Houston – Over there. W-a-a-ay over there. In the far corner of the Houston Texans’ huge practice bubble, across the street from Reliant Stadium.
Could that be … the Barrel Man? Could he have made the move, too?
Upon further reflection, that’s only a guy behind a garbage can.
Everywhere else, from head coach Gary Kubiak standing behind the offense, to general manager Rick Smith watching on the field, and on down the organizational chart, there are reminders that the Texans’ organization has become Denver South.
Any offensive player the Broncos cut could be in Houston the next day – a very real possibility considering the Texans have first crack at waived players because of their 2-14 record last season – and know the Texans’ playbook.
“We basically have the same system here,” Kubiak said during a lengthy conversation in the Texans’ cafeteria this week. “For the most part the verbiage and how we teach are pretty close to the same.”
The Texans even have a Coach Shanahan.
This one is wide receivers coach Kyle Shanahan, the product of Cherry Creek High School who did spot duty as a college receiver at Duke and Texas.
“I think you’re a product of your environment,” said Shana- han, who spent the past two seasons as a Tampa Bay offensive assistant. “When my dad came from San Francisco and went to Denver, he brought with him the mind-set of what San Francisco did. When he started, people were saying it was ‘San Francisco-Rocky Mountains,’ or whatever. But as the years went on, he adapted it more into his personality and philosophy and it became just ‘Denver.’ That’s where we’re at here. Yes, we’re a bit of Denver, but we hope we can make this something of our own as time goes on.”
For now, though, the team coming to Denver for Sunday’s exhibition game against the Broncos has official team colors of blue and red, but a predominantly orange aura.
“We’re trying to do it the Texan way,” Kubiak said. “But it’s only natural because that’s where I came from and I have strong belief in some of the things they do, and they’ve been so successful doing it. The key is that we’re able to have our own identity as an organization because there are great people who have been busting their tails for four years to get this (expansion franchise) going, and we’re just trying to add to that and keep it going.”
Kubiak, the Houston native who was a longtime Broncos quarterback before spending the past 11 seasons as Mike Shanahan’s right-hand man on the offensive side of the ball, was hired in late January. He filled in his coaching staff with men he had worked with in Denver, both recently and deeper in the past.
In June, the Texans hired Smith, who had recently been promoted to assistant GM with the Broncos. The choice of the 36-year-old who had worked and coached with Kubiak was further affirmation of faith in the Denver system, which includes a concession that the head coach-GM relationship is a partnership.
The other day, Smith was watching game tape when he took a break to talk about the transitions – including his move from serving as a defensive assistant for the Broncos’ Super Bowl championship teams, to the front office.
“I talked to Mike during training camp after we won the first Super Bowl,” Smith said. “I told him, ‘Just so you know, my goal is not to be a head coach, it’s to be a GM. So if you can tell me at some point when I should transfer over to the front office, that would be big-time for me.’ He thought it was a good idea. He knew I could evaluate talent, because coaches are so involved in that process.”
The Denver South references, though, make Smith recoil a bit.
“What we’re trying to do is take the best elements of what we learned in Denver and the best things of what they have done here previously, as well as what I’ve learned from other folks in the league, to develop and put our own program together,” he said. “The benefit to us coming from Denver and the success we had is that the system itself is proven. They can hang their hats on what you’re selling them. They know it works.”
Kubiak trusts Smith’s talent judgment.
“(He) watched us offensively and defensively for years and knows the type of players we were looking for to fit in our schemes,” Kubiak said. “So when he comes to you with a couple of names and says, ‘I think you ought to look at this guy,’ you listen. Or during camp, if you have blinders on as a coach and he comes to you and says, ‘I think you guys are missing the boat on this guy, you need to take a closer look,’ you tend to stop and listen.”
Kubiak appears a little uneasy at practice, as if he’s trying to decide how to get involved, especially as former Packers head coach Mike Sherman – with whom Kubiak worked on the staff at Texas A&M from 1992-93 – and former Broncos assistant Troy Calhoun also work with the offense.
“One of the things you figure out real fast is how isolated you were in your own area,” he said. “You’re out there before worrying about moving the ball, and how to pick up this blitz, and how to prepare for that drill. All of a sudden, you’re looking at both sides of the ball and special teams. I haven’t watched kickers kick in 11 years, and now I’m watching the kickers kick.”
Early in Kubiak’s tenure, the Texans signed former Broncos tight end Jeb Putzier. Informally, he’s the team’s ombudsman.
“Sometimes guys have a tough time asking a coach a question,” Putzier said. “So I’ve had a lot of guys come up to me at my locker and ask things. Or I’ll go up to them and tell them what we want to accomplish with a play, how we’re setting up, or who we’re setting up, and why. I think that’s been helpful for everybody.”
When in doubt, the safe answer is: Just do what the Broncos do.
Staff writer Terry Frei can be reached at 303-954-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com.
Denver Texans
Employees of the Houston Texans who have connections to the Broncos:
RICK SMITH
General manager
With Broncos: Defensive assistant, 1996-99; director of pro personnel, 2000-06; assistant GM, 2006
GARY KUBIAK
Head coach
With Broncos: Quarterback, 1983-91; offensive coordinator, 1995-2005
TROY CALHOUN
Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
With Broncos: Defensive assistant, 2003; offensive assistant and special teams coach, 2004; assistant to head coach, 2005
RICHARD SMITH
Defensive coordinator
With Broncos: Special teams and assistant linebackers coach, 1993-95; special teams coach, 1996
BRIAN PARIANI
Tight ends coach
With Broncos: Tight ends coach, 1995-2004
KYLE SHANAHAN
Wide receivers coach
With Broncos: Special rooting interest as son of Broncos coach Mike Shanahan
MIKE MCDANIEL
Offensive assistant coach
With Broncos: Coaching intern, 2005
DALE STRAHM
Director of college scouting
With Broncos: College scout, 1998-2005
JEB PUTZIER
Tight end
With Broncos: 2002-05
EPHRAIM SALAAM
Offensive tackle
With Broncos: 2002-03
PATRICK HAPE
Tight end and fullback
With Broncos: 2001-04
Colorado connections
Employees of the Texans who have ties to college programs in Colorado:
JOHN BENTON
Offensive line coach
With Colorado State: Offensive lineman, 1983-86; offensive line coach 1996-2000, co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, 2000-03
TROY CALHOUN
Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
With Air Force: Quarterback, 1985-86; graduate assistant coach, 1989-90; recruiting coordinator and JV offensive coordinator, 1993-94
CHICK HARRIS
Running backs coach
With Colorado State: Wide receivers coach, 1970-72
DAVID ANDERSON
Wide receiver (seventh-round 2006 draft choice)
With Colorado State: 2002-05
MIKE BRISIEL
Guard (undrafted free agent)
With Colorado State: 2002-05
BRAD BEDELL
Offensive tackle
With Colorado: 1997-99
