Barely a day after the Texans fired David Culley, they interviewed one of the frontrunners to succeed him. Brian Flores completed a Houston HC interview Friday, the team announced.
Flores and Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo have been mentioned as the favorites for this post, but the recently fired Dolphins HC was the first name to come up here. Flores and Texans GM Nick Caserio worked together in New England for over a decade. Flores, 40, also completed an interview with the Bears on Friday.
The Texans do need to interview at least one more minority candidate to satisfy the NFL’s current Rooney Rule requirements. This process could move fast, given Flores’ connection to Caserio. With the second-year GM pulling the plug on Culley so quickly, it is fairly clear he has a candidate in mind.
Josh McDaniels was most frequently linked to Caserio during previous hiring periods, but Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 reports the Patriots OC will not interview during his team’s playoff run. McDaniels also might not be interested in Houston’s job, Wilson notes. That would narrow the field of notable Patriot assistants or ex-Patriot staffers, opening a wider path for Flores. The Patriots had Flores on staff from 2004-18, and he ran their defense during their most recent Super Bowl-winning season. Caserio was in Foxborough throughout Flores’ stay.
Despite taking over what was almost certainly the NFL’s worst roster in 2019, Flores won five games in Miami that season. He then reeled off back-to-back winning seasons over the past two years. Flores’ tenure included a 4-2 record against the Patriots, with the Dolphins becoming the first team to sweep the Pats since Bill Belichick‘s first season with the franchise (2000). However, clashes with management and Tua Tagovailoa are believed to have soured the Dolphins on Flores.
A Houston landing would certainly be interesting because of the team’s quarterback situation. Flores spent months deflecting Deshaun Watson questions leading up to the trade deadline. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was believed to be behind the team’s Watson push, but the quarterback was interested in playing for Flores. Watson is expected to keep his trade request in place, regardless of the Texans’ HC choice.
Josh McDaniels drafted Tim Tebow. That tells you all you need to know about his thought processes.
some people need to realize that Tebow wasnt the biggest bust like they make him out to be.
Tebow was a big bust in the NFL
He was a bust, but there have been several bigger busts. Tebow at least accomplished something in the NFL.
But everyone knew he couldn’t throw in the NFL
you tell the Steelers that
Someone being a bust isnt dependent upon others being bigger or smaller busts.
He was a 1st round QB
Denver actually traded up to get him at #25, think a 2nd 3rd 4th round pick or something.
1st round pick, that you traded away assets to get, only threw 360 passes, completed 48% of them in his entire career.
Given the production, draft status, and what it cost to get him he was a monumental bust.
Tebow was a huge bust.
What you traded to get the guy has no bearing on if they are a bust. Just makes you a bigger doofus for making said trade.
Tebows career was a huge bust
The trade itself to acquire him was a monumental bust for Denver. 360 attempts. One of the worst trade ups in recent memory if not one of the worst all time.
Jamarcus Russel and Ryan Leaf both had more passing attempts than Tim Tebow in their short lived careers.
Winning a playoff game doesnt suddenly negate someone being a bust or reduce it. Remember the next game where Tebow and the Broncos got spanked badly by the Patriots 45-10? 1 good play doesnt make you less of a bust.
He was a bust and a pretty bad one.
But to be fair, he did have a longer career as a NFL QB then as a NFL TE!
This ^ comment is only lacking the drum rimshot at the end…lol.
Winning a playoff game absolutely does negate certain arguments about players.
Eli Manning didn’t have a great career. Except he won 2 Super Bowls. Because he won 2 Super Bowls, you could argue he did in fact have a great career. Because he won 2 Super Bowls.
Eli Manning played 16 seasons
Amassed
57,000 yards #9 all time
366 TDs #10 all time
Winning 2 superbowls just added extra achievements to a dude who was pushing HOF numbers.
It’s all relative. He had a more successful career than Jamarcus Russell who was a #1 pick. Was he truly a busy for Denver? He won a playoff game, sold a lot of their jerseys, and they received a #4 and a #6 for him. The #4 didn’t do much for them though he went on to have a successful CFL career, but the #6 turned into Danny Trevathan who gave them a few good years before moving on to the Bears.
I think my previous response didn’t go through… I don’t think the Tebow pick was a bust for Denver. He got them a playoff win, sold a lot of jerseys and netted them a 4th and a 6th round pick from the Jets. The fourth rounder didn’t do much for them though he did have a successful CFL career, but the 6th rounder turned into Danny Trevathan who had four good years for them before signing with the Bears and earning the Broncos a compensatory pick.
My response didn’t show up twice. One last try… Tebow was not a huge Bust for the Broncos. He led them to a playoff win, sold a lot of jerseys, then netted them two mid-round picks from the Jets. The #4 didn’t do much for them, though he had a successful CFL career, but the #6 was Danny Trevathan. He had four good years for them before netting them a compensatory pick when he signed with John Fox’s Bears.
It showed up every time. Well, various versions of it anyway.
Yep he accomplished absolutely nothing that’s why he tried his hand at baseball
It’s not his fault he was drafted way too high by a doofus who believed he was a sure HOF’er.
Watch out Houston Flores will want complete control of the Organization just like he wanted complete control of Miami
Somebody needed to have Complete Control in Miami. They sucked before him and will after.
The Dolphins sucked with Flores plus Flores hasn’t earned the right to be in complete control of a team like his mentor
So even if the Texans were to hire Flores they still have to interview one more minority candidate? The Rooney Rule is so stupid. It had good intentions in mind, but situations like this show the absurdity of it.
Imagine the actual interview though..
I really think Key and Peel need to do a skit on how it would go. Pure comedy gold. Even better if Hingle McCringleberry is the one interviewed.
‘The Texans do need to interview at least one more minority candidate to satisfy the NFL’s current Rooney Rule requirements.’
Could you imagine being the 3rd minority candidate to interview? He would know he has 0% chance of getting the job and nothing more than being openly teased by the league rules.
But… getting an interview when you don’t expect the job gets you insight to what questions get asked and what to expect when you interview for a job you have a chance at.
Unless..whoever conducts the interview is completely uninterested, or they send the janitor since they are just going through the motions anyway.
I gotta say, why require a team that is ready to hire a HC that is a minority to keep interviewing? I mean, I know this is just the NFL making it look like they care, but does holding up the hiring of an individual the rule is supposed to help undermine this appearance of caring?
If an organization promises interviews to candidates but doesn’t honor those commitments then that is not going to be a very good look either.
I gotta be honest. The way the Texans have operated this off-season sure seems like they are trying to get Watson to stay. Didn’t like Culley=gone likes Flores=interview. This looks like a team that knows their best chance at success is to get Watson happy
Teblow was nothing but pure arrogance from McDaniels. And Culley deserves another head coaching job. That Texans team had huge holes and very few playmakers and played their tails off for him. Plus Davis Mills looked decent under him.