft weekend.”
When a team like Carolina jumps up and trades and jumps above you, does that change your draft board?
Does that make you change some of your draft strategy?
“We really can't control what other teams do. Every team is going to do what they think is best, so our job is to understand the players, understand the board, try to make good decisions, and we pick where we pick. So if we pick at two, we pick at two. If we don't pick at two and we pick somewhere else, then we just have to be prepared to pick accordingly. We can't control what other teams do. We try to do or homework and just try to make the right decisions for our team.”
When you're looking at the quarterback situation, with DeMeco (Ryans) and Bobby (Slowik) coming in, the various quarterbacks they've had, the success they've in San Francisco, what have you learned from them and are you viewing the position a little bit differently now than maybe you were when they came in the building?
“I would say there is a lot of carryover in terms of like what's important to the quarterback position. I would say in those conversations I think we're in agreement on a lot of those qualities. Ultimately, it comes down to how your team plays on Sunday, so in the end it's going to be a collective effort. How we play offensively, situationally on both sides of the ball, how we play in the kicking game. So that doesn't change. Are there things that are maybe not more important, but, hey, maybe this is something that we look for or put a little bit more emphasis on this, okay, you take that into consideration. But ultimately we're going to try to make the best decision for our team that makes the most sense for everybody involved. Part of my job is to take in as much information as possible and to take in input from as many people as possible. And, again, we've had a lot of constructive and collaborative discussions across the organization, offensively and defensively, and then with Frank's (Ross) input from the kicking game as well. In the end it all has to fit together. The number one job of I would say a team, it's about scoring one more point than the other team, so how do we get to that point. It's about how you play on Sunday. How you play on Sunday is a product of how you handle situational football. How you handle situational football is a product of who is on your team and do the players on the field understand what's important. So regardless of the team, regardless of who is coaching, those aren't going to change. Philosophically how you get to that point could be different. Each team will approach it a little bit differently. I would say from that perspective it's been kind of refreshing to hear just another viewpoint, another perspective. In the end, we have to mesh it all together and ultimately making a decision for the Houston Texans, not one individual person.”
Nick, now that you worked with DeMeco for a while, how do you feel like you guys are aligned when it comes to addressing the quarterback position? I think 95%, 90% of people believe you'll find your quarterback in this draft. We're not in those groups. We're not in your heads. What's your alignment going into this draft about how you'll find your next franchise quarterback?
“I don't want to speak for him. He's probably listening anyway. I think we have a lot in common in terms of how we view players, how we see a football team, the things that we deem important. I don't want to say we talk daily, but we talk daily just about all those matters. I’ve really enjoyed my time with him in the short period of time. I can't speak highly enough of him as a person, as a football coach, his perspective, his view point, kind of what he brings to the table. I think he has solidified what we thought going through the hiring process, and we're excited to build this together and just to build a good, solid, sound football team that plays well situationally that I would say the organization and the city can be proud of. Is that easy? No. Is there one way to do it? Absolutely not. We've both had the good fortune of being in good programs and being part of good teams and understanding what good football looks like, so how do we put our stamp on the Houston Texans 2023. In the end, that's the goal and the most important thing.”
Obviously every year is different, but in the last few years when you look back at the draft process, how have you evolved or changes the process?
“That’s a great question. We've kind of looked at I would say everything on a yearly basis. So whether it's the draft process, something maybe we can do a little bit different, which we've done that this year. I just alluded to a little bit earlier kind of the process of the on-boarding of the players from the visits and then what we do post-visit, how we consume that information, how we accumulate that information, how we apply this information. Or whether it's including a different viewpoint or angle or different tool maybe that we didn't have previously that maybe we've outsourced to try to get maybe a secondhand view. Whatever we feel we can do to improve what we're doing, that's what we're going to try to do. I think we have a responsibility to each other to do that I would say fairly consistently, whether it's pre-draft process, how we train players, the resources that we provide to the players. We're constantly looking at everything to try to improve with the end goal of doing what is best for the organization and also prioritizing what's most important for the players. Are we providing the players the requisite resources available to them so they can be as successful as possible? I think we're trying to do that. We've made I would say considerable effort in that regard. I know it's secondhand, but in the spring I would say some of the commentary from the NFLPA, from the players about some of the things going on in the building, I think that's a reflection of the people that are in the building, and just always trying to do things in a positive, professional way that serves the players in the best capacity possible. To answer your question, we have definitely looked at some different -- not that we've completely modified the process, but we've incorporated some things to hopefully enhance what we're doing to arrive at a good end point.”
Last year you guys picked at three. Before the draft when you talked to us, you were pretty open about being open for business with the number three pick last year. I ask you this year... “(Laughter.)
We've received some calls actually, on the No. 2 pick. I think our job and responsibility is to listen and not rule anything out. I think whatever the end result is come Thursday, you know, we'll be prepared to go either way. If you want to quote me, are we open for business, I would say we're open to listening, so if you want to change the vocabulary a little bit this year. We have received a few calls, and again, I think our responsibility is to listen, try to take the information in, and then just make the right decision.”
So I know that you have done this; you've been in the league for 23 years. This is about a team, not just about you. With this being your third year in this particular role, can you talk about just what you have learned over your two years, what may be different about you as you approach this?
“The league is hard. There is never I would say one way to do it. And I think, look, we're all grateful to be in the position that we're in. Each year there will be challenges that teams face. I think what we want to try to do is just try as best we can to make good, sound, smart decisions. If you do that over the course of time repetitively, I think that enables you to have the most long-term success organizationally. We have a lot of work in front of us. Always invigorated by the offseason, because essentially everybody is kind of starting over, regardless of what happened the previous year, regardless of what the end result is, whether you're Kansas City or the Houston Texans. Not saying we're like the Kansas City Chiefs. Believe me, that's not what I'm saying. I don't want anybody to write that and interpret what I'm saying. We always have to have an open mind. Be grateful. Be humble. Understand that you don't have all the answers, and it takes I would say a team effort. Again, that's why I think we emphasized the team approach. DeMeco (Ryans) talked about that. We've talked about that. I've talked about that. DeMeco has talked about the SWARM mentality. I think that's a pervasive attitude and mindset that we want to transcend the organization. People that have a special work ethic and relentless mindset, our responsibility and job is to find those players and people. If we do that and with enough people, then hopefully we put ourselves in a position to have some modicum of success. Doesn't guarantee success. We're not guaranteed tomorrow, so I think it's just try to come in, have the right mindset, try to have the right attitude on day-today basis, make good, sound decisions, understand you can't control -- there is only so many things you can control, which, again, like sort of firsthand example, having answered a question about something that's out of my control. Just try to enjoy the process, understand that nothing is guaranteed. When you look at some of the things going on societally kind of puts things in perspective. You read Sunday morning about another mass shooting that's taken place in our country. When you just put in perspective of football, it kind of pales in comparison. I think you always have to be curious, open to learning, open to maybe doing things a little bit differently. If you think it's going to enhance the overall performance of your program and team, then we have a responsibility to do that. I've tried to do and we'll continue to do that as long as I'm here.”
Anything different about you though? What have you learned in two years?
“I think you have to rely on the people around you and take information and utilize the right information, the right inputs, and really trust the information that you have, that if it kind of tells you one thing, probably should lead you towards that direction. You never second guess. You always want to try to learn. You know what? Hey, okay, we made this decision. Here is what went into the decision. Here are the inputs. Okay, we feel good or comfortable. Or you know what, maybe we should have trusted something else or sort of utilized something a little bit different. There is no right or wrong formula. There is no perfect formula. You just have to be open to learning and just try to get better each and every day.”
There has been a lot of talk about the S2 test when it comes to quarterback evaluation. What specifically is in that test, and how does it help determine -- help the evaluation process with scouting quarterbacks?
“I would say each team has different tools they utilize. Candidly, I don't want to speak on something I'm not familiar with. We're aware of it. I think we have some other tools and resources that we utilize. So, again, I don't want to really speak on something that I don't really have firsthand knowledge. I respect the question, but I think we have other tools and resources that we try to utilize as a part of our process.”
Last couple years there has been a lot of changes at the college level, things getting thrown at some of these top prospects, build them up, NIL. Have you gotten a gauge or what's it been like as that process has developed and the maturation of some of the guys coming in and understanding maybe a little bit more what they're walking into, that kind of interaction?
“You kind of have to separate some of the things that they went through in college because you're not necessarily reduplicating the whole NIL process. There is maybe a professional element that's involved and they maybe understand that side of. That's an aspect of it. But the focus for the players, especially rookies, is your job is to be the best football player that you can be. So what can you do in those areas? Your focus is on nutrition, conditioning, your recovery, your sleep, your schematic understanding of what you're doing, what the other team is doing. Regardless of who we draft, regardless of their experience at the NIL level - and some have more experience than others - they're essentially starting over. They're starting from scratch. One of the things that's been interesting in visiting with some of the players in the building is we've actually taught them some things and talked to them about some things on tape, whether it's a technique or skill or an area they can improve, and the feedback has been positive. A lot of them said quite frankly, coach, like we've never heard that or I've never heard that. So it's something that could actually help them as a player. This isn't an indictment about anything that goes on in college because I think the college rules is they have 20 hours. I think the focus is on certain things relative to others. Our job is to be as granular as possible because our players are in the building 6:00, 6:30, until 4:30, 5:00 during the course of a day during the regular season, so there is ample time for you to work on your skill and to work on things that are going to make a better player. The more resources we provide them, the more feedback we provide them in those areas, that's how they're going to become a better player. Marketing and everything else that comes with being the NFL, that's a result of being a good football player. If you focus on being a good football player first, then the residual effect will be some of those areas down the road. It's more probably an awareness, but you're not necessarily duplicating what happened last year, the year before, because they're going into a new situation and a totally new environment.”
Is it possible you guys can come out of this draft without a quarterback?
“Anything is possible. I think what's possible and what the hope is is that we can come out of this draft with good football players we think can help our football team. That's what we're focused on doing.”
If you guys do pass up an opportunity to draft a quarterback, what would be the plan moving forward? Stick with QB Davis Mills or address or trade or free agency?
“I think we have been consistent, taking one day at a time, look at our options and what those entail. We won't eliminate anything and just try to make good decisions. That's really the decision making matrix and process that we're going to go through today, tomorrow, next Thursday, Friday. That we'll go through in the spring, May, June, when we go to September, and then we'll be ready to play whatever day we're going to play, whoever we're going to play the opening game.”
I'm curious, after the tape and after you watch the tape and film, you see what they're possibly capable of, what type of things in that interview process may turn you on or off about a player?
“There is nothing in particular. Just what you're trying to do is get an overall feel of the player. Is the information that you have accumulated to this point consistent with your overall experience, interaction with that player in the building. So do they take coaching. Are they receptive to coaching. What's their background. What have they been coached to do, told to do. When we are independently watching the player play, talking specifically about what they're doing on the field, sometimes you really don't know. You think you might know, but it's not real clear. So you kind of go through their scheme, get their perspective on it. We teach them our information, how to retain our information. Can they retain our information. Can they apply what we're telling them. Can they take a training technique or something that we're providing them. They understand the importance of it. What you're trying to do is just get an overall feel for the person on a day-to-day basis so when they walk in the building -- whenever you draft or sign a player you get everything that comes along with them. So there could be a certain picture painted of a player, but the perception, the reality might be different. Our job is to say, all right, in the end where is the truth. What's the right answer. What we try to emphasis is let's just get it right. Let's be right with what we think the player is, have conviction, and then when the player is here, either refutes or confirms it. Taking an opportunity, going back to Kim's question a little bit earlier, let's learn from it good or bad so that the next time something like this comes up we try to make the right decision. I would say our pre-draft process is maybe different than only other teams. Doesn't mean one is better. Just means we feel this is the best thing for us. You know, I would say they've been very, very productive, and in some respects at times we've eliminated players because they kind of confirm maybe some of things we thought initially. Or you know what, there were some question marks going in, but at different checkpoints we have a different view. Or you know what, in the end we respect that, but we're going to go with this information and go with this final analysis. There is an ebb and flow to it, and, again, there is no exact science to this. Like there is no, do this, this is the end result. If it was that easy, a lot of people would do it. It's hard to run an NFL team. Hard to run a draft. There is no perfect formula. Just try to make good, solid, sound decisions over the course of time. That's really the goal.”
How do you balance the talent with the availability factor in the draft when it regards to medical?
“I think you hit the nail on the head. Medical is a component, but then you have to look at the actual analysis of the medical. What does the information tell you. What is their availability. Are they going to be ready to go. Is this a chronic condition. Is this something that can be exacerbated or get worse. Then based on that information, then you weigh the risk/reward of where you have the draft the player, the resource allocation involved. Because in the end you're making a financial decision as well, so you want to try to make good, sound financial decisions where appropriate. Not that you're letting that drive your decision making mechanism, but you certainly have to factor it in, which is why you have that medical meeting, so we have an understanding of what the picture of the player is in that particular area.”
One last quarterback question: If you guys don't do anything before next season to upgrade the quarterback position, do you believe that team can be successful?
“Doesn't really matter what I think or believe. I think in the end it's about the players. This is a players' league. It's going to be about the players' performance on Sunday, what they do with their opportunities. I think we're excited about where we are as a team. Certainly have a long way to go. I think the attitude and the effort of the players, you know, it's early in the off-season, but we have -- I don't want to say just about everybody in the building, but we have just about everybody in the building that's here training. I think it speaks to the players, their commitment to what we're doing, commitment to winning, to getting better, to the coaching staff. It's a reflection of DeMeco (Ryans) and the coaching staff, a reflection of the people in the building. That's what we're focused on more than anything else. When we play our first game, whoever that's against with whatever players are here, hopefully we'll be ready to go and go out there and play good football.”
GENERAL MANAGER NICK CASERIO
Opening Statement
“Exciting time for the organization, for the city, for a lot of people involved. We think we've had a fairly productive spring to this point. I think everybody is excited about the opportunity next week to add players to our team. I think before we move forward with anything, just a few thank yous I think are in order. Any time you do something of this magnitude there are a lot of people that are involved in that process from the beginning. As far back as let's call it last August, last June being last May, I think we've had a really I would say productive and collaborative effort this spring between scouting staff and the coaching staff. Even with the changes that have taken place on the coaching front, we've had really a lot of constructive discussions with everybody involved. This process isn't about one person. It's not about one player. It's a collective effort, and that's our mindset organizationally. But specifically just on the scouting side, I think you all had an opportunity hear from a Liip (James Liipfert) last week or a few weeks ago. Really can't thank him enough for his effort and the way he organizes the group and the work and the time and the commitment that he puts in. But kind of go through these guys really individually. Just don't want to leave anybody out. Liip, Tom Hayden, John Ritcher, Zique (Mozique) McCurtis, Bailee Brown, Blaise Taggart, George Panos (Panagiotopoulos), Najja Johnson, Brad Matthews. Those guys really put in more time than anybody specific to the college scouting process and they've enabled us to get to this point. Then we have a number of folks in-house involved in the process as well. Nate (Leopold) and RJ (Goodwin). On the pro side, when we involve the pro scouts, and part of the pro scouting process is understanding the league, some of the needs and some of the direction where other teams are going to go. We allocate time and resources in that group. Ronnie (McGill), DJ (Debick), Todd (Jones, Jr.), Frank Edgerly, Rohit (Mogalayapalli), Sam (Thick), Andrew Brown, who's involved in I would say the visit process. Those people deserve as much credit I would say as anybody in the building, so just think it's appropriate to acknowledge them as we work through this here in anticipation of what is going to happen next week.
"Before we take any questions, quite frankly I'm also embarrassed that I have to say anything. I feel like Leonardo DiCaprio in the Wolf of Wall Street. I'm not leaving. There has never been any substantive discussions of the sort. Grateful and appreciative of the opportunity that my family and I have here in Houston. We understood when we arrived, when we got here, that there was a lot of work to be done, and I think when you look across the NFL landscape there is work to be done in every organization. I think we've made some progress. We still have a lot of work in front of us. Certainly it's been a joy to work with DeMeco (Ryans) in concert as we build the team and continue to build the staff. Unfortunately, I think this time of year there is a lot of information and a lot of topics that are discussed. Some are more accurate than others, and I think it transcends multiple landscapes. I'm honestly almost embarrassed that I have to say anything, but I feel like I have an obligation to make that statement. I don't think there is anything else to say or question about it. Again, appreciative of the opportunity that we have here. Very grateful. My philosophy and goal is just to try to do the best job that I can for the people in this organization, in this building, for the city, and as long as ownership approves of what we're trying to do, then certainly their sport is welcomed. So having said that, take some questions here and go from there.”
How important is it to get your quarterback issues solved?
“Yeah, I think there are a lot of different ways to go through the team. We'll look at everything. I think DeMeco (Ryans) made some comments, I want to say he spoke last Monday or something like that and was asked some questions. We want to have a good football team. I think building a team is the most important thing. How that all comes together, there is always multiple moving parts, so we'll do whatever we think is best for our team and try to make good decisions. The goal so to try to make good decisions over the course of time. Next opportunity is next Thursday night, so we'll continue the team building process and build on some of the things we've done here in the spring.”
I know you're obviously not going to tell us what position you're looking to draft or who you're going to draft, but are there a couple positions as you enter the draft where you're like, these are our biggest needs?
“I think we've been pretty consistent from the beginning that we just want to try to add good football players. You know, if you look at where we are as a team here today, I think we have 69, 70 players on the team. If we had to go out there and play a game today I think we would be able to field a team and put a team out there. We're always trying to add players throughout the course of the draft that we think are going to help us in some capacity. I would say some players are going to be more right than others to participate. There is going to be competition, regardless of who we draft, and those players are going to have to earn their role and kind of find their niche on the team. So going back to what I said a little bit earlier, we've had a lot of very constructive substantive discussions with the coaching staff, with the offensive staff, with the defensive staff, factor in the kicking game, identify different pods and different I would say groups of players, and then you have to look at where is the likelihood of us being able to add these players to the roster, and they're probably going to come at different points in the draft. One thing I think we've learned, that I've learned in 23 whatever it is years in the league, is good football players can come in a lot of different areas, a lot of different parts of the draft. As a matter of fact, I was reading an article the other day about the first round. You start to look at even going back to 2020 and some of the fifth year options and some of those I would say players. I mean, again, not that the draft is a coin flip, but the draft is a coin flip. Our philosophy and goal is to try and make good decisions, get the right players with the right traits and characteristics, bring them into our building, simulate them to our culture, and then the competition bear itself out in terms of who is going to play. We don't have to play a game until September, so we have a lot of work in front of us. There will be plenty of opportunities, plenty of players to prove that they've earned the role that they deserve to have.”
You denied that report that you’re leaving, but do you know where that kind of came from or originated from?
“You guys know more than I do. Again, I mean, my first inclination -- people are reaching out to me last week and I'm like literally laughing. So I can't speak for anybody else other than myself. So, I mean, again, like maybe you can do some digging on that. I mean, my focus is on the draft, the team, the people in this building. It's on the coaching staff. My responsibility is to the people that are here.”
Do you feel like you have flexibility with the draft because of the free agents you’ve added?
“I think to your point, I think we've created some optionality in a multitude of ways, so we're fairly well positioned the first, four, five picks in the first 75. Then we have a pick at the top the fourth round, actually a pretty valuable pick. So between that grouping of picks where we're positioned, there probably will be some movement up or down through the course of the draft. So what we try to do in free agency is just add players we feel are good football players that we think can help our football team in some capacity, that are the right players, right fit for what we want to be and how we want to play. So we really won't know the answer to the question about how that's all going to go, but I would say right now we feel pretty good about where we are. We just want to try to continue to add good players with the right traits and characteristics to the building and just to build on some of the things we're trying to do.”
Nick, when you looked at positional value in this year's draft, you see a surplus of talent start at one position and maybe less at another position. Does that factor into your draft process and the selection process, whether you move up or down?
“Yeah, there is a certain strategy that's going to be involved. You could have a certain number of players graded. Maybe they're closely graded, but they might not be closely graded based on the role, the value. So draft is about supply and demand. Picks are about supply and demand. Trades are about supply and demand. How you position yourself accordingly is based on where the optionality you feel is. So if you pick the player at a certain level, can you get an equivalent player at a later point. If you can, where is that breaking point? Therefore, how do you position yourself accordingly. I would say it's certainly going to be -- there is going to be relevance relative to some of those positions. So we'll go through draft strategies, scenarios. If we pick here, all right, here is our choices. If we move on from this pick, where can we pick up another player. What's the recourse there. So we're actually having these discussions not daily, but kind of every couple days just sort of recalibrating based on some of the information. Might get some new information. Today we are finishing up our draft here this week. Those have been very productive I would say. We started them actually a week after the combine, so tried to get ahead of that process here a little bit in March. I think we brought in maybe eight to 10 players kind of in March after the draft so we weren't too hard pressed to try to race to the end. Maybe you lose out on a player that you really want to have in the building. I would say that process has been a very productive process in terms of bringing the players in the building. Not to go behind the curtain a little bit, but what we try to do with that is simulate as best we can what a day is going to entail for that player. So from the time they come in the building it's 6:30, 7:00, to the time they leave at 4:00, it's coaching staff, strength and conditioning, player development, it's scouting, it's all the different people that are going to touch them in the football operation. We try to give them a picture of what we're trying to create, and we've gotten a lot of constructive feedback from that process. In the end, we're just trying to put ourselves in the position to make good, sound decisions with the right people and the right players. You know, hopefully gets to an end point that we can all be proud of and happy about come draft weekend.”
When a team like Carolina jumps up and trades and jumps above you, does that change your draft board?
Does that make you change some of your draft strategy?
“We really can't control what other teams do. Every team is going to do what they think is best, so our job is to understand the players, understand the board, try to make good decisions, and we pick where we pick. So if we pick at two, we pick at two. If we don't pick at two and we pick somewhere else, then we just have to be prepared to pick accordingly. We can't control what other teams do. We try to do or homework and just try to make the right decisions for our team.”
When you're looking at the quarterback situation, with DeMeco (Ryans) and Bobby (Slowik) coming in, the various quarterbacks they've had, the success they've in San Francisco, what have you learned from them and are you viewing the position a little bit differently now than maybe you were when they came in the building?
“I would say there is a lot of carryover in terms of like what's important to the quarterback position. I would say in those conversations I think we're in agreement on a lot of those qualities. Ultimately, it comes down to how your team plays on Sunday, so in the end it's going to be a collective effort. How we play offensively, situationally on both sides of the ball, how we play in the kicking game. So that doesn't change. Are there things that are maybe not more important, but, hey, maybe this is something that we look for or put a little bit more emphasis on this, okay, you take that into consideration. But ultimately we're going to try to make the best decision for our team that makes the most sense for everybody involved. Part of my job is to take in as much information as possible and to take in input from as many people as possible. And, again, we've had a lot of constructive and collaborative discussions across the organization, offensively and defensively, and then with Frank's (Ross) input from the kicking game as well. In the end it all has to fit together. The number one job of I would say a team, it's about scoring one more point than the other team, so how do we get to that point. It's about how you play on Sunday. How you play on Sunday is a product of how you handle situational football. How you handle situational football is a product of who is on your team and do the players on the field understand what's important. So regardless of the team, regardless of who is coaching, those aren't going to change. Philosophically how you get to that point could be different. Each team will approach it a little bit differently. I would say from that perspective it's been kind of refreshing to hear just another viewpoint, another perspective. In the end, we have to mesh it all together and ultimately making a decision for the Houston Texans, not one individual person.”
Nick, now that you worked with DeMeco for a while, how do you feel like you guys are aligned when it comes to addressing the quarterback position? I think 95%, 90% of people believe you'll find your quarterback in this draft. We're not in those groups. We're not in your heads. What's your alignment going into this draft about how you'll find your next franchise quarterback?
“I don't want to speak for him. He's probably listening anyway. I think we have a lot in common in terms of how we view players, how we see a football team, the things that we deem important. I don't want to say we talk daily, but we talk daily just about all those matters. I’ve really enjoyed my time with him in the short period of time. I can't speak highly enough of him as a person, as a football coach, his perspective, his view point, kind of what he brings to the table. I think he has solidified what we thought going through the hiring process, and we're excited to build this together and just to build a good, solid, sound football team that plays well situationally that I would say the organization and the city can be proud of. Is that easy? No. Is there one way to do it? Absolutely not. We've both had the good fortune of being in good programs and being part of good teams and understanding what good football looks like, so how do we put our stamp on the Houston Texans 2023. In the end, that's the goal and the most important thing.”
Obviously every year is different, but in the last few years when you look back at the draft process, how have you evolved or changes the process?
“That’s a great question. We've kind of looked at I would say everything on a yearly basis. So whether it's the draft process, something maybe we can do a little bit different, which we've done that this year. I just alluded to a little bit earlier kind of the process of the on-boarding of the players from the visits and then what we do post-visit, how we consume that information, how we accumulate that information, how we apply this information. Or whether it's including a different viewpoint or angle or different tool maybe that we didn't have previously that maybe we've outsourced to try to get maybe a secondhand view. Whatever we feel we can do to improve what we're doing, that's what we're going to try to do. I think we have a responsibility to each other to do that I would say fairly consistently, whether it's pre-draft process, how we train players, the resources that we provide to the players. We're constantly looking at everything to try to improve with the end goal of doing what is best for the organization and also prioritizing what's most important for the players. Are we providing the players the requisite resources available to them so they can be as successful as possible? I think we're trying to do that. We've made I would say considerable effort in that regard. I know it's secondhand, but in the spring I would say some of the commentary from the NFLPA, from the players about some of the things going on in the building, I think that's a reflection of the people that are in the building, and just always trying to do things in a positive, professional way that serves the players in the best capacity possible. To answer your question, we have definitely looked at some different -- not that we've completely modified the process, but we've incorporated some things to hopefully enhance what we're doing to arrive at a good end point.”
Last year you guys picked at three. Before the draft when you talked to us, you were pretty open about being open for business with the number three pick last year. I ask you this year... “(Laughter.)
We've received some calls actually, on the No. 2 pick. I think our job and responsibility is to listen and not rule anything out. I think whatever the end result is come Thursday, you know, we'll be prepared to go either way. If you want to quote me, are we open for business, I would say we're open to listening, so if you want to change the vocabulary a little bit this year. We have received a few calls, and again, I think our responsibility is to listen, try to take the information in, and then just make the right decision.”
So I know that you have done this; you've been in the league for 23 years. This is about a team, not just about you. With this being your third year in this particular role, can you talk about just what you have learned over your two years, what may be different about you as you approach this?
“The league is hard. There is never I would say one way to do it. And I think, look, we're all grateful to be in the position that we're in. Each year there will be challenges that teams face. I think what we want to try to do is just try as best we can to make good, sound, smart decisions. If you do that over the course of time repetitively, I think that enables you to have the most long-term success organizationally. We have a lot of work in front of us. Always invigorated by the offseason, because essentially everybody is kind of starting over, regardless of what happened the previous year, regardless of what the end result is, whether you're Kansas City or the Houston Texans. Not saying we're like the Kansas City Chiefs. Believe me, that's not what I'm saying. I don't want anybody to write that and interpret what I'm saying. We always have to have an open mind. Be grateful. Be humble. Understand that you don't have all the answers, and it takes I would say a team effort. Again, that's why I think we emphasized the team approach. DeMeco (Ryans) talked about that. We've talked about that. I've talked about that. DeMeco has talked about the SWARM mentality. I think that's a pervasive attitude and mindset that we want to transcend the organization. People that have a special work ethic and relentless mindset, our responsibility and job is to find those players and people. If we do that and with enough people, then hopefully we put ourselves in a position to have some modicum of success. Doesn't guarantee success. We're not guaranteed tomorrow, so I think it's just try to come in, have the right mindset, try to have the right attitude on day-today basis, make good, sound decisions, understand you can't control -- there is only so many things you can control, which, again, like sort of firsthand example, having answered a question about something that's out of my control. Just try to enjoy the process, understand that nothing is guaranteed. When you look at some of the things going on societally kind of puts things in perspective. You read Sunday morning about another mass shooting that's taken place in our country. When you just put in perspective of football, it kind of pales in comparison. I think you always have to be curious, open to learning, open to maybe doing things a little bit differently. If you think it's going to enhance the overall performance of your program and team, then we have a responsibility to do that. I've tried to do and we'll continue to do that as long as I'm here.”
Anything different about you though? What have you learned in two years?
“I think you have to rely on the people around you and take information and utilize the right information, the right inputs, and really trust the information that you have, that if it kind of tells you one thing, probably should lead you towards that direction. You never second guess. You always want to try to learn. You know what? Hey, okay, we made this decision. Here is what went into the decision. Here are the inputs. Okay, we feel good or comfortable. Or you know what, maybe we should have trusted something else or sort of utilized something a little bit different. There is no right or wrong formula. There is no perfect formula. You just have to be open to learning and just try to get better each and every day.”
There has been a lot of talk about the S2 test when it comes to quarterback evaluation. What specifically is in that test, and how does it help determine -- help the evaluation process with scouting quarterbacks?
“I would say each team has different tools they utilize. Candidly, I don't want to speak on something I'm not familiar with. We're aware of it. I think we have some other tools and resources that we utilize. So, again, I don't want to really speak on something that I don't really have firsthand knowledge. I respect the question, but I think we have other tools and resources that we try to utilize as a part of our process.”
Last couple years there has been a lot of changes at the college level, things getting thrown at some of these top prospects, build them up, NIL. Have you gotten a gauge or what's it been like as that process has developed and the maturation of some of the guys coming in and understanding maybe a little bit more what they're walking into, that kind of interaction?
“You kind of have to separate some of the things that they went through in college because you're not necessarily reduplicating the whole NIL process. There is maybe a professional element that's involved and they maybe understand that side of. That's an aspect of it. But the focus for the players, especially rookies, is your job is to be the best football player that you can be. So what can you do in those areas? Your focus is on nutrition, conditioning, your recovery, your sleep, your schematic understanding of what you're doing, what the other team is doing. Regardless of who we draft, regardless of their experience at the NIL level - and some have more experience than others - they're essentially starting over. They're starting from scratch. One of the things that's been interesting in visiting with some of the players in the building is we've actually taught them some things and talked to them about some things on tape, whether it's a technique or skill or an area they can improve, and the feedback has been positive. A lot of them said quite frankly, coach, like we've never heard that or I've never heard that. So it's something that could actually help them as a player. This isn't an indictment about anything that goes on in college because I think the college rules is they have 20 hours. I think the focus is on certain things relative to others. Our job is to be as granular as possible because our players are in the building 6:00, 6:30, until 4:30, 5:00 during the course of a day during the regular season, so there is ample time for you to work on your skill and to work on things that are going to make a better player. The more resources we provide them, the more feedback we provide them in those areas, that's how they're going to become a better player. Marketing and everything else that comes with being the NFL, that's a result of being a good football player. If you focus on being a good football player first, then the residual effect will be some of those areas down the road. It's more probably an awareness, but you're not necessarily duplicating what happened last year, the year before, because they're going into a new situation and a totally new environment.”
Is it possible you guys can come out of this draft without a quarterback?
“Anything is possible. I think what's possible and what the hope is is that we can come out of this draft with good football players we think can help our football team. That's what we're focused on doing.”
If you guys do pass up an opportunity to draft a quarterback, what would be the plan moving forward? Stick with QB Davis Mills or address or trade or free agency?
“I think we have been consistent, taking one day at a time, look at our options and what those entail. We won't eliminate anything and just try to make good decisions. That's really the decision making matrix and process that we're going to go through today, tomorrow, next Thursday, Friday. That we'll go through in the spring, May, June, when we go to September, and then we'll be ready to play whatever day we're going to play, whoever we're going to play the opening game.”
I'm curious, after the tape and after you watch the tape and film, you see what they're possibly capable of, what type of things in that interview process may turn you on or off about a player?
“There is nothing in particular. Just what you're trying to do is get an overall feel of the player. Is the information that you have accumulated to this point consistent with your overall experience, interaction with that player in the building. So do they take coaching. Are they receptive to coaching. What's their background. What have they been coached to do, told to do. When we are independently watching the player play, talking specifically about what they're doing on the field, sometimes you really don't know. You think you might know, but it's not real clear. So you kind of go through their scheme, get their perspective on it. We teach them our information, how to retain our information. Can they retain our information. Can they apply what we're telling them. Can they take a training technique or something that we're providing them. They understand the importance of it. What you're trying to do is just get an overall feel for the person on a day-to-day basis so when they walk in the building -- whenever you draft or sign a player you get everything that comes along with them. So there could be a certain picture painted of a player, but the perception, the reality might be different. Our job is to say, all right, in the end where is the truth. What's the right answer. What we try to emphasis is let's just get it right. Let's be right with what we think the player is, have conviction, and then when the player is here, either refutes or confirms it. Taking an opportunity, going back to Kim's question a little bit earlier, let's learn from it good or bad so that the next time something like this comes up we try to make the right decision. I would say our pre-draft process is maybe different than only other teams. Doesn't mean one is better. Just means we feel this is the best thing for us. You know, I would say they've been very, very productive, and in some respects at times we've eliminated players because they kind of confirm maybe some of things we thought initially. Or you know what, there were some question marks going in, but at different checkpoints we have a different view. Or you know what, in the end we respect that, but we're going to go with this information and go with this final analysis. There is an ebb and flow to it, and, again, there is no exact science to this. Like there is no, do this, this is the end result. If it was that easy, a lot of people would do it. It's hard to run an NFL team. Hard to run a draft. There is no perfect formula. Just try to make good, solid, sound decisions over the course of time. That's really the goal.”
How do you balance the talent with the availability factor in the draft when it regards to medical?
“I think you hit the nail on the head. Medical is a component, but then you have to look at the actual analysis of the medical. What does the information tell you. What is their availability. Are they going to be ready to go. Is this a chronic condition. Is this something that can be exacerbated or get worse. Then based on that information, then you weigh the risk/reward of where you have the draft the player, the resource allocation involved. Because in the end you're making a financial decision as well, so you want to try to make good, sound financial decisions where appropriate. Not that you're letting that drive your decision making mechanism, but you certainly have to factor it in, which is why you have that medical meeting, so we have an understanding of what the picture of the player is in that particular area.”
One last quarterback question: If you guys don't do anything before next season to upgrade the quarterback position, do you believe that team can be successful?
“Doesn't really matter what I think or believe. I think in the end it's about the players. This is a players' league. It's going to be about the players' performance on Sunday, what they do with their opportunities. I think we're excited about where we are as a team. Certainly have a long way to go. I think the attitude and the effort of the players, you know, it's early in the off-season, but we have -- I don't want to say just about everybody in the building, but we have just about everybody in the building that's here training. I think it speaks to the players, their commitment to what we're doing, commitment to winning, to getting better, to the coaching staff. It's a reflection of DeMeco (Ryans) and the coaching staff, a reflection of the people in the building. That's what we're focused on more than anything else. When we play our first game, whoever that's against with whatever players are here, hopefully we'll be ready to go and go out there and play good football.”
I'm sure there's a correct way of reading this... but I'm not seeing it yet.
badboy
Hall of Fame
I have gone from I heard it on the radio to I heard it on the Internet. Dang I am old.The internet is making the collective of humanity dumber by the day.
"I know it's true because I saw it on the internet!"
badboy
Hall of Fame
Directed towards Caserio's statement: I read "as far back as let's call it last August , last June being last May.."
I immediately became dizzy as with seasickness. I read it again. Typing it here, I kept reading it over and over. Well, which darn month was it? What happened to July? What are you saying Nick? Dang Boy you 30 seconds into it and you can not narrow down to...
Just say last year or last summer! I truly appreciate that he keeps his mouth shut about things like the draft; however he reminds me of big old warehouse fan in place I worked as a kid: it went round and round but nothing came out.
I immediately became dizzy as with seasickness. I read it again. Typing it here, I kept reading it over and over. Well, which darn month was it? What happened to July? What are you saying Nick? Dang Boy you 30 seconds into it and you can not narrow down to...
Just say last year or last summer! I truly appreciate that he keeps his mouth shut about things like the draft; however he reminds me of big old warehouse fan in place I worked as a kid: it went round and round but nothing came out.
I read it as saying he could believe up, down, left and right that the team could be successful, but that doesn't make a sliver of difference until it's seen on the field, on the scoreboard, and in the standings.
Texansphan
Football connoisseur
It seems like he has led a sheltered life - from childhood till now.From Caserio's presser:
It's like Coach Culley is back in the building.
Ok. That’s what I thought he was saying. He has no say whatsoever as to the makeup of team. He’s just the facilitator, the file clerk, if you will.
TexansBull
Hall of Fame
You are only as good as your record says you are. No moral victories.
sandman
Brexit Advisor
Do you hold this same opinion about the 2021 and 2022 seasons? That he simply bought the groceries from Culley's and Lovie's shopping list?
TexansBull
Hall of Fame
Caserio compared himself to Leonardo DiCaprio in Wolf of Wallstreet “I ain’t going nowhere!” speech.
Message to Cal and Hannah?
Message to Cal and Hannah?
Slow down. Remember I'm just trying to decipher his words.
He's the GM. What he thinks & believe matters. If he says it doesn't, then what's he doing here?
Htown Legend
Noob
the return of John C Prepper lol
I thought that was Easterby's burner account?
sandman
Brexit Advisor
OK, maybe I am a bit confused. You sounded pretty confident in your agreement of Molly's interpretation. You called him a facilitator, with no say whatsoever as to the makeup of team. Texian's file clerk. Your words, not mine.
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
No….it represented his feeling of, sure we want the team to do great but no matter how many times I click my heals….it’s going to come down to the players on the field and what they do with their NFL opportunity.
Bottom line, the team will assess their position before the draft and make their picks. They’ll assess their talent and record before the deadline to determine if making a trade or trades helps the team. At the end of the season, the Texans will assess their talent once again. Bottom line, this is his job.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Will Anderson, Will Levis move ahead of C.J. Stroud in betting odds for No. 2 pick
Posted by Michael David Smith on April 18, 2023, 5:17 AM EDT
The conventional wisdom for most of the last three months has been that the Panthers would probably take Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and the Texans would take Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud No. 2. That’s no longer the case.
Young looks almost certain to go to the Panthers, but there are growing doubts that the Texans will take Stroud.
In fact, the betting odds now see Stroud as a long shot to be the No. 2 overall pick. The odds at FanDuel currently list Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson as the favorite to go No. 2, at +190. Kentucky quarterback Will Levis is next at +270. Stroud is tied with Texas Tech pass rusher Tyree Wilson at +340.
That’s a dramatic shift, and it indicates that people in the know think the Texans just aren’t very high on Stroud, and that no other team is high enough on Stroud that they’ll bowl the Texans over with a trade offer to move up to No. 2.
With Young now a near-lock to go No. 1, the real intrigue in the draft is at No. 2, and no one seems to know for sure what the Texans are thinking.
Posted by Michael David Smith on April 18, 2023, 5:17 AM EDT
The conventional wisdom for most of the last three months has been that the Panthers would probably take Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and the Texans would take Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud No. 2. That’s no longer the case.
Young looks almost certain to go to the Panthers, but there are growing doubts that the Texans will take Stroud.
In fact, the betting odds now see Stroud as a long shot to be the No. 2 overall pick. The odds at FanDuel currently list Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson as the favorite to go No. 2, at +190. Kentucky quarterback Will Levis is next at +270. Stroud is tied with Texas Tech pass rusher Tyree Wilson at +340.
That’s a dramatic shift, and it indicates that people in the know think the Texans just aren’t very high on Stroud, and that no other team is high enough on Stroud that they’ll bowl the Texans over with a trade offer to move up to No. 2.
With Young now a near-lock to go No. 1, the real intrigue in the draft is at No. 2, and no one seems to know for sure what the Texans are thinking.
Texian
Hall of Fame
Bob Kraft also threw Caserio under the bus when he said the Patriots did not do a good job in the draft the last several years when Caserio was Director of Player Personnel.FMIA: Snyder's Long Goodbye, and the First-Round Case for Bijan Robinson - ProFootballTalk
Peter King reports on Dan Snyder and the potential Commanders sale, plus everything he is hearing around the NFL the week before the draft.
Thorn
Dirty Old Man
How can anyone possibly know what the Texans are thinking if Caserio is doing the talking?
Which made those Caserio going back to the Patriots rumors seem farfetched.
Texian
Hall of Fame
By all accounts, Caserio is doing in Houston exactly what he did in New England for Bill Belichick. Evidence also clearly shows that Caserio has never been trained in Contract Negotiations and Salary Cap Management. Caserio pretty much does what the coaches want to be done, in New England and Houston. As was the case with Pep Hamilton's decision to draft Mills and Collins, Lovie's decision on Stingley, and Warhop's decision on Green. This is the same way it will be for DeMeco and his coaches. Apparently, Cal and Hannah are fine with this.
Last edited:
The Pencil Neck
Hall of Fame
How can anyone possibly know what the Texans are thinking if Caserio is doing the talking?
Exactly. That's one of his strong points. I don't want anyone having any clue about what the Texans are thinking.
Texansphan
Football connoisseur
The thing for me re Stroud v Levis is that while both are likely even in performance behind the same Oline, Stroud is known for his accuracy - especially deep. Otoh, Levis is more athletic and also has a great arm albeit not as accurate.
Stroud has the runs on the board when it comes to wins.
Stroud's overall rating is 92.0 and Levis is 87.6.
The likely system here is projected to be QB friendly so theoretically that would elevate Levis' play and Stroud should also do well in it.
It is shortsighted to ignore the previous body of work regarding all the assessments and draft rankings for both players prior to this point.
Thorn
Dirty Old Man
We've discovered the secret of Caserio's success. Now, if he can just nail those pesky high round picks.......
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
So now, Belichick just had minor say in drafts. OK.
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
....as if Caserio would've made it past (2) drafts if Belichick thought he had screwed the team.
sandman
Brexit Advisor
Best laugh I've had this week. Thanks man!
Generic Fan
He's just this guy, you know?
My worries on Stroud is that he had top tier O-line and WR in college and how will he perform without those WR's and the line that keeps him protected. Much easier to be accurate when you are not under pressure and have WRs that are way better than the DB's they are going up against.
For Levis, I worry about him being a Jameis Winston who just never gets the accuracy needed resulting in the turnovers.
I lean towards drafting Anderson.
cuppacoffee
Resident Grouch
Texansphan
Football connoisseur
I agree he had a favorable situation in college but he will have seasoned NFL guys on his side here too.
Not forgetting he himself can get better with time and will operate in a QB friendly offense.
Rookie QB's usually take a season or more to adjust and learn - he like most will take his lumps so with any new guy, you have to be patient.
How many rookie QB'S have won a SB?
Texian
Hall of Fame
Caserio set the table, Belichick picked the menu.
Caserio filed the scouting reports, managed the scouts, prepped for the draft, and come draft day did exactly what Belichick told him to do. This is pretty much the same operation now in place in Houston. Kraft said they were not happy with how things had been done and that's why they made changes. Kraft said he was pleased with the changes because they were getting better results.
Has nothing to do with Texian. I’m just going by Caserio’s words.Your 27 repetitions of this post has apparently convinced TK. Congrats.
If it were the QB, OC, director of pro scouting that said, “It doesn’t matter what I think.” That’s one thing. But this is the GM.
It is his job to think about what it takes to make this a winning team. It should be anyway.
If it doesn’t matter what he thinks (his words) then it obviously isn’t his job.
The man knows what he’s saying. He knows coach speak. If he didn’t believe this team could win without drafting a QB he’d have said something like, “it’s a process, we’re going to do what’s right for the Texans.”
If he thought they’re more than a QB away, or that they believe their QB would be taken before their pick, “It’s not really about one position.”
But to say, “it doesn’t matter what I think.” Says it’s not his decision.
sounds like GM in name only
TexansBull
Hall of Fame
He threw Belicheck under the bus and made him start communicating with his scouts during the draft instead of flying solo. Belicheck wasn’t talking to the scouts for weeks prior to the draft. As you would expect him to act. You know Belicheck - the GM of the team. He isn’t just the HC.
This has been discussed thoroughly.
Generic Fan
He's just this guy, you know?
The point is that his Ohio State team's skill level was higher than his competition's skill level.
In the NFL, he will face much more parity and every game will be very difficult. With the level of pressure he will be under and his WR's being less open that he saw in college, he will be much less comfortable than he was in college. Very few rookie QBs had top draft picks at WR and offensive tackle in college like Stroud had.
Texansphan
Football connoisseur
Makes sense now - but we have seen Cal become much more involved this year and that may explain “it doesn’t matter what I think.”
Another reason why I think we go QB with #2 or at least our first pick.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Looking back at when Caserio was first announced as the Texans new GM, it's curious that many of the same people that criticized his appointment because Belichick controlled virtually everything with the Patriots, are the same people that now make it sound as if he controlled virtually all the important decisions/mistakes.