INDIANAPOLIS — DeMeco Ryans has reached the top of the coaching ladder where he began his playing career.
It is because of this path that he considers himself the right person to lead a coup in Houston.
“I think I like guys because I’ve been in their shoes,” Ryans said Wednesday at the 2023 NFL Scouting Unity. “I have played this game. I have been here through this unification process. I played the game and played at a high level. I understand what the players go through. Not only on the field, but also outside it, where the guys are drawn in different directions.
“I understand that in order to be a good coach, you need to be able to get along with the guys. It’s not just about telling guys what to do. You need to be at the level with the guys where they sincerely respect each other. for you. The guys really feel that I’m in their interest. That’s the only thing I care about is raising great people on and off the field. I am indebted to these guys. I want them to be the best they can be, to see them create a wonderful life for their families as they move forward. This is my connection with the players.”
It’s easy to play as a coach who really cares about your well being more than just a cog in the football machine. Ryans knows this from his own playing days, when he received the Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award at the start of a 10-year NFL career.
However, in order to turn the Texans into winners, Ryan and general manager Nick Caserio will have to add top-tier talent to a roster that has been lacking in recent years. Of course, it won’t be an overnight overhaul, and it will largely depend on how the Texans behave as a quarterback.
Unlike other clubs in need of a QB, the Texans kept their preferences under wraps, instead relying on the same subject of evaluating different quarterbacks with different approaches, refusing to reveal which ones might fit their system. On Wednesday, Ryans took care to note that his team would not try to fit a quarterback into the system, but would instead create their program to fit the quarterback.
Who will be this quarterback is still unknown. Ryans said the Texans will add two players to the quarterback room this offseason and Houston won’t stop there.
“It’s all about the player you have, not just the quarterback, but the wide receiver. What is this guy doing well? Ryans said. “Midfielders, what are they doing well? As coaches, you put guys in positions to succeed. where it can develop.
Ryans saw how the arrival of a quarterback could change the fortunes of a team pretty quickly. While he was in San Francisco, the arrival of Jimmy Garoppolo turned the 49ers from afterthought to contender, helping the 49ers reach the Super Bowl and three NFC championship games between 2019 and 2022.
He hopes the Texans will suffer the same fate, and he also knows it won’t happen if he doesn’t put in a lot of effort to get the job done. Ryans will need to partner with Caserio, with whom Ryans said he “hooked up” to turn the Texans into a legitimate threat in the AFC South, and is encouraged by the smooth alignment of their visions for the future in Houston. .
Most importantly, though, Ryans knows he’ll make the biggest impact with the final lineup he’s tasked with putting together to play on Sundays. Ryans thinks he’s ready for the opportunity.
“It’s the communication with the players,” Ryans said. “It’s about inspiring guys, seeing them grow and develop. That’s what motivates me as a coach to see a guy change his family’s trajectory by going out and playing football.”
Source: www.nfl.com
