49ers Rumors: Martin Mayhew to Interview for Texans' GM Job

Joseph Zucker @@JosephZuckerFeatured ColumnistJune 9, 2019

This is a photo of Martin Mayhew of the San Francisco 49ers NFL football team. This image reflects the San Francisco 49ers active roster as of Tuesday, June 5, 2018. (AP Photo)

Uncredited/Associated Press

The Houston Texans are interviewing Martin Mayhew for their general manager vacancy, according to Fox Sports' Peter Schrager.

Mayhew is the San Francisco 49ers' vice president of personnel, taking over the role in January after previously serving as the 49ers' senior personnel executive.

Before joining San Francisco, Mayhew worked one year with the New York Giants and was the Detroit Lions GM from 2008 until 2015.

The Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett looked at Mayhew's record in the NFL draft, which was a mixed bag. Some in the Motor City still probably haven't forgiven the 53-year-old for selecting Eric Ebron 10th overall in 2014, with Odell Beckham Jr. and Aaron Donald coming off the board at 12 and 13.

Mayhew would replace Brian Gaine, whom the Texans fired Friday.

Texans PR @TexansPR
Statement from #Texans Chairman and CEO Cal McNair on Brian Gaine: https://t.co/tpPJvR0cYB

Gaine was only on the job for a year-and-a-half, having succeeded Rick Smith in January 2018 after Smith took a personal leave of absence.

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Almost immediately after Gaine was fired, the perception became that head coach Bill O'Brien was consolidating power behind the scenes:

Matt Hammond @MattHammondShow
Let’s say Bill O’Brien had some say in the Texans firing Brian Gaine as GM. He’s not wrong. But that would make O’Brien 2-0 in power struggles with NFL GMs. If you’re a candidate, how don’t you consider that when the Texans call? That’s a real concern right now.

Jason La Canfora @JasonLaCanfora
Is Bill O'Brien the greatest coach in NFL history who has never come close to winning a damn thing yet is somehow undefeated at power grabs? Or is he just a guy who knows how to bamboozle the owner's baffled son? Or both? We'll launch a full investigation and get back to you

Brian T. Smith @ChronBrianSmith
The immediate spotlight is on Cal McNair. The McNairs -- Cal and Bob -- have been convinced behind the scenes by Bill O'Brien that he has a Patriots-like Super Bowl vision for the #Texans.

While the circumstances of Smith's break had nothing to do with O'Brien, the Houston Chronicle's Aaron Wilson reported in December 2017 that Smith and O'Brien had a "problematic" relationship. Sporting News' Alex Marvez also reported O'Brien told ownership he would consider leaving if Smith remained the GM.

The Texans should theoretically be an attractive destination for a GM candidate. Houston won 11 games in 2018, winning its third AFC North title in four years, and has a talented young quarterback in Deshaun Watson.

But any candidate would be reasonably skeptical about the time and level of control he or she would have to build the roster based on how quickly Houston shuffled Gaine out of town.