NFL Insider Aaron Wilson Talks Texans OTAs, Kenyon Green Competing For Spot

KPRC reporter Aaron Wilson joins Next Up to recap the first day of OTAs for the Houston Texans. Danielle Hunter, Laremy Tunsil and Stefon Diggs did not attend, but newly acquired running back Joe Mixon, as well as wide receiver Tank Dell, were present and working on their chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud. Dell was a victim in a mass shooting three weeks ago in Florida, suffering a gunshot wound that traveled through his leg; however Dell was a full participant in the first day of OTAs. "I thought he looked great," and it "just shows his toughness and his heart" for wanting to get back to the practice field so quick after an injury, Wilson said. Wilson also reports that running back Dameon Pierce looks lean and in-shape, and Kenyon Green is working towards his full potential after injuries have plagued the former No. 15 overall pick. The Texans are "giving [Green] a chance to compete" for the left guard position. Offensive tackle Blake Fisher was selected at pick 59 out of Notre Dame, and Wilson says he "wouldn't be surprised" to see the rookie "play a lot of football this year."

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
For more on our Texas, Let'sgo to our Texans inside. He was
on the ground at NRG as heis any time in anywhere. The Texans
are playing some ball, working out, doing all the things. Aaron Wilson
joining the program. Appreciate you,Adub good morning, Hey, good morning,
said love the fire, rapid fire, Larrymy Umsel, you'll seem the

(00:20):
mandatory mini camp had off season.Arthur Scott knee surgery generally doesn't be the
OTAs anyway, Shaq Mason's daughter graduatedfrom elementary school, so he was doing
that. He was up in Tennesseehandling that. And then Stephan Diggs says
has been at some of these offseason workouts and has worked out with CJ

(00:43):
independently. Would be really nice tohave a press conference. Yeah, wouldn't
that be a thing. Meant tohappen at some point me too. The
other ones were Titus Howard. Hehad his surgery last season, and they
he said he'll be back for trainingcamp. So I think he's in the
injured category. And not that anyoneasked me, but Tim Boyle, the

(01:07):
quarterback got stitches. He heard hisstinger Monday taking a snap from the center
and he's out for a week orso, so he's still on the roster.
He wasn't out there yesterday. Andthen I think the other one he
had was it's Daggs Mason. Theniel is a four time pro bowler and

(01:30):
he does live here. Would havebeen probably easy for to give him necessary.
A lot of Vets do this,though they don't come to stuff like
this. He didn't come to alot of the stuff in Minnesota. They
didn't seem to slow down his game. I see both sides of the guys
don't want to come to these things. He's established thirty year old Vets and

(01:52):
like Diggs, I mean, allthese guys have something in common. Sure,
everyone we're talking about is real establishedat about thirty years old. It's
a fair point. And I'm notgoing to go overboard. Especially the guys
that weren't in the program last year. I would like them to at least
be around. So show up,go through the meetings. Maybe you do
individual you don't necessarily have to getout there and do seven on seven,

(02:14):
you know, understand. So that'swhat and that is really rooted, and
that leads me to my next question. That is rooted in the new CBA.
As you are well aware, guysjust don't get the amount of opportunities
and reps on the field that theyonce did just what five years ago seems
like. And so I'm like,all right, let's maximize the times that
we do have. But I alsounderstand that the players negotiated to have more

(02:37):
time off. And so here weall a gentleman that there was some mixed
reviews on Eron in terms of whathis involvement would or would not be in
OTAs Tanked. They're out there movingaround after getting shot, and what some
three weeks ago, less than amonth? How did Tank there? Look?
What's the report on Tank? Ithought you looked great. I think

(02:57):
to be shot through the back ofyour leg out the front, I would
say, have a you know,a big bullet, but anything that pierces
your skin goes through your muscles.The healing pace that he's been on is
incredible. And you saw the videosover the weekend with his train depope Diamond,
and that was just sort of asneak preview for what we saw at

(03:20):
this oka. And I think helooks just as fast as he was last
year. And you know, I'mtalking to Dafonte really extensively about Tank over
the weekend. The determination and he'son a mission. He is really really
you know, feels like these obstaclesare placed in front of him and he's

(03:42):
determined to show what he can do. He loves football. I mean,
for someone it's hard to really describethat. You get shot, you have
every reader and say, Okay,I'm going to take my time, I'm
not going to get back out there. He couldn't wait to get back out
there, and that just shows thistoughness in his heart, which to me,
really he's that really defines what youhope for from a football player on

(04:03):
this team. You just hope thatnothing else happens to him, that that's
it, that he's going to beokay going forward, and he just had
a lot of unfortunate things happen inthe last six months. But yeah,
I think, you know, nowit should be smooth sailing and just football
for him going forward. But yeah, it was pretty remarkable. You could

(04:25):
sell it gives the guys and Jamikoand left. Yeah. I saw that
he did not participate in the TrueTeam eleven on eleven if you wiel period,
but he did run the routes onthe air. He was involved in
some of those things, so thatwas good to see Tank moving around out
there. We have not heard fromDimiko. I'll probably get to some of
those cuts in the next segment.However, I did hear Demko Bragg on

(04:47):
Damian Pierce. Sounds like DP haschanged his body. How was Damian Pierce
looking like? Well, Damien isgoing back some weight that he lost.
He was sick. They didn't disclosethat during training camp last year. He
was actually too thin, lost toomuch weight. But that wasn't his biggest
problem. It was the fit inhis zone system and it took him a

(05:10):
long time to adjust to it,and then he lost his starting job to
Motor Motor Singletary. Now he's clearlydefined as the backup. And they went
through and looked at other running backsand I think ultimately they decided let's give
Damien another chance. They feel goodabout where Damien was at. It really
wasn't that Damian had lost anything lastyear in terms of focus or gotten big

(05:32):
headed. What happened to him isI believe he overtrained, over dieted,
and he got sick. In kindof a calamity of many factors, none
of which. Did he complain aboutthe ankle of the foot injury during the
season last year too. But hewas someone that I think his conference was

(05:55):
down. He wasn't in a groove. And you know the kickoff return that
might be the spark where kind ofremind everybody, hey, get the ball
in his hands and he can makesome things happen. I think he can
help them on kickoffs. I thinkhe can help as a second back.
Obviously, Joe Mixon is going tobe a bell cow for them. So
how many touches earlier are we talkingabout for the second back anyway? But

(06:19):
yeah, for Damien, Yeah,it was a rough year. I thought
he handled as well as he could. He really just wanted to stay to
himself. He wasn't trying to talkabout it a lot in the media.
After a while, he just youknow, we know him well, you
could tell he wasn't something he wantedto keep discussing. He you know,
his status had changed and he wantedto be it will be less alone,

(06:41):
all right. We'll get you somany of us respect to that. Yeah,
man, we'll get you out hereon this. When Aaron Wilson our
Texans inside of brother covers the entireleague. We're all following him at Aaron
Wilson underscore NFL real quick on youKenyon Green? Did he look healthy?
Sounds like he's in shape. Idon't know what that means until these pads
come on, but just your observation. Hadn't seen Kenyan Green in like a

(07:04):
year, right new jersey, number, new body. He has lost new
years of slinking around, of weight. He's down a lot of fat sounds
estimates, I'd say it's twenty totwenty five and he's to place some of
that with lean muscle. He looksa lot better, he's moving better.

(07:28):
But you know, what is thetrue test, obviously for alignment is when
the pads come on and you hitpeople. But they feel pretty good about,
you know, giving him a chanceto compete for the first string left
guard job. And you know,obviously that would be a good outcome for
them because he was their first roundpick, fifteenth overall, drafted very high.
He's had a lot of you know, issues he towards labor and he's

(07:50):
had other injuries and now he's completelyhealthy. He's got to stay that way,
stay in shape. But he's ona good diet plan. His nutrition
is on point. It wasn't incollege, and it wasn't when he first
was drafted by the Texans. Andnow I think he's on a good path.
And this is something that a lotof people are aware of that he

(08:11):
was improving even after the surgery duringthe season, but now it's on display.
I thought he looked very good.Now he's number seventy six. Number
fifty nine is no more, andwe'll see, you know, how does
he acquit himself as number seventy six. And you know he's got competition.
There's Kendrick Green, there's Jared Patterson. I think gu Scruggs will be the

(08:33):
center. We know who. Youknow that Jack Mason will be out there.
We think Titus Howard is going tobe a right tackle. If he's
not, you know, they haveoptions. They can have Titans play left
and Plake Fisher played right tackle.Blake Fisher's pretty good and it wasn't surprise
me at some point if Blake Fisherplays a lot of football this year.
All right, that's the voice ofAaron Wilson again, our inside of NFL

(08:54):
officionado. Heavily plugged and drops byfrom time to time, and we'll do
so more as we inch ever socloser to training camp. Follow him on
social at Aaron Wilson Underscore NFL.Brother, we got a slide. I
appreciate you man. Thanks all right, Peace to you,