Texans To Interview Ravens AHC David Culley For Opening
We already learned of one new candidate for the Texans’ head coaching job earlier today when former Vikings coach Leslie Frazier popped onto their radar, and now we’ve got another.
Houston will interview David Culley, currently the Ravens’ assistant head coach and receivers coach, for their job, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. Culley is 65 and got his coaching start at FCS school Austin Peay all the way back in 1978, so it would be a pretty remarkable story if he’s able to land his first head coaching job ever now in 2020. As Rapsheet noted in his tweet, Ravens coach John Harbaugh has been “outspoken” in his support for Culley.
As if on cue, Harbaugh spoke to the media soon after the news broke on Monday, and said Culley would be a “tremendous hire” for any team. Culley has never even been a coordinator at the NFL level, and has mostly been a receivers coach, so this one would be a bit outside the box.
Of course that doesn’t mean he isn’t capable, and Harbaugh himself charted an unusual path by going from special teams coordinator to head coach. Culley coached under Andy Reid for 18 years, first with the Eagles from 1999-2012 as receivers coach, and then as an assistant head coach and receivers coach with the Chiefs from 2013-16. No matter who they hire, the first priority of any new Texans coach should be mending the now strained relationship between the franchise and Deshaun Watson.
Texans To Interview Bills DC Leslie Frazier For HC Opening
The Texans’ top priority right now should probably be patching things up with face of the franchise Deshaun Watson, but in the meantime their coaching search is plowing full steam ahead. Houston will interview Leslie Frazier for their opening, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (Twitter link).
This is an interesting one, as Frazier makes a lot of sense on paper for teams with openings but we haven’t heard too much buzz about him. He’s currently the defensive coordinator (although Sean McDermott ultimately runs the defense) and assistant head coach with the Bills, who are obviously experiencing a lot of success at the moment. Buffalo thought highly enough of him to promote him to AHC back in March.
Frazier played a handful of years with the Bears back in the ’80s, and then broke into the league as a coach with the Eagles in 1999 coaching DBs. He eventually became the defensive coordinator in Minnesota, and was named interim head coach after Brad Childress was fired midway through the 2010 season. After finishing 3-3, Frazier was promoted to full-time head coach.
He led the Vikings for the next three seasons, leading them to a 10-6 record and playoff appearance in 2012. Following a 5-10-1 2013 campaign he was let go, and became the DC in Tampa Bay for the next couple of years. If the Texans do elect to hire a defensive coach like Frazier, perhaps they’d be inclined to keep current offensive coordinator Tim Kelly on staff, who Watson has raved about.
2021 NFL Draft Order
Wild Card weekend is in the books and 75% of the NFL’s 2021 Draft order has been set. Here’s the rundown, thus far:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins (via Texans)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Philadelphia Eagles
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. San Francisco 49ers
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Chicago Bears
21. Indianapolis Colts
22. Tennessee Titans
23. New York Jets (via Seahawks)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
Texans Had Offered Omar Khan GM Job Before Hiring Nick Caserio
We’ve known for a few days now that the Texans’ process in hiring Nick Caserio didn’t sit well with Deshaun Watson, and as we get more details it’s not hard to see why.
It appears owner Cal McNair acted quite erratically, disregarding the advice of the search firm he paid hundreds of thousands of dollars. The situation is even more bizarre than that though, as he had apparently already offered the job to Steelers exec Omar Khan before changing his mind at the last minute and pivoting to Caserio, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Florio adds the team was even in the midst of negotiating a contract with Khan at the time the decision was made.
Apparently, controversial executive Jack Easterby got McNair’s ear one last time before things were finalized, and convinced him to backtrack. The whole thing appears to be dysfunctional, which is Watson’s main source of frustration, and may cause him to demand a trade. Florio notes that agent Bob LaMonte represents both Caserio and Easterby, and a source told him LaMonte placed a phone call to McNair that also helped swing things.
LaMonte reportedly told McNair that Caserio was going to become GM of the Panthers if he didn’t hire him. Florio also reports that Texans team president Jamey Rootes is very upset with how everything has played out, and people around the league think he’s on the verge of an exit.
One source said Rootes already has tried to resign, but that he’s been convinced by McNair to hold off in order for the team not to look too chaotic right now. Given everything that has been trickling out, that might be impossible.
Deshaun Watson Considering Trade Demand?
Multiple reports over the past few days have indicated that quarterback Deshaun Watson is unhappy with the Texans, and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com has thrown his hat into the ring. Mortensen says that the rumblings about Watson’s displeasure are accurate, and that Watson could even demand a trade (Twitter links).
In addition to Watson’s concerns about how the Texans’ GM search unfolded, which we have already detailed, Mortensen says the three-time Pro Bowl passer continues to be concerned about the team’s insensitivity to social justice issues. In Watson’s view, that insensitivity manifested itself in the team’s decision to not interview Chiefs’ OC Eric Bieniemy, who is black, one of the hottest head coaching candidates in this year’s cycle, and a personal favorite of Watson’s (though Mortensen clarified in a later tweet that Watson’s anger is not “strongly connected” to social justice matters and is more related to the state of the franchise).
And according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, Watson is not just upset by the fact that owner Cal McNair did not consider the GM or head coaching candidates that Watson endorsed, despite assurances that he would at least take his quarterback’s opinions into account. McNair, who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to have the search firm Korn Ferry assist with the GM and HC hunt, ultimately disregarded the firm’s GM recommendations. Korn Ferry tabbed Steelers vice president of football and business administration Omar Khan and current ESPN analyst Louis Riddick as the two most viable candidates for the GM position, but McNair instead forged ahead with Nick Caserio, whom he had been targeting for some time.
Schefter went on to say that Watson, whose anger level on a scale of 1 to 10 was a 2 when the team traded wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins last year, is currently at a 10. While Caserio said in his introductory press conference that Watson is the Texans’ quarterback — thereby implying he would not trade him — Watson could certainly make life difficult for Caserio if he chooses to do so.
Interestingly, a Watson trade would not be as damaging to the Texans’ books as one might think, given that the Clemson product just signed a massive extension earlier this year. A trade would leave Houston with just $21.6MM in dead money for the 2021 season, and as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, multiple GMs believe the Texans could acquire up to three first-round picks in a Watson deal.
Watson does have a no-trade clause written into his new contract, but according to Mortensen, he would consider a trade to the Dolphins. Of course, Houston would have had the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft, but it traded that selection, along with its 2021 second-rounder, to Miami as part of the Laremy Tunsil swap in 2019. The Dolphins, who also hold their own first-round selection in this year’s draft (No. 18 overall) have the capital and the cap space to get a deal done.
Mortensen suggests that Tua Tagovailoa would head to Houston as part of a Watson trade, which would be a controversial and career-defining move if Caserio were to make it. Obviously, that is little more than speculation at this point, but it appears Watson’s feelings towards the Texans will be a major storyline of this offseason.
In related news, Korn Ferry named Colts DC Matt Eberflus as one of the top candidates for the Texans’ HC vacancy, according to Albert Breer of SI.com (via Twitter). McNair at least tried to interview Eberflus, but Eberflus turned down the request. Breer notes in a separate tweet that Houston is also eyeing Bills OC Brian Daboll, who has interviews lined up with the Chargers and Jets.
Caserio: Deshaun Watson Is Our Quarterback
Star quarterback Deshaun Watson is not happy that the Texans failed to truly involve him in their search for a GM despite being told that they would do so. That has led to speculation that Watson could request a trade from Houston, but in his introductory press conference, new general manager Nick Caserio tried to quash any such rumors.
“[Watson is] our quarterback,” Caserio said. “I can’t tell you how much respect and admiration I have for him as a player” (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com).
That’s all well and good, and a trade might be difficult to pull off anyway given that Watson just signed a massive extension that runs through the 2025 season (though there would likely be no shortage of teams willing to take on Watson’s contract and give up significant draft capital to land him, and the dead cap charge on Houston’s books would be a relatively modest $21.6MM). But as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes, Watson remains highly upset, and the team has been unable to get in touch with him. He is on vacation, but it doesn’t sound as if that has anything to do with the lack of communication. Wilson says that Watson is in no mood to hear from the team right now, and that it will be some time before he is ready to talk about his unhappiness.
At today’s presser, owner Cal McNair said the following: “I’ve come to understand [Watson] feels left out of the process. … [H]e and I had several visits and I understood his point of view before meeting with candidates. I’ve reached out to Deshaun and I look forward to him getting back to me when he returns from his vacation” (Twitter link via Mark Berman of Fox 26).
That statement jibes with yesterday’s report that McNair and Watson did indeed meet to discuss GM candidates, but the problem is that McNair did not even consider the names that Watson — who was reportedly representing a large group of his teammates — endorsed. Watson did not necessarily expect McNair to choose one of his candidates, and he does not have an issue with the Caserio hire in and of itself, but he feels as though he was given little more than lip service before McNair charged ahead with the exec he has been eyeing for a long time.
So one of Caserio’s primary orders of business will be to smooth things over with Watson — whenever Watson is ready — and he will also need to find a new head coach. Of course, Watson was also told that he would have input into the team’s HC search, and the fact that the Texans will not so much as interview Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy — who was said to be one of Watson’s top choices — is surely contributing to the quarterback’s displeasure.
Another nugget to come out of the press conference is that executive VP Jack Easterby will remain with the team. Some say that Easterby, who was brought in to improve the club’s culture, has only made it worse, and that he has an inordinate amount of sway over McNair (a notion buttressed by Easterby’s relationship with Caserio, which dates back to their days with the Patriots). However, as McNair has stated previously and reiterated today, Easterby — who had been serving as interim GM after Bill O’Brien‘s dismissal — will return to some of his earlier roles (Twitter link via Wilson). Caserio will have full control over the roster, the draft, and free agency.
As Wilson notes in a separate tweet, Caserio had plenty of positive things to say about Easterby. “Jack and I have had a special relationship,” Caserio said. “He’s helped me a lot personally. He’s someone I’ve always leaned on. I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for [him].”
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/8/21
Today’s practice squad moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Release: T Jordan Mills
Denver Broncos
- Release: C Jon Halapio
Houston Texans
- Release: OL Greg Mancz
Matt Eberflus Turns Down Texans Interview
Thanks, but no thanks. Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has turned down the Texans’ request for an interview, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. 
[RELATED: Watson Unhappy With Texans]
The Texans requested an interview with Eberflus just prior to hiring Nick Caserio as their new GM. It’s not immediately clear why Eberflus backed out, but he could see better — and more stable — opportunities elsewhere. Eberflus will be chatting with the Jets and Chargers about their head coaching vacancies soon. The Chargers present an interesting win-now opportunity with perhaps less dysfunction than the Texans. As for the Jets…well, you’ll have to ask Eberflus.
So far, the Texans have interviewed Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady, ex-Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, and former Colts and Lions coach Jim Caldwell. Those men may, or may not, have the opportunity to coach Deshaun Watson in 2021.
Deshaun Watson Unhappy With Texans
Despite Deshaun Watson‘s standout season, the Texans went 4-12. They do not have a first- or second-round draft pick this year and have a roster in need at many areas after Bill O’Brien‘s criticized GM tenure.
Watson was told he would have a say in the Texans’ GM and head coach searches. But owner Cal McNair did not discuss the Nick Caserio hire with the quarterback, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who adds Watson is “extremely unhappy” with the Texans (Twitter link).
The Pro Bowl passer offered input on GM candidates, but the Texans did not consider any of his recommendations, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports. Watson is not upset about the Caserio hire but is disappointed in the team’s process, Rapoport tweets. It is not exactly unusual for an organization to hire a GM without consulting its quarterback, but Schefter notes Watson and McNair met on several occasions about this hire. Now, Caserio appears to have a key assignment on his hands as he starts his $6MM-per-year job.
Back in October, we heard he was to be consulted about the team’s head coach search. Three months later, the Texans have been unable to reach Watson, Rapoport tweets, and may well be moving forward without Eric Bieniemy — for whom Watson previously advocated. The now-Caserio-run Texans did not request an interview with the Chiefs OC.
“Man, it just starts with the energy and just the foundation of this program. There’s no real foundation in view. Everyone sees it. Everyone knows that. Got to have a guy that can come in and stand strong, stand 10 toes down and, (say), ‘Hey, this is the way it’s going to go, and this is the way we’re going to win,'” Watson said earlier this week, via NFL.com’s James Palmer (on Twitter).
“That’s what we need. It’s kind of just up in the air right now. That’s what I’m looking forward to, some disciplined responsibility and some good, fun energy that cares about winning championships and winning games but at the same time is coming in to work each and every day regardless.”
Some of this strife dates back to last year, when Watson expressed disappointment the Texans traded DeAndre Hopkins without discussing the move with him. The organization making another big move without Watson’s input is believed to be a much bigger issue with him, Schefter adds. Watson has “quietly broached” the prospect of a trade request, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. Watson’s contract contains a no-trade clause, which would empower the quarterback to approve his destination — should this saga reach that stage.
Shortly after Patrick Mahomes‘ 10-year extension, Watson signed a more traditionally structured deal — a four-year, $156MM pact. He is signed through the 2025 season. It would certainly be shocking to see the Texans agree to trade their centerpiece player; such a move would certainly be financially prohibitive. The Texans guaranteed Watson nearly $75MM at signing. Watson agreed to the extension after the Hopkins trade and threw for a league-high 4,823 yards at an NFL-best 8.9 per attempt without the All-Pro wideout. The former Clemson national champion passer added a career-most 33 touchdown passes despite the core members of his post-Hopkins receiving corps being frequently unavailable.
Nick Caserio Got Six-Year Deal From Texans
Brandin Cooks has been traded three times during his seven-year career, and the Texans wideout is hoping he isn’t included in any more deals.
- Speaking of, we learned earlier today that the Texans were set to hire Patriots executive Nick Caserio as their new GM, and it apparently took a giant offer to get him to Houston. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Houston gave Caserio a six-year contract that will make him one of the three-highest paid general managers in the NFL. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that the deal is worth “at least” $6MM annually.