Tag: Texans front office

Report: Texans director of team development Dylan Thompson hired by Commanders

Dylan Thompson, the Houston Texans director of team development, is headed to the NFC East after three seasons in the Lone Star State.

Dylan Thompson is getting his shot elsewhere.

Thompson, who spent the past three seasons as the Houston Texans director of team development, has been hired by the Washington Commanders for a similar role, according to KPRC2 Sports Aaron Wilson.

Thompson has been regarded for his work ethic, passion and attentiveness with players since being hired by Houston. The South Carolina native was influential in Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud’s progression and maturation from rookie to rising star.

“Dylan is one of the best human beings that I’ve ever met in my life,” Stroud said of Thompson earlier this offseason. “There’s a ton of people, great people in this organization, but DT has been the main person.

“You talk about a brother like to somebody who loves you no matter what happens on that field, you can feel that. I just appreciate that and now he’s going to be mad at me, but, man, he’s a great person, and really one of the reasons why I feel like we were very successful this year.”

Thompson, 32, joined the Texans in 2021 under then-executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby. He was known for developing player’s characteristics as they transitioned from college to the pros.

Before joining the Texans, Thompson served as the director of player development at Charleston Southern following stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.

A two-year starter at South Carolina, Thompson led the SEC with 3,574 passing yards, and totaled 26 touchdowns in his senior season. For his career, he threw for 5,401 yards, 40 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

“There is no Will Anderson without Dylan Thompson,” defensive end Will Anderson recently told Texans Wire’s John Crumpler.”

4 reasons Texans GM Nick Caserio deserves NFL Executive of the Year

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio has demonstrated throughout 2023 why he should be considered for NFL Executive of the Year.

Life changes quickly in the NFL. Just ask Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio.

Not even a full year ago the Texans were amid their third consecutive season and at the bottom of the standings. Their 3-13-1 campaign and hiring of Lovie Smith had failed to build any momentum from previous coach David Culley’s 4-13 campaign the year prior. Any positive developments from young players were marred by a quarterback with Davis Mills that had failed spectacularly.

Once Smith was fired before the team could even return to Houston from their Week 18 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, the calls for Caserio’s job were ample as well. How could a general manager not position his team to secure the first overall pick after that kind of season? How could that same executive be allowed to hire his third head coach in as many seasons?

The pressure on Caserio didn’t go away, even leading up to April’s 2023 NFL draft. There was speculation he may depart the organization after the draft or even be reduced to a different role with the team. It was hard to find any believer in Houston’s chief decision maker beyond his execution of a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns in 2022.

Fast forward to November 2023, halfway through the NFL season, and the story has changed.

Caserio not only has stopped hearing conversations about his job security, the third year general manager has had virtually every 2023 offseason decision vindicated. For as disastrous and pointless as the 2021 and 2022 Texans were, the 2023 team is every bit as fun and confidence-inspiring.

It’s the type of turnaround that garners national media attention and, potentially, even awards from the NFL national media. At the season’s midpoint, Caserio has a compelling argument for Executive of the Year for four primary reasons.

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Nick Caserio says new job title changes nothing with Texans

Nick Caserio says his new title as Houston Texans general manager and executive vice president changes nothing as to his approach and accountability.

One of the more comical happenings of the offseason was an esoteric belief that Nick Caserio would be fired after the 2023 NFL draft.

Former NFL personnel boss-turned-insider Michael Lombardi muttered on a podcast that he was hearing there would be organizational reshuffling for the Houston Texans after the 2023 NFL draft. How that got interpreted as “the Texans will fire Caserio” is anyone’s guess.

Lombardi was right and the fanatics were wrong as the Texans gave Caserio an additional job title: executive vice president.

Caserio, who still is the team’s general manager, met with reporters for the first time since his “promotion,” and indicated at Houston Methodist Training Center that nothing changes for him despite the additional role.

“I’ve kind of always taken the approach whatever we need to do to help the organization to move it forward, whatever I’m asked to do, how big or small that job is,” Caserio said. “We have a lot of great people around me. We have a lot of great people in this building. Nothing has really substantively changed for me. Try to come in with the right attitude, the right mindset, work hard every day, do what we feel is best for the organization on a day-to-day basis. Appreciate the opportunity ownership has provided to myself, DeMeco [Ryans] and the rest of our staff. Nothing has really changed on this end.”

The fascinating aspect of Caserio taking on the executive vice president tag is that is the same title former football operations director Jack Easterby had from Jan. 2020 to Oct. 2022 when he left the team. Nevertheless Texans fans feel better about the team’s fortunes with Caserio possessing such a title rather than Easterby.

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Texans’ Janice McNair still taking active role with team

Houston Texans senior chair and principal owner Janice McNair is still very much a part of the team despite Cal McNair being more well known.

When Houston Texans founder Bob McNair passed away in November 2018, chairman and CEO Cal McNair started to become more of the public face of the franchise. In the past two years, Texans Foundation vice president Hannah McNair also become part of the presentation of ownership.

However, Texans senior chair and principal owner Janice McNair is still taking an active part in the operations of the franchise.

Janice McNair, 86, was at Texans mandatory minicamp June 13 and took in the practice at Houston Methodist Training Center.

“It’s very cool,” Cal McNair said. “She loves the team, loves football and couldn’t wait to get out here. So, we’re excited to have her.”

Minicamp wasn’t the only Texans football event that Janice McNair attended this offseason.

Said Hannah McNair: “She was in the draft room. She loved it. She loves this. This is her other family. We’re all her family. She’s just as passionate about this as anybody. Her and Bob brought this here, so I would say they’re excited.”

The McNairs have also used the stage of pro football to give back to the greater Houston area. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Janice McNair pledged $1 million as part of rent relief.

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Report: Texans promote Tom Hayden to director of scouting operations

The Houston Texans have promoted Tom Hayden to be their director of scouting operations.

The Houston Texans are adjusting their personnel and scouting department.

According to Aaron Wilson from KPRC-TV, the Texans promoted Tom Hayden, their college scouting coordinator, to be their director of scouting operations.

General manager Nick Caserio mentioned on Feb. 28 at the NFL combine in Indianapolis that Hayden was part of a group of scouts that had “done a lot of the heavy lifting” to get the organization prepared to evaluate and collect information at the week-long event in early March.

The former University of Pennsylvania fullback joined the Texans in 2018 to replace ex-college scouting coordinator Matt Jansen. Hayden worked with general manager Brian Gaine and coach Bill O’Brien to produce the 2019 draft class.

Prior to working for the Texans, Hayden had an internship with Morgan Stanley and was also a scouting assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Texans’ 2023 draft class may define the Nick Caserio era

The Houston Texans’ 2023 draft class is the one that may define the Nick Caserio era as either a success or a failure.

One of the safety nets for the Nick Caserio era has been that he has spent the first two offseasons cleaning up the Houston Texans’ nuclear waste, whether from Bill O’Brien’s crack at playing in the front office or handling a disgruntled former face of the franchise.

The Texans picked twice in Round 1 for the second straight season. Their former quarterback is getting a second chance with the Cleveland Browns. All of the toxic waste has been cleared.

According to Trevor Sikkema from Pro Football Focus, the biggest takeaway from the 2023 draft was how Caserio took a big risk with the selections of quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson at Nos. 2-3 overall.

The Texans gave up a lot of future draft capital to select twice in the top three of the 2023 NFL Draft, coming away with C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. Both were seen as top-10 type of draft picks, so the value is fine, but if the clock wasn’t already ticking on general manager Nick Caserio, it is now. With 2024 looking like a strong class in a lot of ways, the Texans have to hope these two players are all they were drafted to be. If they are, they will be the cornerstones of each side of the ball.

The risk won’t set back the Texans too far if he is wrong. Either Houston gets a premier edge rusher without an effective passer, or the Texans get a playmaking quarterback with a dud on the edge. It would take a colossal failing beyond anyone’s control if both Stroud and Anderson did not live up to their potential.

However, if the risks from 2023 don’t appear to pay off, 2024 would be a perfect stopping off point for the organization. The Texans’ draft capital includes a selection in the first three rounds as opposed to waiting until Round 3 to make an initial selection, which is what Caserio had to work with in 2021.

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Nick Caserio grades the Texans’ 2023 draft class as ‘incomplete, to be determined’

General manager Nick Caserio gives the Houston Texans’ 2023 draft class an ‘incomplete, to be determined’ grade.

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio knows how he would grade the 2023 draft class.

The Texans brought in a nine-player group that includes twin first-rounders in quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson. Houston also found potential playmakers with receivers Tank Dell and Xavier Hutchinson. New coach DeMeco Ryans also got a key Alabama linebacker in Henry To’oTo’oo.

Some outlets have given the Texans a B grade for their work over the three-day event. Caserio is using a different set of letters.

“I/TBD — incomplete/to be determined,” Caserio said April 29. “That’s the reality of it. There will be 50,000 draft grades here tonight, tomorrow, what we did, what we didn’t do. I mean, based on what? These players haven’t done anything.”

What Caserio is more interested in is what the rookies can show throughout the offseason program as they acclimate to the speed of the NFL. There won’t be any hitting until training camp when the pads come on, but skill position players and even trench players can demonstrate their acumen for the Texans’ philosophies.

“We just try to add players that we think can help our football team in some capacity,” said Caserio. “Now that they’re here, they’ll determine what their role is. We can’t really get too caught up in that. I’m certainly not. Honestly, I don’t really care what the grades say. It doesn’t really affect anything that we do.”

The Texans are currently in Phase 2 of their offseason workout program, which consists of going at a walkthrough pace with individual and group drills. The offense and defense cannot line up against each other yet.

“I think the goal every year each step of the way is add players that we think have an opportunity to help us,” said Caserio. “Through that lens, hopefully we’ve done that. We’ll find out more when they actually are here and then when they actually get started in our program.”

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Nick Caserio believes consistent action will fix Texans, not one good draft night

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio believes staying consistent is what will turn the team around, not just having a good draft night.

The Houston Texans won the first night of the 2023 NFL draft.

The Texans solved their franchise quarterback woes by taking Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick. Houston then packaged their No. 12 overall selection to trade up and grab Alabama defensive end Will Anderson with the No. 3 overall pick via the Arizona Cardinals.

No one can fault Clutch City sports fans for feeling as though the rebuild is complete, even though their franchise still hasn’t won more than four games since 2019.

General manager Nick Caserio is still well aware of where the organization is still at, even amid the optimistic moment.

“I think one thing that’s going to be important is for whoever we draft tonight, and then the future days here, is they have to earn the respect and the trust of their teammates, and they haven’t really earned anything to this point, or they’re certainly not entitled to anything,” Caserio said. “So I think we’re excited about the opportunity that’s in front of us. It doesn’t mean really anything at this point. We know that our opponents and the teams in our division, they’re going to add good players as well. All we can do is focus on the Texans and what we’re trying to do.”

Caserio didn’t want to downplay the excitement of the fans, who were ecstatic at the team’s official draft party. However, Caserio pointed out, “I think they’ll be more excited when we win games.”

The Texans are still in Phase 2 of their offseason workouts. Glimpses of a complete team won’t flash as a mirage in the Houston heat until May during organized team activities.

“I think this is about just repetitive action over the course of time and being consistent,” said Caserio. “We’re not going to solve anything in one draft, one player, one night. It’s going to take a series of actions over time with the right people, with the right mindset that believe in the things that we’re doing, that believe in what we’re trying to build, and then hopefully that will manifest itself on the field when we actually do play.”

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Texans draft war room was emotional yet subdued with Will Anderson trade

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio says the draft room had some emotion but was also subdued as the Will Anderson trade came about.

The Houston Texans had already landed their next franchise quarterback with C.J. Stroud at No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Texans had a shot to take their best player available with Alabama defensive end Will Anderson. However, they would need to work out a deal with the Arizona Cardinals at No. 3 overall.

As much as the Texans’ draft war room wanted to celebrate Stroud and also the chance to get Anderson, they had to stay focused.

“It’s pretty subdued, quite frankly,” general manager Nick Caserio said.

The Texans negotiated with the Cardinals until a minute and a half left until Arizona had to turn in their pick. Once the trade was made and the pick for Anderson was in, then the emotions flowed.

“It’s very transactional,” said Caserio. “You go from one transaction to the next. Transaction at 2, now we have a transaction at 3, until, I would say, there was an emotional outburst at the end when we actually consummated the trade. There’s natural excitement. People should be excited. People put a lot of time and a lot of effort and a lot of work into this. When you see something come to fruition, you should have some emotion. I get emotional as well. I know it doesn’t appear that way.”

Even though Caserio has to stay even and on task, he knows there is a component of emotion and excitement involved in the picks.

Said Caserio: “You’ve got to flip the page, and you can’t get too high or low. Then I think once we got to the end, there’s certainly some natural excitement probably because you we knew they wouldn’t have to stick around too late because we weren’t picking the rest of the night.”

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C.J. Stroud says agent David Mulugheta ‘told me a lot of great things’ about the Texans

QB C.J. Stroud says that his agent, David Mulugheta, had positive things to tell his client about the Houston Texans.

Most Clutch City sports fans know who David Mulugheta is, and that is why there was some doubt the Houston Texans would take C.J. Stroud.

Mulugheta is the agent for the Texans’ previous franchise quarterback, who had an otherwise messy departure from Houston. The saga kept the Texans in a phantom zone for the first season of general manager Nick Caserio’s tenure.

However, it appears bygones may be bygones in the Stroud era. The former Ohio State signal caller says Mulugheta has been positive about the organization.

“He’s told me a lot of great things,” Stroud said on a Zoom with Houston media. “He told me Nick Caserio is a great GM, the McNairs are great ownership, and thank you to them for giving me this opportunity. So, he had a lot of positive things to say and I’m excited to get to work, and I’m super excited to be a Texan.”

Stroud is the first quarterback taken in the first round by Houston since 2017 when they took Mulugheta’s other client.

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