(SportsRadio 610) - When the subject is DeMeco Ryans, Nick Caserio lights up and sounds like a politician giving a filibuster in the state capital. When the subject is the general manager, Caserio gets this pained expression as if he's about to undergo a colonoscopy.
Asked at his news conference this week about the contributions his draft choices and free agents are making to the Texans' renaissance, Caserio praised Ryans, his assistants and the team's personnel department.
"I think DeMeco and the coaching staff deserve a tremendous amount of credit for what we've done and where we are," Caserio said about the 3-3 record. "It's a credit to the players, and I think the (personnel department) did a great job.
"DeMeco is everything we hoped he would be. As good of a coach as he is, he's a better human being. Players love playing for him. Players want to be here."
Okay, Nick, but what about the general manager who has overseen the draft and free agency, the GM who recommended the McNair family hire Ryans when he was pursued by all five teams that had openings?
"I try to stay out of the way – that's a big thing," Caserio said. "We have a lot of players with the right mindset and care a lot about football. They deserve the credit for the wins. I'll take the criticism for anything that goes wrong around here, so I guess that'll be my responsibility.
"The goal is for whatever your role is, you perform it to the best of your ability and try to be the best version of yourself on a day-to-day basis. Nothing is perfect. We try to make sound decisions. There's a lot of thought process that goes into it."
Caserio refused to accept any credit, and that's what most general manager do -- step back into the shadows and let the owners, coaches and players bask in the success of the season. Caserio is content to stay in the background and work on the roster with Ryans.
"DeMeco and I talk on a fairly regular basis about the team, about where we are currently, maybe some things moving forward," Caserio said. "There's a lot of people within the organization that deserve a lot of credit for the job they do in supporting and helping the players."
Caserio and Ryans have played significant roles in helping the Texans win three games -- the same number of victories as 2022 -- and there's excitement around NRG Stadium.
From Janice, Hannah and Cal McNair through the rest of the organization there's confidence in Ryans, his coaches and the players and a belief the Texans are going in the right direction.
The Texans are tied for second place in the AFC South one game behind the Jaguars, a team they whipped in Jacksonville. Looking at their schedule – at Carolina after the bye and returning home against Tampa Bay – the Texans could be a playoff contender. They're 3-1 over their last four games.
Caserio likes where the Texans are. They're well-coached. They're playing smart football. They have leaders who've stepped up to build the kind of culture Ryans demands.
"Any superlative you have applies to him," Caserio said about Ryans. "His consistency, his sincerity on a day-to-day basis, is real. His energy is real. (His) emotion permeates through the building, and the players feel that.
"We were 0-2, and his message to the team wasn't any different than when we started the season. The message to the team that, yeah, we're 3-3 (and) it's nice to win, but there's a lot of things we can do better.
"He tells the truth. He keeps it real. The players respect him. I have a lot of respect, appreciation (and) admiration for him, and it's only grown over (the) months we've been together. Anything that I can do to support him, I'm going to be there for him."
Something else impresses Caserio about Ryans: his energy. Ryans works at a pace that's contagious, and it's authentic. When Ryans speaks, his players listen to him – even when it's not what they want to hear. They know he'll always tell them what he thinks, won't sugarcoat it and hopes it helps them improve.
"He's been like that since the first day," Caserio said. "Players see it and feel it. People around the building feel it, too. Just be who you are. Be wherever your feet are. He's certainly emblematic of that.
"He really cares about winning. He's very competitive. That's one of the qualities the two of us share. We're ultra-competitive. Hopefully, we complement each other."
When Ryans was hired in January, he had to earn Caserio's trust as a talent evaluator. When they discussed personnel, Caserio needed to know he could trust Ryans' opinions and recommendations. Ryans has proven to be shrewd when it comes to making decisions on players who fit what he wants to achieve.
Those who have watched Caserio and Ryans build their relationship are impressed with the way they work so well together.
"How the head coach wants the team to look and play, that information is valuable and important, and he has experience at a lot of different levels," Caserio said. "There has to be give and take, and (you have to be) openminded. You have to be willing to listen and do the right thing for the team.
"Coaches have their imprint on the team. Ultimately, doing what's best for the Texans is the most important thing. It's not about who's right or wrong. It's about are we doing the right thing, and are we making the right decisions? It's not like we agree on everything, but you hash it out and work through it."
It's going to be interesting to see if Caserio and Ryans are going to make any deals at the Oct. 31 trade deadline. If the Texans beat the Panthers, they'll be 4-3 and in playoff contention.
So far, Caserio hasn't had any discussions with other teams about acquiring players who could strengthen their possible playoff run.
"Zero," he said. "We're going to look at our team, figure out is there an opportunity to add a player we think can help us? If there's somebody we think can have a defined role and (make) an impact, we'll certainly look into that. If there's not, we won't do anything (but) whatever happens at the trade deadline happens at the trade deadline."
John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on SportsRadio 610 and Monday, Thursday and Sunday on Texans Radio, also on SportsRadio 610. He writes five columns a week and does three Houtopia Football Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com.
