00:00:00
Speaker 1: What's happening, everybody?
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Speaker 2: Welcome to Monday edition of Texans All Access from the Texans Radio Studio. I am John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans.
00:00:12
Speaker 1: And it has been a kind of.
00:00:13
Speaker 2: Wild day, if you will, for all NFL teams. The transaction wire has been going crazy throughout the day. Now, the Texans have not announced their practice squad and probably not going to do it until it's fully all taken care.
00:00:31
Speaker 1: Of by tomorrow, I believe, is the day.
00:00:34
Speaker 2: So that's when you'll get the full practice squad. But you're starting to see some information leak out coming from sources, coming from agents, etc. Aaron Wilson's doing the Lord's work, of course, getting us all the information he that we could handle. There were no waiver claims made by the Texans. Now, I made that point this morning. The Texans were sitting 28th in the waiver claim order, and it's based on, I think, last year's draft, maybe.
00:01:07
Speaker 1: I think that's what it was.
00:01:08
Speaker 2: Maybe, I don't know. I can't remember exactly. But they were sitting 28th. No team beyond 24th. actually made a claim other than the New England Patriots. Texans did not make a waiver claim or not have one awarded to them. Now they may have made a claim, but it may have been a player that got picked up before it got to them. So no waiver claims for the Texans and only one player that they waived.
00:01:36
Speaker 1: Was picked up again. Ironically, it's Jarrett Kingston.
00:01:39
Speaker 2: I say ironically because last year the Texans made a waiver claim and it was Jarrett Kingston. This year, Kingston waived by the Texans. He was then claimed by the Dolphins, who I pointed out this morning that some teams treat it as a second draft. And with the cap issues the Dolphins have, they had to do some things.
00:01:58
Speaker 1: And they did.
00:01:58
Speaker 2: They made seven, seven waiver claims that immediately go to the 53-man roster. So the Dolphins... making things happen with their waiver claims today. Uh, but still a busy day practice squad. Some of the news and notes, just some of the things that we've seen, uh, appears Lewis Bond is coming back to the practice squad. Uh, it appears that George Odom, uh, who spent the last week with the Texans did really nice job in that third preseason game is coming back, uh, to the practice squad for the Texans. Dominique Robinson, and we talked about this happening. This happened with John Weeks back, and I can't remember the year, but I remember seeing John Weeks had gotten released, and I almost lost my stuff.
00:02:46
Speaker 1: This was probably four or five years ago.
00:02:49
Speaker 2: Come to find out it was just a procedural thing that they had to do to kind of satisfy the league that they were then going to bring him back and sign him back, and it appears that's what's happening with Dominique Robinson. that they had to do it for kind of just semantics, I guess, and just to be, you know, I guess cap compliant or whatever it might be. But it does appear that Dominique Robinson is coming back to the roster. Now, there seemingly will be another transaction that goes with that, but it appears that Dominique Robinson is going to come back. James Neal, the rookie tackle, it appears he is going to come back on the practice squad postseason. Naquan Jones, it appears, is not. It looks like he is going to try and find his way with another squad.
00:03:38
Speaker 1: And I love Naquan. I really do.
00:03:40
Speaker 2: I think he's a really, really neat guy. And I wish him the best wherever he goes. Now this one, I just saw it within the last half hour or so. Mitchell Tinsley, who had been with the Bengals. The Texans are adding him to their practice squad. That dude can ball. I'm really excited about that. So they'll have Lewis Bond, Mitchell Tinsley on the practice squad, or so it appears. And again, nothing formalized from the Texans just yet. My guess is that's going to either come in the morning or the afternoon tomorrow. But some things happening with the practice squad roster in particular. Okay, let's get to our buddy 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.
00:04:32
Speaker 3: 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 little while but never really got the true opportunity. They gave it to him this preseason. Boy, did he make the most of it.
00:04:55
Speaker 4: 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.
00:05:06
Speaker 1: But we presume he's going to stay there. Did spend a little time.
00:05:09
Speaker 4: 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?
00:05:29
Speaker 3: 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 faced that caliber of players. So there may be some struggles there. 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 on Sunday when you're facing guys like Ed Oliver at times that are over you or 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.
00:06:34
Speaker 1: Dexter Lawrence in week two, man. Holy smokes.
00:06:37
Speaker 2: 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?
00:06:53
Speaker 1: All that kind of stuff.
00:06:54
Speaker 2: But then you run into people that are outside the market and they just ask you, well, how good is this offense?
00:06:59
Speaker 1: I mean, a very simple question seemingly.
00:07:02
Speaker 2: 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?
00:07:12
Speaker 3: I think it can 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. It's all up front. That's what makes the running game go. That's obviously what's going to make C.J.
00:07:54
Speaker 5: Go.
00:07:54
Speaker 3: And I don't feel like I needed to talk about C.J.
00:07:59
Speaker 5: Being the most important.
00:08:00
Speaker 3: 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.
00:08:15
Speaker 4: 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?
00:08:30
Speaker 1: There are several teams keeping four quarterbacks.
00:08:33
Speaker 4: 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.
00:09:02
Speaker 1: How do you do it?
00:09:03
Speaker 3: 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're not taking– 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. So 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.
00:10:01
Speaker 2: Dre, when kind of go back to my other question, we talked 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.
00:10:14
Speaker 1: There's no question about that.
00:10:16
Speaker 2: But again, if somebody were to get banged up here or somebody were to get banged up there, what are the holes? I think about a lot of those things. So I'll ask you, do you have a concern about the defense? The top 11, those guys have been together. Obviously, Reid is added to the mix. But that top 10 guys on defense, they've been together now for a second year, some going on their third year together. Do you see something on defense where you go, you know what, man? 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?
00:10:55
Speaker 3: 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.
00:11:39
Speaker 5: It would be the, it'd be the linebacker group.
00:11:41
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:11:41
Speaker 1: I think, I would say that too. That's exactly.
00:11:44
Speaker 2: And I said this earlier, Dre, I think the loss EJ speed is going to be bigger than people think.
00:11:49
Speaker 1: What do you think about that?
00:11:50
Speaker 3: Yeah. Oh, I think so. 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 coming. 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, you know, the way he competes, that's hard to replace.
00:12:25
Speaker 4: Yeah, and I think that's one of those free agent signings where, okay, let's put him in the mix.
00:12:29
Speaker 1: See what happens.
00:12:30
Speaker 4: If it doesn't work out, we got a lot of guys. Still had Christian Harris at the time. I know they're different, but obviously Christian Harris didn't make it here, and E.J. 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 K. Sean 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?
00:13:05
Speaker 3: 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 was a heck of a trade and a guy that's familiar with With the offense, having obviously been in New England with Josh McDaniel, he knows this offense. And maybe some things may be called 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 season.
00:14:00
Speaker 2: Okay, this is for all three of us. So each week we have to do a sleeper of the game.
00:14:06
Speaker 1: Our friends at Matches Firm. Yes.
00:14:08
Speaker 2: I want your sleeper of the year.
00:14:10
Speaker 1: Okay.
00:14:11
Speaker 4: Sleeper of the year. So somebody that we're not really talking about. Somebody we're not really talking about too much. Now, listen, we've had sleepers over the years that weren't even on the roster when the year started and then, you know, 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.
00:14:31
Speaker 2: I'm saying somebody that's on the roster right now that you go, that guy is my.
00:14:37
Speaker 1: Sleeper of the year.
00:14:38
Speaker 5: I got one.
00:14:39
Speaker 1: Okay, 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.
00:14:45
Speaker 3: Of this guy. I think he's going to steal, but go ahead.
00:14:48
Speaker 1: Okay, let's see.
00:14:49
Speaker 4: 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.
00:15:06
Speaker 1: I'm not saying that.
00:15:08
Speaker 4: 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. I think this is 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.
00:15:34
Speaker 1: And that was an intangible, really.
00:15:37
Speaker 4: But the tangible things are good blocker and a guy who could also score for you. Make some big first down catches. 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.
00:15:53
Speaker 2: 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.
00:16:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, the eye kick touchdown. All right, Foster Moore, I like it. All right, Dre, you ready? Did he steal yours?
00:16:07
Speaker 3: 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.
00:16:59
Speaker 2: So I thought about just positions that we talked about. I feel like we 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.
00:17:09
Speaker 1: Kai Kroger. Ooh, punter. All right.
00:17:13
Speaker 2: 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.
00:17:28
Speaker 1: Evan's done a really good job holding up.
00:17:30
Speaker 2: 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.
00:17:47
Speaker 3: Right.
00:17:47
Speaker 1: He'd still be here if they like the job he did.
00:17:50
Speaker 2: And Kai early in camp was wayward. I mean, he just he couldn't hit the strike zone.
00:17:56
Speaker 1: It was tough.
00:17:57
Speaker 2: But then he started getting in a little bit of a groove. He started seeing the hang time. He started seeing the distance.
00:18:02
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's been better.
00:18:03
Speaker 2: And then you start thinking about the way this team covers on special teams. If he is good, then this defense, I mean, 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.
00:18:36
Speaker 1: I love it. Dre, your thoughts on that?
00:18:38
Speaker 3: Yeah, what do they say? End every drive with a kick.
00:18:42
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:18:42
Speaker 3: 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. defensively and you've got playmakers everywhere. So yeah, I like, I love the formula.
00:19:11
Speaker 1: Okay.
00:19:12
Speaker 4: So the midday show called in the loop on 95, seven, the fan has this thing called lunchtime confessions. So I have a confession for you guys and I want you to evaluate this.
00:19:21
Speaker 5: All right.
00:19:22
Speaker 4: You tell me how I should feel, how this should be considered by others when I'm about to confess. And the confession is I'm ready for bill Belichick to win again.
00:19:33
Speaker 1: I am. You've lost your damn mind. Hang on, hang on. I'm going to tell you something. I'm going to tell you something.
00:19:38
Speaker 3: No, he's gone off the deep end.
00:19:40
Speaker 4: He's like the evil emperor. 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.
00:19:50
Speaker 3: I don't know.
00:19:51
Speaker 1: I just.
00:19:52
Speaker 4: I don't want him to... I don't want him to come back into the league. You know, he haunted us for ages.
00:19:57
Speaker 1: And the whole league. But I'm like.
00:20:00
Speaker 4: you know, just went a little bit in college and then go off and get into the hall of fame.
00:20:03
Speaker 1: And the rest is the rest.
00:20:05
Speaker 3: I don't know.
00:20:05
Speaker 1: Should I feel horrible about this? Take your piece of, you know, what right now, go get it.
00:20:10
Speaker 3: No, you know, I could, I could go at it, but you know, as I sit and hear him out, Bill is misunderstood a little bit. You know, there are times that people have tried to emulate bill, but Belichick that is, but unsuccessfully. So, but yeah, Yeah, 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, you know, 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 side. 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.
00:21:03
Speaker 5: I get it.
00:21:04
Speaker 1: Johnny. You guys. See, he heard me out at least. Ray, listen. You guys. This is confession. I don't get absolution. It's a good confession.
00:21:15
Speaker 2: 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 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.
00:21:30
Speaker 1: It is very weird.
00:21:31
Speaker 2: 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.
00:21:42
Speaker 1: But I'll say this. They went to Ireland, and they're better. They played better.
00:21:48
Speaker 2: 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.
00:22:01
Speaker 1: Now, do they get to a bowl game? Do they whatever? Here's the thing to me about Belichick.
00:22:06
Speaker 2: I think at North Carolina, what got him in trouble at North Carolina is his girlfriend and Mike Lombardi.
00:22:13
Speaker 1: He got rid of one of them.
00:22:16
Speaker 2: 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.
00:22:28
Speaker 1: You could miss me with that character.
00:22:30
Speaker 2: You could miss me with that dude.
00:22:33
Speaker 1: Now, girlfriend, look.
00:22:36
Speaker 2: 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.
00:22:48
Speaker 1: They finally got a little bit more talent, and I think it's better that way.
00:22:51
Speaker 3: 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 call, ever. It was horrible. Bad quarterback play across the board. But to see them Saturday against TCU, they looked a thousand times better.
00:23:21
Speaker 5: More buttoned up.
00:23:22
Speaker 3: 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.
00:23:40
Speaker 1: What about UH and Oregon State this Saturday?
00:23:43
Speaker 5: Yeah.
00:23:44
Speaker 3: Yes, sir. Can't wait to open the season right here in Houston at home against the Oregon State Beavers.
00:23:53
Speaker 1: They're coming down.
00:23:53
Speaker 3: 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.
00:24:19
Speaker 1: Everybody hydrate, okay? Oh, yeah. You got to hydrate. Wear a hat, hydrate. Did you see Hard Knocks this week? No, not yet. They fly from Seattle. Did you see it, Dre?
00:24:30
Speaker 3: It won't be too bad heat-wise, Mark, if you're talking about this weekend, because it's an 11 a.m. kick. But you got to get there early.
00:24:40
Speaker 1: That's for sure.
00:24:42
Speaker 4: What about at 1 o'clock or 2 o'clock when the game's still going on?
00:24:45
Speaker 2: 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.
00:24:50
Speaker 4: You're going to be wishing for Lambeau Field when you're at TDECU on Saturday.
00:24:56
Speaker 1: I can't wait for Lambeau. He's in a nice air-conditioned booth.
00:25:01
Speaker 3: Dre will be just fine this weekend. I will make it through Saturday from 11 to 2 or 3 o'clock.
00:25:08
Speaker 1: Wait, we've seen you bring space heaters.
00:25:10
Speaker 4: You were literally hugging a space heater during a broadcast or two in recent memory.
00:25:15
Speaker 1: Do you bring a little cooler?
00:25:17
Speaker 3: I've got fans. If I need a little mist every once in a while, I've got that covered too.
00:25:23
Speaker 2: 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.
00:25:42
Speaker 1: So there you go.
00:25:43
Speaker 2: All right, coming up next, Indy Kalou, my TV co-host partner, joins us next to talk about this team, this roster as well.
00:25:51
Speaker 1: We'll do that right here on Texans All Access.
00:25:54
Speaker 2: 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.
00:26:06
Speaker 1: Andy Kalou.
00:26:09
Speaker 2: 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.
00:26:26
Speaker 1: So we asked Andy, what's that day really like?
00:26:29
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 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.
00:26:50
Speaker 4: 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?
00:27:01
Speaker 1: Tell us.
00:27:02
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.
00:28:06
Speaker 2: 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.
00:28:36
Speaker 1: To do that.
00:28:37
Speaker 2: 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?
00:28:50
Speaker 1: How much do you think that plays a role for him?
00:28:52
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 Harsh, 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.
00:29:37
Speaker 4: Andy, what's it like to practice without the entire team? 90-man roster 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.
00:29:49
Speaker 1: They adjusted it over the years.
00:29:50
Speaker 4: But when you get down to the 53 guys, and in your day, the practice squad was a lot skinnier than it is today.
00:29:57
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 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 detailed 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. You know, 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, 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 are 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.
00:31:46
Speaker 2: It 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 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.
00:32:34
Speaker 1: Whatever, and then he makes a team.
00:32:36
Speaker 2: How good are the guys feeling today for Jared Wayne having made the initial 53-man roster?
00:32:43
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. when the rest of the guys are building houses in Paraland 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 helped fill the void of the Brevin Jordan who's gone. And you feel bad for him because he never really had a chance to show himself due to injuries. But then when you get a guy like Jared Wayne, 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.
00:33:50
Speaker 1: Jeez.
00:33:50
Speaker 4: We didn't talk about Brevin yet and we weren't going to lead with that or anything, but that's a guy that I feel for so much because he's worked so hard and And to see him not be able to be there, he was on side field and stuff like that a little bit with the squad, but just not enough to be able to show that he was back and contribute, and that's just a sad story. Andy, 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, they'll be better. I don't know how much better, but I really believe they'll be better this year. Better line play, better running game, better defense. But I can't say how much better yet until we all see it. What are your thoughts on the subject?
00:34:33
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 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. So, yeah. 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.
00:36:32
Speaker 2: 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.
00:36:48
Speaker 1: He goes back to the Rams.
00:36:50
Speaker 2: 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?
00:37:22
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 fan. huge aaron donald fan matter of fact he's one of the few guys that i i told 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 uh i'm 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.
00:38:45
Speaker 4: Andy, update us on the kid inventory and what everybody's doing athletically.
00:38:49
Speaker 1: I can't even keep track, my friend. Just go ahead. Tell the audience.
00:38:52
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?
00:39:27
Speaker 6: Beautiful.
00:39:30
Speaker 2: In Gainesville so yeah you headed that one Indy.
00:39:35
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.
00:39:54
Speaker 1: Enjoy Gainesville. Yeah. All right, have fun. I've seen people have too much enjoyment in Gainesville. I don't think Andy's going to suffer from that.
00:40:01
Speaker 2: I don't think so, but you've got to be careful. That Pike House is close to the stadium.
00:40:05
Speaker 1: Okay, well, have fun, Andy. Thanks so much.
00:40:07
Speaker 5: All right, thank you. Y'all keep up the good work.
00:40:09
Speaker 1: Y'all go to Gainesville. Y'all stay away from that Pike House, man. That's a.
00:40:14
Speaker 2: 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.
00:40:29
Speaker 1: All right, we got the General coming up next.
00:40:32
Speaker 2: 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.
00:40:37
Speaker 1: All right, we got one final segment.
00:40:39
Speaker 2: This Monday edition of Texans All Access from the Texans Radio Studio.
00:40:43
Speaker 1: I'm your host, John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans.
00:40:48
Speaker 2: It's time to catch up with LaHenry Rowe.
00:40:52
Speaker 1: El Heneral.
00:40:52
Speaker 2: 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.
00:41:03
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.
00:42:10
Speaker 2: 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 IRDTR, Injured Reserve designated to return. Your thoughts about Tank going on that list to start off the 2026 season.
00:42:31
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. And.
00:42:45
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.
00:43:33
Speaker 4: 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?
00:43:51
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 talk 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, Indy, 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, 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 faced more second and third and longs than any quarterback in the league.
00:45:09
Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely.
00:45:10
Speaker 2: 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?
00:45:42
Speaker 6: The injury's 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 told you guys before when the offense was out there, I'm like, Julie, 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.
00:46:41
Speaker 2: All right, the general was freaking awesome, as always, and you guys are as well for joining us on the show. There will be plenty of news that comes out. We mentioned a lot of it earlier with some practice issues squad signings that are taking place. I don't think the Texans have made it official. I've been able to mount it to the computer while I've been in the air, but it does appear they've been doing some things. Lewis Bond, Juart Jordan, those two coming back. Mitchell Tinsley, formerly of the Bengals. becoming a Texans practice squad member. James Neal, who played tackle, a rookie at Iowa State as well. Those are just some of the names of guys that are rejoining the Texans through the practice squad.
00:47:28
Speaker 1: So appreciate you guys being with me this evening.
00:47:31
Speaker 2: More tomorrow where things get really finalized. The 53 gets buttoned up. Practice squad going to be announced. And oh, by the way, that's right. The jerseys, the rivalry jerseys at the team store. Cannot wait. That's going to be freaking awesome. We'll see you guys tomorrow. And as always, go Texans.
Speaker 1: What's happening, everybody?
00:00:01
Speaker 2: Welcome to Monday edition of Texans All Access from the Texans Radio Studio. I am John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans.
00:00:12
Speaker 1: And it has been a kind of.
00:00:13
Speaker 2: Wild day, if you will, for all NFL teams. The transaction wire has been going crazy throughout the day. Now, the Texans have not announced their practice squad and probably not going to do it until it's fully all taken care.
00:00:31
Speaker 1: Of by tomorrow, I believe, is the day.
00:00:34
Speaker 2: So that's when you'll get the full practice squad. But you're starting to see some information leak out coming from sources, coming from agents, etc. Aaron Wilson's doing the Lord's work, of course, getting us all the information he that we could handle. There were no waiver claims made by the Texans. Now, I made that point this morning. The Texans were sitting 28th in the waiver claim order, and it's based on, I think, last year's draft, maybe.
00:01:07
Speaker 1: I think that's what it was.
00:01:08
Speaker 2: Maybe, I don't know. I can't remember exactly. But they were sitting 28th. No team beyond 24th. actually made a claim other than the New England Patriots. Texans did not make a waiver claim or not have one awarded to them. Now they may have made a claim, but it may have been a player that got picked up before it got to them. So no waiver claims for the Texans and only one player that they waived.
00:01:36
Speaker 1: Was picked up again. Ironically, it's Jarrett Kingston.
00:01:39
Speaker 2: I say ironically because last year the Texans made a waiver claim and it was Jarrett Kingston. This year, Kingston waived by the Texans. He was then claimed by the Dolphins, who I pointed out this morning that some teams treat it as a second draft. And with the cap issues the Dolphins have, they had to do some things.
00:01:58
Speaker 1: And they did.
00:01:58
Speaker 2: They made seven, seven waiver claims that immediately go to the 53-man roster. So the Dolphins... making things happen with their waiver claims today. Uh, but still a busy day practice squad. Some of the news and notes, just some of the things that we've seen, uh, appears Lewis Bond is coming back to the practice squad. Uh, it appears that George Odom, uh, who spent the last week with the Texans did really nice job in that third preseason game is coming back, uh, to the practice squad for the Texans. Dominique Robinson, and we talked about this happening. This happened with John Weeks back, and I can't remember the year, but I remember seeing John Weeks had gotten released, and I almost lost my stuff.
00:02:46
Speaker 1: This was probably four or five years ago.
00:02:49
Speaker 2: Come to find out it was just a procedural thing that they had to do to kind of satisfy the league that they were then going to bring him back and sign him back, and it appears that's what's happening with Dominique Robinson. that they had to do it for kind of just semantics, I guess, and just to be, you know, I guess cap compliant or whatever it might be. But it does appear that Dominique Robinson is coming back to the roster. Now, there seemingly will be another transaction that goes with that, but it appears that Dominique Robinson is going to come back. James Neal, the rookie tackle, it appears he is going to come back on the practice squad postseason. Naquan Jones, it appears, is not. It looks like he is going to try and find his way with another squad.
00:03:38
Speaker 1: And I love Naquan. I really do.
00:03:40
Speaker 2: I think he's a really, really neat guy. And I wish him the best wherever he goes. Now this one, I just saw it within the last half hour or so. Mitchell Tinsley, who had been with the Bengals. The Texans are adding him to their practice squad. That dude can ball. I'm really excited about that. So they'll have Lewis Bond, Mitchell Tinsley on the practice squad, or so it appears. And again, nothing formalized from the Texans just yet. My guess is that's going to either come in the morning or the afternoon tomorrow. But some things happening with the practice squad roster in particular. Okay, let's get to our buddy 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.
00:04:32
Speaker 3: 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 little while but never really got the true opportunity. They gave it to him this preseason. Boy, did he make the most of it.
00:04:55
Speaker 4: 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.
00:05:06
Speaker 1: But we presume he's going to stay there. Did spend a little time.
00:05:09
Speaker 4: 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?
00:05:29
Speaker 3: 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 faced that caliber of players. So there may be some struggles there. 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 on Sunday when you're facing guys like Ed Oliver at times that are over you or 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.
00:06:34
Speaker 1: Dexter Lawrence in week two, man. Holy smokes.
00:06:37
Speaker 2: 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?
00:06:53
Speaker 1: All that kind of stuff.
00:06:54
Speaker 2: But then you run into people that are outside the market and they just ask you, well, how good is this offense?
00:06:59
Speaker 1: I mean, a very simple question seemingly.
00:07:02
Speaker 2: 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?
00:07:12
Speaker 3: I think it can 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. It's all up front. That's what makes the running game go. That's obviously what's going to make C.J.
00:07:54
Speaker 5: Go.
00:07:54
Speaker 3: And I don't feel like I needed to talk about C.J.
00:07:59
Speaker 5: Being the most important.
00:08:00
Speaker 3: 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.
00:08:15
Speaker 4: 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?
00:08:30
Speaker 1: There are several teams keeping four quarterbacks.
00:08:33
Speaker 4: 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.
00:09:02
Speaker 1: How do you do it?
00:09:03
Speaker 3: 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're not taking– 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. So 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.
00:10:01
Speaker 2: Dre, when kind of go back to my other question, we talked 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.
00:10:14
Speaker 1: There's no question about that.
00:10:16
Speaker 2: But again, if somebody were to get banged up here or somebody were to get banged up there, what are the holes? I think about a lot of those things. So I'll ask you, do you have a concern about the defense? The top 11, those guys have been together. Obviously, Reid is added to the mix. But that top 10 guys on defense, they've been together now for a second year, some going on their third year together. Do you see something on defense where you go, you know what, man? 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?
00:10:55
Speaker 3: 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.
00:11:39
Speaker 5: It would be the, it'd be the linebacker group.
00:11:41
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:11:41
Speaker 1: I think, I would say that too. That's exactly.
00:11:44
Speaker 2: And I said this earlier, Dre, I think the loss EJ speed is going to be bigger than people think.
00:11:49
Speaker 1: What do you think about that?
00:11:50
Speaker 3: Yeah. Oh, I think so. 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 coming. 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, you know, the way he competes, that's hard to replace.
00:12:25
Speaker 4: Yeah, and I think that's one of those free agent signings where, okay, let's put him in the mix.
00:12:29
Speaker 1: See what happens.
00:12:30
Speaker 4: If it doesn't work out, we got a lot of guys. Still had Christian Harris at the time. I know they're different, but obviously Christian Harris didn't make it here, and E.J. 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 K. Sean 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?
00:13:05
Speaker 3: 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 was a heck of a trade and a guy that's familiar with With the offense, having obviously been in New England with Josh McDaniel, he knows this offense. And maybe some things may be called 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 season.
00:14:00
Speaker 2: Okay, this is for all three of us. So each week we have to do a sleeper of the game.
00:14:06
Speaker 1: Our friends at Matches Firm. Yes.
00:14:08
Speaker 2: I want your sleeper of the year.
00:14:10
Speaker 1: Okay.
00:14:11
Speaker 4: Sleeper of the year. So somebody that we're not really talking about. Somebody we're not really talking about too much. Now, listen, we've had sleepers over the years that weren't even on the roster when the year started and then, you know, 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.
00:14:31
Speaker 2: I'm saying somebody that's on the roster right now that you go, that guy is my.
00:14:37
Speaker 1: Sleeper of the year.
00:14:38
Speaker 5: I got one.
00:14:39
Speaker 1: Okay, 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.
00:14:45
Speaker 3: Of this guy. I think he's going to steal, but go ahead.
00:14:48
Speaker 1: Okay, let's see.
00:14:49
Speaker 4: 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.
00:15:06
Speaker 1: I'm not saying that.
00:15:08
Speaker 4: 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. I think this is 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.
00:15:34
Speaker 1: And that was an intangible, really.
00:15:37
Speaker 4: But the tangible things are good blocker and a guy who could also score for you. Make some big first down catches. 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.
00:15:53
Speaker 2: 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.
00:16:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, the eye kick touchdown. All right, Foster Moore, I like it. All right, Dre, you ready? Did he steal yours?
00:16:07
Speaker 3: 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.
00:16:59
Speaker 2: So I thought about just positions that we talked about. I feel like we 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.
00:17:09
Speaker 1: Kai Kroger. Ooh, punter. All right.
00:17:13
Speaker 2: 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.
00:17:28
Speaker 1: Evan's done a really good job holding up.
00:17:30
Speaker 2: 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.
00:17:47
Speaker 3: Right.
00:17:47
Speaker 1: He'd still be here if they like the job he did.
00:17:50
Speaker 2: And Kai early in camp was wayward. I mean, he just he couldn't hit the strike zone.
00:17:56
Speaker 1: It was tough.
00:17:57
Speaker 2: But then he started getting in a little bit of a groove. He started seeing the hang time. He started seeing the distance.
00:18:02
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's been better.
00:18:03
Speaker 2: And then you start thinking about the way this team covers on special teams. If he is good, then this defense, I mean, 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.
00:18:36
Speaker 1: I love it. Dre, your thoughts on that?
00:18:38
Speaker 3: Yeah, what do they say? End every drive with a kick.
00:18:42
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:18:42
Speaker 3: 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. defensively and you've got playmakers everywhere. So yeah, I like, I love the formula.
00:19:11
Speaker 1: Okay.
00:19:12
Speaker 4: So the midday show called in the loop on 95, seven, the fan has this thing called lunchtime confessions. So I have a confession for you guys and I want you to evaluate this.
00:19:21
Speaker 5: All right.
00:19:22
Speaker 4: You tell me how I should feel, how this should be considered by others when I'm about to confess. And the confession is I'm ready for bill Belichick to win again.
00:19:33
Speaker 1: I am. You've lost your damn mind. Hang on, hang on. I'm going to tell you something. I'm going to tell you something.
00:19:38
Speaker 3: No, he's gone off the deep end.
00:19:40
Speaker 4: He's like the evil emperor. 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.
00:19:50
Speaker 3: I don't know.
00:19:51
Speaker 1: I just.
00:19:52
Speaker 4: I don't want him to... I don't want him to come back into the league. You know, he haunted us for ages.
00:19:57
Speaker 1: And the whole league. But I'm like.
00:20:00
Speaker 4: you know, just went a little bit in college and then go off and get into the hall of fame.
00:20:03
Speaker 1: And the rest is the rest.
00:20:05
Speaker 3: I don't know.
00:20:05
Speaker 1: Should I feel horrible about this? Take your piece of, you know, what right now, go get it.
00:20:10
Speaker 3: No, you know, I could, I could go at it, but you know, as I sit and hear him out, Bill is misunderstood a little bit. You know, there are times that people have tried to emulate bill, but Belichick that is, but unsuccessfully. So, but yeah, Yeah, 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, you know, 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 side. 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.
00:21:03
Speaker 5: I get it.
00:21:04
Speaker 1: Johnny. You guys. See, he heard me out at least. Ray, listen. You guys. This is confession. I don't get absolution. It's a good confession.
00:21:15
Speaker 2: 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 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.
00:21:30
Speaker 1: It is very weird.
00:21:31
Speaker 2: 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.
00:21:42
Speaker 1: But I'll say this. They went to Ireland, and they're better. They played better.
00:21:48
Speaker 2: 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.
00:22:01
Speaker 1: Now, do they get to a bowl game? Do they whatever? Here's the thing to me about Belichick.
00:22:06
Speaker 2: I think at North Carolina, what got him in trouble at North Carolina is his girlfriend and Mike Lombardi.
00:22:13
Speaker 1: He got rid of one of them.
00:22:16
Speaker 2: 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.
00:22:28
Speaker 1: You could miss me with that character.
00:22:30
Speaker 2: You could miss me with that dude.
00:22:33
Speaker 1: Now, girlfriend, look.
00:22:36
Speaker 2: 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.
00:22:48
Speaker 1: They finally got a little bit more talent, and I think it's better that way.
00:22:51
Speaker 3: 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 call, ever. It was horrible. Bad quarterback play across the board. But to see them Saturday against TCU, they looked a thousand times better.
00:23:21
Speaker 5: More buttoned up.
00:23:22
Speaker 3: 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.
00:23:40
Speaker 1: What about UH and Oregon State this Saturday?
00:23:43
Speaker 5: Yeah.
00:23:44
Speaker 3: Yes, sir. Can't wait to open the season right here in Houston at home against the Oregon State Beavers.
00:23:53
Speaker 1: They're coming down.
00:23:53
Speaker 3: 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.
00:24:19
Speaker 1: Everybody hydrate, okay? Oh, yeah. You got to hydrate. Wear a hat, hydrate. Did you see Hard Knocks this week? No, not yet. They fly from Seattle. Did you see it, Dre?
00:24:30
Speaker 3: It won't be too bad heat-wise, Mark, if you're talking about this weekend, because it's an 11 a.m. kick. But you got to get there early.
00:24:40
Speaker 1: That's for sure.
00:24:42
Speaker 4: What about at 1 o'clock or 2 o'clock when the game's still going on?
00:24:45
Speaker 2: 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.
00:24:50
Speaker 4: You're going to be wishing for Lambeau Field when you're at TDECU on Saturday.
00:24:56
Speaker 1: I can't wait for Lambeau. He's in a nice air-conditioned booth.
00:25:01
Speaker 3: Dre will be just fine this weekend. I will make it through Saturday from 11 to 2 or 3 o'clock.
00:25:08
Speaker 1: Wait, we've seen you bring space heaters.
00:25:10
Speaker 4: You were literally hugging a space heater during a broadcast or two in recent memory.
00:25:15
Speaker 1: Do you bring a little cooler?
00:25:17
Speaker 3: I've got fans. If I need a little mist every once in a while, I've got that covered too.
00:25:23
Speaker 2: 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.
00:25:42
Speaker 1: So there you go.
00:25:43
Speaker 2: All right, coming up next, Indy Kalou, my TV co-host partner, joins us next to talk about this team, this roster as well.
00:25:51
Speaker 1: We'll do that right here on Texans All Access.
00:25:54
Speaker 2: 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.
00:26:06
Speaker 1: Andy Kalou.
00:26:09
Speaker 2: 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.
00:26:26
Speaker 1: So we asked Andy, what's that day really like?
00:26:29
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 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.
00:26:50
Speaker 4: 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?
00:27:01
Speaker 1: Tell us.
00:27:02
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.
00:28:06
Speaker 2: 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.
00:28:36
Speaker 1: To do that.
00:28:37
Speaker 2: 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?
00:28:50
Speaker 1: How much do you think that plays a role for him?
00:28:52
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 Harsh, 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.
00:29:37
Speaker 4: Andy, what's it like to practice without the entire team? 90-man roster 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.
00:29:49
Speaker 1: They adjusted it over the years.
00:29:50
Speaker 4: But when you get down to the 53 guys, and in your day, the practice squad was a lot skinnier than it is today.
00:29:57
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 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 detailed 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. You know, 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, 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 are 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.
00:31:46
Speaker 2: It 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 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.
00:32:34
Speaker 1: Whatever, and then he makes a team.
00:32:36
Speaker 2: How good are the guys feeling today for Jared Wayne having made the initial 53-man roster?
00:32:43
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. when the rest of the guys are building houses in Paraland 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 helped fill the void of the Brevin Jordan who's gone. And you feel bad for him because he never really had a chance to show himself due to injuries. But then when you get a guy like Jared Wayne, 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.
00:33:50
Speaker 1: Jeez.
00:33:50
Speaker 4: We didn't talk about Brevin yet and we weren't going to lead with that or anything, but that's a guy that I feel for so much because he's worked so hard and And to see him not be able to be there, he was on side field and stuff like that a little bit with the squad, but just not enough to be able to show that he was back and contribute, and that's just a sad story. Andy, 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, they'll be better. I don't know how much better, but I really believe they'll be better this year. Better line play, better running game, better defense. But I can't say how much better yet until we all see it. What are your thoughts on the subject?
00:34:33
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 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. So, yeah. 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.
00:36:32
Speaker 2: 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.
00:36:48
Speaker 1: He goes back to the Rams.
00:36:50
Speaker 2: 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?
00:37:22
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 fan. huge aaron donald fan matter of fact he's one of the few guys that i i told 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 uh i'm 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.
00:38:45
Speaker 4: Andy, update us on the kid inventory and what everybody's doing athletically.
00:38:49
Speaker 1: I can't even keep track, my friend. Just go ahead. Tell the audience.
00:38:52
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?
00:39:27
Speaker 6: Beautiful.
00:39:30
Speaker 2: In Gainesville so yeah you headed that one Indy.
00:39:35
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.
00:39:54
Speaker 1: Enjoy Gainesville. Yeah. All right, have fun. I've seen people have too much enjoyment in Gainesville. I don't think Andy's going to suffer from that.
00:40:01
Speaker 2: I don't think so, but you've got to be careful. That Pike House is close to the stadium.
00:40:05
Speaker 1: Okay, well, have fun, Andy. Thanks so much.
00:40:07
Speaker 5: All right, thank you. Y'all keep up the good work.
00:40:09
Speaker 1: Y'all go to Gainesville. Y'all stay away from that Pike House, man. That's a.
00:40:14
Speaker 2: 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.
00:40:29
Speaker 1: All right, we got the General coming up next.
00:40:32
Speaker 2: 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.
00:40:37
Speaker 1: All right, we got one final segment.
00:40:39
Speaker 2: This Monday edition of Texans All Access from the Texans Radio Studio.
00:40:43
Speaker 1: I'm your host, John Harris, football analyst, sideline reporter for your Houston Texans.
00:40:48
Speaker 2: It's time to catch up with LaHenry Rowe.
00:40:52
Speaker 1: El Heneral.
00:40:52
Speaker 2: 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.
00:41:03
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.
00:42:10
Speaker 2: 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 IRDTR, Injured Reserve designated to return. Your thoughts about Tank going on that list to start off the 2026 season.
00:42:31
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. And.
00:42:45
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.
00:43:33
Speaker 4: 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?
00:43:51
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 talk 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, Indy, 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, 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 faced more second and third and longs than any quarterback in the league.
00:45:09
Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely.
00:45:10
Speaker 2: 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?
00:45:42
Speaker 6: The injury's 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 told you guys before when the offense was out there, I'm like, Julie, 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.
00:46:41
Speaker 2: All right, the general was freaking awesome, as always, and you guys are as well for joining us on the show. There will be plenty of news that comes out. We mentioned a lot of it earlier with some practice issues squad signings that are taking place. I don't think the Texans have made it official. I've been able to mount it to the computer while I've been in the air, but it does appear they've been doing some things. Lewis Bond, Juart Jordan, those two coming back. Mitchell Tinsley, formerly of the Bengals. becoming a Texans practice squad member. James Neal, who played tackle, a rookie at Iowa State as well. Those are just some of the names of guys that are rejoining the Texans through the practice squad.
00:47:28
Speaker 1: So appreciate you guys being with me this evening.
00:47:31
Speaker 2: More tomorrow where things get really finalized. The 53 gets buttoned up. Practice squad going to be announced. And oh, by the way, that's right. The jerseys, the rivalry jerseys at the team store. Cannot wait. That's going to be freaking awesome. We'll see you guys tomorrow. And as always, go Texans.
