Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Aaron Wilson contributor here and of course you catch all
of his work right there at KPRC Channel two Sports.
Aeron Wilson joins us here on the A team. I
always appreciate the conversation and the time from you, Aaron,
and certainly have to start there with the CJ. Stroud
situation as it stands here. Something you wrote in your
latest article was could be cleared as early as next week.
(00:23):
What are you saying about what the injury specifically is
and about the timeline of concern level and getting back
on the field.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Yes, thanks Adam. So the injury is, say, it's shoulder
muscle tightness, so it's connected issues within the shoulder. It's
not a structural injury, so muscles, you know, like with anything,
they heal if you give them rest and rehab, and
he's able to do a lot of things. He's very close.
(00:53):
Whether they make the decision to have him do the
practice and do more of the activity and actually the football,
that's a judgment call they're going to make as they
head into the mini camp, so they're still deciding. At
one point he was very close to even doing it
this week. No setbacks and this is not, and there's
a lot of people speculated because they're sort of going
(01:13):
to connect the dots thing and I understand that this
is not an injury from the season. This is from exercise,
so this is not like a oh, he's just got
this bad shoulder. And people that are trying to pinpoint
what about this hit that hit, they're overthinking it, and
I understand why they are because it's the quarterback. It's
the top spot, and that's why there's so much attention.
(01:34):
And obviously, yes, if Dimiko Ryans had just addressed it
from the jump when they had the first organized team activity,
this wouldn't have been a situation. But a lot of
people don't understand. They get very frustrated. Why is there
no update? There is no requirement of an injury report,
so no one has to do an injury report at
(01:54):
this point. The first injury report technically is to be
filed Wednesday of the first game of the regular You
think it's Los Angeles Rams. Will there be the injury
updates between now and then? Yeah? Probably? And then they say,
what about Christian Harris? Why does he called day to day?
As far as what will happen next with him? It'll
just be that the shoulder will loosen up. And if
(02:14):
he doesn't, you know, have any you know, coming back
too soon from it, it'll he'll find and my understandings,
he'll be absolutely he'lled well in advanced the training camp.
And I haven't had one person tell me that this
was a big deal. But I understand that everyone. There's
lots of conspiracy there. This is just not one of
those ones because there's might due diligence on it that
(02:37):
I'm concerned about. And like you saw what I mean,
you watch him shoot the basketball in those videos, but
even when he was holding the football up, if you
have a major structural problem with your shoulder or something serious,
you're not even doing that when you're having the bands
attached to the legs and he's holding up the ball
and he even did a little bit soft toss from
a short distance. But I think he's gonna be fine.
(02:59):
But I under stand up your occupation because it's the
star quarterback. It's why can't he do it? This isn't
that tough workout. All those questions they'll legitimate, but it
doesn't necessarily need where their smoked their spire or this case,
it's just you know, a mild bank, it's not a
big deal.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
And again something that once it's healed and taken care of,
you go play your season and you're fine. It shouldn't
be any issue from that standpoint, not saying that some
other injury could come about, or a hit related injury,
but I think that's why most people, myself yourself, are
treating it as such. You did write something about and
you just mentioned Christian Harris a very very different situation
(03:38):
because most of what was taking place with Christian Harris
began at training camp last year, really in the off season.
Then he came back during training camp, then he left again,
and then it's during the season where injury reports obviously
are a part of the everyday thing. But with him
not ever coming back onto the field and not reaching,
you know, getting you know, he played three games last
year and here we are the following year. He has
(03:59):
been in attendance, he's at the facility, but he's not
participated in the voluntary OTAs. Thus far, where do things
stand with him and health? Demico Ryans yesterday said he
expects him to be ready for camp.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Right, that's the good news. And I did some checking around,
and that is fact what he's expected to do. That's
he's on track for the camp. But the reason he
can't practice is for the same reason he couldn't practice
last year or playing the games, and that was the calf.
This has not been the major setback that he had
during training camp and he came back too soon and
(04:35):
injured it again. This seticle was more of a minor
setback with the calf, but it is sidelining him currently,
so there's the same issue. It's just not as serious
as what happened last fall, so could be worse, but
it's still not good. Obviously, he is a very loan
vascular athlete and it makes him prone to soft tissue injuries,
(04:59):
and it's very hard because of metabolism to game weight.
So you've been around Christian this guy is as fast
and then as the defensive backs, but muscular. He's like
two hundred and thirty pounds. He's built like a rock
and he's got flexibility. He's a explosive athlete. He ran
a four four four at one point, but he's almost
like two lean. It's just who he is. That's his body.
(05:20):
So he's always been a guy that can get dinged,
that can have calf injuries, hamstr injuries, and they stretches
and stretches and does all this stuff. But that's who
he is. So it's unfortunate he can't practice right now.
And ideally he would stake his claim and be the
guy because that's the track he was on. I mean,
(05:41):
he is the Derrick Henry guy. He could stop Derek.
He h him in the backfield a bunch of times
in that Titans game. He had the interceptions to Browns,
he scored a touchdown. He could be this dynamic linebacker
for them. But the hope is that when he gets
to camp he's fine and then he can stay out
there and compete for the job. It's not easy. He's
(06:02):
got to hear in Toto. He's got e J. Speed
and be with But yeah, Adam, it's a situation of
it's the same injury, but just not as bad as
it was last season.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Pardon me, Aaron, if I ask you a question about
football here and not an injury question. The offensive line. Yeah,
the offensive line alignment that we've seen over the course
of the multiple practices suggests there there's clearly a pecking
order at four spots where it appears Tomlinson, Andrews Howard
(06:35):
and Fisher certainly are very much the leaders at their
respective spots, from left guard all the way to right tackle.
The other spot, the left tackle spot. Some number one
reps been given to Cam Robinson, and it appears to
be alternating with rookie Arianteersery. Ursery is also getting work
(06:56):
with the second and third team at right tackle. But
would you anticipate when they get to training camp that
there's a legitimate competition for the starting left tackle spot
between the veteran Robinson and the rookie Ersery.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Yes, And I would even extend that competition because is
you try to get the best five, you may have
to make a judgment call that Ersery just does. Left
tackle look more stable with Robinson with all the experience
and dozens and dozens of starts he has, all the
years he has in the game and knowing everything about
the pass rushers, and you know, just a very solid player,
(07:34):
not a Pro Bowl tackle, but someone that you can
put out there and he more than holds his own.
So if he's the best left tackle, is Erstery the
best right tackle? And we saw Blake Fisher's struggles, We've
been watching him have problems A lot of people do
with Will Anderson Jr. In these practices. Well, Will is
a great player, but there are guys like him on
(07:55):
the other teams. So I'm kind of thinking that at
some point just emergence is one of the best five,
and that could be right tackle too. But I just
don't see a lot of scenarios where Cam, you know,
at fourteen and a half million, is all of a
sudden sitting on the bench here, just like having him
sit there is in some sort of insurance policy. I
(08:15):
would say Fisher hasn't done enough to establish himself, especially
as the playoff game, which was troubling the way he
played against the Chiefs. He has made some improvements, he
looks better physically, but I'm just not convinced that we
should pencil a minute as the right tackle just yet.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
And looking at the center position, with Jake Andrews being
an off season acquisition, missed a ton of time do
the knee injury he suffered last year with the Patriots,
it did not allow him to play. I mean, did
they just basically go out there and claim a player
who's going to be their starting center?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Very well could be because of his size, strength, which
is better than Patterson. Patterson's strengths are communication and technique
and his relationship he has with d J. Stroud and
he just created making the line calls and he stabilized
the position. They haven't forgotten that. But Andrews fourth round
pick a little more of a pedigree. And very importantly,
(09:08):
Cole Popovich was his position coach at Troy University before
he was doing the Patriot didn't coach him with the
Patriots by then, you know, he's already working for the Texans,
but someone that he knows so well, and very interesting
to see these connections, and you know, for Andrews to
be here that is not by accident. That is certainly
(09:28):
a player handpicked and coveted by Popovich. And this reunites
them from the college days. And you know it's not
just because they're you know, have a relationship. It's also
that if you just look at Andrews's body, he a
little bit bigger guy to hold the point, and sometimes
Patterson was getting pushed backwards last year. A very tall,
(09:49):
angular kind of lineman, not quite three hundred pounds. Gives
you everything. He has really likes Patterson and see Patterson
being a part of the team, but right now Andrews
has the leg up little competition.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Was there any that you have ever heard about on
draft day from Coole Popovich, who had just left Troy
to come to Houston. This is year one with the
team for him. Was there any word from him saying
to those that make the ultimate decision on draft day
that maybe they should be looking at offensive lineman Jake
Andrews out of Troy.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
I would think she did put in a good word.
It just didn't happen. They didn't get it done. But
you know, that is probably something that happened. I don't
know that for an absolute fact, but I would imagine, yeah,
he recommended them. I know he recommended them this time around.
I've heard that.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Yeah, they did take two offensive linemen in that draft.
That's the draft that produced Juice Scruggs and Jarrett Patterson.
Curious Also, one other thing before we let you go
on the wide receiver position. You I've kind of talked
about this group in tears. You have Nico Collins and
Christian Kirk or clearly your number ones, as in they're
going to be in the starting group no matter what
(10:58):
configuration you really are using your next tier the two
rookies with Noel and Higgins, and then the next tier
and I'm not really ordering them, but they're in a
separate group. Are your veteran returnees in Mechi and Xavier Hutchinson.
Then the other group is everybody else, whether it's a
veteran like Watson or if healthy and part of the
receiver group Braxton Burrios and on down the list. Where
(11:21):
do you think things start in camp for kind of
the pecking order of who's there. This team, if I'm
not mistaken, had seven receivers on the roster when they
opened up their season last year. Not all of them
turned out to be active for the opening game, but
did carry seven when you combine wideouts and those that
could also return kicks like Sims did last.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
Year, yep, when you had Stephen Simms, you were carrying
an extra player. In this case, you have Braxton Barrios,
who is expected to be ready for camp. He's working
on the side right now after carry VCL last October
for the Miami Dolphins. What I anticipate is Burrios need
to earn his keep as a reserve receiver and the
race for spots it's between the John Metchie. The third
(12:05):
They Xavier Hudginson's than Justin Watson. Remember, Watson's had a
two year contract. It's a decent deal and it could
get crowded for at least one of the returners. Metchi
has already had some drops in these practices. I trying
to overreact to that, but he tends to be more
of a gamer. But yeah, he's had some inconsistency with
his hands and little things like that can make the
(12:28):
difference between him making the squad and not making it
this year. I even think that there can be some
trade possibilities. They could get some calls about the depth
they have a receiver. I know that they'd love to
have Hudginson as a mentor these two Iowa State cyclones.
That could work out that way. There could be three
Iowa State guys make the fifty three man roster. Of
(12:50):
course the first two will, but you know, Hudginson has
to earn the spot all over again, and I could
see it happening. You know, he made a big play
in the Charters game. It's gonna be very interesting to
see how they orchestrate this and help will probably be
one of the biggest determinive factors because you always have
at least one guy that has an injury. So it
will be very interesting to see how the depth works out.
(13:12):
But you know we're talking about guys ultimately, and I
know we we track it all because we're watching everything.
You might be talking about a guy that's gonna catch
like under fifteen passes when we're talking about the final spots.
But I could see them keeping seven. I think it
makes sense again because Barrows is a former All Pro
returner and you want that on the special teams. For
(13:34):
Frank Ross, I think he makes it. And you know
it's not because of the contract, it's just because of
a skill set that he has. It's tough. It's tough
for these other guys. And if you're Jerry Wayne, who's
had a good OTAs and actually you know, caught some touchdowns,
or you're an Xavier Johnson or Johnny Johnson, it's tough.
I mean, this practice squad will be competitive.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Undoubtedly a couple of those guys were there last year
have gotten some bit spots with the Texans, both Wayne
and Johnny Johnson the third. Wayne had a great play
this past Ota, a deep ball cut down the right
side of the field, put a move on the rookie
red and took it the rest of the way into
the end zone. These are some of the things we'll
be watching next week at Mandatory Mini Camp on the
(14:17):
tenth and the eleventh. Aaron, always appreciate the time here
with us. I love your coverage there over on Channel
two and obviously on all your social accounts at Aaron
Wilson underscore NFL. Aeron appreciate the time as always, the
ad
Speaker 2 (14:32):
On Sports Talk seven ninety