Teams Houston Texans - Battle Red

Sep 6, 2005
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ESPN's Dianna Russini reports the Texans "continue to avoid conversations with teams in regards to trading Deshaun Watson."
The pot is boiling, but the Texans refuse to watch it. We will see how long they can continue to outlast a player who tweeted Thursday: "Loyalty is everything. Don't you EVER forget it." Both sides appear to be digging in. This could end up one of the NFL's most drawn out, dramatic sagas in some time.
SOURCE: Dianna Russini on Twitter
Feb 25, 2021, 1:31 PM ET
 
Sep 6, 2005
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ESPN's Dan Graziano reports Deshaun Watson met with new Texans coach David Culley last Friday and "reiterated that he wants to be traded and told Culley he has no intention of playing for the Texans again."
SOURCE: Dan Graziano on Twitter
Feb 25, 2021, 3:14 PM ET
If hiring Culley was the Texans' last-ditch gambit to keep their franchise player, it didn't work. It appears Watson may be Carson Palmer-level committed. Palmer sat out the beginning of the 2011 season before the Bengals finally traded him to the Raiders. The Texans have been adamant, both publicly and via leak, that Watson will not be dealt. For his part, Watson continues to further dig in. Someone is going to have to blink, and it will probably be the Texans. Even in a league where teams hold all the cards, players of Watson's stature typically get a deal when things devolve to this point. It's not a good situation for anybody when a star is kept against their will.
SOURCE: Dan Graziano on Twitter
Feb 25, 2021, 3:14 PM ET
 
Sep 6, 2005
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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports "no one believes" Deshaun Watson will be traded.
That's via sources "knee deep" in the situation. Rapsheet appears to be referring to teams that might be interested in acquiring the elite young quarterback. Rapoport also reports the Texans do not view either the start of free agency or the draft as "any sort of deadline." Rapsheet believes the drama will last for a "very, very long time." That is consistent with the established facts, as each side continues to dig in, both out in the open and via leaks.
SOURCE: Ian Rapoport on Twitter
Feb 25, 2021, 7:47 PM ET
 
Sep 6, 2005
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Five Theories Why David Culley Was Hired
The new Houston Texans head coaching hire is a bit of a head scratcher.

By Mike Bullock Feb 2, 2021, 9:00am CST

When former Houston Texans owner Bob McNair hired former Texans coach Bill O’Brien, it made a lot of sense - regardless of the end result. O’Brien was a hot prospect, allegedly pursued by many teams. He was coming off a turnaround of Penn State post-Jerry Sandusky’s horrific scandal. There was a lot of hype surrounding B’OB.

Fast forward to 2021. Bob McNair is no longer with us (RIP). Neither is Bill O’Brien. The hot candidate in the 2020-21 coaching search was Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. So when it came time to hire a head coach, it made total sense the Texans would bring in... David Culley?
/scratches head

While Culley might still become the greatest head coach in franchise history, the hiring of a man no one else was pursuing, no other team had promoted to coordinator, and who sorely lacked historical evidence pointing to great success leaves more questions than answers. Why did the Texans decide Culley was the guy who should take over?

Theory One: No One Else Wanted the Texans Head Coaching Job.

On the surface, it seems insane all the candidates (other than Culley) interviewed for the Texans head coaching position turned it down. The reality is probably more grey than black and white. Eric Bieniemy was rumored to want roster control. Maybe Jack Easterby wanted that for himself? Maybe Houston general manager Nick Caserio wasn’t willing to cede that to a first-time head coach? Maybe Bieniemy is smart enough to know he’s better off sticking with Andy Reid and the Hunts, one of the best families of owners in NFL history, instead of hitching his wagon to Cal “Tommy Boy” McNair?

Rumors swirled that other candidates may have asked for the dismissal of Jack Easterby. I mean, who wouldn’t based on what we all know about the wannabe turned VP? Would you happily take a job knowing a guy who had power over your livelihood knew jack squat about how to do his job and had a history of undermining everyone who came before you? #HardPass

A team hiring the only guy who would take the gig has happened more often than the NFL’s PR machine would like us to believe. Just look at the string of also-rans the Oakland Raiders had in the valley between Jon Gruden’s runs as coach. Dig through the history of coaches in Detroit, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and, prior to Michael Bidwell taking over, the Cardinals. Just as with those teams, the current climate in Houston might carry the perception that the Texans are where coaching careers go to die.

Theory Two: Deshaun Watson Is Truly Gone.

While this is really an addendum to Theory One, it’s a big enough issue to warrant its own line. We all want to cling tenaciously to the tiny shred of hope that Watson will continue his career in battle red. However, there’s an overwhelming mountain of evidence to the contrary. When guys like Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport, and other “in the know” NFL talking heads are convinced something is a foregone conclusion, it usually is. And, without Watson, the Texans’ gig is a wasteland of unnecessary drama, cap issues, draft pick deficits, roster holes, and unwanted interference from Jack Easterby.

Theory Three: Culley Really Is An Unpolished Gem of a Head Coach.

This one is a bit far-fetched, but as we discussed in the recent GroupThink regarding his hire, there have been previously unheralded, first-time head coaches who come out of nowhere and take a team to new heights. Granted, none have done it at age 65. Culley has many advocates; his stack of LORs (letter of recommendation) might reach the ceiling from Cal McNair’s desk. Oddly enough, most of those are from fellow coaches and front office people, with not so many from players.

Culley is allegedly the kind of guy that can sincerely talk people into just about anything. Maybe he can talk Watson into staying? At this point, if Watson does leave, no matter what Culley does, he can’t lose; without Watson, he’s totally set up to fail. Any success he has is a step up from where the Texans will be post-Watson.

Theory Four: The Houston Texans Need The Anti-Bill O’Brien In Order To Move Forward.

With stories of O’Brien yelling at assistant coaches, getting in sideline screaming matches with superstar J.J. Watt, and otherwise sucking all the fun out of the organization as he tightened his grip when he felt things slip through his fingers, O’Brien’s final culture was rumored to be very ugly. David Culley is the opposite of that. He encourages. He is a rah-rah kind of coach. In theory, he can motivate offensive coordinator Tim Kelly and defensive coordinator Lovie Smith to bring their best every week, instead of control-freaking them into a tailspin like his predecessor allegedly did.

Maybe Culley is the “culture change” Deshaun Watson asked for in his season finale presser.

Theory Five: Culley Was The Only Candidate Projected To Be Easterby’s Tail.

This also builds off Theory One but adds a different wrinkle. Guys like Robert Saleh, Eric Bieniemy, Joe Brady, Brandon Staley, Matt Eberflus, and Brian Daboll might present strong personalities that someone like Caserio instantly knew wouldn’t bend to Easterby’s will. As the general manager, if you saw fireworks between your potential head coach and your wannabe-turned-VP, you might look somewhere else.

Culley doesn’t have a history of getting in fiery sideline battles with players. He doesn’t have a reputation as someone hard to get along with. In fact, after 27 years in the NFL, he might just about do anything you ask when given the brass ring of head coaching status. To see this sort of relational dynamic in play, look no further than Barry Switzer when he took over the Dallas Cowboys from Jimmy Johnson. Switzer was the perfect tail to Jerry Jones’ dog. When Jones said jump, Switzer was in the air before asking how high. Culley might just be the tail Easterby’s dog needs.

While we really want Theory Three or Four to ring true, only time will tell.
 
What about the they needed somebody experienced to show Jesus Boi Josh McCown the ropes for a couple of years before he takes over?
 
Sep 6, 2005
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Deshaun Watson would lose around $20.2 million if he sits out the 2021 season.
The numbers, while a bit complicated, add up to $20.2 million if Watson skips mandatory minicamp, training camp, and the regular season. He's reportedly told the Texans he will not play another snap for the team, possibly setting up a protracted battle between the two sides. Watson can essentially choose his next team since he has a no-trade clause in the contract he signed last year. Holding out the entire season would mean Watson's base salary would remain $10.54 million in 2022. Taking the ultimate hard line -- as Le'Veon Bell did with the Steelers in 2018 -- would sacrifice a year in the prime of Watson's career. He'll be 26 in September.
SOURCE: ProFootballTalk.com
Feb 27, 2021, 3:18 PM ET
 
Should just show up at training camp and throw every ball out of bounds or into the dirt.

Save yourself the fines, make it impossible for the team to practice.
 
Should just show up at training camp and throw every ball out of bounds or into the dirt.

Save yourself the fines, make it impossible for the team to practice.
Just not a thing DeShaun would do
 
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This stance by both parties can ONLY end in a trade. There is no way peace can be found. So it does both parties no good for the Texans FO to refuse a trade. The ball is in their court. They need to resolve it. Not doing so (trade) they not only * up Watson's chance to move on, but also the Texans themselves from playing any good....they need to draft/acquire another QB, they need cohesion between existing players and FO/Coaches, otherwise others could all start demanding a trade, or just mailing it in, getting their weekly paychecks but not bothering to actually play well.
 
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Texans released QB Josh McCown.
He's expected to immediately pursue a carer in coaching, likely landing back in Houston after the organization (comically) interviewed him for its head-coaching vacancy before formally hiring David Culley. With Tim Kelly still hanging on to his OC role, McCown could easily be groomed under the former while taking on the title of Assistant Head Coach. As always, nothing is off the table when it comes to the Texans.
SOURCE: Field Yates on Twitter
Mar 1, 2021, 4:12 PM ET
 
That would be a dick move that would harm plenty of the other guys on the roster/trying to make the roster.

I'm also not sure that intentionally flunking your reps would get you out of being fined

Pretty sure I read Brandon Marshall or Martellus Bennett did it in Chicago, battered down every ball that came those way until they were given a new contract or traded.
 
What about the they needed somebody experienced to show Jesus Boi Josh McCown the ropes for a couple of years before he takes over?
well he kinda proves that God must be real

I mean how the * else would he have managed to stay in the league for so ******* long?
 
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Pretty sure I read Brandon Marshall or Martellus Bennett did it in Chicago, battered down every ball that came those way until they were given a new contract or traded.
1) Neither of those two were known as being the most stable, rational people ( for various reasons)
2) A receiver doing it mostly effects only them. A QB doing it affects almost the entire roster

I'm not disputing that it would probably be effective, just that it's kinda a dick move
 
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