Underwear Olympics Overrated, Trent Williams Watch, Ken Walker Houston Bound?

Wednesday on The A-Team, Adam Clanton and Adam Wexler react to Nick Caserio's comments from the Combine, examine Trent Williams' status with SF, and discuss the possibility of the Texans signing Ken Walker.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Spring training action in the books. Welcome in to the
A Team Sports Talk seven ninety. Normally we would be
wrapping up our first hour, but that's the time of
year we're in. It would be the same exact scenario tomorrow.
I hope you enjoyed listening to Hunter Brown since you
couldn't see him pitch getting his fart first start of
the spring and obviously long since been determined that's gonna be.

(00:24):
That's going to be the guy that's on the mound
for opening day for your astros. But they get the
victory over the Marlins and probably took a little longer
than maybe we anticipated it would. Although I guess there's
no rules. It is spring training and.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
They have rules. Well, they don't have rules. You can
go as long as you want.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
Remember, even with the gift runner on second, did they
even do that in spring training?

Speaker 2 (00:48):
By the way, no, because they what would they be
doing that for. They would have to play extra innings
to do that. Yeah, that's what I thought. They tied
again tie. Yeah, Yeah, they're not interested in that and
they didn't need to go to that today. Hunter Brown
did throw today. You will have Tatsuya em I tomorrow
right here on Sports Talk seven ninety and then Friday
with an evening first pitch four fifty, we'll shift into

(01:10):
coverage of Lance McCullers junior first start of spring training.
A few other Astros also making their way into the
lineup today and tomorrow and Friday. Today a first opportunity
to step in the box for Guyner Diaz not behind
the plate though he was the Astros designated hitter today.
Taylor Tremmell hit one over the fence during his time

(01:30):
in left field. Jake Myers got another start and probably
pay a little bit more attention to Jack Winkler as
spring training continues. A lot of players there are way
on the outside looking in, non roster invitees, guys way
down the list in terms of players within the organization
for years. He's one of those such players brought in

(01:51):
and hopes of making an impression. So far, he has
both with the glove and with the bat. He had
another hit today and scored run when the catcher of
the future, Walker Janik, drove them both in their early
two runs with a double. He also threw out a
runner on the base paths, which is basically where he

(02:13):
is right now. Major league ready as a defensive catcher,
receiver of baseballs, and with his arm. If you missed
it over the weekend, Gavin Dickie, the Astro's assistant general manager,
was on the broadcast and mentioned a couple of things
about him, specifically how ready he was, how capable he is,
and he's gotten a lot of the early work behind

(02:34):
the plate, especially early, which means he's getting to work
with these pitchers that sometime soon the draft pick out
of Sam Houston State will be an Astro and will
be a major leaguer, and hopefully a lot of these
guys will still be there with them, most significantly today's
starting pitcher, whose long term Astros future is not yet known,
but in and out of the game without issue to
winnings of work, a couple of strikeouts, a hit. Speaking

(02:57):
after the game, he nothing in particular he was working on,
jokingly saying holding runners on which he actually talked about
during the off season, and he was part of picking
a runner off of second base. He didn't have any
runners on first base to try to pick off, but
he was able to do that. And the Astros will
continue on their spring training road towards getting back to Houston.

(03:17):
One month and one day from today is the season
opener with the Astros, opening with a seven game homestand
we'll obviously be out at the ballpark for that very
much looking forward to it, and after noon game, so
we'll be with you for actually more time than usual
for that three to ten first pitch. We'll join the
Matt Thomas Show with Ross with the A team without
Mount Thomas that day at ten am out at the ballpark.

(03:40):
Wait to cover all the bases? See what I did there? Yeah,
I mean you did cover all the bases. It's like
you were in you know, you were taking care of business.
Anything else. No, I'm just trying to play off of
Steve's pun that almost got Robert all choked up near
that part he gave He gave him a bto run

(04:01):
later in the contest, and Robert was trying to continue
doing his job of describing the action to the listening professional.
But he made note of it.

Speaker 1 (04:09):
Yeah, those two are they're in mid season form. Say
you know who else is in mid season form? Nick Cassario.
He has really set up shop at the NFL Combine,
covering a variety of topics and doing what he does best.
For the most part with some of his soundbites. But

(04:30):
I will say this, and you know how I feel
about the Underwear Olympics, hence why I call them that.

Speaker 3 (04:38):
I get it.

Speaker 1 (04:38):
It's a good chance to look at some players, especially
I think players that aren't necessarily quarterbacks to feel like
less and less are actually putting on a show versus
just going to their own pro day where they're familiar
with their surroundings and their receivers, which is I think
completely understandable. But you know, these Underwear Olympics, these forty times,

(05:01):
these vertical jumps and everything else that has done.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
Reps at two twenty five, don't forget those. That's true,
I shouldn't forget the reps at the end of the day.
I know that there are drills and there's stuff like that,
and I get that this is a chance for these
gms to get their eyes on these guys, not for
the first time obviously in a lot of cases, but
it really just doesn't and I've said this, it just
doesn't compare to NFL competition. And I really feel like

(05:31):
something that Nick Cassario has said over the last twenty
four hours kind of proves my point.

Speaker 1 (05:37):
You can be into this more than I am. You
can think that it means more than I do all
that kind of stuff. I'm not gonna argue with you
about that. I just have better things to do. But
I feel like what Nick Cassario said specifically on one
member of what has been for a while now, I
think in elite defense and certainly was this passion I
would call it super Bowl caliber kind of proves what

(05:59):
I'm talking about. And that's what he said about Kamari Lassiter.
And if you missed it, we have plenty of time
here in the first segment. This is what Nick Cassario
had to say about, you know, the NFL Combine, but
specifically finding a guy like a Kamari Lassiter as it
pertains to an event like this.

Speaker 2 (06:17):
So he was presented with a question about the decreasing
number of players that perform that actually go through the
drills at the combine and go through the specifics because
we know, you know, players at the top of the
draft often don't do it because there's no way to
improve their draft position or it can only hurt them.
You brought up the quarterbacks throwing at their own pro day.
Only receivers and other players might only do that too,

(06:41):
or just simply not at all. And obviously the opportunity
for most of the other players, if they're healthy, they're
usually going to compete here and or at their pro
day because this is a little bit different spectacle. You're
lifting weights and you're running. Beyond that, you're not trying
to catch passes, trying to throw passes, so that the

(07:02):
combine on field stuff for those players is dramatically different.
So it's usually less of an issue and less of
a talking punt. I can't believe this quarterback isn't throwing.
I can't believe these four quarterbacks aren't throwing. Obviously, that
means they're afraid of competition, which is what we always
do here. So Nick presented with that question about the
decreasing number of players doing the on field workouts. As

(07:24):
we continue talking about the combine, we will make a
clear separation, because the Texans clearly have there's a separation.
If you use the word combine, you need to be
more specific. The combine serves two purposes, and there are
two activities that take place there. One is off the field.
One is actually sitting down with players and speaking to them,
meeting them and everything else. The talking portion, the meeting

(07:46):
portion of the combine, and then the other part is
obviously the on field portion. The Texans treat them very
very differently in terms of importance, but specific to what
you brought up, because Kamari Laster was brought up by
Nick Cassario in response to that question about the on
field workouts at the Combine in their importance.

Speaker 4 (08:04):
I mean, let's go back to lasted or how many
years ago? Right, he ran what was his time on
four to six five? I mean he's not a four
to sixty five. The guy plays four or five or below,
and he's a football player. He's one of our best players.
So if we're so caught up and well the guy
ran is okay, Well it's a data point, all right?
Does it affect their play if they choose not to
do something here? Ultimately it's a player's prerogative. So our

(08:26):
job is to understand the thought process, the rationale behind
why they do or not do something, okay, and then
figure out, all right, does this player fit in our
building or not?

Speaker 2 (08:35):
Okay, before we get to the analysis of that one thing.
To make sure everybody heard the first time, because I
brought it up yesterday and I probably will throw it
in the system for our use in perpetuity.

Speaker 4 (08:45):
Okay, well it's a data point.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
It's a data point, got it. It's a data point. Yes,
And the beginning of that conversation I wanted to also
add it started like this. That direct response to that question.

Speaker 4 (08:58):
You'll probably get a different answer from everybody.

Speaker 3 (09:01):
It doesn't matter to me, honestly.

Speaker 2 (09:03):
It doesn't matter to me. Right out of the gate,
the media transfer, it doesn't matter to me. That was
the very first thing he said. And then he got
into the whys, Like Kamari Lassiter's time at the Combine
was X, and X is often referred to by scouts
and personnel people as not ideal. Whatever that number was,

(09:26):
four six y five was as hypothetical. Then we're supposed
to grade him down for that. We're supposed to look
down on that because this is the number that was
produced at the Combine. And you said, you know it's
not NFL competition, Well, it's not tape. You're out there
training and training and training. Maybe your time should be

(09:46):
better if you've been training or training and training, and
maybe that's something to look at. But he's got they
have all this tape and for this hypothetical, specifically, they
have tape of him playing at Georgia against guess what
NFL competition. He's playing every game inside the conference, for
the most part, against players he might be up against
at the next level, and he's also competing with teammates

(10:09):
for playing time that will be at the next level
Georgia in his you know, the time that he was
at Georgia, it was nothing but NFL players over there
on their defense and clearly going against some of the
teams that they have in the SEC here recently. Same thing,
So that's what they're looking at. I'll there's nothing you
can do with the combine that should make people forget
about what's on tape. If you do that as an

(10:30):
NFL evaluator, then you'll be in your position a very
very short period of time. That's a good point, and
I think that's that's why.

Speaker 1 (10:38):
I mean, I'm extreme. I realize it. I just don't.

Speaker 2 (10:42):
I know.

Speaker 1 (10:43):
There are people that sit there and watch this stuff
like every minute of it every day.

Speaker 2 (10:47):
They consume it like it's oxygen. I can't do it.
Why do you think they do that? I think data point, Yeah,
that's why they do it, because it's a data point,
But I mean, is it if you're if you're an
actual draft analys Yeah, it is. If you're an actual
NFL personnel evaluator. Yeah, it's a data point. Okay, let's
line up all these data points. I got forty of
them up on the graft. Now put it up on

(11:08):
the big board. Let's throw it up there. They're forty
time for this particular player who is this plays this
particular position. Out of those forty data points we've gained,
we're gonna put slot that one in at thirty one.
I know we're gonna rate how important that is. Some
people that will rate up at number eleven. Other people's
data points on their forty might rank at number seven.
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (11:27):
I know the answer to this isn't zero, which is
what makes it sad. How many, in your opinion do
you think guys on average every single year it comes
down to two guys and their forty time is what
ultimately factors in.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
That's a great question, because I mean, I think it
never happens. I honestly do. I would hope it doesn't
at this point because you're gonna have a hard time
if you're looking at that much tape and you've got
that much of a tough decision you're going to there, Well,
then you really just need to lean on your people
and decide who you basically trust more. Yo, I've been
in on this guy from day one. I know you have,
but you got I've been showing these plays. We had

(12:02):
all these cutups. We've done all this for three months.
We put together our board. This is why I'm telling you, Nick,
if we want our linebackers to be just as good
as they were last year, when we lose so and so,
and when we lose this player, he's going to step
right in. He's going to play immediately. I would you
stake your reputation on it? I would stake my reputation
on What about you, Jim? Would you stake your reputation
on this guy that you followed? And you've got to

(12:23):
make a decision. From the example, the spread on their
forty would have to be pretty significant for that to
be the scale tilter, Like the Jets picked ahead of
the Texans and thought that Sauce Gardner was better than
Derek Stingley Junior.

Speaker 1 (12:39):
It's just the most recent example I could think of
that involve the Texans or you know, I shoot, we
could say same thing about Bryce Young and CJ. Shroud
if you want to go there, even more recent, because
that was a lot more.

Speaker 2 (12:50):
Data points with those guys.

Speaker 1 (12:52):
Yeah, but I do wonder how close the two profiles were.

Speaker 2 (12:58):
And let's just say back to back years and think
about one of the data points on those two players.
Probably you would think gms would have data points that
revolve around injuries. What is their history? What do we
think about that? For sure? Is it of any great significance?
You would think that was a well a check for
Sauce versus Derek just in the fact that he had

(13:18):
some injuries and was off the field a little bit
at LSU, and I would think one of the biggest
things to be very specific to them, and it's tough
to differentiate. Can Sauce do this against anybody? Can Derek
Stingley continue to do this against who he's already been
doing this? It's just what we talked about. If I'm
talking about LAS year in the SEC, well, look at

(13:40):
Derek Stingley's work in college playing against SEC competition and
maybe more importantly, playing against his teammates at practice from
LSU at wide receiver. We've talked about it all the
years that Stingley's been here in the NFL. You know,
they were talking to the coaches, They probably were at
practice over the time he was there and actually got
to see some of that stuff practice live. So this

(14:02):
is what he can do, and this is how he
moves his hip, and this is how he back pedals,
and this is how he does this against guys we
know are not They're just not gonna play in the NFL.
They're gonna be dogs in the NFL. And Sauce can't
do anything about it. But he was playing for the
Bearcats and he's playing against clearly, on average, a much
lower level of competition on a weekly basis, same at practice.

(14:24):
It shouldn't necessarily be the tipping point, but you have
all these data points that have to be considered. That
would certainly have to be one of them. The Jets
thought more highly of Sauce and two Sauces credit the
first go round year one for both of those two players.
He was on the field the whole time Stingley played
half the year, and he also Sauce he was better.

(14:45):
There's no making first team All Pro, making the Pro
Bowl in year one wasn't a fluke. It wasn't there's
nobody else. He wasn't a replacement player. He was awesome.
He was elite, and it looked like they made the
right choice, and it looked like the Texans didn't. And
now it looks different. I mean, obviously the Jets didn't,
you know, have the choice. They picked second, but they

(15:06):
were I think most NFL teams if you asked them,
if they were in the market for corners in that draft,
it probably was close to split fifty feet in how
teams probably viewed the two of them. It's pretty obvious
how they're viewed now because one of them recently signed

(15:26):
an extension and so did the other one. Yeah, but
then he got traded to the Indianapolis Colts and the
other guy's Derek Stingley Junior. Exactly. All right, we will
leave it at that for now. There's plenty more.

Speaker 1 (15:38):
In fact, speaking of acquisitions, there's a potential big and
we mean big fish to be had possibly for your Texans.

Speaker 2 (15:48):
We'll see. We will discuss that scenario coming up next.

Speaker 1 (15:53):
How do you feel about Trent Williams in a Texans uniform?

Speaker 2 (15:57):
Go? You know me? Do you guys. Know, man, I've
been around a few years. Do you think I can
just flat out give an answer to that question without
asking questions right back? Why not? How do I feel
about it? Yeah? I know it's not gonna happen. I
don't think the Texans are interested, and I understand why
you're mad at me for both of those answers. I

(16:20):
honestly don't what was the second part? Again, I don't
think the Texans are interested, but they're basically those two
things were the same answer because they should be interested
in talent. Let's start there, is this a talented player? Yes,
and I actually should have added a three to it.
We need to get into why you brought his name
up first, and then I'll add out I'll get to

(16:41):
the details here, the ugly details, which by the way
include forty nine Ers general manager John Lynch, who I
think has a pretty stellar reputation right now. But I
think that could go south very quickly because I feel
like their cap situation and lack of achievements relatively speaking,

(17:02):
have are going to catch up with him sooner rather
than later. What's what's their lack of achievements? They don't
have a Super Bowl title, yeah, getting closed. It's pretty
much it right.

Speaker 1 (17:10):
Well, Listen, the standards are different for each team, but
in San Francisco with that franchise, I mean, I know
it's been a long time, like the Cowboys, but I
just feel like they hold themselves to a different standard
because they've had that success in the past.

Speaker 2 (17:26):
I mean, he's been the GM since the Astros won
their first World Series and they've made two Super Bowl
appears twenty seven. So you're citing a lack of accomplishment.

Speaker 1 (17:36):
Yeah, they got to get there and win. I mean
the Eagles even did that. They got there and lost,
and then they got there and won.

Speaker 2 (17:42):
Well, I'll try to not jump out of my steat
with that angle on it, and I'll just merely say, Okay,
I'm with you. You mean you want him out. Lack
of accomplishment is cited as the reason. So you're going
to hire somebody that's going to do a better job him.
And the only way to measure that is if that

(18:02):
new GM under his watch you win a Super Bowls.
That's the goal which your current GM is failing on.
This is the new GM that's going to succeed on.
Who the heck is that guy?

Speaker 1 (18:15):
I know, Oh, believe me, I'm with you because I
wish the forty nine. I wish the Texans looked at
things the way the forty nine ers do. And where
did they get their head coach from?

Speaker 2 (18:22):
I mean, in my personal opinion, and I don't cover
the Niners clearly, I just know about their substation. There's
thirty two NFL teams. A bunch of them made changes
this year. GM. There are a couple of gms that
changed the last couple of years have probably add another
five to seven. So take those teams out of it,
all these other gms that have been around and have
had a chance to accomplish something, and rank them based

(18:44):
on who's sitting on the coldest seat. Brett Veach is
probably sitting on the coldest seat in the NFL for
what the Kansas City Chiefs have done. And next year
I might actually have to change that if they have
back to back years of disappointment. Howie Roseman and Vach,
you're probably neck and neck for the coldest seat. They're
not going anywhere Widely regarded as great. A number of

(19:07):
moves and draft picks and signings that Roseman has made
that have turned up roses ironically, it's astronomical. How many
other gms would you put in front of John Lynch
at that spot at number three.

Speaker 1 (19:21):
Again, I think he's great, I think, and honestly it's not.
I don't think it's gonna be lack of winning the
Super Bowl in reality here that would ever get the
forty nine ers to make a change. But I do
think you tell me if you agree with this or not.
I think looking at him and Shanahan, that you are

(19:43):
rapidly approaching a situation where you look at things, if
your ownership and say, ah, maybe this group's run its course.
In other words, what I think happened much much, much
further down the line in his tenure with John Harbaugh
and the Ravens.

Speaker 2 (19:59):
I don't think they him because he's a bad coach.

Speaker 1 (20:01):
I think they fired him because they just wanted to
change things up because it had been a while. And
I think to an extent, even though it's a lesser timeline,
like I said, how long's uh, how long Shanahan been?

Speaker 2 (20:13):
This is ten year? Ten is this coming season? Okay,
I was gonna guess he had already just coached his
tenth four seasons of no postseason five years, they've made
it all. Five of the years they've made it, they've
won at least once. Four of the five years they've
won twice. So they've been in the NFC title game
four times in nine seasons under Kyle Shanahan. And as

(20:35):
I was alluding to our former producer Cole, who is
now the co host of The Morning Drive with Dan
and Cole, I got pretty fired up about the idea
that you need to move on from Kyle Shanahan and
I will do the same thing now if necessary. Why no,
I'm what do you people think this is the way
to What do you want from your head coach? Beyond

(20:56):
the obvious? You want that from all of them? I mean, look,
get two head coaches that are moved on from Mike
Tomlin and you brought up John Harbaugh.

Speaker 4 (21:05):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (21:05):
The length of time between really successful Pittsburgh Steelers teams
led by Tomlin and similarly really successful Ravens teams with
coach Harbaugh? He won a Super Bowl? How could you
get rid of him? When was that? And Mike Tomlin
same thing?

Speaker 3 (21:19):
Well?

Speaker 2 (21:19):
When was that? And then in Tomlin's case, we know
their history even more closely now because the Texans were
trying to hand Mike Tomlin Steelers their billionth straight postseason
loss and did and did so that was more the
coach kind of saying it's enough for me.

Speaker 1 (21:35):
Probably know better than anybody what a big fan of Shanahan.
I I've wanted. I wanted him to be the Texans
coach over a decade ago.

Speaker 2 (21:42):
Now, I mean, I I'd probably say I think Kyle
Shanahan if I were running the Niners, if I were
John Lynch or York the president, I would probably without
maybe announcing it, in my mind. He's got a lifetime contract,
that is I mean, And I think that would make
people think I'm nuts for saying that. No, I don't,

(22:02):
but I really do think because I feel the same way.
Look at who they had last year. They had injuries
up and down the roster, including quarterback. For half the
season he.

Speaker 1 (22:13):
Was winning big games with Mac Jones at quarterback, which
again is why I've always been attracted to him since
his offense is sexy.

Speaker 2 (22:22):
Bring it back to what this conversation began with, what's
going on with John Lynch Kyle Shanahan of Trent Williams.

Speaker 1 (22:26):
As per usual, it's always about money, has nothing to
do with whether or not we think this guy's capable
of doing what we want him to do, which is
be a franchise left tackle to protect the blind side
of whoever they trot out there under center each week.

Speaker 2 (22:40):
But here's the deal.

Speaker 1 (22:41):
Trent Williams is going into the final final year of
his contract, carries a salary cap number of nearly thirty
nine million, and that includes a base salary of twenty
two point to one million with a ten million dollar
option bonus due in the coming weeks. The specifically option bonus,
the ten million part, has increased the urgency to strike

(23:05):
a deal. That quote works for both sides, but according
to Adam Schefter, they're struggling to find a contractual situation.

Speaker 2 (23:13):
That's the sources quote.

Speaker 1 (23:16):
And then John Lynch came out at the combine and said,
what I'll tell you is that in recent weeks I've
met with both Trent and his agent, Vincent Taylor, had
really good, productive and substantive meetings. Substantive meetings here, and
so here's what I know. Trent loves being a Niner.
We love having Trent as a Niner, and it's up
to us to figure out that out and to thread

(23:36):
that needle. There are some unique circumstances and that we
all know that Trent is as a player, or we
know what Trent is as a player. Excuse me, how
great of a player he's been. He's going to be
thirty eight years old, and so there's some things that
go into that. But I think we're all on the
same page and feel very positive about where that's going.
I don't happen to think that he's going to even

(23:58):
be in a situation where he could go elsewhere. But
it's funny how many things he mentioned there that would
make it to where he'd be available to go elsewhere.
And I think age is at the top of that list.
I know money is there, but once you get past
that money, I mean again, you're talking about paying that
kind of money to a guy at that age. And
yet I feel like if he were to be released

(24:21):
or what it was, a cap casually, whatever you want
to call it, whatever scenario, teams will be lining up
to go get this guy.

Speaker 2 (24:26):
Yeah, there's no question, because you know eight, he will
be thirty eight when he is on the field at
left tackle next year and playing offensive line for the
first nap of the season. He has a thirty eighth birthday.
Coming over the summer. He also played at a I
don't know, again, not going too deep into what PFF
says or SIS says, or pressure rate, all those things

(24:49):
right here. My guess is and based on what I
read during the season, he was a little bit less
of This guy's the best left tackle in football or
the second best. Maybe he was the fifth best or
the seventh best this year, good enough to get All
Pro vote recognition again this year, and good enough to
be a part of the Pro Bowl announcement. He was

(25:10):
the on second team All Pro this year. As a
tackle at left tackle, he's playing at a you want
this guy on the field caliber. He would be the
best lineman on most teams he signs with, and he'd
definitely be the best lineman on this team, But he
would be the best lineman on the Niners two. I
think this is just a matter of because the combine

(25:33):
happens a little over a week before the league year starts,
and in his case, we're talking about his option vone
or his guarantee that he's coming up rapidly. You got
in front of John Lynch and so you asked him
about it, so he gave everybody an answer, and the
reality of it is, there clearly is a possibility that
he could be available to everybody else. I really don't
think that's the case. The Niners should look at their

(25:55):
roster and look at how they've played under Shanny, and
look at how they've played with Perty and obviously mac
Owns this past year. We have a chance to win
the Super Bowl. We don't want to weaken our left
side of our line. Even if he is thirty eight,
Even if it means we got to sign him to
a three year deal, it's really more of a two
year deal from a guarantee standpoint. And now we're saying
he's going to be our starting left tackle at age

(26:16):
thirty nine in twenty twenty seven. That's still probably what
will ultimately happen. If it's a you know, extension, and
there are there are some simple restructures, but with the
length of his deal, that's that's not what I would
think would happen. So be fun to consider, and he's
definitely going to have many many suitors for sure, and
the Texans, well, I'm dismissive of it. It's mainly because

(26:38):
I don't think he's going to be available. But if
you're telling me they spent that much money to be
on this line with the only one I know he's
going to be with is Tay Nursery, now you're running
the risk of not signing at ingram, not signing another
free agent at that position, potentially considering the options of

(26:59):
moving on like you suggested yesterday from Titus Howard, just
from the enormous over the enormous amount of money that
you have to spend to put this player on your
roster is something I can't imagine they're forecasting as they
kind of lay out their plans and what data points
are most important to them.

Speaker 1 (27:15):
Yeah, besides, then they probably couldn't go out and get
a different premiere free agent that's available because one rider
at least thinks that he fits perfectly in Houston, especially
with the news of Breeze Hall. In all likelihood, going
back to the Jets, we'll see also when they get
that free agent, because I'm just going to call it

(27:36):
right now that they get them, because it sounds fun.
Are they going to be playing across the pond? We
will explain when we come back.

Speaker 2 (27:43):
The NFL free agency apparently starts right now on the atam.
I've been looking forward for the last however long. Our
break was to who the Texans are atting? I'm pumped? Well,
is it a franchise changer? Would you elevate them back
ahead of Jacksonville with this one move?

Speaker 3 (27:58):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (27:59):
Yeah, I don't know who it is yet.

Speaker 1 (28:02):
If I told you it was one of the top
five running backs available this offseason, and it's not Breeze Hall.

Speaker 2 (28:07):
Did they make one of the teams in the division
worse by making this move? Okay, so it's not Travis
Etien right sweep the division because of this move. That's
very hard to do. Are they going to make their
offensive line look good because of this move? Maybe? Are
they going to give CJ. Stroud an awesome outlet to
throw the football to with this move? Yes? But is

(28:30):
the number available currently? Oh? I don't know his number.
I can't think of it. Is it thirty two? I
don't I don't know who it is yet.

Speaker 1 (28:38):
All right, let's get to the first thing that I
did a little investigative journalism here. I couldn't even keep
it straight face the entire time. I saw a headline
today and it read the following Jaguars Comma Commanders host
teams for NFL's three London games, and I said to myselfself,

(29:03):
we already know that, in all likelihood the Texans are
going to play one international game this year. It's just
the way the NFL is starting to go that direction.

Speaker 2 (29:11):
It's starting to go why wouldn't it be that Jaguars game.

Speaker 1 (29:17):
It's a marquee matchup now between two AFC South powerhouses.

Speaker 2 (29:22):
Again struggling to keep a straight face. So this morning
the NFL announced that the Jaguars have games overseas, and
we already pretty much know when our lives continue, that
the Jags will be playing overseas at least once. Now
we know they'll be playing twice, and the Commanders will
be playing overseas. These are the three London based game,

(29:46):
two in Tottenham and one at Wembley in London. So
this is what we know to date. We know one matchup,
the game in Australia, Rams and Niners open up the year,
probably Wednesday to start the NFL season, Seahawks playing Thursday,
and we know at least one team in seven of

(30:07):
the other eight games. Don't know anything about the Madrid
game yet. The Niners are playing in a game. The
Lions are in a game, the Saints are in a
game that's the Paris game. Jaguars have two games, one
at each of those two London sites that I mentioned,
the Commanders the other London game I just mentioned, and
the Cowboys. We know they're playing the Brazil game in Rio.

(30:28):
We also know who's on the Texans schedule, so we
can eliminate the Texans from all of those games except
for the Jaguars games.

Speaker 1 (30:37):
And I never thought that the Commanders would be well,
first of all, I don't think they're playing them this year,
are they.

Speaker 2 (30:44):
No, That's what I mean. We already know the Texans
can't be the opponent, and.

Speaker 1 (30:48):
I know they've got to play the Jags twice. One
of them is gonna be here. Cal and Hannah aren't
giving up a home date.

Speaker 2 (30:54):
I mean, yeah, these are both home They are home dates.
That's the other reason Jacksonville used both games. You have
to pencil them in somewhere internationally, you don't have to.
We've talked about it, like it's obvious they've played an
an overseas game in their history not too long ago.
But I've just felt like with them adding more games

(31:15):
with who this team is, and honestly, you don't know
who the other teams are going to be that they add,
and by process of elimination, they've made it really difficult
to find a spot for the Texans now if that's
something they're actually trying to do, but the Jaguars seemed
like an obvious choice.

Speaker 1 (31:30):
But on your like, it's probably on one hand, but
there's still there'll be a handful of teams that don't
play overseas this year.

Speaker 2 (31:37):
I mean, if that right, there will be half the league, basically,
because I thought it was more than this. Well there's
nine there's nine games, so that's eighteen teams have to
play in those nine games. The Jaguars are taking up
two of those spots, and it's possible, I would say,
I don't think another two or three teams. There's probably
one other team that might have a second game. Well,

(31:58):
that's half the league now we're down to sixteen team
teams to fill those you know, among the teams that
have ann overseas game.

Speaker 1 (32:06):
I just think again, in light of the fact that
they haven't in a while, although you did say they
had recently, who they play again, I honestly I can't remember.

Speaker 2 (32:14):
I can't remember either. I actually when you while I
was over a Channel two, I was not the reporter
selected to make that trip sound bitter. No, No, I don't,
I don't even I don't think I was technically a
reporter at that time. I think I was producing Ari
Alexander of Boston. He went of Boston fame, he works
in Boston. Out for those that don't know, well, here's

(32:35):
the deal. When they go to London, could they have
Kenneth Walker the third, of course in their backfield. I
don't want to confuse him with Kenneth Walker the second
or Kenneth Walker, but that is where at least one
NFL dot Com writer, analyst Nick Shook, thinks he should go,

(32:59):
and he writes the following, Houston should absolutely become one
of those interested parties. Joe Mixon's mysterious foot ailment cost
him all of twenty twenty five, forcing the Texans to
rely on rookie Woody Marks diminish veteran Nick Chubb. The
results largely forgettable.

Speaker 1 (33:15):
Houston's finished twenty second and rushing in the regular season
clearly couldn't balance out the offense in order to help C. J. Stroud,
positioning him for a ghastly showing in the divisional round.
If the Texans are serious about finding a way to
advance to Championship Weekend, you know where the forty nine
ers go.

Speaker 2 (33:32):
Sometimes they'll need to upgrade at running back. They can
clear eight million in cap space by cutting Mixon with
a post June first designation, opening the right amount of
money to immediately hand to Walker in what might be
a backloaded deal in order to fit him into their
cap What say you? I like to make people aware

(33:53):
of the context under which this information is written about
a headline on this article. Four free agent fits yep,
and two trades that should happen. Probably not going to
get anybody to argue about the manner in which that
was delivered. Is Kenneth Walker the third a fit in
the Texans backfield? Yes, in a year one way, Absolutely,

(34:16):
that would make a ton of sense. Now, I do
appreciate him kind of walking through how it could happen
and why it could happen, and how it makes sense.
I'm shocked like a backloaded deal, I don't not too
many teams go about it that way for a running back.
But he is a player who's only going into his
fifth year. So I think there's a little bit. You know,
fifth year players that are available in only their fifth

(34:38):
year as productive as him, and we might have had
a second, might have had a third with at tenn
and Priest Hall, but it's not that often you see
a player of that caliber, and I think people are
pretty excited about what he can do. He also hasn't
been used a tremendous amount in his four years, but
part of that is because of his injury history. You
clear eight million in cap and we've talked about that

(34:58):
many times since the really during the year, but certainly
since the off season. If Joe Mixon is not here
and you designate that release properly, But how much is
the what's the ceiling? Is there a ceiling? We know
what the Texans were willing to place pay Saquon Barkley
two off seasons ago. Where do you where do you
draw the line? And where does he fit in with
the rest of the running backs. He's not better than Barkley, McCaffrey, Henry,

(35:25):
Jonathan Taylor, James Cook. Am I starting to get in
the right Kiren Williams? Who's the Detroit again? Uh? He's
a split back field there in Detroit. Who's their star
Jimier Gibbs. Jamier Gibbs is probably somebody I'd put ahead
of him, right, and he's he's the The Lions are

(35:45):
happy with that because not only is he awesome, he's fresh,
he's working on his first deal. He's not been an
extended player, he's working off just the bunny. But yeah,
just kind of running through the list and every player
I mentioned other than Gibbs, they're an eleven million dollar
player on Percy's and average annual, but a value for
their deal. So where where's the line for you? And

(36:07):
where does he fit in? He's not playing here for
eight million a year? Is he playing here for twelve
million a year? Is he playing here for fourteen million years?
I think twelve is probably where you draw the line.
So Josh Jacobs, that's his contract value for the Jaguar
or for the Packers. And again the idea like the
Raiders have recovered from that because clearly they drafted Ashton

(36:28):
genty and some teams that is how you like to
do it. I draft this guy, I play him for
four years, maybe five if he was a first round pick,
pick up his option, and then I'm not the team
to give him his forty two million dollars cent or
is fifty seven million dollars. I'll let somebody else do that,
and I'll start back over again.

Speaker 1 (36:43):
I think that's a very cold, calloused and genius way
to handle your running back in twenty twenty six.

Speaker 2 (36:49):
So you're doing it the opposite way. Yeah, you're taking
that guy that's going out there to make that money.

Speaker 3 (36:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (36:56):
Yeah, But because the Texans are in the position they're in.
Unless you think there's that guy in the draft, and
it's not just one or the other, you have to
be able to decide, Okay, well I would like to
spend draft capital on said player.

Speaker 2 (37:11):
Then in that case, this is what you get. Look,
you can't. The unfortunate part is timing. If Kenneth Walker
the third is a Houston Texan because he wasn't tagged
and he hasn't reached an agreement with Seattle and he's
thus a free agent, he's going to be a Texan
four weeks before the draft. Five weeks before the draft,
you're not. He's not going to be sitting out there
waiting for his deal. Right. If he's a free agent,

(37:33):
he's probably one of the first few players I would
think that gets signed. It's certainly not a player you're
you're arguing to know is he here? Is he not?
When you get to the draft.

Speaker 1 (37:43):
But you have to address your running back room before
the season. And again, unless you're a very fond of
someone in the draft that also be you're willing to
spend pretty I would say, pretty pressure draft capital to
get This is what you're gonna have to do. There's

(38:05):
only two options here. You're not gonna sign some. You're
not getting the next Arian Foster as an undrafted free
agent for example.

Speaker 2 (38:12):
Okay, so we'll bring up a player we brought up
yesterday as we walked through some of the numbers from
it just from last year, and these are just the
base numbers. Four point six yards of carry for Kenneth
Walker put him sixteenth in the NFL. His yard is
total which was just over one thy ten to twenty
seven put him sixteenth in the NFL. He's probably gonna

(38:32):
get a contract if he's not a Seahawk much bigger
than Rico Dudele, who had fifty more yards rushing than
him and also average four point six yards of carry.
This is the same guy basically from a production standpoint,
that is almost certainly a player that can be had
for less money and probably fewer years. Is he available,

(38:54):
he will be a free agent. I'd be fine with
it if you got him, I would absolutely be fine
with that.

Speaker 1 (38:59):
That's a successful offseason as far as addressing the running
back position to me.

Speaker 2 (39:03):
And the other thing just from a we've seen it
this offseason perspective, the running back deal that was signed
this offseason, three years, twenty four million for Javonte Williams,
who from a production standpoint in Dallas this past year
was better than both of them four point eight yards
of carry twelve hundred and one yards. He got an
average annual value of eight million per season. And he's

(39:26):
a little bit more of an injury history concern because
of his injury in Denver, and he's in that same
area of I guess wear and tear beyond that, but
also the age of the player and the use. But
interestingly to this specific these three running backs, that decision
just got made last year by the Cowboys, right, we
don't want to be the team that signs and pays Rico,

(39:50):
because we are going to be the team that signs
and pays Javonte Williams. They gave him a one year deal,
which now turns into they're in bed with him for
four years because they liked what he did. Like million
dollars a year is what you can get for Rico,
and it's more like twelve or thirteen for Kenneth Walker.
The third is that an easy decision? Take the guy
for eight?

Speaker 1 (40:09):
Probably if especially if it's those two and they're as
comparable as they are.

Speaker 2 (40:14):
And again, like I said, they're not the same player.
They don't have the same running style, they don't have
the same attributes as a pass catcher, et cetera. But
just from the base numbers, just to give you a
ballpark of what kind of production those two particular running
backs had or three last season, I want to share
that and that allows you to draft heavy on your
offensive line or defensive tackle or corner or wide receiver

(40:35):
or tight end whatever. I'm going to go offensive.

Speaker 1 (40:38):
For a specialist, I'm going to go with the biggest
problem currently on the roster right now that isn't named CJ.

Speaker 3 (40:43):
Stroud's psyche.

Speaker 2 (40:45):
You want to hear one of Demiko Ryan's coaching buddies
talk about a breakdown of the division. He is now
joining with Dimiko Ryans more than ever. We can do
that next.

Speaker 3 (40:57):
The A team on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (41:02):
It is the eighteen Swartstock seven ninety Wednesday edition of
the program, host Astro Spring Training Action. Back at it
again tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel, and we'll
take over as soon as it concludes. We've been talking
a lot of NFL Combine slash Texans because the NFL
Combine is going on right now and there's a lot

(41:23):
of Texans narratives to discuss.

Speaker 5 (41:25):
Well.

Speaker 2 (41:25):
Today it was the first day the players started talking
gms and coaches. Over the first couple of days. There
now players, defensive linemen and linebackers the first go through
of the combine, so you heard a few from some
of their players. Texas A and M is extremely well
represented there and wouldn't shock me at all if one
of the eight billion picks that Nick Cassario trades at

(41:46):
least more than four and a half during the three
day draft extravaganza that a player from Texas A and
M ends up here in Houston. I mean they're in
the SEC, after all, that's where he likes to draft
his players from, not exclusively, but almost exclusively. Definitely, the
bigger the school, the likelier it is the Texans are
going to draft you. But they do have some pretty
talented players, and again not all necessarily at the very

(42:08):
top of the draft, even though they have some of
those as well. Wouldn't shock me. A couple of their
players also have local ties or Houston specific ties, so
it might make for an entertaining story. Also, your first
opportunity prior to the players because of how much turnover
there was this off season. From a coaching in front
office perspective, you've got a bunch of new coaches. Now
there might not be new to everybody because they've been

(42:30):
head coaches before, but new to their team. Meeting with
the media from a national perspective, really for the first time.
They went through their introductory press conferences and probably did
some interviews locally. I'm doubt very many externally. But now
they're there in Indianapolis and ready to talk. And this
division not spared with change. Indianapolis. They're good with Shane

(42:52):
Stikeen and Chris Ballen all good here. Everything is great.
We go to the playoffs every year, We dominate this wait,
they just keep those guys for whatever reason, I like Shane.
I like even more that they keep Chris Ballard. Those
are two different things. The Jacksonville Jaguars they did all
that last year, added Tony Bisselli to the executive hierarchy,

(43:13):
brought in James Gladstone for his elite press conferences and
a big word usage. He's also pretty, he's a big brain.
And they brought in Liam Cohen. And you know, the
more you consider who is in the Super Bowl, coach
McDonald and coach Rabel, both of whom were Coach of
the Year candidates at the top of the list and
should have been. I really think maybe people overlooked the

(43:34):
job that Liam Cohen did because what's most important is
getting the most out of that guy. That is your signal.
Caloller pretty much as the head coach, no matter what
your specialty is. In his case, it is offense. I
don't know that Mike Vrabel did an awesome job making
Drake May what he is. Somebody on the staff did,
but it probably wasn't Mike. Well, we know who on

(43:55):
the staff in Jacksonville did it. For Trevor Lawrence, I
didn't win thirteen games without that. Actually thought he could
have gotten even more credit for it. That leaves Tennessee,
and they've made changes all over the place, and because
we went over on the last segment, we're going to
bring that to you to open up the four o'clock segment.
Tennessee made changes and they've been doing nothing but making
changes all the way back to a reference to a

(44:18):
post they made on social media earlier today, they sent
out a post saying happy birthday to Jeff Fisher. He's
not their current head coach. Seven to nine is the boss,
is one of their most successful head coaches. So from
that to their actual head coach, We're here from Coach
Sala on your Houston, Texans when we start the four o'clock.

Speaker 1 (44:37):
Hour, the eight all right, four o'clock hour underway here
on a Wednesday edition of the eighteen It's Sports Talk
seven to ninety. It's Space City Home Network. By the way,
the game wasn't on today. Right on the television side.

Speaker 2 (44:55):
They do not have another game until the first week
of March. On the TV side, we had the game
right here and again tomorrow and again on Friday. So
the first start was Hunter Brown today. First start for
tatsu Emi is tomorrow. First start for Lance mccullors. Junior
is Friday, and by Friday, probably everybody will have gotten
their first or second time around in the lineup, maybe

(45:18):
other than your do Don Alvarez. Joe A. Spotta anticipates utilizing Correa,
Walker and Altuve over the next two days.

Speaker 3 (45:27):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (45:28):
Yeah, yeah, that's all well and good. But get me
the answer to one more important question you mentioned. I
forty five.

Speaker 2 (45:35):
Is against the Mets tomorrow. Ye, split squad. He'll be
against the Mets, which is the game we will have?

Speaker 3 (45:41):
Oh, split squad.

Speaker 1 (45:43):
Remember how they revealed at the luncheon we were at
to talk about, you know, the hashtag, the team slogan,
the year, all that kind of stuff. Yeah, the City
edition jerseys.

Speaker 2 (45:57):
H I'm trying to remember. Is that the logo that
you saw yesterday on Space City Home Network on both
your chest and dome?

Speaker 3 (46:04):
Yes? That one? Yes?

Speaker 1 (46:06):
You know how you can get EMI's jersey with his
name in Japanese on the back.

Speaker 2 (46:11):
Yes? Is that the only jersey? They're all like that?
His jerseys are offered in both English and Spanish. I
believe is zero other players, even Tanger. What did I
say Spanish? He's not from Spain. I don't think any
of their players who are from Mexico ever or speak Spanish.
I don't think they've ever done anything, even from a

(46:34):
logo standpoint. But obviously this is that's the only players
jersey I'm aware of that is offered with two different names.
But is it just the city edition or all of
the jerseys they didn't have. I didn't see any of
the other jerseys when I was in the store. You
can buy it in the team obvious, so I did not.
I did not take all those of that. I think
that might be the only one.

Speaker 1 (46:53):
But I don't know the answer, Like even though he's
going to be here for one year, might be worth it, three.

Speaker 2 (46:58):
Year deal, option after the first year, option after the
second year if he stays for the second year. But yes,
we shall see.

Speaker 1 (47:03):
Yeah, Alex Bragman got a three year deal from the
Red Sox and there he was doing an interview in
a Cubs uniform yesterday on MLB Network because he plays
for them, I know, because he opted out had he too.

Speaker 2 (47:14):
It's you know, he's in a little bit different situation,
a little older player, and this is a huge jump
for him. So if there's a good season, I'm not
saying he won't be he won't play for the Astros
next year after a great season under the same contract.
He could still opt out and remain an Astro, but

(47:35):
under a different contract, and that would make it difficult
and make it less likely. But I wouldn't say it
impossible because he has a great year. I mean, if
the opportunity to get a hundred something million guaranteed versus
another forty two, I mean, it's really a no brainer.

Speaker 1 (47:50):
When Hunter Brown's not going to be a decision for
a while now, what three years?

Speaker 2 (47:57):
Well, they have to start negotiations and conversations before they
get anywhere. Should probablysh haven't done why, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (48:05):
He's the one that you're finally going to keep versus
letting him walk away like all of the others have
done for the most part, Start having those conversations otherwise
Emi is going to be the ace of your staff
at this rate.

Speaker 2 (48:19):
We'll find out how awesome that may or may not be.

Speaker 1 (48:21):
Okay, here's the deal. We were talking about. An AFC
South coach that not only you know, got up to
the podium had some things to say, but was specifically
asked about the other teams in the AFC South, and
we took a long winded trip to get to this point.

Speaker 2 (48:38):
Yeah, we spent all segments setting it up. It was
actually the very last question he got while he was
at the podium, kind of sizing up the new competition.
Six of the seventeen games or division games. So his
thoughts on the AFC South, like does it have an identity?
Things like that, and he opened with his thoughts on
his former coaching mate and both of whom had spent

(48:59):
time with the two prior. Obviously, Demiko has returned, Robert
will return as an opposing head coach at some point
this upcoming season with the Tennessee Titans. His first thought
when talking about the division were about the Texans.

Speaker 6 (49:13):
I know Houston's gonna punch you in the mouth.

Speaker 2 (49:15):
You want to hear the rest. Yeah, that's all he
said about the Texans. That was his whole comment about
the Texans as he rolled through his thoughts on the
AFC South, Let's hear the rest.

Speaker 6 (49:25):
I know Houston's going to punch you in the mouth.
I know Jacksonville's playing with a lot of confidence, and
they've got a head coach and offense and a defense
in a special teams unit, that complements each other very
very well. And I know Indianapolis before the injuries was
probably the bell of the was running the division there
for a minute. So it's it is an ultra competitive

(49:47):
three tremendous head coaches, three tremendous staffs, So we're looking
forward to getting opportunity to compete.

Speaker 1 (49:53):
Now, what he said about the Colts is kind of
laughable because they were frauds from the start and they
proved it.

Speaker 2 (50:00):
He said about the Colts was literally laughable, so much
so that he was very concerned about using an idiom
describing the most beautiful, charming and popular woman at a party,
danc or social gathering. That's what they were, but he's
smoking mirror. He decided to not complete that and change
to a different phrase.

Speaker 1 (50:18):
They were the hot chick that wears too much makeup,
you know the rest, So are they like a two face.
They'd look good and everything's there, and then the lighting
comes on higher and you're like, that's not what I
thought I was looking at. I'll say this about that subject,
my wife. I'm very lucky I was strictly making a

(50:39):
sein film. But I've never met anybody like that ever.

Speaker 2 (50:42):
Shut up liar.

Speaker 1 (50:45):
I think she's beautiful without a stitch of makeup on,
but I realize I'm lucky in that regard.

Speaker 2 (50:52):
That's all I'm gonna say. There's no need to go
any further. I don't think the Colts were frauds, but
make sure you remember their decline was not strictly a
result of their quarterback's injury, No, but.

Speaker 1 (51:08):
It coincided before with them playing real teams.

Speaker 2 (51:13):
They had some impressive games before that, but the more
the schedule turned in that direction later in the season,
and obviously when you're going from Daniel Jones to Philip
Rivers and forty four year old nice Is, that story
was for everybody. He did not play good football, they
touchdown and not have a good quarterback playing football until

(51:36):
the last week of the season when they played the Texans.
But again they put Riley Leonard out there.

Speaker 3 (51:41):
Yeah, that sucked.

Speaker 1 (51:42):
That game against stupid Riley Leonard is why the Texans
weren't the first rated defense in the NFL.

Speaker 2 (51:48):
You know that, right, Well, the stupid game against Ryley Leonard.
And granted they scored a bunch of points in the
first half, but they also scored more points against the
Texans reserves. I just hated it. But whatever. Here's the thing, though,
Texans had nothing to play for in Week eighteen, the
Seahawks did.

Speaker 1 (52:09):
But here's the thing. He's listing off the other name
the other teams in the division. He basically said, the
Colts are a hot chick, the Jags are confident, look out,
and the Texans are gonna punch you in the mouth.
And I know what's gonna happen already. I already know
what's gonna happen. How many different ways can I say it?

(52:29):
That's probably the only two. When the preseason prognostications come out,
every one of these jimokes there it is again, are
going to put Jacksonville as the division winning favorite. They're
gonna do it, and they're only gonna do it because
of one thing. They're going to short sightedly do it
because of CJ. Stroud, and they're gonna forget that the
Texans defense is so good that it could probably beat

(52:53):
Jacksonville on its own twice in twenty twenty six.

Speaker 2 (52:57):
Well, they the game they define offen did Jacksonville The
best was a loss, and the one they didn't was
a win with Davis Mills yep, So why should they
be so confident? Again, Well, it dam Mills kicked their ass.
That's again, there's fifteen other games, I know, shoo. Usually
if you think they're gonna win against that team, you

(53:18):
think they're gonna win enough of their other games. You
have the benefit of the second play schedule. I think
this year and they have to play the first base
play schedule. Not every year, does it matter quite as
much it might this year. I bet you it's about
sixty to forty because a lot of it does come
down to what's the last thing that you saw. The
last thing that they saw was Jacksonville losing at home

(53:39):
in an exceptionally exciting down to the wire finish against
Josh Allen's Bills. And what was the last thing you
saw from the Texans? The Texans couldn't hang on to
the football. They turned it over five times and they
barely beat right. They flipped the all the Well, you're
just looking at them. I'm just talking about the last
two games these two teams, Like the last time Trevor
Lawrence was on the field and the last time CJ.
Stroud and the Texans were on the field. That's what

(54:00):
you're going to look at. And so it will come
down to what you're making this prediction on the AFC
South care for having your write up? What is your
confidence level in CJ doesn't even have anything to do
with the defense because you already know they're going to
be great, and then you still saw the results you
saw this year they lost six times with that unbelievable defense.

Speaker 1 (54:17):
Now here's what could change this. The perception is what
it is right now on February twenty fifth. But a
good draft that overhauls I don't know if that's too
strong of a word, I really don't care. Overhauls the
offensive line, addresses the running back room, and then I
don't you know, there's any number of I don't want

(54:38):
to necessarily like.

Speaker 2 (54:41):
Be downgrade.

Speaker 1 (54:42):
Then, as Mike Gundy would say, with other moves that
supplement various parts of the roster that can I think
absolutely change the preseason narrative, post draft, post free agency
of your Texans to the point where people would still say, yeah,
at the end of the day, after a seventeen game season,
the Texans are going to be the ones that win

(55:03):
this division.

Speaker 2 (55:04):
We got a full season of Jacobe Myers over there,
presumably Travis etten comes back. Presumably Travis Hunter gives them
more in year two and is healthy, and presumably what
he mark isn't starting for you at running back. There's
a lot of things that you're in.

Speaker 3 (55:16):
Life is good.

Speaker 2 (55:17):
I'll give you two other things to consider, and then
we will have a discussion on who's actually going to
be starting next year for all these NFL teams. At quarterback,
the Texans were second in the AFC in takeaways last year,
behind only Jacksonville, who took the ball away thirty one
times last year. The Texans only had twelve giveaways this

(55:40):
past year. Are they likely to have more than twelve
giveaways next year because that's a really low number, or
are they likely to have less takeaways because having a
back to back monster takeaway seasons is not normal in
the NFL. The personnel will stay the same for the
most part on size. But just consider those figures as

(56:02):
you think about what people might do four or five
months from now when they predict the Houston Texans to
once again finished second in the AFC South. Starting quarterbacks
across the NFL there were thirty two. There will be
thirty two again next year. Forecasting who those individuals will
be We'll do that next.

Speaker 3 (56:21):
The A teen on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 2 (56:25):
I want to talk about this because it's actually come
up a lot this week on the show, specifically because
one of Adam Wexler's favorite pastimes is talking about how
much he cannot stand Kirk Cousins. Everything about him, his
extended family, where he lives, the clothes he wears, just

(56:47):
everything about him. Can't stand the guy.

Speaker 1 (56:49):
It hates him. Actually totally person is personal. You have
an axe to grind.

Speaker 2 (56:54):
Just didn't know if this would come up today, but
one of the things that I set aside for tent
addition to the program this afternoon, since you brought up
Kirk Cousins, and we know how if he's your quarterback,
you're starting quarterback, you know you're going nowhere, not gonna
be the worst team in the league. And you're not
gonna be the best team in the league. You're gonna
be in the worst place in the league. You're going nowhere.

(57:16):
You're not bad enough to get the top pick, definitely
not good enough to win any games that matter, so
you're kind of stuck in the middle. Well, someone decided
to post this on the X platform earlier today, kirk
Cousins over the past two seasons twenty four games, twenty
four turnovers. Kirk Cousins over the past two seasons twelve wins,
twelve losses. Keep going, can't prove my point any harder

(57:40):
very Texans of him. He's just not the guy and
everybody knows it. He is definitely a backup quarterback now,
even though he was playing under a contract that the
Falcons gave him to be their starting quarterback, which he
never even became because before that first season began, Well,
now that we've evaluated Michael Pennix Junior even more, we

(58:02):
should just go ahead and take him eight in the draft,
and they did.

Speaker 1 (58:06):
But you know what's funny about that scenario. All of
that's true, But would it have hurt you to have
him sit for a year behind kirk Cousins develop learn
how to be a pro, all the stuff, like what
the Packers they wanted to.

Speaker 2 (58:22):
Do that, and then they're like, well, what why are
we doing this? He can he can already outplay this
guy and he did.

Speaker 1 (58:29):
You mean, like what the Texans didn't do originally with
Tom Savage with Deshaun Watson.

Speaker 2 (58:33):
Well, at halftime at the Jaguars game, somebody said, I
think he can already out play this guy again. That
was what the season opener. I've said it a billion times,
so this will be a billion and one. Obviously was
covering the team at the time when Deshaun Watson was
drafted and spent time in camp sharing QB one duties
with Tom Savage. I didn't think Deshaun Watson had a

(58:55):
particularly awesome camp. It was I knew who he was,
I knew what he was gonna be, I knew how
where they picked him, and I knew he should start.
But I'm not gonna sit here and tell you what
I didn't see. He didn't go and wow and oh
my gosh, this is clear. He's great. He's gonna be greater.
He's definitely like that really wasn't on display. He wasn't
terrible either, but it was still a ridiculous decision, in

(59:16):
my opinion, to make to not have him open the
season as the starter because of who you were starting
the season with. No matter how often you thought this
guy was gonna get hit right, that's a perfect way
to put it. It doesn't even matter that he wasn't oh
my gosh overwhelming clearly you drafted him to be that guy.
So let's start letting him be that guy. And you know,
the faster you get out there, the sooner you learned

(59:37):
what turned into it was a part of a season, unfortunately.
But that's not the situation they've been presented with often
because in order to be presented with that, you have
to draft a quarterback at the top of the draft.
They've done it three times. The other two guys started
right out of the gate. Not him, though.

Speaker 1 (59:56):
All right, well, so we're just going to start at
the obvious part. And this is why I don't know
if you what I wanted you to do, which I.

Speaker 2 (01:00:01):
Have still not clicked on the lake right sit here
on the rundown it says WEX don't look at this.

Speaker 1 (01:00:06):
I don't want you to click on it. I still don't.
I won't because I wanted to start with these quarterbacks.
Where do you think these quarterbacks who are definitely not
going to start for the team they started for or
played for the season prior. So these guys were somewhere
else in twenty twenty five, and they're gonna be somewhere
new now, Okay, Kyler Murray, I just want you to

(01:00:27):
guess where this article has them landing.

Speaker 2 (01:00:29):
It definitely sounds like new regime, new start in Arizona,
and I think all parties are probably gonna be on
board with that. How they get rid of him and
how this new team attaches themselves to him as a
different story, but in order to go somewhere else and
play very limited options like I don't think there's gonna
be a lot of new guys I have already have

(01:00:51):
my guess.

Speaker 1 (01:00:52):
Well, what if I gave you a hint before you
guess it and say it's already a crowded quarterback room?

Speaker 2 (01:00:58):
My guess is Miami close. That's the next on the list.
So where's the quarterback room that's crowded but doesn't have
a definitive starter? Is that the situation described? You perfectly
described it? Well, Miami has that. I don't think it's Pittsburgh,
and I also don't think it's crowded. You're getting closer though.

(01:01:20):
It's not Cincinnati. Oh, Cleveland, Yep, they.

Speaker 1 (01:01:23):
Have him starting in Cleveland, and they say, I wonder
if the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl with sam Donold
at quarterback will be good for the reclamation quarterback market.
That sounds kind of cheesy, but it's a copycat league.

Speaker 2 (01:01:36):
Baker Mayfield had a good year in Cleveland, or more
than one good year to some and needed to become
a reclamation project, which he did great things in Tampa
and will continue to do. They're probably going to extend
him here soon. You're looking at two quarterbacks this season's
off season coming that are probably in that very same boat.
Two has had a good season in Miami, Kyler's had
a good season in Arizona. They're not coming off of

(01:01:59):
good seasons. Tua was just flat out benched and their
coach also got benched. He's now sitting next to Jim
Harbaugh on meetings in LA And then Kyler Murray. I
couldn't tell you for sure that he could have returned
healthy and played, but it sure seems like it. And
then they just chose that this is not necessarily what

(01:02:20):
we want to do. But benching is kind of where
I think they would have been headed if not for
the injury. Yeah, reck, I don't fault that terminology, even though,
and Darnold's the saying very very high pick Kyler Murray
can't get any higher than that, and to us, very
high pick crowded quarterback room. It's crowded. I mean, I
have to think. I know, I'm probably giving them too

(01:02:41):
much credit. And they also have totally new structure on
their coaching staff with all the changes they made. But
Andrew Berry is still there. And Andrew Berry is the
GM that selected both Dylan Gabriel and Shadour Sanders. Everybody
in that building that watched their team play that works
there again this year has to know that Shahduur is
light years better than Gabriel, like they shouldn't ever be

(01:03:02):
competing with each other again if they're both there. Shoudour
is one and your two or Shoulder's two and your
three and maybe cut. I feel very confident in saying
that and should or didn't even play well. The results
were what they were, The statistics are what they are.
Go watch him play that too many mistakes were still
being made. But unlike Gabriel, who also made mistakes, he

(01:03:24):
can actually make plays. He can actually make a throw,
he'd actually threaten to throw the ball down the field.
He just dives to get better at everything, every aspect
of being an NFL quarterback. But the second anybody else
with any kind of starting experience in the NFL. Obviously
Kyler would fit becomes the Cleveland Brown. They'd almost automatically
become QB one yea, and he certainly would. All right,

(01:03:47):
we got to speed things up. How many changes can
there be? There's a lot.

Speaker 1 (01:03:50):
Okay, since we already mentioned that it's Miami next on
the list, we just got to have you guess who
that quarterback is going to be.

Speaker 2 (01:03:57):
And Malik Willis boom nailed it. Malik Willis suck if
you make that sound effect. Now I want to know
what it's going to be. When he signs his deal.
You're gonna be amazed at how much money he makes
this offseason. Well, he's a quarterback. He's a quarterback. Gotta admit.
He looked very good in the starts. He was given
the last couple of go rounds with the Packers when

(01:04:18):
Jordan Love was not available. He did a lot of
good things. He obviously can also move the football with
his feet. And this free agent quarterback market is basically
him and probably nobody, because I don't think Daniel Jones
is going to arrive at the free agent market. Other
than that, that's it for quarter Way to go Colts.
But I'm glad again Chris Ballard hashtag Chris Ballard. I mean,

(01:04:38):
what's your option? I don't know, I don't care. Okay,
screw Then Malik Willis goes from a backup in Cleveland
and Green Bay is starting in Miami.

Speaker 1 (01:04:47):
Now where do you think? This is the whole reason
on why I wanted to do this. Where's your boyland Kirk?
Yeah as a backup? No, yes, he is starting, oh man,
not only is he's starting? Well, Arizona now has an opening?
If Kyler's going to Miami Arizona, I am it is
in the NFC. I mean, I'm trying to walk through it.

(01:05:11):
Who has an open?

Speaker 2 (01:05:12):
Just tell me? I don't know who has an opening. Well,
that's the thing.

Speaker 1 (01:05:15):
I don't know that you would look at this team
and say it does have an opening.

Speaker 2 (01:05:18):
New Orleans has Tyler Scheff, but I'm starting him, no
question about it. It's not New Orleans. Well, it's not
the Falcons, and it's not the Bucks, and it's not
any of the teams are in the super Bowl or
in the postseason. It's not in the NFC East, is it. Nope,
it's in the North. Lions don't need a quarterback. The
Packers don't need a quarterback. Bears don't need a quarterback.

(01:05:41):
JJ McCarthy plays in Minnesota.

Speaker 1 (01:05:43):
Boom, that's it's hurt coming home in that wild like
you there's okay. You just watch your former starters win
a super Bowl. The guy you edged him out for
just played an awful season, and it's so bad that
you're gonna bring four five years after the fact.

Speaker 2 (01:06:03):
Kirk Cousins back. Yeah, Carson Wentz backing him up, player
like that, that makes sense. Could he push him? That's
the really only reason I would want him. I want
to have JJ McCarthy thinking I'm not starting. I want
you to bring somebody in who could actually start if
they needed him to, or if he outplayed you in
camp and in the off season.

Speaker 1 (01:06:23):
I could see that A million this is the last
one that new quarterbacks. Million dollars. If you can tell
me who they have starting for the Jets next year,
a million dollars.

Speaker 2 (01:06:33):
I'll get. I'll let you keep your money, and I'll
just say justin fields, because I know that's wrong. Spencer Rattler,
it is what it is, all right? Good stuff right there?

Speaker 1 (01:06:42):
Good stuff coming up in our signature segment. One of
the dumbest rules in the NFL was called out by
a GM.

Speaker 2 (01:06:52):
We'll let you hear what he had to say next.

Speaker 3 (01:06:55):
Wednesday BS, two.

Speaker 2 (01:06:57):
Adams and a whole lot of bit stealing.

Speaker 3 (01:06:59):
Steel with the bit Steelers, better known as the eighteen.

Speaker 1 (01:07:08):
All right, Wednesday, BS, That's exactly what this is gonna be.
Let me just start by saying, I understand I think
what the intention was behind the Rooney rule, but as
usual when that kind of stuff happens, I don't think
the execution is.

Speaker 2 (01:07:28):
There's just always tentacles to things like that that I
think ended up defeating the intended purpose originally. Does that
make sense? It definitely makes sense. You put a rule
in place because you think it will help correct a problem.
You perceive that your league has a Rooney rule, obviously,
and your hopes are that it helps correct what you

(01:07:51):
perceive to be a problem. Pretty much across the board,
I would imagine almost everybody would agree that it has
not served that purpose, both in the hiring results and
even in the hiring results of having people to interview
to satisfy the Rooney rule. Ten new head coaches this year,

(01:08:12):
Robert Sala the lone minority hire among them, none of
them are African American. Last year, the numbers were similar
the year before that. I could go on and on
and on. You look at the overall landscape of NFL
head coaches and it's a woeful situation concerning that. And
then obviously the front off same thing. Two compensatory selections
earned by a team when they make a hire at

(01:08:34):
that high level executive position, the decision making position or
the head coach, is what the Rooney rule is about. Thus,
to presumably promote more assistant coach hires and promotions along
the way to play calling roles, etc. So they're in
line to draw head coaching interviews, satisfy the Runey rule,
and get hired. The and part isn't happening. And then

(01:08:57):
the same thing on the front office side, you know,
promoting scouts to this level, promoting personnel directors to assistant gms,
having assistant gms be available and desired to interview and
landing jobs. And that's where this particular conversation stems from.
Because the Chicago Bears, they actually have a minority general manager,

(01:09:17):
that's Ryan Poles, and when he was hired, the team
he's hired away from received those compensatory selections and his
assistant general manager this past season a minority I in Cunningham.
He was hired by the Atlanta Falcons to be their GM,
but there's some questions about what his role is in
Atlanta for some reason from a decision making standpoint. So

(01:09:40):
they were asking polls about it because it matters to
the Bears in terms of where's our compensatory selections. It
seems kind of cut and dry to us. So this
was a topic of his at the combine. Yeah, and
this is what he had to say on that very subject.
And I happen to like the fact that he said that.

Speaker 7 (01:10:02):
You should want to develop your staff regardless of the
color of their skin.

Speaker 3 (01:10:07):
I think that's important.

Speaker 7 (01:10:08):
I think we take a lot of pride with the
Bears on how we have are setup, and I take
a lot of pride in that. So to be compensated
for that's a little strange. I mean, that's all the
Chiefs get a pick because of me, and then I
watched that player go and play. It's just a little odd.
But at the end of the day, if they think
that's what's best to help incentivize, then and.

Speaker 3 (01:10:29):
That's what they wanted to do.

Speaker 7 (01:10:30):
That's not the purpose of why we develop our staff.
But if that's the rule they have been placed, then
I think it's very clear in the situation on what
should happen.

Speaker 3 (01:10:37):
But we'll see what they think.

Speaker 2 (01:10:39):
Under no circumstances would I have said this about John
Lynch earlier, nor would I say it now. Man, that
was genius for him and Kyle to get Robert Salah
on staff. That was awesome for them to promote him
to defensive coordinator. So then when he got hired away
by the Jets, they need a compensatory selection. And then
they did the same thing with Tamiko Ryans when he

(01:11:01):
was hired by the Texans. Both all those things actually happen.
It all happened, but that was not the purpose for it,
and the result of it absolutely benefits I mean, it
benefits the Niners, and in a way that shouldn't really
there's nothing to discuss about that, and they got a
pick for it. It benefited the Niners for the real

(01:11:21):
reasons you should discuss it. They hired two good coaches
who did such a good job at the job they
were asked to do. They got promoted by another team,
which is all this is about, which is basically what
Ryan Poles is trying to say, even calling it odd
that you know you're getting a pick for this, like
he wants the pick. He wants the NFL to say, yeah, obviously,

(01:11:42):
which they haven't yet said, you deserve a selection for
the hiring of Ian Cunningham. But in the same comment,
he's also noting how he believes it's basically silly. I'm
not hiring Ian in the hopes that he gets a
job somewhere else so I can get a pick. I'm
hiring and promoting Ian because I like winning games, and

(01:12:02):
I like smart people on the staff helping me do that,
and he's one of them.

Speaker 1 (01:12:05):
I just like that he said it, because he's basically
saying without I mean, he didn't. Well that's not without
saying he said it higher based on merit.

Speaker 2 (01:12:15):
Right, The avenue to come down even harder on it
is open because the intended goal, whether you agree with
it or not, clearly hasn't been reached. We look at
these interviews and I mean people even write it. I
don't know if they hesitate when they write it or
they comment on it when they write it, because some
of them do. Oh the Miami Dolphins. Total hypothetical Miami

(01:12:35):
Dolphins are bringing in Anthony Weaver and Ian Cunningham for
the open positions. Well, Anthony Weaver's been brought in just
one more to satisfy the Rooney rule. Now, like, are
you bringing Anthony Weaver in to satisfy the Rooney rule?
In their case, he was already in the building. But
the interview matters. If you interview him, that satisfies part

(01:12:56):
of the necessary Rooney rule qualification requires when you have
an open position at those two spots. And we I
mean we clearly, I think we know with some interview.
It's still though that person who probably would not have
otherwise been interviewed, now has an interview in their resume,
now knows what it's like, now has been through it,

(01:13:18):
now has an opportunity to take from it and be
better in the next interview. But under the guise of well,
why did he get the interview? And I think the
person going on it, how what are you going to say? No,
I mean, you're you're an elevated wide receivers coach, You're
you're a quarter pass game coordinator. Whatever the position is,
we know it when we see it, and we were like,
I don't, I don't know where that came from. Or

(01:13:40):
a team will interview twenty three people. Yeah, look, are
you of the opinion that you should apply this kind
of way of thinking in every venture of life? I
think the NFL The answer is the most enormous, emphatic noka,

(01:14:02):
but it's basically the NFL. Why I don't think, I mean,
I don't think everybody agrees with this. You play the game,
you're on the team, you're a basketball player, you're a
baseball player, you're a football player. What you are, the
color of your skin, and then what your coaches are.
I don't know why that is the storyline in the
NFL so often. Well, our league is made up of

(01:14:25):
x percent of African American players, but our coaching staff
is made up of x minus a billion coaches. I
don't know why they're put together like that. I mean,
I do know why people do that, But my personal
thought is it's not it shouldn't be. I think people
are missing out on extremely intelligent, very capable leaders of

(01:14:46):
men that happen to also be African American because they're
doing the interview process wrong.

Speaker 1 (01:14:51):
I happen to think that there is like a less
than one percent chance that the people actually in these
locker rooms looks at it the same way that the
people that are making these rules do. I just don't
think it's that big. I could be completely wrong. I
just don't think it's that much of a conversation piece
at all.

Speaker 2 (01:15:09):
I think it is a coaches specifically, it is a
leader that player, former player, non former player, nerd, genius,
whatever he needs to lead the men in that locker room,
and honestly the entire organization and just the two individuals
that do that. Demiko Ryans does that very successfully. Shane

(01:15:31):
Steichen's being asked to do that. Just a name to
throw out there in Indianapolis. Who are you running through
a wall for? Who are you following their lead? They
do it differently, But I don't think there's much. I mean,
we'll find out their success when they're their careers end
as head coaches.

Speaker 1 (01:15:44):
I think Damiko Ryans is a good head coach. I've
never once thought he's a great black head coach. You know,
it's just it's ridiculous. It's just ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (01:15:52):
But they're obviously to the league and to a lot
of people in the league, a lot of people that
follow the league. It's ridiculous because why aren't there more?

Speaker 4 (01:16:00):
Not?

Speaker 2 (01:16:00):
We should make sure there. It's like I've played football
for ten years or I've been in an organization for
twenty years. I know how to run this team. I
don't know how to run this organization. I know how
to be a coach. Where are the opportunities? They're all
over the building. Look at every single coaching staff, look
at the upper management. There need to be more. I
think a lot of people think, but yes, that idea
I would agree with. He's a great head coach, just

(01:16:22):
like any other name. You could drop a Harbaugh, a Tomlin,
A Ryon's a bowl anybody? Is CJ. Stroud a great quarterback?

Speaker 1 (01:16:29):
Well that's going to be a question that needs to
be answered this offseason for the Texans, and one national
voice weighed in on that subject. You'll hear from him
next eighteen continues.

Speaker 2 (01:16:46):
Reminder, we have Rockets Basketball for you tonight right here
on your home for Rockets Basketball Sports Talk seven ninety
same on a Space City home network, where you're watching
us right now the Rockets and King's very short two
game homestand where the Rockets three straight against the East
coming out of this, including the second night of this

(01:17:06):
back to back that begins tonight Rockets and Kings Tonight
Rockets and Magic Tomorrow night. We mentioned this yesterday when
he first showed up on the injury report. A mean
Thompson unavailable tonight. I would imagine that will probably be
the same story Tomorrow night two. We'll hear from emy
doak in about half an hour during his pregame availability.
But quad ten tonight is the reason played into the

(01:17:29):
fourth quarter of their win on Monday night against Utah
but left the game went back to the locker room.
Obviously this is part of the result. Noteate no van Vliet,
no Adams all for tonight's game, playing a Kings team
that does have quite a few players not available, and
even some players that were available when they beat the
Rockets the last time these two teams met in Sacramento,

(01:17:51):
fourth game of the season series. Each of the three
games so far has been won by the team playing
at home. If that's the case tonight, the Rockets will
claim their twentieth home win of the season. Get to
twenty and seven in their twenty seven home games. Obviously,
that means they got fourteen more home games remaining. This
is game fifty seven, so of those twenty five still

(01:18:11):
to go this season, they'll be down to just eight
road games left while they get back to town for
the remainder of their home schedule following this three game
road trip. We're talking NFL football on our way out,
talking about CJ. Stroud throughout the heck, since he walked
in the door with the Texans on Draft night with
the number two overall pick. Quite obviously, you do that
with your quarterback on the ascent in year one, leveled off,

(01:18:35):
maybe dropped down a little bit in year two regression,
and then certainly did not rise in year three, no
higher than he was when he started year two, quite obviously.
After the twentieth game or nineteenth game of the season,
it's probably the lowest point, probably the worst performance of
his professional career, and arguably the worst performance as a

(01:18:56):
quarterback at any level in his entire life. Don't know
about the numbers and the stats when he was barely
able to hold his head up high with a helmet
on it because he's just a little kid. But nonetheless
that's what everybody's talking about this off season. I said
it would likely happen. And I think when the rumor
of CJ. Stroud having the team receive calls about potentially

(01:19:18):
trading for him would be a good thing. And I
think Nick Cassario showed you why even that rumor was
a good thing with what he said about CJ yesterday
so confidently and defiantly and using the word moronic in
reference to the idea that CJ. Stroud would be elsewhere.
He's going to be our starting quarterback in twenty twenty six.
You know, he's not going anywhere. We're not trading him.

(01:19:40):
All those things are all supportive and pointing you back
in the direction that his career likely is headed after
that game against the Patriots in a much more positive way.
And the overall emotions and feelings of oh my gosh,
what is happening today? They can't move forward with this
soon to be fourth year quarterback. They're just the loudest roars.

(01:20:03):
Then they're getting quieted every day away from that for
multitude of reasons. Those last couple I think at the
top of the list. So Ian Rappaport decides to weigh
in on the CJ. Stroud let's call them non trade.

Speaker 1 (01:20:16):
Rumors, since he's not getting traded and they're not even that.

Speaker 2 (01:20:20):
If it's rumors, it's like he's rumored to be going somewhere.
The only dramatic thing to happen with CJ. Stroud this
offseason was as already happened. He looks good by the way.
I know everybody thought it when they saw him. I
saw him again with the speech he gave when the CJ.
Stroud Found in It Nation was awarded and he took
the stage and had a very long and very heartfelt

(01:20:40):
and very personal message to deliver. He looks so young. Yeah,
he does look like it. Well he is. He is young.
He looks younger. No, yeah, he's a baby.

Speaker 1 (01:20:50):
And you know what that is hard to remember sometimes
when things like this past postseason are happening.

Speaker 2 (01:20:58):
He's not NFL young, is he? He's fifth plus games in. Yeah,
but the guy that just won the Super Bowl and
he's ancient by the same standard. But it's like he's
not that old. Sam Donold is not that old. He
took a while to get here, and yeah, that's a
little different. That's That's what I'm getting at. And I

(01:21:18):
think he'll be twenty nine when they play next year.

Speaker 3 (01:21:21):
Twenties.

Speaker 2 (01:21:22):
CJ will start the year still at age twenty four. Well,
you know it's funny only one of them looks like
they're in their twenties of any type or mid sure,
you know what I mean? Donald looks thirty five. What
did old Ian have to say? I can't wait to
hear it. Let's love Ian the insider on NFL activity.
It could be worse. It could be shifter. That would
be worse. I know it would, especially for you.

Speaker 1 (01:21:43):
But yeah, this is what Ian Rappaport had to say
about the whole CJ's shroud situation with the Texans.

Speaker 8 (01:21:49):
Yeah, and the quarterback, who's the team leader?

Speaker 3 (01:21:51):
Who has done it right?

Speaker 8 (01:21:51):
Who has Nick Caciros had is bounced back and responded
to every situation in as positive a way as possibly.
He's out in California now working on game, honing his
game and trying to get back to the level of
play that he had as a rookie and certainly at
times last year as well. You're right, the question really
isn't is CJ. Stroud going to be the Houston Texans quarterback?

(01:22:12):
He is? Is he going to be the elite, elite
franchise guy that you have literally no choice but to pay.
And the fact that they don't have a firm one
hundred percent answer, the fact that the contract extension may
Mike wait until next year. That is okay because what
we've learned, including from Sam Darnold who just won the
Super Bowl, sometimes it takes a little bit of time

(01:22:32):
for a quarterback to figure out what they are.

Speaker 1 (01:22:36):
So, I mean, I agree in theory with what he's saying,
but at the same time, this is the window you
have to make a decision one way or the other.

Speaker 2 (01:22:47):
After this year, you're not.

Speaker 1 (01:22:50):
Because even if you pick up his fifth year option
and all that kind of stuff, you have a finite
amount of time to find out if he's that guy
or not for you your team.

Speaker 2 (01:23:00):
It sounds almost impossible, even though the logistics of it
are right there in front of them. Seems like it's
impossible that he's playing in twenty twenty seven with the
Texans under his fifth year option. They're going to pick
up his fifth year option this offseason, they have a
couple months to make that decision. If they don't extend him,

(01:23:21):
they're going to do that. That is, he will definitely
get that that will get picked up this offseason, or
we will know he's here for longer. But will he
actually play that fifth season without any other contract signed
and agreed upon, without an actual extension beyond that year?
Will he be in his not going to call it
a walk year, it would be a free agent year

(01:23:41):
until they tag him. Which also both all three of
years five, six, and seven of a quarterback of this
caliber are almost never played without the long term extension
or then under a franchise tag. So that happened where
they let a guy play under the fifth year. Well,
it was Kirk Cousins. If I'm not mistaken, That's what

(01:24:02):
I was thinking. I'm not doing that on purpose.

Speaker 1 (01:24:04):
I actually was wondering if that was the last time
we saw that winning.

Speaker 2 (01:24:08):
Like Kirk Cousins showed, He's had some years where he
had just great completion percentage, a lot of touchdowns, a
lot of yards, a lot of good offense. Those things
were all there. But can we be sure we're going
to win football games with this quarterback with a reasonably
talented roster around him. I don't know why they didn't
have the answer already, but they bought more time to
get it, and the quarter like the individual season's worth

(01:24:29):
of money for the franchise tag, just like every other position.
It's phenomenal, it's great, but you just don't have any
security beyond that. You sign a five year extension like
all these fifty five million dollar average annual value extensions
Burrow to Lawrence, etc. The guaranteed money is outrageous hundred
and whatever million, one hundred and forty hundred and fifty
hundred and seventy versus the franchise tag guarantee one year

(01:24:53):
at whatever that number is, thirty seven to forty two.
But the long term guarantees aren't. There's a any player
at any position once. That's why they hate the tag.
It's gonna be an interesting one year for the Houston Texans.
Make it easy on him. Play well in twenty twenty six,
and then that offseason a year from now, they're signing

(01:25:13):
him to a long term extension.

Speaker 1 (01:25:15):
I hope that's what happens. Well, Anderson Junior is gonna
get his money this offseason. We will have football at five.

Speaker 3 (01:25:20):
Next that's five.

Speaker 2 (01:25:28):
O'clock in that music means it is football at five
each and every week afternoon. Here on the program, we
dive into the pig skin and we obviously talked much
of the rest of the show all year round about
that as well, and today is no different. A heavy
dose of football today, Rockets basketball tonight. Another reminder of
that that means the exit of Adam Clinton with the
home date will be on the call tonight with the

(01:25:48):
mt for Kings Rockets seven o'clock tip, six point thirty four,
Rockets countdown, six o'clock, Rockets launch pad. Cole Thompson, we'll
have that for you. Something we have not mentioned on
the show football related is the Texans announced and unveiled
a lot of the renderings for their new Toro district.

(01:26:09):
The announcement had already been made that this was going
to happen, but now the much more formal introduction to
what their plans are. The exact location of the event,
which is where they held today's event. The county commissioners,
both Ramsey and Brionas, Tom Ramsey, Leslie Buronis, who you
heard here with us earlier this month talking about that

(01:26:32):
in District four and three Harris County, Bridgeland, all were
out there to make comments and remarks. President of the
Houston Texans Mike Toman also there to kind of shed
some light on what the actual plans will be, not
necessarily specifics of timelines or anything like that, but also
the renderings of things, some additional parts of their own

(01:26:54):
portion of the eighty three acre Toro District twenty two
acres of Texans related builds on the way. Because this
is their new headquarters and training facility. So as they
have said before and said again today the McNair's, both
Hannah and cal who spoke, this is the home of
the Texans outside of game day. We'll find out in
the years to come if that remains true. The outside

(01:27:17):
of game day is not on that site, or quite honestly,
not on the current site. Maybe that is a change
down the road, maybe it isn't. Obviously, the training facility
and headquarters allows them to have everything they want, six
days a week, how they want it, and operationally how
they want it. There were any of the occasions, obviously
when the stadium wasn't available to them, should they have

(01:27:38):
wanted to practice inside, The ability to expand from a
business standpoint, just logistics with personnel, not football players, but
personnel staff for both Lone Star Sports and entertainment and
the team. The fact that they also now own the
love volleyball team here in Houston. Many other interests run
the Bowl game, all sorts of things. That opportunity and

(01:28:01):
for growth in that regard is right in front of them.
Twenty twenty nine is the expected opening a date for that.
Not a tremendous amount of information other than that, just
about how it all came together. They're excitement before what
it can be and it will, hopefully, as any new
NFL related build is, it should be the best in
the NFL. It should set the new standard, and that's

(01:28:23):
how teams approach it. The idea, of course, and KL
said this too, and he has set up before that
they truly do believe this will make their opportunity to
do what they've never done before just that much greater.
They'll have fewer excuses, that's one way to put it.
But the ability to recruit and retain players, the ability

(01:28:43):
to give them every possible advantage, every little, tiny percentage point.
If you hear someone on the team say, just trying
to get one percent better, if their facility is one
percent better, and the ability to make players one percent
better has gone up because it's all brand new, it's
all there is, it's all the latest all this stuff. Okay,
well we'll take that excuse off the board. If they
keep coming up short, probably that doesn't make a whole

(01:29:04):
lot of difference. Quite honestly, if you ask me, if
they're practicing at NRG Stadium, they use the bubble they
already have, they use the weight room they already have,
they listen to the nutritious and performance people they already have.
I don't think any of those reasons kept them from
beating the Patriots or the Chiefs or the Ravens in
the last three postseasons, or any combination of those teams,

(01:29:26):
along with each of the other teams, the other four
teams they've lost to in the divisional round, which they've
never succeeded in passing. But it is nice for them,
and we'll see how nice it is for everybody else
that's involved, because it's much more than just the Texans facility.
Details on who else they might have moving in there
or have their own builds going on, and hopefully it's

(01:29:47):
fun for everybody. I mean, that's kind of the whole
point of building an entertainment district, which it will be,
and don't know that it will rival some of the
ones who are already familiar with, like the one in
Arlington with the Rangers. It's there with Rangers Live. It's
really not the same. You got a handful of NFL
dates and will find out what other dates they will

(01:30:08):
have for events at this facility, and not necessarily the
events you're thinking of, like concerts and things like that,
but other events that can be housed there because the
indoor facility that they'll have, and honestly because of the
other fields that they'll have. When Commissioner Brionis was here
with on our show, she was talking about high school
football on Friday Night Lights and you know today with
the announcement made by their president Mike Toeman about you know,

(01:30:32):
flag football fields there and obviously the Texans are extremely
involved with the NFL initiative and their own initiative here
in Houston with the high schools and girls flag football.
Just more things on site. Hopefully that means more people,
more traffic, foot traffic, consumer traffic to make this very

(01:30:53):
large build much more successful. And some of the numbers
they've thrown at us for how much will be generated
and the investment in this and how much it comes
back to the community, Well, it's not going to be
reached unless all of those things that are attached to it,
including the Texans, are remarkably successful. And we'll find out
many many years from now if that in fact is

(01:31:13):
the case. Now, the NFL obviously is busy at the combine.
We've heard from most of the coaches and the GMS
yesterday and the players now today. We're still a couple
of days away from the position groups starting their on
field work and then the next four days of that
come over the weekend in the beginning of next week.
Where the Texans stand on what they need, not going
to hear it from Nick Cassario. He won't ever pinpoint that,

(01:31:35):
but it's pretty obvious what this team needs. They could
literally have zero new starters on defense. They could resign
a couple of the defensive tackles that are free agents,
say Sheldon Rankins and Tim Settle, put out everybody else
that was already under contract, and that's all of their
young players. And then it includes daneil Hunter. It also
includes as he's al Shire, you start Jalen Reid at

(01:31:58):
the safety position, the only quote unquote open position in
the secondary, alongside Bullock, Stingley, Lassner and Petrie Okay, so
that didn't say anything about the draft. That didn't say
anything about free agency, because we all know where those
positions are open. They're all on the offense, all on

(01:32:20):
the offense. I'm not saying we're gonna see a draft
where Nick and the personnel staff and Debiko draft seven
or eight defensive players and no players on offense. Not
saying that, but it's quite obvious where the strength of
this team was and where the strength of the under
contract portion of their evaluating their offseason is. There's some
restructures that will likely happen. I would say it's a

(01:32:41):
near certainty they will extend, as he's a'll Shire and
he won't play in the final year of his three
year deal he originally signed. I think they'll have a
second contract extension for Daniel Hunter. He originally signed a
two year deal prior to the twenty four season, and
then prior to the twenty five season extended that into
a two year deal. But they'll need to do that again,

(01:33:02):
if not more years, to get him to not be
playing in a contract year and also much more importantly,
to not be playing at the cap figure he would
otherwise be playing at. That's what these extensions are also
about you want the football player here. I would think
for more than just one more year in both of
their cases. But the reality is what you're doing is
you're lowering the cap figure for twenty twenty six. And

(01:33:24):
that's why this the cap figures that you still see.
For the Texans, it matters. It matters that they have
work to do. But all that work's going to get done.
And from their four million dollars over the cap here
more than ten days away from the March eleventh league
year starting, they're gonna be. They don't have to be
anything more than compliant by that day, which means some

(01:33:45):
of these other moves and these post first releases, you know,
things like the Joe Mixon contract and other extensions and
other restructures, all of which are staring Nick Casio and
the agents for those players right in the face. Nico Collins,
Derek Singley Junior, that group too. They're all gonna happen.
They're all gonna happen when they need to happen, and
there's a sequence of moves that have to get made.

(01:34:06):
If you've noticed the Texans do this every off season
under Nicosario. Reportedly, the Texans have come to an agreement
with player X. The Texans intend to sign player why,
and then you hear about the Texans actually announced this
move and announce that move, and it's not the move
you heard, and it's not the big reported contract that
they're giving because there's a sequence of moves that usually
have to be made in order to well, we need

(01:34:27):
to do this first so that you can do that.
We're gonna do this so we can do that. But
a lot of it's just maneuvering in cap space gymnastics.
They're gonna have more than enough room to do literally
whatever they want. And we talked about Trent Williams earlier.
If they really wanted to, they absolutely could do that.
I think at some point, if you're signing a player

(01:34:47):
with that big of a figure for this year, which
in his case it's gonna be a short term deal,
that number for this year will be large. It and
be the largest number they have on their offensive line,
probably almost maybe by twice as much as anybody else.
I don't know what the figure will be, but it
absolutely could reach that level. And when it does, that's
why he's probably gonna sign somewhere else because so that
contract happens here. You can always make that player's contract work,

(01:35:10):
but in order to do that, there are other moves
that there are other concessions that are gonna have to
be made, whether that's actual releases that have to be made,
and those are the concessions because you're gonna have a
handful of players beyond Joe Mixon where the release of
that player saves you money, and that's why you're making
the move, like it'd be great to have Joe Mixon
here for ten million dollars if he could play and

(01:35:32):
he was healthy. But in their case, they're gonna want
the money savings. They're gonna want the eight million dollars. Now,
if you don't have to make these some of these moves,
there are other players on the roster that you just
go ahead and keep, or you go ahead and restructure,
or you go ahead and figure out a way to
do it because you're not up against that cap number,
because you haven't spent twenty seven million dollars on Trent Williams,

(01:35:53):
because you've spent eleven million dollars or eight million dollars
on ed Ingram, And that's more like lea what this
team's going to do with the offensive line. You restructure
or extend Titus Howard, there's one tackle You've got Ariantae
Ersrie in the second year of his second round contract.
There's your other tackle. You resign at Ingram. He becomes

(01:36:14):
your second highest paid lineman, maybe as the highest cap figure,
depending on what Titus is now. There's three of your
five spots. I think very strongly outsiders will have a
chance to start at either of those two spots, or
quite honestly, one of the spots not handled by Titus,
because they need more interior help. They need to be

(01:36:35):
better there. They don't need to just accommodate themselves and
get better. I don't think Nick's necessarily wrong yesterday when
he says our offensive line played I thought they played well.
They were much improved. They were much improved, and at
times they did play well. The bar should be so
much higher than that for their offensive line with this team,

(01:36:55):
with where this team is, the goal should be. We're
not talking about the offense line anymore other than to say,
do you think they have one of the ten best
offensive lines in the NFL? Do you think I have
one of the five best pass blocking lines in the NFL.
We've never had to have that conversation, certainly not in
a Nick Cassario. And when that changes, you'll probably start

(01:37:15):
talking about them advancing past the divisional round. Haven't done
that yet either.

Speaker 4 (01:37:23):
Voice.

Speaker 2 (01:37:28):
We'll get to in case you missed it, about fifteen minutes,
we'll get to the tickets we have to give away
for Gods Smack with Stone Temple, Pilots and Dorothy coming
up literally later here in twenty twenty six over the
Woodlands Pavilion, May thirtieth, we'll do that. In the final
segment of the show. We need to talk about a
million dollars. Here two different stories related to one million dollars.

(01:37:51):
First story is pretty simple, although it could become very complicated.
Nil transfer portal that is college football. Pretty Much every
conversation you have about college football now centers around that. Well,
players who get out of nil money and players who
then had elsewhere for nil money, and then the head
elsewhere again for nil money, stay out of the draft

(01:38:15):
sometimes because of nil money. Why not just go ahead
and make it here now and then see what happens
in the draft after that. A little surprise, how light
the quarterback classes this year in the NFL draft pool
probably a pretty good indicator of how much money players
are getting offered and accepting in college football right now.

(01:38:36):
To go ahead and stay where they are. Last year
in the college football playoffs, there was the Texas Tech
Red Raiders, and they didn't have a good time and
their last game of the season in the playoffs because
their quarterback play was horrific. It was dreadful. It was
dramatically bad, to the point that that's really why they

(01:38:57):
couldn't win the game. Their defense actually gave them a
chance to win, kept them in the game as long
as possible, but their offense was awful. Both were good
enough clearly to win game one, not nearly good enough
to win game two. So let's go ahead and get
a new quarterback in here, one who could very easily
have entered the NFL draft but chose not to chose
to play at Texas Tech. Take his nil money. Texas Tech,

(01:39:20):
both on the softball field and the football field, pretty
well known for how much money they will spend. Brandon
Soresby Brendan Soresby from Cincinnati. He was very good last
year in Cincinnati, but obviously not kind of on the
national scene with their team, he's going to play at
Texas Tech and he's going to take their nil money,
but Cincinnati issuing him over it. He refused to pay

(01:39:44):
a one million dollar exit fee, So they're seeking one
million dollars in liquidated damages because they say under the
contract that he had with them at Cincinnati, he's contractually
obligated to pay within thirty days of transferring. So a
one million dollar lawsuit basically a buyout for the player.

(01:40:10):
We talked about buyouts for coaches forever. What's the buyout
at Texas A and M when they want to say
goodbye to Jimbo Fisher? Well, whatever is? They paid it?
And that's what happens when coaches are leaving for other
programs all the time. Well, do you want to interview
this coach and what is the buyout if you in
fact hire him? And how's this going to affect them?
In Texas A and M's case, and the Fisher case

(01:40:31):
is simply what is it going to cost us to
buy him out? He's not being hired away, we're firing him.
But buyouts applying both cases, the nil money associated with
Soresby to move from Cincinnati to Texas Tech, it's not definitive.
I don't know the figure, and nobody's contract or reported

(01:40:52):
it to an exact number, but it's probably four to
five times as much as that one million dollars, and
it is significantly more from comparing it to the NFL
contract that he could have if he's the second round pick,
he's making far less than that. His entire contract might
only be worth five to eight million over the four seasons.
So go ahead and take the four to five five

(01:41:12):
to six million right now, and then go to the NFL.
Maybe he even improves his draft stock and he's much
more likely to be a first round pick, and the
money does change dramatically, especially because of that fifth year option.
But this is the kind of money the players can
now get to play college football another year. To the
point you're being sued for a million dollars because that

(01:41:32):
was in your contract and the buyout, so one million
dollars applies there. One million dollars in the NBA is
what one owner thinks is a worthwhile payout to increase
the level of stars that participate on Saturday Night at
the All Star weekend. I'm sure a few of our

(01:41:53):
listeners super duper die hard NBA fanatics who live and
die on the NBA might be able to tell you
who participated in the Slam Dunk Contest this year, might
be able to tell you that a few of you
probably know that Devin Booker and Damian Lillard also hoisted
threes in a three point contest. Maybe you know a

(01:42:14):
couple of the other players, but Phoenix Sun's owner Matt
Ishbia essentially wants you to know all of them. He's
offering a million dollars a million dollars to the Slam
Dunk Contest winner and three point Contest winner. Phoenix is
hosting the All Star weekend festivities, so there is a

(01:42:34):
selfish endeavor here. He also wants to donate a million
dollars to charity for each event, so there's some noble
efforts here. And obviously, not only could it benefit him
in the magnitude of the event and thus the attendance
that comes into the building, I would think it would
benefit everybody involved. He benefits the players because otherwise they're

(01:42:55):
making whatever they get for their contract to make this
All Star team or whatever the app actual payout is,
and it's nowhere near a million even with the sponsor
attached to those events, and it's probably good for the
league that more people would tune in. I mean, the
dunks might not be any better. You might see an
experienced superstar player who's known for his high flying, unbelievable

(01:43:16):
jams in the NBA games themselves. He might also hit
his head on the court when he falls down on
a very bad attempt on a very poor pass off
the side of the backboard, which happened this year with
Jase Richardson. Do you even know who won the don
Cast contest? And you might know his name, but do
you know the player? Like nobody's ever seen him play

(01:43:37):
because he doesn't play for the Miami Heat And the
fact that Mac mclung has won it three times over
is crazy? Is this really, though? What it takes like
NBA players, I'm sure they're being asked and saying no,
and I would hope they're note not being asked anymore
because the league already knows the answer is no. I
hope they're literally going down their list and when they

(01:43:58):
finally get to the one hundred and seventh player they ask,
he says yes, And then the one hundred and fifteenth
and fiftieth and two hundredth player they ask also says yes,
and there's your four person field. Is a million dollars
going to change that? And is it crazy that this
might even be what they have to offer? And what
happens next year? What happens at the twenty twenty nine

(01:44:18):
All Star Game or twenty twenty eight All Star Game
when it's not in Phoenix and their owner feels bullied
into offering a million dollars, compelled to offer a million dollars,
how about the league steps up and do that? Does
that or at some point now The honest truth is
the players that aren't participating, they would kill for a
million dollars on top of the salary they're getting. They

(01:44:40):
would love it. It would be phenomenal. They'd absolutely enjoy the
extra cash. Is this enough really to get the players
that you're actually asking for to participate in this into
the deal? Yeah, you can get an extra million dollars.
It sounds like a lot. It's very similar to the
NBA instituting an in season tournament. There are massive financial

(01:45:03):
bonuses offered to the teams that advance and the team
that wins, the team that plays in the final of
the n season tournament it's an incentive based play. Now, granted,
they play one game that doesn't count in the standings,
that is the final. And if you are unaware of
this crazy Apparently, because we've been talking a lot about

(01:45:23):
the NBA awards at the end of the season, they
still have the sixty five game minimum. So if you
have not played in sixty five games of the eighty
two game season, you're not even eligible. You can't be
voted onto an All NBA team, you can't win the
Defensive Player of the Year awards, you can't win MVP,
and candidates are falling off of that list pretty rapidly,

(01:45:44):
and we could see a few more very very soon.
Nikola Jokic is at the top of that soon to
be off list for even being in contention for MVP.
But I bring it up in relation to the n
Season Tournament. Apparently I told you that the statistics from
those games do not count. If Victor Webinyama averages twenty
five points per game in the seventy games he plays

(01:46:06):
in all year, and in that game he averaged or
he scored eighty five points in the n Season Tournament final,
it would not count toward his towards his NBA scoring average.
None of these statistics from the game count. However, that
game played would count in your total of number of
games needed to play in order to be voted to

(01:46:29):
an NBA Awards or an All NBA team. That's wild
to have those two different specifics attached to that particular game. Remember,
only two teams are in it. There's only two teams
that make the NCASON Tournament finals, so it only affects
two teams and in this case, their respective players. But
just a note on the MVP candidates. Leading MVP candidates

(01:46:51):
probably right now are Nicoliokitch and Shay Gilligers. Alexander Sga
continues to miss games currently with that oblique Injurykjokic is
sitting at can only miss one more game and stay
eligible for the sixty five games played because the injury
he suffered earlier this year. I bet you the Denver
Nuggets don't want to play him in every single game

(01:47:12):
the rest of the way. They'll be a back to back,
or there'll be a game against the team that they
know they're not going to lose too, because that team
is trying to lose and he's got this nagging injury
and they want him to get this healthy over it,
and that leeway is almost zero. The number of games
remaining that he can miss is one. The number for
Victor is four, the number for Luca is five. The

(01:47:33):
number for SGA, like I just mentioned, is six. One
of all those games plays all those guys plays sixty
four games. Then Ky Cunningham is your NBA MVP this year.
He might win it anyway, but there won't be anybody
else really to vote for if that happens. In case
you missed it, some mine whoms we've not yet discussed,
or others we need to revisit their next.

Speaker 3 (01:47:57):
The A team one sport hit you win.

Speaker 2 (01:48:00):
With some items around the NFL to discuss with you.
Here also a reminder that we'll have prayer of tickets
to see God smack Stone Temple, Pilots Dorothy All performing
together May thirtieth of the Woodlands Pavilion. If you've been
listening to the show and continue listening to so this
segment and on into the final segment, you'll know the
answer to the question I will ask you at that

(01:48:20):
time about fifteen minutes from now, Josh, what do we
have this afternoon?

Speaker 9 (01:48:24):
Yeah, remember the other day we were talking about how
aj Brown did not really like playing for Mike Vrabel
as a rookie. In fact, he would pretend to take
notes so he wouldn't be called on and he would
just write I hate Vrabel over and over again in
his notebook. Well, Vrabel would apparently they've kind of mended
fences and they get along now. Later and Vrabel was
asked about the possibility of him joining the new New

(01:48:48):
England Patriots, which he'd have to be traded, of course,
but Siriani, the head coach of the Eagles, kind of
he didn't really give a big ringing endorsement there, so
there is a possibility he could be moved, and of
course Brabel said, we'll consider it. What I find interesting though,
Eagles would absorb a dead cap hit of forty million
dollars if they deal him before June first. That goes

(01:49:11):
down to about twenty million if the trade comes after that.

Speaker 3 (01:49:14):
But the team that requires and.

Speaker 9 (01:49:16):
Would be on the hook for twenty nine million and
twenty twenty six and four million guaranteed the next year.
What are the odds of aj Brown actually getting moved
into the Patriots, who are second the betting favorite is
for him to stay with the Eagles second, though, on
the list, it comes down to the Eagles or first, Patriots, Chargers,
Bills or the next three teams.

Speaker 2 (01:49:36):
All right, So let's take all parts of that you mentioned,
the money aspect and the June first money aspect of it.
Twenty million dollars and whatever they receive in return is
what the Eagles would be looking at. Twenty million dollars
in lost money, dead cap money, and whatever they acquire
in this trade. That's what they'd have for twenty twenty

(01:49:56):
six and beyond, and no aj Brown. So what is
this trade doing to make the Eagles better but better financially,
better personnel wise, better assets in the future. That's a
huge question. Even if you maybe don't feel like you
got the most out of this elite receiver. Clearly your
offense had issues while he was a part of it,
so why would they be fixed in the future, even

(01:50:18):
though you quite obviously know there are a problem and
fired your offensive staff and you intend to make it better.
I think a lot of those reasons point to why
the odds are what they are for the Eagles right
there at the top of the board. If I'm not mistaken,
when we brought up the AJ Brown notebook, which again
I would love to see it. I guarantee you he
still has it. This is the kind of thing that

(01:50:39):
if you do that, if he's telling the truth and
he was actually writing, faking writing notes and writing I
hate Mike Vrabel, he didn't walk out of the room,
crumple it up and throw it away. He didn't go
to his locker and throw it away in the locker room.
And he didn't go to his house, his apartment, his condo,
his mansion and throw it out there. He definitely didn't
take it to the paper shredder. I bet you he

(01:51:00):
still has it. I bet you it still exists. So
I would love to see it. But when we were
talking about that, didn't we also get from AJ Brown
that over time and even maybe while he was there,
he realized this coach is helpful. This is a coach
that helped me, even though at the time I might
not have realized it. And then Mike Rabel seemed to

(01:51:20):
say similar things about their relationship and that that doesn't
seem to be standing in the way either. It seems
like they could have a pairing in New England. Now,
does New England need AJ Brown? They manage themselves pretty
well with one true veteran presence at wide receiver, and
I think having Hunter Henry there also helped. But all

(01:51:41):
the other guys seem to fit what they want to
do pretty well. You know, at times it was Douglas
stepping up, at time was Booty's Booty stepping up. I'm
not sure that where their money needs to be spent
is there, and that's a pretty You mentioned the financial commitment.
I would say it's probably still right around fifty to
fifty that he stays an Eagle, and I would lower

(01:52:02):
their percentages that second fifty. I'm not sending him to
New England right out. I think it's fair to call
them a favorite. I actually am not on board with
him going to Buffalo. I know they need a player.
I know they need a start, or they think they do.
I don't think it's him. I don't think it's him
in that offense. And I know they'll make changes to
the offense, not wholesale changes, because they're oc Is now

(01:52:24):
their head coach, So I don't know that they're going
to do things all that differently. And he was there
when they acquired pretty much every player he threw the
ball to last year talking about Josh, so I'll say
Brown is more than likely. I'll put it at fifty
point one percent to catch his next pass from Jalen
Hurts and stay an eagle. What else do we have?
I'm with you there, weck's all right.

Speaker 9 (01:52:43):
Back to vrabel again actually here this time with Sean Payton.
They have concerns over the replay errors in early games.
Troy Vincent, executive vice president of Football Operation, said that
out of one hundred and seventy one replay reviews with
replay assist decisions that happened this past seas, there were
five that they wanted back, and four of those five

(01:53:04):
took place during the noon slate of games, basically because
of volume. And the coaches are saying, like, why don't
we just staff a little better because you do have
an individual person to assess each replay, but they have a.

Speaker 2 (01:53:17):
Boss that actually makes the call. So it's let me
let me stop you there real quick. You're you're laying
the scenario out. Is any part of you like I
am envisioning, like the nine to one to one call center,
Like these calls are coming in, these reviews are coming in,
and your boss is great. You gotta get downe with
this call. We have three more coming in. I hope

(01:53:37):
they're better staff than that. And maybe I'm just thinking
of television and JLH is answering the phone. Jennifer Love
Hewitt sure, nine one one. How can I help you?

Speaker 3 (01:53:46):
Like?

Speaker 2 (01:53:46):
Is that what the replay center is like for the NFL?
I was already watching that play. I'm on it.

Speaker 9 (01:53:50):
Hold please, we'll get around to your emergency. Yeah, that's
it's what. It kind of feels like.

Speaker 2 (01:53:56):
It's a TV emergency because they're trying to move these
games along.

Speaker 9 (01:54:00):
It is, and it's that noon slate when there's a
bunch of stuff going on. But we always complain about
this with the NFL. It's like the referees too. You
guys have all the money in the world. Can't you
just hire more people?

Speaker 2 (01:54:09):
Yeah, hiring more people seems like a completely obvious solution. Training,
you know, referees, former officials who've now are now out
of the game, whatever it takes. We always get into
the actual officials, the game day officials, and the battleover
should they be full time employees, should be the year
or year long employees and all that kind of stuff.
I get that. But this, this very specific issue is

(01:54:29):
an odd one to be faced with.

Speaker 8 (01:54:31):
It.

Speaker 2 (01:54:31):
It sounds like it is a personnel issue. It is
a volume of work issue that you would think they
would be able to lick. Keep in mind, you mentioned
Sean Payton and Mike Rabel. Those are two of the
six NFL head coaches on the Competition Committee. It's an
eleven person committee. They are on it, so they are
aware of most of these issues. And that's one other thing.

(01:54:52):
Because Demico Ryans will now be on it moving forward,
He's spending part of his time here during the combine
with these other ten committee members going over stuff. One
element I want to talk more about regarding the Competition Committee.
We'll hit that in the final segment. But I know
you had a touch more. Yeah, just one more.

Speaker 9 (01:55:09):
And Demico should care because they play a lot of
Neon slate goes by the way right. Just personally on
the other side, Brandon Aubrey kicker for the Cowboys, they're
not really seeing eyed eye on his new deal. He's
wanting ten million dollars a year now. Look, he has
been awesome. I mean he's pro bowler, of course, and
he's made six field goals a sixty or longer and

(01:55:31):
last year eleven of seventeen overfield goals over fifty. Are
we ever gonna see a kicker making ten million dollars
a year? Do you know what the top AAV is
right now?

Speaker 3 (01:55:43):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:55:43):
I think it's around six or seven. It is exactly that.
Number two is Jake Elliott, he makes six. Number one
is Harrison Butker, he makes six point four. Aubrey wants
roughly fifty, one hundred and fifty percent of that to
get to ten million. I would probably agree if I
were asked who's the guy you'd want to run into

(01:56:05):
the season with and who's the guy you trust the
most short, long, accurate distance, he probably is my number one.
But there's enough kickers that are close enough to it,
including the one right here in Houston, that that kind
of raise that's very bullish on yourself. And I don't
think Jerry is going to go for that one element
of what the competition committee has to look forward to

(01:56:28):
with Demiko ryans on it, and I doubt they're really
looking forward to it. We'll hit on that next and
we'll give you those godsmack tickets here on the eighteen.

Speaker 3 (01:56:38):
The A t on Sports Talk seven ninety. Hey is
Chef Blum from the Astros broadcast team. Another bag ahead.
I listened to Sports Talk.

Speaker 5 (01:56:49):
Seven to ninety everywhere I go on the free iHeartRadio app,
my music radio, and podcasts all in one.

Speaker 2 (01:57:05):
A couple of days to get to here before we
send it into Rockets launch pad. Cole Thompson. I'll have
that for you top of the hour, and Rockets and
Kings will come shortly after that. Last of the four
meetings between these two. The home team's undefeated. Hopefully that
stays true and the Rockets can get win number thirty
six this year. A few minutes ago, email Udoka met
with the media gave us the starting lineup. But before

(01:57:27):
we get to that and other sports related items, wanted
to mention how you can win tickets to Godsmack. Godsmack's
coming to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Woodland's Pavilion over
on May thirtieth. It's the Rise of the Rock World
Tour twenty twenty six. Don't Tell the Violence. Dorothy will
be there as well. Godsmack. Pair of tickets for you.
They're on sale now at ticketmaster dot com. Should you

(01:57:49):
not win them, here. But all you have to do
is answer simple question. We've actually brought it up more
than once, and not just on today's show and not
just recently, but in fact, we did discuss this last second.
And if you were listening to all, the answer to
this question very easily and you can call in and
win the ticket seven one three two one two five
seven ninety seven one three two one two five seven

(01:58:10):
ninety If you recall many years ago, the Tennessee Titans
employed Mike Rabel as head coach, and they also drafted
and then employed AJ Brown as a wide receiver, and
then famously they traded him away during the draft, and
the camera focused in on the Titans draft room showed
what appeared to be a very unhappy Mike Rabel. And

(01:58:34):
we learned this only recently, that AJ Brown didn't necessarily
enjoy all of his time in Tennessee with coach Rabel,
to the point he recounted a story about him faking
taking notes during meetings with Rabel on occasion, and he
even went so far as to say what he wrote
in his notebook when he was clearly not taking notes,

(01:58:55):
something very specific. Although a little leeway on your answer,
what did he write in his notebook when he was
pretending to take notes when his head coach was Mike
Rabel and he spent some of his early career in Tennessee.
AJ Brown let us all in on that uh this offseason,
and we brought it up last segment. We brought it
up a couple of times already on this show within

(01:59:16):
the last few episodes. So if you know that answer,
what did he write in his notebook? What did Aj
Brown write in his notebook when his head coach was
Mike Rabel early on in his career as an NFL
player seven to one three two one two five seven
ninety seven one three two one two five seven nine.
If you know the answer to that question, Josh will
take that answer from you, and he will in turn
give you a pair of tickets to see God Smack.

(01:59:38):
I mentioned he may you don't come at with the
media as he usually does our forty five before a
home tip off, So he mentioned what their starting lineup
would be with the absence of a Men Thompson who
has quad ten tonightis and will not be available for
tonight's game. It's actually a lineup they have used before.
It's the lineup they used in the only other game
that a men Thompson did not appear in he was ill,

(02:00:02):
and while he was actually active for that game back
on the seventh, he did not play. He's not going
to play tonight. He's not going to be active tonight,
and so in his place, essentially one man out, one
man in no other changes. Reed Shephard will make the start.
It's not Reid's second start of the year. It's just
the second time they've used this exact five person lineup.

(02:00:24):
He starts in the backcourt for him and Thompson. The
other four are the same that they would otherwise use
with as healthy as a team as they can get
this year, as Taris and Alpi Jabbari and kd Dorian
Phinney Smith is not playing back to backs and the
indications from em did not change this evening when he
discussed it, so only available for one of the two

(02:00:48):
games tonight and tomorrow. Tomorrow, the Rockets will be in
Orlando to take on the Magic, and Dorian Phinney Smith
will be available for that game not played tonight, So Jay,
Shawn Tatum and Thompson, Fred Van Vliet, Steven Adams and
Dorian Finney Smith all unavailable for the Rockets. The Kings, yeah,

(02:01:10):
they're without a few players helping their cause, which is
their causes for losing. They will be without some players
who have had now surgery which knocks them out for
the remainder of the year. That's Demona Sabonis and zach Lavine.
DeAndre Hunter, who they acquired in season, is not available.
Dylan Cardwell, who has been an offensive rebounding machine and

(02:01:31):
was that against the Rockets earlier this year, his left
ankle has him unavailable tonight. Also, this is not a
game the Kings, especially after winning their last game, have
any intentions on trying to win. DeMar De Rosen will
be out there, and Russell Westbrook will once again start
a game at Toyota Center, not in a Rockets uniform.

(02:01:52):
And they are. Yes, it's true. They finally snapped their
long losing shriek. So they are coming off of a
victory and really they they won that game rather easily.
Their last game same night as the Rockets played on
Monday night, they beat the Grizzlies on the road in Memphis,
a nine point victory. There haven't been a lot of
wins for the Kings lately, but when they have won,

(02:02:15):
nine is the lowest margin they've won by in twenty
twenty five. Granted, they also had a fourteen fifteen sixteen
game losing streak right before that, and they've got a
long way to go before they get back home. They
played Dallas and LA after that. I mentioned that because
games against La the Lakers matter to the Rockets. Lakers

(02:02:38):
were on the court last night and they lost to
the Magic. That's good. The Rockets were idle last night
watching the standings. I assume we are. It's are taken
the cover off the standings. Watch. I believe it is
something you are allowed to do now. The tightness of
three through seven is very, very evident, and last night's

(02:02:59):
game of consequence, there were three of them. The Phoenix
Suns played, the Minnesota Timberwolves played, and the LA Lakers played.
Lakers lost by one at home. Minnesota was tested, but
the final score not quite indicative of how the final
minute went. That a pretty significant lead late in the
game and a bunch of final thirty second baskets for
the Blazers made it a little bit tighter. Minnesota still

(02:03:20):
won one, twenty four one twenty one, and what could
be a sign of things to continue for the Phoenix Suns.
Playing without Dylan Booker or Devin Booker and Dylan Brooks,
it basically spells disaster offense for Phoenix. They can't score.
It's our second consecutive game where they barely got any points.
They had eighty one points in the twenty twenty six

(02:03:41):
NBA game. They were in the seventies the game before that,
and they lost to the Jalen Green and Jason Tatum
and Jalen Brown less Celtics. Neither of them were playing
last night. Obviously, Brown Tatum hasn't played all year. I
keep getting the Green part of that messed up because

(02:04:02):
I wanted to at least note this for Jalen Green
brought it up the other day. Was doing the game
a couple nights ago Saturday night when he hit the
game winner. He hit a three pointer at the buzzer
in double overtime to have the Phoenix Sun's victory. It
was on a night where he couldn't put the ball
in the basket, and he has continued to not be
able to put the ball in the basket. He started

(02:04:23):
their last four games, and over those last three I
can't recall too many NBA players having a stretch of
games three games at least where it's this bad five
of eighteen, six of sixteen, and six of twenty six,
well under thirty percent his three point shooting. Four made

(02:04:45):
threes on twenty six attempts. That's fifteen percent on high,
high volume shooting. Kind of hard to believe. Also that
he's four for eight the free throw Line's a good
free throw shooter, he's only made half of them. The
good news is, if you're Suns fan, he's only turned
it over once in each game. They're gonna be leaning
on him in any future games. The Booker has not

(02:05:06):
returned for and there's still probably four maybe five weeks
away at best before Dylan Brook's return. Their spot in
seven could be locked in after this stretch of time,
really after the next couple of weeks when we see
exactly what they are. But Minnesota, La, the Rockets, and Denver,
those are gonna change on a regular basis. The Rockets
would love to see themselves put a little win Street together.

(02:05:28):
That's kind of the only thing that I think will
make people start to believe in what they have and
what they might be this year. And it might be
true inside their own locker room. It's something that just
have not really truly been able to do. Just string
a long stretch of games together. I don't mean maybe
winning ten of thirteen. I kind of do need winning
seven in a row, winning eight in a row, and
doing something that you know, this year's team hasn't done.

(02:05:51):
Best winning streak this year's team's put together is five.
But again, that happened at the beginning of the season,
a healthier team, obviously in Adams being there. It was
when they did all their work. They won ten out
of eleven games. They won fifteen of their first twenty,
so twenty games into the season they were ten games
over five hundred. We're fifty six in games into the

(02:06:12):
season right now, there are only four more games over
five hundred. They haven't played great basketball for now the
majority of the season. We'll find out more about it
as you get into Rockets Launch Pad and then get
into Rockets Countdown and then most importantly tip Off coming
up tonight both here on Sports Talk seven ninety and
Space City Home Network. We talked to you again tomorrow
at two