Caserio among targets for GM spot
Team previously pursued Pats exec in 2019; coaching search turns toward AFC South
Texans veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks was auditioning for the NFL draft at a private workout when he met New England Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio.
Now, Cooks could be reunited with Caserio after getting to know him during his time in New England and during the draft process.
The Texans have requested permission to interview Caserio, according to multiple league sources not authorized to speak publicly.
The Texans also have interviewed Pittsburgh Steelers executive Omar Khan for their general manager vacancy.
Khan, 43, is a salary-cap expert and is the Steelers’ vice president of football and business administration. He was first hired by the Steelers in 2001 as the Steelers’ football administration coordinator before being promoted twice.
Cooks strongly endorsed Caserio for his knowledge of the game and personality as the right-hand man to Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
“He’s unbelievable,” Cooks said Monday. “He’s a special dude. I remember our time back when he actually worked me out. Actually, itwas pretty dark in there because we couldn’t find the lights, but we still found away to be able to make it work.
“Playing with him in New England, the guy that he is, there’s no ego. He’s all about helping the team. He still thinks he can play quarterback, sohe threw us a lot of balls in practice. He’s a great dude, great. Smart man that’s been behind another greatman.”
The Texans pursued Caserio in 2019when they fired general manager Brian Gaine and briefly drew a tampering charge fromthe Patriots that ultimately was withdrawn when the AFC South franchise agreed to stop its pursuit of him.
Under his revised two-year contract and NFL rules governing interview-requests, Caserio, 45, now has the freedom to interview for general manager jobs. The Carolina Panthers have also requested permission to interview Caserio, who’s expected to be in heavy demand with seven NFL general manager vacancies.
The Texans have also requested interviews with Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady and are expected to interview Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, according to league sources.
Considered one of the most creative, young assistants in the NFL, Brady, 31, is also fielding interview requests from the Los Angeles Chargers and Atlanta Falcons.
The former LSU passing game coordinator and receivers coach won the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in college football in 2019 for the national champions.
Brady previously was an offensive assistant for the New Orleans Saints.
Brady coached linebackers at William & Mary, where he played wide receiver, after serving as a graduate assistant at Penn State.
A former Cowboys and Browns linebackers coach, Eberflus, 50, is highly respected for his defensive schemes and leadership.
Eberflus also has drawn interview requests from the Jets and Panthers.
The Colts swept the Texans this season while going11-5 and are preparing for an AFC wild-card round playoff game against the Bills.
The Colts finished eighth in Pro Football Focus’ defensive rankings this season.
“They do a great job,” Texans center Nick Martin said. “Obviously, when you’re a divisional game, you play themt wice a year, you’re going to know a little bit more, especially them. You pick up on little things, whether it’s verbal calls, alignments, whatever it is. But he does a good job game-planning.”
After the Texans lost to the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on a Keke Coutee fumble forced by linebacker Darius Leonard, Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson talked strategy with Eberflus and how he switched his defensive scheme from a previous meeting.
“From what I’ve heard and played against him, Matt’s been very, very disciplined,” Watson said Monday. “That’s the type that you want. From the players and the scheme that I’ve been playing against, Indianapolis, they’re about what they do, and they do it perfectly.
“They understand different concepts and what they want to do as a defense. That’s why they’ve been successful. From what I’ve heard about him, he’s a great guy to play for.”
Smith, 38, has been Tennessee’s offensive coordinator for the past two seasons.
A punishing ground game headlined by bruising NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry, who ran for 2,027 yards and17 touchdowns, and play-action passes from quarter back Ryan Tan ne hill to wide receiver A. J. Brown are the staples of the Titans’ offense.
Smith is popular. He has been asked to interview for all six head coaching vacancies, per sources.
Smith is a former Washington football club defensive assistant whohas also coached the offensive line and tight ends in Tennessee.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel, a former Texans defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, said Smith is ready to be a head coach.
“Absolutely,” he said. “I think that he’ll have opportunities, and he’s got a very good command of what his leadership is, and he holds guys accountable.
“Great teacher. I think he’s committed to players. I know he’s loyal to our organization, and I would imagine he’d be doing the same thing for anybody else.”