HOUSTON (CBS HOUSTON) – Bill O’Brien opened Wednesday’s press conference announcing the various move the Texans had made on Tuesday but quickly moved on the reports of he and Rick Smith having issues.

“Rick Smith and I both have respect for each other,” the second-year coach said about the tenth-year general manager. “We work together every day. We communicate every day.

“It’s a partnership.”

O’Brien would repeatedly use the word partnership to describe he and Smith’s working relationship. He said they both work to make decisions in the best interest of the team.

O’Brien denied he and Smith had a confrontation about Ryan Mallett’s status with the team on Saturday after Mallett missed the team plane.

“I would say that the majority of the time we agree,” O’Brien said when he and Smith don’t see eye-to-eye on a move. “If there’s disagreement, we work it out. We study it and we think about it.”

“There’s always going to be disagreements here and there throughout the year.”

O’Brien wanted to again make clear that he and Smith have a partnership and “it’s not about control” between those two. He said they come to a decision on all the moves.

As far as the reported contract terms he and Smith have, O’Brien wouldn’t address anything about Smith’s deal but did address what his contract says.

“Mine says that basically it’s a partnership and that any decisions that are made are with the concurrence of the general manager.”

O’Brien did state he has complete control on gameday and joked he doesn’t call up to the box asking who he can play.

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