1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: What's happening, everybody. Welcome to Wednesday edition of Texans All Access. Man, 2 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:10,120 Speaker 1: it's good to be back John Harris alongside Mark Vandermere, 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: and we will start the show with well, I could 4 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: say it now. He's our good friend. He's a general 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: manager of your Houston Texans, Nick Cassario. And we got 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: a little h GB question that will arise. In fact, 7 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: we're gonna ask Nick about this, So let's get to it. 8 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: We got a chance to catch up with the general 9 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 1: manager of your Houston Texans. Been a little busy lately, 10 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: kind of chided me for you see me in like 11 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: a month. Yeah, I was in Mobile. He was hiring 12 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 1: a coach. I mean, you gotta do what you gotta do, right, 13 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: So here we go, Mark me Nick, let's roll here 14 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:47,200 Speaker 1: in the Hunday Texans radio studio for the first time 15 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 1: sort of in twenty twenty three. It's Nick Cassario, general 16 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:52,919 Speaker 1: manager of your Texans. How's it going, Nick, Oh, it's 17 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: great to be here. Good to see you. Good to 18 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: see you. I know you've been busy, new head coach, 19 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: putting a staff together, putting evaluation together for the season. 20 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: So give us a little update of what you've been 21 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: doing since the press conference introducing Tobeco. Ryan's yeah, no, 22 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: it's been great, kind of full speed ahead. So we've 23 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 1: kind of been immersed in a little bit of everything. 24 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:13,919 Speaker 1: First and foremost was the focus on the coaching staff. 25 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: Trying to solidify the staff. Went through a process there 26 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 1: last week, multiple moving parts, but just trying to identify 27 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 1: some different people and players that are excumey coaches that 28 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 1: we thought you would be a fit for what we're doing. 29 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: So that was the primary focus. Now that we kind 30 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: of have i would say the majority of the staff 31 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:35,199 Speaker 1: in place, we've kind of transitioned to the new staff 32 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: sort of familiarizing themselves with our team, so to have 33 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 1: an understanding of what we have here, both players on 34 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: the roster and then players that will be free agents 35 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: before we transition to looking at players externally in terms 36 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: of who's going to be available league wide, So that's 37 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: kind of the bucket for the coaches. And on the 38 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: scouting side, we actually have our staff here, college scouting 39 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: staff here, so we're going through our second round of 40 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: draft meetings where this is a little bit more granular 41 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: in terms of the evaluation, where we actually talk about 42 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 1: the player what's the role, what's the vision, what's the grade, 43 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: how do we see that player? And then earmarking some 44 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,360 Speaker 1: players that we haven't had the opportunity to visit with 45 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: in terms of underclassmen, will have an interaction with them 46 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: at the combine. So that's what the last college seven 47 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: to ten days have entailed. We'll get through the week 48 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: with our college draft meetings, kind of have an open 49 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 1: week last week, excuse me, next week, which will be 50 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: for our staff's coaching staff, and then the following week 51 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:34,639 Speaker 1: will be the combine and that will entail some other 52 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,399 Speaker 1: activities as well. So trying to balance everything off, trying 53 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: to be cognizant of how much we put on a 54 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: coaching staff. They'll be involved in the evaluation process, but 55 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 1: just kind of balancing that all off relative to the 56 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: work that we've done to this point. I'm sure that's 57 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: been all fun and such. But I missed you mobile, 58 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 1: my man, the tape. Don't worry, I'm sure I'm sure 59 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:56,919 Speaker 1: caught off on it. I'm sure you did. So since 60 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: I wasn't here while that was going on, I was 61 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: watching from Afar, and obviously you know, didn't have a 62 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: chance to talk to you about that just the decision 63 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 1: to bring on Demko Ryans, what's that meant to you. 64 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: How's the relationship between the two of you and how 65 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:11,399 Speaker 1: much did you know Demko before this whole process? Yeah, 66 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 1: great question. We really didn't know each other all that well. 67 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: I think we knew of each other. Um played against 68 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: the teams that he was on here, both here in 69 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: Houston that we actually played against Philadelphia there at the 70 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 1: end when he was on the roster. So it was 71 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: really more for him afar and the first opportunity to 72 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: really get to know him a little bit more in 73 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: details when we interviewed him, you know, for the first time. 74 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: Obviously had an existing relationship with the organization. UM, so 75 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: let's say a little bit more intimate just from him 76 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 1: on a personal level. But when we actually from a 77 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: football standpoint, we really haven't had we didn't have that 78 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: much dialogue or discussion. But i'd say fast forward to 79 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: where we are now. I mean, it's been it's been 80 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: awesome the last however many days since he's been here. Um, 81 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: it's kind of funny, it's been he hasn't stopped because 82 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: he's gone from end of their season and he literally 83 00:03:57,360 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: flew out here the next day for our kind of 84 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: set can follow up interview, then we name him the 85 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: head coach. Then he went back to San fran Then 86 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: he came back for the press conference, then he went home. 87 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: And now he's been here and we I mean, we 88 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: have multiple discussions on a daily basis. He's actually been 89 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: in some of our draft meetings, so he's just starting 90 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: to hear about some of these players for the first time, 91 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,160 Speaker 1: sort of make some of his notes. So, I mean, 92 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: he's been really a joy to work with. I mean, 93 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: and I have a lot of respect and appreciation for him, 94 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: both on a personal and professional level. We understand we 95 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: have a lot of work ahead of us, but he's 96 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: been great to work with and just try to be 97 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,160 Speaker 1: a resource and a sounding board and just really us 98 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 1: kind of lean on each other a little bit, you know, 99 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 1: respect where he's coming from on some things. I have 100 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: some viewpoints and were kind of have to blend them 101 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:45,280 Speaker 1: together and ultimately into making good decisions for the organization. Nick, 102 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 1: good coaches can come from anywhere, but Demko was a player. 103 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: So coaches who have been players at a high level, 104 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,120 Speaker 1: especially at a leadership position the way he was, what 105 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: does that mean as they become a head coach, and 106 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 1: it feels like just a couple of months ago that 107 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: he was actually playing this game. Yet he's been coaching 108 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 1: for a while too. Yeah, there's certainly something to be 109 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:04,359 Speaker 1: said for it, and you're starting to see when you 110 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: look around the league a little bit and it become 111 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:10,039 Speaker 1: a little bit more commonplace. You can't, I certainly can't 112 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:13,359 Speaker 1: reduplicate that. When you know you're with the player, you're 113 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: having a dialogue with the player. A coach that's a 114 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 1: player understands essentially every dynamic that the player might be 115 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:23,359 Speaker 1: going through, both on a personal level, both on a 116 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: professional level. What's a week to week kind of workload, 117 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: like what happens after a game? How do you feel 118 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: after the game? The mindset in the off season like 119 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:36,159 Speaker 1: that for a player to go through that, or having 120 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: gone through that, now he's looking at it through a 121 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 1: coach lens and to be able to have an understanding 122 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: of what the player that is sitting across from you 123 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: go through. It's it's huge when you look at the 124 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: AFC South, I mean, really, would you have three former 125 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: players that are head coaches in Mike Doug in Demiko. 126 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,040 Speaker 1: You know, Shane played but you know, it's a different dynamic. 127 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:58,480 Speaker 1: But I mean it's it's certainly valuable. It's not the 128 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: sole criteria when you factored into the overall equation. There's 129 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 1: certainly relevance and it's important. It ends up being maybe 130 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: more important than you realize, Nick, because you were talking 131 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: about basically your February as it's been. There's so many 132 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:16,159 Speaker 1: different different balls that you're juggling as you're trying to 133 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: get making sure that you guys are on point with 134 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:20,280 Speaker 1: what you want to do it to combine. You get 135 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: Demko hired, and now you're thinking about a coaching staff, 136 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:24,039 Speaker 1: and so I want to go there with this hiring 137 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: your coaching staff. I think, to the outside world, maybe 138 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: it's just well, you know this guy. So this guy 139 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:30,919 Speaker 1: comes in and you kind of move the chess pieces 140 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: around it. But it's at the building it feels a 141 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,600 Speaker 1: whole lot more difficult than that. What is kind of 142 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: the process as you go through of building a coaching 143 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 1: staff and what's the biggest thing that you look for 144 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 1: when you are trying to build that staff. Obviously Demiko 145 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 1: and what he wants to do, But how to difficult 146 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:50,119 Speaker 1: does that become to get together? How many other person's staff, 147 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: you're gonna have. No it's I mean, it's certainly a process. 148 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:56,280 Speaker 1: Fit is important, and really what we have to do 149 00:06:56,400 --> 00:07:00,279 Speaker 1: kind of is a staff is an organization is lie 150 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: on the people that we have here to gather information. 151 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: So everybody's going to have I would say, opinions. I've 152 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 1: worked with such and such a coach. He's could be 153 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: a good coach, a good fit. Well, what's important, what's 154 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 1: the criteria? What's important to the head coach? Is the 155 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 1: coach available? Is he interested in coming here? Can he 156 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: actually get out of his contract? Does he have other options? 157 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 1: So you have to weigh all those factors. But you 158 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: truly try to start at a macro level, on a 159 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: coordinator level, and then once you kind of fill in 160 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: the coordinator level, then supplement the rest of the infrastructure 161 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 1: on the respective side of the ball. And you have 162 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: to take into consideration your existing staff, because there could 163 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 1: be some coaches on the staff that was here previously 164 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: that end up staying, could be moving on from some 165 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: of those folks. You're going to be bringing in replacements 166 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: from other places, whether it's San Francisco or maybe they 167 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 1: were somebody else. So you rely on information. We've actually 168 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: had a fair amount of traffic in the building with 169 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 1: coaches that we interviewed. So to me go, I talk 170 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: to a number over zoom and then we distilled it 171 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: down and said, maybe there's two or three people that 172 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: we want to bring into the facilities, spend a little 173 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: more time with just to get a little more feel 174 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 1: and do a little more research, and then okay, once 175 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: you go through that, then you establish the coordinators. Then 176 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: some of the position coaches. Where are they coming from? 177 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:20,000 Speaker 1: Are they available? Are they have a commitment somewhere else? 178 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: So to your point, John, there's a lot of moving 179 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 1: parts and there's no right or wrong answer. You just 180 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: have to go with what you think makes the most sense. 181 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: And there's a few spots that we're still looking to 182 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: feel that are open. But you really just want to 183 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 1: make good, sound decisions, which essentially what we're trying to 184 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: do at all levels playing coaching operations. Staff, right people, 185 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: right fit, right process. Who are those people? Where do 186 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: they come from? And they could come from a myriad 187 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: of different spots. As you evaluate the players, the existing 188 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:52,319 Speaker 1: Texans guys under contract or maybe those whose contracts are expiring, 189 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 1: you might want to have back how is it different? 190 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 1: How does it help possibly to have Demko come in 191 00:08:56,920 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 1: and look at them with you and you're saying, well, 192 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: here's Damien p He's pretty good or whatever the case 193 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 1: may be, and getting a different perspective as the coaches 194 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:06,199 Speaker 1: come into the building. Yeah, it's important. I mean I 195 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: can have my opinions about like where we think the 196 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 1: team is, or what do we think of a certain player. 197 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:13,840 Speaker 1: He's taken the last you know, however many days he's 198 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 1: gone through our team, you know, which is a pretty 199 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: substantial exercise. But to familiarize himself with and we wouldn't 200 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: play we didn't play San Francisco. The should play him 201 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 1: in a preseason we played on last year in twenty 202 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: twenty one. So understanding our players, understanding our team, and 203 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 1: then if he has a question, then I can kind 204 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 1: of fill in the gaps. So let him kind of 205 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 1: create his own opinion, because you don't want to just 206 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 1: force an opinion on a player. Well here's what I think. Okay, 207 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:38,959 Speaker 1: Well it doesn't mean that's right. It just means, well, 208 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: here's maybe here's some background. Okay, how do you view 209 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: the player? Does this player fit? Do you think it 210 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: makes sense? So we've gone through some position fits. What's important, 211 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 1: what's important on a defensive line, what's important to defensive tackle, 212 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: what's important to defensive end, what's important a linebacker? Can 213 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:55,560 Speaker 1: you play with this person at nickel? What are some 214 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 1: of the criteria? And doing that on both sides of 215 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 1: the ball, so that as you're bringing players on to 216 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:04,560 Speaker 1: the team or considering players, you're factoring all those variables. 217 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 1: In timeline, we talked about a little bit combines coming 218 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 1: up in a couple of weeks. I think a couple 219 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: of weeks from tonight, we'll all be at the combine. 220 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 1: In some sense. The preparation for that, Nick, I know, 221 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: during the season you watch a ton of guys that 222 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:21,319 Speaker 1: are coming from college, so you're pretty much up on that. 223 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 1: But in having to spend time in getting the coaching 224 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: staff and getting to meet go right and doing all that, 225 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 1: you feel you're where you want to be as you 226 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 1: get ready to evaluate the twenty twenty three class and 227 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:32,199 Speaker 1: get ready to meet them for the first time at 228 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 1: the Senior Bowl. Yeah no, let's say we're in a 229 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: pretty combina. Yeah no, we're in a pretty good spot. 230 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: I mean, Lips done an unbelievable job just on a 231 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: college side kind of organizing that. So we've been able 232 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:42,319 Speaker 1: to kind of stay on track here a little bit 233 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:44,719 Speaker 1: with our evaluations, with our process. Some of the things 234 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 1: that we know that we need to do. Part of 235 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:49,920 Speaker 1: our job is with the coaching staff is just trying 236 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:52,440 Speaker 1: to figure out what's the right load a number of 237 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,720 Speaker 1: players for them to evaluate just philosophically what we believe in. 238 00:10:55,800 --> 00:11:00,079 Speaker 1: It's more of focus groups certain pockets of players as 239 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 1: opposed to here's a list of fifty, go ahead and 240 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 1: evaluate them. Like they have other things that they have 241 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: to focus on, playbook scheme, working with the staff, so 242 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 1: we have to be cognizant and respectful of their time, 243 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 1: but we also value their opinion. So that's why we 244 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:18,960 Speaker 1: have a scouting staff, college staff and a pro staff 245 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:20,959 Speaker 1: to kind of set the table on pro side and 246 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 1: free agency college side as we prepare for the combine 247 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:25,719 Speaker 1: and as we look forward to the draft. But that's 248 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:27,200 Speaker 1: where going back to what it is said little bit earlier, 249 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:28,840 Speaker 1: you're relying on the people that you have, and if 250 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: you have confidence in the people to do their job, 251 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:33,320 Speaker 1: then it sort of makes that transition as you're going 252 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: through a lot of different things A lot easier. So 253 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 1: you determine the job descriptions of everybody at the combine 254 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 1: before the combine, I gotta think. And when they get there, 255 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 1: we see assistant coaches of all varieties at the combine. 256 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 1: So are they looking at the drills and the bowl 257 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,200 Speaker 1: and their specific position group or does it change? Do 258 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:53,319 Speaker 1: they help out in the interviews sometimes a little bit 259 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: of everything there in Mark, I would say the primary focus, 260 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 1: I would say for us are the interviews, Not that 261 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: the work outs don't matter on the field, but all right, 262 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:04,720 Speaker 1: you just have to be careful about how much stock 263 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: you actually put into that. But it's a real good 264 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 1: opportunity and kind of in a formal setting, you have 265 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:11,199 Speaker 1: fifteen minutes, not that you're going to get anything accomplished 266 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:14,200 Speaker 1: in fifteen minutes, but you have an opportunity to sort 267 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: of get a feel for a player maybe had met with, 268 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: and then the informal interview process you can do a 269 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 1: little bit more of the heavy lifting. So I would say, 270 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 1: what we're noticing. What I'm noticing is more and more 271 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: teams are taking less and less people and less and 272 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 1: less coaching staff to the combine because they're better served 273 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: to kind of focus on football, But there's mechanisms and 274 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: the technology available. If you wanted to zoom coach in 275 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: or zoom somebody in during an interview, you have the 276 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:40,719 Speaker 1: capacity ability to do that. So I think it's being 277 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 1: efficient with your time, being productive with your time, and 278 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: what's the best way to kind of balance all that off, Nick, 279 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:48,640 Speaker 1: outside of the medicals, what's the most important piece of 280 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 1: information that you get from the combine? Yeah, it's probably 281 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 1: just the interview overall impression or a starting point of 282 00:12:57,440 --> 00:12:59,839 Speaker 1: what's let's say our focus is going to be mostly 283 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: on underclassmen who haven't been available, so no All Star Game, 284 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 1: you really haven't had an opportunity to interact with them 285 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 1: anywhere else. So it's a first opportunity to sit and 286 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:10,840 Speaker 1: have a conversation like this. And our approach is to 287 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 1: make it really more conversational with a player, not like 288 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: we have him walk in a room with you know, 289 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 1: fifty people with a camera and create an environment where 290 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:22,079 Speaker 1: like they're not really like you want to just to 291 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,200 Speaker 1: have a conversation about it. You know, it's not necessarily 292 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: background related, it's more kind of football related, kind of 293 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:29,679 Speaker 1: you know, how you arrive at this point, maybe what 294 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:30,839 Speaker 1: are some of the things that you did from a 295 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:33,439 Speaker 1: football standpoint, understanding that there's going to be more follow 296 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:34,959 Speaker 1: up work is a good chance that we're gonna have 297 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: to do on a majority of the players that we 298 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 1: even visit with their Yeah, i'd do well in that 299 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:42,320 Speaker 1: fifty people of the camera interview, by the way, Yeah, 300 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 1: the conversationally, you'd do what too. I could probably handle that. 301 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:51,079 Speaker 1: It's the playing part where I couldn't thrive. Nick, As 302 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:53,440 Speaker 1: we talk about players and it's the time of year 303 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:56,079 Speaker 1: in the media, everybody's talking about these draftable players and 304 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, this guy's so great or whatever, how 305 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: do you evaluate ethic? Is there any other way to 306 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: do it than talk to people who have worked with 307 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 1: them so you can see or get anecdotal evidence anyway, 308 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 1: and how they got from point A to point B 309 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 1: in the amount of effort they put in, how do 310 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:12,960 Speaker 1: you evaluate that? Sure, that's a part of it. And 311 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:16,200 Speaker 1: then also have we seen it so the area scout 312 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: when he went into the school, when he watched him practice, 313 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 1: when he watched him play, what were his habits, what 314 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 1: were some of his mannerisms or does what the staff 315 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: actually says, does that match up with what we actually see. 316 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 1: So I think that's we put the kind of the 317 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 1: onus on the area scout or the scout that goes 318 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:36,520 Speaker 1: into the school. Don't just rely on what somebody's telling you. 319 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 1: If there's something that refuses what they're telling you, like, 320 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:41,680 Speaker 1: you have a responsibility to articulate that. So don't just 321 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: kind of take it at face value, because I would 322 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: say sometimes the majority of the time it matches up, 323 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: but there's sometimes they say one thing. We may go 324 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: out to practice or watch the game and say, wait 325 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 1: a minute, like this doesn't match up, So then it 326 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:57,080 Speaker 1: forces you deeper dive. So the most important thing is 327 00:14:57,120 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: to get the right information so that we can make 328 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: an accurate assessment. And then any end, we have to say, 329 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:05,120 Speaker 1: here's what we think we are inheriting when he comes 330 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: into building. Here are the things that we're going to 331 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 1: have to improve or work on to get to the 332 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: player to a point where he can perform at a 333 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: good level for our team. So you're gonna tell us 334 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 1: right now you're drafting at two and twelve, exactly is 335 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 1: that going to happen? Exactly? We have plenty of time 336 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 1: to talk about that. Yeah, I would imagine you mentioned 337 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 1: something about information, and you maybe kind of answered it. 338 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 1: Is there such a thing as too much information? Too 339 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: much information? Not on information is good information? So we 340 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 1: take in and consume a lot of information. I would say, 341 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 1: I'd like to take in a lot of information and 342 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:42,200 Speaker 1: then just kind of crystallize it into a all right, 343 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 1: what's the bottom line. So whether it's character background, player reports, 344 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 1: analytical studies, medical information, you know, I like to consume 345 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:57,280 Speaker 1: a lot of information, but you don't want to any end. 346 00:15:57,280 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 1: You have to make a decision, and you can't. You 347 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: just have to at some point say all right, here's 348 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: what we're comfortable with. But rely again, like I talked 349 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:06,000 Speaker 1: about a little bit early, rely on the people that 350 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: are providing the information. I mean, our staff does an 351 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: unbelievable job, I would say, a really drilling down and 352 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 1: then doing follow up work. I'd say between now and 353 00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: the draft, the area scouts have already putting law of work. 354 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:18,400 Speaker 1: Now it's going to be kind of let's just go 355 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: back one more time. Let's make sure, Okay, this coach 356 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 1: had this to say about this player, or we've had 357 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 1: interaction at the All Star Game, there's something different. Hey, 358 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: let's go back. Maybe we got to talk to his 359 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: high school coach one more time. Hey, you know what, 360 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: I had a question about something. What's your interpretation? So 361 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: that's where you want to continue to drill down. Now 362 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 1: once you have a clear picture, put that to bed, 363 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: and then let's move on. So I think that's where 364 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 1: you have to be able to draw the line somewhere, 365 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: not just keep going back on a player when you 366 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,400 Speaker 1: started know what the answer is? All right, Somewhere in 367 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: this building, there's a draft board, and I promise I 368 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 1: won't go snooping around looking digitally. It's not like paper anymore. 369 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: Shock board. No, definitely is there a free agent board, 370 00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 1: a potential free agent board, like these are the guys 371 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 1: that we're interested in. Obviously you can't get them all, 372 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: and who knows what factors into that. But how does 373 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 1: that work? Yeah, it's the same idea. I would say 374 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 1: the numbers are probably a little bit less because at 375 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 1: some point you have to factor in the market and 376 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: the finances and look at the level of commitment that 377 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: you're a going to make and how many players you 378 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 1: can actually commit to at a certain level, figure out 379 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,159 Speaker 1: where you are financially. I would say, you know, we 380 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 1: certainly have a little bit of flexibility in terms of 381 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 1: free agency, but okay, it's one player at said cost 382 00:17:27,560 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: versus two or three players at a different cost. What's 383 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: the best thing for our team. Ultimately, we're going to 384 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: do what we feel is in the best interest of 385 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: our team. So the numbers are probably you're just dealing 386 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: with a smaller pool than you are kind of you're 387 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:41,439 Speaker 1: going from I don't know, one hundred and fifty to 388 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:44,679 Speaker 1: two hundred during the fall in the draft to whatever 389 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,520 Speaker 1: your number is that you would actually draft. So the 390 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: free agent process is similar. Realistically, you're not talking about 391 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 1: maybe more than twenty five thirty players in the end. 392 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 1: I would imagine this is just me reading it to 393 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:02,520 Speaker 1: this that as a GM, when you hear people say well, 394 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: they have cap space, that's got to be one of 395 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:07,239 Speaker 1: the worst things to hear because everybody expects, well, you 396 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: have cap space, you gotta go spend, and yet you 397 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:12,160 Speaker 1: have so many different things that I don't think people 398 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 1: are taking into account. You got the rookie class, you've 399 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 1: got some other renegotiating renegotiations. So yes, you do have 400 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: cap space, but nick that gets eaten up pretty pretty 401 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: quickly with one or two transactions. Either way, It's a 402 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 1: great point, John, And what we try to do is 403 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:30,240 Speaker 1: really look at it in two year windows or two 404 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 1: year blocks. So wherever we are currently here in March 405 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:35,200 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty three, I mean feb March of two 406 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:37,960 Speaker 1: twenty three, we'll go through the three agent process, will 407 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:40,960 Speaker 1: be at a certain point, however, many players we draft. Okay, 408 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,639 Speaker 1: there's another called eighteen to twenty million that you're probably 409 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,440 Speaker 1: going to eat up, and then you have operating expenses 410 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 1: during the course of the year that you're going to 411 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 1: practice squad injured reserve, So you want to make sure 412 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:55,240 Speaker 1: that you know you have a little bit of a 413 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:58,600 Speaker 1: room to operate more than anything, and then start to 414 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:00,119 Speaker 1: think about, all right, where are we going to be 415 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four, So you're kind of looking at it 416 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:05,680 Speaker 1: two year windows. But to your point, like one transaction 417 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:08,239 Speaker 1: could eat up a substantial amount doesn't mean that you 418 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 1: can't do it. It just means if you do that, 419 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:12,919 Speaker 1: there's going to be some level of trickle down and 420 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: you just have to be able to plan and adjust accordingly. 421 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: All right, Nick, We're gonna give away an HGIB gift 422 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:20,440 Speaker 1: card to a listener right now, one hundred dollars hib 423 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 1: gift card, and you're gonna help us decide what's my 424 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: favorite things to do? Go to the grocery. There we 425 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:29,120 Speaker 1: go every card. So you don't qualify because you're gonna 426 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: know the answer to the question, but you could help 427 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:34,800 Speaker 1: us decide what question it involves you and Johnny thought 428 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:37,520 Speaker 1: my question was too difficult. Don't say the answer. I 429 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: was gonna say, what coach in the top five all 430 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:44,040 Speaker 1: time wins went to your alma mater? Johnny thinks we 431 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:47,360 Speaker 1: should just ask what is your alma mater? Which question 432 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 1: should we ask for the HGIB gift card? I would say, 433 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,159 Speaker 1: probably what is the alma mater? Okay, that would just 434 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:57,240 Speaker 1: keep it simple. They might get the coach. Can I 435 00:19:57,280 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 1: actually I'll give you maybe a separate trivia queste okay, 436 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 1: probab he at least do credit to Burt Brier because 437 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:05,120 Speaker 1: I read this. So I think there's either four head 438 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:09,720 Speaker 1: coaches currently that went to high schools in northeast Ohio 439 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 1: within a forty five minute, uh fifty mile radius of 440 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 1: one another. So do you think there's something Do you 441 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:19,440 Speaker 1: think there's something to that the hotbed it is? Don't 442 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 1: ask me? Is that like sixties and seventies quarterbacks coming 443 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 1: from and we're not even counting Sirianni. So but oh, 444 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 1: he's not including ems. I found out the other day. 445 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,399 Speaker 1: I saw Sirianni's last game at Mount Union play, the 446 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 1: National championship game against Sint John's. My buddy of mine 447 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:36,119 Speaker 1: went to Saint John's and so we went to the game. 448 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:40,160 Speaker 1: I didn't realize I was watching Nick. He's not in 449 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:42,880 Speaker 1: that four. It's a different I think it's a different group. 450 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:44,920 Speaker 1: We won't say you're all the monitor, but Mount Union 451 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:47,960 Speaker 1: were they that was legal what they've been doing, right 452 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 1: with two hundred players or something like that. They have 453 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 1: their own farm system on campus. However they work it. No, 454 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:55,639 Speaker 1: I mean it's incredible. A coach Cara is built and 455 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:58,240 Speaker 1: kind of the a culture and environment that they created. 456 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 1: I mean it's I mean mind numbing. I mean that 457 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 1: was the only team. We didn't beat great teams. I mean, honestly, 458 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 1: I think over the course of I mean he to 459 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 1: ten years, they might have lost like six games. I 460 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:11,199 Speaker 1: mean it's just yea, and they were high volume and 461 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 1: they kind of and then your number a couple two hundred, 462 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: I mean that was yeah. I mean they had a 463 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 1: lot of good players, but they were well coached, They 464 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 1: were disciplined, they were highly productive offensively, they played smart 465 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:23,399 Speaker 1: and tough on defense. I mean they were I mean 466 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:25,879 Speaker 1: a great program and a lot of good people and 467 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 1: players and coaches have gone through there and have gone 468 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:32,160 Speaker 1: on and been very, very successful. First coach in Texans 469 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:34,959 Speaker 1: history Dom Caper's Mountain Union. Did you talk to him 470 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 1: about that when he was with the Patriots for a 471 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 1: brief time, they had a conversation about that. Yeah, he 472 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:42,480 Speaker 1: was best friends with Larry Carris. Yeah, there were roommates 473 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:44,480 Speaker 1: or something. Great. A lot of respect for that program, 474 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:46,239 Speaker 1: a lot of history, all right, Nick, thanks a lot 475 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 1: for joining us. Thanks guys, that was great stuff from 476 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:52,680 Speaker 1: Nick Cassario, general manager of your Houston Texans. Still got 477 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:56,159 Speaker 1: plenty of work there, man. His didn't do list. Speak 478 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:58,520 Speaker 1: with the pro scouts on free agency, speak with the 479 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:02,199 Speaker 1: college scouts on the draft, make sure the coaching search continues, 480 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 1: and help there. Man. There's a lot going on in 481 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:07,440 Speaker 1: Nick Casserio's world, and we appreciate him taking a few 482 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: minutes to chat with us about all of it. Now. 483 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:14,280 Speaker 1: One of the units that seemingly is in pretty good 484 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:16,399 Speaker 1: shape as we own a twenty twenty three is the 485 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:20,119 Speaker 1: secondary Each Wednesday, Mark and I'll pick a position and 486 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:22,520 Speaker 1: we'll break it down. We'll do that next right here 487 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:25,320 Speaker 1: in Texas All Access. Welcome back to Wednesday edition of 488 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 1: Texas All Access. Man, is it good to say that 489 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 1: I'm John Harris alongside Mark vander Meer. Still, we let 490 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:34,639 Speaker 1: Nick go off and do work that he needed to do. 491 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:39,320 Speaker 1: But Mark hib question, all right, So we decided that 492 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:43,879 Speaker 1: we would ask what alma mater belongs to Nick Casserio? Right, 493 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 1: all right? So answer that correctly? Where did he go 494 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 1: to college? In other words, get it right first? On 495 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: the tweet that promoted tonight show, it's a little photo 496 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:57,199 Speaker 1: of Johnny, Nick Casserio, and me, and you get it 497 00:22:57,280 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 1: right first. And the replies, and look, if there's a 498 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 1: little dispute, I'll just give away to gift cards. That's 499 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:04,640 Speaker 1: just how I like, did you do that? Yeah? That 500 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:07,159 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna be I'm not gonna be that I 501 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:09,680 Speaker 1: said that wrong. I like that we do that. Yeah, 502 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:11,880 Speaker 1: I mean you're you're driving the train on that. But 503 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: I can appreciate that for sure. It's a team effort, Johnny, 504 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,880 Speaker 1: the team effort. We talked a lot with Nick about 505 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:21,439 Speaker 1: the team. I'm at Texan's Voice, just so we have 506 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 1: that settled at Harris Football at Texans Voice. Uh, that's 507 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: what you want and need to know. Now we talk 508 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:32,120 Speaker 1: about Nick a lot about the combine, that's the future 509 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:34,280 Speaker 1: of the team. Yeah, we'll talk about the future of 510 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:37,639 Speaker 1: the team by position. I wrote yesterday about the secondary. 511 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 1: I'm giving my position breakdowns going through the secondary, trying 512 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 1: to figure out, all right, well, not what will the 513 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:48,359 Speaker 1: Texans do, But it's all my opinion, hasn't do with 514 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,720 Speaker 1: Nick or anything. Just where the Texans are, who's on 515 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: the roster, who's an unrestricted free agent, what they might 516 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:58,880 Speaker 1: do in free agency, and then where they might look 517 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:01,520 Speaker 1: in the draft. Okay, So when you think about secondary, 518 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 1: gut reaction right off the bat, secondary two safeties, two corners, 519 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 1: and Nicol thrown in there. What's your read just gut 520 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 1: reaction to what's available or what this secondary will look 521 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: like in twenty twenty three. Just so you know, here's 522 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:19,880 Speaker 1: here's the breakdown of who's back. Who's definitely back at 523 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:22,360 Speaker 1: least as far as we as you know right now. Yeah, 524 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:27,000 Speaker 1: Steven Nelson, Jaylen Petrie, Derek Stanley, Desmond King, Eric Murray, 525 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:33,560 Speaker 1: Kobe Francis Grayland Arnold. Also, Nick added two defensive backs, 526 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:37,879 Speaker 1: D'Angelo Ross and Knar Holman. They signed reserve contracts, so 527 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,679 Speaker 1: they're on board as well. So free agents in the 528 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 1: back end Jonathan Owens, Traymont Smith, m J. Stewart, Tap Thomas. 529 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:50,840 Speaker 1: That's what we know right now as it sits okay, 530 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:54,399 Speaker 1: your gut reaction to how this where the secondary is 531 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 1: and what you think the offseason might bring to the secondary. 532 00:24:57,520 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: So Jo is gonna be a free agent? How's this 533 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 1: to go in the Biles household? That's what I want 534 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:05,359 Speaker 1: to know. If he's not back, she's still gonna be 535 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 1: friends with us. It's a business. She knows this. She's 536 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 1: from Houston, right, so I think can look if he 537 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:15,680 Speaker 1: gets more money elsewhere, that's a business decision for him 538 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 1: to and he would have gotten that money by having 539 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:20,520 Speaker 1: an opportunity to play here last year. Yeah, so it's 540 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 1: all good for everybody. But we'll see how that goes. 541 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 1: But I think, obviously him being a free agent, you 542 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:26,760 Speaker 1: have to look there first, Johnny, because I do like 543 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 1: the accommodation of Stanley and Nelson, and do they at 544 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 1: you said is Bad is still under contract and Dees 545 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: is a valuable player for this team. I have a theory. 546 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:38,120 Speaker 1: You wanna hear my theory. You're wanna keep going ahead. 547 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:40,600 Speaker 1: Des was at the Demiko Ryan's press conference. By the way, 548 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:44,359 Speaker 1: if you end up losing Jonathan and he takes you know, 549 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:48,119 Speaker 1: he goes somewhere else. Yeah, what about Desmond King transitioning 550 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:51,159 Speaker 1: to safety, doing the Kareem Jackson thing that should have 551 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 1: been done well before it actually happened, and actually moving 552 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 1: Desmond King to safety in this defense? I think ball 553 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 1: skills wise, absolutely. You tell me about tackling if that 554 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:05,680 Speaker 1: is there, Joe had a billion tackles. Now, look, twenty 555 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:08,919 Speaker 1: five guys down field. That's not always the sexiest thing 556 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:10,320 Speaker 1: in the world, but you have to stop them from 557 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:13,160 Speaker 1: inflicting further damage, and you have to ultimately be able 558 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:15,959 Speaker 1: to bring those guys down. He might welcome something like 559 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,199 Speaker 1: that as he advances in his career. He's twenty eight 560 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:20,640 Speaker 1: years old now, so maybe that's something that Dez would 561 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 1: look at. Maybe that's something they would look at. I 562 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:25,360 Speaker 1: still think they're going to draft or bring in another safety. 563 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:29,280 Speaker 1: You said Murray's gone too right. Murray still Murray's and 564 00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:32,959 Speaker 1: his depth player for them. And look, m J. Stewart 565 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:35,520 Speaker 1: had some moments did he at the end of the year, 566 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:37,680 Speaker 1: the last four or five games of the year, all 567 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 1: year on special teams, last probably seventy eight games of 568 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:42,159 Speaker 1: the year. You got more time at safety, and he 569 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 1: did some good things back there, for sure. You know what, 570 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:46,480 Speaker 1: You and I find this stuff exciting, and maybe the 571 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:50,239 Speaker 1: average casual fan doesn't. But the guys they sign, like 572 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:55,480 Speaker 1: the Kings, Treymont Smiths and MJ. Stewarts, those players make 573 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:58,920 Speaker 1: plays they do. You need those players. So we'll see 574 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 1: who they bring in this year, whether or not they 575 00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 1: retained Smith or whether they retain m J. Stewart. They're 576 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:07,720 Speaker 1: gonna bring in players like that because you have to 577 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:10,439 Speaker 1: fill the roster that way and draft your young players, 578 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:13,119 Speaker 1: but you cannot count on them to shine immediately like 579 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 1: a Jail and Petrie. So I expect them to draft 580 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:19,639 Speaker 1: a safety somewhere and probably bring in another free agent 581 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:21,840 Speaker 1: at safety. It might not be the sexiest signing, a 582 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:24,960 Speaker 1: marquee busting, sports center leading signing, but it'll be a 583 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:26,879 Speaker 1: signing and it will be somebody who can make some 584 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:29,280 Speaker 1: plays with him. I'm gonna ask you this because I've 585 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:32,120 Speaker 1: seen this a few times now. I saw I can't 586 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 1: remember who wrote a friend Offel dot Com wrote an 587 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:37,880 Speaker 1: article today assessing the Texans draft from twenty twenty two. 588 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 1: Gave it a B minus. He gave it he gave 589 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:43,359 Speaker 1: the Titans a B like what you gave the Titans 590 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 1: a B for what Traylon Burks who was hurt a lot. Yeah, 591 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,640 Speaker 1: So I'm like, I don't know, Roger, Roger McCurry played 592 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 1: a lot for them, Matt like, but he said that 593 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:58,440 Speaker 1: Jalen Petrie season was serviceable. It was a little bit 594 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:00,960 Speaker 1: more than serviceable. I was, but I've still a couple 595 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 1: of times now like people are like, well, it was, 596 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:05,080 Speaker 1: you know it serviceable. You know if Jaylen Petrie showed 597 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 1: because the Texans were three win team, that's it. And 598 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:10,400 Speaker 1: he miss tackles and I think that's you know, that's 599 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:12,840 Speaker 1: something easily that PFF can point out. But he also 600 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 1: had one hundred and forty plus tackles and five interceptions. 601 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:18,880 Speaker 1: He's one of five defensive players to do that since 602 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:21,199 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety one. Here's the idea, like the ideas that 603 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:23,760 Speaker 1: Petrie doesn't have to make quite as many tackles. Oh 604 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 1: yet that let's start there. Speaking of that, I'm gonna 605 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:31,080 Speaker 1: put the number at two hundred and thirty five four 606 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 1: combined tackles. You're two starting safeties last year? Oh over under? 607 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: Oh it was over that. Okay, I put the number 608 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 1: two seventy Was it over under? It was just over? 609 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: Who was it was two hundred and seventy two tackles. Yeah, 610 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 1: but that's see that. Even I could do that math, 611 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 1: Even I could do that quickie math. That's got that's 612 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:56,160 Speaker 1: gotta change. Yeah. And and Jayleen and one hundred and 613 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 1: forty seven tackles led the team. And he also had 614 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 1: I think the number was thirty two miss tackles. Well, 615 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:04,400 Speaker 1: remember Jo was racking up all those tackles relatively early, 616 00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:08,320 Speaker 1: and then Petrie started to light it up tackle wise, 617 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:11,480 Speaker 1: and tackle stats are kind of a dubious honor sometimes 618 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: based on the position group and all of that. But 619 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:15,920 Speaker 1: Petrie had the five picks, and I know sometimes the 620 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:17,600 Speaker 1: picks come to you, but I like that. I think 621 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:20,680 Speaker 1: he's one of those guys. The ball comes to him, 622 00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:24,000 Speaker 1: maybe it finds him and he picks it off. That's good. 623 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:26,360 Speaker 1: I think that kind of thing. You hope it continues. 624 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:28,480 Speaker 1: I mean, Demiko Ryan said of the press conference jail 625 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 1: and we got to continue to take the ball away. 626 00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:33,040 Speaker 1: He'll continue to do that. I think they'll look to 627 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:35,600 Speaker 1: get as good as possible through the draft at that 628 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 1: particular position. But I wouldn't be surprised if it's those 629 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 1: three guys plus a new safety, probably not a draft pick, 630 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,040 Speaker 1: probably a veteran. Maybe they move King, maybe they find 631 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 1: somebody else to play that spot, and a draft choice 632 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 1: could possibly work his way in. And as we know, 633 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 1: it's not just about four dbs, it's about the eight 634 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:55,120 Speaker 1: hundred guys are going to roll through there. Okay, so 635 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 1: let me. I'm gonna throw this not really a caveat, 636 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:04,920 Speaker 1: but how do you assess this statement? This might be 637 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:11,440 Speaker 1: the best and most in the deepest cornerback class in 638 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 1: quite some time in the NFL draft. I mean, mark 639 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:20,240 Speaker 1: one through twenty five. Can I mean it? Markets you're 640 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:23,880 Speaker 1: talking about your top twenty five corners. Okay, just just listen, 641 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 1: just listen to this, okay. Six two two o one 642 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 1: six two two hundred six two two hundred six two 643 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,480 Speaker 1: two oh five six two two oh five six four 644 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 1: two oh four six two one ninety six two two 645 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:42,240 Speaker 1: oh five, six two two seventeen. These are all the corners. 646 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 1: These are corners. They're growing him bigger six three two 647 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 1: oh six. I mean it's amazing. I mean, being at 648 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 1: the Senior Bowl, was just watching all of them, Like 649 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:55,320 Speaker 1: we got a chance to see Julius Prance a few 650 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:58,600 Speaker 1: years ago at the Texas Bowl. I'm watching him a close. 651 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: He's six three and a half two or four, and 652 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 1: he's a corner. He's a corner. Is he gonna be 653 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 1: a safety in the n of No, He's gonna be 654 00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:08,680 Speaker 1: a corner. I mean long, I mean Rajion, right, I 655 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 1: don't know what Raion would rasion measures from Oregon State. 656 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 1: He's got armed for days six two one ninety three. 657 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:15,960 Speaker 1: But how do these guys stay with a Tyreek hill 658 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 1: or something exactly? That's exactly the point. Now, there are 659 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 1: some of those guys that are mixed in, But there 660 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:24,480 Speaker 1: were guys popping on the radar screen as I'm watching 661 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 1: down then, I'm like, oh, I mean, like Darius Rush 662 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:30,000 Speaker 1: from South Carolina. I've been watching his teammate Cam Smith, 663 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:32,280 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden, Darius rushed to the Senior 664 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:33,640 Speaker 1: be like, well, I better watch him a little bit 665 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:34,880 Speaker 1: and I watch a little bit like, yeah, I kind 666 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:36,200 Speaker 1: of like him. I watched him the senior bow. I'm like, 667 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:38,800 Speaker 1: holy smokes, this might be one of my highest rated corners. 668 00:31:39,480 --> 00:31:42,120 Speaker 1: So with that many corners, I mean, you've invested because 669 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:45,240 Speaker 1: you signed Stephen Nelson and you drafted sting But you 670 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 1: don't know if Tremont's coming back. But you also have 671 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 1: Desmond who's played some out there, and obviously Kobe's younger. Either, 672 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:52,040 Speaker 1: You're gonna have to draft a corner at some point. 673 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: You don't have to do it early. I don't think 674 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:57,200 Speaker 1: you have to do it early, but do address safety though, 675 00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:59,360 Speaker 1: also know you have to address safety for sure. But 676 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:03,680 Speaker 1: how about that US veteran and draft choice at both spots. 677 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:06,400 Speaker 1: You have eleven draft picks. You're gonna draft a corner somewhere. 678 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:09,040 Speaker 1: You have to because look, Stingley, as much as we 679 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:11,280 Speaker 1: love them, got hurt. You want to see that happen 680 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 1: against slot On, sam Aley or somehow if Nelson goes out. 681 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:15,560 Speaker 1: You had a couple of games where we had both 682 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:18,720 Speaker 1: those guys out for a stretch, So let's see what 683 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:21,600 Speaker 1: happens here. You're gonna have to get deeper. Obviously, always 684 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:24,000 Speaker 1: need that at every position group. But I would not 685 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:27,480 Speaker 1: be surprised if they go draft choice and veteran at 686 00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:30,280 Speaker 1: free agents, especially free agents, they had both spots, especially 687 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:32,800 Speaker 1: those two spots. Those guys, if they're not playing, they're 688 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 1: gonna end up playing a special teams. So you're gonna 689 00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:39,040 Speaker 1: you're gonna need special teams guys being linebacker, safeties, and corners. 690 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:41,520 Speaker 1: But this is a tremendous This is why I think 691 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:43,800 Speaker 1: it works out for the Texans having such a deep 692 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:47,440 Speaker 1: draft class is you don't have to take a you know, 693 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:52,240 Speaker 1: you got two and twelve and thirty thirty three. Okay, 694 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: so let me ask you this. This is just a 695 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:58,280 Speaker 1: weird kind of So there's a forfeited pick. Yeah, the 696 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:01,960 Speaker 1: Dolphins forfeited pick. So is the top pick in the 697 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 1: second round number thirty two or is it number thirty three. 698 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:08,520 Speaker 1: I believe it's number thirty three. I believe they still 699 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:11,320 Speaker 1: count that because it's a forfeited pick. It does not 700 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:16,080 Speaker 1: according in the draft right exactly, because that means that 701 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 1: your last pick in the first round or your first 702 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:21,880 Speaker 1: pick in the second round, according to the thirty two logic, 703 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:25,000 Speaker 1: with the forfeited pick, would have that five year option 704 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 1: possibility exactly. They're not going to allow that. So the 705 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:29,720 Speaker 1: first pick of the second round is the first pick 706 00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:31,920 Speaker 1: in the second round, no matter if there's fifteen picks 707 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:34,080 Speaker 1: in the first round. That's how they would play it 708 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:37,840 Speaker 1: as a league as a policy. But the fact is this, 709 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:43,600 Speaker 1: you're still getting the thirty third play yeah, because we've 710 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,320 Speaker 1: got the number two spot in the second round. All 711 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:48,720 Speaker 1: the number two, that's right, okay, but you're getting the 712 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 1: thirty third round. So which is where Dabiko Ryans was picked. 713 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:56,800 Speaker 1: It's exactly right, Yeah, that was exactly right he was. 714 00:33:57,080 --> 00:33:59,680 Speaker 1: He was picked number thirty three. Yeah, which will be ours. 715 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 1: It's it's pick number thirty three, but it's number thirty 716 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 1: four overall. Point being, you got two, you got twelve, 717 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:06,360 Speaker 1: you got thirty three. Overall, you got sixty five and 718 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:08,919 Speaker 1: seventy three. One of those is probably gonna be a corner. 719 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:11,719 Speaker 1: One of those, I would imagine probably gonna be a corner. 720 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: All right, give me how many picks was that? Wait? 721 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:17,120 Speaker 1: That was twelve thirty three. It was five, sixty five 722 00:34:17,200 --> 00:34:19,080 Speaker 1: seventy three. It's five picks in top seven O. So 723 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:22,840 Speaker 1: of those five picks, this is another show topic, but 724 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:27,560 Speaker 1: we'll hit it quickly. Here position groups, place your bets. Everybody. 725 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:30,439 Speaker 1: We could do a contest on Houston Texans dot com. 726 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 1: Quarterback your bets, quarterback somewhere U d tackle the end? 727 00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:40,920 Speaker 1: Is that one one thing to two different two different 728 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:44,160 Speaker 1: tackle d end? Quarterback? You said corner, you have one left? 729 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:46,279 Speaker 1: Who is it? You gotta have a you gotta have 730 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:49,160 Speaker 1: a receiver. No, you've got to have some sort of 731 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:52,439 Speaker 1: ball carrying weapon. I don't care how you I don't 732 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:54,560 Speaker 1: know how you classify it. I don't want to classify it. 733 00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:56,960 Speaker 1: You gotta have a ball carrying weapon. And I know 734 00:34:57,040 --> 00:34:59,800 Speaker 1: how people think. I know how people think, Well he 735 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:02,279 Speaker 1: a receiver. Well whoa wait a second, wait, whoa whoa? 736 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: He made the played receiver, but he's done some different 737 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:07,640 Speaker 1: things like Jamir Gibbs Alabama. Oh he's a running back. 738 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:11,279 Speaker 1: No no, no, no, not always so somebody like that. 739 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:13,520 Speaker 1: And I don't care. I don't care. Maybe it's maybe 740 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:16,239 Speaker 1: it's a true receiver. Oh man, I watched a Nico 741 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:19,120 Speaker 1: Collins clone last night. Oh I mean he is Nico 742 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:24,000 Speaker 1: Collins to a t from Tennessee Cedric Tillman, Yeah, yeah, 743 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:27,800 Speaker 1: he is Nico Colin. I'm watching going holy callitt's Nico. 744 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:30,000 Speaker 1: Wait did he have the huge game against Alabama? No, 745 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:33,920 Speaker 1: that's Jalen Hyatt. That's Will Fuller. Wait is he coming out? 746 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:36,840 Speaker 1: I like speaking Texans. Ze. No, it's good. It's like translating, 747 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:39,600 Speaker 1: you know, it's nice. It's like the cop. Yeah, Jalen 748 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:42,160 Speaker 1: Hyatt is will Fuller. It's amazing to watch on film 749 00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:45,680 Speaker 1: and watch the receivers run their routes and how they're moving, 750 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:47,439 Speaker 1: and then you see Jalen Hyatt. It looks like he's 751 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:49,840 Speaker 1: been put in like fast forward motion. You know what 752 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:54,320 Speaker 1: Fuller was. He was a super expensive, souped up sports 753 00:35:54,400 --> 00:35:56,960 Speaker 1: car that was in the shop a lot. Yes, exactly, 754 00:35:57,280 --> 00:36:01,719 Speaker 1: because that's what happens to the fine Italian sports cars. Yeah, 755 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:05,040 Speaker 1: they get one. There's one little kids just just off 756 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:08,600 Speaker 1: not a little right, But when it's on, baby, there's nothing. 757 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:10,560 Speaker 1: And that's it's got to be an offensive weapon. I 758 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:13,239 Speaker 1: don't care how you classify it. Waits high it coming out. 759 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:15,200 Speaker 1: Oh yeah he's in, all right, So yeah he's in. 760 00:36:15,280 --> 00:36:17,560 Speaker 1: He's will Fuller. He's in. He's half of the the 761 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:20,799 Speaker 1: easiest comp I had player the Cough Award. Will Fuller. 762 00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:23,919 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, he can fly. He can jet. I'm gonna 763 00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:26,239 Speaker 1: go skills too. And I'm not going to name the 764 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:32,480 Speaker 1: order now, but quarterback, receiver, corner, defensive, Can I say 765 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:36,880 Speaker 1: defensive lineman four three defensive linemansive lineman, because look, if 766 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:40,040 Speaker 1: you draft Jail and Carter, you're not drafting we need 767 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:42,040 Speaker 1: help in the interior. Ok. Fine, you need help in 768 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:44,799 Speaker 1: the interior, but you're drafting him to wreck the game. 769 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:49,240 Speaker 1: Game wrecker wherever the physician is in the front seven. 770 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:53,160 Speaker 1: I want somebody to destroy the backfield. Carter will do that. 771 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:55,440 Speaker 1: There's no there's no doubt. You know, I probably need 772 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:57,120 Speaker 1: to take the back of a corner because I forgot. 773 00:36:57,239 --> 00:36:58,640 Speaker 1: We need to We need to find the middle of 774 00:36:58,680 --> 00:37:01,480 Speaker 1: the offensive line. We need the center. Now. Again, there's 775 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:04,719 Speaker 1: freegient money that you can, you know, use and maybe 776 00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:06,279 Speaker 1: you end up finding a center that way. I don't. 777 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:08,400 Speaker 1: I don't love the center class, but you gotta have. 778 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:11,240 Speaker 1: You gotta have the center. Position. To the next show topic, 779 00:37:11,719 --> 00:37:14,280 Speaker 1: which is more likely to happen, We'll do this tomorrow. 780 00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:17,080 Speaker 1: We'll do that tomorrow. Trade up or trade down from 781 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:20,880 Speaker 1: twelve more likely to happen. Now we'll be on the agenda. Johnny, 782 00:37:20,880 --> 00:37:23,440 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go ask Nick right now, Nick, what are 783 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:25,640 Speaker 1: you doing? Like I did earlier? He wouldn't tell me, 784 00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:27,000 Speaker 1: But maybe you'll tell me a private and then I'll 785 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:29,440 Speaker 1: share it on the radio. Maybe. Now I'm kidding Nick, 786 00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:32,120 Speaker 1: I'm kidding now, and I'm not kidding about it was yesterday, 787 00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:34,399 Speaker 1: it was Valentine's Day, and that's all about love. Drew 788 00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:37,680 Speaker 1: Doherty and I talked about what we love next on 789 00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:43,960 Speaker 1: Texas Access. What's up everybody? Welcome back to this final 790 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:46,440 Speaker 1: segment of a Wednesday A Nation of Texans All Access. 791 00:37:46,520 --> 00:37:49,040 Speaker 1: I'm your ost John Harris, football on a Suddown reporter 792 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:53,000 Speaker 1: and one half of the in the Lab podcast duo, 793 00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:58,640 Speaker 1: a man Drew Doherty. Now, we recorded this on Valentine's Day, 794 00:37:58,719 --> 00:38:02,719 Speaker 1: and so the word love of was was brought to 795 00:38:02,840 --> 00:38:08,040 Speaker 1: the forefront. What do we love about the Texans, etc. Well, 796 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:10,560 Speaker 1: Drew and I handled that here, well, at least a 797 00:38:10,640 --> 00:38:13,080 Speaker 1: little bit of it here. Take a listen. Let's lead 798 00:38:13,160 --> 00:38:16,560 Speaker 1: off with Demiko Ryan's being the head coach after being 799 00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:20,120 Speaker 1: the captain. Here here's one fun little fact I love 800 00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:23,000 Speaker 1: about Demiko Ryans that I heard the first year I 801 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:28,040 Speaker 1: was here. Demiko Ryans hit so hard and hit so 802 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:32,759 Speaker 1: much that dang near after every single game they had 803 00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:35,279 Speaker 1: to replace his face mask because he was bending his 804 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:38,560 Speaker 1: face masks like singletary sque. I mean, I don't think 805 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:41,719 Speaker 1: that gets out there these days. I think the technology 806 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:45,480 Speaker 1: has improved, maybe, But Demiko Ryans, that's that's the type 807 00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:47,560 Speaker 1: of guy. All you kiddos out here that never got 808 00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:49,320 Speaker 1: to see him play, that's the type of guy he was. 809 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:52,760 Speaker 1: And he just gobbled up tackles. He was the defensive 810 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:54,839 Speaker 1: player of the Year in the SEC his final year 811 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:57,200 Speaker 1: at Alabama in two thousand and five. Really good team. 812 00:38:57,320 --> 00:39:00,239 Speaker 1: They won nine games. They're undefeated into November before a 813 00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:03,320 Speaker 1: couple of stumbles there, which happens in the SEC. But 814 00:39:03,680 --> 00:39:06,720 Speaker 1: I love that a guy who had his face mask 815 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:09,759 Speaker 1: get bent. And I love saying get bent. And there's 816 00:39:09,760 --> 00:39:11,880 Speaker 1: an energy in the building. Man, there's an energy in 817 00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:14,640 Speaker 1: the building that I love, love, love John having a 818 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:18,799 Speaker 1: bent face mask. You know the force, it takes a lot. 819 00:39:19,239 --> 00:39:22,000 Speaker 1: I hit people as hard as I possibly could when 820 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 1: I could. I never bent my face mask, except for 821 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:27,880 Speaker 1: the one time where I I got up and I 822 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:30,680 Speaker 1: was like, I don't know what just happened. I hite 823 00:39:30,719 --> 00:39:35,120 Speaker 1: wand Camp from Mady Creek made Creeks and he ended 824 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:36,839 Speaker 1: up going to Michigan. That dude, he was a big 825 00:39:36,960 --> 00:39:38,600 Speaker 1: he was like six one two ten and I hit 826 00:39:38,719 --> 00:39:41,440 Speaker 1: him with everything I had in a playoff game. And 827 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:46,520 Speaker 1: I got up and my two bars were like, Wow, Wow, 828 00:39:47,239 --> 00:39:50,040 Speaker 1: you gotta do something to Ben. Some face mask Ben, 829 00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:52,279 Speaker 1: some face masks. That's for sure. That was seventeen five 830 00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:54,719 Speaker 1: A made Creek back there. Yeah, there were four A 831 00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:57,799 Speaker 1: at that point because it was right when made Creek over. Okay, yeah, 832 00:39:57,960 --> 00:40:01,439 Speaker 1: right right when they opened. Um. Yeah, I think it's 833 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:05,480 Speaker 1: loving having Demiko on here. I have a question real fast, 834 00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:11,719 Speaker 1: will you call him kapper coach? I'd question, but I'm 835 00:40:11,800 --> 00:40:16,200 Speaker 1: kind of been debating because I've always said this, Every 836 00:40:16,280 --> 00:40:19,520 Speaker 1: single coach that I come across is coached to me, 837 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:23,440 Speaker 1: always and forevermore, especially if you coached me, you always 838 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:26,120 Speaker 1: be coached. I will never like it was. It was 839 00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:29,600 Speaker 1: hard for me to call Jim Bernhardt Jimmy like. I 840 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:32,400 Speaker 1: had a hard time doing that. He was always coached. 841 00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:36,040 Speaker 1: So I think he's gonna be coached me, probably because yeah, 842 00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:38,360 Speaker 1: I always called him Demiko. I you know, I always 843 00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:42,279 Speaker 1: called Cushing Brian. Yeah, and everybody calls him Cush. Yeah, 844 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:43,920 Speaker 1: you know, I always just called him Brian Ryan, so 845 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:45,520 Speaker 1: that's kind of like a weirdo in that regard. But 846 00:40:45,760 --> 00:40:47,839 Speaker 1: I'll probably call him coach yeah when I see him. 847 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:52,680 Speaker 1: So yeah, I love I'm in love with Demiko Higher 848 00:40:52,719 --> 00:40:56,759 Speaker 1: for sure. I think that's really cool. I Now, I 849 00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,200 Speaker 1: don't know this has been announced, but it's been out there. 850 00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:02,080 Speaker 1: There's been a lot of sources saying this one. So 851 00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:05,040 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go with it. Okay. I love the fact 852 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:10,040 Speaker 1: that Grog Johnson's here. Yeah, n Johnson's great at quarterback, 853 00:41:10,120 --> 00:41:14,040 Speaker 1: played at Humble High School. Don't pronounce the h. It's silent. 854 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:18,719 Speaker 1: We're not humble here, We're humble and in time out, Uh, 855 00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:21,720 Speaker 1: you want to know one of one of my pet peeves. 856 00:41:21,800 --> 00:41:23,200 Speaker 1: One of the things we want to know. One thing 857 00:41:23,280 --> 00:41:26,840 Speaker 1: I don't love is when you get an award. Not you, 858 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:30,600 Speaker 1: John Harris, but when people get awards or get honored yea, 859 00:41:30,760 --> 00:41:31,920 Speaker 1: and they get up and they say, I'm just so 860 00:41:32,080 --> 00:41:34,200 Speaker 1: humbled by this or rumble. But no, you're not humble, 861 00:41:34,239 --> 00:41:36,520 Speaker 1: but you're flattered by it. Right, You're not humbled because 862 00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:39,080 Speaker 1: humbled means you've had your legs chopped out from you 863 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:41,520 Speaker 1: and you've been taken down a rung or two. Stop 864 00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:45,120 Speaker 1: stop saying you're humbled. If you get something something nice happens. Honored. Yes, 865 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:48,399 Speaker 1: you're honored is a great I am showing. I hope 866 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:51,400 Speaker 1: to show my humility in accepting this award. That's a 867 00:41:51,440 --> 00:41:54,840 Speaker 1: good that would be okay. Um. Draw went to Humble 868 00:41:55,840 --> 00:41:58,560 Speaker 1: and then you went to text saying am I thought 869 00:41:59,040 --> 00:42:00,880 Speaker 1: the end of his career texts? And it was unfortunate 870 00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:03,360 Speaker 1: because of the arm issue. He ended up having an injury. 871 00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:06,160 Speaker 1: And then he went to league and he bounced around. 872 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:09,759 Speaker 1: He saw a lot of different teams and organizations. And 873 00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:13,480 Speaker 1: I got to know him around twenty sixteen twenty seventeen, 874 00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:17,400 Speaker 1: I think, and he actually I went to do a 875 00:42:17,440 --> 00:42:20,360 Speaker 1: game at sam and they say, oh, yeah, Gird's on 876 00:42:20,400 --> 00:42:23,320 Speaker 1: the sideline like Gard like yeah, Draw Johnson, I'm like what, 877 00:42:24,239 --> 00:42:26,440 Speaker 1: I don't know else, Drid down there and I'm up here. 878 00:42:27,360 --> 00:42:29,320 Speaker 1: And so I talked to him Butts that day and 879 00:42:29,360 --> 00:42:30,960 Speaker 1: he's like, you know, I'm just trying to kind of 880 00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:32,560 Speaker 1: figure it out, man, just trying to figure out what 881 00:42:32,640 --> 00:42:34,000 Speaker 1: I want to do, how I want to go about it. 882 00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:36,840 Speaker 1: And it was the next year that he ended up 883 00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:39,719 Speaker 1: getting a fellowship up with the Indiapolis Colts. We got 884 00:42:39,760 --> 00:42:41,520 Speaker 1: a lot more to that podcast. Go check it out 885 00:42:41,560 --> 00:42:44,040 Speaker 1: Houston Texas dot com wherever you get your podcasts, and 886 00:42:44,320 --> 00:42:49,040 Speaker 1: can't wait to see Gerard officially named very very soon. 887 00:42:49,160 --> 00:42:52,160 Speaker 1: In a big thanks to Drawd obviously, to Drew, to 888 00:42:52,320 --> 00:42:53,920 Speaker 1: Mark and of course in Nick Cassari, to all you 889 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:56,480 Speaker 1: for listening. We'll see him everybody in his allways, Go Texans,