Nick Caserio says Texans open to trades at 2-5

One day after the Giants beat Houston 27-21 in overtime, Caserio took the podium for the bye week state of the team. He came in with no excuses and no panic.

He started with a confession. Caserio called the Texans one of the most penalized teams in the league and, in his words, the worst tackling team in the league. He said they give up too many explosive plays and haven't been taking the ball away. Then came the stat that sums up the season: Houston has lost 4 games on its last possession. The Giants game fit right in. Devin Singletary, a former Texan, ran 30 yards for the walk-off touchdown in OT, and Houston was flagged 10 times for 80 yards.

Then came the trade deadline question, and he gave a GM answer. He's open, he's made calls, and he's talked to just about everybody. What he didn't say is whether Houston is buying or selling.

Aaron Wilson

@AaronWilson_NFL

#Texans GM Nick Caserio on trade deadline: 'Always open. Had conversations. Talked to most of the league. Where is surplus and where potentially a need? always be open-minded.'

Just before that he'd poured cold water on the idea of a shakeup. 'We're not going to see significant change with personnel until the offseason,' Caserio said, and he added he wasn't making knee-jerk decisions off one Sunday. Put those 2 answers together and you get the real plan: maybe they move a spare piece for a need, but nobody's blowing it up in October.

The biggest long-term question in the building is the quarterback's contract, and Caserio sounded calm about that too. He said the 2 sides were close, that nobody is worried and that the deal will take care of itself. He also reminded everyone that Houston stuck with C.J. Stroud all offseason while people trashed him over one bad half.

Aaron Wilson

@AaronWilson_NFL

#Texans GM Nick Caserio on C.J. Stroud contract situation and if he is betting on himself: 'You can ask C.J. what his thoughts are. We had really good discussions. We were close. I don't think anybody worried about it. He's playing good football. That's no surprise. We supported him all off-season when he was badmouthed for one bad half of football. The contract will take care of itself. '

A few minutes later he came back to it. He said there was no reluctance from Houston, the 2 sides just couldn't agree, and he has respect for Stroud's agent, David Mulugheta. He also defended the Marvin Harrison Jr. trade, which cost a 2nd-round pick, as a move for this year, next year and possibly the year after. In the meantime, Houston has a franchise QB without an extension and a 2-5 record. That's not a great combo.

Next up was DeMeco Ryans, and his tone was blunter. He said the problem starts with him. The Texans are 0-4 at home, and he admitted morale isn't great at 2-5. He also said the Giants were more physical than his team.

Aaron Wilson

@AaronWilson_NFL

#Texans coach DeMeco Ryans on 2-5: 'We are where we are right now. It's not good enough. It starts with me.'

Taking the blame isn't the same as changing anything, though. Asked whether he'd stick with his staff, Ryans said yes. He also said he's 'not down' on the scheme, the coaches or the players. His explanation for last year's top-ranked defense falling apart was 'new year, new team.' Will Anderson Jr. has said opponents know what Houston is going to do, and Ryans answered that the team adjusts all the time. On the injury front, Jaylin Noel is still being evaluated for turf toe. Ryans also said he has 'a ton of optimism' about Tank Dell.

By the afternoon the national guys had boiled it all down to one line: no knee-jerk moves from Houston's front office.

ProFootballTalk

@ProFootballTalk

Texans GM Nick Caserio: No knee-jerk reactions, significant personnel changes right now. t.co/PIiZsmcL6Z

That evening the story got bigger than one bad loss. This team was supposed to be a Super Bowl sleeper, and it's now reeling. ESPN gave it a full segment.

Jeremy Fowler

@JFowlerESPN

Discussion on the state of the Texans, once viewed as a Super Bowl sleeper, now reeling at 2-5 With @HermEdwards and Zubin Mehenti on The Aftermath

Houston has the bye to sort it out. That leaves 2 things to watch. First, does Caserio's 'surplus and need' talk turn into an actual trade before the deadline? Second, can a staff that isn't changing clean up the tackling and the penalties? The Texans have already lost 4 games on the final drive, and they don't have room to lose many more.