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The Texans fired General Manager Brian Gaine on Friday in part because he and head coach Bill O’Brien were not seeing eye to eye.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports Gaine’s relationship with O’Brien had eroded.

Texans Chairman Cal McNair decided to fire Gaine not for any one reason but simply because he didn’t think the organization was going in the right direction. Gaine was under contract through the 2022 season, so firing him now is going to be an expensive decision.

Now the question is how much influence O’Brien will have over McNair’s decision in hiring the next G.M. If O’Brien has any say in it, Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio would certainly be a strong candidate. The Texans tried to interview Caserio before hiring Gaine, and the Patriots blocked the interview. O’Brien and Caserio worked together in New England and are close friends.

Gaine was not O’Brien’s guy. Now we’ll see if McNair decides to hire the guy O’Brien wants.