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OL Coach Cole Popovich

Don't particularly know a lot about o-line coaches but one of the reasons I'd like to hire an OC out of the college ranks like Chip Kelly is you can often get a good pick of position coaches to go along with them.
 
NFL baby. Not For Long. Hate the game, not the player.
What are your expectations from beginning of new NFL season and game 1? Is it restricted to free agency; draft and coaching hirings as we will not get much info until those three prongs are projected onto playing field?
 
This guy is so full of Sh__t. He always has been.

NOTE: "Jeff Stoutland, the offensive line coach and run game coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, signed a contract extension with the team on February 5, 2023. The extension is long-term.". The Eagles will not let him out of his contract unless you want to trade a player or draft pick for him.

Jeff Stoutland is NOT an option for the Texans Oline Coaching position.

Next idea please.
Contracts are bought out all the time.
 
Don't particularly know a lot about o-line coaches but one of the reasons I'd like to hire an OC out of the college ranks like Chip Kelly is you can often get a good pick of position coaches to go along with them.
This but also bring closer contacts with other college staffs. Also, have closer relationships with college age players than many NFL staff.

Looking at roster 2025 today; if [and I am hoping they will be] following are removed, what will the average age of the Texans player roster be:
Howard; Schultz; Mason and Autry ?
 
What are your expectations from beginning of new NFL season and game 1? Is it restricted to free agency; draft and coaching hirings as we will not get much info until those three prongs are projected onto playing field?
I'm talking about in regards to the OC. I'm going to watch him from OTAs through the first game with the benefit of the doubt. If we come out of camp with BO'b vibes (regard the OC) I'll voice my honest opinion.
 
The OC and OL coach will be inheriting 22 1st round Kenyon Green, 2nd Jonh Metchie,23 1st round Juice Scruggs, 3rd rd Dell, 24 2nd#59 Fisher, 4th Cade Stover so there is some youth that we need to develop and count on performing as expected. We very much need Green and Scruggs to take it up to a Pro level and make a solid OL as expected of them. It can be done by a kick ass OL coaching staff.
 
The OC and OL coach will be inheriting 22 1st round Kenyon Green, 2nd Jonh Metchie,23 1st round Juice Scruggs, 3rd rd Dell, 24 2nd#59 Fisher, 4th Cade Stover so there is some youth that we need to develop and count on performing as expected. We very much need Green and Scruggs to take it up to a Pro level and make a solid OL as expected of them. It can be done by a kick ass OL coaching staff.
My opinion, Kenyon is out of the plan due to his health. John Metchie has met his ceiling which does not mean he will not be on the roster but will probably not be much better. Dell in my opinion is out for his career. Fisher, Stover and possibly Scruggs with good coaching can continue to develop.
If Kelly is the guy, I am hoping he brings his offensive line coach Frye with him.
 
My opinion, Kenyon is out of the plan due to his health. John Metchie has met his ceiling which does not mean he will not be on the roster but will probably not be much better. Dell in my opinion is out for his career. Fisher, Stover and possibly Scruggs with good coaching can continue to develop.
If Kelly is the guy, I am hoping he brings his offensive line coach Frye with him.

If Slowik only lasted two years I don’t see how Metchie and Kenyon last any longer.

Seen enough. Time to cut bait.
 
This but also bring closer contacts with other college staffs. Also, have closer relationships with college age players than many NFL staff.

Looking at roster 2025 today; if [and I am hoping they will be] following are removed, what will the average age of the Texans player roster be:
Howard; Schultz; Mason and Autry ?
I think if you want to know average age you'd want to take out John Weeks who might skew your numbers just a little.
 
I think if you want to know average age you'd want to take out John Weeks who might skew your numbers just a little.
True but we absolutely know he isn't going anywhere and if there's anyone I think who will not have problem with a coach it would be Weeks.
 
If Slowik only lasted two years I don’t see how Metchie and Kenyon last any longer.

Seen enough. Time to cut bait.

I read where someone thought a change of scenery could do both of these players a favor:

Texans Get:
DT- Mazi Smith

Cowboys Get:
OL- Kenyon Green

A swap of failed RD1 picks. Maybe they both rebound in new environments and live up to their RD1 draft status.
 
I read where someone thought a change of scenery could do both of these players a favor:

Texans Get:
DT- Mazi Smith

Cowboys Get:
OL- Kenyon Green

A swap of failed RD1 picks. Maybe they both rebound in new environments and live up to their RD1 draft status.
I'd be more optimistic of Green rebounding there than Smith rebounding here. Mazi is basically a run plugger only and doesn't really fit in this kind of defense.
 
I'd be more optimistic of Green rebounding there than Smith rebounding here. Mazi is basically a run plugger only and doesn't really fit in this kind of defense.

I’d take a flier on a run stuffing specialist. DeMeco might even coax the rest of his capabilities to the surface.

Cowboys have typically had a strong OL along with solid veterans as leaders. Maybe they figure out how to get the best out of Green. I don’t have the same regards for the Texans scheme or coaches that have been hired to make this unit better.
 
I’d take a flier on a run stuffing specialist. DeMeco might even coax the rest of his capabilities to the surface.

Cowboys have typically had a strong OL along with solid veterans as leaders. Maybe they figure out how to get the best out of Green. I don’t have the same regards for the Texans scheme or coaches that have been hired to make this unit better.
Cowboys o-line has been trash for the last 3-5 years.
 
Maybe, but it won't be in Houston. The Texans will be clearing cap space before free agency and cutting Green will save $4.3 million. Bye.

Edit: Actually, cutting Green will only save a little more than $700K because his salary is guaranteed. Still think he's a goner.
I think you're likely right but I just don't see much point in acquiring Mazi.

Someone who is underperforming and isn't a scheme fit doesn't seem like it would make much sense.
 
If this was the hire all along, this change should have been made during the season. Don't hate it, but not really a fan either.
Agreed. And further promoting him by adding run game coordinator to his title? Like the Texans were competing for his services?!

Thus far, it appears the team is blaming Slowik/Strausser for the offense’s ills. I think it ran deeper than that. If it didn’t then Popovich should have at least fixed the OL issues. Why couldn’t they pick up a stunt in 19 games played last season?
 
Agreed. And further promoting him by adding run game coordinator to his title? Like the Texans were competing for his services?!

Thus far, it appears the team is blaming Slowik/Strausser for the offense’s ills. I think it ran deeper than that. If it didn’t then Popovich should have at least fixed the OL issues. Why couldn’t they pick up a stunt in 19 games played last season?
At the very least it leads me to believe i have no idea what happens in these meeting rooms.

I can't imagine how guys with answers were in the room & DeMeco didn't utilize their ideas.

This is what i mean when I say he needs to be a HC & not a DC. Belichick would have had his defense squared away & been in the offensive meetings at least the OL room until he got it fixed.
 
At the very least it leads me to believe i have no idea what happens in these meeting rooms.

I can't imagine how guys with answers were in the room & DeMeco didn't utilize their ideas.

This is what i mean when I say he needs to be a HC & not a DC. Belichick would have had his defense squared away & been in the offensive meetings at least the OL room until he got it fixed.

Maybe the reason Poptart got promoted was because of what happened in those meeting rooms.
 
At the very least it leads me to believe i have no idea what happens in these meeting rooms.

I can't imagine how guys with answers were in the room & DeMeco didn't utilize their ideas.

This is what i mean when I say he needs to be a HC & not a DC. Belichick would have had his defense squared away & been in the offensive meetings at least the OL room until he got it fixed.
Well he’s a very young HC, Belichick is a very experienced HC and DC. It took Belichick some time as well. So we must give Meco time brother.
 
Maybe the reason Poptart got promoted was because of what happened in those meeting rooms.
Maybe.

Last few games the OL was competent.

Maybe Bobby took control again for the Divisional game.
 
The “run game coordinator” title probably just has to do with money. Gave him an extra title to justify the money he wanted to keep him for the sake of continuity.
That would make sense for the DL coach Rod Wright. His unit overperformed. The assistant DL coach got promoted out of here.

Anyone who had OL coach in their title was not in position to ask for anything after last season. And why would they want continuity on that line?!
 
Agreed. And further promoting him by adding run game coordinator to his title? Like the Texans were competing for his services?!

Thus far, it appears the team is blaming Slowik/Strausser for the offense’s ills. I think it ran deeper than that. If it didn’t then Popovich should have at least fixed the OL issues. Why couldn’t they pick up a stunt in 19 games played last season?
Maybe it was hard for Popovich to go over Strausser on O Line?
 
Now that i’m done ranting… coaching is a fickle profession. Almost every coach has been fired at some point in their careers.

Sean Payton was stripped of play calling duties as a coordinator in Dallas, Kubiak/Phillips were HC/DC for the Texans in 2013 for a 2-14 team… then won a Super Bowl with the Broncos in the same coaching positions two seasons later.

The new hot name wunderkind Ben Johnson worked for 3 HCs that got fired and had downright offensive offenses until Dan Campbell gave him an opportunity (after firing the OC Johnson was working under).

Players need to make plays as well. I was happy with Strausser/Popovich coming into last season after how the OL performed despite massive injuries. But they regressed significantly when the big names had returned to play this season.

I’m sure Caserio will go get some new players and Caley/Popovich will have different approaches. And as a Texans addict I will be on board either way. But man, I don’t feel all warm and fuzzy right now ready to proclaim this to be the moves necessary to get the ultimate prize.
 
Maybe it was hard for Popovich to go over Strausser on O Line?
I blame DeMeco for that. The buck stops with him. Offense obviously needed changes mid season and not enough was done. Slowik was never stripped of playcalling duties and Strausser was never fired in-season. The moves at OC/OL coach would be more well-received by me if we had seen another coach on staff calling plays. And taking a cook out of the kitchen on the OL if Strausser/Pop had irreconcilable differences.

Hopefully he learned his lesson and will delegate responsibilities more effectively going forward.
 
Don't like it.

I really wanted a reset and some new blood in here especially in regards to the o-line. Both in coaching and in personnel.

I can't confess to know the inner workings of the meetings, decision making and so forth but I feel like Popovich already had a decently loud voice in the room. After the initial season under Demeco we hired yet another o-line assistant which signaled to me that 1. They understood the o-line wasn't good enough and the coaching wasn't good enough and 2. Strausser was on thin ice. Usually when someone is on thin ice the floor is open to more voices and I just don't see how Popovich didn't have an influence on the terrible performance and decline of last season's o-line.

I hope I'm wrong but it really feels like Popovich is keeping his job (and being promoted) because he has a previous relationship with the new OC rather than being based on the merits of his coaching.
 
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I blame DeMeco for that. The buck stops with him. Offense obviously needed changes mid season and not enough was done. Slowik was never stripped of playcalling duties and Strausser was never fired in-season. The moves at OC/OL coach would be more well-received by me if we had seen another coach on staff calling plays. And taking a cook out of the kitchen on the OL if Strausser/Pop had irreconcilable differences.

Hopefully he learned his lesson and will delegate responsibilities more effectively going forward.
I don't fully blame him for that because I've never found in-season fixes to ever be that efficient or good ever. If anything it creates instability and at the end of the day this was still a playoff team. In season demotions and firings are the works of teams going 2-15 typically or a coordinator is stripped of playcalling because the head coach can do it themself.

It also heavily reminds me of the **** we watched under OB where it was always someone else's fault. We had a rotating door of GMs and OCs (with playcalling being shifted every other week) because OB always needed a fall guy. I'm very glad to see the team not needing to operate like that any longer.

Slowik was a new coach to OCing so it makes no sense to bring in a guy like that and give them zero rope to learn. Unfortunately Slowik used said rope to hang himself but ultimately the opportunity has to be given.
 
The “run game coordinator” title probably just has to do with money. Gave him an extra title to justify the money he wanted to keep him for the sake of continuity.

Why the hell would anyone want continuity?

Turns out Jethro really did marry his sister…his twin sister.
 
That would make sense for the DL coach Rod Wright. His unit overperformed. The assistant DL coach got promoted out of here.

Anyone who had OL coach in their title was not in position to ask for anything after last season. And why would they want continuity on that line?!
For all we know, Popovich could’ve been advocating for big changes
after the 1st game and Slowik and Strausser just shut him down. But he must’ve been doing something right for Meco & NC To not only promote him from within but also give him more responsibility as the run game coordinator.

Just b/c the unit as a whole performed horribly doesn’t mean that all parts were bad. That be like wanting to fire Meco as the HC b/c the team’s offense was bad.
 
For all we know, Popovich could’ve been advocating for big changes
after the 1st game and Slowik and Strausser just shut him down
Was DeMeco oblivious to this?

We’re talking about an 18+2 week season. One game away from the AFCCG.
 
How does chain of command work in the Texans organization?
I don’t know. I’m hoping after 4 weeks DeMeco would take a little more interest in their meetings & drills. A little more after 6 weeks. & be chest deep by week 8.


But… maybe that was the problem.
 
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