O'Brien - Staying or Going?

[chuck]

Originally Posted by barrett

Chuck I've got to admit I looked forward to you blasting Rick Smith despite the circumstances of his departure. I didn't think you'd go easy on a guy just because his wife is sick. I especially thought any pity you do possess would be removed by Smith mentioning God in his statement.

I don't know what sort of ogre you think I am. As a human being of course I'm sympathetic. As a follower of the Texans I would like to think that he is now completely irrelevant to me, but of course since this is the Texans and not a competently run organization, the owner refuses to provide any clarity and any prospective GM is of course going to have to deal with the specter of Slick Rick.

So who knows, it's not at all impossible that I'll get to continue to enjoy complaining about him for years to come.

And I'm still laughing my ass off that Buford thinks that Smith's getting fired means he loses his family's health coverage. And the 2018 sign-up window for the ACA has closed, more's the pity!

[Warren]

"The GM is going to have full authority over personnel, and he'll report to Cal and me," McNair said. "That's our main message to potential GMs, and there's no question about it."

"Rick needs to take care of his family. Hopefully they'll get good results. Some people have raised the question if Rick comes back at the end of the year, he's going to have undue influence on the GM. That's not the case. Rick might not want to come back."

"We don't know what Rick might do. That's something we'll discuss a year from now. The only concern is to take care of his family, and we're not going beyond that."

McClain

That authority would be set out in the GM's contract, so (assuming the contract doesn't allow for it) Smith couldn't just be reinserted in the personnel power structure if he comes back. It looks to me like Smith is being given the option of either being able to look for another job when he's ready to do so, without being fired, or to come back in some football operations role that doesn't involve personnel. Keep in mind that Jamey Rootes is responsible for all business functions, so I don't know what duties that would leave. Smith's entire career has been in coaching and personnel and he's only in his late 40s so it seems unlikely that he'd be ready to permanently move to a different role.

[Warren]

Packers Director of Player Personnel Brian Gutekunst is an interesting candidate. Green Bay GM Ted Thompson was pushed into an advisory position and capologist Russ Ball is the favorite to take over. That would involve denying Gutekunst and Director of Football Operations Eliot (son of Ron) Wolf, even though they both are considered ready to be GMs and may no longer be content to wait for that job to open back up. Gutekunst was reportedly very impressive in an interview with the 49ers last year before withdrawing from consideration.

The Packers have historically used a draft-and-develop strategy and have not been big players in the free agent market. They have tended to sign free agents who had been cut by other teams because those signings don't count against them in the rules for awarding compensatory picks, and as a result have received more of those extra picks than any team but the Ravens. This philosophy has been criticized recently, which is why Thompson is out. The Texans would need to do a better job drafting, especially after the first round, to make this approach work.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Warren

Packers Director of Player Personnel Brian Gutekunst is an interesting candidate.

Gutekunst has been retained by Green Bay before he even made it the interview with Houston.

The Eagles and Patriots have declined to let their guys interview (before their playoff runs end, respectively). Cowboys Will McClay is staying in Dallas.

So I think that leaves Brian Gaine unless the Texans are willing to wait.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Keith

Gutekunst has been retained by Green Bay before he even made it the interview with Houston.

The Eagles and Patriots have declined to let their guys interview (before their playoff runs end, respectively). Cowboys Will McClay is staying in Dallas.

So I think that leaves Brian Gaine unless the Texans are willing to wait.

It's ridiculous that teams can turn down interviews for front office guys because of playoff games. The front office guys are done with their 2017 jobs and they will be busier in a month then they are now, so why wait for an interview.

[HPF Bob]

Rick Smith is getting paid and I don't begrudge him for it. Even with his worst mistakes he is at least league average at his job and has longer than league average tenure and league average results. It's not his fault there aren't 32 better GMs then him. He's like the Andy Dalton of GMs.

General managers (in that title) don't call plays. They don't stand on the sidelines in the summer heat or the harsh winter cold and try to motivate their troops. They aren't judged on wins and losses, except indirectly. They are like glorified accountants.

Sure, they are involved in the draft and they try to fit players under an arbitrary salary cap with a bunch of loopholes but, like I said, glorified accountants. I could hire Roy Pickett as my GM and do as well as Rick Smith.

If being a GM was so difficult, Matt Millen couldn't have done it.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by barrett

It's ridiculous that teams can turn down interviews for front office guys because of playoff games. The front office guys are done with their 2017 jobs and they will be busier in a month then they are now, so why wait for an interview.

I agree for the most part. FWIW, from March 1 through the end of the draft, teams also need permission before they can talk to a GM candidate who is under contract with another organization.

I wonder if the Texans have any interest in Eliot Wolf since he didn’t get the Packers GM job.

I don’t see any reason for them not to wait until they’ve had a chance to talk to the guys with Patriots and Eagles. I like what I’ve read about Joe Douglas, and there’s a good chance he’ll be available to interview next week.

[Arky]

Texans plan to hire Brian Gaine as new GM, extend contract of coach Bill O'Brien

The Texans are in negotiations to hire Brian Gaine as general manager and sign coach Bill O'Brien to a contract extension.

Gaine, Buffalo's vice president of player personnel, interviewed Tuesday.

Once Gaine's deal is official, the Texans are hoping to have O'Brien's extension wrapped up, too.

O'Brien has one year left on his contract and needs to hire six new assistant coaches because of firings, one retirement and one voluntary departure on his staff.

O'Brien and his staff are coaching in the Senior Bowl in two weeks. If he has an extension, it'll be easier for him to hire better assistants. Senior Bowl week is a job fair for out-of-work assistant coaches.

Gaine, who worked as director of pro personnel and director of player personnel for three years (2014-16) under former general manager Rick Smith, had an impressive interview Tuesday.

Really starting to sound like Rick Smith will never have the GM duties any more....

[barrett]

Originally Posted by chuck

I don't know what sort of ogre you think I am. As a human being of course I'm sympathetic. As a follower of the Texans I would like to think that he is now completely irrelevant to me, but of course since this is the Texans and not a competently run organization, the owner refuses to provide any clarity and any prospective GM is of course going to have to deal with the specter of Slick Rick.

So who knows, it's not at all impossible that I'll get to continue to enjoy complaining about him for years to come.

And I'm still laughing my ass off that Buford thinks that Smith's getting fired means he loses his family's health coverage. And the 2018 sign-up window for the ACA has closed, more's the pity!

I don't think you're an ogre, I just think you play one on TV (or on the internet in this case).

And yes, it is hilarious that Bob suggested a Billionaire was figuring out a way to finagle health care coverage for a millionaire.

Either way any competent franchise would spell out the plan for Smith instead of leaving it and him and any hire hanging in the wind. Just say Smith is permanently done as GM so he can focus on family, but he will remain a special advisor to McNair. Make him like a HS or College coach that gets moved on to administration. Instead we have him gone but not permanently gone, not coming back but maybe kind of coming back.

[HPF Bob]

Unless I'm mistaken (or lost in a time warp), NFL General Managers aren't millionaires unless they hold some other title at the same time. GM's might pull 100K-300K but, honestly, outside of a few, there's not many worth $1 mil.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

Unless I'm mistaken (or lost in a time warp), NFL General Managers aren't millionaires unless they hold some other title at the same time. GM's might pull 100K-300K but, honestly, outside of a few, there's not many worth $1 mil.

You're lost in a time warp.

Most GMs make between $1-3 Million (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...ice-execs-make)

There is no way Smith has over a decade of tenure and a recent 4 year extension and isn't at least middle of the pack (I'd guess he's higher). Most of the 4-5 year deals are in the $10 million range.

[HPF Bob]

Originally Posted by barrett

You're lost in a time warp.

Most GMs make between $1-3 Million (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...ice-execs-make)

There is no way Smith has over a decade of tenure and a recent 4 year extension and isn't at least middle of the pack (I'd guess he's higher). Most of the 4-5 year deals are in the $10 million range.

After my post, I went to look. Unfortunately, my credibility in the Bleacher Report is minimal. I had a friend who wrote for them and all they wanted was click-bait articles, not anything researched or thoughtout.

Still, I'll concede the point. Seems like a damn waste of money though. Cut the GM's salary in half and maybe then we can afford a decent left guard.

[chuck]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

(or lost in a time warp)

It's just a jump to the left.

And then a step to the right.

Say, Buford, when you's comin up did they play the Rocky Horror Pitcher Show at the Holler Drive-In at midnight every Saddy like they done at the in-door theeyatur down in the county seat? Or did they just rotate Rocky and Jaws?

[barrett]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

After my post, I went to look. Unfortunately, my credibility in the Bleacher Report is minimal. I had a friend who wrote for them and all they wanted was click-bait articles, not anything researched or thoughtout.

Still, I'll concede the point. Seems like a damn waste of money though. Cut the GM's salary in half and maybe then we can afford a decent left guard.

That article was just one of many from a google search. They were all old and they all said basically the same thing, that GMs make $1-3 million but exact salaries are hard to come by. Plus the article I linked is almost 5 years old and a guy like AJ Smith got almost $3 million a year when he extended with a cheap organization like the Chargers in 2008. There is no way Rick Smith's 4 year extension wasn't worth at least $10 million and I wouldn't be shocked if it was double that.

I don't get why you don't think the GM (who is ahead of the coach in most organization's power structures) should get so much less than the coaches do. Whoever your top football guy is (GM/VP/Jerry Jones/etc...) should get paid like the top man at a $Billion company. Compensation should be at least in the millions or you are begging for shenanigans. These guys deal regularly in 8 and 9 figures and if they made less than $1 million it would be an invitation for an agent to get cute. Why wouldn't an agent offer an under the table 5% on a $50 million deal ($2.5 million) to a guy who is making $500K but has the authority to increase the value of the deal $5-10 million without anyone really noticing?

Rick Smith is getting paid and I don't begrudge him for it. Even with his worst mistakes he is at least league average at his job and has longer than league average tenure and league average results. It's not his fault there aren't 32 better GMs then him. He's like the Andy Dalton of GMs.

[HPF Bob]

Originally Posted by chuck

It's just a jump to the left.

And then a step to the right.

Say, Buford, when you's comin up did they play the Rocky Horror Pitcher Show at the Holler Drive-In at midnight every Saddy like they done at the in-door theeyatur down in the county seat? Or did they just rotate Rocky and Jaws?

I got the movie reference. My kinfolk in Alabama knew of a theatre that played "Smokey and The Bandit" for an entire year. That was the record breaker.

I guess RHPS was a big hit where you was living, eh?

[chuck]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

I got the movie reference. My kinfolk in Alabama knew of a theatre that played "Smokey and The Bandit" for an entire year. That was the record breaker.

I guess RHPS was a big hit where you was living, eh?

I was going to use Smokey and the Bandit as a reference but, you know, with my affectionate nickname for you things would get sort of murkily incestuous, not that that would raise any eyebrows down in Buford Holler.

You know, I did see RHPS once. Go ahead, laugh, it was in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at whatever the movie theater is there in Harvard Square. Hell, barrett might have been there, too.

Needless to say, I abhor musical theater and I never would have gone if I'd known what the hell I was getting myself into. I just thought it was a movie. How the hell is a goddamn redneck like me supposed to know you go in costume, know all the lines and stand up and literally interact with the freaking thing? It was appalling. The only reason I went is because I was asked by this girl in my class who I was hugely into. She was from Connecticut or some shit so of course she knew what the hell was going on. Turns out she didn't really like me all that much, and tragically she ended up sort of glomming onto this dude Jay whom I didn't care for personally. I found out recently he is one of the most sought after theater attorneys on Broadway. I'm sure that prick knew all about RHPS, too. He was from Purchase, NY. My friend Bob who's exactly like me, only he's gay, took an immediate dislike to this Jay (like I said, he's just like me, just gay) and one afternoon for no apparent reason stormed into Jay's room with a fire extinguisher and unloaded on everyone in there. This was a bit of a surprise to me, honestly, and it was all I could do to get my keys out of my pocket as I sprinted at Carl Lewis speed down the hallway pursued by five or six irate and foamy fellows.

Until recently that was my only encounter with a fire extinguisher. Like I said, it used to be some sort of foam that shot out the thing. Now it's this weird, toxic, dusty shit that's impossible to clean up satisfactorily.