The Texans officially have a new offensive coordinator. Nick Caley, the former Rams and Patriots assistant coach will be running things on offensive side of the ball for your Houston Texans this upcoming season. Houston exhausted all efforts in their search for a new OC. In the past 10 days we’ve heard names like Chip Kelly, Jeff Nixon, Brian Johnson, and now we’ve arrived at Nick Caley. Did the Texans organization make the right move? I will give you 3 reasons why the answer to that question is a resounding YES.
1. Experience Under McVay And Belichick
Nick Caley has been an assistant coach and position coach for over a decade. He’s coached in the college game as well as in the NFL with the New England Patriots under guys like Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels, and more recently he has coached under Sean McVay with the Los Angeles Rams. Even though Caley has never been an OC or called plays, I still believe his experience learning from McVay and Belichick will help him become a successful coordinator with the Texans. Demeco Ryans and Nick Caserio are no strangers to Caley. He was in the building a few years ago interviewing for the OC job before Bobby Slowik got it. You might be asking, how is this different from Bobby Slowik? Is Caley really an upgrade over Slowik? I believe he is, simply because Caley has been a position coach and his years of experience will serve useful when calling the offense here in Houston. We will find out soon if all of this translates to Caley becoming the next stud OC.
2. Caley Can Unlock Stroud’s Potential As A Signal Caller
The biggest gripe about the system Bobby Slowik ran in Houston for the past couple years is that the center, not the quarterback, is the one calling out and changing protections pre-snap if the situation called for it. The next step for Stroud’s development will be truly seeing the field before and after the snap. I believe Caley will work with CJ Stroud and give him full control of the offense. This will make Stroud a better quarterback in the now, and in the future. Caley will give the keys of the Ferrari to Stroud, and he will lead us to the promised land. Caley is the right man to help CJ Stroud improve in the aspects of the game we saw him struggle with this past season.
3. Same Philosophy, More Dynamic Style Of Offense
The Texans’ philosophy under Demeco Ryans has always been to establish a solid run game while also being an explosive offense in the air. That will not change under Nick Caley. However, there are some small changes that Caley can bring that can make a big impact when it comes to improving where this offense lacked this past season. During his time with McVay, the Rams offense used a whole lot more pre-snap motion before the snap and at the time of the snap than the Texans used while under Slowik. This will make Stroud’s job a little easier when it comes to making a quick read and getting that ball out of his hands. Expect to see more 3 WR, 1 TE sets, along with more motion and misdirection. More of the quick game will also be utilized, allowing the offense to attack defenses in a multitude of ways. This will allow Stroud to truly see the whole field and be the operator of Caley’s offense, which in turn will make him an even better player. One of the staples of McVay’s offenses through the years was to make different plays look identical to each other. I believe Caley will be looking to do the same in Houston, while also bringing his style of offense and coaching to NRG Stadium.
