Casserly leaves behind bright future in Houston

By Connor Byrne  |   Sunday, May 14, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Houston Texans
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Last week, the man who has been responsible for the Houston Texans' personnel decisions since their inception, general manager Charley Casserly, resigned. The move came as no shock, but it's still somewhat of a surprise for the organization, since Casserly headed up the team's draft just two short weeks ago. Now that the Casserly era has closed in Houston, it's best to take a look back at some of the positives left behind by the GM who went just 18-46 in four years with the Texans.

In the 2002 NFL Draft, Casserly used the franchise's first ever pick, number 1 overall, on former Fresno State quarterback David Carr. Although Carr hasn't put up good numbers in his first four years, he has an incredibly positive future ahead, thanks to his leadership skills, cannon for an arm and terrific athleticism. Now that he has more weapons in front of him, Carr should become a big-time quarterback.

The running back position isn't a problem in Houston, either, since Casserly took starter Domanick Davis in Round Four of the 2003 draft, and he's become a more-than-serviceable ballcarrier. Davis' first three seasons have been hampered by a poor offensive line in front of him, but he's still accumulated two seasons of over 1,000 rushing yards.

Also in the 2003 draft, Casserly nabbed one-time Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson with the third overall pick. Johnson struggled last season, but he has managed to come down with at least 63 receptions in each of his first three seasons. With Carr's emergence should come Johnson's rise to consistency, which will likely mean stardom.

This offseason, Casserly finally brought in a terrific starter to pair next to Johnson, former Buffalo Bills star Eric Moulds. A 10-year veteran, Moulds has pulled in 675 career receptions to go along with 48 touchdown catches. He should form an outstanding receiving tandem with Johnson.

Receiver Jerome Mathis may have been the best selection of Casserly's tenure, since the rookie went to the Pro Bowl as the AFC's best kick-return man last season. Mathis was a fourth-round pick in the 2005 draft, which makes his performance last season exceptionally impressive. He could be a Dante Hall-esque figure in Houston for a number of years.

During the four years Casserly was in Houston, he was never really able to build even a mediocre offensive line. However, much of that changed in the aforesaid two-week old draft, as he picked guard Charles Spencer and tackle Eric Winston in the third round. Spencer's a monster who's also capable of leading a group, while Winston was among the best tackles in all of college football last season. They were great value selections in Round Three, and should make big-time impacts in the NFL.

Defensively, Casserly shored up the pass rush in the draft, selecting former NC State star Mario Williams with the No. 1 pick. Although former USC running back Reggie Bush was almost impossible to pass up, Casserly managed to, as he saw the D-Line as a greater area of need. The 6'7", 295-pound Williams has all the physical tools to become one of the best sack artists in football; it's just a question of whether or not he will.

Casserly never had much luck with linebackers in Houston, but he may have with the 33rd overall pick from this year, DeMeco Ryans. A former University of Alabama star, Ryans will get an opportunity to start immediately. He was expected by many to go as high as No. 18 overall in the first round, but he managed to plop into the Texans' lap. He has an opportunity to become a tremendous player at the NFL level.

Also during his tenure Casserly brought in a terrific starting cornerback, Dunta Robinson. A first-round pick in 2004, Robinson won Defensive Rookie of the Year, intercepting six passes. Much like the entire Texans' roster last season, Robinson came down to earth, picking off just one pass. However, he seems to have a great future ahead of him.

As evidenced by all these big-name players, Casserly left a great deal of solid personnel in the Texans' fold, but he also managed to hire a terrific young head coaching prospect this offseason. After failing with Dom Capers as his first head coaching hire, Casserly brought in former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator extraordinaire Gary Kubiak to be Capers' successor. The Broncos constantly had one of the best offenses in the league under Kubiak, and with the talent he's inherited his streak of greatness could continue with the Texans.

Casserly may be gone, but he won't be forgotten if and when the Houston Texans become a powerhouse in the AFC. With the South division somewhat more ripe for the picking than usual, the Texans may find themselves in the hunt for their first ever postseason berth.

Get more Texans insights at Realfootball365.com.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com
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