Texans To Retain Bill O’Brien?
Despite persistent rumors to the contrary, the Texans are expected to retain head coach Bill O’Brien, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Schefter cautions that there are still issues to be discussed and contractual matters to sort out — O’Brien has just one year left on his original five-year deal, and it is unlikely the team would allow him to coach next season without signing him to a contract extension in the coming months — but O’Brien is likely to be back with the team in 2018.
Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, though, says O’Brien will have a “pivotal” meeting with ownership tomorrow, and that nothing has been decided about his future at this point (Twitter link). Wilson reports that all options, including dismissal, are still on the table.
It has been reported that O’Brien and GM Rick Smith have a seriously strained relationship, that those tensions have reached the breaking point, and that ownership is likely to prioritize Smith over O’Brien. Nonetheless, O’Brien has enjoyed some success in Houston, and seemingly every report concerning his job security with the Texans adds that he would be a top choice for other teams looking for a new head coach this offseason. Indeed, Wilson tweets that O’Brien, should he become a free agent, would become the top option for the Giants, who are also zeroing in on Jim Schwartz.
The Texans could be deciding that, if so many other teams want O’Brien, perhaps they should give him another chance. Indeed, it is difficult to fault him for his club’s struggles this year given injuries to top players like rookie QB Deshaun Watson and superstar J.J. Watt (not to mention the team’s difficulties in finding a capable QB prior to landing Watson).
For what it’s worth (and that could be a great deal), Watson has publicly endorsed O’Brien.
Texans Notes: Lechler, Savage, Joseph
Shane Lechler will turn 42 before the 2018 NFL season begins, but the Texans punter wants to play a 19th season. He is not under contract beyond 2017 but wants said 19th campaign to come in Houston.
“Is this my last year? No, it’s not,” Lechler said, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “I have too much, I think, to offer to the game, and I hit the ball good consistently this year. I went into the year with a good plan and, for the most part, it worked out. … I think the way this year we were hit so hard with injuries, there’s no way I would walk away with the talent in this room. I’m very excited about next year and I’m looking forward to it.”
The Texans and Lechler agreed on one-year deals in each of the past two Marches. He earned $2MM this season after signing for $1.8MM in 2016. Lechler’s final years with the Raiders during the early 2010s were for more money, but he seems to have settled on a consistent path with the Texans. Lechler’s currently averaging 48.9 yards per punt, which would be his best single-season figure since his most recent All-Pro slate of 2010.
Here’s the latest out of Houston.
- The NFL and NFLPA released a joint statement regarding the handling of Tom Savage‘s concussion, and the Texans will not be disciplined for how they dealt with the matter. However, the statement said the outcome was “unacceptable and therefore further improvements in the protocol are necessary.” As a result of the Savage incident, the NFL will make enhancements to its concussion protocol. Kevin Patra of NFL.com details the updated chain of events.
- Johnathan Joseph‘s second Texans contract will expire after Sunday’s game against the Colts, but the 33-year-old cornerback wants to stay in Houston. This will wrap up Joseph’s 12th NFL season; he’s played seven of those with the Texans on two contracts. He will turn 34 in April. “This has been home for me; I’d like to continue it being my home,” Joseph said, via Wilson. “At the end of the day, that’s not my call to make. We’ll see what happens. I think I’ve had a great run here.” Joseph rates as Pro Football Focus’ No. 62 corner (out of 121 full-time players at the position), and the former Pro Bowler would figure to draw interest on a short-term deal come March. The Texans have Kareem Jackson and Kevin Johnson under contract for 2018 but have started Joseph the past seven seasons.
- The Texans could be forced to make a difficult choice after Week 17, with the Bill O’Brien–Rick Smith relationship looking to have deteriorated to or near the point of no return.
Texans Prepared To End “Toxic” Bill O’Brien-Rick Smith Relationship?
Much has emerged about the less-than-ideal relationship between Bill O’Brien and Rick Smith in Houston, but the Texans may be ready to make a choice at soon.
Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports the franchise has a troublesome situation on its hands regarding the GM/HC relationship. One source told the Texans reporter it’s become a “toxic” and “dysfunctional” relationship.
O’Brien said recently he would not quit on the Texans, and his contract runs through 2018. However, sources who spoke to Wilson about the Texans’ setup said owner Bob McNair waiting until O’Brien’s contract expires to make a change could create a “difficult work environment.”
The Ringer’s Michael Lombardi took this a step further by indicating (via Twitter) the league perception is Smith will be prioritized over O’Brien. Wilson and Lombardi note McNair and Smith have a close relationship. The GM’s served in this capacity since 2006. One source who spoke to Wilson said the pair could potentially make this work, but that seems to be the dissenting opinion amid this turmoil. Smith is under contract through 2020.
O’Brien was rumored to be possibly on his way out after last season, despite the Texans’ second straight AFC South title, but he was retained. Should O’Brien be shown the door in Houston, he’d likely be a coveted commodity on what could be a wild coaching market given how many vacancies could emerge after Week 17. He led the Texans to two straight playoff brackets despite the franchise continually misfiring at quarterback prior to landing Deshaun Watson — a Smith-preferred acquisition.
AFC Notes: Hopkins, Gordon, Bills, Lewis
Even with poor quarterback play for much of the year, Texans wideout DeAndre Hopkins has solidified his place in the top tier of NFL receivers. At 25 years old, Hopkins eclipsed the 1,300 yard marker and has managed double-digit touchdowns in a season for the second time in his career. But perhaps one of the most impressive things about Hopkins is that he’s never missed a game. The former first-round pick has played in 79 straight contests, but that streak is expected to end on Sunday, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Wilson notes that Hopkins is currently dealing with a calf injury and was forced to miss practice on Thursday afternoon. It’s not a good sign when a player misses practice late in the week and that is no exception even for a player like Texans number one wideout. Hopkins produced perhaps his best season yet in 2017 because of the offensive situation he had to deal with. It’ll be a shame if he doesn’t end up going on Sunday because of his ability to make insane catches at any time, like the one he pulled off against the Steelers in Week 16.
Here are more stories we’re following from the AFC as Week 17 approaches:
- While Melvin Gordon‘s Week 17 status was more uncertain at the beginning of the week, it appears as if the talented running back is “optimistic” he’ll be able to go on Sunday, a source tells to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The third-year back is dealing with an ankle sprain, but swelling is minimal, according to Rapoport. The Chargers would love to have Gordon available vs. the Raiders because their playoff hopes are still very much alive. The team does not have much depth behind their surefire number one back with Branden Oliver representing the only true backup on the depth chart. The Chargers have not signed an additional runner to the roster just yet, so it appears as if the team may think Gordon will be able to give to a go this weekend.
- The Bills also face a must-win scenario in Week 17 in order to make the postseason. Two critical players in wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin and cornerback E.J. Gaines have been dealing with injuries throughout the week, but both look like they are trending in the right direction with gameday fast approaching, according to the team’s website. “He looks like he’s ready to go,” said head coach Sean McDermott of Gaines. The rookie head coach was hedging his bets a bit more regarding his number one wideout, stating that, “He practiced today and did some good things, we’ll get a better feel tomorrow.” In order to reach the playoffs, Buffalo needs to beat Miami on the road and get a Ravens loss, or have the Titans and Chargers both lose on Sunday afternoon.
- Bengals longtime head coach Marvin Lewis is currently working through heavy speculation that he will be relieved of his duties come Monday morning. However, the coach told reporters yesterday that he has not discussed his current contract situation with owner Mike Brown, per Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Terrell passes along that the two do speak everyday. So if they do talk about his future with the team, they are not making it public at this time. The Bengals have fought through what will be the Bengals second straight losing season, and without any playoff wins to show in 15 years with the franchise, it appears likely the two sides will part ways at some point this offseason. Though it should be stated that Lewis has been able to stick around for this long even with an 0-7 playoff record to his name, so I guess anything is possible.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/28/17
Here are today’s minor moves around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Released: S Trae Elston
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB B.W. Webb
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: S Corey Moore
Here are today’s practice squad updates:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: K Jonathan Brown
Houston Texans
- Signed: OG Erik Austell
- Released: OG Dorian Johnson
Texans Sign QB Josh Johnson
With the Texans suffering more injuries to their quarterback depth chart on Monday, the team has signed veteran signal caller Josh Johnson for their regular season finale, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Houston placed safety Corey Moore on injured reserve with a sprained medial collateral ligament to make room for Johnson on the active roster.
Texans QB’s T.J. Yates and Taylor Heinicke both suffered concussions in the team’s blowout loss to the Steelers in Week 16. While Yates was able to return to the game after Heinicke was forced to exit, Houston obviously wanted more insurance on the roster to able to take some snaps should another injury occur this weekend.
At 31 years old, Johnson hasn’t seen regular season playing time since 2013 with the Bengals. His most extensive game action came in 2009 with the Bucs as the former fifth round pick completed 63 of 125 pass attempts for four touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Johnson has been a journeyman QB for most of his career was cut by the Giants before the start of this regular season. He had since signed with the Texans in the middle of the year before being released in November.
Breer’s Latest: Black Monday Preview
With the final week of the NFL’s regular season approaching, that only means two things; 12 teams will soon be focusing on reaching the Super Bowl, while the rest will start to look ahead to next season. One major part of looking forward is addressing who on the coaching staff will be returning in 2018. Many of these coaching questions are answered on the day following Week’s 17 conclusion, conveniently called “Black Monday”.
Veteran reporter Albert of Breer of Sports Illustrated, gave a preview of the coaches he expects to stay and the ones that will likely be shown the door in his most recent column. Breer ranked the potential firings as “Likely/Done”, “We’ll See”, and “It’s Complicated”. In total, there were 15 head coaches mentioned who could see their situations change starting next week.
Here’s a quick look at Breer’s takes on some of the league’s hottest coaching questions:
- There were five head coaches included in the “likely/done” category including: Bears‘ John Fox, Bengals‘ Marvin Lewis, Lions‘ Jim Caldwell, Colts‘ Chuck Pagano and and the Giants‘ interim coach Steve Spagnuolo. The four full-time head coaches on this list have all had their fair share of success in the league. In fact, three of them led their current teams to multiple playoff appearances during their tenure. However, Caldwell and Lewis have been unable to win a postseason game with Pagano and Fox having failed at continuing the past success they have shown during their careers in football. Breer notes that while the “expectation is that Fox will be gone”, the decision on the fate of general manager Ryan Pace is true question facing the franchise this offseason. There’s been rapid speculation about Lewis, Caldwell and Pagano throughout the year, so their inclusion on this list is no surprise. Finally, the Giants are currently interviewing general manager candidates who will almost certainly be looking to lead their own head coaching search once hired.
- Breer puts six current head coaches in the ‘we’ll see” part of the list. This portion mentions the Cardinals‘ Bruce Arians, Broncos‘ Vance Joseph, Raiders‘ Jack Del Rio, Buccaneers‘ Dirk Koetter, Titans‘ Mike Mularkey and the Redskins‘ Jay Gruden. There’s a variety of situations going on here with Breer noting that Arizona could see Arians retire, which could lead them to other current NFL head coaches: Todd Bowles and Bill O’Brien. Del Rio and Gruden have had their fair share of success because of quality quarterback play, but both have managed to decrease confidence because of an inconsistent 2017 season. However, Breer points out that both are signed long-term so their owners would have to eat the remaining years of their current deals. Mularkey and Koetter were rewarded for the relationships they formed with their QB’s, but there’s been disappointment with how this season has unfolded for their teams. Breer notes that should Mularkey lose this Sunday, he could be on the chopping block come Monday morning with the team looking to hire an offensive-minded coach like Josh McDaniels. Finally, Joseph has forced himself to the hot seat even in his first year of coaching the Broncos, though Breer says himself that this situation is “unpredictable” given that team president John Elway is just “not pleased with how the season’s gone”.
- Browns head coach Hue Jackson, and the two previously mentioned O’Brien and Bowles of the Texans and Jets, find themselves on the “it’s complicated” section of Breer’s roundup largely because of just the many factors are at play in regards to their situations. Jackson got a vote of confidence from owner Jimmy Haslam himself, but new general manager John Dorsey could have his sights on implementing his own guy after a winless season. O’Brien has made the playoffs before, but has struggled committing to a QB even after the team selected Deshaun Watson in the first round. Bowles has done a lot with a little in New York this season, but ownership could go in a different direction with a new starting signal caller likely walking into the building next year. Also, there is the potential that all three coaches could move onto new head coaching gigs with the number of openings that could be available this offseason. The final and definitely most surprising inclusion on this list was Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who Breer mentions could retire at age 66 with a roster about to see major turnover in the next few years. Although, I would venture that nothing he’s said this season would indicate that being the case.
Bill O'Brien Could Be Cardinals HC Target
- Cardinals coach Bruce Arians hasn’t informed the organization about his future, but Rapoport reports that the team is “more confident than ever” that he’ll return. Still, since there is some uncertainty, the organization is exploring other potential options, and Rapoport notes that one of those candidates is Texans coach Bill O’Brien. If available, the Cardinals have made it clear that O’Brien would be atop their list of targets. Arians is under contract through the 2018 season, but there’s been chatter that the 65-year-old could retire to better focus on his health.
[SOURCE LINK]
Bill O'Brien Appreciates Watson Endorsement
- It has been said that Texans coach Bill O’Brien is on the hot seat, but he recently picked up the endorsement of injured quarterback Deshaun Watson. O’Brien may or may not want to return himself, but he appreciates the support of the Clemson product. “Look, I don’t really know how to answer that question,” O’Brien told reporters (via PFT). “I appreciate all the support that anybody — I think that’s just the way I think any of us are. People support you, it’s a nice thing. But, at the end of the day, we’ve got to focus on Pittsburgh and that’s what we’re trying to do.” O’Brien has one year left on his deal but team owner Bob McNair says there will be no extension talks until the season is through.
- The Texans have placed Tom Savage on IR.
Texans Place Tom Savage On IR
The concussion Tom Savage sustained in Week 14 will end his season. The Texans placed him on IR on Saturday, Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweets.
This could end Savage’s time in Houston. He’s set to be a UFA in March and do so after a season that didn’t go as the team would have hoped. Savage ended up playing in eight games and starting seven, but he went 1-6 in those starts — six of which came after the franchise lost Deshaun Watson for the season.
Savage earned the Texans’ Week 1 starting job but was yanked halfway through it. Watson is now the future, and Savage will enter free agency in a year where there will be other higher-profile passers available via the UFA or trade markets.
The former fourth-round pick out of Pittsburgh finished this season with 1,412 yards, five touchdown passes and six interceptions. He completed just 56 percent of his passes in what was by far his most substantial NFL audition. It ended with one of the uglier sequences the NFL saw this season, with the 27-year-old quarterback being allowed to re-enter a game after a scary hit left him shaking.
The Texans replaced Savage on the roster by promoting tight end Ryan Malleck from the practice squad, Berman reports (on Twitter).