How C.J. Stroud, Nick Caley collab gives Texans QB1 ‘full ownership’ of offense, ‘running the show, that’s what I want’

HOUSTON – When C.J. Stroud breaks the huddle this fall after delivering the play call to his teammates, the Texans’ quarterback will experience something brand new in his NFL career.

Heading into his third season, the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is being granted more responsibility and trust to orchestrate the Texans’ offense under newly hired offensive coordinator Nick Caley.

The collaboration between Stroud, a former Pro Bowl selection, and Caley, a first-time offensive coordinator schooled in the Los Angeles Rams’ offense built by Sean McVay and the New England Patriots’ Tom Brady era schemes of Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels, is pivotal to the outlook of the defending AFC South champions.

Now, Stroud is going to have increased flexibility to run the offense. That includes making adjustments before the snap as he scans the defense and has the ability to audible and change plays and protection schemes in tandem with Caley.

“I will be able to put my swag on it, have fun with it,” Stroud said. “He is all about me taking full ownership, running the show, and that’s what I want. I’m gonna get what I want and it’s really been really cool just to see that he’s bought into me and he doesn’t really know me well yet. He talked about having blind trust and I have a lot of trust in him already. Just how he talks and how he presents in the room is really cool to see.”

This is what Stroud has been preparing for, advancing in his game and knowledge to the point where he can put his personal stamp on the offense Caley is installing. The replacement for offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, dismissed after the offense regressed last season due to a lack of adjustments, substandard pass protection and an unwillingness to listen to input from key players and assistant coaches, per league sources, Caley represents an agent of change for the Texans.

‘He’s a great leader:’ Why Texans owner Cal McNair has faith in Texans QB C.J. Stroud

 While a relatively stagnant offense and Stroud dipped significantly statistically last season one year after he was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year largely, the Texans are confident that Stroud will take another leap in his development next season.

For a franchise with ambitions set on making a deep playoff run after losing in consecutive years in the AFC divisional round, Stroud represents a key figure in everything they’re working toward. Stroud is a year removed from being eligible for what’s shaping up to be a blockbuster contract extension. And the Texans would gladly reward Stroud as long as the team captain continues to make strides in his overall game. There’s a strong belief in Stroud in the locker room, from the coaching staff and at the top of the organization from ownership.

“He’s a great person, so he has all of our respect,” Texans principal owner Cal McNair said of Stroud during the NFL owners meetings at The Breakers Hotel. “I think we’ve seen his ability on the field is totally there to lead the team. We’ve seen it for two years now, and I think he’ll take another step this year. He’s a great leader and we’re looking for him to lead us where we’ve never gone before. We think he can do it.”

A former second overall pick, consensus All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist from Ohio State, Stroud, 23, has won a pair of AFC wild-card round playoff wins. He has completed 66.1 percent of his throws for a combined 976 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in the playoffs. In the regular season, Stroud has a 19-13 winning percentage with 63.5 percent accuracy, 7,835 yards, 43 touchdowns, 17 interceptions and a 93.7 passer rating.

Caley worked closely with prolific Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, a strong-armed gunslinger, as the tight ends coach and passing game coordinator under McVay.

The Texans fired offensive line coach Chris Strausser and replaced him with Cole Popovich after Stroud was sacked a career-high 52 times during the regular season, the second-most in the league. Stroud was sacked eight times and hit 14 times overall in a playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The thinking is, if the play-calling is upgraded along with the play and blocking schemes of the offensive line, Stroud will go back to the high-level trajectory his career was on as a rookie.

 Caley takes over an offense headlined by Stroud, who emulates Brady’s even-keeled approach and is an admirer of Stafford’s style of play.

“He comes from L.A. and New England and he is going to bring some of that swag over here, so that kind of is what I’m used to,” Stroud said of Caley. “Taking control and being a little more pre=snap, having tools to put my guys in the best position. That is something that we really didn’t work on these last two years.

“Even those principles I learned from, and it made me better because it added a new element to my game. We will be able to just get better and learn from what he did with New England and L.A. and will definitely help me because those are two schemes I am used to in a sense. That is kind of what I ran at Ohio State, kind of how New England does a little bit, L.A. is kind of what we ran here these last two years.”

Last season, pass protection breakdowns proved costly for Stroud and the Texans. He was sacked 11 times in the playoffs, including eight times with 14 quarterback hits in an AFC divisional round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

When the defense was stacked against the Texans’ offense, there was little to no mechanism to adapt on the fly and check to a play with a greater probability of success. That ultimately led to Slowik being fired despite his friendship with coach DeMeco Ryans.

While there will be familiar territory for Stroud based on utilizing schemes similar to what the Texans ran for two seasons under Slowik as far as West Coast offensive concepts McVay learned from Mike Shanahan in Washington and some of what the Patriots utilized, this marks Caley’s first time running an NFL offense and being a play-caller.

There will be familiarity with the retention of quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson as well as receivers coach and passing game coordinator Ben McDaniels, Josh McDaniels’ brother. Stroud has been working with Johnson since he was 16 years old, going back to his time with the Elite 11 program in high school. And Johnson’s role figures to increase with Caley, too.

“I think it’s very important,” Stroud said. “Jerrod is somebody who has been with me since my rookie season, but also has known me since I was in high school. For him to be here and seeing me in those different lights and those different points of my life, it’s been cool.

“He’s going to give him a lot more responsibility, which I think Jerrod is due for and I think he’s going to do great with it. I told him, man, he’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever worked with. Just the way he thinks, the way he operates, the fact that he played and really, just the human being he is and I’m excited to see him elevate as a coach and to be more hands-on is going to be amazing.”

Although Slowik, now the Miami Dolphins’ senior passing game coordinator, has drawn plenty of criticism before and after his dismissal, he was still a vital part of Stroud’s development as a quarterback.

“Bobby’s taught me a lot about just ownership,” Stroud said. “Taking real ownership of your job and making sure that you’re doing what you need to do play in and play out. That’s something that I think I got better at as I kept going.”

“I’m always gonna be a fan of Bobby Slowik and I think he has a lot of great things that he will do in his career in coaching and I’m excited to see it. I was really appreciative of our time together and definitely rooting him on.”

Stroud will be throwing to a new wide receiver in Christian Kirk, who was acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars in an offseason trade. He figures to be the Texans’ second wide receiver behind Pro Bowl selection Nico Collins.

“He brings a tenacity, a raw ability just to run routes, run after catch,” Stroud said. “I think he’s a very polished route runner and a leader, which is something that I’m very excited to work with him about.”

 Another major change change Stroud is adjusting to: an overhauled offensive line.

Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil was traded to the Washington Commanders.

Right guard Shaq Mason was released after a rough season.

Left guard Kenyon Green, a benched former first-round draft pick was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

And the Texans acquired new left tackle Cam Robinson, signed veteran guard Laken Tomlinson and tackle Trent Brown, two former Pro Bowl selections, and traded for guard Ed Ingram.

Stroud acknowledged he wasn’t thrilled with the departures of Tunsil and Mason, whom he called two of his best friends. He also emphasized that he trusts the plan of general manager Nick Caserio, who oversees the personnel department.

“That’s something I feel is not my pay grade, I’m just a quarterback,” Stroud said. “At the same time, you build relationships with guys. So, yeah, it hurts. Our front office knows that and they know how I felt about it, but I totally understand and I’m not against it at all. I totally think that we’re heading to the right side of things.

“Something I’ve learned about Nick is that he has a plan. No matter what happens, he always has something up his sleeve. Sometimes, you don’t know what that is, but you just have that trust and that’s something that we actually talked about the other day having blind trust and having earned trust. Nick, he’s gained my trust in both areas. So, I’m excited.”

The relationship between Stroud and Caley is off to a strong start. The bond they build now and the mutual understanding of a philosophy for how to best attack defenses will be a critical factor in the Texans’ ability to compete this season.

There’s already a common ground as they exchange telephone calls to discuss the offense heading into organized team activities.

“Just a lot of similarities when it comes to family, just how much we love our families and how much we love ball,” Stroud said. “And he’s very personable, somebody that I’ve found respect for already just on how he approaches the game, how much he loves it. It’s been nice.”

Not everything about last season in terms of Stroud’s regression can be attributed entirely to Slowik’s lack of adjustments and how players lost confidence in him in the locker room, or the shortcomings of the offensive line. Stroud holds some accountability, too, for the issues that plagued the offense.

The Texans are strong believers in Stroud, and his work ethic. And Stroud has rededicated himself even more to improving this offseason.

“C.J., he’s been working out,” Ryans said. “He’s been dedicated to his craft. He’s been putting the work in throughout the offseason. It is what you expect from your leader, from your quarterback, so I’m excited to see how he attacks the next nine weeks as well, being around all of his teammates.”

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‘He can spin it, he’s got the It factor,’ how Texans new OC Nick Caley approaches coaching C.J. Stroud

Although there was a decline in overall efficiency and Stroud occasionally held the football too long or, worse, began anticipating hits and, at times, throwing off his back foot while backed up in the backfield due to an onslaught of big bodies coming at him full-force, he made adjustments to the situation as wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell were out for the season with knee injuries. Even within the struggles, Stroud took steps forward and displayed toughness and a competitive streak.

Caley can’t wait to start working with Stroud, whose statistics declined last season while playing under heavy duress as he was sacked the second-most in the NFL behind Chicago Bears rookie Caleb Williams.

“He can spin it, he throws the ball,” Caley said during his introductory press conference. “He’s an accurate thrower of the football. He is a natural thrower the football. He’s instinctive. He’s got the It factor. And he’s a warrior in terms of his competitiveness. I’ve admired him dating back to his college days. So I’m really, really excited to have an opportunity to work with him.”

Heading into his third season, Stroud undoubtedly has a lot of big things ahead of him as he tries to get the Texans to a Super Bowl.

Getting the best out of Stroud could be a difference-maker for a franchise that’s 0-6 in the AFC divisional round as the lone team in the conference to never reach the AFC championship game in the history of the team.

The chance to work with Stroud was a major selling point for Caley to accept the position after turning down opportunities in the past with the Patriots and the New York Jets.

“Really looking forward to working with C.J,” Caley said. “Tremendous talent, competitor, you talk about an ultimate competitor. Tough, instinctive and can make plays so I’m very excited. As a first-time coordinator, to answer the second part of your question, really excited to get the opportunity to evolve this scheme and it’s not going to be my spin.

“It’s going to be what’s best for our players. It’s always going to be what’s best for our players. We’re not pounding a square peg into a round hole. It’s going to be based on the strengths of our quarterback and the guys on this team. That is what it will always be designed around.”

Having a coach with Caley’s experience working in the creativity of the McVay system, an offshoot of the version of the West Coast offense first popularized by former San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh and adopted by Mike Shanahan and Kyle Shanahan, is regarded around the league as a boost for the Texans’ outlook.

There will be familiarity for Stroud, who will speak the same language from a scheme standpoint as Caley. Caley is expected to put his own personal stamp on an offense in need of an overhaul and some new tweaks and wrinkles.

“He’s a special coach,” McVay said of Caley. “He’s done a great job for us. I love everything this guy is about.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com