San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
THE THREE C’S
Caserio, Culley and culture: After 4-12 season, those are keys to rebuilding
HOUSTON — After the McNair family hired general manager
Nick Caserio and coach David Culley to turn around a Texans team that plunged from 10-6 in 2019 to 4-12 last season, the pair could have taken the traditional approach to rebuilding.
Caserio would trade veterans to load up with draft choices and stockpile Culley’s first team with 10 to 12 picks as well as 10 or more undrafted free agents. They would compete with returning veterans for roster spots and help kick-start the rebuild process.
Cal McNair, the chairman and CEO, gave Caserio a six-year contract and full authority to develop a plan. McNair wanted Caserio and Culley to share the same vision as they devised a formula to overhaul the personnel side of the organization, including the roster, coaching staff and personnel department.
With the Texans having finished 2-1 in preseason and preparing for the first game of the regular season on Sept. 12 against Jacksonville at NRG Stadium, the plan has taken shape. And one thing is obvious: The Texans aren’t tanking to get the first pick in the 2022 draft, even though they might need it to get a franchise quarterback to replace Deshaun Watson.
“They have a plan, and they’ve worked well together to implement it,” McNair said. “It’s exciting watching the plan come together.
“They’re big on laying a foundation and creating the kind of culture we want. They’ve put it together by getting veterans that fit what they’re looking for and using the draft capital to get the picks they wanted. I think it’s going to be fun to see how it develops.”
Rather than undergo a youth movement and experience the growing pains inevitable with that approach to rebuilding, Caserio and Culley agreed on a different path.
The Texans are going into the season with a veteran team. They won’t admit it, of course, but they have no delusions about making the playoffs. They know the adversity they’re facing.
Of the 66 players who were on the roster or injured reserve at the conclusion of last season, only 28 were around for the end of the preseason schedule. Some of those 28 became victims of Tuesday’s roster reduction to 53.
After a couple of Caserio’s personnel moves during camp, the roster had 53 new players, including 30 with at least five years of experience, many of whom signed one-year contracts as free agents.
“When free agency began, we felt like there were players available with the kind of character we wanted, good guys that had played in this league, had been with teams that had established cultures and fit what we were looking for,” Culley said. “When you added them to the players that were here, we felt like that was the best route to go to help us establish that foundation and culture as quick as we could.
“Those guys are exactly what we thought they’d be because of all the research Nick and his staff did on them. They’re the kind of guys we want to build with because of the kind of character they have.”
Based on the projected starting lineup for the Jacksonville game, the Texans could have new starters at 14 positions — all veterans acquired by Caserio.
It has become apparent Caserio and Culley don’t care where a player was drafted, how much the Texans gave up in a trade or how much he’s being paid. If you don’t produce, you’re gone.
“David and I have the same philosophy in that we don’t care what’s happened in the past,” Caserio said. “In putting this team together, we strongly believed that you have to start with the right mindset to put your plan in place.
“We wanted to bring in as many people as possible that have the kind of attitude we look for. We wanted guys who were selfless, put the team first and weren’t afraid of competition. Instilling mental toughness is important, too.”
Caserio and Culley agree mental toughness throughout the roster is paramount.
“In order to win, you’ve got to keep from losing, and that’s where the mental toughness comes in,” Culley said. “The players understand what our message is. We have guys that are as tough as nails, but a successful franchise is one that’s not only physically tough but mentally tough, too.”
Culley waited 27 years to become a head coach. It took Caserio 20 years with New England, where he was part of six Super Bowl champions, to get his first job as a general manager.
The McNairs tried and failed to get Caserio after the 2017 and
2019 seasons. The Patriots wouldn’t allow him to leave. When an NFL rule changed, he was finally free to accept their offer.
“The reason I was brought here by the McNair family is to do what’s best for the organization
on a day-to-day basis,” Caserio said. “A lot of work by a lot of people has gone into getting us to this point. The goal for training camp (was) for everybody to establish a level of performance.”
After the front office turmoil the Texans experienced with coach Bill O’Brien and general manager Rick Smith, then
O’Brien and general manager Brian Gaine, McNair was adamant the new general manager and coach have the kind of personalities and egos that would allow them to work closely together, be on the same page, and not let their disagreements become personal and divide the organization.
“It’s been a very easy transition for me coming from being an
assistant coach for so long to being a head coach knowing what my general manager was part of all those years with the Patriots,” Culley said. “Nick and I came from different places, but establishing the culture was the same.
“We’ve been like two peas in a pod as far as what we believe, what kind of people we want
playing for us, and how we feel it should go. We’ve gotten the type of players we targeted that fit what we are.”
A key part of the plan was what to do with Watson’s trade demand, which was made eight months ago.
After Culley failed to convince Watson to change his mind, the plan was to trade him before the draft. With at least eight teams showing interest, the Texans thought they could get three first-round draft choices, two second-round picks and a starting player.
When Watson became the subject of 22 civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault and misconduct, teams backed away. As time passed, the Texans agreed they wouldn’t accept a low-ball offer, but if a team made Caserio an offer he couldn’t refuse, Watson would be traded.
So far, no team has. And now there are NFL, police and FBI investigations, and the two sides don’t appear to be any closer to a resolution.
The bottom line is when a team makes an offer Caserio likes, Watson will be traded, but not before then.
Meanwhile, the Texans go into the season with veteran Tyrod Taylor as the starting quarterback and rookie Davis Mills as the backup. The only rookie with a chance to start is receiver Nico Collins, a third-round pick competing with Chris Conley opposite Brandin Cooks.
After free agency, the draft, the offseason program, training camp and preseason, the Texans know they have a long way to go, but they’re excited about the direction they’re taking.
“I’ve been so happy with the way things have gone, going back to the OTAs and through training camp,” Culley said. “We’ve got veteran guys helping us and young guys listening to them, soaking it all in like sponges.
“We’re establishing what we want to get done from a consistency standpoint. Nick and I have preached consistency from day one, and that’s not going to change.”
McNair likes the job Caserio and Culley are doing as they head into their eighth month of working together. They set an example for everyone in the organization.
Obviously, it’s going to take more than one year for Caserio and Culley to help the team show substantial progress, but McNair will be patient as long as he likes what he sees. So far, McNair likes the plan to resurrect his team, aiming for an ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl.
“First and foremost, we want to win,” McNair said. “We want to win at a high level, and we want to win consistently. We want our fans to know we have great guys that care about winning.”