By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Nick Caserio and the Houston Texans have reportedly agreed to a deal to make him their next GM, as first reported by Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Caserio will work for another organization for the first time in his NFL career after having worked for the Patriots since 2001, leaving an opening in Foxboro for a director of player personnel.
The Texans have coveted Caserio for years. They attempted to wrest him loose from New England back in 2019, before the Patriots filed tampering charges. They then promised not to pursue Caserio in 2020. But it’s now 2021, and they obviously wasted no time getting their guy.
Caserio’s move comes in spite of the news last February that he had signed a multi-year extension to stay with the Patriots, so Bill Belichick and the Krafts obviously valued Caserio’s work as well. Caserio served as the de facto GM of the Patriots during his time as player personnel, but he also proved to be versatile as he helped the coordinators and frequently appeared on the practice field in a hands-on role with players.
The Texans continued to go back to the Bill Belichick well with their hiring of Nick Caserio as GM. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
He will ostensibly have more freedom in building the Texans’ roster than he did with Belichick making the final calls on roster moves in Foxboro. The Texans went 4-12 in the 2020 season, so he has as much (if not more) of a project on his hands as he would’ve had here. But it could be a bit easier for Caserio to improve the Texans roster when he doesn’t have to worry about finding a quarterback.
MORE: An early look at the Patriots’ quarterback options
The question, now, is whether longtime Patriots colleague Josh McDaniels will follow Caserio to Houston. The Texans also have an opening at head coach and will presumably let Caserio hire his own guy. McDaniels recently expressed interest in becoming a head coach again, as emphatically as he ever has.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff or send him a nasty email at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.