By hiring Nick Caserio, former New England Patriots director, to solve a host of problems within the organization, the Houston Texans created additional problems with star strategist Deshaun Watson.
Watson offered his input on potential general manager candidates, but the Texans neither considered nor consulted with those endorsed by their franchise quarterback, competition sources told ESPN.
In addition, the Texans did not inform Watson that they intended to hire Caserio, and he found out about the appointment on social media. That contributed to Watson taking to Twitter that night to post “some things never change …”
Watson’s sentiments weren’t focused on Caserio, sources told ESPN, but were instead indicative of how the Texans got back to business.
Last off-season, Houston did not notify Watson that star-wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins would be traded, which led to some disappointment. Now that it’s happened again, Watson would be infinitely more troubled, sources told ESPN.
This time, Watson had met with Texan owner Cal McNair several times, sharing thoughts on certain candidates who were highly recommended, with Watson suggesting that the team should at least talk to them, sources told ESPN. He didn’t expect Houston to hire the ones he endorsed, but he hoped the Texans would respect the feelings of the group of his teammates he was trying to represent, sources told ESPN.
However, the Texans did not respond to their quarterback’s thoughts and went ahead with a lease that mattered to a much smaller circle than whoever tried to help Watson, sources told ESPN.
Even if they didn’t want to go ahead with any of the candidates recommended by Watson, sources told ESPN that Watson wanted at least the opportunity to meet the finalists of property so he could voice his opinion from a player’s point of view to make it team – and then the Texans could hire whoever they wanted. That opportunity never came.
Now attention turns to the consequences of the situation. The Texans clearly have an unlucky quarterback on their hands when they welcome Caserio to their franchise to help rebuild it.
It has already been speculated that Watson could demand a trade, although Caserio is only just starting his job and the team still doesn’t have a head coach. If the team were to trade Watson, it would have to absorb a $ 22 million salary cap, although it could get a plethora of draft picks and players back.
But the mess that Caserio was hired to clean up is actually bigger because of the events surrounding his hiring, as it now includes a disillusioned franchise quarterback.