There’s a lot of change going on around here this year, we got a lot of work to do. I’m happy about that.”. So here’s the takeaway from the Texans stunner: The NFL is a coach’s league. Alignment. Subsequently, Easterby’s hire quietly set into motion an unofficial assessment, top to bottom, of where Houston’s football operation stood. Those who know Easterby swear it’s unfair to see him as O’Brien’s assassin. In particular, the coaches have been pleasantly surprised by the change-of-direction skills he flashed, on top of the speed everyone knows about. Caserio and Easterby hanging out there isn’t huge news, because, again, they’re good friends. Email us at talkback@themmqb.com. If you follow the above breadcrumbs, Nick Caserio, the Patriots’ VP of player personnel, is next. He knows what it looks like on and off the field. And certainly for us to finish the season the way we did last year, it left everyone with a good feeling. A couple weeks ago, a rogue amateur cameraman caught him tossing it around during a rehab session, and the video went viral. Owner Steve Ross wasn’t going to let him fire Joe Philbin and bring in his own coach, I’m told. After being undrafted out of the University of Maine in the 1995 NFL Draft, Gaine signed with the New York Jets and spent time on the team's practice squad throughout the season. Yes, Deshaun Watson took a beating behind a weak offensive line, but that was as much as a result of the team’s awkward spot in the anthem situation of 2017, which led to the forced trade of franchise left tackle Duane Brown, as anything. 2. Three years ago, the Andrew Luck contract broke during this break. “Joe is great with the coaches. The whole plan is to be ready when camp starts. The alternative? Is Brian Gaine going to get the last laugh over Bill O'Brien in Bills versus Texans? As a result, Easterby got the EVP title. That is, assuming something isn’t quietly done already. The truth is, by then, he’d been doing that for a while. I feel like I deal with more. 3. 3. “The rehab’s gone great. Every step’s important, and this is a big one, even just for the symbolism. • Easterby’s whereabouts the day before Gaine’s firing? 5. But as a man I’ve tried to grow a lot and tried to put a lot of stuff behind me, and it’s like it just keeps getting brought up.’”. “He’s been throwing—spot throwing—for the last month,” Turner said. • That said, if there was a criticism of Gaine’s final draft in Houston, it may tie to that league consensus and the possibility he could’ve gotten Howard a little later on. Browns WR Odell Beckham. On the surface, the Texans axing Gaine seemed to come as a huge surprise—but a closer look reveals a few clues about Houston’s intentions all along. And no, it won’t be full-on practice, but the fact that he’ll be out there throwing is significant for a franchise that’s been waiting for five months to see its quarterback actually sling it to his teammates again. Fit. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. The year before that, Jason Pierre-Paul had a pretty bad mishap with some fireworks. I still think they can compete without Kevin Durant. In the absence of a full-time general manager, senior vice president of football administration, Chris Olsen, has taken on the role as interim general manager. “A lot of things up in the air, you have to see how your team’s going to respond. And ultimately, I’d say between Douglas and the guys he’ll likely bring with him, the Jets have done just that. Which is crazy to think about. The near-100-yard receiving effort from Cooks, who the Texans gave up a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams to acquire in the offseason, indicates that he may be coming alive in the offense. That’s just the life of a star, and it’s not unique to this particular 26-year-old. He’s very serious about the rehab, but he’s been Cam. … But—and this is a big but—in January 2018, when Gaine was hired, it looked like Easterby was going to Indianapolis with McDaniels, and the Patriots denied the Texans permission to talk to Caserio (and college scouting director Monti Ossenfort). According to Pro Football Focus, Cooks has produced the highest receiving grade among all Texans with 77.3. He’ll take some from everywhere and put his own spin on it. Jets Based on conversations with people around the NFL, Rich Cimini believes the Jets' top three... NFL Notes: Jarvis Landry, Bears, Ravens, Texans. I feel like I’m in a way different position than anybody else in the NFL. It’s a new year, this is not last year’s team, our thought process is the same. Beasley’s only missed one game over the last five years. Along those lines, here is some of what I know about this offseason and where things are going from here in Houston …. • Fill in some details on Joe Douglas’s arrival as Jets general manager. 1 receiver Davante Adams. Kliff Kingsbury and Co. could have some tough calls coming down the pike on who to keep on the roster—which of course is a good problem to have. At least I still know who I am. But I’d be surprised if either of those guys landed the job without making a hard run at Caserio first. “But for this team, the hunger is the same. 2. 1. Easterby and Caserio are very close. We’re going to have more on Carson Wentz’s contract extension this week, but this is a big win for the entire Eagles organization—and a good sign for where he is coming back off last year’s back injury.