(SportsRadio 610) - Once general manager Nick Caserio put to bed speculation he would be leaving the Texans, he focused on the draft, and, as usual, tap-danced around direct answers that might shine some light on what the Texans’ intentions are next week when the first round is on Thursday.
Caserio’s typical response to questions he doesn’t want to answer because he’s concerned about disclosing too much is, “We want to add good players” and “We want to make good decisions” and “We’re going to do what’s best for the team.”
Let’s start with what should be best for the team. The Texans have a desperate need at quarterback. Three are on the roster – Davis Mills, Case Keenum and E.J. Perry.
Caserio should have his choice of four quarterbacks expected to be drafted after the Panthers select Bryce Young with the first overall pick. That would be C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson and Hendon Hooker.
Stroud is the consensus No. 2-ranked quarterback behind Young, but there’s growing sentiment, locally and nationally, that the Texans have soured on him and may take an edge rusher, their second-biggest need.
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The best edge rushers are Will Anderson Jr. and Tyree Wilson. They’re head and shoulders above the other best edge rushers. You know coach DeMeco Ryans would love to add one of the premier edge rushers to his defense. If Caserio doesn’t take a quarterback with the second overall pick, don’t be surprised if he selects Wilson over Anderson.
Caserio admitted at his pre-draft news conference on Monday that a couple of teams have called about trading up. It doesn’t seem likely he’ll trade down because he already has 12 picks, including 12th overall. You can’t rule out anything with Caserio because he’s proved time and again how much he likes to wheel and deal with his draft choices.
If Caserio stays at two and bypasses a quarterback, would he look for one at 12? The top-four prospects should be gone, and that would leave Hooker. His stock has been on the rise since he began doing interviews with teams at the combine, but he turned 25 in January and is recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL.
A lot of NFL people like Hooker. They point out because quarterbacks are playing into their late 30s, a rookie’s age isn’t as important as it used to be. Hooker will be 34 in his 10th season. At the end of October, he’ll be 10 months into his rehabilitation. Does Caserio like Hooker enough to use the 12th pick on him? It’s not out of the question. Or maybe Caserio will trade up from 12 to get a quarterback. He’s got the draft capital this year and next year to pull it off if he wants to pay the price.
Caserio was asked how important it is for the Texans to come out of the draft with their quarterback issues solved, and he maneuvered like he was playing dodgeball.
“I think there are a lot of different ways to go,” he said. “We'll look at everything. Building a team is the most important thing. There’s always multiple moving parts, so we'll do whatever we think is best for our team and try to make good decisions.”
Caserio also was asked if it’s possible the Texans could go without drafting a quarterback.
“Anything’s possible,” he said. “The hope is that we can come out of this draft with good players we think can help our team. That's what we're focused on doing.”
If Caserio doesn’t draft a potential franchise quarterback, fans are going to be crushed. But he’s paid to do what he believes is best for the team. He listens to his personnel people and coaches. Cal and Hannah McNair aren’t going to force Caserio to take a quarterback. He weighs all his information and then makes the pick.
“I think we’ve been consistent -- look at our options and what those entail,” he said. “We won't eliminate anything and just try to make good decisions. That's the decision-making process we're going to go through.”
If Caserio doesn’t select a quarterback, the Texans could be in a similar predicament next year when the top-two prospects – USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye – could be better than any of this year’s quarterbacks.
It would be the Texans’ luck if they won too many games to be in position to draft Williams or Maye or anyone else who might excel next season. Caserio might have to pay dearly – like sacrificing both first-round picks – to move up far enough to select one of them.
It’s foolish to look that far ahead, of course, and Caserio knows it. He did well in free agency by adding some players who should be starters. Now he’s got to perform well in the draft. He also was asked if he thinks the Texans can be successful next season if they don’t upgrade quarterback.
“Doesn't really matter what I think,” he said. “It's about the players. This is a players' league. It's going to be about the players' performance on Sunday, what they do with their opportunities.
“We're excited about where we are as a team. We have a long way to go. It’s early in the offseason, but I think the attitude and effort of the players -- we have just about everybody in the building training. I think it speaks to the players, their commitment to winning. It's a reflection of DeMeco and the coaching staff. That's what we're focused on more than anything else.”
Then the Texans better draft a franchise quarterback for Ryans and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
"Ultimately, we're going to try to make the best decision for our team that makes the most sense for everybody involved,” Caserio said. “Part of my job is to take in as much information as possible and to (get) input from as many people as possible. We've had a lot of constructive and collaborative discussions across the organization. In the end, it all has to fit together. We try to do or homework and make the right decisions for our team."
John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on SportsRadio 610 and Thursday on Texans Radio. He writes three times a week and does two Houtopia Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com. He also can be read four times a week on GallerySports.com.