Smart draft philosophies at core of Texans rebuild as GM Nick Caserio implements lessons learned with Patriots

He won six Super Bowls with the Patriots, but after New England’s organizational shift away from Tom Brady in 2020, he, too, went elsewhere. 

Most everyone believed Nick Caserio was the Patriots GM in waiting, set to eventually replace de facto GM Bill Belichick as New England’s personnel shot-caller when the future Hall of Fame coach retired. 

Instead, Caserio has spent the past three years incorporating all the team-building knowledge he soaked up in the early 2000s at the start of his football career while in New England … with the Houston Texans. 

Ironically, this has all happened precisely when the Patriots have sunk into an unrecognizable state, now forced to embark on a rebuild on their own. 

But in Houston, starting in 2021, the task at hand for Caserio was as challenging as a rebuild gets. The Deshaun Watson saga was an ominous dark cloud parked over the franchise. Powers that be above Caserio on the organizational hierarchy seemed dead set on keeping the team locked in the NFL’s basement. Three head coaches later, Caserio and Co. seemed to have hired the right guy in DeMeco Ryans. And for as much credit as he deserves for his part in Houston’s rapid reclamation project, let’s focus on Caserio’s low-key prudent drafting at the core of this turnaround. 

Caserio’s first pick was quarterback Davis Mills, who proved to be a serviceable bridge starter during the initial lean years. But due to horrible draft-altering decisions before him, Caserio wasn’t able to make that first selection until the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. 

Then, 22 picks later, with 13 receivers already off the board, Caserio decided upon Nico Collins from Michigan, a tall and lengthy rather enigmatic prospect. He just so happened to be an exquisite “rebuilding” wideout because his mere 79 career receptions across three seasons in Ann Arbor and explosive pro-day workout hinted his best football was…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/smart-draft-philosophies-at-core-of-texans-rebuild-as-gm-nick-caserio-implements-lessons-learned-with-patriots/

Author : Chris Trapasso

Publish date : 2023-12-04 14:45:07

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.