HOUSTON – Before all the talk about trade, reports on his future and the hiring of new coach David Culley, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson was asked what he was looking for in his next coach.
“I mean, we just need a complete cultural change,” said Watson earlier this month. “We just need new energy. We need discipline, we need structure, we need a leader so that we can follow him as players. That’s what we need. We have to have love not only for the football game, because that is what we do, but the love for the people and the people in this organization. “
“… We need someone who is tall and [says] this is what we are following and this is how it works … and we will do it that way to win. “
Of course, Watson may not be with the Texans to play for Culley, as ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported on Sunday that the quarterback may still want to leave Houston, regardless of who the team hires. Watson was not the only one who felt that there needed to be cultural change.
By hiring Culley, the Texans hope to have found that person to build the base that Watson asked for.
But for most Texan fans, Culley’s name is unfamiliar. So who is he and why did Texans CEO Cal McNair and general manager Nick Caserio choose him to be the next technician in the franchise?
Who is David Culley?
Culley, 65, has spent the past three seasons in Baltimore as an assistant coach for the Ravens, passing coordinator and wide receiver coach. He has just finished his 27th season as an NFL coach, after 16 seasons in various college coaching roles. He will be the oldest coach in NFL history at the time of his debut as a coach.
Culley was never an offensive coordinator at the NFL level, but he was a technical assistant before his stint in Baltimore for the Kansas City Chiefs. The Ravens were the first attack in 2020, as they led the NFL in running yards and came in last place in passing yards.
What does he bring to Houston?
Texans took culture fixation seriously within the organization and believe Culley is that person.
After doing a second interview with the Texans – this time in person – the team was impressed with Culley’s energy and believes he has the NFL experience to deliver this cultural change within the building, even though he has never been a coordinator before .
“What I would emphasize about Coach Culley, more than anything, is the incredible teacher and communicator he is,” said Ravens coach John Harbaugh in 2019. “He’s probably the best – I would say he he is the best direct teacher, communicator I have seen coaching football one by one, not just because he coaches him so well, but because he is so unforgiving and he coaches the important things. “
“You can be relentless, but if you’re training things that don’t matter, then that’s a lot of hot air. He’s training things that matter, and you see the guys getting better and better every day within his position group.”
McNair knew he wanted whoever he hired as a general manager to take the lead in seeking coaching. This is Caserio, who said that the characteristic he was looking for most in a head coach was his ability to “lead people”.
“Because after all football is a sport, but it’s about people, right?” Said Caserio. “You have to make an investment in people. You have to be able to lead people … These are some of the things that will be important in relation to whether or not they are a good striker on their respective sides of the ball. But whoever it is will have some competence in some area. “
“… I would say that in our situation, in relation to Deshaun, trying to put into practice something that is sustainable for him that can allow him and the rest of the team and the organization to go there and perform at their maximum in a week the week. That’s the goal. “
What does this mean for Deshaun Watson?
This is perhaps the most important question that only Watson can answer. If Watson still wants to leave, regardless of who the Texans have hired, as Mortensen reported, then hiring Chiefs’ offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy would not have made a difference.
Now that the Texans have hired their new coach, the question is whether Watson will be here to see the culture change he called for in Houston. The quarterback did not request an exchange, but he may decide to do so as soon as the contract is officially announced.
Although the Texans could agree to negotiate with another team before the new league year begins on March 17, a negotiation cannot be carried out until then. The key deadline to pay attention to is before the NFL draft in April, because if Texans negotiated with Watson, they would want to make sure they are getting capital from the 2021 draft, when the choice slots are blocked.
What’s next in Houston?
Watson presented the best numbers of his young career in 2020, and the team won just four games. Houston’s defense struggled throughout the season, finishing 30th in the weighted DVOA of Football Outsiders. Of course, there are still many holes in a defense that fought mainly because there was a lack of young difference makers, so whoever Culley hires as his defensive coordinator will have a difficult task ahead of them.
Regardless of whether Texans trade Watson or not, those holes in the list will remain. Texans’ first choice in this draft is # 67, so they will not be able to add impact talent at a team-friendly price, and are currently $ 18 million above the projected salary cap for 2021 (although that matters less than the money they have already committed, which gives them some flexibility).
If Houston negotiates with Watson, they will be able to fit the pieces in the defense and improve that side of the ball significantly, but the questions will remain in the quarterback.