What Can Texans Fans Expect from new Sr. Offensive Assistant Bill Lazor

Bill Lazor was recently hired as the Senior Offensive Assistant under new Head Coach and former Texans All-Pro linebacker DeMeco Ryans. Bobby Slowik was named the Offensive Coordinator and was previously the Offensive assistant, Offensive pass game specialist and Offensive passing game coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. In addition to Bill Lazor, Ryans and Slowik will have the help of Senior Offensive Assistant Shane Day, Offensive Assistant Jarrod James and Quarterbacks Coach Jerrod Johnson. The Texans will most likely draft a quarterback with the 2nd overall pick that they own in the 2023 NFL Draft and DeMeco Ryans certainly has put together an impressive staff to help prepare the new quarterback transition to the NFL.

Lazor has 15 years of NFL experience, primarily coaching quarterbacks. He was a college quarterback at Cornell and was most recently the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears. Lazor has been the quarterbacks coach for the Washington Commanders (2006-07), Seattle Seahawks (2008-09), and Philadelphia Eagles (2013). He also spent time as the offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins (2014-15), Cincinnati Bengals (2017-18) and Chicago Bears (2020-21). 

Bill Lazor’s son, Nolan, is a quarterback at Vernon Hills High School in Illinois and was kind enough to provide a statement about his father’s new role:

My dad is extremely experienced and does a phenomenal job building a relationship with the players. I think he is putting all his effort towards supplying DeMeco Ryans and the rest of the staff with as much insight and support as he can provide. My dad has worked with a lot of great QBs through his career, and having been trained by him myself, I know that he can do a fantastic job helping the QB position reach its maximum potential. My Dad and the rest of my family are extremely excited to become a part of the Houston Texans and are very grateful for the opportunities it provides.

Nolan was also able to answer a few questions that I had:

VT:  How important are measurables to your Dad when evaluating a QB?

Nolan: From my personal experience, measurables don’t give you the total picture when evaluating a QB. When so much of the game is mental, the film matters so much more. But of course, a QB needs to be physically capable. When I’ve watched my dad evaluate a QB I’m usually left in awe about how much more he can see than me or an average person. It comes from the many years of experience. 

VT: What skill sets does he prioritize in a QB?

Nolan: I can’t speak on what he looks for most in a QB. I believe it’s also situational. I can say that me and him have worked greatly on my balance, footwork, and movement. 

So what can Texans fans expect from Lazor?

Lazor spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator in Miami and worked with Quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Those were the only years Tannehill ever passed for more than four-thousand yards a season. Tannehill’s 27 passing touchdowns were the most by a Dolphins quarterback since Dan Marino had 30 in 1994. In Cincinnati the offense finished 3rd in in red-zone touchdown percentage (71.1). In both Miami and Cincinnati he was revered more for his work with quarterbacks than his play-calling abilities. In Chicago he took over play-calling responsibilities from coach Matt Nagy and helped turn the team around after a six-game losing streak. Coincidentally, it was their win against the Houston Texans that started their three-game winning streak that allowed the Bears to be in playoff contention. From Week 13 to Week 16, the Bears scored at least 30 points each game – something that had not been achieved by Chicago since 1965.

Sr. Offensive Assistant Bill Lazor, along with Sr. Offensive Assistant Shane Day, Offensive Assistant Jarrod James and Quarterbacks Coach Jerrod Johnson will help Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik prepare Houston’s new quarterback for life in the NFL. While some Texans fans are still under the belief that the Texans will avoid drafting a quarterback with the 2nd overall pick, the staff they have been amassing has been pointing to one simple truth: the Texans are going to provide every available resource to their new shiny QB. 

The NFL Combine starts Thursday March 2nd.