Report: Texans expected to hire Brian Gaine as general manager

It appears the Houston Texans have found their next general manager, as sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network that the club is expected to hire Buffalo Bills vice president of player personnel Brian Gaine.

Gaine's stay in Buffalo turned out to be brief, as he was hired away from the Texans last May for the role with the Bills. He spent three seasons with Houston from 2014-16.

Rick Smith served as the Texans' general manager for 11 years before recently announcing he would take a leave of absence from the role to support his wife in her battle with breast cancer.

One of Gaine's first tasks will be building a strong relationship with head coach Bill O'Brien, as the veteran frontman's relationship with Smith was described as "toxic" by a source to the Houston Chronicle. While the Texans had a trying year in 2017, the return of injured stars Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt, and Whitney Mercilus could make for a quick turnaround in Houston.