How bad did Charley Casserly want to be the GM of the Houston Texans? In September 2000, he put together a blueprint of his franchise-building philosophies. Then he mailed it, unsolicited, to Texans owner Bob McNair. When they sat down to talk two months later, McNair flipped open the black three-ring binder Casserly sent him, pointed to the first item on the list and said, "Take me through it." We'll do that for you right now:

BASIC GUIDELINES TO STARTING THE HOUSTON FRANCHISE

1. Be aggressive in all areas. (First "10," CFL, practice squads) with an emphasis on youth. [Ed.'s note: First "10" refers to the first 10 free agents the Texans signed.]

2. Sign players for NFL Europe.

3. Be everywhere.

4. Concentrate on youth in free agency. There won't be much. Be patient. We are in this for the long haul.

5. Explore a trade or free agency (rebound types who are young) if a franchise quarterback is not available with the first pick. We should draft one to work with in some round. We will need mobility and durability at this position.

6. Sign 20-plus college free agents.

7. Use the June market if we feel that we need to stopgap some positions to be respectable, but don't sacrifice cap room in the future, and be careful about the attitude and character of these players.

8. Emphasis should be placed on the offensive and defensive lines. These are the hardest positions to find. Emphasize now! Secure the offensive tackle positions somehow. This allows the quarterback to at least have a chance to learn.

9. Keep a close eye on character and leadership because we are going to be tested in the beginning.

10. You must have money to spend in future years. Your second year should yield your biggest jump in talent. Don't tie yourself up cap-wise by signing older players in your first year.

11. Be flexible in the season to pick up and change your practice squad. Have a second draft in year one by signing these players. Be ready to run a year-long tryout camp.

12. Don't view year one by wins and losses. Evaluate the first year on the basis of finding as many players to develop and developing a winning attitude.

13. We must be mentally tough and believe in our plan once it is set. The honeymoon will end fast.

14. The head coach must be patient and mentally tough. The offensive line coach and quarterback coach will be our next most important hires on the coaching staff. Hire the best staff in football. The money will be worth it.

15. The same principle should hold forth in hiring a scouting staff. Be the best!

16. The primary tool to build the team will be the draft (and some college free agents). Consider increasing the number of draft picks in year one and future years through trades.

***

END GAME

Casserly planned in 2000, and followed through in 2002. He wanted young free agents (No. 4) like 26-year-old WR Corey Bradford. He wanted to emphasize the D-line (No. 8) and brought in Pro Bowl DT Gary Walker. Need leadership (No. 9)? LB Jamie Sharper has a SB ring.

This article appears in the August 19 issue of ESPN The Magazine.