00:00:00
Speaker 1: What's happening, everybody? Welcome to a Monday edition of Texans All Access from the Hyundai Texans Radio Studio. I am your host, John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans. And holy cow, is there a lot of news about your Texans. Oh, my goodness. Practice squad. Okay. Well, before we get to practice squad, let's talk waivers first. We had this whole discussion this morning about waivers. players that are on their first contracts, rookie contracts, they're subject to waivers. If you're on your second contract, then you're released. You can be signed by anybody at that point. But if you're subjected to the waiver process, I think we know how it works. Oh, this guy's waived. Teams are lined up one through 32 and they say, yes, we want to make a claim on that guy. And they go down a list. No, no, no, no, no, no. Yes. Okay. The Philadelphia Eagles have claimed such and such. So The Texans only had one player claimed, ironically. It was the same player that was claimed by the Texans last year, Jarrett Kingston. He was claimed by the Miami Dolphins. Now, the Dolphins claimed seven guys. They did a second draft, basically. Seven guys they've added to their 53-man roster. The Texans did not make a waiver claim. Now, they might have put in for some names, but they were down so low on the waiver list that not likely it was going to happen. I think they were 28th on the list. So they do not bring in anybody to the 53-man roster due to waivers. However, there is roster activity on the 53-man roster. Aaron Wilson's reporting that Dominique Robinson and Brevin Jordan, yes, Brevin Jordan, will be coming back to the 53-man roster. Now, if you're going, wait a second, wait a second. They were initially, they were released, were they not? Yes. This happened with John Weeks probably seven, eight years ago. I remember seeing John Weeks getting released on cut down day and I lost my mind because John Weeks, greatest Texans you've ever met, one of the greatest guys you've ever met. What are we going to do for a long snapper? And then you find out, no, it's just a machination with the roster that you have to do to to satisfy the roster on cut-down day, but then you bring them back under the same contract the very next day. So you've satisfied the rules of the NFL, but you just bring them back the next day. So we've seen this before. So Aaron Wilson's reporting that Dominique Robinson and Brevin Jordan fall into that category of guys that were released today. but really not. They signed, and they're coming back to the 53-man roster. Now, that does mean there are two corresponding moves they've got to make, and we talked about that this morning. There are 12 offensive linemen. Do all 12 stick? Probably not, but they now apparently are bringing those two back, as Aaron Wilson reported. About, I don't know, 15, 20 minutes ago, the team sent out their transactions of 11 guys. So this official to the practice squad. Every one of these... Guys that were in training camp with the Texans. Dominic Bailey, defensive tackle. Louis Bond, wide receiver. Bryce Hall, the corner. Jamal Hill, Scoob is back. Elijah Hussey's back. Jawar Jordan's back. Josh Kelly. James Neal, the rookie tackle. George Odom did a great job in that last preseason game and week. Daniel Sopkowitz, who I love. Noah Whittington. Now, there are also... A few others that are floating out there that I've seen. Aaron Wilson had Mitchell Tinsley, wide receiver from the Cincinnati Bengals. That's out there that he is going to join a Texas practice squad. And that dude can straight up ball. He had not only a good preseason with the Bengals. They're just loaded wide receiver. He had a good season last year. He made some plays last year as a rookie for the Bengals. So we have all of that to look forward to. Okay, let's get to our buddy Aaron. Andre Ware. We had a lot to talk about with Dre about the roster, but we wanted to start with a conversation and his thoughts on Jared Wayne, who made the initial 53-man roster.
00:04:23
Speaker 2: I was happy and proud, you know, because you just like to see good people rewarded. You like to see hard work rewarded, and I think Jared Wayne is a primary example of that. He defines that, actually, because he's been around for a but never really got the true opportunity. They gave it to him this preseason. Boy, did he make the most of it.
00:04:46
Speaker 3: Dre, Keelan Rutledge, I know that this is the lock of all locks, but let's talk about what he can do here as he plays left guard, and we presume he's going to stay there, but you never know.
00:04:57
Speaker 4: But we presume he's going to stay there.
00:04:59
Speaker 3: Did spend a little time at center that first preseason game and a bunch of practices, but since then it's been all left guard. What about what he brings to the mix here? What are we looking at here? The hope is somebody like Quentin Nelson's effect on the Colts back when he joined that franchise. But what do you think we're getting here with Keelan Rutledge in year one, the difference he can make up front and for the whole team, really?
00:05:20
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I think you're getting a good, solid football player. I don't want to put too much pressure on Keelan Rutledge, though, because he is a rookie and he's going to go through some of those tough spots as a rookie, as he learns how to play this game against certain individuals lined up across from him that he's never seen. face that caliber of players. So there may be some struggles at times. I don't know that it's going to be an automatic all pro kind of career like Quentin Nelson had, but he is going to contribute. He has certainly upgraded this offensive line. And now you just hope all of that translates into playing even faster and On Sunday, when you're facing guys like Ed Oliver at times that are over you or you're going to, you know, based on games that the defensive line runs, you'll be in that situation with a caliber of athlete like that. So don't put, I mean, you know, I expect big things from him. I just don't want to, you know, everybody to put too, too much pressure on him going forward.
00:06:25
Speaker 1: Dexter Lawrence in week two, man. Holy smokes. I mean, he'll play over the nose, but I'm sure Keelan will get a little bit of that. Dre, I know that you're probably like Mark and I, when you run into Texans fans that follow this thing pretty closely, they ask about certain individuals and, you know, how was this guy looking? What's this guy doing? What's the fourth defensive end? All that kind of stuff. But then you run into people that are outside the market and they just ask you, well, how good is this offense? I mean, a very simple question seemingly that can get very complex very quickly when you start thinking about it. But if we just ask that question, 30,000 foot view, how good do you think this offense can be in 2026? I think it can.
00:07:05
Speaker 2: Be pretty good actually. And I think it all revolves around just how fast and how, you know, quickly the offensive line deals because that's, you've got skilled position players. Booty can take the top off the defense, so can Nico. So now you've got two guys that can push the ball down the field, provided that's the look you want to give to defenses. You've got guys that can work underneath. You've got versatile tight ends that can catch the ball as well as block. And then you've got a couple of running backs that if they can stay healthy, could give the running game a healthy boost. So It's all up front. That's what makes the running game go. That's obviously what's going to make C.J.
00:07:45
Speaker 1: Go.
00:07:45
Speaker 2: And I don't feel like I needed to talk about C.J. being the most important part, but obviously he along with the offensive line. But I think C.J. is going to be solid. I think he's got a good grasp of things. He's looked that way. He's looked comfortable. Those five guys up front chemistry-wise blend together. It could be a special offense.
00:08:06
Speaker 3: Dre, I look at quarterbacks as this position. It's so difficult to get better. If you're one of these guys who wasn't drafted that high, or even if you were, and you're not getting a lot of reps, how do you get better?
00:08:21
Speaker 4: There are several teams keeping four quarterbacks.
00:08:24
Speaker 3: Right now because either they're waiting for somebody else to make a move, somebody to offer a pick for them or whatever. They know the Texans, for instance, are interested in a third quarterback in all likelihood, probably in the practice squad, but you never know. But I look at some of these guys, you don't get a lot of reps. I'm looking at joint practices last week. The third stringers, Brett Rippin, didn't get reps. Kyle Trask did not get reps last week with the Panthers. They got reps in the game, obviously, but it's so difficult to hone your craft and get better.
00:08:53
Speaker 4: How do you do it?
00:08:55
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a lot of work in the offseason, and I think the thing that helps you when you get to this part in the season, it's between the ears. You may not get a whole lot of physical reps, But you've got to get as many middle reps. You're standing behind guys like C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills if you're bread ripping and you're emulating what they're seeing how they go through a progression, how you would have read it if you're in it. So it's more mental than it is physical. And then the physical stuff you get, you pull receivers, you try to run plays or get to certain progressions that you saw in a practice that may have confused you, or, you know, it looks comfortable to you. You want to see it for yourself in that rep. And you get guys that there are going to be plenty of them that are doing the same things that you're doing at other positions of tight end and receiver, that'll be more than happy to stay after practice and throw a little extra with you.
00:09:52
Speaker 1: Dre, kind of going back to my other question, when you talk to people outside the market, they'll ask you about the offense. And then when you get to the defense, they're like, Oh, that defense is so good. And I'm always of a mindset of, okay, yeah, this defense is really, really good. There's no question about that. But if somebody were to get banged up here, somebody were to get banged up there, What are the holes? I think about a lot of those things. So I ask you, do you have a concern about the defense? The top 11, those guys have been together. Obviously, Reed is added to the mix. But that that top 10 guys on defense, they've been together now for a second year, some going on a third year together. Do you see something on defense where you go, you know what, man, this we got to keep an eye on this because if they get a guy hurt, Or, you know, maybe they're not bolstered at this position. Do you see any kind of holes defensively where you get kind of concerned going into the season?
00:10:46
Speaker 2: Maybe a linebacker, Johnny, and that's just from a standpoint of health. You know, if you can stay healthy there. Aziz has missed games at times. Not many, but here and there, for whatever reasons, you've already got EJ Speed that I heard you guys talking earlier, hoping he comes back or there's an outside chance that he does. That would certainly aid in the defense, but you've got some, some experience issues and you've got some depth issues along with that linebacker. And I think that's the area that would concern me the most. You've added some depth in the secondary where, where it was needed, especially at safety. I think along the defensive line, there'll be fine there, but anywhere that would concern me, it would be the, it'd be the linebacker group. Yeah.
00:11:32
Speaker 1: I think, I would say that too. That's exactly. And I said this earlier, Dre, I think the loss EJ speed is going to be bigger than people think. What do you think about that?
00:11:41
Speaker 5: Yeah. Oh, I think so.
00:11:43
Speaker 2: Because I mean, not, you know, no pun intended. He brings speed off the edge. He can get, he can, you know, line up and in coverage and, and cover for you at times. He's so versatile that you can't help, but miss him. And the guy just went out and took a job last year. I mean, we saw him come in, It started in training camp, and he didn't let up until actually he had the job and turned in a 62-tackle season and wasn't even the starter the whole time. But the way he competes, that's hard to replace.
00:12:16
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think that's one of those free agent signings where, okay, let's put him in the mix, see what happens. If it doesn't work out, we got a lot of guys, still like Christian Harris at the time.
00:12:24
Speaker 4: I know they're different, but.
00:12:26
Speaker 3: Obviously, Christian Harris didn't make it here, and EJ Speed very much did. So this is one of those things. You just don't know how it's going to go, and it went really well. Dre, when we look at the receiving talent here, I don't think we had the booty deal done the last time you were on Texans Monday. So let's talk about Keyshawn Booty and Nico Collins. Nico Collins, Keyshawn Booty, Xavier Hutchinson. We talked about Wayne, Jalen Knoll. What do you think of the talent in this group? How they fit together? How good can they be this year?
00:12:56
Speaker 2: Man, it's enough to where you go into a game plan and you can spread the ball around for CJ. Getting a guy like Booty who can take the top off, he can work underneath, he's a tough physical receiver that can help the running game as well. I thought it was a heck of a trade. And a guy that's familiar with the offense, having obviously been in New England with Josh McDaniel, he knows this offense. And maybe some things may be called off, different some things may be named differently and that'll be the struggle that he'll have early but he'll see the resemblance quicker than anybody else that they could have gotten and so you add him to nico xavier hutchinson i think jerry wayne is going to fit in this thing and then the tight end group as well along with two running backs that catch the ball very well out of the backfield but it can be special it can be fun to watch this offense work this this.
00:13:50
Speaker 1: Season Okay, this is for all three of us. So each week we have to do a sleeper of the game. Our friends at Mattress Firm.
00:13:59
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:13:59
Speaker 1: I want your sleeper of the year.
00:14:01
Speaker 3: Okay, sleeper of the year. So somebody that we're not really talking about that much. Somebody we're not really talking about too much.
00:14:08
Speaker 1: Now, listen, we've had sleepers over the years that weren't even on the roster when the year started and then came along. I remember my first year was Ryan Pickett, Big Grease. Big Grease would go in the middle, and it was like, oh, man, he kind of came out of nowhere. I'm not anticipating us. I'm saying somebody that's on the roster right now that you go, that guy is my sleeper of the year.
00:14:29
Speaker 5: I got one.
00:14:30
Speaker 4: Okay.
00:14:30
Speaker 1: Dre, you can think about yours. Mark's going first because he's got his. I want to steal one in case you guys are thinking.
00:14:36
Speaker 2: Of this guy. I think he's going to steal, but go ahead. Okay.
00:14:40
Speaker 1: Let's see.
00:14:41
Speaker 3: Well, here's the thing. Everybody we talk about, we have talked about at some point. So it's not like, oh, my gosh, I never even considered this person. But Foster Morrow, I think, is going to play a role and maybe bigger as a pass catcher than people think. I'm not saying he's going to eclipse Dalton Schultz in receptions.
00:14:58
Speaker 4: I'm not saying that.
00:14:59
Speaker 3: But I wouldn't be surprised if at the end of the day you're looking up and you see six, seven touchdowns from Foster Morrow at the end of the day.
00:15:06
Speaker 4: I think this is.
00:15:07
Speaker 3: Going to be really good for this football team. His addition as a pass catcher, not just blocker and attitude guy. And attitude is a big thing with him because– The defensive players were talking about him in the offseason. Hey, this Foster Morrow, this guy is tough. He's bringing a lot of juice to the offensive side of the ball.
00:15:26
Speaker 4: And that was an intangible, really.
00:15:28
Speaker 3: But the tangible things are good blocker and a guy who could also score for you, make some big first down catches.
00:15:33
Speaker 1: You know who he reminds me of? I know you guys remember it. Darren Fels. Remember how Fels came here and He sat in his seat over here and he said, you know what, I'm going to be the left-left tackle. I'm going to be the blocking guy. And all of a sudden, he became one of the most reliable tight end receivers we've ever had. He caught the eye kick touchdown. Yeah, the eye kick touchdown. All right, Foster Mora, I like it. All right, Dre, you ready? Did he steal yours?
00:15:58
Speaker 2: No, that sucker was digging around in the position group I was thinking about, though. And for me, it's Marlon Klein. I think there's some... interesting things about him that you got to like. I think he's going to be a better blocker as he continues to grow in this game. And I think it's going to be a quick learning curve where he is going to be featured in some game plans with this offense. And the quicker he can learn it, the more effective I think he's going to be. But I think he's got some physical gifts that bring a lot to an offense. And so he'll create a lot of mismatches. He'll get the ball. He can obviously hit big plays for you. He's got great hands. He'll be the well-rounded tight end that can do everything, not just block, not just catch, but he can do both.
00:16:50
Speaker 1: So I thought about just positions that we've talked about. I feel like we've talked about all these positions so much. I'm going to shock both of you with my sleeper of the year. I'm going to shock both of you. Kai Kroger. Ooh, punter.
00:17:03
Speaker 4: All right.
00:17:04
Speaker 1: Now, I'm kind of maybe doing that a little bit for effect. I would probably pick Evan Brown at center because I think this team has needed better center play for the last how many ever years. And I think Evan Brown showed some things, especially in that Raiders game, but also in joint practice, too. Evan's done a really good job holding up. But when you just think about this defense and the trouble you can put opposing offenses in by just pinning them inside the five, pinning them inside the 20, flipping the field. Tommy didn't do that as well as they anticipated him doing.
00:17:38
Speaker 2: Right.
00:17:38
Speaker 4: He'd still be here if they like the job he did.
00:17:41
Speaker 1: And Kai early in camp was wayward. I mean, he just he couldn't hit the strike zone. It was tough. But then he started getting in a little bit of a groove. He started seeing the hang time. He started seeing the distance.
00:17:53
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's been better.
00:17:54
Speaker 1: And then you start thinking about the way this team covers on special teams. If he is good, then the defense has a chance to put up points. I mean, we've seen that in the past a number of times. So I'm going to go way off the beaten path. I hope that Kai Kroger is not on the field a lot. But I hope that when he is on the field, that he flips the field, he pins teams inside the 10-yard line, and his punting net is up there within the top 10 in the league. And if that's the case, this defense is going to feast. I love it.
00:18:28
Speaker 4: Dre, your thoughts on that?
00:18:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, what do they say? End every drive with a kick.
00:18:33
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:18:34
Speaker 2: As long as you're not turning it over, if it's a punt, you obviously got one of the best defenses, if not the best defense in the NFL. And then, hey, it's an extra point or a field goal. We'll take those as well. So you can be very dominant by him pinning the opposing offenses deep in their own territory where you can be very, very aggressive defensively. and you've got playmakers everywhere. So, yeah, I love the formula.
00:19:03
Speaker 3: Okay, so the midday show called In the Loop on 95.7 The Fan has this thing called Lunchtime Confessions. So I have a confession for you guys, and I want you to evaluate this, all right? You tell me how I should feel, how this should be considered by others, what I'm about to confess. And the confession is, I'm ready for Bill Belichick to win again.
00:19:24
Speaker 4: I am. You know what?
00:19:25
Speaker 1: You've lost your damn mind.
00:19:26
Speaker 2: Hang on.
00:19:26
Speaker 1: Hang on.
00:19:27
Speaker 4: I'm going to tell you something.
00:19:28
Speaker 1: You have lost your mind.
00:19:29
Speaker 4: I'm going to tell you something.
00:19:29
Speaker 2: No, he's gone off the deep end.
00:19:31
Speaker 4: He's like the evil emperor.
00:19:33
Speaker 3: He's Darth Vader. He's all of that stuff, right? Yet, I feel like after a while, people suffer enough. And I feel like, I don't know. I just, I don't want him to come back into the league. You know, he haunted us for ages.
00:19:48
Speaker 4: And the whole league. But I'm like, you know, just.
00:19:51
Speaker 3: Win a little bit in college and then go off and get into the Hall of Fame and the rest is the rest.
00:19:56
Speaker 1: I don't know.
00:19:56
Speaker 4: Should I feel horrible about this?
00:19:57
Speaker 1: Dre, take your piece of you know what right now. Go get it.
00:20:01
Speaker 2: No, you know, I could go at it. But, you know, as I sit and hear him out, Bill is misunderstood a little bit. There are times that people have tried to emulate Bill, Belichick, that is, but unsuccessfully so. I've sat with him in production meetings, and I've seen a different side. I've gotten help with games covering his teams. Now, obviously, he wants you to speak well of his teams, and they were having a hard time at the time I had him last year. But I see a different side of him from time to time that, I don't know if fans really get to see because he's only exposing one side of him, and that's the tough, rugged, you know, I don't want to be at the press conference, Bill Belichick. But I could actually see and compromise a little bit with what Mark's saying.
00:20:55
Speaker 5: I get it.
00:20:55
Speaker 1: Johnny.
00:20:57
Speaker 2: You guys.
00:20:58
Speaker 4: See, he heard me out at least. Ray, listen.
00:21:00
Speaker 1: You guys.
00:21:01
Speaker 4: This is confession.
00:21:02
Speaker 1: I don't get absolution. It's a good confession. I'm not going to sit here and tell you I cheer for Bill Belichick. I think he has been great for football on so many different levels that when we look back, like, oh, yeah, well, Belichick did this and Belichick did that. It's still weird to see him coaching college football.
00:21:21
Speaker 4: It is very weird.
00:21:22
Speaker 1: Like, I'm watching him wear a Carolina sweatshirt, and my brother-in-law was here who went to Davidson, grew up in North Carolina, and we just kept remarking how strange it still is that in year two.
00:21:33
Speaker 4: But I'll say this.
00:21:35
Speaker 1: They went to Ireland, and they're better. They played better. They went out, and he got Bobby Petrino to run the offense, and it wasn't great, but it was better. It's just when you see a coach make a team better, you can't do anything other than tip your cap and go, yeah. Now, do they get to a bowl game? Do they whatever? Here's the thing to me about Belichick. I think at North Carolina, what got him in trouble at North Carolina is his girlfriend and Mike Lombardi.
00:22:05
Speaker 4: He got rid of one of them.
00:22:07
Speaker 1: If those two aren't part of this, then I don't know that I'm not thinking alongside you guys. I think what made North Carolina, I'm not a big Mike Lombardi fan at all. You could miss me with that character. Yeah, you could miss me with that dude. So I don't have, now, girlfriend, look. There's a lot I could say about that, but it just feels like if you just keep it a buck football-wise, he's done a lot for that program, moving it back in the right direction. They finally got a little bit more talent, and I think it's better that way.
00:22:43
Speaker 2: I saw the UNC Syracuse game is the one I had last year. His first ACC win. And that might have been one of the worst games I've ever had to witness, certainly called, ever. It was horrible. Bad quarterback play across the board. But to see them Saturday against TCU, they looked a thousand times better. More buttoned up. The operation on both sides looked different. He's got some athletes. I thought both lines played well. And I don't know what that says about TCU, but for North Carolina, they looked better. And that was later in the year when I saw that North Carolina-Syracuse game.
00:23:31
Speaker 4: What about UH and Oregon State this Saturday?
00:23:34
Speaker 5: Yeah.
00:23:35
Speaker 2: Yes, sir. Can't wait to open the season right here in Houston at home against the Oregon State Beavers. They're coming down. Last year I had this game. It was in Corvallis, and that was an overtime game that the Cougs kicked the field goal to get out of that baby after being down quite a bit and had to start a comeback. So if it's anything as close as last year's game, then you are in for a treat. So get on over to campus, TDU Stadium, and support the Cougs. And, hey, let's go Cougs.
00:24:10
Speaker 4: Everybody hydrate, okay?
00:24:12
Speaker 5: Oh, yeah.
00:24:12
Speaker 4: You got to hydrate. Wear a hat, hydrate. Did you see Hard Knocks this week? No, not yet.
00:24:18
Speaker 1: They fly from Seattle. Did you see it, Dre?
00:24:21
Speaker 2: It won't be too bad heat-wise, Mark, if you're talking about this weekend, because.
00:24:26
Speaker 4: It's an 11 a.m.
00:24:26
Speaker 3: Kick.
00:24:29
Speaker 2: You got to get there early.
00:24:31
Speaker 4: That's for sure.
00:24:33
Speaker 3: What about at 1 o'clock or 2 o'clock when the game's still going on?
00:24:36
Speaker 1: You better be hydrating starting Wednesday if you're thinking about tailgating at 8 o'clock in the morning for an 11 o'clock game.
00:24:41
Speaker 3: You're going to be wishing for Lambeau Field when you're at TDECU on Saturday.
00:24:47
Speaker 1: I can't wait for Lambeau. He's in a nice air-conditioned booth.
00:24:52
Speaker 2: Dre will be just fine this weekend. I will make it through Saturday from 11 to 2 or 3 o'clock.
00:24:59
Speaker 4: Wait, we've seen you bring space heaters.
00:25:02
Speaker 3: You were literally hugging a space heater during a broadcast or two in recent memory.
00:25:06
Speaker 4: Do you bring a little cooler?
00:25:08
Speaker 2: I've got fans. If I need a little mist every once.
00:25:11
Speaker 1: In a while, I've got that covered too. Tell you what, the other night it was nice up in the booth with all that rain to be up inside. It was nice, but I won't have that luxury. Well, I won't have that luxury for a while. I'll be at home for three of the four games, and then the other game is at Indianapolis, which is inside. So I won't go outside until October against the Tennessee Titans. So there you go. All right, coming up next, Indy Kalou, my TV co-host partner, joins us next to talk about this team, this roster as well. We'll do that right here on Texans All Access. All right, let's get right back to it on a Monday edition of Texans All Access. I'm your host, John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans. And in the preseason, I am a co-color commentator alongside my good friend, Andy Kalou. Andy joined us this morning to discuss what's going on with the Texans, what he saw in the preseason, and what he projects going forward. But given what kind of day yesterday was, cut-down day, It's got to be a weird moment in a locker room, in the facility. So we asked Andy, what's that day really like?
00:26:21
Speaker 5: This is one of those bittersweet moments because you're excited for the guys who've made the roster, but then also you're a little down, you know, for so many guys that are being told that their dream of playing in the NFL is over. But it's just a cool time. And selfishly, as a fan, real football is about to start. So you're definitely excited about that.
00:26:42
Speaker 3: Tell us a little bit about Sebastian Harsh, because this is an undrafted rookie who makes the initial 53. What do you like about him? What'd you see?
00:26:53
Speaker 4: Tell us.
00:26:55
Speaker 5: You know, it's funny you say that. You asked about Sebastian Horst, Mark, because when I had my little opener, that's exactly what I was thinking. I was sad for Solomon Bird, you know, a guy that was getting better every year. And I still think he has a lot of football in front of him with the injury. You know, he's not a guy that you pretty much have time to eat up a roster spot and wait for him to get healthy. And that opened the door for Sebastian Horst. And you can argue, you know, John and I were talking about it throughout the game. Sebastian Horst came to play. I mean, early on, he was making moves. He was making sacks, pressures, playing the run. That's a very, very good output in that last game. And I think that's what really solidified his roster spot. I'm not sure where the coaches were leaning if Solomon Bird wasn't injured, but with what Sebastian Harsh did, that's the story that you love. And I'll say this, he has some natural ability and he's a pass rusher. So getting a chance to work with Will Anderson, Daniel Hunter, he's only going to get better.
00:27:58
Speaker 1: One of the things that came up in our production meeting with Solomon Bird, Indy, and I know you can speak to this, And we've talked about this, but you experienced it. You played that position. And it's about being violent, football violent. I know people hear the word violence and they kind of, oh, you know, football violence. It's a totally different ballgame. And it felt like watching Sebastian Harsh He played with that requisite level of violence that maybe other guys, you know, and Solomon talked about him having to learn how.
00:28:28
Speaker 5: To do that.
00:28:29
Speaker 1: It feels like Harsh just plays with that naturally. How much do you think that's a factor, especially for this defense, that Harsh is that violent, that he does play with violent hands, that he does play with that kind of power? How much do you think that plays a role for him?
00:28:44
Speaker 5: Oh, that's huge because one thing about this defense, especially with the front seven, it is about playing violent. When you look at a guy like Will Anderson, you know, Hunter, and you see their physique, you might think, you know what, these are finesse players, which isn't a knock. I mean, there have been some great finesse players, Jason Taylor, Hall of Fame with Jason Taylor, but they're about being violent. Like they want to set the edge. They want to have violent hands. They want to be violent. known for playing the run just as well as they do playing the pass and disrupting the quarterback. And Sebastian Harsch, you just saw that. You saw the violence. You saw, you know, the hand placement. And it wasn't about avoiding contact. He was bringing it to the offensive tackle. And I think that's a big, big reason that he fits in with the culture of the front seven on this defense.
00:29:29
Speaker 3: Andy, what's it like to practice without the entire 90-man roster here? For the first time, the first time the cut hits, the big cuts, because back in the day there would be a. wave of cuts, and they've changed it. They adjusted it over the years. But when you get down to the 53 guys, and in your day, the practice squad was a lot skinnier than it is today.
00:29:50
Speaker 5: Yeah, it was much skinnier. I think back when I was playing, it was either five or six guys that made the practice squad, and they worked a mess out of those guys. I mean, if you were a wide receiver on the practice squad, you played receiver when you're running scout team. You had to play some DB against the starting offense. You did a little bit of everything. When you played an athletic quarterback and you're that receiver, you would go under center and try to mimic him. Now, I believe they have 16 guys. Correct me if I'm wrong. So, yes, you have some more guys to help out with practice. But it's pretty cool. And you're still going to need now your role players, your players who get important minutes on Sundays. They're still going to help out. They're going to have to help out at practice. You don't be surprised if you see Jadavion Clowney, you know. running with the twos and helping out with scout team just to get some reps to work on his technique. But here's the thing. The practices now, it's not about showing what you can do to make the team. It's all about getting prepared for the Buffalo Bills. The practices are a little bit more intentional. They're a little bit more intentional. regarding what you're trying to accomplish, what you're teaching. You're still evaluating guys. Look, I like what you said, Mark. You emphasized the initial 53-man roster. It sucks, but there's still about five to six guys at the bottom of the roster that are looking over their shoulders. They're wondering what's going to happen when certain guys get off IR. They're wondering what's going to happen because they know that, as you and I are talking today, Nick Casario is looking at the waiver wire to see if one of his guys is going to become available. So you still have some guys that have that mentality, but most of what you're going to see and what you're going to notice at practice is all about the Buffalo Bills.
00:31:39
Speaker 1: Definitely is about the Buffalo Bills. There's no question about that. Indeed, as a player, you've talked about this when we've had you on over the years, over your career, about where you were in your career, where there were years you knew you were going to make it. There were some years where you're like, yeah, you know, I got to I got to fight for this, especially early in your career. What's it like when you see a teammate, a guy like Jared Wayne, who has been a practice squad guy for three years. He has been on the field, but it has been practice squad call-ups. He's never really had the opportunity to be on a 53-man roster. And he has a really good camp, and he makes the initial 53. Now, obviously, this can change at 24 hours to 48 hours, whatever. But what's it like when you see a teammate that's been around, he's been fighting for the back half of the roster, he's been fighting for a practice squad spot, maybe he's even off the roster, but he comes back due to injury or whatever, and then he makes the team. How good are the guys feeling today for Jared Wayne having made the initial 53-man roster?
00:32:35
Speaker 5: No, that's a great question. And it's a great feeling when you see a guy grind. You know, when you see a guy, like you mentioned, on practice squad for three years. But what we don't see as fans or as media members, you see him running the gassers in the offseason. You see him showing up to the weight room every offseason, grinding, living in an apartment building. when the rest of the guys are building houses in Pearland or living out in Missouri City or Sugar Land, and you see that grind, then for him to make the initial roster to start the opening day on the 53, it's a good feeling. You just smile when you see that. And I guarantee when you see him at practice, he's still going to be practicing like he's that guy trying to make the squad. So those are the stories you love. Those are the stories that... that help fill the void. When you, you know, you get a guy like Sebastian harsh, making the team after grinding, it does feel good. And you just kind of smile for, you know, smile internally for those guys.
00:33:33
Speaker 3: And D people ask me all the time, Hey, is this offense going to be good? How are they going to be? What do you say to that question? I say, well, look, there'll be better. I don't know how much better, but I really believe there'll be better this year, better line play, better running game, better, But I can't say how much better yet until we all see it.
00:33:53
Speaker 4: What are your thoughts on the subject?
00:33:55
Speaker 5: Here's the thing. They're good. The question is going to be, how are they going to be when it truly matters in that playoff game? What are they going to be like in the second round of the playoffs, in the third round of the playoffs? Because with this defense, with this great coaching staff, my expectation is they're going to the playoffs. I don't feel like I'm jinxing anything. I'm confident in saying this team's going to the playoffs. But how good are they going to be? How good will the offense be when they're in the playoffs? Are they going to be the type of offense where– if this magnificent defense has a, has an off day, we can get on the, on Texan radio and talk about how the offense, you know, won this game or because of the great play by the offense. That's why they're going to the next round. So, I think they're going to be good. I love the two-headed monster of David Montgomery, Woody Marks. You know, that's what it appears it's going to be. I still think they have one of the best wide receivers in the entire AFC and Nico Collins. And man, I can't wait to see how many targets Marlon Klein is going to get because that dude just, he just looks so smooth and fluid. I know he's a young guy. I know people were scratching their heads when they drafted him with a second-round pick because they said he didn't have many yards at Michigan. But when I watched him practice, I was like, you know what, great job scouting team. You know, great job by the scouting department, not just looking at his stats because I think this guy could be an impact player. I think Marlon Klein. And look, he didn't grow up here. You know, he didn't grow up in Texas, in football-rich Texas. He didn't grow up in America.
00:35:28
Speaker 2: So, yeah.
00:35:28
Speaker 5: I say that and I bring that up, Mark and John, because I think he's only going to continue to get better as he's in the NFL. So I have high expectations with this offense. And this is one of the few offenses, God forbid, if your starting quarterback goes down. I don't care who they're playing. My expectation, mainly because of the defense and the other weapons, is if Davis Mills has to start a few games, I'm expecting them to win the games, even if he's the starter.
00:35:55
Speaker 1: Indeed, the story in 30 NFL cities was what that team's city's 53-man roster was going to look like. But the story nationally that almost even trumped that was Aaron Donald coming back after two years. He goes back to the Rams. One year, $ 20 million, $ 30 million with incentives. But he goes next to Braden Fisk. He plays alongside Miles Garrett. Your thoughts about Aaron Donald coming back after a couple years and you haven't played defensive line. What's the biggest thing that he is going to encounter after two years of rust, if you will, accumulating? What does he have to kind of break through to kind of get himself back to being, you know, even 80 percent of what he was when he retired?
00:36:44
Speaker 5: You know, that's a great question. Great point. This is one of the stories that I'm looking forward to just seeing Aaron Donald and what he's going to look like. Now, if anybody can do it, if anybody can slow down father time. It is Aaron Donald. But I'm not one of these guys, John, who just assumes. And let me say this. I am a huge, huge Aaron Donald fan. Matter of fact, he's one of the few guys that I tell youngsters, if you want to know and learn how to play the game, you watch his film. But I'm also a realist, and there's a reason why guys retire in the first place. So I'm just not convinced that he's going to come back and have that 12 sack season he had in 2020 or 2021. But the question is, does he need to be that guy? So if he can give you 30 plays, you know, 30 impact plays, and you definitely put him on a pitch count with Miles Garrett, obviously he's going to be in on passing downs. then you can get some use out of them. But I just like the fact that you're going to see Aaron Donald next to Miles Garrett. But let's all keep in mind, this is not a 2020 or 2021 Aaron Donald, and it wouldn't be fair to him to expect him to hit the ground running. But if you can make $ 20 million, get 30 snaps a game, and finish the season with five or six sacks from the inside, then I think that's a success.
00:38:07
Speaker 3: Andy, update us on the kid inventory and what everybody's doing athletically.
00:38:11
Speaker 4: I can't even keep track, my friend. Just go ahead. Tell the audience.
00:38:14
Speaker 5: Oh, well, appreciate you asking. So one son, he's at University of Florida, had an awesome spring, awesome summer. So got some pretty high expectations, defensive tackle. And then his little brother, he's at Shriner University in Kerrville. He didn't get his big brother's size, but he still has his heart. So he's going to go out there and play some D3 ball in Kerrville. So every weekend I'll be either on a plane or a road trip. But I love it. I mean, I love football. And to see the two people I love more than myself playing the sport I love, I mean, what else could you ask for?
00:38:49
Speaker 6: Beautiful.
00:38:50
Speaker 1: Yeah, Gators this week got FAU in Gainesville.
00:38:53
Speaker 4: Ooh, okay.
00:38:54
Speaker 1: You headed that one, Indy?
00:38:57
Speaker 5: Yeah, I'm headed there. And every day I know my son's sick of it. I said, man, don't overlook them boys. Don't because we all know we've all, we've already seen upsets in a week of zero. So yeah, but they're ready. I mean, Florida, they have a great coach. They got the coaching staff from Tulane. So they're not going to let them overlook anybody. Yeah.
00:39:16
Speaker 1: Enjoy Gainesville.
00:39:17
Speaker 5: Yeah.
00:39:19
Speaker 4: All right, have fun.
00:39:20
Speaker 1: I've seen people have too much enjoyment in Gainesville.
00:39:22
Speaker 4: I don't think Andy's going to suffer from that.
00:39:24
Speaker 1: I don't think so, but you've got to be careful. That Pike House is close to the stadium.
00:39:27
Speaker 4: Okay, well, have fun, Andy. Thanks so much.
00:39:29
Speaker 5: All right. Thank y'all. Y'all keep up the good work.
00:39:32
Speaker 1: Y'all go to Gainesville. Y'all stay away from that Pike House, man. That's a bad place. Trust me. On game day, it gets wild. Right across the street from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. But good luck to DK in that big game against FAU. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does for the Florida Gators this year. All right, we got the General coming up next. He's got all kinds of good stuff, so we'll save that for our last segment right here on a Monday edition of Texans All Access. All right, we got one final segment this Monday edition of Texans All Access from the Texans Radio Studio. I'm your host, John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans. It's time to catch up with LaHenry Rowe. El Heneral. How do you say that in Spanish? Either way, in English we say the general. John McClain, who gave us his unfiltered thoughts right out the chute about the roster.
00:40:26
Speaker 6: The roster cuts, even though everybody makes a big deal out of it, is not near what it used to be because of the practice squad. There was a time when the roster was cut, it was cut. And I think even so many offensive tackles, including the right tackle. What's it, Hagan? As bad as he looked in that game the other day, I thought if anybody was going to be cut, it would be him. But you know Nick Casario and Danico Ryan's got some more moves to make, and I can't wait to see what they are. They'll make moves with running backs. I was surprised they only kept that many. I was surprised Louis Bond didn't make it. I sure hope he goes unclaimed. and they can add him on to the practice squad. But it was very interesting. I didn't see any surprises, I don't think, on defense. But most of them were on offense, and it'll be a whirlwind and a revolving door based on moves being made across the league today.
00:41:33
Speaker 1: General, we can never know because we're not in the medical profession right But just want to get your thoughts on Tank going to IR, DTR, injured reserve designated to return. Your thoughts about Tank going on that list to start off the 2026 season.
00:41:54
Speaker 6: I thought he might be on PUP because he hasn't been able to do anything about when it comes to anything physical. And it's hard to be physical in practice because nobody hits in practice anymore.
00:42:07
Speaker 3: And....
00:42:09
Speaker 6: But the fact that he's designated to return means they think that he's going to come back. And I'm really interested in Braden Smith. You know, when they signed Braden Smith, Smith was supposed to be the starting right tackle. That's why they paid so much for him. And I guess that ankle injury, plantar fasciitis, is more serious than we thought. But, you know, when Tank finally gets on the field, and I hope it's this season and not Next season, it'll give this offense a huge boost and it'll also give the fans a huge boost. And I just hope his first game is that it is that reliant and not on the road just so we can hear the great ovation he'll get from the fans.
00:42:57
Speaker 3: John, a question that we're throwing at ourselves and at others this morning is how good is this offense going to be? I say to everybody, it'll be better. But how much better? What are your thoughts? What do you say when people ask you about the offense and how good it's going to be this year?
00:43:15
Speaker 6: I'm like you guys, get that all the time. I wish they'd ask me about the defense. The offensive line is still a work in progress until it is better. We've been teased by the line so much. I'll believe it when I see it. I definitely think the running game will be better because Montgomery and Woody Marks going into his second season. And when I talked about all that and he'll say, but what about Stroud? And I'll say, well, they say all the right things about him, the players and coaches, but what are they supposed to say until we see CJ against Buffalo, Cincinnati, India, and Dallas, we're not going to know, you know, the last thing he can afford is go out and throw an interception and first game and first drive and But I think they'll be better running the ball. And they've got enough receivers. You know, quarterbacks make receivers. It's not receivers making quarterbacks. And I think C.J. will play well. And I think having a running game will mean so much to him because I saw a stat where he pays more second and third and longs than any quarterback in the league.
00:44:32
Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. And if he could change that, I mean, if you can just get to second and seven, second and six, I mean, how much that changes your offense and what you can do. It's unbelievable. But, General, you know I'm going to ask the other side of that question. Defensively, and I asked Dre this a little while ago, what are your concerns? I mean, the top ten guys, they're back from last year, and then you add Reed Blankenship to it. There's a lot of continuity, a lot of stars, a lot of pro bowlers, a lot of top 100 guys. But what are your concerns about the defense this year?
00:45:07
Speaker 6: Injuries and that's it. They don't have a concern. It's the best defense in the NFL, one of the best in Houston history. Now they've got to help this team get beyond the second round of the playoffs for the first time in history. I love watching the defense when it's on the field. I think I've told you guys before, when the offense is out there, I'm like, just punt. I want to see the defense. You know, as long as Kroger punched the ball anywhere inside the 20, how many teams are going to drive over 80 yards against the Texans defense? So the only thing that could hurt this defense are catastrophic injuries. They got talent. They got depth. They got great attitude. They got great coaching on that side of the ball from D'Amico, Matt Lyons. starting up front with Wright and Ocum. This defense is loaded in every way.
00:46:04
Speaker 1: There you have it, the General John McClain. Boy, a lot of news this evening. Brevin Jordan, Dominique Robinson coming back to the 53-11, guys. formally announced to the practice squad. I mentioned them earlier. Dominic Bailey, Louis Baum, Bryce Hall, Jamal Hill, Scoob, Elijah Huzzy, Jawar Jordan, Josh Kelly, James Neal III, George Odom, Daniel Sopkowitz, Noel Whittington. Also, it sounds like Mitchell Tinsley will be part of that practice squad who played with the Bengals last year. So, man, there's a lot of news that's going on with this team at this moment. But It's like that for all NFL teams, but the roster is coming together. As we said, it's the initial 53-man roster. It's going to change. It's going to change. It's going to change. We talked about all the news, made a transaction email that we got this morning. It was like a dictionary. I mean, it went on forever. But we're getting there, people, and we're going to get ever so closely together. ever so closer to September 13th and the Buffalo Bills. We'll see you tomorrow, everybody. Thanks for listening. As always, go Texans.
Speaker 1: What's happening, everybody? Welcome to a Monday edition of Texans All Access from the Hyundai Texans Radio Studio. I am your host, John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans. And holy cow, is there a lot of news about your Texans. Oh, my goodness. Practice squad. Okay. Well, before we get to practice squad, let's talk waivers first. We had this whole discussion this morning about waivers. players that are on their first contracts, rookie contracts, they're subject to waivers. If you're on your second contract, then you're released. You can be signed by anybody at that point. But if you're subjected to the waiver process, I think we know how it works. Oh, this guy's waived. Teams are lined up one through 32 and they say, yes, we want to make a claim on that guy. And they go down a list. No, no, no, no, no, no. Yes. Okay. The Philadelphia Eagles have claimed such and such. So The Texans only had one player claimed, ironically. It was the same player that was claimed by the Texans last year, Jarrett Kingston. He was claimed by the Miami Dolphins. Now, the Dolphins claimed seven guys. They did a second draft, basically. Seven guys they've added to their 53-man roster. The Texans did not make a waiver claim. Now, they might have put in for some names, but they were down so low on the waiver list that not likely it was going to happen. I think they were 28th on the list. So they do not bring in anybody to the 53-man roster due to waivers. However, there is roster activity on the 53-man roster. Aaron Wilson's reporting that Dominique Robinson and Brevin Jordan, yes, Brevin Jordan, will be coming back to the 53-man roster. Now, if you're going, wait a second, wait a second. They were initially, they were released, were they not? Yes. This happened with John Weeks probably seven, eight years ago. I remember seeing John Weeks getting released on cut down day and I lost my mind because John Weeks, greatest Texans you've ever met, one of the greatest guys you've ever met. What are we going to do for a long snapper? And then you find out, no, it's just a machination with the roster that you have to do to to satisfy the roster on cut-down day, but then you bring them back under the same contract the very next day. So you've satisfied the rules of the NFL, but you just bring them back the next day. So we've seen this before. So Aaron Wilson's reporting that Dominique Robinson and Brevin Jordan fall into that category of guys that were released today. but really not. They signed, and they're coming back to the 53-man roster. Now, that does mean there are two corresponding moves they've got to make, and we talked about that this morning. There are 12 offensive linemen. Do all 12 stick? Probably not, but they now apparently are bringing those two back, as Aaron Wilson reported. About, I don't know, 15, 20 minutes ago, the team sent out their transactions of 11 guys. So this official to the practice squad. Every one of these... Guys that were in training camp with the Texans. Dominic Bailey, defensive tackle. Louis Bond, wide receiver. Bryce Hall, the corner. Jamal Hill, Scoob is back. Elijah Hussey's back. Jawar Jordan's back. Josh Kelly. James Neal, the rookie tackle. George Odom did a great job in that last preseason game and week. Daniel Sopkowitz, who I love. Noah Whittington. Now, there are also... A few others that are floating out there that I've seen. Aaron Wilson had Mitchell Tinsley, wide receiver from the Cincinnati Bengals. That's out there that he is going to join a Texas practice squad. And that dude can straight up ball. He had not only a good preseason with the Bengals. They're just loaded wide receiver. He had a good season last year. He made some plays last year as a rookie for the Bengals. So we have all of that to look forward to. Okay, let's get to our buddy Aaron. Andre Ware. We had a lot to talk about with Dre about the roster, but we wanted to start with a conversation and his thoughts on Jared Wayne, who made the initial 53-man roster.
00:04:23
Speaker 2: I was happy and proud, you know, because you just like to see good people rewarded. You like to see hard work rewarded, and I think Jared Wayne is a primary example of that. He defines that, actually, because he's been around for a but never really got the true opportunity. They gave it to him this preseason. Boy, did he make the most of it.
00:04:46
Speaker 3: Dre, Keelan Rutledge, I know that this is the lock of all locks, but let's talk about what he can do here as he plays left guard, and we presume he's going to stay there, but you never know.
00:04:57
Speaker 4: But we presume he's going to stay there.
00:04:59
Speaker 3: Did spend a little time at center that first preseason game and a bunch of practices, but since then it's been all left guard. What about what he brings to the mix here? What are we looking at here? The hope is somebody like Quentin Nelson's effect on the Colts back when he joined that franchise. But what do you think we're getting here with Keelan Rutledge in year one, the difference he can make up front and for the whole team, really?
00:05:20
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I think you're getting a good, solid football player. I don't want to put too much pressure on Keelan Rutledge, though, because he is a rookie and he's going to go through some of those tough spots as a rookie, as he learns how to play this game against certain individuals lined up across from him that he's never seen. face that caliber of players. So there may be some struggles at times. I don't know that it's going to be an automatic all pro kind of career like Quentin Nelson had, but he is going to contribute. He has certainly upgraded this offensive line. And now you just hope all of that translates into playing even faster and On Sunday, when you're facing guys like Ed Oliver at times that are over you or you're going to, you know, based on games that the defensive line runs, you'll be in that situation with a caliber of athlete like that. So don't put, I mean, you know, I expect big things from him. I just don't want to, you know, everybody to put too, too much pressure on him going forward.
00:06:25
Speaker 1: Dexter Lawrence in week two, man. Holy smokes. I mean, he'll play over the nose, but I'm sure Keelan will get a little bit of that. Dre, I know that you're probably like Mark and I, when you run into Texans fans that follow this thing pretty closely, they ask about certain individuals and, you know, how was this guy looking? What's this guy doing? What's the fourth defensive end? All that kind of stuff. But then you run into people that are outside the market and they just ask you, well, how good is this offense? I mean, a very simple question seemingly that can get very complex very quickly when you start thinking about it. But if we just ask that question, 30,000 foot view, how good do you think this offense can be in 2026? I think it can.
00:07:05
Speaker 2: Be pretty good actually. And I think it all revolves around just how fast and how, you know, quickly the offensive line deals because that's, you've got skilled position players. Booty can take the top off the defense, so can Nico. So now you've got two guys that can push the ball down the field, provided that's the look you want to give to defenses. You've got guys that can work underneath. You've got versatile tight ends that can catch the ball as well as block. And then you've got a couple of running backs that if they can stay healthy, could give the running game a healthy boost. So It's all up front. That's what makes the running game go. That's obviously what's going to make C.J.
00:07:45
Speaker 1: Go.
00:07:45
Speaker 2: And I don't feel like I needed to talk about C.J. being the most important part, but obviously he along with the offensive line. But I think C.J. is going to be solid. I think he's got a good grasp of things. He's looked that way. He's looked comfortable. Those five guys up front chemistry-wise blend together. It could be a special offense.
00:08:06
Speaker 3: Dre, I look at quarterbacks as this position. It's so difficult to get better. If you're one of these guys who wasn't drafted that high, or even if you were, and you're not getting a lot of reps, how do you get better?
00:08:21
Speaker 4: There are several teams keeping four quarterbacks.
00:08:24
Speaker 3: Right now because either they're waiting for somebody else to make a move, somebody to offer a pick for them or whatever. They know the Texans, for instance, are interested in a third quarterback in all likelihood, probably in the practice squad, but you never know. But I look at some of these guys, you don't get a lot of reps. I'm looking at joint practices last week. The third stringers, Brett Rippin, didn't get reps. Kyle Trask did not get reps last week with the Panthers. They got reps in the game, obviously, but it's so difficult to hone your craft and get better.
00:08:53
Speaker 4: How do you do it?
00:08:55
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a lot of work in the offseason, and I think the thing that helps you when you get to this part in the season, it's between the ears. You may not get a whole lot of physical reps, But you've got to get as many middle reps. You're standing behind guys like C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills if you're bread ripping and you're emulating what they're seeing how they go through a progression, how you would have read it if you're in it. So it's more mental than it is physical. And then the physical stuff you get, you pull receivers, you try to run plays or get to certain progressions that you saw in a practice that may have confused you, or, you know, it looks comfortable to you. You want to see it for yourself in that rep. And you get guys that there are going to be plenty of them that are doing the same things that you're doing at other positions of tight end and receiver, that'll be more than happy to stay after practice and throw a little extra with you.
00:09:52
Speaker 1: Dre, kind of going back to my other question, when you talk to people outside the market, they'll ask you about the offense. And then when you get to the defense, they're like, Oh, that defense is so good. And I'm always of a mindset of, okay, yeah, this defense is really, really good. There's no question about that. But if somebody were to get banged up here, somebody were to get banged up there, What are the holes? I think about a lot of those things. So I ask you, do you have a concern about the defense? The top 11, those guys have been together. Obviously, Reed is added to the mix. But that that top 10 guys on defense, they've been together now for a second year, some going on a third year together. Do you see something on defense where you go, you know what, man, this we got to keep an eye on this because if they get a guy hurt, Or, you know, maybe they're not bolstered at this position. Do you see any kind of holes defensively where you get kind of concerned going into the season?
00:10:46
Speaker 2: Maybe a linebacker, Johnny, and that's just from a standpoint of health. You know, if you can stay healthy there. Aziz has missed games at times. Not many, but here and there, for whatever reasons, you've already got EJ Speed that I heard you guys talking earlier, hoping he comes back or there's an outside chance that he does. That would certainly aid in the defense, but you've got some, some experience issues and you've got some depth issues along with that linebacker. And I think that's the area that would concern me the most. You've added some depth in the secondary where, where it was needed, especially at safety. I think along the defensive line, there'll be fine there, but anywhere that would concern me, it would be the, it'd be the linebacker group. Yeah.
00:11:32
Speaker 1: I think, I would say that too. That's exactly. And I said this earlier, Dre, I think the loss EJ speed is going to be bigger than people think. What do you think about that?
00:11:41
Speaker 5: Yeah. Oh, I think so.
00:11:43
Speaker 2: Because I mean, not, you know, no pun intended. He brings speed off the edge. He can get, he can, you know, line up and in coverage and, and cover for you at times. He's so versatile that you can't help, but miss him. And the guy just went out and took a job last year. I mean, we saw him come in, It started in training camp, and he didn't let up until actually he had the job and turned in a 62-tackle season and wasn't even the starter the whole time. But the way he competes, that's hard to replace.
00:12:16
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think that's one of those free agent signings where, okay, let's put him in the mix, see what happens. If it doesn't work out, we got a lot of guys, still like Christian Harris at the time.
00:12:24
Speaker 4: I know they're different, but.
00:12:26
Speaker 3: Obviously, Christian Harris didn't make it here, and EJ Speed very much did. So this is one of those things. You just don't know how it's going to go, and it went really well. Dre, when we look at the receiving talent here, I don't think we had the booty deal done the last time you were on Texans Monday. So let's talk about Keyshawn Booty and Nico Collins. Nico Collins, Keyshawn Booty, Xavier Hutchinson. We talked about Wayne, Jalen Knoll. What do you think of the talent in this group? How they fit together? How good can they be this year?
00:12:56
Speaker 2: Man, it's enough to where you go into a game plan and you can spread the ball around for CJ. Getting a guy like Booty who can take the top off, he can work underneath, he's a tough physical receiver that can help the running game as well. I thought it was a heck of a trade. And a guy that's familiar with the offense, having obviously been in New England with Josh McDaniel, he knows this offense. And maybe some things may be called off, different some things may be named differently and that'll be the struggle that he'll have early but he'll see the resemblance quicker than anybody else that they could have gotten and so you add him to nico xavier hutchinson i think jerry wayne is going to fit in this thing and then the tight end group as well along with two running backs that catch the ball very well out of the backfield but it can be special it can be fun to watch this offense work this this.
00:13:50
Speaker 1: Season Okay, this is for all three of us. So each week we have to do a sleeper of the game. Our friends at Mattress Firm.
00:13:59
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:13:59
Speaker 1: I want your sleeper of the year.
00:14:01
Speaker 3: Okay, sleeper of the year. So somebody that we're not really talking about that much. Somebody we're not really talking about too much.
00:14:08
Speaker 1: Now, listen, we've had sleepers over the years that weren't even on the roster when the year started and then came along. I remember my first year was Ryan Pickett, Big Grease. Big Grease would go in the middle, and it was like, oh, man, he kind of came out of nowhere. I'm not anticipating us. I'm saying somebody that's on the roster right now that you go, that guy is my sleeper of the year.
00:14:29
Speaker 5: I got one.
00:14:30
Speaker 4: Okay.
00:14:30
Speaker 1: Dre, you can think about yours. Mark's going first because he's got his. I want to steal one in case you guys are thinking.
00:14:36
Speaker 2: Of this guy. I think he's going to steal, but go ahead. Okay.
00:14:40
Speaker 1: Let's see.
00:14:41
Speaker 3: Well, here's the thing. Everybody we talk about, we have talked about at some point. So it's not like, oh, my gosh, I never even considered this person. But Foster Morrow, I think, is going to play a role and maybe bigger as a pass catcher than people think. I'm not saying he's going to eclipse Dalton Schultz in receptions.
00:14:58
Speaker 4: I'm not saying that.
00:14:59
Speaker 3: But I wouldn't be surprised if at the end of the day you're looking up and you see six, seven touchdowns from Foster Morrow at the end of the day.
00:15:06
Speaker 4: I think this is.
00:15:07
Speaker 3: Going to be really good for this football team. His addition as a pass catcher, not just blocker and attitude guy. And attitude is a big thing with him because– The defensive players were talking about him in the offseason. Hey, this Foster Morrow, this guy is tough. He's bringing a lot of juice to the offensive side of the ball.
00:15:26
Speaker 4: And that was an intangible, really.
00:15:28
Speaker 3: But the tangible things are good blocker and a guy who could also score for you, make some big first down catches.
00:15:33
Speaker 1: You know who he reminds me of? I know you guys remember it. Darren Fels. Remember how Fels came here and He sat in his seat over here and he said, you know what, I'm going to be the left-left tackle. I'm going to be the blocking guy. And all of a sudden, he became one of the most reliable tight end receivers we've ever had. He caught the eye kick touchdown. Yeah, the eye kick touchdown. All right, Foster Mora, I like it. All right, Dre, you ready? Did he steal yours?
00:15:58
Speaker 2: No, that sucker was digging around in the position group I was thinking about, though. And for me, it's Marlon Klein. I think there's some... interesting things about him that you got to like. I think he's going to be a better blocker as he continues to grow in this game. And I think it's going to be a quick learning curve where he is going to be featured in some game plans with this offense. And the quicker he can learn it, the more effective I think he's going to be. But I think he's got some physical gifts that bring a lot to an offense. And so he'll create a lot of mismatches. He'll get the ball. He can obviously hit big plays for you. He's got great hands. He'll be the well-rounded tight end that can do everything, not just block, not just catch, but he can do both.
00:16:50
Speaker 1: So I thought about just positions that we've talked about. I feel like we've talked about all these positions so much. I'm going to shock both of you with my sleeper of the year. I'm going to shock both of you. Kai Kroger. Ooh, punter.
00:17:03
Speaker 4: All right.
00:17:04
Speaker 1: Now, I'm kind of maybe doing that a little bit for effect. I would probably pick Evan Brown at center because I think this team has needed better center play for the last how many ever years. And I think Evan Brown showed some things, especially in that Raiders game, but also in joint practice, too. Evan's done a really good job holding up. But when you just think about this defense and the trouble you can put opposing offenses in by just pinning them inside the five, pinning them inside the 20, flipping the field. Tommy didn't do that as well as they anticipated him doing.
00:17:38
Speaker 2: Right.
00:17:38
Speaker 4: He'd still be here if they like the job he did.
00:17:41
Speaker 1: And Kai early in camp was wayward. I mean, he just he couldn't hit the strike zone. It was tough. But then he started getting in a little bit of a groove. He started seeing the hang time. He started seeing the distance.
00:17:53
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's been better.
00:17:54
Speaker 1: And then you start thinking about the way this team covers on special teams. If he is good, then the defense has a chance to put up points. I mean, we've seen that in the past a number of times. So I'm going to go way off the beaten path. I hope that Kai Kroger is not on the field a lot. But I hope that when he is on the field, that he flips the field, he pins teams inside the 10-yard line, and his punting net is up there within the top 10 in the league. And if that's the case, this defense is going to feast. I love it.
00:18:28
Speaker 4: Dre, your thoughts on that?
00:18:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, what do they say? End every drive with a kick.
00:18:33
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:18:34
Speaker 2: As long as you're not turning it over, if it's a punt, you obviously got one of the best defenses, if not the best defense in the NFL. And then, hey, it's an extra point or a field goal. We'll take those as well. So you can be very dominant by him pinning the opposing offenses deep in their own territory where you can be very, very aggressive defensively. and you've got playmakers everywhere. So, yeah, I love the formula.
00:19:03
Speaker 3: Okay, so the midday show called In the Loop on 95.7 The Fan has this thing called Lunchtime Confessions. So I have a confession for you guys, and I want you to evaluate this, all right? You tell me how I should feel, how this should be considered by others, what I'm about to confess. And the confession is, I'm ready for Bill Belichick to win again.
00:19:24
Speaker 4: I am. You know what?
00:19:25
Speaker 1: You've lost your damn mind.
00:19:26
Speaker 2: Hang on.
00:19:26
Speaker 1: Hang on.
00:19:27
Speaker 4: I'm going to tell you something.
00:19:28
Speaker 1: You have lost your mind.
00:19:29
Speaker 4: I'm going to tell you something.
00:19:29
Speaker 2: No, he's gone off the deep end.
00:19:31
Speaker 4: He's like the evil emperor.
00:19:33
Speaker 3: He's Darth Vader. He's all of that stuff, right? Yet, I feel like after a while, people suffer enough. And I feel like, I don't know. I just, I don't want him to come back into the league. You know, he haunted us for ages.
00:19:48
Speaker 4: And the whole league. But I'm like, you know, just.
00:19:51
Speaker 3: Win a little bit in college and then go off and get into the Hall of Fame and the rest is the rest.
00:19:56
Speaker 1: I don't know.
00:19:56
Speaker 4: Should I feel horrible about this?
00:19:57
Speaker 1: Dre, take your piece of you know what right now. Go get it.
00:20:01
Speaker 2: No, you know, I could go at it. But, you know, as I sit and hear him out, Bill is misunderstood a little bit. There are times that people have tried to emulate Bill, Belichick, that is, but unsuccessfully so. I've sat with him in production meetings, and I've seen a different side. I've gotten help with games covering his teams. Now, obviously, he wants you to speak well of his teams, and they were having a hard time at the time I had him last year. But I see a different side of him from time to time that, I don't know if fans really get to see because he's only exposing one side of him, and that's the tough, rugged, you know, I don't want to be at the press conference, Bill Belichick. But I could actually see and compromise a little bit with what Mark's saying.
00:20:55
Speaker 5: I get it.
00:20:55
Speaker 1: Johnny.
00:20:57
Speaker 2: You guys.
00:20:58
Speaker 4: See, he heard me out at least. Ray, listen.
00:21:00
Speaker 1: You guys.
00:21:01
Speaker 4: This is confession.
00:21:02
Speaker 1: I don't get absolution. It's a good confession. I'm not going to sit here and tell you I cheer for Bill Belichick. I think he has been great for football on so many different levels that when we look back, like, oh, yeah, well, Belichick did this and Belichick did that. It's still weird to see him coaching college football.
00:21:21
Speaker 4: It is very weird.
00:21:22
Speaker 1: Like, I'm watching him wear a Carolina sweatshirt, and my brother-in-law was here who went to Davidson, grew up in North Carolina, and we just kept remarking how strange it still is that in year two.
00:21:33
Speaker 4: But I'll say this.
00:21:35
Speaker 1: They went to Ireland, and they're better. They played better. They went out, and he got Bobby Petrino to run the offense, and it wasn't great, but it was better. It's just when you see a coach make a team better, you can't do anything other than tip your cap and go, yeah. Now, do they get to a bowl game? Do they whatever? Here's the thing to me about Belichick. I think at North Carolina, what got him in trouble at North Carolina is his girlfriend and Mike Lombardi.
00:22:05
Speaker 4: He got rid of one of them.
00:22:07
Speaker 1: If those two aren't part of this, then I don't know that I'm not thinking alongside you guys. I think what made North Carolina, I'm not a big Mike Lombardi fan at all. You could miss me with that character. Yeah, you could miss me with that dude. So I don't have, now, girlfriend, look. There's a lot I could say about that, but it just feels like if you just keep it a buck football-wise, he's done a lot for that program, moving it back in the right direction. They finally got a little bit more talent, and I think it's better that way.
00:22:43
Speaker 2: I saw the UNC Syracuse game is the one I had last year. His first ACC win. And that might have been one of the worst games I've ever had to witness, certainly called, ever. It was horrible. Bad quarterback play across the board. But to see them Saturday against TCU, they looked a thousand times better. More buttoned up. The operation on both sides looked different. He's got some athletes. I thought both lines played well. And I don't know what that says about TCU, but for North Carolina, they looked better. And that was later in the year when I saw that North Carolina-Syracuse game.
00:23:31
Speaker 4: What about UH and Oregon State this Saturday?
00:23:34
Speaker 5: Yeah.
00:23:35
Speaker 2: Yes, sir. Can't wait to open the season right here in Houston at home against the Oregon State Beavers. They're coming down. Last year I had this game. It was in Corvallis, and that was an overtime game that the Cougs kicked the field goal to get out of that baby after being down quite a bit and had to start a comeback. So if it's anything as close as last year's game, then you are in for a treat. So get on over to campus, TDU Stadium, and support the Cougs. And, hey, let's go Cougs.
00:24:10
Speaker 4: Everybody hydrate, okay?
00:24:12
Speaker 5: Oh, yeah.
00:24:12
Speaker 4: You got to hydrate. Wear a hat, hydrate. Did you see Hard Knocks this week? No, not yet.
00:24:18
Speaker 1: They fly from Seattle. Did you see it, Dre?
00:24:21
Speaker 2: It won't be too bad heat-wise, Mark, if you're talking about this weekend, because.
00:24:26
Speaker 4: It's an 11 a.m.
00:24:26
Speaker 3: Kick.
00:24:29
Speaker 2: You got to get there early.
00:24:31
Speaker 4: That's for sure.
00:24:33
Speaker 3: What about at 1 o'clock or 2 o'clock when the game's still going on?
00:24:36
Speaker 1: You better be hydrating starting Wednesday if you're thinking about tailgating at 8 o'clock in the morning for an 11 o'clock game.
00:24:41
Speaker 3: You're going to be wishing for Lambeau Field when you're at TDECU on Saturday.
00:24:47
Speaker 1: I can't wait for Lambeau. He's in a nice air-conditioned booth.
00:24:52
Speaker 2: Dre will be just fine this weekend. I will make it through Saturday from 11 to 2 or 3 o'clock.
00:24:59
Speaker 4: Wait, we've seen you bring space heaters.
00:25:02
Speaker 3: You were literally hugging a space heater during a broadcast or two in recent memory.
00:25:06
Speaker 4: Do you bring a little cooler?
00:25:08
Speaker 2: I've got fans. If I need a little mist every once.
00:25:11
Speaker 1: In a while, I've got that covered too. Tell you what, the other night it was nice up in the booth with all that rain to be up inside. It was nice, but I won't have that luxury. Well, I won't have that luxury for a while. I'll be at home for three of the four games, and then the other game is at Indianapolis, which is inside. So I won't go outside until October against the Tennessee Titans. So there you go. All right, coming up next, Indy Kalou, my TV co-host partner, joins us next to talk about this team, this roster as well. We'll do that right here on Texans All Access. All right, let's get right back to it on a Monday edition of Texans All Access. I'm your host, John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans. And in the preseason, I am a co-color commentator alongside my good friend, Andy Kalou. Andy joined us this morning to discuss what's going on with the Texans, what he saw in the preseason, and what he projects going forward. But given what kind of day yesterday was, cut-down day, It's got to be a weird moment in a locker room, in the facility. So we asked Andy, what's that day really like?
00:26:21
Speaker 5: This is one of those bittersweet moments because you're excited for the guys who've made the roster, but then also you're a little down, you know, for so many guys that are being told that their dream of playing in the NFL is over. But it's just a cool time. And selfishly, as a fan, real football is about to start. So you're definitely excited about that.
00:26:42
Speaker 3: Tell us a little bit about Sebastian Harsh, because this is an undrafted rookie who makes the initial 53. What do you like about him? What'd you see?
00:26:53
Speaker 4: Tell us.
00:26:55
Speaker 5: You know, it's funny you say that. You asked about Sebastian Horst, Mark, because when I had my little opener, that's exactly what I was thinking. I was sad for Solomon Bird, you know, a guy that was getting better every year. And I still think he has a lot of football in front of him with the injury. You know, he's not a guy that you pretty much have time to eat up a roster spot and wait for him to get healthy. And that opened the door for Sebastian Horst. And you can argue, you know, John and I were talking about it throughout the game. Sebastian Horst came to play. I mean, early on, he was making moves. He was making sacks, pressures, playing the run. That's a very, very good output in that last game. And I think that's what really solidified his roster spot. I'm not sure where the coaches were leaning if Solomon Bird wasn't injured, but with what Sebastian Harsh did, that's the story that you love. And I'll say this, he has some natural ability and he's a pass rusher. So getting a chance to work with Will Anderson, Daniel Hunter, he's only going to get better.
00:27:58
Speaker 1: One of the things that came up in our production meeting with Solomon Bird, Indy, and I know you can speak to this, And we've talked about this, but you experienced it. You played that position. And it's about being violent, football violent. I know people hear the word violence and they kind of, oh, you know, football violence. It's a totally different ballgame. And it felt like watching Sebastian Harsh He played with that requisite level of violence that maybe other guys, you know, and Solomon talked about him having to learn how.
00:28:28
Speaker 5: To do that.
00:28:29
Speaker 1: It feels like Harsh just plays with that naturally. How much do you think that's a factor, especially for this defense, that Harsh is that violent, that he does play with violent hands, that he does play with that kind of power? How much do you think that plays a role for him?
00:28:44
Speaker 5: Oh, that's huge because one thing about this defense, especially with the front seven, it is about playing violent. When you look at a guy like Will Anderson, you know, Hunter, and you see their physique, you might think, you know what, these are finesse players, which isn't a knock. I mean, there have been some great finesse players, Jason Taylor, Hall of Fame with Jason Taylor, but they're about being violent. Like they want to set the edge. They want to have violent hands. They want to be violent. known for playing the run just as well as they do playing the pass and disrupting the quarterback. And Sebastian Harsch, you just saw that. You saw the violence. You saw, you know, the hand placement. And it wasn't about avoiding contact. He was bringing it to the offensive tackle. And I think that's a big, big reason that he fits in with the culture of the front seven on this defense.
00:29:29
Speaker 3: Andy, what's it like to practice without the entire 90-man roster here? For the first time, the first time the cut hits, the big cuts, because back in the day there would be a. wave of cuts, and they've changed it. They adjusted it over the years. But when you get down to the 53 guys, and in your day, the practice squad was a lot skinnier than it is today.
00:29:50
Speaker 5: Yeah, it was much skinnier. I think back when I was playing, it was either five or six guys that made the practice squad, and they worked a mess out of those guys. I mean, if you were a wide receiver on the practice squad, you played receiver when you're running scout team. You had to play some DB against the starting offense. You did a little bit of everything. When you played an athletic quarterback and you're that receiver, you would go under center and try to mimic him. Now, I believe they have 16 guys. Correct me if I'm wrong. So, yes, you have some more guys to help out with practice. But it's pretty cool. And you're still going to need now your role players, your players who get important minutes on Sundays. They're still going to help out. They're going to have to help out at practice. You don't be surprised if you see Jadavion Clowney, you know. running with the twos and helping out with scout team just to get some reps to work on his technique. But here's the thing. The practices now, it's not about showing what you can do to make the team. It's all about getting prepared for the Buffalo Bills. The practices are a little bit more intentional. They're a little bit more intentional. regarding what you're trying to accomplish, what you're teaching. You're still evaluating guys. Look, I like what you said, Mark. You emphasized the initial 53-man roster. It sucks, but there's still about five to six guys at the bottom of the roster that are looking over their shoulders. They're wondering what's going to happen when certain guys get off IR. They're wondering what's going to happen because they know that, as you and I are talking today, Nick Casario is looking at the waiver wire to see if one of his guys is going to become available. So you still have some guys that have that mentality, but most of what you're going to see and what you're going to notice at practice is all about the Buffalo Bills.
00:31:39
Speaker 1: Definitely is about the Buffalo Bills. There's no question about that. Indeed, as a player, you've talked about this when we've had you on over the years, over your career, about where you were in your career, where there were years you knew you were going to make it. There were some years where you're like, yeah, you know, I got to I got to fight for this, especially early in your career. What's it like when you see a teammate, a guy like Jared Wayne, who has been a practice squad guy for three years. He has been on the field, but it has been practice squad call-ups. He's never really had the opportunity to be on a 53-man roster. And he has a really good camp, and he makes the initial 53. Now, obviously, this can change at 24 hours to 48 hours, whatever. But what's it like when you see a teammate that's been around, he's been fighting for the back half of the roster, he's been fighting for a practice squad spot, maybe he's even off the roster, but he comes back due to injury or whatever, and then he makes the team. How good are the guys feeling today for Jared Wayne having made the initial 53-man roster?
00:32:35
Speaker 5: No, that's a great question. And it's a great feeling when you see a guy grind. You know, when you see a guy, like you mentioned, on practice squad for three years. But what we don't see as fans or as media members, you see him running the gassers in the offseason. You see him showing up to the weight room every offseason, grinding, living in an apartment building. when the rest of the guys are building houses in Pearland or living out in Missouri City or Sugar Land, and you see that grind, then for him to make the initial roster to start the opening day on the 53, it's a good feeling. You just smile when you see that. And I guarantee when you see him at practice, he's still going to be practicing like he's that guy trying to make the squad. So those are the stories you love. Those are the stories that... that help fill the void. When you, you know, you get a guy like Sebastian harsh, making the team after grinding, it does feel good. And you just kind of smile for, you know, smile internally for those guys.
00:33:33
Speaker 3: And D people ask me all the time, Hey, is this offense going to be good? How are they going to be? What do you say to that question? I say, well, look, there'll be better. I don't know how much better, but I really believe there'll be better this year, better line play, better running game, better, But I can't say how much better yet until we all see it.
00:33:53
Speaker 4: What are your thoughts on the subject?
00:33:55
Speaker 5: Here's the thing. They're good. The question is going to be, how are they going to be when it truly matters in that playoff game? What are they going to be like in the second round of the playoffs, in the third round of the playoffs? Because with this defense, with this great coaching staff, my expectation is they're going to the playoffs. I don't feel like I'm jinxing anything. I'm confident in saying this team's going to the playoffs. But how good are they going to be? How good will the offense be when they're in the playoffs? Are they going to be the type of offense where– if this magnificent defense has a, has an off day, we can get on the, on Texan radio and talk about how the offense, you know, won this game or because of the great play by the offense. That's why they're going to the next round. So, I think they're going to be good. I love the two-headed monster of David Montgomery, Woody Marks. You know, that's what it appears it's going to be. I still think they have one of the best wide receivers in the entire AFC and Nico Collins. And man, I can't wait to see how many targets Marlon Klein is going to get because that dude just, he just looks so smooth and fluid. I know he's a young guy. I know people were scratching their heads when they drafted him with a second-round pick because they said he didn't have many yards at Michigan. But when I watched him practice, I was like, you know what, great job scouting team. You know, great job by the scouting department, not just looking at his stats because I think this guy could be an impact player. I think Marlon Klein. And look, he didn't grow up here. You know, he didn't grow up in Texas, in football-rich Texas. He didn't grow up in America.
00:35:28
Speaker 2: So, yeah.
00:35:28
Speaker 5: I say that and I bring that up, Mark and John, because I think he's only going to continue to get better as he's in the NFL. So I have high expectations with this offense. And this is one of the few offenses, God forbid, if your starting quarterback goes down. I don't care who they're playing. My expectation, mainly because of the defense and the other weapons, is if Davis Mills has to start a few games, I'm expecting them to win the games, even if he's the starter.
00:35:55
Speaker 1: Indeed, the story in 30 NFL cities was what that team's city's 53-man roster was going to look like. But the story nationally that almost even trumped that was Aaron Donald coming back after two years. He goes back to the Rams. One year, $ 20 million, $ 30 million with incentives. But he goes next to Braden Fisk. He plays alongside Miles Garrett. Your thoughts about Aaron Donald coming back after a couple years and you haven't played defensive line. What's the biggest thing that he is going to encounter after two years of rust, if you will, accumulating? What does he have to kind of break through to kind of get himself back to being, you know, even 80 percent of what he was when he retired?
00:36:44
Speaker 5: You know, that's a great question. Great point. This is one of the stories that I'm looking forward to just seeing Aaron Donald and what he's going to look like. Now, if anybody can do it, if anybody can slow down father time. It is Aaron Donald. But I'm not one of these guys, John, who just assumes. And let me say this. I am a huge, huge Aaron Donald fan. Matter of fact, he's one of the few guys that I tell youngsters, if you want to know and learn how to play the game, you watch his film. But I'm also a realist, and there's a reason why guys retire in the first place. So I'm just not convinced that he's going to come back and have that 12 sack season he had in 2020 or 2021. But the question is, does he need to be that guy? So if he can give you 30 plays, you know, 30 impact plays, and you definitely put him on a pitch count with Miles Garrett, obviously he's going to be in on passing downs. then you can get some use out of them. But I just like the fact that you're going to see Aaron Donald next to Miles Garrett. But let's all keep in mind, this is not a 2020 or 2021 Aaron Donald, and it wouldn't be fair to him to expect him to hit the ground running. But if you can make $ 20 million, get 30 snaps a game, and finish the season with five or six sacks from the inside, then I think that's a success.
00:38:07
Speaker 3: Andy, update us on the kid inventory and what everybody's doing athletically.
00:38:11
Speaker 4: I can't even keep track, my friend. Just go ahead. Tell the audience.
00:38:14
Speaker 5: Oh, well, appreciate you asking. So one son, he's at University of Florida, had an awesome spring, awesome summer. So got some pretty high expectations, defensive tackle. And then his little brother, he's at Shriner University in Kerrville. He didn't get his big brother's size, but he still has his heart. So he's going to go out there and play some D3 ball in Kerrville. So every weekend I'll be either on a plane or a road trip. But I love it. I mean, I love football. And to see the two people I love more than myself playing the sport I love, I mean, what else could you ask for?
00:38:49
Speaker 6: Beautiful.
00:38:50
Speaker 1: Yeah, Gators this week got FAU in Gainesville.
00:38:53
Speaker 4: Ooh, okay.
00:38:54
Speaker 1: You headed that one, Indy?
00:38:57
Speaker 5: Yeah, I'm headed there. And every day I know my son's sick of it. I said, man, don't overlook them boys. Don't because we all know we've all, we've already seen upsets in a week of zero. So yeah, but they're ready. I mean, Florida, they have a great coach. They got the coaching staff from Tulane. So they're not going to let them overlook anybody. Yeah.
00:39:16
Speaker 1: Enjoy Gainesville.
00:39:17
Speaker 5: Yeah.
00:39:19
Speaker 4: All right, have fun.
00:39:20
Speaker 1: I've seen people have too much enjoyment in Gainesville.
00:39:22
Speaker 4: I don't think Andy's going to suffer from that.
00:39:24
Speaker 1: I don't think so, but you've got to be careful. That Pike House is close to the stadium.
00:39:27
Speaker 4: Okay, well, have fun, Andy. Thanks so much.
00:39:29
Speaker 5: All right. Thank y'all. Y'all keep up the good work.
00:39:32
Speaker 1: Y'all go to Gainesville. Y'all stay away from that Pike House, man. That's a bad place. Trust me. On game day, it gets wild. Right across the street from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. But good luck to DK in that big game against FAU. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does for the Florida Gators this year. All right, we got the General coming up next. He's got all kinds of good stuff, so we'll save that for our last segment right here on a Monday edition of Texans All Access. All right, we got one final segment this Monday edition of Texans All Access from the Texans Radio Studio. I'm your host, John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans. It's time to catch up with LaHenry Rowe. El Heneral. How do you say that in Spanish? Either way, in English we say the general. John McClain, who gave us his unfiltered thoughts right out the chute about the roster.
00:40:26
Speaker 6: The roster cuts, even though everybody makes a big deal out of it, is not near what it used to be because of the practice squad. There was a time when the roster was cut, it was cut. And I think even so many offensive tackles, including the right tackle. What's it, Hagan? As bad as he looked in that game the other day, I thought if anybody was going to be cut, it would be him. But you know Nick Casario and Danico Ryan's got some more moves to make, and I can't wait to see what they are. They'll make moves with running backs. I was surprised they only kept that many. I was surprised Louis Bond didn't make it. I sure hope he goes unclaimed. and they can add him on to the practice squad. But it was very interesting. I didn't see any surprises, I don't think, on defense. But most of them were on offense, and it'll be a whirlwind and a revolving door based on moves being made across the league today.
00:41:33
Speaker 1: General, we can never know because we're not in the medical profession right But just want to get your thoughts on Tank going to IR, DTR, injured reserve designated to return. Your thoughts about Tank going on that list to start off the 2026 season.
00:41:54
Speaker 6: I thought he might be on PUP because he hasn't been able to do anything about when it comes to anything physical. And it's hard to be physical in practice because nobody hits in practice anymore.
00:42:07
Speaker 3: And....
00:42:09
Speaker 6: But the fact that he's designated to return means they think that he's going to come back. And I'm really interested in Braden Smith. You know, when they signed Braden Smith, Smith was supposed to be the starting right tackle. That's why they paid so much for him. And I guess that ankle injury, plantar fasciitis, is more serious than we thought. But, you know, when Tank finally gets on the field, and I hope it's this season and not Next season, it'll give this offense a huge boost and it'll also give the fans a huge boost. And I just hope his first game is that it is that reliant and not on the road just so we can hear the great ovation he'll get from the fans.
00:42:57
Speaker 3: John, a question that we're throwing at ourselves and at others this morning is how good is this offense going to be? I say to everybody, it'll be better. But how much better? What are your thoughts? What do you say when people ask you about the offense and how good it's going to be this year?
00:43:15
Speaker 6: I'm like you guys, get that all the time. I wish they'd ask me about the defense. The offensive line is still a work in progress until it is better. We've been teased by the line so much. I'll believe it when I see it. I definitely think the running game will be better because Montgomery and Woody Marks going into his second season. And when I talked about all that and he'll say, but what about Stroud? And I'll say, well, they say all the right things about him, the players and coaches, but what are they supposed to say until we see CJ against Buffalo, Cincinnati, India, and Dallas, we're not going to know, you know, the last thing he can afford is go out and throw an interception and first game and first drive and But I think they'll be better running the ball. And they've got enough receivers. You know, quarterbacks make receivers. It's not receivers making quarterbacks. And I think C.J. will play well. And I think having a running game will mean so much to him because I saw a stat where he pays more second and third and longs than any quarterback in the league.
00:44:32
Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. And if he could change that, I mean, if you can just get to second and seven, second and six, I mean, how much that changes your offense and what you can do. It's unbelievable. But, General, you know I'm going to ask the other side of that question. Defensively, and I asked Dre this a little while ago, what are your concerns? I mean, the top ten guys, they're back from last year, and then you add Reed Blankenship to it. There's a lot of continuity, a lot of stars, a lot of pro bowlers, a lot of top 100 guys. But what are your concerns about the defense this year?
00:45:07
Speaker 6: Injuries and that's it. They don't have a concern. It's the best defense in the NFL, one of the best in Houston history. Now they've got to help this team get beyond the second round of the playoffs for the first time in history. I love watching the defense when it's on the field. I think I've told you guys before, when the offense is out there, I'm like, just punt. I want to see the defense. You know, as long as Kroger punched the ball anywhere inside the 20, how many teams are going to drive over 80 yards against the Texans defense? So the only thing that could hurt this defense are catastrophic injuries. They got talent. They got depth. They got great attitude. They got great coaching on that side of the ball from D'Amico, Matt Lyons. starting up front with Wright and Ocum. This defense is loaded in every way.
00:46:04
Speaker 1: There you have it, the General John McClain. Boy, a lot of news this evening. Brevin Jordan, Dominique Robinson coming back to the 53-11, guys. formally announced to the practice squad. I mentioned them earlier. Dominic Bailey, Louis Baum, Bryce Hall, Jamal Hill, Scoob, Elijah Huzzy, Jawar Jordan, Josh Kelly, James Neal III, George Odom, Daniel Sopkowitz, Noel Whittington. Also, it sounds like Mitchell Tinsley will be part of that practice squad who played with the Bengals last year. So, man, there's a lot of news that's going on with this team at this moment. But It's like that for all NFL teams, but the roster is coming together. As we said, it's the initial 53-man roster. It's going to change. It's going to change. It's going to change. We talked about all the news, made a transaction email that we got this morning. It was like a dictionary. I mean, it went on forever. But we're getting there, people, and we're going to get ever so closely together. ever so closer to September 13th and the Buffalo Bills. We'll see you tomorrow, everybody. Thanks for listening. As always, go Texans.
