WEBVTT - AFC South Preview with Trevor Sikkema 0:00:04.400 --> 0:00:07.800 Welcome to NFL Daily, where the AFC South is sick 0:00:07.840 --> 0:00:11.840 of your Thursday night football jokes. They've graduated. I'm Greg Rosenthal. 0:00:11.880 --> 0:00:14.760 I'm here in the Chris Wesley podcast studio and really 0:00:15.160 --> 0:00:20.600 excited to welcome in a first time guest two NFL Daily, 0:00:21.800 --> 0:00:25.520 a man that lives in the American South. It's Trevor Sikkhima, 0:00:26.120 --> 0:00:29.800 co host of the NFL Stock Exchange Show. You know 0:00:29.920 --> 0:00:33.160 him from PFF. Excited to see what he's doing next 0:00:33.200 --> 0:00:36.000 in his career, but had to have you on. Trevor, 0:00:36.280 --> 0:00:38.839 I am ready and I'm sick of like the the 0:00:39.080 --> 0:00:41.640 you know, Texans Jags. This should be Thursday Night in 0:00:41.680 --> 0:00:44.000 week three jokes like this is a good division now, 0:00:44.040 --> 0:00:44.920 the AFC South. 0:00:45.159 --> 0:00:47.600 I agree, I definitely agree with you one. It's great 0:00:47.640 --> 0:00:49.080 to be with you, man. I appreciate you having me 0:00:49.120 --> 0:00:50.640 on the show big fan for a long time, so 0:00:50.720 --> 0:00:52.280 this is really cool getting to be on the program 0:00:52.280 --> 0:00:52.720 with you here. 0:00:52.760 --> 0:00:54.279 But I agree with you. 0:00:54.520 --> 0:00:57.080 I think we need to put the bad Thursday night 0:00:57.080 --> 0:01:01.240 football you know theme for the for the AFC southast side. However, 0:01:01.880 --> 0:01:07.240 let us never forget the mustard Thursday Night football Jaguars 0:01:07.280 --> 0:01:10.160 Titans game that happened. I don't like a decade ago 0:01:10.280 --> 0:01:12.320 or whatever. Let us never forget that, but the rest 0:01:12.319 --> 0:01:13.240 of it we can move on from. 0:01:13.240 --> 0:01:15.360 It was it was always the Titans in one of 0:01:15.360 --> 0:01:18.600 those games, and it was always in the World Series 0:01:18.680 --> 0:01:22.199 window where they would like do the lesser games because 0:01:22.200 --> 0:01:25.040 they would know it was going up against games right 0:01:25.240 --> 0:01:27.840 six alcs. It's like, I saw what you were doing, 0:01:27.880 --> 0:01:31.360 schedule makers. But you know, look Thursday Night Football AFC South, 0:01:31.400 --> 0:01:34.279 that's when we got that huge ninety nine yard Derek 0:01:34.319 --> 0:01:37.800 Henry run. We've got I think some Super Bowl Championship 0:01:37.880 --> 0:01:41.000 contending teams in this division. I think this could be 0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:44.960 a three playoff team division if you're just joining us. 0:01:45.560 --> 0:01:48.440 In terms of these division previews, we put twelve minutes 0:01:48.480 --> 0:01:52.160 on the clock for every team. We got different categories, 0:01:52.240 --> 0:01:55.559 and we're gonna start with the Houston Texans. I haven't 0:01:55.600 --> 0:01:58.240 told Trevor the order or anything like that, but I 0:01:58.240 --> 0:02:00.000 did give you the category. So I'm gonna let you 0:02:00.520 --> 0:02:03.400 get us going and start with what's bringing you joy 0:02:03.480 --> 0:02:05.120 when it comes to the Houston Texans. 0:02:05.560 --> 0:02:08.120 I mean, how can I not simply say everything that 0:02:08.160 --> 0:02:10.200 goes on with the defensive side of the football. I 0:02:10.200 --> 0:02:12.120 mean what de Migo Ryans has been to that team. 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.920 Just the identity, the excitement, the passion, and also the production. 0:02:16.000 --> 0:02:18.160 When you look at this team in twenty twenty five, 0:02:18.200 --> 0:02:21.600 this is via ngs second in points allowed, fifth in 0:02:22.040 --> 0:02:25.160 yards per play, fourth in rush yards per game, eighth 0:02:25.240 --> 0:02:29.359 in total explosives allowed, second in total EPA, first in 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:33.080 EPA per play, seventh in total sacks. I mean, just 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:36.040 no matter where you look a lot of times because 0:02:36.080 --> 0:02:37.959 in the salary cap era, a lot of times like, hey, 0:02:38.000 --> 0:02:43.040 you can't have just studs, wave after wave of players 0:02:43.080 --> 0:02:44.680 on all three levels of the defense. 0:02:44.720 --> 0:02:47.040 But it just feels as though the Texans do. 0:02:47.080 --> 0:02:50.040 And it feels like whether it's been their free agent editions, 0:02:50.080 --> 0:02:51.840 whether it's been their high draft picks, whether it's been 0:02:51.880 --> 0:02:53.520 their low draft picks, and maybe some of the guys 0:02:53.560 --> 0:02:56.760 who were afterthoughts in free agency, they've got a really 0:02:56.880 --> 0:02:59.560 great continuity right now between the front office and the 0:02:59.560 --> 0:03:01.760 coachings have to get the most out of all of 0:03:01.800 --> 0:03:03.760 these guys. So what brings me joy is that this 0:03:04.000 --> 0:03:06.160 is one of the most talented defens in the NFL 0:03:06.160 --> 0:03:08.040 and can absolutely be the best defense in the NFL 0:03:08.040 --> 0:03:08.680 in twenty twenty six. 0:03:08.720 --> 0:03:11.840 Yeah, I totally agree, and I'm parking my car in 0:03:11.880 --> 0:03:15.160 a similar garage. And it's more just about the secondary 0:03:15.400 --> 0:03:19.560 if you think about you know, Kamari Lassiter, Kaylen Bullock, 0:03:20.320 --> 0:03:23.919 Derek Stingley, and Jalen Petrie that I'm just going to 0:03:23.960 --> 0:03:27.119 give you the ages of the of the four twenty three, 0:03:27.200 --> 0:03:31.040 twenty three, twenty five, and twenty seven. It just doesn't happen. 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:36.280 I mean, those are all all Pro caliber players. Stingley's there, 0:03:36.400 --> 0:03:39.120 Lassiter when we did our All Pro team, our friend 0:03:39.120 --> 0:03:41.760 Olli Connolly had him on his I think second team, 0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:44.080 maybe first team, like Petrie one of the best nickels 0:03:44.120 --> 0:03:46.440 in the league, and Bullock gets kind of overlooked. And 0:03:47.160 --> 0:03:50.440 to have them all together at the same time, we 0:03:51.000 --> 0:03:55.080 honestly haven't seen anything like that since the Legion of Boom, 0:03:55.120 --> 0:03:58.760 So it's really rare. It's really special. And you know, 0:03:58.880 --> 0:04:01.280 just to throw some numbers on it. When they get pressure, 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:04.120 and this is the team that gets pressure more than 0:04:04.160 --> 0:04:07.320 anyone give up one point six yards per play. That 0:04:07.480 --> 0:04:10.440 is just totally ridiculous, and the NGS numbers support you. 0:04:10.480 --> 0:04:12.880 It's they'd have the highest tight coverage rate when they 0:04:12.880 --> 0:04:16.920 do get pressure. So it's everything. It's the combination. It's football. Obviously, 0:04:16.920 --> 0:04:20.080 it's always not one thing, but those four guys specifically, 0:04:20.120 --> 0:04:22.120 and you're adding reading blanket ship to that mix, who 0:04:22.120 --> 0:04:24.760 I think will help them out. Just being that young, 0:04:25.000 --> 0:04:27.680 it just doesn't happen. This is the dream for team building. 0:04:27.720 --> 0:04:30.760 You're super into team building at the NFL Stock Exchange 0:04:30.800 --> 0:04:32.120 and like, this is the dream and you got to 0:04:32.120 --> 0:04:35.440 give Demico Ryans and Nick Casario some love, dude. 0:04:35.480 --> 0:04:36.600 Here's a perfect example. 0:04:36.960 --> 0:04:39.080 Kylen Bullock is a player who I watched him with 0:04:39.080 --> 0:04:41.920 scouting him when he was coming out of USC. Phenomenal 0:04:42.040 --> 0:04:45.400 single high cover one, cover three type of safety where 0:04:45.560 --> 0:04:47.840 they just let him play that center fielder role and 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:49.040 let him be a ballhok. 0:04:49.040 --> 0:04:49.520 But there were. 0:04:49.400 --> 0:04:51.720 Negatives to his scouting report as well. Right didn't love 0:04:51.720 --> 0:04:53.560 to tackle when he was coming down to fill the run. 0:04:53.600 --> 0:04:56.200 He just really wasn't a presence. He really wasn't reliable, 0:04:56.400 --> 0:04:59.159 And in the scouting report it reads he's got to 0:04:59.200 --> 0:05:01.359 go to the right, He's got to go to a 0:05:01.360 --> 0:05:04.559 spot where the coach understands exactly what he does well 0:05:04.880 --> 0:05:07.200 and has a scheme and a spot where you can 0:05:07.240 --> 0:05:11.440 mitigate some of those weaknesses Texas is the Texans are 0:05:11.480 --> 0:05:13.120 the perfect spot for him. 0:05:13.160 --> 0:05:13.840 They truly are. 0:05:13.920 --> 0:05:15.640 So that's again going back to what I was saying 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:18.680 with Casario in the front office, being just step for 0:05:18.760 --> 0:05:21.400 step with the coaching staff of exactly the type of 0:05:21.520 --> 0:05:23.760 players they want to bring in. And I'm glad that 0:05:23.800 --> 0:05:26.520 you shouted out the secondary anyways, because I almost just 0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:29.159 picked Jalen Petrie as the thing that I was the 0:05:29.200 --> 0:05:32.080 most excited about that gave me joy here is just 0:05:32.200 --> 0:05:34.200 Jalen Petrie because I just love washing him play. 0:05:34.200 --> 0:05:35.719 Well. We do have to move on, but quickly. Like 0:05:35.760 --> 0:05:37.800 what makes you love Petrie the most. 0:05:38.320 --> 0:05:41.160 Dude, It's the freedom and the confidence in which he plays. 0:05:41.240 --> 0:05:43.480 I mean when you play defense at the NFL level, 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:47.000 specifically the nickel position, which I'm always fascinated with as 0:05:47.040 --> 0:05:51.080 somebody who scouts from college to the NFL. What makes 0:05:51.120 --> 0:05:53.360 an elite modern day nickel Because a lot of times, 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:56.039 if you get that position right, it's like getting tight 0:05:56.160 --> 0:05:59.720 end really right on offense. It just unlocks so much 0:05:59.720 --> 0:06:01.560 fun were you and everything that you could do. And 0:06:01.600 --> 0:06:03.680 I feel like the confidence which Peatree plays with it, 0:06:04.000 --> 0:06:05.719 it does that, it unlocks so much for you. 0:06:05.920 --> 0:06:08.960 Yeah, he's incredible and we did a very quick all 0:06:09.080 --> 0:06:11.839 underpaid team on our last show, and he was my pick. 0:06:11.880 --> 0:06:14.080 And in terms of the defensive back, like, they compliment 0:06:14.160 --> 0:06:16.640 each other so well. And I guess I'll go to 0:06:16.680 --> 0:06:19.200 our next category, which is you know something schematic scheme 0:06:19.279 --> 0:06:22.080 dream and it is related to the defense. We'll hit 0:06:22.120 --> 0:06:25.320 the offense soon enough. But the thing I like about 0:06:25.320 --> 0:06:29.920 this is that in this age of specialization, they blitz 0:06:30.000 --> 0:06:35.520 less than anyone else. They are ultimately kind of simple. 0:06:36.279 --> 0:06:39.520 They literally didn't have a snap Trevor this according to 0:06:39.640 --> 0:06:42.760 FtM Fantasy, that they had six defensive backs on the field. 0:06:42.800 --> 0:06:44.640 They're just gonna put their five out there. They have 0:06:44.760 --> 0:06:48.400 virtually no defensive back sacks because they don't blitz. They 0:06:48.480 --> 0:06:51.080 don't sim pressure at all. One percent is the lowest 0:06:51.400 --> 0:06:54.240 in the entire league. Thirty first in blitz is like 0:06:55.040 --> 0:06:57.919 and yet it all works and it does take you 0:06:58.040 --> 0:07:02.520 back and it reminds you like execution, playing fast. There's 0:07:02.560 --> 0:07:05.679 not just one way to do things. They are anti 0:07:05.800 --> 0:07:09.960 trend in the NFL, and yet they're the best defense 0:07:10.160 --> 0:07:13.640 in the NFL and something like that. I love, you 0:07:13.680 --> 0:07:16.280 know about that, It's like like we're losing recipes. You 0:07:16.640 --> 0:07:20.080 could play a different style of football, and Dimiico Ryans 0:07:20.120 --> 0:07:22.080 is showing it. So that's kind of my schematic. Look 0:07:22.120 --> 0:07:23.840 that I really love about this team is that you 0:07:23.880 --> 0:07:26.000 don't need to get into that other world as great 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:26.880 as these players are. 0:07:27.440 --> 0:07:29.440 Yeah, and I'll get to the offensive side with my 0:07:29.520 --> 0:07:31.520 scheme trend, but just to touch on a little bit 0:07:31.520 --> 0:07:33.520 of what you were saying there, a lot of times 0:07:33.600 --> 0:07:36.200 the trends that we follow in the NFL, they're out 0:07:36.240 --> 0:07:39.400 of necessity. Right again, we play in the salary cap 0:07:39.480 --> 0:07:44.360 erow where it's so seldom that you're really able to 0:07:44.400 --> 0:07:47.360 just out talent somebody at the pro level. And for 0:07:47.680 --> 0:07:52.200 this Texans defense, they are I mean, they win with four. 0:07:52.400 --> 0:07:54.760 They don't have to blitz their secondary, they don't have 0:07:54.840 --> 0:07:57.320 to go to dime looks all the time because they 0:07:57.360 --> 0:08:00.920 feel good about the chemistry and the communication and the 0:08:00.920 --> 0:08:04.000 talent of everybody around them. So it really is just 0:08:04.120 --> 0:08:06.880 it's so fascinating to see the Texans play because they 0:08:06.920 --> 0:08:10.520 really are we're gonna line up against you and we're 0:08:10.520 --> 0:08:11.520 gonna be better than you. 0:08:11.840 --> 0:08:13.920 And it's just sometimes as simple as that. 0:08:14.160 --> 0:08:16.280 With the Houston texts and and some and one thing, 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:18.120 Seth Painwood point out who covers the team, and I 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:21.360 think this is something doesn't mean they're not incredible coaches, 0:08:21.400 --> 0:08:24.680 because they are great at the detail and the development 0:08:24.840 --> 0:08:26.600 of these players. So it's just like a different way 0:08:26.640 --> 0:08:29.160 to do things without being as you know, show me 0:08:29.320 --> 0:08:31.640 as some defensive coordinators are all right, give me your 0:08:31.640 --> 0:08:32.199 scheme dream. 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:35.560 So the scheme dream for me with this team, and 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:37.560 I think it goes into another category that we're going 0:08:37.640 --> 0:08:39.600 to talk about here in a second time. We only 0:08:39.640 --> 0:08:42.120 got twelve minutes, it's all good, okay, okay, So this 0:08:42.120 --> 0:08:45.040 this sort of goes into you know, what happens if 0:08:45.080 --> 0:08:47.280 things go wrong for this team, and it has to 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:49.320 do with the power run game. You know, those man 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:53.320 and gap scheme between the tackles rush concepts, which it 0:08:53.360 --> 0:08:55.000 felt like this team wanted to be a little bit 0:08:55.000 --> 0:08:57.640 more of a zone blocking or a zone rushing type 0:08:57.640 --> 0:08:59.080 of a team at the beginning of the season. But 0:08:59.120 --> 0:09:01.360 then when we're Marx was kind of coming in and 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:04.839 he was really becoming that most dynamic and feature back 0:09:04.840 --> 0:09:07.160 that they wanted to be. Felt like they were having 0:09:07.200 --> 0:09:09.480 a little bit more success with the man and gap 0:09:09.520 --> 0:09:13.040 scheme run blocking concepts, and I think their offseason leans 0:09:13.080 --> 0:09:17.600 into that. Wyatt Teller, Keelan Rutledge, ed Ingram, Braden Smith 0:09:17.640 --> 0:09:19.559 and even Arianta Ersirie who could do a lot of 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:20.800 his own blocking stuff for you. 0:09:20.880 --> 0:09:23.200 But those are mallers, baby. 0:09:23.240 --> 0:09:24.720 Those are guys who are going to get off the 0:09:24.760 --> 0:09:26.839 ball and try to push the lion scrimmage at least 0:09:26.880 --> 0:09:29.600 one in two yards before the running back even approaches 0:09:29.640 --> 0:09:31.640 and gets to where he is even with them. When 0:09:31.679 --> 0:09:34.160 you look at an mgstat that I saw from this group, 0:09:34.920 --> 0:09:41.000 Marx had eleven explosive runs on those outside the tackle 0:09:41.440 --> 0:09:45.360 run concepts last year. Now, that's designed to get you 0:09:45.400 --> 0:09:47.559 into space, so okay, like that kind of makes sense, 0:09:47.760 --> 0:09:51.440 but only four when he was rushing in between the tackles. 0:09:51.720 --> 0:09:55.440 This team has to be better between the tackles. The 0:09:55.520 --> 0:09:58.920 rushing yards over expectation was much lower for this team 0:09:59.120 --> 0:10:02.160 overall last year. Ye when they were trying to just 0:10:02.520 --> 0:10:04.680 run it down the middle, run it between the tackles, 0:10:04.679 --> 0:10:07.200 and if they cannot run the ball effectively in the 0:10:07.240 --> 0:10:10.280 power run game between the tackles, that's a major weakness 0:10:10.280 --> 0:10:12.240 that I have for this team. They were fourteenth in 0:10:12.280 --> 0:10:15.560 total rush attempts lash year, but they were bottom five 0:10:16.000 --> 0:10:18.959 in yards per carry. A big reason why is because 0:10:19.000 --> 0:10:22.679 those rushing yards over expectation was so much lower. It 0:10:22.760 --> 0:10:25.160 was not a dynamic run game when it came to 0:10:25.600 --> 0:10:26.680 running between the tackles. 0:10:26.720 --> 0:10:27.760 So it's got to be more fishing. 0:10:27.880 --> 0:10:29.880 It's got to be more dynamic, and I need this 0:10:29.960 --> 0:10:33.079 scheme to really be able to run down the middle 0:10:33.080 --> 0:10:34.640 of the field and in between the tackles if this 0:10:34.720 --> 0:10:36.240 offense is going to fire on all cylins. 0:10:36.320 --> 0:10:38.880 Yeah, they didn't change offensive coordinators, so it's a little 0:10:38.880 --> 0:10:41.440 bit more of continuity. You mentioned some of the new 0:10:41.520 --> 0:10:45.439 offensive linemen there. They do have depth relatively. Trent Brown 0:10:45.559 --> 0:10:48.520 is battling for Braden Smith. With Braden Smith at right tackle, 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:51.040 you have your former starter at center, Jake Andrews is 0:10:51.040 --> 0:10:52.840 now more of a backup. You have your former starter 0:10:52.920 --> 0:10:55.200 at one of the tackles, Blake Fisher more of a backup. 0:10:55.240 --> 0:10:59.240 So they are set up better early. You know, signs 0:10:59.240 --> 0:11:03.880 in camp have been positive. That can be misleading, but yeah, 0:11:04.000 --> 0:11:07.040 they need to help out CJ. Stroud. That's where I'll 0:11:07.080 --> 0:11:09.720 hit you know, the their offensive line not coming together 0:11:09.840 --> 0:11:11.920 all the new pieces, it's just being more the same 0:11:12.000 --> 0:11:14.360 as also, what things could go wrong if you know 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:16.680 if they just don't come together. But in terms of 0:11:16.720 --> 0:11:20.440 the scheme, Look, they put a lot on CJ. Stroud's 0:11:20.440 --> 0:11:23.680 play last year. Jordan Rodrieg talked about a few weeks 0:11:23.720 --> 0:11:26.440 ago on the show, and I think it really helped 0:11:26.480 --> 0:11:30.320 him setting protections. He avoided sacks. They want to do 0:11:30.360 --> 0:11:32.520 a little more two tight ends this year with the 0:11:32.760 --> 0:11:34.439 draft pick of Marlin Klein and everything. 0:11:34.600 --> 0:11:38.760 Who doesn't we can exact for literally everything right. 0:11:38.679 --> 0:11:40.959 Sem at this point, but the get heavier. 0:11:40.720 --> 0:11:44.440 Right to me, it's kind of that balance of maybe 0:11:44.480 --> 0:11:46.720 asking him to do a little less in the second 0:11:46.800 --> 0:11:49.800 year in that system, whether that helps him out because 0:11:49.840 --> 0:11:53.040 that Patriots like system and the kind of combo systems 0:11:53.040 --> 0:11:55.000 that they did, it's asking a lot of their quroducts. 0:11:55.000 --> 0:11:58.280 We got to move to our most important non quarterback. 0:11:58.559 --> 0:12:01.560 I threw Daniel Hunter in there. Look, they gave him 0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:03.880 a one year, forty million dollar contract. He is the man. 0:12:04.040 --> 0:12:07.040 He is breaking the usual age charts when it comes 0:12:07.160 --> 0:12:11.719 to the edge. Signing to Devian Clowney helps give them 0:12:11.920 --> 0:12:16.439 more depth at the position, but they sort of count 0:12:16.480 --> 0:12:18.880 on him being elite, elite and man. He just has 0:12:18.920 --> 0:12:20.840 stayed there a year after year and so it's just 0:12:20.920 --> 0:12:23.760 him staying there, so he stuck out to me, Ursuri 0:12:23.800 --> 0:12:26.600 would be another option on the offensive line. Who do 0:12:26.640 --> 0:12:28.480 you have as the most important non quarterback? 0:12:29.040 --> 0:12:31.040 So you know, if I were to go with like 0:12:31.160 --> 0:12:34.079 one player, I think that Jayden Higgins is one that 0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:36.520 I would point out just because it elevates a lot 0:12:36.559 --> 0:12:38.120 of times when we talk about like, hey, who's the 0:12:38.160 --> 0:12:40.400 most important? We talk about like, hey, if this guy 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:42.000 doesn't show up, then a lot of things fail. 0:12:42.200 --> 0:12:42.439 To me. 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:44.440 If you want to hit the ceiling of this offense, 0:12:44.520 --> 0:12:46.120 Jayden Higgins is going to be the way that you 0:12:46.160 --> 0:12:48.360 do it because you're hoping that David Montgomery can be 0:12:48.400 --> 0:12:49.880 a little bit better in the power run game for 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:52.480 you now that he is there. Obviously, Nico Collins is 0:12:52.480 --> 0:12:54.480 one of the most talented wide receivers in the league. 0:12:54.520 --> 0:12:55.160 You touched on it. 0:12:55.200 --> 0:12:57.960 If the offensive line doesn't work, none of this works anyways. 0:12:58.160 --> 0:13:00.520 But the true ceiling of this offense, in my opinion, 0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:03.200 runs through Jayden Higgins and that second year bump that 0:13:03.240 --> 0:13:05.920 he could have. And it seems as though he could 0:13:05.960 --> 0:13:08.480 absolutely do that because Nico Collins was talking him up 0:13:08.480 --> 0:13:09.600 pretty good earlier this week. 0:13:09.720 --> 0:13:13.640 Yeah, so far in camp his development has been a 0:13:13.640 --> 0:13:18.400 big story. He is probably their wide receiver too. You 0:13:18.400 --> 0:13:21.560 know Noel is injured right now. I'm excited for Tankedll 0:13:21.679 --> 0:13:23.560 to play football again. I think if Tank Dell is 0:13:23.559 --> 0:13:26.800 your sure three or four, like you're you're happy. We 0:13:26.840 --> 0:13:30.120 had Dalton Saltz on the show and he's a reliable guy. 0:13:30.160 --> 0:13:34.000 He was absolutely crushed and you know about how last 0:13:34.040 --> 0:13:36.000 season ended, but he's not going to be going crazy. 0:13:36.000 --> 0:13:38.360 I think, Higgins, you're right in terms of getting to 0:13:38.440 --> 0:13:40.160 the ceiling and I kind of like we stayed away 0:13:40.160 --> 0:13:42.640 from the Stroud talk because we've hit him a lot 0:13:42.640 --> 0:13:45.640 on this show. I believe in him and if everyone's 0:13:45.640 --> 0:13:47.640 better around him, I think he is going to be better. 0:13:47.640 --> 0:13:50.360 And that kind of gets to the ceiling floor of 0:13:50.400 --> 0:13:54.719 this team as we wrap the Texans and yeah, the 0:13:54.960 --> 0:13:57.319 ceilings is winning the Super Bowl. I think they are 0:13:57.360 --> 0:14:01.640 absolutely one of the real deal contender in the AFC. 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:04.480 And the thing I really love about where they're at 0:14:04.600 --> 0:14:10.120 right now, and like these horns, they're suggestions. Trevor, you're 0:14:10.120 --> 0:14:11.920 new to this, Okay, we're just gonna blow right by. 0:14:12.080 --> 0:14:14.120 You did a good job just ignoring the one minute 0:14:14.120 --> 0:14:17.360 warning and everything and just keep talking you're a TV pro. 0:14:19.400 --> 0:14:24.600 They I think people forget, like, what a crazy rebuild 0:14:24.600 --> 0:14:30.360 this was. They won ten games combined in three seasons. 0:14:30.600 --> 0:14:33.200 They were one of the worst teams in the history 0:14:33.240 --> 0:14:36.480 of the NFL over a three year period, and they 0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:39.480 were so good in CJ. Stroud's rookie year that the 0:14:39.520 --> 0:14:43.440 expectations got so high so quickly. And they've gone division round, 0:14:43.480 --> 0:14:46.160 division round, division round. They've gone ten, ten, twelve with wins. 0:14:46.480 --> 0:14:48.920 But to me, I think they really were their best 0:14:49.040 --> 0:14:51.960 version of the team because of the defense last year. 0:14:52.080 --> 0:14:54.440 It feels like they've been stuck, but I don't think so. 0:14:54.600 --> 0:14:57.400 I think it's all been building to this moment, and 0:14:58.080 --> 0:15:00.400 I think it's rare in today's NFL that a plan 0:15:00.520 --> 0:15:03.080 comes together like this. And I do think this year 0:15:03.160 --> 0:15:06.440 is a little different with the secondary, with where CJ's at, 0:15:06.480 --> 0:15:09.000 with some of the depth on the offensive line, and 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:12.920 the talent that like now's the time, Like I love 0:15:12.960 --> 0:15:16.040 seeing it all coming together like this, And I don't 0:15:16.120 --> 0:15:18.880 feel like this is a team that's stagnated. I think 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:21.160 it's a team that's been slowly building to this moment. 0:15:21.680 --> 0:15:23.320 Yeah, and I think the schedule sets up pretty well 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:25.360 for them as well like the ceiling that I have, Like, hey, 0:15:25.400 --> 0:15:27.320 a thirteen and four type of a team, a Super 0:15:27.360 --> 0:15:29.560 Bowl champion type of a team for me. And the 0:15:29.600 --> 0:15:32.040 reason why is because I think you look at their 0:15:32.080 --> 0:15:34.760 road schedule. The road schedule is decently easy this year. 0:15:34.800 --> 0:15:37.000 Sure you have the divisional games, but then it's like, okay, 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:39.320 yeah at Los Angeles with the Chargers, that's going to 0:15:39.360 --> 0:15:41.400 be somewhat difficult. But then you really don't have to 0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:45.160 play tough road games until a Week sixteen is at Philadelphia. 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:47.240 Week seventeen is week Green Bay. But the rest of 0:15:47.280 --> 0:15:48.880 it's pretty easy. You get a bye week in the 0:15:48.920 --> 0:15:51.840 middle of Week eighteen. So I feel pretty good about 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:54.240 about this team. I'd say that thirteen and four is 0:15:54.320 --> 0:15:56.520 kind of the ceiling. Floor I think is nine and eight, 0:15:56.560 --> 0:15:58.720 still right around five hundred, a little bit above five hundred. 0:15:58.760 --> 0:16:00.880 I just think the team and the defense are that good. 0:16:00.960 --> 0:16:02.400 So that's the floor and the ceiling for me. 0:16:02.440 --> 0:16:04.480 With this team, things would have to go really wrong 0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:06.520 for them to not make the playoffs. In my mind 0:16:06.960 --> 0:16:09.360 this could be a segment later, but I have a 0:16:09.400 --> 0:16:12.280 short list of teams where I would be truly surprised 0:16:12.280 --> 0:16:15.480 if they didn't make the playoffs. It's probably only four 0:16:15.520 --> 0:16:17.440 to six teams and they would be on it for me. 0:16:17.760 --> 0:16:20.480 So let's move to a team that I would be 0:16:20.480 --> 0:16:22.640 surprised if they do make the playoffs. It's the team 0:16:22.640 --> 0:16:24.960 that's in the middle of that rebuild I talked to 0:16:25.080 --> 0:16:29.040 that the Texans went through. It's the Tennessee Titans. I 0:16:29.240 --> 0:16:32.560 will get us going. It's just cam Ward what's bringing 0:16:32.600 --> 0:16:34.560 me joy. I don't know. Did you watch Quarterback the 0:16:34.560 --> 0:16:37.440 show on Netflix at all? I didn't yet. It wasn't 0:16:37.480 --> 0:16:39.840 a homework assignment. I didn't really watch it. I didn't 0:16:39.840 --> 0:16:41.480 think it was great the first two seasons. This season 0:16:41.560 --> 0:16:43.400 was better to me, in large part because of cam 0:16:43.440 --> 0:16:46.800 Ward Man. That's a guy you would want like running 0:16:46.800 --> 0:16:48.080 your team, a guy you just if you're in the 0:16:48.200 --> 0:16:52.600 NFL you're rooting for. Like he's so serious about his 0:16:52.720 --> 0:16:57.160 craft and wants to be great, but also is so generous. 0:16:57.240 --> 0:16:59.960 The way that he handled losing, in terms of his 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:04.040 motivation and everything around him, it was pretty remarkable. I 0:17:04.520 --> 0:17:07.960 usually don't get bowled over by these reality shows because 0:17:07.960 --> 0:17:10.159 they show you what they want to show. But whatever 0:17:10.280 --> 0:17:14.880 intangibles you're looking for from a quarterback, like he's He's 0:17:14.920 --> 0:17:18.520 just got it. You can't fake that. It's all there. 0:17:18.800 --> 0:17:20.639 And then when you think about him as a player, 0:17:20.680 --> 0:17:24.720 he plays with joy. It's just such a loose game 0:17:25.000 --> 0:17:28.160 where he's so comfortable back there in the pocket. He's 0:17:28.160 --> 0:17:30.680 too comfortable. I don't know how you viewed him as 0:17:30.720 --> 0:17:34.199 a prospect, but you know, like his clock needs to 0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:37.119 speed up, speed up, And I love an accurate quarterback. 0:17:37.160 --> 0:17:40.120 He just wasn't accurate enough last year. But he showed 0:17:40.160 --> 0:17:43.000 you a lot of really high level things. The variance 0:17:43.119 --> 0:17:45.520 is through the roof kind of like we thought for 0:17:45.640 --> 0:17:48.399 him as a prospect. But man, I don't want to 0:17:48.440 --> 0:17:51.720 go out Tim Tebow on you, but like the intangibles 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:55.200 are so good. I think that if he can continue 0:17:55.280 --> 0:17:58.600 to get better at the basics of it all, that 0:17:58.640 --> 0:18:01.560 really raises his ceiling. And as like a transformational guy, 0:18:01.600 --> 0:18:03.840 he's bringing me joy. I am a cam Ward fan. 0:18:04.400 --> 0:18:04.600 Yeah. 0:18:04.640 --> 0:18:07.160 I mean, like a big part of talent acquisition, especially 0:18:07.160 --> 0:18:09.720 in the draft, is making a bet. Like you're betting 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:11.399 on guys, right, I mean they haven't played in the 0:18:11.520 --> 0:18:13.600 NFL yet. Sure they play in college, but what are 0:18:13.640 --> 0:18:15.600 they in the NFL? And you've got to be able 0:18:15.600 --> 0:18:17.920 to bet on these players their talent, but also who 0:18:17.960 --> 0:18:20.200 they are as people. And when you look at cam Ward, 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:22.320 everything that I heard about him in the pre draft process, 0:18:22.359 --> 0:18:24.080 and then the people I know who are in the 0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:26.440 building in Tennessee as well as covering the team, I mean, 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:29.840 everyone thinks that this guy is the guy that you 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:31.560 take a bet on, that you invest in. I ended 0:18:31.600 --> 0:18:34.080 up giving him a second round grade overall as a prospect, 0:18:34.119 --> 0:18:38.960 but that's so much more because of the turnover issues 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:40.800 that I had with him, whether it was the interceptions 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:44.280 or specifically the fumbles, which he really continued to struggle. 0:18:43.920 --> 0:18:45.000