FOXBOROUGH, Mass. _ Nick Caserio maintained he's where he wants to be when it comes to his job with the Patriots.
On Saturday, the Patriots director of player personnel touched on the awkward situation that transpired with the Houston Texans this summer. In June, the Texans fired their general manager with the hope that they could hire Caserio away from the Pats.
The Patriots never responded to the Texans' request to interview Caserio and filed a tampering charge against Houston. It wasn't until Houston dropped their pursuit of Caserio that the Patriots withdrew the complaint.
"I'd say I'm pretty honored and privileged to be in the position I'm in, to work for this organization," Caserio said when asked about Houston. "It's a great organization with a lot of great people. I'm thankful for the opportunity that I have each day to come to work and come into this building. We've got a lot of great people. I'm fortunate and honored to work with Bill (Belichick) on a day-to-day basis and a lot of other people in this organization. My job is really just to serve the people that are in this building and we've got a lot of great people. My focus is in trying to do the best that I can every day and be the best version of myself for this team and this organization and that's what the focus is."
Caserio has had opportunities elsewhere in the NFL. He's previously interviewed with the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers for their general manager positions. Caserio reportedly turned down both jobs.
Houston, of course, has plenty of Patriots connections with head coach Bill O'Brien having worked on the Patriots coaching staff and with Caserio in New England. This wasn't the first time the Texans showed an interest in Caserio, either. In 2018, the Patriots rejected Houston's request to interview both Caserio and Monti Ossenfort, the team's director of college scouting.
"I love being here, and right now we're focused on trying to get the team ready for this season," Caserio said when asked if he was disappointed with not being able to interview with the Texans. "I'm happy to be here and I love what I do on a day-to-day basis."
In the event Caserio really does want to go to Houston, he'll get his chance. The Texans never filled the position and Caserio will be a free agent next offseason. Does he want to be a general manager or have the title?
"I'm not really focused on the hypotheticals," Caserio said. "I'm focused on today, and honestly I'm focused on trying to be the best version of myself each and every day ... I'm blessed to be here. I enjoy every day. Each day is a new opportunity to try and improve and get better, and that's what I'm focused on trying to do."
