00:00:00
Speaker 1: Telling everybody.
00:00:01
Speaker 2: Welcome to a Wednesday this issue Texans All Access, a pre preseason game number two against the Raiders version of Texans All Access. John Harrison, Mark vandermir with you, and we come on the air tonight with not the greatest of news. But Mark, I'll start here other than the news, I'm about to drop.
00:00:21
Speaker 1: How you doing, Johnny?
00:00:23
Speaker 3: I'm doing great because we got a game tomorrow. The NFL waits for no one. We all know this, so no matter what happens, and I'm going to say this right now, we've been through a lot worse. That doesn't make light of the situation to the individual involved and what it means for the attack and all of that. But we've been through a lot here as an organization and been able to get through it. And you're gonna have to get through this as well. So I know people have heard about this all day. I'm holding back with this big tease. Go ahead and break the news. We'll talk about what it means for your Houston Texans in twenty twenty six.
00:00:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, yesterday during joint practice during the red zone period, literally three feet in front of me and I never saw it because I was watching where the ball was Jayden Higgins went down, he got up, he got off the field on his own power, but he had a pretty distinct limp didn't know overnight taking an MRI. This morning MRI came back with a torny ACL. Jayden Higgins, second year wide receiver at Iowa State, Will missed the season for your Houston Texans and Mark We've had injuries happen before during this season. Remember Deshaun at twenty seventeen, because it's a receiver. Even though it happened during the season, it kind of has that same kind of will Fuller effect. Twenty eighteen you still had there Hopkins, obviously still have Nico Collins. But when you lose an emerging player, a guy that was really stepping into that void like Jayden Higgins was doing, you kind of have that will Fuller. Like, damn we lost Will in twenty eighteen. It's like we could have had him. I felt like we could have made a run. Maybe not, we could have. Look, there's a lot of time to do a lot of work. Nick Cassario, Nimiko Ryans, whether it's making trade, whether it's signed somebody off the street, whether it's moving everybody up a notch on the receiver depth chart, which for now I believe will happen for everybody there. But it gives a lot of opportunity for guys. But it's just it sucks because Jayden was making that year one year two leap. He was gonna solidify himself as one of the better receivers in the league. He was having a tremendous training camp, and now he's got to go rehab and get ready for twenty twenty seven. And that just for him, the individual, one of the sweetest individuals we know. That just sucks the team. Look, you play football, you know these things happen. Everybody's got to do their part and get it right and go play, go play games, and there'll be nobody crying in their beer. Look, the Panthers lost Nick scot in the first day of practice, a guy they felt like, second year guy was gonna come in and do some things off the edge. They lost him. Teams lose players all the time. Twenty sixteen, the Patriots won at Super Bowl in Houston. They did not have grind. Bronc was not with him for that season and for that Super Bowl. So teams have done it, you know, dealing with a lot of injuries, dealing with suspensions, doing all kinds of things. They've gone and won championships. Nobody's gonna be feeling sorry for the Texans. I know that for a fact. I just hate it for Jaydon Higgins because he was turning that corner mark.
00:03:17
Speaker 3: Think about a couple of years ago when the Lions didn't have Aiden Hutchinson and they were trying to make a run. You know, these things happen and it's awful, just quickly on Higgins and ACLS.
00:03:30
Speaker 1: It's so frustrating.
00:03:31
Speaker 3: I've always said this as a sports fan, the worst thing is injuries. Second, contract negotiation difficulties, but number one is injuries because man, if everybody were just healthy and then we could just play and see who the better team is, great, but you can't do that. Attrition is part of this in the NFL. He's not going to be the last one. Hopefully he's the last one for the season. But people get hurt in this sport and it's really difficult to swallow, especially joint practice and with ACLS. I always feel like, was this a ticking time bomb. It's a question to me, was it a ticking time bomb? Or was it an incident that caused the injury to occur, that had you avoided that incident wouldn't have occurred. Or was this gonna happen anyway with a big cut, or whatever the case is. Who knows, doesn't matter, got to live with it. The end result is there, So let's talk about it.
00:04:22
Speaker 1: Johnny.
00:04:23
Speaker 3: What are they gonna do at receiver? How will they handle the situation? You still have the health of Tank Dell in question. I was actually speaking at noon to the HGPA group down at the Houston Club and the news broke right before I went up, so I brought it up. I got a ton of questions about Tank. Of course, how's Noel doing well? We saw Nolan full pads yesterday.
00:04:44
Speaker 1: That was good.
00:04:44
Speaker 3: He didn't do everything the team did, but I think it was a really good sign that he was in full pads. That means it's coming with Dell. Not sure he's doing a lot, but he's not doing the most. He's not doing eleven on eleven team in pads full speed.
00:05:00
Speaker 1: He's not doing that yet. Will he do it? I don't know.
00:05:02
Speaker 3: If you can get healthy Tank healthy, Nol and everybody else stays healthy. I think you're in pretty good shape, but that might be a big if right now, so let's discuss.
00:05:13
Speaker 1: I think we have to move on.
00:05:15
Speaker 3: But it really is a difficult thing for Higgins, and our hearts go out to him because I think, and you said this too, that he was primed for a really big season.
00:05:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think that's the frustrating part, because you'd like to see guys get rewarded for the work that they put in in the offseason, and he certainly had done that.
00:05:34
Speaker 1: So let's start with in house.
00:05:37
Speaker 2: You mentioned a couple of them, Jalen, Nole, Tank Dell, and you characterized it perfectly. We'd like to think j Nole can make it back. But after the finger issue, whatever's going on there, it appeared there was some sort of leg issue hamstring sounds like, but he was in full pads, did not practice against the Raiders. But hopefully it does mean that he's practicing, that he's close. Jalen gives you that playmaking ability. Maybe this turns into more options for him. Now again, you see j Nole, you see Jay and Higgins are always together. They're two different receivers, they do two different things, but Jalen can do a lot on a football field. There's no question about that. Tanked Dell massive question mark. You just don't know.
00:06:20
Speaker 1: But we've said this all off season.
00:06:22
Speaker 2: Yeah, he said it all off season that you just it'd be great to get him back, but you just don't know. So let's go a little further. Jared Wayne. I got a text from a friend of mine and he was kind of like, all right, Jared Wayne, time to step up. Well, Jared Wayne got dinged up in practice against the Raiders too, So don't know what that is, but hopefully and I saw him walk back on a field. I don't know if he went back into the action, but hopefully he's gonna be okay because he's taken some serious strides. Now, I know what everybody's gonna say, John. To win a championship, you can't rely on guys like Jared Wayne.
00:06:58
Speaker 1: Well.
00:06:59
Speaker 2: I happen to see this on my timeline in one of my Instagram feeds or YouTube feed or whatever. It just popped up a nugget from Hard Knocks. In twenty ten and twenty ten, Hard Knocks was in New York Jets and in that they were they had little bits of Mike Pettan ww's a defensive coordinator and Rex Ryan and they were playing the Giants. This is twenty ten, mind you, and the Giants practice squad receiver number three caught three touchdowns. It was killing it. His name was Victor Cruz. That year in twenty ten, Victor Cruise played in three games, zero catches, zero targets, zero receptions, zero yards. But in twenty eleven eighty two receptions, fifteen hundred yards, nine touchdowns, one hundred and thirty one targets. The next year he goes to the Pro Bowl. But the key was in twenty eleven, what did the Giants do that year? They won a Super Bowl. So if you think a guy can't come from the practice ranks or spend a lot of time on the practice squad and can't make it, will Victor Cruz is a perfect example of the fact that it can happen. Will it happen? Look, it's a I mean, that's why we talk about Victor Cruise because it's a long shot. But we've seen guys all throughout the NFL practice squad. One year, all of a sudden, they make it, you know, to the fifty three mins roster. The next year, makes significant plays during a year. Maybe it doesn't lead a Super Bowl, but Victor Cruz is the perfect example of practice squad one year, nearly a pro bowler, but the big key receiver for the twenty eleven team that won a championship in twenty eleven the very next year. So Jared Wayne, a guy I think we absolutely have to take into consideration because he's also had a really good training camp. Then there's Justin Watson, a guy that ironically missed last year due to injury, came back injured again, couldn't play the rest of the year. I feel like we missed Justin Watson in that playoff game against the Patriots championship. Degree been around, seen some things, good route runner, has the trust of CJ.
00:09:05
Speaker 1: Stroud.
00:09:05
Speaker 2: I think Justin Watson's gonna play obviously a bigger role. And then a guy that we gloss over in a sense because because he's been part of training camp, but he's taking significant strides, and that's Xavier Hutchinson, who I think has been fantastic in training camp. He had a very very interesting press conference the other day. He's very forthright on his thoughts about what he needed to change, how he needed to get better. He's always a guy you can rely on. He knows every spot on the receiving you know X, Y z H. He knows them all. He knows exactly what to do with every single one of them on every single play. He's a guy that has made big plays in the past. He's gonna he was gonna factor in the equation, but now he factors in even more. Mark your thoughts about those guys I just.
00:09:52
Speaker 3: Mentioned, Well, I want to go back to your Giants thing because I'm loving this, by the way, because what was that Giants team's record going in now? They were nine and seven and seven. They were nine to seven and eleven two right now, I think so. And both teams had good defenses, they got great pressure on the opposing quarterback. But another receiver that shined for them in that second Super Bowl win in that era, all right, because they won a couple with Parcels earlier. It was Mario Manningham Johnny not exactly a household name, who had five catches in that Super Bowl, including the dramatic thirty eight yarder that set up the game winning drive in eighty eight yard march.
00:10:33
Speaker 1: So if guys like.
00:10:34
Speaker 3: Mario Manningham can do it on a team that has good defensive pressure and you shine at the right moment, Anything's possible. So I don't know if we need to go full boat into Giants teams here. The point is this, you have weapons. Look, we'd love to have Higgins. You don't have Higgins, So what do you have? You just went over the names, Johnny, I'm excited to see what a Watson could possibly do. We know Hutchinson has made big plays for this team. What are the X factors here?
00:11:02
Speaker 4: Though?
00:11:02
Speaker 3: What are the players who? Who are they who could really make a difference. Obviously, Tank would make a huge difference if he's healthy. Let's just put that aside for the moment. But a second year Noll all that is still out there as a possibility second year Nol improvement. He won't play Higgins' position, but he can play receiver at a high enough level along with the return game to really make an impact this year.
00:11:24
Speaker 1: And then Wayne, I'd love to see it. He's big. I mean, he can.
00:11:29
Speaker 3: Play the role of Higgins if he's healthy, he could possibly do this, all right, Higgins is Higgins. But Wayne, we've seen him make plays too, and maybe he's ready to take that step. But what about somebody else, Johnny, What if a Trayvon Saunders finds a way onto this football team and can make plays with his speed and shiftiness and in the return game as well. What if that happens. What about Lewis Bard You drafted him. We talked about how polished he looks overall. Overall, he's having a terrific camp for four rookie. I know he had a drop yesterday and it was too bad because that was gonna be a big play. But that's how you learn. He's still getting his feet wet, he's still learning the game. That could be an interesting development as well for this team.
00:12:11
Speaker 1: There are other guys, Josh Kelly. I don't know.
00:12:14
Speaker 3: If he finds his way into the fifty three man roster, maybe practice squad, maybe he gets elevated for a game or two and makes a difference. You're gonna have to piece it together that way. The good news here, and it's not really good news, but it's a silver lining, and it's a shining silver sterling in all its glory. Lining is that you have one of the best receivers in the NFL on this football team in Nico Collins. This puts a premium on his health. Obviously you had that anyway, but I always felt like Nico misses two three games, don't want to see it. But if it does happen, Higgins is gonna have a big year, and Higgins in year two could really pick up the slack. I don't want to experience life with no Nico and no Higgins for.
00:12:53
Speaker 1: Any stretch of time.
00:12:54
Speaker 3: But you also do have Dalton Schultz, who let the team in receptions last year as a tight end. Of course, ye maybe Marlon Klein does something positive for you because so far he's been doing that in training camp, and maybe he can get going because you have to include the tight ends in this past catcher situation here with Higgins going down, they got a lot of weapons.
00:13:14
Speaker 1: What he marks out of the backfield? Montgomery catches the ball well out.
00:13:17
Speaker 3: Of the backfield. I know people are thinking he's not known for it. He's not, but what did he do in stadium practice last week? Sixty yard TD reception? That's in their bag someplace. So you do have some places you can look here. It's not an epidemic. Now as I say that word, Johnny, let's be careful here. You just mentioned Wayne getting a little dinged up yesterday, that tope, he's okay. We talked about Noel coming back, talked about Tank not back yet. I don't want to see this position group suffer some kind of injury.
00:13:48
Speaker 1: Plague cannot have it.
00:13:50
Speaker 3: Got a lot of bodies, they're getting tested, and you've got prime action tomorrow night. You've got a joint practice next week against the Panthers, and yet another preseason game in which I just mentioned, have to play just to get through the game.
00:14:03
Speaker 1: So let's stay healthy.
00:14:04
Speaker 2: Texans absolutely, health being first and foremost everything. And unfortunately that struck the Texans yesterday. But like I said earlier, nobody's crying in their beer for the Texans because there have been injuries across the league. Teams have already suffered injuries. Hecked Tyler Biadas of the Chargers had an injury because his fellow offensive lineman threw a forty nine Ers defensive lineman into him and he tore a ACL because of that. It's the third offensive lineman for the Chargers that has been lost for the season the last two years because a teammate threw a defensive lineman into the back of their legs. I wish I were joking. It's amazing to think about. So nobody's crying their beer. Gotta make it through. Obviously, we wish all the best to Jaden. We'll see him in the in the hallways of Reliant Stadium and he'll do the rehab and he'll get ready for twenty twenty seven. But like you said, Mark, this is a position that we talk about all the time. You have a position, it always just gets ravaged by injuries. And look, there are still ways to improve the ball club. It could be with a trade, it could be with a waiver claim, it could be with a free agent signing. Nick Caseario has shown before that is he can pull rabbits out of his hat. Maybe it happens here, maybe not. Maybe they like the group that they have as it is. And if everyone were healthy, I'd say, yeah, I think we're good. Don't know that everybody is healthy at this point or when anybody and everybody can be back. But Nick Caserio can go to work as well. So we'll see what this turns into for the Texans.
00:15:43
Speaker 1: But it's tough.
00:15:44
Speaker 2: One of the guys that Mark just mentioned is Marlin Klein, he could benefit from this in a sense more targets in a passing game. He has been tremendous in camp. He caught up with ABC's Greg Bailey right here.
00:15:58
Speaker 5: Explain to your fans how far you've come since this training camp started day one of camp to where you are now as an NFL player.
00:16:05
Speaker 6: Yeah, I believe that that I've taken huge strides. I think most of it has something to do with the coaching and my teammates.
00:16:13
Speaker 7: To be honest, I think the guys that are in.
00:16:14
Speaker 6: My room, like Dalton Foster k like Brevan, all these older guys that have so much experience under a belt, they've helped me so much in these these past couple of weeks.
00:16:24
Speaker 5: How much are you kind of constantly asking them without trying to badger them because somebody like Dalton has been there and done that and seen all of it.
00:16:31
Speaker 6: To be honest with you, there's so I mean, there's just awesome human human beings and teammates they just you know, help me without me even asking U. There's so there's so many times where they just come up and they helped me out, give me a little tips and reminders on certain things. They've seen me do that I could be, could be doing better, or that has worked for them in the past. So just just being around that it's such it's such a blessing for me in my game.
00:16:54
Speaker 5: If you looked at the game tape of your first preseason action with the big Time highlight and all the rest of it, what was your big take.
00:17:01
Speaker 7: I think there's a lot to clean up.
00:17:02
Speaker 6: Uh, you know, obviously there was a big play, but I think it's more more so a big play for it for.
00:17:07
Speaker 7: Davis and the ball that he threw than for me what I did.
00:17:10
Speaker 6: So I just want to continue to get better every single day and hopefully have a better game this this week.
00:17:16
Speaker 5: The part that we don't give enup attention to is inline blocking. I see you get after that. You focus on that during training camp. Where are you in that level of development?
00:17:24
Speaker 7: Yeah, I think that's that's something that I've taken the heart.
00:17:27
Speaker 6: Uh, you know, my last two years at Michigan. I think that that kind of got me to where I'm at now. So that's something that I took huge pride in.
00:17:35
Speaker 8: Uh.
00:17:35
Speaker 6: You know, one thing that I always think about is I want to be I don't want to be a pass catching titan. I don't want to be just a blocking tight and I want to be a well round of tight end. There's not a lot of in the league right now, but there is some that do both things really well. And that's that's kind of who I want to be for for for this team and to help this team at the end of the day. But yeah, I mean I take huge, huge pride in that last one.
00:17:56
Speaker 5: Before you play in an NFL game, what's your routine kind of share with fans what you do to prepare yourself mentally and physically to go play football.
00:18:03
Speaker 6: Yeah, honestly, I think I'll try, you know, to not make the make the game at the end of the night bigger than what it is. Try to stay calm, listen to some gospel music in the morning, and you know, get my breakfast in and take it, take a nap.
00:18:16
Speaker 7: Before the game.
00:18:17
Speaker 6: Then once once it's go time, you know, the the heavy rock and you know, the good stuff gets gets turned on and you kind of have to flip that switch in your mind and it's it's ready, ready to go out there and ball.
00:18:29
Speaker 2: We enjoy watching man have fun. Thank you appreciation, committed stuff there from Marlin Klein and our friend Greg Bailey. All Right, Mark catches up with head coach Tamico Ryans before every game. Here's the pregame discussion right here.
00:18:44
Speaker 3: All right, coach, it's another touch point. We have contact with another team, and I know maybe you looked at it earlier in the week. Two joint practices, two preseason games. Is that kind of how you take it.
00:18:54
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's that's how we take it.
00:18:55
Speaker 8: Man. It's really really good work this past week, having a chance go against the Raiders and joint practice. I'm excited. I was excited about the work that we got. Thought is really beneficial for both teams to get the work in. We saw some different looks, things we can work on, but I love the way our guys showed up and played physical in the practice.
00:19:13
Speaker 3: Now, how will this be different from the game you play against the Raiders.
00:19:17
Speaker 8: We'll start to see our second team, our rookies, try to get them more reps to get them developed. They didn't see as many reps in practice, but they'll see the bulk of the reps in the game.
00:19:27
Speaker 3: As you go further into the depth chart, I know you want to see a better performance into the second half compared to the first preseason game, right, and for sure.
00:19:34
Speaker 8: We have to have a much better outing than our first game. And that's what I'm looking for, that growth that second game. Let's see how guys grow, how guys respond to coaching. And our guys have done a great job in practice all week and responding a proper way.
00:19:46
Speaker 4: Now I'm just looking forward to a carrying over to the game.
00:19:49
Speaker 3: How do you balance not wanting to show too much in these games but wanting to work on some things and get better at them.
00:19:56
Speaker 8: It's a tough balance because you work so many new things, new wrinkles that we're trying to do offensively defensively, But you don't want to show your hand too early, right, So we strip it all down and we go back to just the basics. The Brandon brother the can guys just line up and go play? Can they play with good fundamentals, Can they use the proper technique? Can they communicate well? And then can they just play fast and finished? That's what we're looking for in these preseason games.
00:20:23
Speaker 3: Has it been a very different week in that you play the preseason game on Thursday at hard practices, Saturday and Sunday and all of a sudden, you're into game week Thursday and then Friday's hard, but Saturday would be Saturday, which is Wednesday.
00:20:36
Speaker 1: This week is different. It's just a different kind of routine this week, right.
00:20:39
Speaker 4: It's a different routine for us this week.
00:20:41
Speaker 8: We actually took this week to go through our end season schedule, so it was all kind of messed up in my mind. We started Saturday, it was like our Wednesday, and then we went on from there. So just excited to get to the game. Best of them looking forward to we're week. But our guys handled it really will they They practiced really well. We moved our practices back, got even more heat. I don't know what I was thinking, but well got more heat in practice. The guys pushed through. They battle had a really great week of preparation. I'm excited to see that preparation, you know, show itself in the game.
00:21:15
Speaker 1: Since it came up the heat part of it.
00:21:17
Speaker 3: You guys have all the data on their medicals and how they handle it, so you wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't the right thing, right.
00:21:23
Speaker 4: Yeah, for sure, we're definitely checking.
00:21:25
Speaker 8: It's just like our our high schools and our middle schools here in Houston. You have to check the wet bullb make sure the temperature is right, and make sure you're giving guys proper breaks. So I never want the guys to go over twenty five minutes without giving them a break from the heat from the sun.
00:21:41
Speaker 1: Great stuff, Thanks a lot, coach, Thanks Mark.
00:21:43
Speaker 2: All Right, great stuff there from head coach Demico. Ryan's talking about this game. Okay, coming up. I caught up with two of the assistant coaches for the Texans over the weekend, Steve Hadagoke and Danny Barrett. I'll have both of those conversations for you next right here in Texas All Access. What's happening, everybody, Welcome back to this Wednesday edition of Texans All Access. I'm your host, John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans, and today has been a bit of a gut punch.
00:22:17
Speaker 1: So we found the news that.
00:22:18
Speaker 2: Jaden Higgins did indeed tear his ACL in yesterday's joint practice with the Raiders, and he will be out for the twenty twenty six season, his second season in the NFL. And that's a shame on so many different levels that young man was taking huge strides. He was ready to really step forward in this offense and be a guy that everybody throughout the league was talking about. Hey man, you see what Jade Higgins did against the Bengals. Do you see what Higgins did against Cowboys? He was fixing to be that guy. And it was right in front of me. I had gone to the back of the end zone for the red zone drill. I've talked about this before. I like to watch the red zone from behind because you can see everything. The irony was. He was right in front of me, but I was actually watching where CJ threw the ball, and that was the Dalton, so I didn't see. I just saw somebody down right in front of me, and I can the little banners are there, so I couldn't tell who it was. And then I saw Jaden kind of sit up and I saw the hair and I was like, oh that's oh no, that's Jaden. And then he kind of laid back down. I thought, oh no. Now he did get up on his own power and walk over to the training We got a training facility right there by that end zone, and so he walked in there. Now he limped in there, but a lot of people checked on him at that point, couldn't tell anything. What friend AMERII this morning and it confirmed our worst fears. He has a torn acl. He is out for the twenty twenty six season. So that means there are a lot of dudes that have got to step up, and right now there are two or three of them that aren't completely healthy. Now, Jaalen Nole dealt with the finger which put him an NFI. He came off NFI, did some practice time andres we think his hamstring, I don't know, leg issue was out for a few days. He was in full pads against the Raiders, but didn't practice in any way against the Raiders because they went straight to team stuff when they came out of the bubble after activation, so still went out of Jalen Nole. Then Jared Wayne at some point had gotten dinged up in that practice with the Raiders, so we don't know what his status is now. He did have his helmet and he did come back at some point, but I don't remember remember seeing him much in that practice, so maybe something happened early. Who knows, but Jared Wayne is a guy we definitely want to keep an eye on because if you think about big bodied athletic, a big playmaking receiver. Jared Wayne kind of fits that role now in his fourth year with the team. Came into twenty twenty three with CJ, with Willy Anderson, et cetera, made a bunch of plays last year against the forty nine ers, has been killing it in camp. Maybe he's earned an opportunity at this point, if healthy, to go get some of those reps to fill in the place with Jade Higgins. And then there of course is Tanked del and coach Ryan's talked about it when asked about it. I think a few days ago. Tank's on his own plan. We don't know what he's coming back. Don't know what to think about that. Don't know if what has, you know, held him out the last few days is a new injury or a setback of some way.
00:25:23
Speaker 1: We don't know.
00:25:25
Speaker 2: It's just unfortunate because you'd love to see Tank back on the field because of what he means to not only a team, to his brothers on the team, but everybody in this organization, everybody in the city and of course all the Houston Cougar's out there love him, and everybody in Houston loves Tank. But those are your three injuries that you're kind of dealing with right now outside of already losing Jayden Higgins for the year. So didn't want to see a position have a rash of injuries. But it appears that it's happening at wide receivers. So are there other means that Nick Cassario can take. Yeah, there's trades, There are trades, there's other free agents out there. I've looked at those lists. I don't know if I see anybody where, I'm gut that that's it right there where. If it's a trade, you're not gonna get just crushed on a trade, but you can get somebody back of pretty good value. I mentioned earlier with Mark Victor Kruz. He was a practice squad guy with the Giants second year. First year, didn't catch a ball, only played three games. Second year, he caught eighty two passes and helped lead the Giants to a Super Bowl championship. So, look, would you like for Jared Wayne to be that practice squad guy that eventually comes up and you know, becomes a Victor Cruz like player. I mean, that would be awesome. It's only happened a few times. Victor Cruz notably. But I just remembered it because I was watching a clip of Hard Knocks from the Jets here at twenty ten, and they were talking about the trouble they had covering Victor Cruz in twenty ten, and it was twenty eleven where he became the player that he would become for the next five six years. So you never know where that production's gonna come from. This team has got a lot of great players on it. They've lost a great player. Now they've got to have other players up into that void and play at that level that Jayden Higgins was playing. Okay, I had a chance to catch up with two position coaches, two my favorites. Let's start with Steven Adago. Okay, safety's coach, and I asked him, when are we gonna see him put the pads back on? All right, coach, you've gone this far in camp. You haven't put the pads on yet? Why why not?
00:27:23
Speaker 7: TVD stay tuned.
00:27:27
Speaker 4: You never know what's the group been like this year.
00:27:29
Speaker 2: You had to read to that group, got some young dudes back there. What are your thoughts about kind of how the whole group has come together a great group.
00:27:35
Speaker 9: Of guys first and foremost that I mean, their work ethic speaks for itself on and off the field.
00:27:40
Speaker 7: Very cohesive group.
00:27:42
Speaker 9: Obviously if they mess well, like in the classroom or in the meeting room on the field, but also those guys I've taken time to get these know each other outside of football. So I think that's been a you know, a big help to help those guys, you know, build that trust and camaraderie. And then I mean they make it fun every day, so and so always a joy coming to work knowing that you're with a group of guys that can bring a positive attitude, the joyful and always with a you know, high aptitude for learning.
00:28:05
Speaker 2: Cay lenon his third year, it just feels like he's taken leaps and bounds from when he got here is a rookie. What's kind of been the focus for him going into year three and what do you want to see from him as he continues to mature?
00:28:15
Speaker 9: Oh, I think he just keeps sharpening every aspect of his game. You know, football on defense comes down to really getting off blocks, making tackles, and the tackling the ball, and those are all areas he's making an emphasis you know, to improve on. Obviously we know his range and the deep parts of the field, but you know, making efforts to you know, strip the ball, punch at the ball, you know, different things like that.
00:28:36
Speaker 1: And obviously he's improved.
00:28:37
Speaker 9: Every year as a tackler in the NFL.
00:28:39
Speaker 1: Reads a pretty interesting idation. We had a chance to talk to him into production meeting.
00:28:43
Speaker 7: What is he bringing to the room.
00:28:44
Speaker 2: Obviously he's got to bring He's got some championship pedigree.
00:28:47
Speaker 9: What do you like about what Reid has brought to the safety room? I mean, definitely just experience. You know, you know, experience is probably the best teacher you can have. You know, some guys just have to touch the stove before they learn, but you know, hearing things from guys who've been in different positions but different systems, getting an outside view. So obviously, Jeffely, I would say, the experience and you know same I would say with even having guys like m. J. Stewart around still mentoring guys and you know, being great and veteran.
00:29:13
Speaker 2: Kamari Ramsey comes in as a rookie, You've seen him, You've had him. Kayla was a rookie a few years ago. I mean, white eye bushy tailed and then you throw the defensive book at him and it's like whoa. But he doesn't look like he's slowing down. Looks like he's continued to play faster. Where you think about Caamaran.
00:29:26
Speaker 7: Definitely came in ready.
00:29:28
Speaker 9: You know, has experience in some similar terminology. So that wasn't that wasn't a difficult transition for him. It was more so just translating the words and him just need to see it one time and then going out there and being on the grass and walking through it. And I mean, he doesn't blink, you know, it doesn't bat an eye. Whatever he ask him to do, he steps up and does it. So it's been it's been fun having him around.
00:29:50
Speaker 2: Okay, So as the rookie in the room, and I might be forgetting somebody, but as the rookie, what do they have to bring for you?
00:29:57
Speaker 7: As the snack?
00:29:58
Speaker 2: What snack you have to have in the safety room?
00:30:01
Speaker 9: Not much of a snack, Okay, there's something you gotta have.
00:30:04
Speaker 4: Just bring a good attitude, that's all.
00:30:06
Speaker 1: It's all you need to do.
00:30:06
Speaker 4: Bring a good attitude and we'll be good to go.
00:30:09
Speaker 1: And coach, I appreciate it. Thank you.
00:30:10
Speaker 2: Guess sir, great dude, great coach. He's gonna be a head coach someday. There's no question, whether it's college, whether it's pros. He's gonna be a head coach one day. That guy is an absolute gem, Smart, tough, does anything to make his players better. I love that guy. Steven Addag Okay, all right, Another fave. Danny Barrett running backs coach. A lot to talk about with the running backs, everything that's happening with those guys. Here's coach talking about his guys. All right, Coach Danny Barrett, Tim how your running backs are thus far?
00:30:41
Speaker 7: What have you seen from your group?
00:30:43
Speaker 2: And I got a couple of guys banged up? What do you thought of your group this earling camp?
00:30:46
Speaker 10: So far, everything's been outstanding, you know, prom the top to bottom. Montgomery Woody got a couple of guys that's been out, you know, for a couple of days.
00:30:57
Speaker 1: They should be back soon. Winning.
00:31:00
Speaker 10: Whittington is looking good, carry over from the game.
00:31:02
Speaker 1: The other day.
00:31:04
Speaker 10: Pittsenberger again looking pretty good. Even Owen coming in now and starting to catch on and feel comfortable. So I think we're in a good place mentally, you know, just working hard and not from a physical standpoint, you know, can we get some guys healthy so we can take the load off of the other guy so we don't wear him down.
00:31:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, I was gonna ask you about that.
00:31:23
Speaker 2: Noah had twelve carries the other day in practice in the game, but you mentioned an important point about carrying forward in the practice.
00:31:31
Speaker 1: Hey, look good the game, it's all right, but you got to come back.
00:31:33
Speaker 2: Out in practice and he's been able to do that. What do you thought about the way that Noah has been able to kind of adapt to everything in his first year.
00:31:42
Speaker 10: He's actually done a good job. You know, looking back from the spring to where he's at now, he's more comfortable.
00:31:49
Speaker 1: He's healthy because he was.
00:31:51
Speaker 10: Limping around a little bit in the spring, but he's healthy and you can see, you know, he has the makeup of a back that can play in this league. Great feet, can be able to pick and pop in the hole and get his pass down and finish run. So like where he's at, you know, from a physical standpoint, just got to continue to keep putting the work in every day.
00:32:14
Speaker 2: Coach, we always talked about guys taking a year one to year two leap. What he marks even though he's he's wearing a different numbers, so that helps too. But it looks like a different back. He looks like he's got a little bit more juice. He's more confident at this point, just because he has not spinning in his first year.
00:32:28
Speaker 1: What do you see him from.
00:32:29
Speaker 10: What he does for I think you hit it on the head as far as himself, just you know, playing fast. That's one of the one things that stood out in the spring. The comfort level in the offense is second year round, So he put in the work in the off season to study, came back. You know, he's in great shape, lost a little bit of weight, more muscle mass, He's moving fast, quick, and everything is just clicking for him right now. So excited for him and where he's at. And I also want to give a shout out to David Montgomery for the way though those two have bonded together. I think during the summer vacation, they spending a vacation time together, which is always key for vetting a young guy, and just the bond that they're putting together and working together, communicating talking has really helped Withty as well.
00:33:15
Speaker 2: So in the room with the rookies, with Noah, and with Josh, what's the snack that they've got to get for you? And you have a snack in that room, that's a musk in that room.
00:33:25
Speaker 10: It is, you know, and they know. I like the payday candy bar okay, all right. And the reason behind it is we all love when payday comes around, but it's also signifies that on game day is payday. Let's go out and get out John, job done so we can get paid.
00:33:40
Speaker 4: I love it.
00:33:41
Speaker 1: Coach appreciated, Thank you. Yeah, well, that dude is the best.
00:33:44
Speaker 2: Love Danny Barrett and Steven Ada go okay, all right, we get back. We got Mark and I will sit down and do a little game preview for the Raiders, some players that you need to watch, and a little Texans Audio juke box Dimiko Ryan CJ. Strab But both went to the podium on Tuesday after the practice joint practice with the Raiders, So we'll have a little bit of that for you as well coming up right here on Texans All Access soap and everybody, welcome back this Wednesday, this Texans All Access from Honday, Texans Radio Studio. I am John Harris, your host. Couple bits of news if you have missed. It been under a rock today Jade and Higgins did indeed tear his ACL joint practice yesterday against the Raiders. Completely unfortunate situation. Nobody had fallt just it's football. Things happen. He'll be out for the twenty twenty sixth season. Just an absolute gut punch to take with a team that we were hoping was taking the big strides and they were taken big strides. Just go miss Jade Higgins, So they got to figure out how they fill the void at that particular point. There's another piece of news. This I first saw Pro Football Talk, but I've seen a couple of Texans media members have this as well. The Texans will not play their starters against the Raiders in the preseason game. Tomiko Ryans said that Tuesday's practice they got enough work, and I would imagine that the news of Higgins being out and getting injured, it probably impacts that a little bit.
00:35:21
Speaker 1: You want to stay healthy the rest of the week.
00:35:24
Speaker 2: So not going to see the starters against the Raiders unfortunate, but then again, they were probably only your play a series as it is, and it got plenty of work against the Raiders. Speaking of that work against the Raiders. Let's do a little Texans audio at jukebox here Tomiko Ryan's talking about the day they spent against.
00:35:39
Speaker 4: The Raiders, a really great opportunity.
00:35:41
Speaker 8: So you've been looking forward to the joint practice versus the Raiders as being out here today.
00:35:45
Speaker 4: It was a really good day.
00:35:47
Speaker 8: Both sides are really competitive football, physical football, both size, making plays, so a lot of positives from us on both sides. Also a lot to learn, a lot to clean up as well. I think we got out of the joint practice now exactly what we wanted, really good competitive work, different schemes to go against different players.
00:36:05
Speaker 4: And it was really great work. So proud of the guys with today.
00:36:08
Speaker 2: One of the aspects I talked about earlier, talked about last night the offensive line in the run game. I thought it was really really good against the Raiders, important because they do ran run a five man front, odd front. Coach talked about the offensive line in the run game.
00:36:22
Speaker 4: I really liked the way we ran the football.
00:36:23
Speaker 8: Thought we stuck well onto our blocks and we finished well our running backs. They were the highlight of the day for me. The way they ran the ball, physical, low pad level, really finishing runs.
00:36:33
Speaker 4: They did a really nice job.
00:36:34
Speaker 2: Let's stick it with that offensive line theme, if you will, I said to Mark last night, I wrote about this. I thought it since the first day of camp, first day in Pads. Thought it yesterday when Blake Fisher spent a lot of his day going against Max Crosby. I thought Blake did a really nice job. Here's coach talking about that battle between the two, Max Crosby and Blake Fisher.
00:36:56
Speaker 8: Blake did a nice job today. Crosby a really great player, gave us some tough looks. The thing about Crosby is he stays after. He's not just gonna, you know, go one Russ and just stop like. He has great effort. He plays a great effort. So you have to shrain, you have to finish at the tackle position. And our tackles did a good job today.
00:37:13
Speaker 2: All right, let's hear from CJ. Stroud. He also went to the mic on Tuesday. All the days are kind of run it together. Get his thoughts on how it went against the Raiders.
00:37:25
Speaker 11: I thought it went great. I thought we made a lot of plays. Of course, all these things you can clean up, but I thought, you know, we moved the bar very well, ran the ball great, through the ball great, took care of it for the most part. Of course at the end, gotta do better there, but I think overall we had a really good day.
00:37:41
Speaker 2: One of the things that has popped up over the last couple of years Texans offense and its ability to handle pressure that it sees from posing defenses. I have felt like throughout camp it is much much improved. And CJ was asked about that after this practice against the Raiders.
00:37:58
Speaker 11: I think we've done a good job at it versus id in it correctly and then my part getting the ball out. I thought, you know, our for outs for clean today, I was able to anticipate, but I thought, you know, it's gotten better.
00:38:09
Speaker 2: We had him earlier with an interview with Greg Bailey as Marlon Klein. CJ was asked about that connection and how Marlon Klein has done the rookie from Michigan or CJ likes to say that team up North.
00:38:20
Speaker 11: He's getting better. I think, you know, he's somebody who is very raw, you know, somebody who is very talented, but it needs a lot of just work with is his mental and I think he's tooking that step I'm proud of him. He's been he's been working his tell off at it. But when he knows what he's doing, he's he's really good at it.
00:38:35
Speaker 2: Okay, great stuff there from CJ. Appreciate he and coach for providing a little bit of the sound bites for.
00:38:42
Speaker 1: Our Texans audio jukebox. Okay.
00:38:45
Speaker 2: Every time there is a game preseason, regular season, playoffs, super Bowl, whatever it is, Mark and I are doing a game preview for each once. So we dove into the game against the Raiders. We talked about some players to watch and of course sleepers to watch. And with the wide receiver situation kind of up in the air, we both came up with a wide receiver without even discussing it beforehand. So you have to stick around for who the s Mattress Firm sleepers are going to be for this one against the Raiders. Here's our game preview for Raiders on Thursday night.
00:39:23
Speaker 3: It's game preview that Texans and the Raiders on Thursday and Johnny, it's an NFL show.
00:39:29
Speaker 1: We have to say the Raiders. Of course.
00:39:30
Speaker 3: That's a tribute to Chris Berman, fellow Brown alum.
00:39:34
Speaker 1: Ran University class is seventy six. I think I think Howard Cosell originated it.
00:39:39
Speaker 3: He's imitating Howard Cosell, just like he could go all the Way is an imitation of Howard Constell. So it is that. That's your NFL history lesson for today. Let's get to the game preview. I think it's exciting for a variety of reasons. This is a team that has two quarterbacks that you want to see. You want to see Cousins because he's a veteran, so he's going to start, and your starters go up against him, and he's got a few pelts, okay, in few, he's been around the block, and you get a chance to deal with him. And then second level you get Fernando Mendoza. Fernando, like the Abba song says, we could sing about him. This is gonna be very cool to see the number one overall pick in the draft, who we saw in the joint practice. He's got a laser arm, He's got a lot going for him. It's gonna be fun to see your defense whoever is out there against Fernando.
00:40:23
Speaker 2: He's an impressive looking guy, six', six two. Thirty he's in command of the. Offense you can tell he's learning From cousins in front of. Him he's learning This Clint kubiak. Offense it's not all the way there. Yet there are some rookie things that he, does but he's really impressive on.
00:40:38
Speaker 1: Hoofin Kirk cousins has won a lot of football.
00:40:40
Speaker 2: Games in THE, Nfl so it's gonna be a, good good test for this defense up and, down and then once you get to the second, half that could mean Some aidan.
00:40:47
Speaker 1: O'Connell AND i know.
00:40:49
Speaker 2: That raiders fans and coaches over the years really Liked aidan.
00:40:52
Speaker 1: O'Connell so that's gonna give.
00:40:54
Speaker 2: Your back half of the roster guys a really good look On thursday night against.
00:40:59
Speaker 3: The Red very well. Done all, right players to? Watch my guy Is Noah. WHITTINGTON i want to see him. Again let's see the encore performance a week. Later see what's out there for us With Noah, whittington who looks so good in. Practice you talk about jump, cuts lateral, movements straight ahead, speed and some, power even though he doesn't look like a powerback per.
00:41:20
Speaker 1: SE i Like Noah. Whittington give me another player to.
00:41:23
Speaker 2: Watch, Okay i'm going to defensive, side AND i Thought he played really well last week against The. Chargers If Trey lance had been a little bit more, ACCURATE i Think Jalen reid at safety would have come down on an, interception but he sailed it five feet over everybody's. HEAD i feel Like jalen's got to play.
00:41:37
Speaker 1: A role in this. Defense he's more and more comfortable in.
00:41:41
Speaker 2: It he had a ton of playing experience At Penn state before he got here than injuries basically short circuited his season last. Year but he played some big moments last, year AND i think he's, settling settling into this. DEFENSE i think making plays on the. Ball we know he can, Hit he's very, physical he's good.
00:41:59
Speaker 1: Size love his. Demeanor James reed twenty, three and keep an eyes on him On.
00:42:03
Speaker 3: Thursday, MAN i have so many guys want to pick with depth in the. Front Seven bird flashed last. Week let's see more of.
00:42:09
Speaker 1: That BUT i talk about the linebackers. SOMETIMES i want to See Wade wood As Aidan. Fisher these guys make. Plays Jamal.
00:42:15
Speaker 3: Hill, look we See Jake hummel out there, perhaps And Jake hanson's been walking around. Practice he was injured, early but hopefully he's gonna Be, okay soon we'll see hoping for the. Best he's their leading special teams tackler from a year. AGO i want to see him come. Back so linebacker depth important to. Me So i'm kind of copping out a big group of people. There jobs are you going, there daggle of buja base?
00:42:38
Speaker 1: Here? Well AND i think it's a group that.
00:42:40
Speaker 2: If you have one hundred percent to see him and the, coaches they would have told. You, yeah the linebackers needed to play a little bit. Better themico, said go rep our. Style, yeah and let the edge do all the things they.
00:42:51
Speaker 1: Want you to.
00:42:52
Speaker 2: Do AND i think there were some struggles in that you mentioned saw him And bird. Earlier, yeah he did a great job set in the edge getting pass. Rush some of the guys did do that on the, edge and the linebackers were as quick to. TRIGGER i think that'll change this.
00:43:04
Speaker 3: Week, okay give me The Mattress firm sleeper of the. Game Mattress, firm the official sleep partner of Your Houston. Texans And i'm not gonna steal this. One you go ahead take.
00:43:14
Speaker 1: It this is a, deep, deep deep.
00:43:16
Speaker 2: Sleeper, okay this is a deep album, cut but this is this is why you you listen to. Us this is why because you can tell your, friends, yeah, Yeah Daniel, sabkowitz and your friends are.
00:43:28
Speaker 1: Like Daniel, sabkowitz who is?
00:43:30
Speaker 4: That?
00:43:31
Speaker 2: Yeah this guy AND i said it once we signed him as an undrafted free agent. Rookie just let let him continue to. Work this a really good football player played At Illinois. State just let, him let him cook a little, bit let.
00:43:43
Speaker 1: Him get used to.
00:43:44
Speaker 2: Everything because you could see the route, running how sudden he is in out of, breaks the, hands the adjustment to the, football body control on the. Sideline he had a great catch On sunday in the end zone From Davis. Mills and what you see with rookies that start to make. Plays, okay well he was doing with the, three then he's with.
00:44:00
Speaker 1: The two's and you're, like oh.
00:44:03
Speaker 2: So then against The raiders enjoying, practice he made a catch ball behind him across the, middle a great, catch and the sideline just erupted for.
00:44:11
Speaker 1: Him and he's one of those guys that he doesn't run four to, three but he's fast.
00:44:15
Speaker 4: Enough.
00:44:16
Speaker 2: Yep he's not six four two twenty Light, nico but he's good, size, hands, tremendous great body, control great concentration and excellent. HANDS i think he makes another couple of plays against The raiders and.
00:44:29
Speaker 1: There are gonna be a lot of people, thinking, Hey Daniel, sobkowitz that's a name to keep an eye.
00:44:34
Speaker 3: On, well don't look too good because then you have to keep him on the fifty three and that receiver room is crowded, already so we'll.
00:44:41
Speaker 1: SEE i know they have injury, issues of.
00:44:43
Speaker 3: Course my guy is gonna Be Treyvon, sandras though flashed last week Big. TOP i don't even know IF i can call him a preseason sleeper. Anymore everybody saw him out there and he made plays number. Fourteen he's going to continue to make plays in this game in the second, half especially maybe return, earning catching the, football catch and.
00:45:02
Speaker 1: Run this guy's very exciting to. Watch rookie out Of. Coldgate. Coldgate Cold. Gate, YEAH i mean not NOT Ivy. League they want to BE Ivy, league.
00:45:10
Speaker 3: But the confused With, Cornell, yeah Cold gate cold the, Toothpaste yeah the toothpaste is not in THE Ivy.
00:45:15
Speaker 1: League But Trayvon sonders can play in this.
00:45:18
Speaker 2: League he is a AS i would, say a sudden football. Player WHEN i say, sudden some guy that changes directions so.
00:45:26
Speaker 1: Suddenly it makes it very.
00:45:27
Speaker 3: Difficult talked about, suddenness needing, suddenness.
00:45:31
Speaker 2: Right being quick out of your, brakes not you, know really just being fast and explosive in everything that you, do putting pressure on defensive backs because of the way you can change, directions you, know change you, know an outcut to an inkcut IN Dv he's, like, well where do you?
00:45:46
Speaker 1: Go And Treyvon sonder's gonna do. That he's got that. Ability but he.
00:45:50
Speaker 2: Made a big play against The. Raiders he has been making big. Plays and again that receiver, room both of we got two undrafted rookies we're talking about one For Millinois state and one From coldgate eight that are making noise and hopefully they make more noise against The.
00:46:03
Speaker 3: Raiders On thursday, night seven o'clock kick ninety five to seven of The fan will be on the air With andrey where it's gonna be, Fun Go.
00:46:10
Speaker 2: Texans, yeah there's gonna be a lot of eyes on that wide receiver, position especially with if you missed it the, News Jade higgins torn acl out for the twenty twenty six.
00:46:20
Speaker 1: SEASON a complete and total gut punch.
00:46:22
Speaker 2: There but he is, Out so there're gonna be some guys that are gonna need to step. Up, look we're not gonna See Nico collins doesn't need to. Play we know he's one of the TOP i don't, know the top receiver in the. LEAGUE i THINK i take him over anybody for everything that he brings to this. Team So Nico collins more than. Likely the news is stars and starters not gonna. Play SO i think you're gonna see a similar kind of depth chart usage With game one against The. Chargers probably against The, RAIDERS i gotta feel in The jade And higgins injury probably skewed coach and they got a lot of good work in against The. Raiders so we'll see how next week is. Handled but For Thirdesday, night those, Receivers, Sobkowitz, saunders they're gonna have to step. Up Jared, Wayne Josh, Kelly Lewis, bond they're gonna have to step. Up, now we don't know What Jared, wayne what the injury is or if there was an, injury we don't, know but he was out for parts of that practice against The. Raiders would love to see. Him he had a great game against The, chargers let's see what he's able to do against The. Raiders just won't See nico and probably Not, tank probably Not Jalen. Noles so some dudes are gonna have to step up and make some plays at that position to really earn the trust and confidence. A. Cj, stroud the offensive staff and really take this twenty twenty six season where it can go Without Jayden. Higgins appreciate you guys for being. HERE i know it's a tough. Day it was a tough for, me tough for a lot of you out there that are fans, like oh, man this really, sucks and it. Does it, sucks but the textas are gonna be. Okay jade's gonna be, okay and we're gonna make something out his twenty twenty six season to make it. Special appreciate you guys keeping the, faith staying with. Us appreciate. It see tomorrow and as, always Go.
00:47:55
Speaker 1: Texans
Speaker 1: Telling everybody.
00:00:01
Speaker 2: Welcome to a Wednesday this issue Texans All Access, a pre preseason game number two against the Raiders version of Texans All Access. John Harrison, Mark vandermir with you, and we come on the air tonight with not the greatest of news. But Mark, I'll start here other than the news, I'm about to drop.
00:00:21
Speaker 1: How you doing, Johnny?
00:00:23
Speaker 3: I'm doing great because we got a game tomorrow. The NFL waits for no one. We all know this, so no matter what happens, and I'm going to say this right now, we've been through a lot worse. That doesn't make light of the situation to the individual involved and what it means for the attack and all of that. But we've been through a lot here as an organization and been able to get through it. And you're gonna have to get through this as well. So I know people have heard about this all day. I'm holding back with this big tease. Go ahead and break the news. We'll talk about what it means for your Houston Texans in twenty twenty six.
00:00:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, yesterday during joint practice during the red zone period, literally three feet in front of me and I never saw it because I was watching where the ball was Jayden Higgins went down, he got up, he got off the field on his own power, but he had a pretty distinct limp didn't know overnight taking an MRI. This morning MRI came back with a torny ACL. Jayden Higgins, second year wide receiver at Iowa State, Will missed the season for your Houston Texans and Mark We've had injuries happen before during this season. Remember Deshaun at twenty seventeen, because it's a receiver. Even though it happened during the season, it kind of has that same kind of will Fuller effect. Twenty eighteen you still had there Hopkins, obviously still have Nico Collins. But when you lose an emerging player, a guy that was really stepping into that void like Jayden Higgins was doing, you kind of have that will Fuller. Like, damn we lost Will in twenty eighteen. It's like we could have had him. I felt like we could have made a run. Maybe not, we could have. Look, there's a lot of time to do a lot of work. Nick Cassario, Nimiko Ryans, whether it's making trade, whether it's signed somebody off the street, whether it's moving everybody up a notch on the receiver depth chart, which for now I believe will happen for everybody there. But it gives a lot of opportunity for guys. But it's just it sucks because Jayden was making that year one year two leap. He was gonna solidify himself as one of the better receivers in the league. He was having a tremendous training camp, and now he's got to go rehab and get ready for twenty twenty seven. And that just for him, the individual, one of the sweetest individuals we know. That just sucks the team. Look, you play football, you know these things happen. Everybody's got to do their part and get it right and go play, go play games, and there'll be nobody crying in their beer. Look, the Panthers lost Nick scot in the first day of practice, a guy they felt like, second year guy was gonna come in and do some things off the edge. They lost him. Teams lose players all the time. Twenty sixteen, the Patriots won at Super Bowl in Houston. They did not have grind. Bronc was not with him for that season and for that Super Bowl. So teams have done it, you know, dealing with a lot of injuries, dealing with suspensions, doing all kinds of things. They've gone and won championships. Nobody's gonna be feeling sorry for the Texans. I know that for a fact. I just hate it for Jaydon Higgins because he was turning that corner mark.
00:03:17
Speaker 3: Think about a couple of years ago when the Lions didn't have Aiden Hutchinson and they were trying to make a run. You know, these things happen and it's awful, just quickly on Higgins and ACLS.
00:03:30
Speaker 1: It's so frustrating.
00:03:31
Speaker 3: I've always said this as a sports fan, the worst thing is injuries. Second, contract negotiation difficulties, but number one is injuries because man, if everybody were just healthy and then we could just play and see who the better team is, great, but you can't do that. Attrition is part of this in the NFL. He's not going to be the last one. Hopefully he's the last one for the season. But people get hurt in this sport and it's really difficult to swallow, especially joint practice and with ACLS. I always feel like, was this a ticking time bomb. It's a question to me, was it a ticking time bomb? Or was it an incident that caused the injury to occur, that had you avoided that incident wouldn't have occurred. Or was this gonna happen anyway with a big cut, or whatever the case is. Who knows, doesn't matter, got to live with it. The end result is there, So let's talk about it.
00:04:22
Speaker 1: Johnny.
00:04:23
Speaker 3: What are they gonna do at receiver? How will they handle the situation? You still have the health of Tank Dell in question. I was actually speaking at noon to the HGPA group down at the Houston Club and the news broke right before I went up, so I brought it up. I got a ton of questions about Tank. Of course, how's Noel doing well? We saw Nolan full pads yesterday.
00:04:44
Speaker 1: That was good.
00:04:44
Speaker 3: He didn't do everything the team did, but I think it was a really good sign that he was in full pads. That means it's coming with Dell. Not sure he's doing a lot, but he's not doing the most. He's not doing eleven on eleven team in pads full speed.
00:05:00
Speaker 1: He's not doing that yet. Will he do it? I don't know.
00:05:02
Speaker 3: If you can get healthy Tank healthy, Nol and everybody else stays healthy. I think you're in pretty good shape, but that might be a big if right now, so let's discuss.
00:05:13
Speaker 1: I think we have to move on.
00:05:15
Speaker 3: But it really is a difficult thing for Higgins, and our hearts go out to him because I think, and you said this too, that he was primed for a really big season.
00:05:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think that's the frustrating part, because you'd like to see guys get rewarded for the work that they put in in the offseason, and he certainly had done that.
00:05:34
Speaker 1: So let's start with in house.
00:05:37
Speaker 2: You mentioned a couple of them, Jalen, Nole, Tank Dell, and you characterized it perfectly. We'd like to think j Nole can make it back. But after the finger issue, whatever's going on there, it appeared there was some sort of leg issue hamstring sounds like, but he was in full pads, did not practice against the Raiders. But hopefully it does mean that he's practicing, that he's close. Jalen gives you that playmaking ability. Maybe this turns into more options for him. Now again, you see j Nole, you see Jay and Higgins are always together. They're two different receivers, they do two different things, but Jalen can do a lot on a football field. There's no question about that. Tanked Dell massive question mark. You just don't know.
00:06:20
Speaker 1: But we've said this all off season.
00:06:22
Speaker 2: Yeah, he said it all off season that you just it'd be great to get him back, but you just don't know. So let's go a little further. Jared Wayne. I got a text from a friend of mine and he was kind of like, all right, Jared Wayne, time to step up. Well, Jared Wayne got dinged up in practice against the Raiders too, So don't know what that is, but hopefully and I saw him walk back on a field. I don't know if he went back into the action, but hopefully he's gonna be okay because he's taken some serious strides. Now, I know what everybody's gonna say, John. To win a championship, you can't rely on guys like Jared Wayne.
00:06:58
Speaker 1: Well.
00:06:59
Speaker 2: I happen to see this on my timeline in one of my Instagram feeds or YouTube feed or whatever. It just popped up a nugget from Hard Knocks. In twenty ten and twenty ten, Hard Knocks was in New York Jets and in that they were they had little bits of Mike Pettan ww's a defensive coordinator and Rex Ryan and they were playing the Giants. This is twenty ten, mind you, and the Giants practice squad receiver number three caught three touchdowns. It was killing it. His name was Victor Cruz. That year in twenty ten, Victor Cruise played in three games, zero catches, zero targets, zero receptions, zero yards. But in twenty eleven eighty two receptions, fifteen hundred yards, nine touchdowns, one hundred and thirty one targets. The next year he goes to the Pro Bowl. But the key was in twenty eleven, what did the Giants do that year? They won a Super Bowl. So if you think a guy can't come from the practice ranks or spend a lot of time on the practice squad and can't make it, will Victor Cruz is a perfect example of the fact that it can happen. Will it happen? Look, it's a I mean, that's why we talk about Victor Cruise because it's a long shot. But we've seen guys all throughout the NFL practice squad. One year, all of a sudden, they make it, you know, to the fifty three mins roster. The next year, makes significant plays during a year. Maybe it doesn't lead a Super Bowl, but Victor Cruz is the perfect example of practice squad one year, nearly a pro bowler, but the big key receiver for the twenty eleven team that won a championship in twenty eleven the very next year. So Jared Wayne, a guy I think we absolutely have to take into consideration because he's also had a really good training camp. Then there's Justin Watson, a guy that ironically missed last year due to injury, came back injured again, couldn't play the rest of the year. I feel like we missed Justin Watson in that playoff game against the Patriots championship. Degree been around, seen some things, good route runner, has the trust of CJ.
00:09:05
Speaker 1: Stroud.
00:09:05
Speaker 2: I think Justin Watson's gonna play obviously a bigger role. And then a guy that we gloss over in a sense because because he's been part of training camp, but he's taking significant strides, and that's Xavier Hutchinson, who I think has been fantastic in training camp. He had a very very interesting press conference the other day. He's very forthright on his thoughts about what he needed to change, how he needed to get better. He's always a guy you can rely on. He knows every spot on the receiving you know X, Y z H. He knows them all. He knows exactly what to do with every single one of them on every single play. He's a guy that has made big plays in the past. He's gonna he was gonna factor in the equation, but now he factors in even more. Mark your thoughts about those guys I just.
00:09:52
Speaker 3: Mentioned, Well, I want to go back to your Giants thing because I'm loving this, by the way, because what was that Giants team's record going in now? They were nine and seven and seven. They were nine to seven and eleven two right now, I think so. And both teams had good defenses, they got great pressure on the opposing quarterback. But another receiver that shined for them in that second Super Bowl win in that era, all right, because they won a couple with Parcels earlier. It was Mario Manningham Johnny not exactly a household name, who had five catches in that Super Bowl, including the dramatic thirty eight yarder that set up the game winning drive in eighty eight yard march.
00:10:33
Speaker 1: So if guys like.
00:10:34
Speaker 3: Mario Manningham can do it on a team that has good defensive pressure and you shine at the right moment, Anything's possible. So I don't know if we need to go full boat into Giants teams here. The point is this, you have weapons. Look, we'd love to have Higgins. You don't have Higgins, So what do you have? You just went over the names, Johnny, I'm excited to see what a Watson could possibly do. We know Hutchinson has made big plays for this team. What are the X factors here?
00:11:02
Speaker 4: Though?
00:11:02
Speaker 3: What are the players who? Who are they who could really make a difference. Obviously, Tank would make a huge difference if he's healthy. Let's just put that aside for the moment. But a second year Noll all that is still out there as a possibility second year Nol improvement. He won't play Higgins' position, but he can play receiver at a high enough level along with the return game to really make an impact this year.
00:11:24
Speaker 1: And then Wayne, I'd love to see it. He's big. I mean, he can.
00:11:29
Speaker 3: Play the role of Higgins if he's healthy, he could possibly do this, all right, Higgins is Higgins. But Wayne, we've seen him make plays too, and maybe he's ready to take that step. But what about somebody else, Johnny, What if a Trayvon Saunders finds a way onto this football team and can make plays with his speed and shiftiness and in the return game as well. What if that happens. What about Lewis Bard You drafted him. We talked about how polished he looks overall. Overall, he's having a terrific camp for four rookie. I know he had a drop yesterday and it was too bad because that was gonna be a big play. But that's how you learn. He's still getting his feet wet, he's still learning the game. That could be an interesting development as well for this team.
00:12:11
Speaker 1: There are other guys, Josh Kelly. I don't know.
00:12:14
Speaker 3: If he finds his way into the fifty three man roster, maybe practice squad, maybe he gets elevated for a game or two and makes a difference. You're gonna have to piece it together that way. The good news here, and it's not really good news, but it's a silver lining, and it's a shining silver sterling in all its glory. Lining is that you have one of the best receivers in the NFL on this football team in Nico Collins. This puts a premium on his health. Obviously you had that anyway, but I always felt like Nico misses two three games, don't want to see it. But if it does happen, Higgins is gonna have a big year, and Higgins in year two could really pick up the slack. I don't want to experience life with no Nico and no Higgins for.
00:12:53
Speaker 1: Any stretch of time.
00:12:54
Speaker 3: But you also do have Dalton Schultz, who let the team in receptions last year as a tight end. Of course, ye maybe Marlon Klein does something positive for you because so far he's been doing that in training camp, and maybe he can get going because you have to include the tight ends in this past catcher situation here with Higgins going down, they got a lot of weapons.
00:13:14
Speaker 1: What he marks out of the backfield? Montgomery catches the ball well out.
00:13:17
Speaker 3: Of the backfield. I know people are thinking he's not known for it. He's not, but what did he do in stadium practice last week? Sixty yard TD reception? That's in their bag someplace. So you do have some places you can look here. It's not an epidemic. Now as I say that word, Johnny, let's be careful here. You just mentioned Wayne getting a little dinged up yesterday, that tope, he's okay. We talked about Noel coming back, talked about Tank not back yet. I don't want to see this position group suffer some kind of injury.
00:13:48
Speaker 1: Plague cannot have it.
00:13:50
Speaker 3: Got a lot of bodies, they're getting tested, and you've got prime action tomorrow night. You've got a joint practice next week against the Panthers, and yet another preseason game in which I just mentioned, have to play just to get through the game.
00:14:03
Speaker 1: So let's stay healthy.
00:14:04
Speaker 2: Texans absolutely, health being first and foremost everything. And unfortunately that struck the Texans yesterday. But like I said earlier, nobody's crying in their beer for the Texans because there have been injuries across the league. Teams have already suffered injuries. Hecked Tyler Biadas of the Chargers had an injury because his fellow offensive lineman threw a forty nine Ers defensive lineman into him and he tore a ACL because of that. It's the third offensive lineman for the Chargers that has been lost for the season the last two years because a teammate threw a defensive lineman into the back of their legs. I wish I were joking. It's amazing to think about. So nobody's crying their beer. Gotta make it through. Obviously, we wish all the best to Jaden. We'll see him in the in the hallways of Reliant Stadium and he'll do the rehab and he'll get ready for twenty twenty seven. But like you said, Mark, this is a position that we talk about all the time. You have a position, it always just gets ravaged by injuries. And look, there are still ways to improve the ball club. It could be with a trade, it could be with a waiver claim, it could be with a free agent signing. Nick Caseario has shown before that is he can pull rabbits out of his hat. Maybe it happens here, maybe not. Maybe they like the group that they have as it is. And if everyone were healthy, I'd say, yeah, I think we're good. Don't know that everybody is healthy at this point or when anybody and everybody can be back. But Nick Caserio can go to work as well. So we'll see what this turns into for the Texans.
00:15:43
Speaker 1: But it's tough.
00:15:44
Speaker 2: One of the guys that Mark just mentioned is Marlin Klein, he could benefit from this in a sense more targets in a passing game. He has been tremendous in camp. He caught up with ABC's Greg Bailey right here.
00:15:58
Speaker 5: Explain to your fans how far you've come since this training camp started day one of camp to where you are now as an NFL player.
00:16:05
Speaker 6: Yeah, I believe that that I've taken huge strides. I think most of it has something to do with the coaching and my teammates.
00:16:13
Speaker 7: To be honest, I think the guys that are in.
00:16:14
Speaker 6: My room, like Dalton Foster k like Brevan, all these older guys that have so much experience under a belt, they've helped me so much in these these past couple of weeks.
00:16:24
Speaker 5: How much are you kind of constantly asking them without trying to badger them because somebody like Dalton has been there and done that and seen all of it.
00:16:31
Speaker 6: To be honest with you, there's so I mean, there's just awesome human human beings and teammates they just you know, help me without me even asking U. There's so there's so many times where they just come up and they helped me out, give me a little tips and reminders on certain things. They've seen me do that I could be, could be doing better, or that has worked for them in the past. So just just being around that it's such it's such a blessing for me in my game.
00:16:54
Speaker 5: If you looked at the game tape of your first preseason action with the big Time highlight and all the rest of it, what was your big take.
00:17:01
Speaker 7: I think there's a lot to clean up.
00:17:02
Speaker 6: Uh, you know, obviously there was a big play, but I think it's more more so a big play for it for.
00:17:07
Speaker 7: Davis and the ball that he threw than for me what I did.
00:17:10
Speaker 6: So I just want to continue to get better every single day and hopefully have a better game this this week.
00:17:16
Speaker 5: The part that we don't give enup attention to is inline blocking. I see you get after that. You focus on that during training camp. Where are you in that level of development?
00:17:24
Speaker 7: Yeah, I think that's that's something that I've taken the heart.
00:17:27
Speaker 6: Uh, you know, my last two years at Michigan. I think that that kind of got me to where I'm at now. So that's something that I took huge pride in.
00:17:35
Speaker 8: Uh.
00:17:35
Speaker 6: You know, one thing that I always think about is I want to be I don't want to be a pass catching titan. I don't want to be just a blocking tight and I want to be a well round of tight end. There's not a lot of in the league right now, but there is some that do both things really well. And that's that's kind of who I want to be for for for this team and to help this team at the end of the day. But yeah, I mean I take huge, huge pride in that last one.
00:17:56
Speaker 5: Before you play in an NFL game, what's your routine kind of share with fans what you do to prepare yourself mentally and physically to go play football.
00:18:03
Speaker 6: Yeah, honestly, I think I'll try, you know, to not make the make the game at the end of the night bigger than what it is. Try to stay calm, listen to some gospel music in the morning, and you know, get my breakfast in and take it, take a nap.
00:18:16
Speaker 7: Before the game.
00:18:17
Speaker 6: Then once once it's go time, you know, the the heavy rock and you know, the good stuff gets gets turned on and you kind of have to flip that switch in your mind and it's it's ready, ready to go out there and ball.
00:18:29
Speaker 2: We enjoy watching man have fun. Thank you appreciation, committed stuff there from Marlin Klein and our friend Greg Bailey. All Right, Mark catches up with head coach Tamico Ryans before every game. Here's the pregame discussion right here.
00:18:44
Speaker 3: All right, coach, it's another touch point. We have contact with another team, and I know maybe you looked at it earlier in the week. Two joint practices, two preseason games. Is that kind of how you take it.
00:18:54
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's that's how we take it.
00:18:55
Speaker 8: Man. It's really really good work this past week, having a chance go against the Raiders and joint practice. I'm excited. I was excited about the work that we got. Thought is really beneficial for both teams to get the work in. We saw some different looks, things we can work on, but I love the way our guys showed up and played physical in the practice.
00:19:13
Speaker 3: Now, how will this be different from the game you play against the Raiders.
00:19:17
Speaker 8: We'll start to see our second team, our rookies, try to get them more reps to get them developed. They didn't see as many reps in practice, but they'll see the bulk of the reps in the game.
00:19:27
Speaker 3: As you go further into the depth chart, I know you want to see a better performance into the second half compared to the first preseason game, right, and for sure.
00:19:34
Speaker 8: We have to have a much better outing than our first game. And that's what I'm looking for, that growth that second game. Let's see how guys grow, how guys respond to coaching. And our guys have done a great job in practice all week and responding a proper way.
00:19:46
Speaker 4: Now I'm just looking forward to a carrying over to the game.
00:19:49
Speaker 3: How do you balance not wanting to show too much in these games but wanting to work on some things and get better at them.
00:19:56
Speaker 8: It's a tough balance because you work so many new things, new wrinkles that we're trying to do offensively defensively, But you don't want to show your hand too early, right, So we strip it all down and we go back to just the basics. The Brandon brother the can guys just line up and go play? Can they play with good fundamentals, Can they use the proper technique? Can they communicate well? And then can they just play fast and finished? That's what we're looking for in these preseason games.
00:20:23
Speaker 3: Has it been a very different week in that you play the preseason game on Thursday at hard practices, Saturday and Sunday and all of a sudden, you're into game week Thursday and then Friday's hard, but Saturday would be Saturday, which is Wednesday.
00:20:36
Speaker 1: This week is different. It's just a different kind of routine this week, right.
00:20:39
Speaker 4: It's a different routine for us this week.
00:20:41
Speaker 8: We actually took this week to go through our end season schedule, so it was all kind of messed up in my mind. We started Saturday, it was like our Wednesday, and then we went on from there. So just excited to get to the game. Best of them looking forward to we're week. But our guys handled it really will they They practiced really well. We moved our practices back, got even more heat. I don't know what I was thinking, but well got more heat in practice. The guys pushed through. They battle had a really great week of preparation. I'm excited to see that preparation, you know, show itself in the game.
00:21:15
Speaker 1: Since it came up the heat part of it.
00:21:17
Speaker 3: You guys have all the data on their medicals and how they handle it, so you wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't the right thing, right.
00:21:23
Speaker 4: Yeah, for sure, we're definitely checking.
00:21:25
Speaker 8: It's just like our our high schools and our middle schools here in Houston. You have to check the wet bullb make sure the temperature is right, and make sure you're giving guys proper breaks. So I never want the guys to go over twenty five minutes without giving them a break from the heat from the sun.
00:21:41
Speaker 1: Great stuff, Thanks a lot, coach, Thanks Mark.
00:21:43
Speaker 2: All Right, great stuff there from head coach Demico. Ryan's talking about this game. Okay, coming up. I caught up with two of the assistant coaches for the Texans over the weekend, Steve Hadagoke and Danny Barrett. I'll have both of those conversations for you next right here in Texas All Access. What's happening, everybody, Welcome back to this Wednesday edition of Texans All Access. I'm your host, John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans, and today has been a bit of a gut punch.
00:22:17
Speaker 1: So we found the news that.
00:22:18
Speaker 2: Jaden Higgins did indeed tear his ACL in yesterday's joint practice with the Raiders, and he will be out for the twenty twenty six season, his second season in the NFL. And that's a shame on so many different levels that young man was taking huge strides. He was ready to really step forward in this offense and be a guy that everybody throughout the league was talking about. Hey man, you see what Jade Higgins did against the Bengals. Do you see what Higgins did against Cowboys? He was fixing to be that guy. And it was right in front of me. I had gone to the back of the end zone for the red zone drill. I've talked about this before. I like to watch the red zone from behind because you can see everything. The irony was. He was right in front of me, but I was actually watching where CJ threw the ball, and that was the Dalton, so I didn't see. I just saw somebody down right in front of me, and I can the little banners are there, so I couldn't tell who it was. And then I saw Jaden kind of sit up and I saw the hair and I was like, oh that's oh no, that's Jaden. And then he kind of laid back down. I thought, oh no. Now he did get up on his own power and walk over to the training We got a training facility right there by that end zone, and so he walked in there. Now he limped in there, but a lot of people checked on him at that point, couldn't tell anything. What friend AMERII this morning and it confirmed our worst fears. He has a torn acl. He is out for the twenty twenty six season. So that means there are a lot of dudes that have got to step up, and right now there are two or three of them that aren't completely healthy. Now, Jaalen Nole dealt with the finger which put him an NFI. He came off NFI, did some practice time andres we think his hamstring, I don't know, leg issue was out for a few days. He was in full pads against the Raiders, but didn't practice in any way against the Raiders because they went straight to team stuff when they came out of the bubble after activation, so still went out of Jalen Nole. Then Jared Wayne at some point had gotten dinged up in that practice with the Raiders, so we don't know what his status is now. He did have his helmet and he did come back at some point, but I don't remember remember seeing him much in that practice, so maybe something happened early. Who knows, but Jared Wayne is a guy we definitely want to keep an eye on because if you think about big bodied athletic, a big playmaking receiver. Jared Wayne kind of fits that role now in his fourth year with the team. Came into twenty twenty three with CJ, with Willy Anderson, et cetera, made a bunch of plays last year against the forty nine ers, has been killing it in camp. Maybe he's earned an opportunity at this point, if healthy, to go get some of those reps to fill in the place with Jade Higgins. And then there of course is Tanked del and coach Ryan's talked about it when asked about it. I think a few days ago. Tank's on his own plan. We don't know what he's coming back. Don't know what to think about that. Don't know if what has, you know, held him out the last few days is a new injury or a setback of some way.
00:25:23
Speaker 1: We don't know.
00:25:25
Speaker 2: It's just unfortunate because you'd love to see Tank back on the field because of what he means to not only a team, to his brothers on the team, but everybody in this organization, everybody in the city and of course all the Houston Cougar's out there love him, and everybody in Houston loves Tank. But those are your three injuries that you're kind of dealing with right now outside of already losing Jayden Higgins for the year. So didn't want to see a position have a rash of injuries. But it appears that it's happening at wide receivers. So are there other means that Nick Cassario can take. Yeah, there's trades, There are trades, there's other free agents out there. I've looked at those lists. I don't know if I see anybody where, I'm gut that that's it right there where. If it's a trade, you're not gonna get just crushed on a trade, but you can get somebody back of pretty good value. I mentioned earlier with Mark Victor Kruz. He was a practice squad guy with the Giants second year. First year, didn't catch a ball, only played three games. Second year, he caught eighty two passes and helped lead the Giants to a Super Bowl championship. So, look, would you like for Jared Wayne to be that practice squad guy that eventually comes up and you know, becomes a Victor Cruz like player. I mean, that would be awesome. It's only happened a few times. Victor Cruz notably. But I just remembered it because I was watching a clip of Hard Knocks from the Jets here at twenty ten, and they were talking about the trouble they had covering Victor Cruz in twenty ten, and it was twenty eleven where he became the player that he would become for the next five six years. So you never know where that production's gonna come from. This team has got a lot of great players on it. They've lost a great player. Now they've got to have other players up into that void and play at that level that Jayden Higgins was playing. Okay, I had a chance to catch up with two position coaches, two my favorites. Let's start with Steven Adago. Okay, safety's coach, and I asked him, when are we gonna see him put the pads back on? All right, coach, you've gone this far in camp. You haven't put the pads on yet? Why why not?
00:27:23
Speaker 7: TVD stay tuned.
00:27:27
Speaker 4: You never know what's the group been like this year.
00:27:29
Speaker 2: You had to read to that group, got some young dudes back there. What are your thoughts about kind of how the whole group has come together a great group.
00:27:35
Speaker 9: Of guys first and foremost that I mean, their work ethic speaks for itself on and off the field.
00:27:40
Speaker 7: Very cohesive group.
00:27:42
Speaker 9: Obviously if they mess well, like in the classroom or in the meeting room on the field, but also those guys I've taken time to get these know each other outside of football. So I think that's been a you know, a big help to help those guys, you know, build that trust and camaraderie. And then I mean they make it fun every day, so and so always a joy coming to work knowing that you're with a group of guys that can bring a positive attitude, the joyful and always with a you know, high aptitude for learning.
00:28:05
Speaker 2: Cay lenon his third year, it just feels like he's taken leaps and bounds from when he got here is a rookie. What's kind of been the focus for him going into year three and what do you want to see from him as he continues to mature?
00:28:15
Speaker 9: Oh, I think he just keeps sharpening every aspect of his game. You know, football on defense comes down to really getting off blocks, making tackles, and the tackling the ball, and those are all areas he's making an emphasis you know, to improve on. Obviously we know his range and the deep parts of the field, but you know, making efforts to you know, strip the ball, punch at the ball, you know, different things like that.
00:28:36
Speaker 1: And obviously he's improved.
00:28:37
Speaker 9: Every year as a tackler in the NFL.
00:28:39
Speaker 1: Reads a pretty interesting idation. We had a chance to talk to him into production meeting.
00:28:43
Speaker 7: What is he bringing to the room.
00:28:44
Speaker 2: Obviously he's got to bring He's got some championship pedigree.
00:28:47
Speaker 9: What do you like about what Reid has brought to the safety room? I mean, definitely just experience. You know, you know, experience is probably the best teacher you can have. You know, some guys just have to touch the stove before they learn, but you know, hearing things from guys who've been in different positions but different systems, getting an outside view. So obviously, Jeffely, I would say, the experience and you know same I would say with even having guys like m. J. Stewart around still mentoring guys and you know, being great and veteran.
00:29:13
Speaker 2: Kamari Ramsey comes in as a rookie, You've seen him, You've had him. Kayla was a rookie a few years ago. I mean, white eye bushy tailed and then you throw the defensive book at him and it's like whoa. But he doesn't look like he's slowing down. Looks like he's continued to play faster. Where you think about Caamaran.
00:29:26
Speaker 7: Definitely came in ready.
00:29:28
Speaker 9: You know, has experience in some similar terminology. So that wasn't that wasn't a difficult transition for him. It was more so just translating the words and him just need to see it one time and then going out there and being on the grass and walking through it. And I mean, he doesn't blink, you know, it doesn't bat an eye. Whatever he ask him to do, he steps up and does it. So it's been it's been fun having him around.
00:29:50
Speaker 2: Okay, So as the rookie in the room, and I might be forgetting somebody, but as the rookie, what do they have to bring for you?
00:29:57
Speaker 7: As the snack?
00:29:58
Speaker 2: What snack you have to have in the safety room?
00:30:01
Speaker 9: Not much of a snack, Okay, there's something you gotta have.
00:30:04
Speaker 4: Just bring a good attitude, that's all.
00:30:06
Speaker 1: It's all you need to do.
00:30:06
Speaker 4: Bring a good attitude and we'll be good to go.
00:30:09
Speaker 1: And coach, I appreciate it. Thank you.
00:30:10
Speaker 2: Guess sir, great dude, great coach. He's gonna be a head coach someday. There's no question, whether it's college, whether it's pros. He's gonna be a head coach one day. That guy is an absolute gem, Smart, tough, does anything to make his players better. I love that guy. Steven Addag Okay, all right, Another fave. Danny Barrett running backs coach. A lot to talk about with the running backs, everything that's happening with those guys. Here's coach talking about his guys. All right, Coach Danny Barrett, Tim how your running backs are thus far?
00:30:41
Speaker 7: What have you seen from your group?
00:30:43
Speaker 2: And I got a couple of guys banged up? What do you thought of your group this earling camp?
00:30:46
Speaker 10: So far, everything's been outstanding, you know, prom the top to bottom. Montgomery Woody got a couple of guys that's been out, you know, for a couple of days.
00:30:57
Speaker 1: They should be back soon. Winning.
00:31:00
Speaker 10: Whittington is looking good, carry over from the game.
00:31:02
Speaker 1: The other day.
00:31:04
Speaker 10: Pittsenberger again looking pretty good. Even Owen coming in now and starting to catch on and feel comfortable. So I think we're in a good place mentally, you know, just working hard and not from a physical standpoint, you know, can we get some guys healthy so we can take the load off of the other guy so we don't wear him down.
00:31:22
Speaker 1: Yeah, I was gonna ask you about that.
00:31:23
Speaker 2: Noah had twelve carries the other day in practice in the game, but you mentioned an important point about carrying forward in the practice.
00:31:31
Speaker 1: Hey, look good the game, it's all right, but you got to come back.
00:31:33
Speaker 2: Out in practice and he's been able to do that. What do you thought about the way that Noah has been able to kind of adapt to everything in his first year.
00:31:42
Speaker 10: He's actually done a good job. You know, looking back from the spring to where he's at now, he's more comfortable.
00:31:49
Speaker 1: He's healthy because he was.
00:31:51
Speaker 10: Limping around a little bit in the spring, but he's healthy and you can see, you know, he has the makeup of a back that can play in this league. Great feet, can be able to pick and pop in the hole and get his pass down and finish run. So like where he's at, you know, from a physical standpoint, just got to continue to keep putting the work in every day.
00:32:14
Speaker 2: Coach, we always talked about guys taking a year one to year two leap. What he marks even though he's he's wearing a different numbers, so that helps too. But it looks like a different back. He looks like he's got a little bit more juice. He's more confident at this point, just because he has not spinning in his first year.
00:32:28
Speaker 1: What do you see him from.
00:32:29
Speaker 10: What he does for I think you hit it on the head as far as himself, just you know, playing fast. That's one of the one things that stood out in the spring. The comfort level in the offense is second year round, So he put in the work in the off season to study, came back. You know, he's in great shape, lost a little bit of weight, more muscle mass, He's moving fast, quick, and everything is just clicking for him right now. So excited for him and where he's at. And I also want to give a shout out to David Montgomery for the way though those two have bonded together. I think during the summer vacation, they spending a vacation time together, which is always key for vetting a young guy, and just the bond that they're putting together and working together, communicating talking has really helped Withty as well.
00:33:15
Speaker 2: So in the room with the rookies, with Noah, and with Josh, what's the snack that they've got to get for you? And you have a snack in that room, that's a musk in that room.
00:33:25
Speaker 10: It is, you know, and they know. I like the payday candy bar okay, all right. And the reason behind it is we all love when payday comes around, but it's also signifies that on game day is payday. Let's go out and get out John, job done so we can get paid.
00:33:40
Speaker 4: I love it.
00:33:41
Speaker 1: Coach appreciated, Thank you. Yeah, well, that dude is the best.
00:33:44
Speaker 2: Love Danny Barrett and Steven Ada go okay, all right, we get back. We got Mark and I will sit down and do a little game preview for the Raiders, some players that you need to watch, and a little Texans Audio juke box Dimiko Ryan CJ. Strab But both went to the podium on Tuesday after the practice joint practice with the Raiders, So we'll have a little bit of that for you as well coming up right here on Texans All Access soap and everybody, welcome back this Wednesday, this Texans All Access from Honday, Texans Radio Studio. I am John Harris, your host. Couple bits of news if you have missed. It been under a rock today Jade and Higgins did indeed tear his ACL joint practice yesterday against the Raiders. Completely unfortunate situation. Nobody had fallt just it's football. Things happen. He'll be out for the twenty twenty sixth season. Just an absolute gut punch to take with a team that we were hoping was taking the big strides and they were taken big strides. Just go miss Jade Higgins, So they got to figure out how they fill the void at that particular point. There's another piece of news. This I first saw Pro Football Talk, but I've seen a couple of Texans media members have this as well. The Texans will not play their starters against the Raiders in the preseason game. Tomiko Ryans said that Tuesday's practice they got enough work, and I would imagine that the news of Higgins being out and getting injured, it probably impacts that a little bit.
00:35:21
Speaker 1: You want to stay healthy the rest of the week.
00:35:24
Speaker 2: So not going to see the starters against the Raiders unfortunate, but then again, they were probably only your play a series as it is, and it got plenty of work against the Raiders. Speaking of that work against the Raiders. Let's do a little Texans audio at jukebox here Tomiko Ryan's talking about the day they spent against.
00:35:39
Speaker 4: The Raiders, a really great opportunity.
00:35:41
Speaker 8: So you've been looking forward to the joint practice versus the Raiders as being out here today.
00:35:45
Speaker 4: It was a really good day.
00:35:47
Speaker 8: Both sides are really competitive football, physical football, both size, making plays, so a lot of positives from us on both sides. Also a lot to learn, a lot to clean up as well. I think we got out of the joint practice now exactly what we wanted, really good competitive work, different schemes to go against different players.
00:36:05
Speaker 4: And it was really great work. So proud of the guys with today.
00:36:08
Speaker 2: One of the aspects I talked about earlier, talked about last night the offensive line in the run game. I thought it was really really good against the Raiders, important because they do ran run a five man front, odd front. Coach talked about the offensive line in the run game.
00:36:22
Speaker 4: I really liked the way we ran the football.
00:36:23
Speaker 8: Thought we stuck well onto our blocks and we finished well our running backs. They were the highlight of the day for me. The way they ran the ball, physical, low pad level, really finishing runs.
00:36:33
Speaker 4: They did a really nice job.
00:36:34
Speaker 2: Let's stick it with that offensive line theme, if you will, I said to Mark last night, I wrote about this. I thought it since the first day of camp, first day in Pads. Thought it yesterday when Blake Fisher spent a lot of his day going against Max Crosby. I thought Blake did a really nice job. Here's coach talking about that battle between the two, Max Crosby and Blake Fisher.
00:36:56
Speaker 8: Blake did a nice job today. Crosby a really great player, gave us some tough looks. The thing about Crosby is he stays after. He's not just gonna, you know, go one Russ and just stop like. He has great effort. He plays a great effort. So you have to shrain, you have to finish at the tackle position. And our tackles did a good job today.
00:37:13
Speaker 2: All right, let's hear from CJ. Stroud. He also went to the mic on Tuesday. All the days are kind of run it together. Get his thoughts on how it went against the Raiders.
00:37:25
Speaker 11: I thought it went great. I thought we made a lot of plays. Of course, all these things you can clean up, but I thought, you know, we moved the bar very well, ran the ball great, through the ball great, took care of it for the most part. Of course at the end, gotta do better there, but I think overall we had a really good day.
00:37:41
Speaker 2: One of the things that has popped up over the last couple of years Texans offense and its ability to handle pressure that it sees from posing defenses. I have felt like throughout camp it is much much improved. And CJ was asked about that after this practice against the Raiders.
00:37:58
Speaker 11: I think we've done a good job at it versus id in it correctly and then my part getting the ball out. I thought, you know, our for outs for clean today, I was able to anticipate, but I thought, you know, it's gotten better.
00:38:09
Speaker 2: We had him earlier with an interview with Greg Bailey as Marlon Klein. CJ was asked about that connection and how Marlon Klein has done the rookie from Michigan or CJ likes to say that team up North.
00:38:20
Speaker 11: He's getting better. I think, you know, he's somebody who is very raw, you know, somebody who is very talented, but it needs a lot of just work with is his mental and I think he's tooking that step I'm proud of him. He's been he's been working his tell off at it. But when he knows what he's doing, he's he's really good at it.
00:38:35
Speaker 2: Okay, great stuff there from CJ. Appreciate he and coach for providing a little bit of the sound bites for.
00:38:42
Speaker 1: Our Texans audio jukebox. Okay.
00:38:45
Speaker 2: Every time there is a game preseason, regular season, playoffs, super Bowl, whatever it is, Mark and I are doing a game preview for each once. So we dove into the game against the Raiders. We talked about some players to watch and of course sleepers to watch. And with the wide receiver situation kind of up in the air, we both came up with a wide receiver without even discussing it beforehand. So you have to stick around for who the s Mattress Firm sleepers are going to be for this one against the Raiders. Here's our game preview for Raiders on Thursday night.
00:39:23
Speaker 3: It's game preview that Texans and the Raiders on Thursday and Johnny, it's an NFL show.
00:39:29
Speaker 1: We have to say the Raiders. Of course.
00:39:30
Speaker 3: That's a tribute to Chris Berman, fellow Brown alum.
00:39:34
Speaker 1: Ran University class is seventy six. I think I think Howard Cosell originated it.
00:39:39
Speaker 3: He's imitating Howard Cosell, just like he could go all the Way is an imitation of Howard Constell. So it is that. That's your NFL history lesson for today. Let's get to the game preview. I think it's exciting for a variety of reasons. This is a team that has two quarterbacks that you want to see. You want to see Cousins because he's a veteran, so he's going to start, and your starters go up against him, and he's got a few pelts, okay, in few, he's been around the block, and you get a chance to deal with him. And then second level you get Fernando Mendoza. Fernando, like the Abba song says, we could sing about him. This is gonna be very cool to see the number one overall pick in the draft, who we saw in the joint practice. He's got a laser arm, He's got a lot going for him. It's gonna be fun to see your defense whoever is out there against Fernando.
00:40:23
Speaker 2: He's an impressive looking guy, six', six two. Thirty he's in command of the. Offense you can tell he's learning From cousins in front of. Him he's learning This Clint kubiak. Offense it's not all the way there. Yet there are some rookie things that he, does but he's really impressive on.
00:40:38
Speaker 1: Hoofin Kirk cousins has won a lot of football.
00:40:40
Speaker 2: Games in THE, Nfl so it's gonna be a, good good test for this defense up and, down and then once you get to the second, half that could mean Some aidan.
00:40:47
Speaker 1: O'Connell AND i know.
00:40:49
Speaker 2: That raiders fans and coaches over the years really Liked aidan.
00:40:52
Speaker 1: O'Connell so that's gonna give.
00:40:54
Speaker 2: Your back half of the roster guys a really good look On thursday night against.
00:40:59
Speaker 3: The Red very well. Done all, right players to? Watch my guy Is Noah. WHITTINGTON i want to see him. Again let's see the encore performance a week. Later see what's out there for us With Noah, whittington who looks so good in. Practice you talk about jump, cuts lateral, movements straight ahead, speed and some, power even though he doesn't look like a powerback per.
00:41:20
Speaker 1: SE i Like Noah. Whittington give me another player to.
00:41:23
Speaker 2: Watch, Okay i'm going to defensive, side AND i Thought he played really well last week against The. Chargers If Trey lance had been a little bit more, ACCURATE i Think Jalen reid at safety would have come down on an, interception but he sailed it five feet over everybody's. HEAD i feel Like jalen's got to play.
00:41:37
Speaker 1: A role in this. Defense he's more and more comfortable in.
00:41:41
Speaker 2: It he had a ton of playing experience At Penn state before he got here than injuries basically short circuited his season last. Year but he played some big moments last, year AND i think he's, settling settling into this. DEFENSE i think making plays on the. Ball we know he can, Hit he's very, physical he's good.
00:41:59
Speaker 1: Size love his. Demeanor James reed twenty, three and keep an eyes on him On.
00:42:03
Speaker 3: Thursday, MAN i have so many guys want to pick with depth in the. Front Seven bird flashed last. Week let's see more of.
00:42:09
Speaker 1: That BUT i talk about the linebackers. SOMETIMES i want to See Wade wood As Aidan. Fisher these guys make. Plays Jamal.
00:42:15
Speaker 3: Hill, look we See Jake hummel out there, perhaps And Jake hanson's been walking around. Practice he was injured, early but hopefully he's gonna Be, okay soon we'll see hoping for the. Best he's their leading special teams tackler from a year. AGO i want to see him come. Back so linebacker depth important to. Me So i'm kind of copping out a big group of people. There jobs are you going, there daggle of buja base?
00:42:38
Speaker 1: Here? Well AND i think it's a group that.
00:42:40
Speaker 2: If you have one hundred percent to see him and the, coaches they would have told. You, yeah the linebackers needed to play a little bit. Better themico, said go rep our. Style, yeah and let the edge do all the things they.
00:42:51
Speaker 1: Want you to.
00:42:52
Speaker 2: Do AND i think there were some struggles in that you mentioned saw him And bird. Earlier, yeah he did a great job set in the edge getting pass. Rush some of the guys did do that on the, edge and the linebackers were as quick to. TRIGGER i think that'll change this.
00:43:04
Speaker 3: Week, okay give me The Mattress firm sleeper of the. Game Mattress, firm the official sleep partner of Your Houston. Texans And i'm not gonna steal this. One you go ahead take.
00:43:14
Speaker 1: It this is a, deep, deep deep.
00:43:16
Speaker 2: Sleeper, okay this is a deep album, cut but this is this is why you you listen to. Us this is why because you can tell your, friends, yeah, Yeah Daniel, sabkowitz and your friends are.
00:43:28
Speaker 1: Like Daniel, sabkowitz who is?
00:43:30
Speaker 4: That?
00:43:31
Speaker 2: Yeah this guy AND i said it once we signed him as an undrafted free agent. Rookie just let let him continue to. Work this a really good football player played At Illinois. State just let, him let him cook a little, bit let.
00:43:43
Speaker 1: Him get used to.
00:43:44
Speaker 2: Everything because you could see the route, running how sudden he is in out of, breaks the, hands the adjustment to the, football body control on the. Sideline he had a great catch On sunday in the end zone From Davis. Mills and what you see with rookies that start to make. Plays, okay well he was doing with the, three then he's with.
00:44:00
Speaker 1: The two's and you're, like oh.
00:44:03
Speaker 2: So then against The raiders enjoying, practice he made a catch ball behind him across the, middle a great, catch and the sideline just erupted for.
00:44:11
Speaker 1: Him and he's one of those guys that he doesn't run four to, three but he's fast.
00:44:15
Speaker 4: Enough.
00:44:16
Speaker 2: Yep he's not six four two twenty Light, nico but he's good, size, hands, tremendous great body, control great concentration and excellent. HANDS i think he makes another couple of plays against The raiders and.
00:44:29
Speaker 1: There are gonna be a lot of people, thinking, Hey Daniel, sobkowitz that's a name to keep an eye.
00:44:34
Speaker 3: On, well don't look too good because then you have to keep him on the fifty three and that receiver room is crowded, already so we'll.
00:44:41
Speaker 1: SEE i know they have injury, issues of.
00:44:43
Speaker 3: Course my guy is gonna Be Treyvon, sandras though flashed last week Big. TOP i don't even know IF i can call him a preseason sleeper. Anymore everybody saw him out there and he made plays number. Fourteen he's going to continue to make plays in this game in the second, half especially maybe return, earning catching the, football catch and.
00:45:02
Speaker 1: Run this guy's very exciting to. Watch rookie out Of. Coldgate. Coldgate Cold. Gate, YEAH i mean not NOT Ivy. League they want to BE Ivy, league.
00:45:10
Speaker 3: But the confused With, Cornell, yeah Cold gate cold the, Toothpaste yeah the toothpaste is not in THE Ivy.
00:45:15
Speaker 1: League But Trayvon sonders can play in this.
00:45:18
Speaker 2: League he is a AS i would, say a sudden football. Player WHEN i say, sudden some guy that changes directions so.
00:45:26
Speaker 1: Suddenly it makes it very.
00:45:27
Speaker 3: Difficult talked about, suddenness needing, suddenness.
00:45:31
Speaker 2: Right being quick out of your, brakes not you, know really just being fast and explosive in everything that you, do putting pressure on defensive backs because of the way you can change, directions you, know change you, know an outcut to an inkcut IN Dv he's, like, well where do you?
00:45:46
Speaker 1: Go And Treyvon sonder's gonna do. That he's got that. Ability but he.
00:45:50
Speaker 2: Made a big play against The. Raiders he has been making big. Plays and again that receiver, room both of we got two undrafted rookies we're talking about one For Millinois state and one From coldgate eight that are making noise and hopefully they make more noise against The.
00:46:03
Speaker 3: Raiders On thursday, night seven o'clock kick ninety five to seven of The fan will be on the air With andrey where it's gonna be, Fun Go.
00:46:10
Speaker 2: Texans, yeah there's gonna be a lot of eyes on that wide receiver, position especially with if you missed it the, News Jade higgins torn acl out for the twenty twenty six.
00:46:20
Speaker 1: SEASON a complete and total gut punch.
00:46:22
Speaker 2: There but he is, Out so there're gonna be some guys that are gonna need to step. Up, look we're not gonna See Nico collins doesn't need to. Play we know he's one of the TOP i don't, know the top receiver in the. LEAGUE i THINK i take him over anybody for everything that he brings to this. Team So Nico collins more than. Likely the news is stars and starters not gonna. Play SO i think you're gonna see a similar kind of depth chart usage With game one against The. Chargers probably against The, RAIDERS i gotta feel in The jade And higgins injury probably skewed coach and they got a lot of good work in against The. Raiders so we'll see how next week is. Handled but For Thirdesday, night those, Receivers, Sobkowitz, saunders they're gonna have to step. Up Jared, Wayne Josh, Kelly Lewis, bond they're gonna have to step. Up, now we don't know What Jared, wayne what the injury is or if there was an, injury we don't, know but he was out for parts of that practice against The. Raiders would love to see. Him he had a great game against The, chargers let's see what he's able to do against The. Raiders just won't See nico and probably Not, tank probably Not Jalen. Noles so some dudes are gonna have to step up and make some plays at that position to really earn the trust and confidence. A. Cj, stroud the offensive staff and really take this twenty twenty six season where it can go Without Jayden. Higgins appreciate you guys for being. HERE i know it's a tough. Day it was a tough for, me tough for a lot of you out there that are fans, like oh, man this really, sucks and it. Does it, sucks but the textas are gonna be. Okay jade's gonna be, okay and we're gonna make something out his twenty twenty six season to make it. Special appreciate you guys keeping the, faith staying with. Us appreciate. It see tomorrow and as, always Go.
00:47:55
Speaker 1: Texans
