Tag: Jack Easterby

Texans selected draft picks by consensus, not Bill O’Brien’s mandates

Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien says that the front office personnel made moves in the 2020 NFL Draft by consensus.

With coach Bill O’Brien now the general manager of the Houston Texans, there was a perception that he would unilaterally make the decisions for the team in the 2020 NFL Draft.

According to O’Brien, he was part of a team, seeking to build consensus for every selection, every transaction in the draft.

“We just have a great team of people,” O’Brien told reporters after the conclusion of the draft on Saturday. “We make decisions that are formed around a consensus. I think really that’s Bob McNair [late founder], that’s the way he wanted it, that’s the way [chairman and CEO] Cal McNair wants it, and that’s what we try to do.”

O’Brien has a team around him that sees it almost the same way that the seventh-year coach does. Jack Easterby, the executive vice president of football operations, comes from the New England Patriots’ system, the same as O’Brien. Kevin Krajcovic, the director of football administration, has been with the organization as long as O’Brien has. Then, Matt Bazirgan, the director of player personnel, and James Liipfert, director of college scouting, have been with the organization since 2018.

The Texans made all five of their picks, executed their three trades, all by consensus.

“We have a great team here,” O’Brien said. “I’ve said it and I’ll say it over and over. I really mean it.”

When the team is able to commence their offseason program, the fruits of the front office team’s consensus will manifest as they evaluate their 90-man roster.

Texans chairman Cal McNair wanted Bill O’Brien, Jack Easterby’s titles to reflect their roles

Houston Texans chairman Cal McNair chose to name Bill O’Brien GM and Jack Easterby EVP of football operations to accurately reflect their roles.

Houston Texans chairman Cal McNair was behind the move to name coach Bill O’Brien general manager and elevate Jack Easterby to executive vice president of football operations.

According to a statement from the team, McNair wanted to clarify the roles between O’Brien and Easterby to accurately reflect the way the organization had been operating since the firing of Brian Gaine as general manager on June 7, 2019.

“Preparations are underway for the 2020 season and I thought it was important to update titles, roles and responsibilities for Bill O’Brien and Jack Easterby so they more accurately reflect the way we have been operating for the past eight months,” McNair said. “I was encouraged by the progress that our team made on the field this year which was due in part to our new structure, operating approach and the leaders within our football operations group.”

McNair mentioned that he was proud of the “many thrilling victories at home,” the Texans provided for their fans as part of a 10-6 record, second consecutive AFC South title, and a 22-19 overtime wild-card win against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium.

“Our fans deserve that, but now it is time for the organization to get back to work toward our pursuit of a world championship for the city of Houston,” said McNair.

The Texans may have their roles clarified in the front office, but they still have plenty of work to do in the offseason. While the club can now negotiate with two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson on a contract extension, they may have to clear up salary cap space as they are projected to have $55.2 million in cap space, the ninth-most in the NFL. The club also has to determine how to get younger and better without a first-round pick, a challenge that faces the Texans for the next two drafts.

Report: Texans officially name coach Bill O’Brien as general manager

The Houston Texans have named coach Bill O’Brien as the club’s general manager, according to a report from the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain.

The Houston Texans have finally settled on a permanent general manager.

According to the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain, the Texans have given coach Bill O’Brien the title of general manager. The 50-year-old will become the second coach in the NFL to double up as a general manager. The other is New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, under whom O’Brien worked from 2007-11.

The Texans fired Brian Gaine as general manager on June 7, 2019, just three days before the club starting mandatory veteran minicamp. The club promoted senior vice president of football administration Chris Olsen to the interim general manager role, but a five-man council with O’Brien having heavy influence ran the Texans’ front office through the conclusion of the 2019 season.

On Jan. 19, the Texans fired Olsen.

In another move, the Texans also promoted Jack Easterby to executive vice president of football operations. Easterby had joined the Texans in the 2019 offseason as the executive vice president of team development.

Report: Texans fire interim general manager Chris Olsen

The Houston Texans have fired interim general manager and senior vice president of football administration Chris Olsen.

The Houston Texans have shaken up their front office in the aftermath of the 2019 season coming to a close.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans have fired senior vice president of football administration Chris Olsen, who was serving as the interim general manager since the club fired general manager Brian Gaine on June 7, 2019.

Olsen had been with the Texans since 2007 where he started out as a vice president of football administration. Olsen had been a key part of helping the Texans manage the salary cap and negotiate player contracts.

Prior to Olsen joining the Texans, he worked in the NFL league offices for 13 years, including as manager of labor relations on the NFL management council from 1999-2006, where he gain extensive experience working with player contracts as he had to make sure player contracts teams submitted were in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement and salary cap. Olsen was also the NFL’s liaison to the NFLPA as it related to player contracts.

Firing Olsen means more shakeup in the front office, and it could be more influence from the part of executive vice president of team development Jack Easterby, who helped evaluate the Texans from an organization standpoint during the 2019 offseason, even when the club’s nine-week workout program started in April.

Coach Bill O’Brien had influence over the five-man general managing council, even though Olsen was the interim general manager. Now with Olsen out of the way, O’Brien has even more sway that he did before.

The Texans have a bevy of offseason moves to be made, including whether to retain receiver Will Fuller, keep cornerback Bradley Roby, or start negotiations with quarterback Deshaun Watson on his well-deserved contract extension. Houston will have to negotiate some of these new contracts without the benefit of Olsen’s 12 years of experience.

Report: Texans not planning to hire a general manager for the 2020 season

The Houston Texans will not hire a general manager in 2020 according to a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Houston Texans may continue with a “business as usual” approach to their front office, which currently has a general manager vacancy, is ran by a five-man council, and is considerably influenced by coach Bill O’Brien.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Texans are not planning to hire a general manager, even after the 2019 season is over.

Sources say that the Texans plan to continue this offseason and beyond with their current personnel structure rather than hire a true general manager in title. Coach Bill O’Brien has final say, though he essentially works with the team’s executive vice president of team development Jack Easterby to be in charge of football operations.

The Texans have some of the other general manager duties split up between Easterby, player personnel director Matt Bazirgan, and vice president of football administration Chris Olsen, who is technically the interim general manager, and currently manages the team’s salary cap situation.

The council of general managing has worked well for Houston to this point as they boast a 7-4 record, first place in the AFC South, and have done so with bold trades to shore up key positions. The trade for left tackle Laremy Tunsil on Aug. 31 may have been a season saver as the club did not have any viable option to protect Deshaun Watson’s blindside other than oft-injured veteran Matt Kalil and first-round rookie Tytus Howard, who is now on injured reserve.

Houston also traded for running back Carlos Hyde, who has been a great replacement for starter Lamar Miller, who went down in the third preseason game with a torn ACL.

The Texans have also gotten younger at the cornerback position by trading for Gareon Conley with the Oakland Raiders prior to their Week 8 encounter, and also adding Vernon Hargreaves leading up to Week 11 at Baltimore.

Houston fired Brian Gaine as general manager on June 7, days before the club opened mandatory minicamp.