New Texans GM Nick Caserio had better know what he is getting into, and in case he doesn’t, we already wrote a piece letting him–and everyone else, for that matter–know just how much work there is to be done. This piece is not one like that, however, instead of speaking of what can be done, I wanted to go back in history and get a feeling of how all of this came together.
Most people by now know of the connections between the Texans and the Patriots. Some have been amicable, and some have been…well…not great. The recruitment last spring of Caserio by these same Texans surely left a bad taste in the mouths of all involved, considering Caserio was blocked from taking the job by New England and forced to play out the last year of his contract in Foxborough.
Alas, Houston gets their man and Caserio gets the job he wanted. He most surely would have rather taken this job a year ago, before Bill O’Brien took a sledgehammer to the team, but must now work with what he has. On the surface, that doesn’t seem like much; but if you dig deeper, you can easily understand why this was the best job for new Texans GM Nick Caserio.
Left in Shambles…Or Not?
Let’s get the facts out there first, the Texans draft capital and cap space is nothing to be envious of. First. Let’s start off with the draft picks. They do not own a first or second-round pick in 2021, due to the trade for Laremy Tunsil. After that, though, the Texans are set to draft eight more times. In a year where there is minimal film on prospects, having multiple mid to late-round picks can turn into a goldmine if you scout correctly. Also, in 2022, they own all of their picks and have a Rams 4th rounder.
Next, the cap space. According to Spotrac, the Texans are currently $20 million over the projected 2021 NFL salary cap. That number may scare you into thinking, why does Nick Caserio even want to be the new Texans GM? The answer is simple, though. The low amount of funds that are available for new Texans GM Nick Caserio to go out and improve this team, can possibly save him from overpaying on the first wave of free agency. Every year we see teams, especially those with first-time GMs, vastly overpay a player simply to make a “free agent splash”. This will allow Nick Caserio to build his team through the draft, the way he was brought up to do so.
Why Nick Caserio Makes Sense as the New Texans GM?
As mentioned before, the ties to Houston are very meaningful. Many saw Nick Caserio as being the new Texans GM the second Jack Easterby came over to Houston from the Patriots. Easterby and O’Brien worked diligently in order to get Caserio into the fold in Houston last spring, but it simply didn’t work out. “The Hoodie” had other plans.
Perhaps if Nick Caserio had gotten this job a year ago then the trifecta of him, O’Brien, and Easterby would still be around. No one really knows the answer to that question, but it sure would have been fun to see. It looks like Nick Caserio and Jack Easterby will have to create “Patriots West” as a duo, or maybe the new Texans GM will want to forge his own path and go forward without any of his old Patriot Pals. All I can say on that is…stay tuned.
