Texans' Bill O'Brien Says He Was 'Messing Around on Zoom' During Draft Meltdown

Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien downplayed his televised outburst during Day 2 of the 2020 NFL draft Friday night.

"We were messing on the Zoom, myself and [Jack] Easterby and all the guys," O'Brien told reporters. "No, nothing agitating. I didn't ... I thought ... The camera's on the whole time. I don't know. We're just messing around on the Zoom. We're on the back patio here. We've done a lot of business on the back patio over the last couple months."

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reported O'Brien thought the Texans had an agreement in place to trade the 90th overall pick, but the deal with the Detroit Lions fell through at the "last instant," and the Texans coach, who also serves as the team's general manager, was "furious."

Lions general manager Bob Quinn said the club didn't back out of any trade agreements Friday.

"Listen, we talk to a lot of teams," Quinn said. "When we're not on the clock, we talk to a bunch of teams, and it's not just myself. We've got four or five people that make calls, so I'm not sure what that was about. But we didn't have a trade."

O'Brien and Quinn are former colleagues with the New England Patriots from 2007-11. The former was offensive coordinator before leaving to coach Penn State in 2012, while the latter was director of pro scouting before joining the Lions in 2016.

The Texans coach has faced criticism for his personnel decisions since officially taking over as the team's GM in January. The position remained vacant throughout the 2019 season, though he was the de facto GM last season.

Most notably, O'Brien traded superstar wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and a 2020 fourth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals in March for running back David Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round selection.

Houston used the Round 2 choice Friday on TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock.

Although Johnson was once among the NFL's most dynamic playmakers, highlighted by a league-leading 2,118 yards from scrimmage and 20 total touchdowns in 2016, his numbers have declined in recent years while also dealing with injuries.

O'Brien's power within the organization has increased, but so has the pressure on his shoulders to get the team in the championship conversation. While the team has posted a 52-44 record across his six-year tenure, it's never advanced beyond the divisional round of the playoffs.

The situation as a whole could land him on the hot seat if the Texans get off to a sluggish start in 2020.