(SportsRadio 610) -- Before Jack Easterby ascended to Houston's executive vice president of football operations, and later interim general manager, he worked for the New England Patriots.
Easterby had been brought on as a character coach in 2013, and by all accounts, made an impact on the organization.
But as far as Easterby' football acumen qualifying him to help build an NFL roster, which he was tasked to do along with Bill O'Brien after former general manager Brian Gaine was fired last summer, there have been questions as far as exactly how Easterby arrived at this place.
"Jack did a great job for us," Belichick told reporters covering the Texans during a phone conference Monday. "His role was a varied one. He worked with a lot of different aspects of the organization -- players, coaches, support people, so forth. He was a person who could connect well with everybody, from the owner of the team to the equipment manager that picks up towels, and all of the people in between. So he was a very valuable person for this organization in the time he was here."
That aligns with what everyone says about him. Magnetic personality, who really connects with people.
But when Belichick was asked if he thought Easterby would try to climb the ranks as a player personnel executive, he said this:
"Jack's not a personnel person, no."
That cannot be comforting to Texans fans, who have already watched the roster downgrade since Easterby was hired in 2019.
The Texans have since traded Jadeveon Clowney, all while having at least another year of team control contractually, and they allowed D.J. Reader to leave in free agency.
Their struggling run defense, which ranked last in the league going into Sunday, could use either or both of those players.
The Texans also traded DeAndre Hopkins for David Johnson, a second-round pick they used on defensive lineman Ross Blacklock, and a fourth-round swap. The trade, which O'Brien and Easterby conducted together, is widely regarded as one of the most lopsided deals in NFL history.
To add, NFL Network reported Sunday morning Easterby could remain the Texans' general manager if they do not hire a permanent one.
