Cal McNair has been using a particular phrase, or a variant thereof, following the departures of key franchise figures last week: “We will now build upon this foundation… to bring a championship to our city.”
Take a look at what McNair said in a statement following the announcement of team president Jamey Rootes’ resignation on Feb. 12.
“We will now build upon this foundation and move forward with a bold and unwavering commitment to winning championships, creating memorable experiences for our fans, and doing great things for Houston.”
That seems well and good. After all, maybe Rootes wants to pursue being a writer, professor at the University of Houston, or is disinterested in his job. After all, he was with the organization since 2000, two years before they even played a down. The Texans do need to build upon the foundation Rootes helped lay and go out and win championships.
Then, when the club announced on Feb. 12 they were releasing defensive end J.J. Watt, McNair said this in a statement.
“For now, we will build upon the foundation that J.J. created here and forge ahead with our unwavering mission to bring a championship to our city, create memorable experiences for our fans and do great things for Houston.”
Now, it is evident McNair talking about building upon the foundation and moving forward to win championships is a thing he says, but not necessarily an action that is carried out.
Although Watt had a dismal season by his standards with 5.0 sacks and two forced fumbles through a healthy 16 games, he isn’t washed up. Pro Football Focus had him as their 49th-best player in the NFL last season — better than Seattle LB Bobby Wagner, Raiders QB Derek Carr, Saints DE Cam Jordan, and even RB Alvin Kamara.
The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year showed flashes of dominance, what with 14 tackles for loss, tied for seventh-most in the NFL, and seven pass breakups, tied with his brother, T.J. Watt, for the fifth-most among non-defensive backs. Among defensive linemen, Watt’s seven pass breakups were tied with Denver defensive end Shelby Harris for the most in the league. The former 2011 first-round pick also produced an interception, which he returned for a touchdown.
The best defensive end on the team has to go, but the team will build upon his foundation and win a championship. How? Who else is going to generate extreme pressure off the edge? Houston’s defense was bottom-5 with Watt in run defense and pass defense.
The fact Watt is leaving renders any statements about building upon his foundation to be a travesty. The team is releasing Watt because he can’t play? Bless your heart. The team is releasing Watt because his $17.5 million is non-guaranteed and Houston was already in the hole? That makes more sense.
One of the reasons Houston is in the situation they are in is because of bad salary cap decisions and roster construction in 2020. Why trade away DeAndre Hopkins for running back David Johnson, who is going to cost you $8.8 million in 2021 and $2.1 million to cut? Why sign receiver Randall Cobb, who costs $10.4 million, when you had a great one in Hopkins? Why cut Tashaun Gipson, pay him $4.25 million not to play, and then signed Eric Murray to a free agent contract?
Watt can still play, but Houston couldn’t pay, and that is a foundation for frustration and mediocrity, not winning championships.
Fans and media tend to blame Jack Easterby for everything — he is the new Bill O’Brien. However, the buck stops with McNair. Though he may be a reason why the Texans are about to go through purgatory, Easterby isn’t responsible for all of the Texans’ sins.
McNair chose to take a move out of the Jets’ playbook and fire a general manager the Friday before mandatory minicamp in 2019.
McNair allowed O’Brien to mortgage the future for a left tackle.
McNair doubled-up his coach as general manager when history is replete with failed examples.
McNair told Deshaun Watson he would seek his input when it came to the new coach and general manager, and did neither.
It can be argued Easterby, the character coach, is too big for his britches, but somehow, not only did the New England Patriots know how to use him, but they haven’t won a playoff game since his departure. They didn’t make him the executive vice president of football operations. McNair is more to blame for anything destructive Easterby does because he allows it go transpire without repercussion.
At the start of the 2020 offseason, the Texans had three players on their roster who ended up on Pro Football Focus’ top 101 players in the NFL. All of the teams that qualified for the playoffs had at least three such players on their roster. Houston traded one away, released another at the end of the year, and are in a game of chicken with the third, who plays the most consequential position in the game.
What is surprising about the Texans’ fall is McNair has been around the team in a daily capacity since at least 2008 when he was named vice chairman. From 2012-18, he was the chief operating officer. From this exposure alone, if McNair were to spit in the Teal Lot, that spit would know more about the NFL than the average fan. Yet, even average fans know in their gut the team is deconstructing and reverting to a phase back in their expansion years.
In some ways, the Texans are kind of like the Houston Oilers if they never left in 1997. Everything the fans enjoy is being ripped from them, but the team will stay in the Bayou City. It won’t be the same Texans of Andre Johnson, Watt, Hopkins, and possibly Watson, but they will still be in town. Houston can keep the records and jerseys of this team that still abandoned them but not their stadium.
The greatest attribute of the Texans under the late Bob McNair was consistency. He gave Charley Casserly and Dom Capers a good four seasons to build a winner. He gave Gary Kubiak almost eight seasons to get the team beyond the divisional round, and maybe Kubiak could have stayed longer if not for the 2-14 finish in 2013. McNair even stood by O’Brien after getting shutout 30-0 at home in the wild-card playoffs in 2015. Even if they weren’t successful, McNair gave them time, not acted with more impatience than the late Al Davis.
The Texans have to get back to being consistent. That is how the team can build upon the foundation of franchise heroes to being championships to Houston.
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