June 4, 2008
GM Smith Knows How to Pick 'em
by Keith Weiland
Keith@IntheBullseye.com

Owner Bob McNair rewarded Rick Smith yesterday by signing him to a four-year extension as the team's general manager.

Deserved, right? I guess so. Since Smith's arrival, the Texans have gone from being a 2-win team to one on the brink of playoff contention.

Then again, can you think of Smith's best move in his time with the Texans?

Harder than you think, isn't it? Smith was hired after the team drafted guys like Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans, so those don't count.

Smith's biggest transactions have yet to really prove their worth. Most noteworthy was his trade of a pair of seconds (plus a move down two spots in the first round of the 2007 draft) to acquire Falcons backup quarterback Matt Schaub. I'm a huge believer in Schaub, but honestly, he hasn't yet proved his worth in the deal. And to boot, Schaub's getting pretty expensive now, pulling roughly $5 million in base salary this year and almost $7 million next.

Smith's other notable moves were to draft a teenager with his first round pick last year, then to move down in this year's draft to pick an offensive lineman many questioned was even worth a first round selection.

So why reward Smith with the extension now?

I'll give Smith some credit, as he has done three things rather well.

1. He was hired after Charley Casserly was shown the door. Not a tough act to follow, is it? I think the first two years of another Charley Casserly would look terrific after the first one.

2. Smith has worked the Bronco network, getting hired by the team employing Gary Kubiak, hiring a Denver scout to head up the Texans scouting department and perpetuating what has been a fairly successful system in the NFL the past decade. Kudos for Smith, but really, the praise here belongs more to Kubiak.

3. Smith has McNair for a boss, the same forgiving man who kept David Carr around one year (and $13 million) too long, and who has allowed his team to spend big, misguided money much earlier than needed, like with the contract extension given to Domanick Davis more than a year before his rookie deal expired.

Sure, I'm still very optimistic about the future direction of the team, and Smith, of course, plays a significant role in the team achieving those goals. But what exactly is McNair rewarding him for again? Finding street free agents to fill in for injured starters?

Smith's eye for finding talent is there, I would have just like to have seen Smith's bigger moves show a little more payoff before McNair paid him off.

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