By hiring former New England Patriots executive Nick Caserio to solve a wide range of problems within the organization, the Houston Texans created others with quarterback star Deshaun Watson.
Watson offered his views on potential general manager candidates, but Texans did not consider or consult those endorsed by their franchise quarterback, league sources told ESPN.
In addition, the Texans did not inform Watson that they intended to hire Caserio, and he learned of the hiring on social media. This contributed to Watson accessing Twitter that night to post “some things never change …”
Watson’s feelings were not directed at Caserio, sources told ESPN, but were instead indicative of the way business was conducted again by the Texans.
In the last off-season, Houston did not inform Watson that the great receiver DeAndre Hopkins would be negotiated, which left him disappointed. Now that it happened again, Watson said he was infinitely more upset, sources told ESPN.
This time, Watson met with Texas owner Cal McNair on several occasions, sharing ideas about certain candidates that were highly recommended, with Watson suggesting that the team at least speak to them, sources told ESPN. He did not expect Houston to hire those he endorsed, but he did expect Texans to respect the feelings of the group of his teammates he was trying to represent, sources told ESPN.
The Texans, however, did not act on their quarterback’s thoughts and moved on with a hiring that mattered to a much smaller circle than the one Watson was trying to help, sources told ESPN.
Even if they didn’t want to move on with any of Watson’s recommended candidates, sources told ESPN that Watson at least wanted to have the opportunity to meet with the finalists on the property so that he could offer his ideas from the player’s perspective to benefit the team – and then the Texans could hire whoever they wanted. That opportunity never came.
Now the focus is on the consequences of the situation. The Texans clearly have an unfortunate quarterback on their hands when welcoming Caserio into his franchise to try to rebuild it.
It has been speculated that Watson could demand an exchange, although Caserio is just getting started and the team does not yet have a head coach. If the team switched Watson, they would have to absorb a $ 22 million wage cap charge, although they could get back an abundance of choices and players in the draft.
But the mess Caserio was hired to clean up is actually greater due to the events surrounding his hiring, as it now includes a disappointed franchise quarterback.