The head coach addressed the potential future of the headset
O'Brien not yet sure who is calling plays
Feb 27, 2019, 4:15 pm
The head coach addressed the potential future of the headset
The head coach of the Houston Texans isn't ready to declare which voice Deshaun Watson will hear the play calls from next season.
"I think it's so early right now to really talk about any of that," Bill O'Brien said Wednesday from the NFL Scouting Combine when asked who would be the person calling the plays on Sundays.
The only options are O'Brien remaining the man with the microphone or newly promoted offensive coordinator Tim Kelly.
O'Brien was bullish on Kelly's potential as the team's offensive coordinator.
"We have a system in place, he knows the system, he knows where the system needs to be improved, he knows how it can be tweaked, he knows the things that we have to keep doing that we did well last year."
Kelly finds himself in this position after being the team's tight ends coach. O'Brien said the team has a philosophy of preparing young coaches and giving them more as the team's faith in them grows.
Kelly, of course, fits that mold.
"He's run the third down meeting. He's run our Wednesday morning meeting where we introduce the opponents' defense. He's done a lot of things in front of the unit because I do think that you can't just take a guy and say 'OK, he coached tight ends and that's all he ever did' and then you just put him in front of a unit of professional football players. That's not what we've done here."
It very well could still be O'Brien with Kelly as the backup option, or vice versa. As for the current task in front of the team's new offensive coordinator O'Brien trusts Kelly.
"He's had a lot of input into what we do. He's had a big part of the process and he's ready for the challenge."
The New England Patriots have signed free agent wide receiver Stefon Diggs, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press, giving quarterback Drake Maye a prime target as he heads into his second season.
The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because it was not yet announced. ESPN reported on Tuesday night that the deal is for three years and $69 million, with $26 million guaranteed.
Diggs' agents did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking confirmation.
A four-time Pro Bowl selection with the Buffalo Bills, Diggs led the league with 127 receptions and 1,535 receiving yards in 2020. He is coming off an ACL injury that limited him to eight games last year in Houston.
After trying to replace Tom Brady with veteran Cam Newton and first round draft choice Mac Jones, the Patriots believe they have found their future quarterback with Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
The former North Carolina Tar Heel threw for 2,276 yards and 15 touchdowns as a rookie, when top targets were tight end Hunter Henry (66 catches, 674 yards) and wideout Demario Douglas (66, 621).