Loyalists to the Patriot Way
As they begin seach for a new head coach, Caserio and Easterby remain committed to philosophy developed in New England
No matter who general manager Nick Caserio hires to replace David Culley, the Texans philosophy will not change.
If the Texans hire Brian Flores, who was fired Monday despite back-to-back winning seasons with Miami, the Texans will continue their transition to the Patriot Way.
Flores, who spent 15 years working with Caserio in New England, was the first candidate to be interviewed. He did a
Zoom interview on Friday after interviewing with the Chicago Bears.
The Texans also have interviewed Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and Florida Atlantic receivers coach Hines Ward.
When New England is eliminated from the playoffs, Caserio is expected to interview inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo. Mayo played linebacker for eight years with the Patriots and is in his third year on Bill Belichick’s staff. Mayo is a favorite of Jack Easterby, the executive vice president of football operations.
Because of his experience with Caserio and Easterby at New England and his back-toback winning seasons with the Dolphins, Flores could be the favorite to replace Culley as the fifth coach in franchise history.
Caserio and Easterby came from New England and go together like lobster and melted butter. Flores would be another member of the New England mafia to work at NRG Stadium.
Flores makes the most sense to replace Culley. He wouldn’t have a problem meshing with Caserio and Easterby. And they’ve had three years to evaluate him as a head coach.
Whether it’s Flores, Mayo or another coach with a New England background, he has to understand Caserio is in charge of personnel and coaching. He wields Belichickian power. Expect a new coach such as Flores to have a Patriots-type philosophy that agrees with Caserio’s vision for the Texans.
In his Friday news conference, Caserio was shrewd enough not to commit to anything or anyone for next season, including Davis Mills as the starting quarterback or Lovie Smith as defensive coordinator because the new head coach has to participate in those decisions.
Don’t underestimate Easterby’s role in the Texans’ shenanigans. His fingerprints are all over the Culley firing and the search for his replacement. On just about every decision, Easterby sits to Caserio’s right, but the general manager does have final say on everything involving personnel, including hiring the head coach.
Mayo’s lack of coaching experience could delay him getting a head coaching job. Do the Texans want a second consecutive head coach with no experience as a coordinator?
That’s why Flores would make more sense.
Because Flores worked so many years with Caserio in New England, he wouldn’t have an issue with his general manager taking on a coach’s role in practice or communicating with him on a headset during games.
Flores would have to be onboard with Mills entering his second season as the starter. Caserio was very complimentary of Mills during Friday’s session with the media.
There’s no doubt Caserio knows how to win. He’s got six Super Bowl rings to prove it. But knowing how to win and being able to pull it off are different undertakings.
What bodes well for phase two of the rebuilding process is Caserio’s five draft choices showed promise. Nobody looked like a bust as a rookie.
Caserio also found a few keepers in free agency such as linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, defensive tackle Maliek Collins, cornerback Tavierre Thomas, cornerback Desmond King II and punter Cam Johnston.
Hiring Flores means the Texans wouldn’t have to change their philosophy.
Offensively, Caserio wants to build a consistently productive running game that takes pressure off an intelligent, efficient quarterback who doesn’t throw a lot of interceptions. He wants a tough, smart and dependable defense that’s built around stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback from every angle.
That’s the Patriot Way.
Culley came from the Ravens, who led the NFL in rushing in his two seasons at Baltimore. He wanted to establish the run with the Texans, but Caserio didn’t supply him with enough talent in the backfield or in the offensive line. If Caserio wants his second hire to succeed, he’s got to prioritize fixing a running game that ranked 32nd this season and 31st in 2020.
Since he arrived in New England as a go-fer in 2001, Caserio has never been part of an organization that drafted as high as the Texans will pick on April 28. He has the third overall pick, and there’s a possibility he’ll trade down for an extra pick or two.
With a high first-round pick, the Texans should be looking for an offensive lineman with a nasty disposition for run blocking, but he also has to excel as a pass protector.
If not an offensive lineman, then Caserio should bolster a pass rush that produced only one player with more than four sacks — end Jonathan Greenard with eight. In Smith’s 4-3 defense, the linemen have to pressure the quarterback.
In free agency and the draft, Caserio has to rebuild the offensive and defensive lines. If the Texans aren’t strong up front for their new coach, they’ll be chasing their tails and threatening the team record of five consecutive losing seasons (2002-06).
When it comes to personnel, I believe the Texans are in good hands with Caserio, but he still has a lot to prove, beginning with the second head coaching hire of his career. He can’t afford to strike out. Hiring Flores coming off 10-6 and 9-8 records with the Dolphins would be considered a home run.
Friday, Caserio said the Texans would cast a wide net to find a replacement for Culley. When Caserio pulls in that net, maybe Flores will be the big fish that didn’t get away.