HOUSTON – Before the entire business talk, they were informed about their 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 whole cultural change,” Watson said earlier this month. “We just need new energy. We need discipline, we need structure, we need a leader to be able to follow him as a player. That’s what we need. We need to have the love not just of the game of football, because that’s what we do, but love for the people and people of this organization. “
“… We need someone who is tall and [says] this is who we follow and so it continues … and we will do so to win “.
Of course, Watson may not be with the Texans to play Culley, as ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported Sunday that the quarterback is expected to still want to leave Houston regardless of who hires the team. Watson wasn’t the only one who felt the need to make a culture change.
By hiring Culley, the Texans hope to have found that person to build the foundations Watson asked for.
But for most jeans fans, Culley’s name is unfamiliar. So who is he and why did Texans general manager Cal McNair and general manager Nick Caserio choose him to be the next coach in the franchise?
Who is David Culley?
Culley, 65, has spent the last three seasons in Baltimore as the Ravens’ assistant coach, game coordinator and receiving coach. He has just finished his 27th season as 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 head coach.
Culley has never been an offensive coordinator at the NFL level, but has been an assistant coach before his stint in Baltimore, for the Kansas City bosses. The Ravens were a first offense in 2020, as they led the NFL in rushing yards and finished last in passing yards.
What does it bring to Houston?
The Texans were serious about fixing the culture within the organization and believe that Culley is that person.
After doing a second interview with the Texans, this time in person, the team was impressed by Culley’s energy and believes he has the NFL experience to make that cultural change within the building, even all if he has not previously been a coordinator.
“What would stand out about Coach Culley, more than anything, is what he’s an amazing teacher and communicator,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in 2019. “He’s probably the best, I’d say he’s the best. best direct teacher, “communicator I’ve seen coaching one-on-one football, not only because he coaches it so well, but because he’s very relentless and directs important things.”
“You can be relentless, but if you’re training things that don’t matter, it’s just a lot of hot air. He’s training things that matter and you see the guys getting better every day within his group of positions.”
McNair knew he wanted whoever he hired as general manager to put himself at the forefront of the coaching search. It’s Caserio, who said the most sought-after feature in a head coach was the ability to “lead people”.
“Because in the end, football is a sport but it’s about people, right?” Caserio said. “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 player on their respective side of the ball. But who that is, it will have some competence in some area. “
“… I would say that in our situation, in relation to Deshaun, we are trying to put into practice something that is sustainable for him and that can allow him, the rest of the team and the organization, to get out of it. and act to the fullest on weekdays. 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 were hired for, as Mortensen reported, then hiring Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy wouldn’t have made a difference.
Now that the Texans have hired their new coach, the question is whether Watson will be here to see the cultural change he called for in Houston. The quarterback has not requested any transaction, but could decide to do so once the lease has been officially announced.
While the Texans could agree to negotiate terms with another team before the start of the new league year on March 17, no transaction will be able to run until then. The key time frame to pay attention to is before the NFL draft in April, because if the Texans traded with Watson, they would want to make sure they get draft capital by 2021, when the chosen slots are in place. blocked.
What will happen next in Houston?
Watson achieved the best numbers of his young career in 2020 and the team only won four games. The Houston defense struggled all season, finishing 30th in the Football Outsiders weighted DVOA. Of course, there are still a lot of holes in a defense that struggled primarily because it lacked young creators of differences, so whoever hires Culley as a defensive coordinator will have a big task ahead of them.
Regardless of whether the jeans change Watson, those holes on the list will remain. The first selection of jeans in this draft is number 67, so they will not be able to add impact talent at a suitable price for the team and are currently $ 18 million above the 2021 salary cap (all and that this matters less than the cash they have already committed, which gives them some flexibility).
If Houston switches to Watson, he will be able to incorporate pieces into the defense and improve that side of the ball significantly, but questions will remain with the quarterback.