[LZ] Unsolicited damage control for Rick Smith

[gary]

GP, I just want to be clear that I am not just believing Ahman or Rick but my position might have gotten lost through this thread which is opinions are out there. While I have not heard from Rick Smith but I am definitely willing to do so. But, why just dismiss one side or the other without ever being there or hearing both sides or some independent source of information who might have been there that's all I'm saying.

 

[steelbtexan]

I see Rick Smith as the "last man standing" if we're talking about McNair getting rid of guys. I think he's tied pretty closely to Bob and Cal.

Rick is BoB's yes man and he's helped make Bob alot of $$$$ over the last 4 yrs in the way he structure contracts. BoBBY doesn't fire people who help him make $$$$.

But this tean will never win a SB with Rick Smith as its GM. Both he and Gary are in way over their heads. Which makes since since he and Gary are friends.

Gary needs to watch his back though. Because if the Texans start out slowly and it looks like Garys going to be fired Smith will stab him in the back to save his own hide. This process has already started at the end of last yr. Rick started distancing himself from Gary and you could see Smiths nose firmly planted up Billionaire BoBBy's butt.

 

[Double Barrel]

Once again, give me ONE (uno, ein, etc) example of a FA that chose not to come to Houston because of Rick Smith.

FAs never reveal why they did not sign with any particular team. I do not expect current players to air their dirty laundry when they never know what their future holds. So many teams change FO personnel that most of these guys understand the game of not burning bridges.

I can't say that Smith is the problem, but it is clear that he is part of the problem with this perpetual mediocre franchise.

 

[disaacks3]

FAs never reveal why they did not sign with any particular team. I do not expect current players to air their dirty laundry when they never know what their future holds. So many teams change FO personnel that most of these guys understand the game of not burning bridges.

I can't say that Smith is the problem, but it is clear that he is part of the problem with this perpetual mediocre franchise.

So, in the future we may find out....if we wait for one of the guys we made a FA offer to actually retire?

Smith is definitely an issue, but I'm basing that on (lack of) successful players, not these ego-bruise incidents.

 

[GP]

I see Rick Smith as the "last man standing" if we're talking about McNair getting rid of guys. I think he's tied pretty closely to Bob and Cal.

Yep. I've said this for oh...about two, maybe even three years now.

Gary is expendable, especially with Wade Phillips in the house. Rick? Bob loves him some Rick.

HCs come and go. GMs run aspects of the team that make them able to weather the storm if they do things just like the big boss man wants it done. And Rick, IMO, has achieved that.

This is Gary's game to lose. Rick isn't going anywhere even if Gary is fired. For whatever measure of instability that firing Kubiak would tragically bring to McNair, I foresee McNair insatiably having the need to retain Rick Smith to prove that not all is lost on the Good Ship Lollipop.

Appearances are everything to Bob McNair. He was so proud of an overtime loss to the Ravens because some owners patted his back and told him his widdle fwanchise was all gwown up and big now! He's not going to fire both guys at the same time...he'll keep Rick around as long as Rick makes the numbers look right.

 

[steelbtexan]

Yep. I've said this for oh...about two, maybe even three years now.

Gary is expendable, especially with Wade Phillips in the house. Rick? Bob loves him some Rick.

HCs come and go. GMs run aspects of the team that make them able to weather the storm if they do things just like the big boss man wants it done. And Rick, IMO, has achieved that.

This is Gary's game to lose. Rick isn't going anywhere even if Gary is fired. For whatever measure of instability that firing Kubiak would tragically bring to McNair, I foresee McNair insatiably having the need to retain Rick Smith to prove that not all is lost on the Good Ship Lollipop.

Appearances are everything to Bob McNair. He was so proud of an overtime loss to the Ravens because some owners patted his back and told him his widdle fwanchise was all gwown up and big now! He's not going to fire both guys at the same time...he'll keep Rick around as long as Rick makes the numbers look right.

Unless he hires a Cowher/Gruden/Parcells type. They may insist that they bring in their own talent evaluators. Then BOB would probably make up a title and keep Smith on boarrd as a defacto GM.

Rick Smith isn't going anywhere and the Texans wont be winning a SB anytime soon. He's in over his head.

 

[Porky]

At one time, I was a Smith supporter. That started changing in 2009, and completely changed last year. Whose decision was the baby brigade in the secondary. TERRIBLE decision. That alone should have warranted a firing, but I'm sure McIdiot just fired up the campfire and they all held hands and sang kumbaya.

I will say this. Bob McNair as an owner makes Rick Smith look like Vince Lombardi as a GM.

My point is that I feel like the GM is interchangable to some degree because the real root of the problem is ownership. That's the elephant in the room. It's like changing the tires on a car bought at a junkyard and expecting it to run in the Indy 500. The problem is way more fundamental than this GM.

 

[steelbtexan]

At one time, I was a Smith supporter. That started changing in 2009, and completely changed last year. Whose decision was the baby brigade in the secondary. TERRIBLE decision. That alone should have warranted a firing, but I'm sure McIdiot just fired up the campfire and they all held hands and sang kumbaya.

I will say this. Bob McNair as an owner makes Rick Smith look like Vince Lombardi as a GM.

My point is that I feel like the GM is interchangable to some degree because the real root of the problem is ownership. That's the elephant in the room. It's like changing the tires on a car bought at a junkyard and expecting it to run in the Indy 500. The problem is way more fundamental than this GM.

This organization is almost Oileresque.

 

[HJam72]

Not saying that he hasn't, but somebody give me one example of Rick Smith actually bringing a good to great player here....that is not attributable to Gary Kubiak building his offense. I don't want to hear about Kube's draft picks and Kube's choosing a UDFA like Foster. I want to hear who Smith himself has brought to the team that made a difference. I know that he brought in some decent FA some odd years back that played decent and filled a major hole, but I don't remember who or even what position they played. Other than that, it doesn't seem to me that Smith does a whole lot other than tick veteran players off and ride his subordinate's (Kubiak) coattail.

Maybe I'm wrong. So who has he brought in (from what we know)?

Cushing? Unproven?

Mario was the old GM's pick.

Ryans was also before Smith.

Connor Barwin? (Who IS unproven.)

Brown? Leach? Kubiak's picks?

What does Smith actually accomplish for this organization?

All I know is that he got his job in the first place because Kubiak was hired as our HC. That much is obvious...

 

[gary]

I used wonder why Gary and Rick don't work well together they are newbies who tend to be on the soft side and both lack the experience and the intangibles which are needed in or to co exist in the NFL. Rick Smith might have worked with a hard nosed coach like a Bill Cowher or a Jon Gruden type but Smithiak just does not gel well together and more than likely never will.

 

[gary]

Not saying that he hasn't, but somebody give me one example of Rick Smith actually bringing a good to great player here....that is not attributable to Gary Kubiak building his offense. I don't want to hear about Kube's draft picks and Kube's choosing a UDFA like Foster. I want to hear who Smith himself has brought to the team that made a difference. I know that he brought in some decent FA some odd years back that played decent and filled a major hole, but I don't remember who or even what position they played. Other than that, it doesn't seem to me that Smith does a whole lot other than tick veteran players off and ride his subordinate's (Kubiak) coattail.

Maybe I'm wrong. So who has he brought in (from what we know)?

Cushing? Unproven?

Mario was the old GM's pick.

Ryans was also before Smith.

Connor Barwin? (Who IS unproven.)

Brown? Leach? Kubiak's picks?

What does Smith actually accomplish for this organization?

All I know is that he got his job in the first place because Kubiak was hired as our HC. That much is obvious...

I'll give him Wade Smith who was just meant to come here a fight for a job and ended up started on the offensive line. Antonio Smith has also been a solid free agent pick up too IMO.

 

[Second Honeymoon]

This organization is almost Oileresque.

The Houston Oilers were run far better than this current franchise is. To even compare the two is laughable. You had the Oilers trying to compete for championships. They failed to have much postseason success but they were always looking at ways of improving the team and did a lot to try and bring a winner here. Just a cursed franchise, but at least they tried and had some success and good times.

The Texans are a running joke around the league and have done nothing to distinguish themselves. The sad thing is that teams that were bad like the Texans a few years back (Rams, Lions, and Bucs) all look to be on the upswing and have assembled some good talent and coaching, while we stay on the right path with these losers in charge right now.

The problem is Smithiak but that is just a symptom of us having Bob McNair as an owner. He just doesn't seem truly committed to putting the best product on the field. He can say that is his goal all he wants, but he hasn't shown enough. Talk is cheap, Bob.

LZ is spot on with his critique of Rick. He even sugarcoated a lot of the criticism in order to inspire some honest dialogue about Rick's performance, rather than make it a flame war. Rick has been an ahole. Rick hasn't drafted well. Rick hasn't recruited FAs well. Rick (and Gary) took 6 years to bring in a decent defensive co-ordinator and probably only agreed after a gun was put to their head. Rick and Gary are both employed for one reason. It's not those 6 wins last year. It's Arian Foster. He made them look really smart last year and that has got to be the only thing that saved their jobs.

I like Brandon Harris and JJ Watt, but to think they are going to come in and make a serious impact is wishful thinking. They could start to factor in later in the season but by then will we be 4-7 again? I am sick of meaningless football in December and especially sick of meaningless wins at the end of the season to help perpetuate this suckitude we are all being forced to live through as Texans fans.

It's on you, Rickiak. If you fail to do anything in FA worth a crap, then no amount of excuses will belay the fact that you are an awful excuse for a GM. Just keep lapdogging up to McNair and sitting with the Bushes in yet ANOTHER big loss. Nothing new. I hope the Texans win but when that pipedream inevitably comes crashing down around me, I want Smithiak gone, once and for all and immediately after Week17. It should have happened this year, but we just have to crappy an owner for something smart and obvious to happen.

ugh,

@DougVanHorne (twitter)