Are the New England Patriots prepared to move on from Nick Caserio?

The Patriots may have to prepare for life without Nick Caserio in the near future, despite the fact that he has been with the organization for 18+ years.

There still appears to be mutual interest in Nick Caserio, Director of Player Personnel for the New England Patriots, and the Houston Texans. The Texans will look to persuade Caserio away from New England once again… perhaps as soon as the upcoming 2020 offseason.

A lot of people think that what happens with the Patriots behind the scenes is all done by Bill Belichick. Belichick’s involvement with the team goes way beyond coaching, as he is also the general manager of the team. But he has not done this all on his own; Nick Caserio has been Belichick’s “right-hand man” the entire time (since 2001).

Nick Caserio has held many different positions for the Patriots over his 18 years with the team. While climbing the corporate ladder, Caserio has served as a personnel assistant for many years. He is now the current Director of Player Personnel for the Pats. Along with Belichick, Caserio is heavily involved in creating the 53-man active roster.

Just like the players, members of the coaching staff are also on contracts and can essentially become free agents once a season ends. Caserio is set to become a free agent after this season, and it doesn’t appear likely he’ll be returning to the New England Patriots.

The Houston Texans have been interested in Caserio for a while now; no surprise there, either, considering the myriad connections between the two teams. The Texans have a habit of employing a staff of many former New England Patriots, including Bill O’ Brien, Romeo Crennel, Wes Welker, Brad Seely, Mike Vrabel, and Larry Izzo, to name a few.

The Texans fired their general manager Brian Gaine back in June of 2019, in hopes of landing Nick Caserio this past offseason. Caserio all but had his bags packed for Houston before the Patriots filed tampering charges against the Texans. With the Texans and Caserio already showing obvious mutual interest in each other, and the Texans general manager position still available, it seems like Caserio will be heading there in 2020, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

It makes me wonder what is happening to the Patriots behind closed doors. Josh McDaniels almost took a head coaching position with the Indianapolis Colts in 2018. Greg Schiano was set to become the defensive coordinator this season, but resigned before the season started. Nick Caserio took part in tampering with his own contract. As a fan, you could very easily sit back and say, “What’s going on over there?”

Caserio has helped put together many great teams over the years. He is a huge part of the Patriots becoming a dynasty and all the success that has come from it. There is no doubt at all that he would be a successful general manager in the NFL, and I think that’s what he is going to be hunting during his free agency this offseason.

Why does it seem like everyone wants out of New England? Could it be that the age of Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, is altering the views of the Patriots staff? Did Belichick bribe Josh McDaniels to return to the team by offering him takeover as the Director of Player Personnel if Caserio leaves? These are all valid questions concerning the New England Patriots, who seem forever invested in the 42-year-old quarterback as well as the 67-year-old head coach.

No matter what the case may be, and whoever comes and goes, one thing remains constant: Bill Belichick. “In Bill we trust,” right?