We're coming down off the initial burst of free agency and the Texans have been in overdrive acquiring players. Reading the information required to evaluate and decide to get the dozens of players that have joined the roster must be like comprehending the latest stimulus bill.
Well, that's just part of it. Here comes the draft in less than a month. This year, teams are having to gobble up info from college pro days, as there was no combine to create a uniform setting for workouts and medical info. All of this puts a premium on references and relationships.
Remember in Jerry McGuire, Jerry harkens back to his mentor, Dickie Fox, who said: "The key to this business is personal relationships." He was talking about agents, but he might as well have been talking about getting quality intel on draft prospects.
[Editor's Note: Vandermeer, please stop with the dated movie references. Jerry McGuire came out when I was a toddler. Some of our department wasn't even born yet!]
[Vandermeer's rebuttal to the editor: Don't mess with the classics! Jerry McGuire is required viewing for all sports and movie fans!]
John Harris asked Nick Caserio about getting player information during this unique COVID era of football during this week's Texans All Access show.
"Ultimately, what this comes down to - in terms of information that you gain outside of the building - is getting the right information and knowing who to go through to gain that information." Caserio said.
"Even at a pro day, everybody's going to see certain things, so it's about the information that gives the most accurate profile on a player so you can make a good decision in real time," he added.
We all know job references are important in every-day work life. In football, it's a small universe. There are many relationships between scouts, coaches and front office people. It's not six degrees of separation or Kevin Bacon, it's two degrees of Nick Saban (hey, I tried).
Caserio went on to say "Knowing who to go to, how to get that information and trusting the people that provide that information to you is important."
Caserio has been in the mix of player evaluation for two decades. He's run pro day workouts and, before the world went digital, probably had a rolodex the size of a small dog. Based on how active the Texans have been under his leadership, it's going to be very intriguing to watch him and his crew operate in the Draft four weeks from now.
The Houston Texans roster in photos.
DL Mario Addison, #56 (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
QB, Kyle Allen, #3
RB, Darius Anderson, #30
DB, Grayland Arnold, #35
TE, Antony Auclair, #83
DL, Ross Blacklock, #90
DL, Thomas Booker, #96
OL, Justin Britt, #68
DB, Terrence Brooks, #8
TE, Pharaoh Brown, #85
RB, Rex Burkhead, #28
WR, Jalen Camp, #17
OL, A.J. Cann, #60
LB, Blake Cashman, #53
DL, Maliek Collins, #97
WR, Nico Collins, #12
WR, Chris Conley, #18
WR, Brandin Cooks, #13
WR, Davion Davis, #14
LB, Tae Davis, #19
OL, Austin Deculus, #76
WR, Phillip Dorsett, #4
QB, Jeff Driskel, #6
DL, Michael Dwumfour, #98
WR, Drew Estrada, #81
K, Ka'imi Fairbairn, #7
DB, Jacobi Francis, #38
RB, Royce Freeman, #26
OL, Carson Green, #62
DL, Jonathan Greenard, #52
WR, DaeSean Hamilton, #5
OL, Kenyon Green, #59
DL, Rasheem Green (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
LB, Kamu Grugier-Hill, #51
LB, Christian Harris, #48
DL, Demone Harris, #94
WR, Damon Hazelton, #86
OL, Charlie Heck, #67
LB, Neville Hewitt, #43
QB, Kevin Hogan, #16 (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
OL, Tytus Howard, #71
DL, Jerry Hughes, #55 (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
FB, Andy Janovich, #41
An image from the Aug. 21, 2021 Houston Texans preseason game 2 against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The Texans won 20-14.
WR, Johnny Johnson III, #89
P, Cameron Johnston, #11
TE, Brevin Jordan, #9
DB, Desmond King II, #25
LB, Christian Kirksey, #58
DL, Roy Lopez, #91
RB, Marlon Mack, #2
DB, Tristin McCollum, #39
OL, Justin McCray, #64
WR, John Metchie III, #88
QB, Davis Mills, #10
WR, Chris Moore, #15
DB, Jimmy Moreland, #22
OL, Jimmy Morrissey, #79
DB, Eric Murray, #23
DB, Steven Nelson (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
DB, Steven Nelson, #21
DL, Adedayo Odeleye, #75
OL, Cedric Ogbuehi, #77
RB, Dare Ogunbowale, #33
DL, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, #45
DB, Jonathan Owens, #36
RB, Dameon Pierce, #31
LB, Kevin Pierre-Louis, #57
DB, Jalen Pitre, #42
FB, Paul Quessenberry, #45
OL, Scott Quessenberry, #54
TE, Teagan Quitoriano, #84
LB, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, #34 (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)
DL, Derek Rivers, #95
OL, Max Scharping, #74
DB, Kendall Sheffield (AP Photo/Kevin Sabitus)
DB, Tremon Smith, #24
OL, Jordan Steckler, #70
DB, M.J. Stewart, #29
DB, Derek Stingley Jr., #24
DB, Tavierre Thomas, #37
OL, Laremy Tunsil, #78
LB, Garret Wallow, #32
WR, Connor Wedington (AP)
LS, Jon Weeks #46
DB, Isaac Yiadom, #20
