June 12, 2025 • 11 mins
Following the conclusion of minicamp around the NFL and focusing on Houston, the Texans look to be on the right track in regards to ramping up for the start of the season with training camp set to come early in August. Prospects chosen from the draft along with pickups from the agency, mixed with additions like Christian Kirk & Nick Chubb make the Texans look to be strong contenders coming out of the AFC South. Joining Sean and Dan is no other than Texans Insider Aaron Wilson with a few takeaways from the Texans 2025 minicamp and what to look forward to ahead of the season set to kickoff in September.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sports Sox seven ninety. It is Sean Salisbury Show, Astros
ten to two winners last night over the White Sox,
going for the series tonight over at dyke In Park
NBA Finals. Game three goes to the Pacers two to
one lead. Now on the Thunder and the Texans are
done with mini camp training camp coming up here in
about a month. That's what we're talking right now with
our good buddy and Sports Talks seven to ninety. Texans
(00:22):
insider Aaron Wilson joins us here on the show. Aaron
Mini Camp, as I just mentioned in the rear view mirror,
and we finally got on Tuesday the answer to the
question we'll see j Stroud throw? So how nice is
it to no longer have that story to chew on?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Yeah, it was just really a non story to me.
I reported first that it was just shoulder tightness he
had from weightlisting and throwing. So I understand why I
got lead out of proportion because of you know, there
was a lack of clarity from the team. So that's
I did some digging in a couple of days after
(01:04):
the first non answer, just reported that Andy, that just
told those exactly correct from four different people I trust,
So I don't think it really should have been speak deal.
It's all magnified because it's the NFL, it's c J Stroud.
I totally get it by it becomes a something. It
takes on life and zone. But some of the conspiracy
theorists and the fact that some people speculated that he'd
(01:28):
had shoulder surgery, it was just ridiculous. The guy was
throwing and there's even videos from the team where they're
having these informal sessions weeks before, so it wouldn't stay
quiet at all. If a star quarterback like that has
a procedure done, it's just really kind of defies logic.
(01:48):
But yeah, no, I think it's good for the team
to see him trouble because this is valuable time for
him to build that rapport. And we saw all down
display like that one handed sideline catch by Jayden Higgins
and a nice throw by CJ. And we saw him
connecting and building his report again with Kate Stover, who
I think has had a good spring overall. I thought
(02:11):
he looked great. It's just really is he explained it
really well. He's been making some games. I mean, look
at his body. He looks different. He looks a trimmer,
a little leaner muscle tissue. He wants to be able
to run a little faster. I think some of this
is pride, and you know how he looks his appearance too.
I mean, I think overall all that stuff, and yeah,
(02:33):
I'm not worried about CJ. Wasn't worried about CJ. Just
felt like all along, I think I was shooting jumpers
at some event. It's just I don't know why people
were worried about this, But people overreact to everything, and
that's part of the intense interest. And that's good because
I mean, we have.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
An audience, Aaron, we all have our opinion on why
mini camp is or isn't important. I think it is
on the mental side and getting putting the library in.
So in your opinion, or maybe even in the Texans opinion,
what's the most important thing you've got a cog mandatory
mini camp.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
I think it always will go back to the offensive line,
because that's the one thing that might keep this talented
team from going further. So the fact that they're starting
to build a starting five with a few active competitions
within that group, I think that's significant. Just about fifteen
(03:33):
minutes ago, I got a call about Jake Andrews, the
new projected starting center, and how that's going so far.
I'm hearing that they're very, very happy about Jake and
what he's doing so far. So that's important. I mean,
I don't think there's anything really more significant than the
offensive line, and that's going to be a recurring storyline
(03:55):
heading into training camp and won't know until really the season.
Did they do enough? Have they, you know, really done
a good job with overhauling all of those We come
back to coaching Nicole Popovich and the hand that he
has as a Dantine Scarnekia protege in fixing the offense floor.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Aaron Wilson again seven to ninety Insider covering the Texans
in the NFL, joining us here on the Sean Salisbury Show.
We've talked a lot about the addition of Nick Chubbs,
saw him for a couple of days. But as this
running back group goes, what does that mean for Damian
Pierce And when it's all said and done, when the
fifty three is determined, how many do you think they're
going to roll with this year?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, I'd say in terms of pure backs you're going
to have Damian a part of it unless there's some
sort of opportunity comes across their desk where it makes
sense to trade him. And I expect him ready for
training camp, so that what he's doing with right now
isn't that serious. They just sure being careful with him.
(04:59):
But I to you know, look at the backs. You
know what he marks, so be here. You're gonna have
the starters Joe Mixon and now Nick Chubb is the
primary backup, and you a pierce to the kickoff returner.
He's a good kickoff returner. He had some value in
that area and you can play running back when you
need him to. But obviously they've upgraded. Even with if
(05:22):
Nick Chubb is like seventy five eighty percent of his
old self a couple of years away from that knee injury,
you've added a lot. But in terms of the numbers
we see, do they keep the full back looks like
they might. And the way Kayley builds out his offense,
you know, he coached James dabblin a long time. It
was a really good fullback with the Patriots. That was
(05:42):
part of his job. So yeah, he this guy thinks
about full back, and I could see all those guys
making it. Dario Gamale, I just don't mean you might
have to cut some guys like British Brooks and to
hard Ordon. That's numbers, but I don't think you care
have to cut significant out of these backs they get room.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
I'm curious, Aaron, Well, not curious. It seems to me
that it's a loud sledgehammer to the head that adding
Nick Chubb and obviously with a change and coaching staff
on the offensive line, that they're trying to send a
message that we are going to be more physical on offense.
The finesse will take care of itself. The physical ADM. Chubb,
we are going to knock you around. That The physicality
(06:23):
is a big part of who they want to.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Be exactly if you go back to how physical sometimes
the Rams and the Patriots are where Nick Canley has
that background, they are trying to build it out in
that style, which is downhill and having two and they've
built differently. Obviously Joe was more of a tall glider,
(06:46):
but he still can lower the boom at two thirty
and you've got a shorter compact two hundred twenty seven pounder.
So if you're a linebacker, it's not a lot of
fun to play against the text. And you know, if
you've got some big boys in the offensive line, I
mean you look at Titus Tower as a guard. You know,
(07:07):
a big, strong guy. You've got Camerabinson experience. You've got
a bigger center, not as tall as Patterson, but stronger
physically in Jake Andrews. So overall, I'm looking at the
one and I see like a little bit more size,
especially if Urser, if he should beat out at any
(07:29):
point Cam Robinson or Blake Fisher. It's a very big
offensive line. It's a physical, robust kind of football they
want to play. I mean it doesn't extend just to
the trenches, but when you have two Twin Towers and
six foot four wide receivers that are both sizeable guys
that can kind of bully some of these defensive backs.
(07:51):
I think you know leor Bill parcelsiused to say this
about big guys beating up little guys. There's some concepts
like that within the offense where they're just bigger and
more physical and it's harder to compete with. And I
just didn't think the offensive line sometimes last year and
the whole offense. Sometimes they were the nail not the hammer,
(08:11):
if you will.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Erin Wilson here, sorry, eron Aaron joining us here on
the Sean Salisbury Show. Final one from me, we're about
a month away from training camp. Do you anticipate many
other moves being made or do you feel like this
is going to be the group of ninety that we're
going to see there when they hit camp.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yeah, they're going to add a corner. They are right
now weighing which corner they'll add. One of the corners
that they've auditioned was from the Eastern Roughnecks name In Ournett,
who's had obviously an all field problem. Seems to be
on the right track now from everyone I've talked to,
and he was here this week for a workout, and
that is still an ongoing conversation. They're also looking at
(08:53):
another you're free agent, and Duke Shelley worked out and
Keenan Isaac. So yeah, they're keep looking for a corner
of becaus. Ronald Darby's looks for that to happen real quick.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Before you go, what's the one thing forget the physicality,
what's the one thing offensively did'll look different for us.
I mean how they line up similar verbiage. Obviously, what
do they is it going to look differently other than
the physicality on the perimeter aggressive, Yeah, all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
To get ye to give them that that's a as
far as a wrinkle. Yeah, So that's something where I
think that deepens has got to beat on what Bobby
Slogan guys are doing because they weren't moving around enough
but pre sing that motion. And again there's just some
concepts that they do with the rams with Sean McVay.
This is something that Josh McDaniel did. You know, they're
going back and watching like old Tom Brady stuff with
(09:45):
strout from two thousand and three, two thousand and four
of them on the way back. So I look for
them to be a very game time specific type of
offense that changes a lot on the fly. And really
it's just as much as the players can handle and absorb,
you know, because we're talking about about obviously the Brady's
and the Staffords very experienced quarterbacks. Heg as a sharp kid,
(10:06):
and I think the autonomy that's the other thing, changing protections,
the freedom. So those are two big things I look for.
I nentwer two things the motion and Stroud ability to
just change the protection if he sees something, change the
play if he needs to. So they're empowering Stroud. And
(10:26):
of course this means extra work. This is what he
wanted to and he asks for this so and I
think he can handle it just fine. This should be
more Stroud's offense, not just the offense Cordator's offense, if
that makes sense for sure.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Aaron Wilson, he joins us here on the Sean Salisbury
Show football season. He'll join us every single week and
Aaron enjoyed the time off. Four training camp hits. And
we'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Gray, talking to you guys. You guys have a good weekend.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
I appreciate it. Aaron Wilson joining us. One thing he
said right there, Sean that I think we can chew
on on the other side. But also too, the textans
seem like there's not a ton of questions. That's not
the case everywhere. We'll get into a little bit of
NFL here as we close out our three of The
Shawn Salisbury Show. Sports Talk seven ninety
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Love it
Sports Sox seven ninety. It is Sean Salisbury Show, Astros
ten to two winners last night over the White Sox,
going for the series tonight over at dyke In Park
NBA Finals. Game three goes to the Pacers two to
one lead. Now on the Thunder and the Texans are
done with mini camp training camp coming up here in
about a month. That's what we're talking right now with
our good buddy and Sports Talks seven to ninety. Texans
(00:22):
insider Aaron Wilson joins us here on the show. Aaron
Mini Camp, as I just mentioned in the rear view mirror,
and we finally got on Tuesday the answer to the
question we'll see j Stroud throw? So how nice is
it to no longer have that story to chew on?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Yeah, it was just really a non story to me.
I reported first that it was just shoulder tightness he
had from weightlisting and throwing. So I understand why I
got lead out of proportion because of you know, there
was a lack of clarity from the team. So that's
I did some digging in a couple of days after
(01:04):
the first non answer, just reported that Andy, that just
told those exactly correct from four different people I trust,
So I don't think it really should have been speak deal.
It's all magnified because it's the NFL, it's c J Stroud.
I totally get it by it becomes a something. It
takes on life and zone. But some of the conspiracy
theorists and the fact that some people speculated that he'd
(01:28):
had shoulder surgery, it was just ridiculous. The guy was
throwing and there's even videos from the team where they're
having these informal sessions weeks before, so it wouldn't stay
quiet at all. If a star quarterback like that has
a procedure done, it's just really kind of defies logic.
(01:48):
But yeah, no, I think it's good for the team
to see him trouble because this is valuable time for
him to build that rapport. And we saw all down
display like that one handed sideline catch by Jayden Higgins
and a nice throw by CJ. And we saw him
connecting and building his report again with Kate Stover, who
I think has had a good spring overall. I thought
(02:11):
he looked great. It's just really is he explained it
really well. He's been making some games. I mean, look
at his body. He looks different. He looks a trimmer,
a little leaner muscle tissue. He wants to be able
to run a little faster. I think some of this
is pride, and you know how he looks his appearance too.
I mean, I think overall all that stuff, and yeah,
(02:33):
I'm not worried about CJ. Wasn't worried about CJ. Just
felt like all along, I think I was shooting jumpers
at some event. It's just I don't know why people
were worried about this, But people overreact to everything, and
that's part of the intense interest. And that's good because
I mean, we have.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
An audience, Aaron, we all have our opinion on why
mini camp is or isn't important. I think it is
on the mental side and getting putting the library in.
So in your opinion, or maybe even in the Texans opinion,
what's the most important thing you've got a cog mandatory
mini camp.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
I think it always will go back to the offensive line,
because that's the one thing that might keep this talented
team from going further. So the fact that they're starting
to build a starting five with a few active competitions
within that group, I think that's significant. Just about fifteen
(03:33):
minutes ago, I got a call about Jake Andrews, the
new projected starting center, and how that's going so far.
I'm hearing that they're very, very happy about Jake and
what he's doing so far. So that's important. I mean,
I don't think there's anything really more significant than the
offensive line, and that's going to be a recurring storyline
(03:55):
heading into training camp and won't know until really the season.
Did they do enough? Have they, you know, really done
a good job with overhauling all of those We come
back to coaching Nicole Popovich and the hand that he
has as a Dantine Scarnekia protege in fixing the offense floor.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Aaron Wilson again seven to ninety Insider covering the Texans
in the NFL, joining us here on the Sean Salisbury Show.
We've talked a lot about the addition of Nick Chubbs,
saw him for a couple of days. But as this
running back group goes, what does that mean for Damian
Pierce And when it's all said and done, when the
fifty three is determined, how many do you think they're
going to roll with this year?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Yeah, I'd say in terms of pure backs you're going
to have Damian a part of it unless there's some
sort of opportunity comes across their desk where it makes
sense to trade him. And I expect him ready for
training camp, so that what he's doing with right now
isn't that serious. They just sure being careful with him.
(04:59):
But I to you know, look at the backs. You
know what he marks, so be here. You're gonna have
the starters Joe Mixon and now Nick Chubb is the
primary backup, and you a pierce to the kickoff returner.
He's a good kickoff returner. He had some value in
that area and you can play running back when you
need him to. But obviously they've upgraded. Even with if
(05:22):
Nick Chubb is like seventy five eighty percent of his
old self a couple of years away from that knee injury,
you've added a lot. But in terms of the numbers
we see, do they keep the full back looks like
they might. And the way Kayley builds out his offense,
you know, he coached James dabblin a long time. It
was a really good fullback with the Patriots. That was
(05:42):
part of his job. So yeah, he this guy thinks
about full back, and I could see all those guys
making it. Dario Gamale, I just don't mean you might
have to cut some guys like British Brooks and to
hard Ordon. That's numbers, but I don't think you care
have to cut significant out of these backs they get room.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
I'm curious, Aaron, Well, not curious. It seems to me
that it's a loud sledgehammer to the head that adding
Nick Chubb and obviously with a change and coaching staff
on the offensive line, that they're trying to send a
message that we are going to be more physical on offense.
The finesse will take care of itself. The physical ADM. Chubb,
we are going to knock you around. That The physicality
(06:23):
is a big part of who they want to.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Be exactly if you go back to how physical sometimes
the Rams and the Patriots are where Nick Canley has
that background, they are trying to build it out in
that style, which is downhill and having two and they've
built differently. Obviously Joe was more of a tall glider,
(06:46):
but he still can lower the boom at two thirty
and you've got a shorter compact two hundred twenty seven pounder.
So if you're a linebacker, it's not a lot of
fun to play against the text. And you know, if
you've got some big boys in the offensive line, I
mean you look at Titus Tower as a guard. You know,
(07:07):
a big, strong guy. You've got Camerabinson experience. You've got
a bigger center, not as tall as Patterson, but stronger
physically in Jake Andrews. So overall, I'm looking at the
one and I see like a little bit more size,
especially if Urser, if he should beat out at any
(07:29):
point Cam Robinson or Blake Fisher. It's a very big
offensive line. It's a physical, robust kind of football they
want to play. I mean it doesn't extend just to
the trenches, but when you have two Twin Towers and
six foot four wide receivers that are both sizeable guys
that can kind of bully some of these defensive backs.
(07:51):
I think you know leor Bill parcelsiused to say this
about big guys beating up little guys. There's some concepts
like that within the offense where they're just bigger and
more physical and it's harder to compete with. And I
just didn't think the offensive line sometimes last year and
the whole offense. Sometimes they were the nail not the hammer,
(08:11):
if you will.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Erin Wilson here, sorry, eron Aaron joining us here on
the Sean Salisbury Show. Final one from me, we're about
a month away from training camp. Do you anticipate many
other moves being made or do you feel like this
is going to be the group of ninety that we're
going to see there when they hit camp.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yeah, they're going to add a corner. They are right
now weighing which corner they'll add. One of the corners
that they've auditioned was from the Eastern Roughnecks name In Ournett,
who's had obviously an all field problem. Seems to be
on the right track now from everyone I've talked to,
and he was here this week for a workout, and
that is still an ongoing conversation. They're also looking at
(08:53):
another you're free agent, and Duke Shelley worked out and
Keenan Isaac. So yeah, they're keep looking for a corner
of becaus. Ronald Darby's looks for that to happen real quick.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Before you go, what's the one thing forget the physicality,
what's the one thing offensively did'll look different for us.
I mean how they line up similar verbiage. Obviously, what
do they is it going to look differently other than
the physicality on the perimeter aggressive, Yeah, all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
To get ye to give them that that's a as
far as a wrinkle. Yeah, So that's something where I
think that deepens has got to beat on what Bobby
Slogan guys are doing because they weren't moving around enough
but pre sing that motion. And again there's just some
concepts that they do with the rams with Sean McVay.
This is something that Josh McDaniel did. You know, they're
going back and watching like old Tom Brady stuff with
(09:45):
strout from two thousand and three, two thousand and four
of them on the way back. So I look for
them to be a very game time specific type of
offense that changes a lot on the fly. And really
it's just as much as the players can handle and absorb,
you know, because we're talking about about obviously the Brady's
and the Staffords very experienced quarterbacks. Heg as a sharp kid,
(10:06):
and I think the autonomy that's the other thing, changing protections,
the freedom. So those are two big things I look for.
I nentwer two things the motion and Stroud ability to
just change the protection if he sees something, change the
play if he needs to. So they're empowering Stroud. And
(10:26):
of course this means extra work. This is what he
wanted to and he asks for this so and I
think he can handle it just fine. This should be
more Stroud's offense, not just the offense Cordator's offense, if
that makes sense for sure.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Aaron Wilson, he joins us here on the Sean Salisbury
Show football season. He'll join us every single week and
Aaron enjoyed the time off. Four training camp hits. And
we'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
Gray, talking to you guys. You guys have a good weekend.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
I appreciate it. Aaron Wilson joining us. One thing he
said right there, Sean that I think we can chew
on on the other side. But also too, the textans
seem like there's not a ton of questions. That's not
the case everywhere. We'll get into a little bit of
NFL here as we close out our three of The
Shawn Salisbury Show. Sports Talk seven ninety
Speaker 2 (11:16):
Love it
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