A lot of blame has been passed to the usual targets, Rick, Bill, and Brock. But I'm curious to see Clutchfan's opinions on Mr. McNair. Where would you rank him as an owner? Top half? Bottom half? I've never really minded him. He's always seemed like an owner who values winning over profit, who seeks to build an honorable organization. He seems like a rational, logical, and understanding owner, which are good traits to have in an owner. But Lance Z's segment this morning on 790 made me wonder. Is McNair the root of the Texans' issues? He contrasted the Texans with the Rockets and Astros, both of whom have distinct philosophies and approaches. Lance's point have some merit...we don't really know who a "Texans" player is, outside of a player who abides by the law and won't be a locker room issue. A lot of the Texans' historic failures come down to luck (and lack of it, in my opinion), like our injury-plagued seasons a half-decade ago. So...your thoughts on McNair?
I'm coming around to this view. I liked him at first because he didn't seem to meddle. But he's clearly poor at putting the right people in the front office.
It's hard to assign blame with the Texans because no one really knows who is in charge of what over there outside of BOB, Smith and the McNairs. Hell im not even certain they know. It appears that Ed Reed and to some extent Brock were McNair guys. If so he needs to not be involved in personnel decisions.
To me Bob's management style is the main reason we are in this bad football hell. He wants group think so that everyone can have harmony. He has created this mentality from the GM on down. To me this mentality hinders the team making good football personnel decisions or having a solid personnel direction. On the field I think this limits the coach as well. Most successful teams have 2 or 3 players that may have a character flaw or 2. Look at New England Belechick doesn't shy away from those guys, neither does Pittsburgh, Denver, Arizona, Seattle. You got to have some guys out there on the field who will get in somebodies face in order to get the team a win on the field. Someone who will fight the entire team if they come out there not ready play. As much as well love JJ Watt he is not that dude. Nobody on this team is afraid of him, he is a good teammate. The Good Teammate definition needs to be changed.
I struggle to put too much on the owner - sure, you can have a Jones/Snyder type, who has too much control/input, or a Bidwell/Brown type who is, to a fault, content to run a cheap organization... But, by and large, at the end of the day, it comes down to the success/failure of their hires. If they hit the jackpot with their GM and/or coach, they'll most likely achieve success. And if they don't.... they'll struggle. I don't know that Bob Kraft is a better owner than McNair - but he hired Bill Belichick, who, in turn, found Tom Brady and... well - there ya go. As long as the owner is creating an environment in which his hires can succeed - and I believe McNair has done that - I just don't see how else he might positively/negatively impact the organization. I think the one legitimate complaint about McNair.. he doesn't strike me as terribly progressive - but, frankly, it's also been years since he's done anything to demonstrate it (I'm thinking getting consulting advice from Gibbs and Shannahan...).
I mean he gave Smith a contract extension so he sucks Wasn't there a rumor that Smith would be pushed out or "promoted" to a president role and they would bring in another GM?
Every NFL owner, good or bad, is making a substantial profit; I think that's a lazy direction to take the conversation. The Browns are making a profit, for ****'s sake. It is virtually impossible to not make a profit as an NFL owner right now. The only legitimate conversation around profit is whether he's maximizing it - and any owner paying Brock Osweiler $37MM guaranteed is not operating a cheap outfit. Fans can't have it both ways.
Bob McNair gets way too much of a free ride with Texan fans. He ultimately is responsible for the philosophy and vision of the franchise.... and the Texans do not have one. He has hired all of the Texans GM's and he is the one that has stood by Rick Smith even when it is clear that he doesn't know what he is doing. He has allowed the GM of the Texans to become too closely intangled with the McNair family and compromised the competitiveness of the franchise. What would YOU do if you were the owner of the Texans? Would you start to wonder why in 15 seasons of ownership, your team has finished 10-6 or better only twice? Would you wonder why your GM passed on players like Derek Carr and Dak Prescott and other QB's but asked you to drop $72,000,000 on that idiot from the movie Twilight to be your QB? Would you start to wonder why you have never been as far as the AFC Championship game? Would you start to wonder why your team has been so mediocre despite having Hall of Famers like Andre Johnson and JJ Watt?............. a good owner would look at all of these issues, and see a team that is 30 games under .500% and make changes..... Not Grandpa Bob, he is happy with the status quo.
Maybe. Or you'd ask him why he *didn't* pass on JJ Watt or Deandre Hopkins; Duane Brown, JD Clowney... Cherrypicking the two best young QBs of the past several years isn't very helpful. But the Texans *did* make changes... Less than a year after Kubiak steered them to their best record, he was fired. Months after Brian Hoyer and a gaggle of other crap led them to the playoffs, he opened up his wallet and showered money on what he thought/hoped would be a game-changing young QB. You can't confuse intentions with results because then all you do is pick the decisions that align with your opinion - like raking them over the coals for passing on Carr and Prescott and conveniently forgetting the same regime drafted the best player in football. I want my owner to spend money and stay out of football operations - beyond that, I really don't think an owner has much impact. I really don't.
It all starts with the owner and trickles down through the organization. Mediocre owner, mediocre franchise, mediocre everything.
Only thing I don't like about his ownership is he doesn't hire Football GMs/Coaches with a proven track record. No more assistants . Have to get a stronger voice in house .
I still have a problem with the fact that our cheerleaders don't show nearly as much cleavage as other team's cheerleaders. Very symbolic of how clean-cut (and boring) this entire product is from top to bottom.
McNair made changes? He fired a head coach after a 2-14 season and kept the GM..... who has been the GM of the Texans for over a decade. The Texans consistently lack any depth from the draft, indeed the Texans also have consistently made bone headed draft decisions and have had poor contract signings. So why is Rick Smith still calling the shots? That would be because he is best friends with McNair's slob of a son. That would be because Smith is the Godfather to slob's off spring. That would be because Smith goes to church and discusses the scripture each morning with Bob McNair. Winning isn't as important to Bob McNair as the relationships he has inside football, and perhaps that is admirable but it is also very selfish. I don't agree with you on the QB issue. The Texans have needed a QB for YEARS and their idea of addressing the issue is to draft a QB in the middle rounds, trade for mediocre back ups or throw $72,000,000 at a career back up. That certainly deserves to be criticized, especially when the effort is questionable.
Bob McNair needs to have his offseason consultant tell him what to do. Of course this consultant will definitely tell him the hard truth so he doesn't get hired again.
Which was immediately preceded by a 22-10 stretch that included two playoff wins. (FYI, Kubaik actually went 2-11 because McNair - who never makes changes - fired him in-season). I was firmly on-board with wiping out the entire regime, head-to-toe, when they fired Kubiak, including Smith - but answer me honestly: was personnel a concern in 2013? Other than QB, that team was loaded. There's STILL a lot of talent on the roster. As long as we all remain this objective and open-minded, it should be a healthy conversation........ First of all, if you're going to play after-the-fact GM, Dak Prescott was a QB drafted in the middle rounds (4th, to be exact). And I don't know if two years earns a YEARS - no one knew Matt Schaub was going to implode in 2013, which makes that year a wash. So 2014 and 15 - again, feels more like years than YEARS. In terms of criticizing it... again, we can't confuse intention with results. If Osweiler was living up to his contract, would you still be objecting to their plan? They aggressively pursued a 25-year former second rounder (same round as Carr, btw) who showed promise and was set to take over for the defending Super Bowl champions.
Interviewing Love Smith to satisfy the Rooney Rule then give the job to Bill O'Brien without interviewing anyone else was such a joke. Getting rid of Kubiak but keeping Rick was also a joke.
I don't understand what McNair is at fault with, re: Lovie Smith - he followed the NFL's limp hiring rules. BTW, where is Lovie Smith these days?... In terms of only interviewing Bill O'Brien... He was widely considered a top coaching candidate and a coup for the franchise. The vast majority of fans were excited when we hired him. Again, it appears results and intentions are being thrown into a blender with a healthy dose of hindsight. Agree with your other point, re: Kubiak/Smith.
All I know about McNair is that it is enormously stupid to let your chief business partner and staff leader (GM Rick Smith) be the God-parent of your son's children. You don't s*** where you eat, Bob.
