- 6 months ago
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00:00All right, there it is. You know when that music plays, what's about to happen.
00:04We are live at Texans training camp, day six. We had padded practice yesterday.
00:09We're getting a padded practice today? We are, yes. Oh, yeah, there we go.
00:13That voice, you know that voice, joining us here on Pain and Pendergast,
00:17Texans Executive Vice President and General Manager Nick Casario joining us out here,
00:20live, right next to the practice field. Nick, it's great to see you. Good morning.
00:24Great to see you. Good to be here. Good to be here. I'm going to ask this early.
00:27We're going to be going to West Virginia next week, getting in on Sunday.
00:31Will there be a SummerSlam watch party at the Greenbrier?
00:34It's funny. I actually watched the tail end of Raw last night to see the card.
00:40So whether or not we make it to SummerSlam or watch SummerSlam, we'll see.
00:44Looks like it should be pretty exciting. It'll be good.
00:46Hopefully the weather holds up or rains or anything else.
00:50Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure.
00:51Hey, so we just played a segment or two ago.
00:56We played Sheldon Rankins yesterday, did media, and he was talking about –
01:01he was asked about comparing the team he was here with in 2023 to this team.
01:06And I loved his answer because he said, you know, the culture here now is set.
01:10D'Amico doesn't have to instruct us on every little thing.
01:15How are you feeling right now?
01:17Like year three of you and D'Amico together and CJ here, obviously.
01:20Is that an accurate assessment of where you guys are now culture-wise and everything
01:24compared to where it was two years ago?
01:26Yeah, we're three years into the program now, and I think any time you start something new
01:31or start something kind of in the infantile stages, like that was D'Amico's first season.
01:36So really what he's trying to do is implement the foundation of principles.
01:39Here's what it takes. Here's what we're looking for. Here's what we want.
01:42Make sure we get that message to the players.
01:43And ultimately it's about the players to implement that on a day-to-day basis.
01:47And so now we have two years under our belt going into year three.
01:51We have a number of players that have been here in the system now for multiple years.
01:55Rank's a good example of a player who was here, left, now he came back.
01:59So I think the players have an understanding of what the expectation is on a day-to-day basis.
02:03And the best teams are usually the player-driven teams because in the end you're relying on one another
02:08on a day-to-day basis and ultimately on Sundays for execution.
02:12So, you know, we feel like the program's in a pretty good spot,
02:15but what we try to do is each year we're starting over
02:18and we kind of have to reestablish our level of performance on a lot of levels, top to bottom,
02:22which is what training camp is for.
02:24You know, at Daniel Jeremiah once, I remember amongst scouts,
02:30you can kind of start to get a feel for some of the teams
02:33and what types of players they look for to where guys will look at a prospect and say,
02:38oh yeah, that's a Ravens guy or that's a Steelers guy.
02:42Do you feel like you're starting to get a Texans type of guy?
02:46Well, I think what you're noticing around sports is teams are prioritizing certain criteria.
02:53So whether it's in basketball, whether it's in baseball,
02:55and what you're trying to do is say, obviously the physical attributes
02:59and they have to be able to go out there and perform their job,
03:02but there's also some intangible elements from a work ethic, from a mindset,
03:06from a competitive, from a toughness.
03:08Because what's required, what works in our building, we have to prioritize that
03:13because we feel that that gives us the best opportunity to put ourselves in a position to win.
03:17So I think what you're actually finding is more and more teams are looking for the same types of people
03:24with the same types of mindset.
03:26The systems are the systems.
03:27Certain players may fit a little bit better relative to what you're going to ask them to do,
03:30but from a consistency, from a dependability, from a reliability standpoint,
03:36those are the things that are going to win.
03:38So talent is important in this league.
03:39We've talked about this.
03:40I've mentioned on the show, talent is one component,
03:43but there's so many other factors that go into being a good football player,
03:46which I would say a good example when you look at somebody like Dare.
03:50So Dare is going into year nine in his league.
03:54Is Dare the most talented player?
03:56Probably not.
03:57But is he consistent?
03:58Is he dependable?
03:58Does he execute his job, perform his job when he's asked?
04:02And I think he's shown the ability to do that for as long as he's been in a league.
04:06So he showed that in 2021.
04:12So what we tried to do, even on the front end before D'Amico was here,
04:16was prioritize those types of players.
04:19And our feeling was if we continue to fill the building with those players top to bottom,
04:23we're going to at least put ourselves in a better position to hopefully have sustainable success.
04:27Okay, so when you talk about how a lot of teams are starting to look at the same types of things,
04:32I get the feeling that what you're saying is that there's less tolerance for bums than there used to be.
04:40Or potential bums.
04:43Well, it's not so much that.
04:44It's just when a player walks in a building, and you've been in plenty of locker rooms,
04:48so players are very smart and very perceptive.
04:50So if you're saying as a team, this is what's important to us,
04:54and a player is the antithesis of that because he maybe has some ability,
04:57then as a player you're going to really question, are we staying consistent,
05:00really truly what we believe in, or are we taking a flyer because this guy has enough talent
05:05that we think is going to translate to winning.
05:08So, again, your tolerance is based on what you are willing to accept on a day-to-day basis in your program.
05:15It doesn't mean that you're not going to take a risk.
05:18You maybe want to take a calculator risk on your terms,
05:20but hopefully the infrastructure that you have put in place can absorb that.
05:25And if it's not working out, our responsibility is to make a decision and to move on
05:29because we know ultimately where it's going to end up.
05:31Yeah.
05:32One more on that, and then we'll get to training camp-specific stuff.
05:35But I know you talk a lot after the draft about programs that players came from.
05:40The two Iowa State kids, you gushed about Matt Campbell.
05:43There's other coaches I'm sure you feel the same way.
05:45How critical is that?
05:49How much does that factor in that it's a head coach and a program that you feel prepares them more
05:55for this type of environment?
05:56You certainly put stock in that.
05:58When you look across the country, there are certain programs and coaches,
06:01and when you look at what Coach Ferentz has done at Iowa,
06:03I mean, look what Matt's done at Iowa State.
06:04I would say what Coach Lanning is doing at the University of Oregon right now.
06:07You have Kirby, Coach Saban.
06:09So when you have an understanding, Coach Fickle in Wisconsin,
06:12when you have an understanding of what they ask of the players on a day-to-day basis,
06:17then they're prepared to a certain level.
06:19Now, they still have to be able to replicate that at our level, in our locker room, in our team,
06:25and there's going to be an adjustment period because they have less distractions
06:28or their focus is more on football and not to worry about going to class.
06:31But we're evaluating programs as much as we are evaluating the players,
06:36and we're of the belief that programs win.
06:40So whether it's in college or whether it's the NFL level,
06:42I mean, there's a reason that the same, I could say, handful of teams
06:46are in a position on a year-to-year basis because they have well-established programs.
06:49It doesn't mean there's not going to be some turnover.
06:51Sure.
06:51But programs matter, and then the people that are within those programs
06:55are ultimately going to define what that program looks like.
06:58So is a big part of this process for you this year with Nick Haley,
07:03you know him from before, obviously, but not in this role necessarily
07:08and not on this team and everything else that's different.
07:11Are you still kind of getting to know this version of Nick Haley this year?
07:15Yeah, there's always an adjustment period, and I think as you go through your career as a coach,
07:18you go from an assistant coach to a coordinator or, in fact, a coordinator to a head coach.
07:23So, and we've talked about this, where you've been,
07:28the impact of the imprint that you put on the program,
07:31but ultimately what you're trying to do is put together, in our case,
07:34the 2025 Houston Texans offense.
07:36So what does that look like?
07:38It goes back to who are the players, what can they do,
07:41can they actually perform the job and the tasks that are asked of them.
07:45Maybe there's some things that this player does a little better than others,
07:47then you use a little bit more of that.
07:49If a player is not as equipped to handle it,
07:51then you're maybe not going to put himself in that position.
07:53But I think all of us are going back to what I said a little bit earlier,
07:56trying to reestablish our level of performance.
07:58And in Nick's case, he's working through some things from a coordinator perspective,
08:02but ultimately this is what training camp is about.
08:04It's about learning, it's about repetition, it's about making some mistakes,
08:06it's going back inside, maybe correcting, making some adjustments.
08:10So Nick's worked really hard, and I think he's trying to put his stamp on the offense,
08:13and it's a collective effort from his position to the coordinators.
08:17The players will have input as well.
08:18So in the end, we're all going to rely on each other,
08:21and it's going to come down to how well we can execute in critical situations on Sundays.
08:24We're joined by Texans Executive Vice President and General Manager Nick Casario,
08:29live day six of Texans training camp.
08:31For us on the outside, Nick, one of the biggest storylines with this offense is C.J.
08:35C.J. Stroud and how this year he's got more of a, I guess, a level of control,
08:39we would call it, line of scrimmage, whatever that may be.
08:41How is he doing with that so far, and what are your thoughts on that?
08:45How big a difference is that for him this year?
08:47Yeah, ultimately, the quarterback has his hand on the ball 99% of the time
08:51unless you're getting a wildcat or something like that.
08:53So you want to have a certain level of autonomy,
08:56and ultimately you want to feel comfortable with what's going on on your side of the ball
09:00and then have an understanding of what's going on the other side of the ball.
09:02So let's say this particular system, it's kind of a quarterback-driven system,
09:07and it's really just a rationale to people,
09:10so that everybody's seeing the picture through the same lens.
09:13So the quarterback, when he has that, I would say, responsibility,
09:17he feels a little bit more, I would say, in control,
09:19and then he can make the decision to understand where the problems are.
09:23So it takes work.
09:24It's going to change kind of on a week-to-week basis.
09:26What are the issues?
09:26What do we have to deal with?
09:28But he's worked really hard.
09:29I think he's enjoyed that aspect of it,
09:31and it's only going to continue to grow and evolve as we work through camp
09:34and get into the regular season.
09:35You know, Nick, one of the most surprising things I said to Sean,
09:39I don't think we even said it on air,
09:41but I was reading Bill Belichick's book, The Art of Winning,
09:43and I came in on a Monday, and before the show, I said,
09:48man, D'Amico and Belichick are so similar.
09:52And he looked at me like, what the hell are you talking about?
09:55You're not wrong.
09:56No, they have, I mean, obviously they have much different personalities,
10:01but at the end of the day,
10:02I think that the one thing that really shone through as I was reading Belichick's book
10:06and it's something that I already knew about D'Amico is that I think they both
10:11either naturally or work really hard at just getting rid of the BS
10:15or the stuff that really doesn't matter
10:17and just zeroing in on the stuff that genuinely does have an impact on your team.
10:22No, that's accurate.
10:23And you guys have had a perspective of D'Amico as a player, now as a coach.
10:27He's a no-nonsense, no-BS guy.
10:29He's old school.
10:30That's what he believes in.
10:32That's how he was trained.
10:33He's the greatest person in the history of the world.
10:36I mean, I've been on this show, talked about how much I love him,
10:39how great of a person that he is.
10:40His priorities are right, how important faith and family is.
10:43But when it comes to football, he has that trigger.
10:45He has that switch.
10:46And he doesn't really have time for a bunch of things
10:50that aren't really impacting winning.
10:53So the quicker we can arrive at that point,
10:55the quicker everybody has an understanding of that.
10:58Winning is hard in this league,
10:59so what you're trying to do is minimize the things
11:01that aren't going to help you win
11:03and focus on the things that actually matter,
11:06which is work, which is intent,
11:08which is showing up on a day-to-day basis,
11:09which is being consistent
11:10and just keeping your mouth shut and working.
11:12And that's how D'Amico was as a player.
11:14And he's not really operating that differently
11:16as a head coach than he did as a player.
11:18So he has that trigger.
11:20He has that switch.
11:21He's very invested in the process.
11:23And I think the players understand that.
11:25And, you know, it's exciting to be a part of that.
11:27Different personality types,
11:28but you agree with Seth's assessment
11:29that the two are similar.
11:31Yeah, Seth's right about a lot of stuff.
11:32So in this particular case, I would agree with it.
11:35That's right, Sean.
11:36Did you hear that?
11:37It's going to be on my profile.
11:40Seth's right about a lot of stuff.
11:41Nick Pisterio.
11:42I'm going back through some podcasts today now.
11:44Yeah, I got to go back.
11:46Well, hey, you know,
11:47while we're on the topic of Belichick's book,
11:49this is one thing I love to do
11:51when I read biographies or autobiographies
11:53of very successful people
11:54is I try to pick out the advice
11:55that nobody's going to follow
11:57because there's always something.
12:00People want to follow the advice
12:02that's most convenient to them.
12:04And one of my favorite parts of that book
12:06was where he said that
12:07the four most important words for a leader
12:09to get really comfortable with
12:11are, he said it more colorfully than I'll say it.
12:14He used a different word,
12:15but I screwed that up.
12:16And how important it is
12:18that he said I screwed that up
12:21more than anybody else in the building
12:22so guys can see that,
12:25yeah, take accountability for your mistakes.
12:27It doesn't mean that it's got to take accountability
12:30for your mistakes
12:31and I'm going to hold myself
12:32to the same standard as you.
12:33No, I think that's the essence of leadership.
12:36All of us have to make a number of decisions
12:39on a day-to-day basis in our roles.
12:41Not every one of them is going to be right.
12:43And it's okay to admit,
12:44you know what, I was wrong about that
12:46or you know what, I made a mistake,
12:47it's not good enough.
12:48And then just really work to get it fixed.
12:50So I think when you take accountability,
12:53individual accountability,
12:54hopefully people see that and respect that.
12:56And as long as it's done in a genuine fashion.
12:58So if you're wrong,
13:00don't be afraid to speak up and say,
13:01you know what, I'm wrong, I made a bad decision.
13:03Or you know what, I don't know,
13:04let me go find out the information.
13:06There's a selfless nature to that.
13:08And it's okay to show, you know what,
13:11you're human and we all make mistakes
13:13and that's part of life
13:14and that's part of growing up.
13:15So I think that's definitely
13:18a leadership trait or attribute
13:19that's important for people to possess.
13:21And sometimes people act like
13:23they have all the answers
13:23and they want you to know about that.
13:25I mean, at some point,
13:26you're going to drown those people out
13:28and not want to listen to them.
13:30So, but it's interesting.
13:31It's an interesting observation.
13:32I'd say there's certainly
13:33a lot of validity to that,
13:34just, you know, from my perspective.
13:36Nick Casario joining us here.
13:37Did he say it less frequently
13:40than maybe presented it in the book?
13:43Did you not hear it from his mouth
13:45as often as maybe he claims?
13:47No, he wasn't afraid to say,
13:49you know what, I screw that up
13:50and just work to get it fixed.
13:52And it just goes back to accountability.
13:54So if you're holding yourself accountable,
13:56then it's a lot easier
13:56to hold the rest of your staff
13:58and the team accountable as well.
13:59Nick Casario joining us here
14:01live on Sports Radio 610.
14:02So as far as stuff out here,
14:04training camp,
14:04obviously a lot of eyes right now
14:05on Nick Chubb
14:06because Joe is out.
14:09So Nick's a lot of run with the ones.
14:11I'm curious from, you know,
14:13he's coming off an injury
14:14a couple of years ago,
14:15played some games last year,
14:16got injured at the end of last year.
14:18What type of data do you guys have
14:20when you're looking at him?
14:21I'm sure there's GPS trackers
14:23on everybody.
14:24Do you guys have sort of
14:25what the baseline was for him
14:26back when he was prior
14:28to the knee injury?
14:28And how are you able
14:29to kind of measure
14:30where he's at physically
14:31to help contribute
14:32to winning for you guys?
14:33Yeah, that's interesting.
14:33You have a player's medical history
14:35of kind of what they have gone through,
14:37some of the different things
14:38that have happened.
14:39When they walk on campus,
14:41then we can kind of start
14:42our baseline understanding
14:43and do the testing.
14:45Where are they actually
14:46relative to their recovery?
14:48Is this an area
14:49that is too debilitating?
14:50It's going to affect their training.
14:51Do we have to modify their training?
14:53And then from a tracking standpoint,
14:54with all players,
14:55we're just measuring their loads,
14:56their speeds,
14:58their physical imbalances,
14:59maybe one leg relative to the other.
15:01So it could impact their training.
15:03So we're looking at that across players.
15:06I'm understanding some players
15:07may be a little bit more
15:08at risk than others,
15:09just given their history.
15:10Yeah.
15:10But what we're trying to do
15:12is just take the information
15:13we receive on a day-to-day basis here.
15:15And then over the course of camp,
15:17look, if there's a day
15:18where we feel a player
15:19and maybe needs a little bit less
15:20because he's reached
15:21a certain threshold on his loads,
15:23then that's where I would say
15:25you're seeing more trends
15:26in the league in that respect.
15:28So relative to Nick,
15:30Nick's come in,
15:30he's worked hard,
15:31he's done what we've asked him to do.
15:32He's really spent the off season
15:34on his own training.
15:35I mean, I know there's a bunch of videos
15:36of him squatting like 4,000 pounds,
15:38but he's always been a strong player
15:40with a strong lower body.
15:42So once a player's here,
15:43we're actually able to measure that
15:44on a day-to-day basis
15:45and just try to figure out
15:46what's the best thing
15:49to make them as healthy as possible,
15:51understanding that, you know,
15:52we're not going to prevent everything,
15:54but there's a certain element
15:55of risk mitigation
15:56that's involved with every player,
15:57and we're certainly conscious of that.
15:59Okay, real quick, Seth.
16:00So to set the internet straight,
16:03just if Nick Chubb is squatting,
16:05I think it was 610 pounds.
16:06Whatever it was.
16:07Because it was a tribute
16:08to Sports Radio 610
16:09is what I tweeted.
16:10He squatted 610.
16:11So that's not necessarily,
16:13is that necessarily something
16:14that maps to what you guys
16:16are looking for in play?
16:17I mean, obviously, it's impressive.
16:18I'm not trying to finish that.
16:18We actually do a lot
16:20of single leg work.
16:21Okay, yes.
16:22I can speak from experience
16:23because I've been working
16:24with Mike Eubanks on Fridays
16:26and doing some single leg RDLs,
16:29and really what you're trying to do
16:30is create balance,
16:32you know, because you might find
16:33if you're doing double legs,
16:34I don't, you know,
16:34Seth probably can speak to this,
16:36but if you're doing double leg,
16:37sometimes maybe one side
16:39or one area supersedes the other,
16:41and he's doing more work.
16:43Yeah.
16:44When you do single leg
16:45and you isolate,
16:46you kind of have a better idea.
16:47So Nick's very strong
16:49in his lower body.
16:50So I would say
16:51whatever the measurements are,
16:52it's going to be good.
16:53He's strong.
16:54It's going to be pretty good.
16:55It's going to be good.
16:55No, no, no.
16:56As a guy that met
16:57through multiple knee surgeries
16:58and injuries,
16:59that was one thing
17:00our old strength coach,
17:01Dan Riley, was big on
17:02was that sometimes
17:03the training staff,
17:04you know, back in those days,
17:05they'd clear a guy
17:07for practice,
17:08but Dan Riley,
17:09he liked to do single leg stuff
17:11with guys coming back
17:12from injuries,
17:13and the guy would be
17:1520% weaker
17:16in the injured leg
17:18or the surgery leg,
17:20and it was frustrating for him.
17:22And he drilled that
17:24into my head
17:24over and over again,
17:25so I get excited
17:26when I hear people like you
17:27say that.
17:29No, measure it.
17:30There's devices
17:31and technology
17:31that's available
17:32that can give you
17:33that information,
17:34and the good thing is
17:35you can show that
17:36to the players
17:37so they can see it.
17:38I think there was always a,
17:40when the whole data
17:41tracking technology
17:42came out,
17:43I think sometimes
17:44there was a negative
17:45viewpoint relative
17:46to players that were
17:47using it for,
17:48you know,
17:49non-competitive
17:50or non-positive reasons,
17:51but really what you're
17:52trying to do nowadays
17:53is show the player,
17:55look,
17:56here were your measurements,
17:57here's where your load,
17:57here's why we're training
17:59the way that we are,
18:00so they have an understanding
18:01of here's why we're doing
18:03what we're doing,
18:04so I think you've seen
18:06that kind of grow
18:06and evolve,
18:07and there's definitely
18:07more trust on both sides,
18:09and we're not using it
18:11for anything other than
18:13what's in the best interest
18:14of the players,
18:14that's how we view it.
18:15Sure.
18:16Jarrell Taylor intrigues me
18:18because I think,
18:19you know,
18:20he,
18:20there's a,
18:21you remember Jason Babin,
18:22Jason Babin was drafted
18:24by the Texans,
18:24and it was a little bit of,
18:25I don't know if we were
18:26in the right scheme
18:27for him,
18:28and when he went off
18:29to Seattle
18:29and was able to put
18:31his hand in the dirt
18:31and be a 4-3 defensive end
18:33instead of a 3-4
18:34outside linebacker,
18:35he really took off,
18:37and Jarrell Taylor
18:38might be a little bit
18:39of the opposite
18:40where he did some
18:41really promising things
18:42early in his career
18:43but in a different scheme
18:44in Seattle,
18:45and then last year
18:46was kind of a weird year
18:47in Chicago,
18:48but is there,
18:48is there a part
18:49where maybe you look
18:50at Jarrell Taylor
18:51and think this might be
18:52a better scheme fit
18:53for him?
18:53Yeah,
18:54there's a good example
18:55of players played
18:55multiple systems,
18:56I would say Babin,
18:57going back to him,
18:58I think you're right
18:58about that,
18:59like he was better
18:59with his hand down,
19:00and anytime you're viewing
19:01end of the line
19:02of scrimmage players,
19:04some have the ability
19:05to play from a two-point
19:06stance and are comfortable,
19:07some aren't as kind of
19:10ground playing
19:10from a three-point stance
19:11and really what you're
19:12asking them to do,
19:13I would say in Taylor's case,
19:15I mean he has a lot
19:16of attributes that really
19:17translate over to our defense,
19:19I mean he's an explosive kid,
19:21he's a good-sized kid,
19:21he's strong,
19:23he's got good get-off,
19:24he's got good bend,
19:25I mean we feel that
19:26he's potentially going
19:27to be able to help
19:27our defense in some capacity,
19:29I would say kind of
19:30compliments Derek Barnett
19:31in some respects,
19:32I mean they both play
19:33defensive end,
19:34but they're different
19:35in terms of their skill set
19:37and what they provide,
19:38but they're equally
19:39effective in their role,
19:40so DT's had a good attitude,
19:42he runs well,
19:43he's got some explosiveness
19:44to him,
19:45looks like he might be able
19:46to provide some snaps
19:47in the kicking game,
19:48which really you're looking
19:49more from a size standpoint,
19:50not necessarily
19:51this guy is like
19:52a special teams maven,
19:54but it just creates
19:55a little bit more
19:56versatility to your
19:56overall team,
19:57but we were,
19:58I think we were happy
20:00to be able to sign
20:01Taylor when we did,
20:02because we think
20:03he's going to have
20:03a fit and role
20:04in this defense.
20:05Yeah,
20:05and obviously that's
20:06one of your strongest
20:07positions with
20:08Will Anderson Jr.
20:09and Daniil Hunter,
20:11being out here at practice,
20:13those two have been
20:14wrecking shop at times
20:15out here,
20:16does it make it difficult
20:18to assess sometimes
20:20when you're watching
20:21young tackles go against
20:22guys like Daniil Hunter?
20:23I mean,
20:23obviously it's great
20:24experience for them,
20:25they're going against
20:25the best,
20:26but as someone who's
20:27having to evaluate all
20:28this and put a depth
20:29chart together,
20:29how does that all
20:30factor in?
20:31Yeah,
20:31it works both ways,
20:32I mean,
20:32we feel like we have
20:33pretty good players
20:34on both sides of the
20:34ball,
20:35I mean,
20:35arguably Daniil and Will
20:36are two of the better
20:37defensive ends in the
20:38league,
20:38so,
20:39I mean,
20:39they have to work on
20:40what they're doing as
20:42well,
20:42like we can't penalize them,
20:44so here's your assignment,
20:45okay,
20:46the big thing for us is just
20:48making sure he goes
20:50back to protecting the
20:52team,
20:52so just stay off the
20:53quarterback,
20:53if you win the rush,
20:54just go ahead and pull
20:55off,
20:56but from a working
20:57against one another
20:58standpoint,
20:59I mean,
21:00Ursary's going to get a
21:01lot better working
21:02against Daniil,
21:03working against Will,
21:04working against DB,
21:06working against Taylor,
21:07and that's going to
21:08hopefully make them a
21:09better player,
21:10so,
21:10yeah,
21:11I mean,
21:11Will's been having
21:12his problem probably
21:13since he's been in
21:14high school.
21:14Yeah,
21:14we were talking about
21:15that earlier in the
21:16show.
21:16Will's a good player,
21:17and Will's actually
21:18improved,
21:18improved in some
21:19areas,
21:20which is what you
21:21like to see in a
21:22younger player,
21:22but we're getting
21:23good work against one
21:24another,
21:25and there are plenty
21:25of times where our
21:27tackles have blocked
21:27the ends,
21:28and there's other
21:28times at the ends
21:29that have beaten
21:30the tackles,
21:30and that's emblematic
21:32of the NFL and what
21:33you're going to see
21:33on a week-to-week
21:34basis.
21:34Well,
21:34and I think
21:35emblematic of what
21:35we were talking
21:36about earlier in the
21:37conversation,
21:37the types of guys
21:38you're bringing in,
21:39I saw footage after
21:40practice the other
21:40day of Will
21:41working with
21:42Ariante after
21:43practice on,
21:44you know,
21:44whatever,
21:45you know,
21:46Ariante,
21:46I'm sure,
21:46went up to Will
21:47and asked him and
21:48said,
21:48hey,
21:48let's do these
21:49things.
21:50How cool is that
21:50to see?
21:51And also,
21:52as it pertains to
21:53Will,
21:53like when you
21:54signed someone
21:54like Daniil Hunter,
21:55because those two
21:56are now inseparable,
21:56Daniil and Will,
21:57it looks like out of
21:58practice,
21:59how much of that
21:59factors in when
22:00you're looking at
22:01something like a
22:02contract for Daniil
22:03and what it's going
22:04to cost?
22:05Do you look at,
22:05like,
22:05okay,
22:06not only is this
22:06guy a great player,
22:07but from what we
22:08know about him,
22:09there's an incremental
22:10effect he's going to
22:11have on the
22:11development of Will
22:12Anderson?
22:13Yeah,
22:14look,
22:14we're trying to
22:17get good football
22:18players in the
22:19building,
22:19and I would say
22:20in Daniil's case,
22:21I mean,
22:21we didn't have a
22:22history per se,
22:23but Chris Blanco
22:24was with him in
22:24Minnesota,
22:25so having that
22:25information,
22:26and then when the
22:26players walk in
22:27the building,
22:30we're not going to
22:31force it,
22:32well,
22:32we're signing Daniil
22:33because Daniil,
22:33we want you to
22:34help Will.
22:35Right.
22:35If that works
22:36itself out that
22:36way,
22:37I think there's a
22:37mutual respect for
22:38one another because
22:39they have the right
22:39mindset,
22:40they have the right
22:41personality,
22:42and they want to
22:42help each other,
22:44and the reality is,
22:44they can help
22:45each other by
22:46learning from one
22:47another and sharing
22:48information and
22:49making each other
22:50better,
22:51and that's really
22:51what we try to
22:52do,
22:52I mean,
22:52D'Amico talks
22:53about this a
22:53lot,
22:54I mean,
22:54I know it's
22:55just a phrase,
22:56but it's true,
22:57iron sharpens
22:57iron,
22:58so again,
22:59we're looking at
23:00the player,
23:01his overall
23:02background,
23:02his makeup,
23:03what can you do
23:03to help our
23:04football team,
23:05and when they're
23:05here,
23:05how those
23:06relationships form,
23:08ultimately it's
23:08up to the
23:09players,
23:09and you just hope
23:10it is organic as
23:11possible,
23:11you're not trying
23:12to force anything
23:13on anyone.
23:13Yeah.
23:15Sean and I
23:16were discussing
23:16during the break
23:17that Kalen Bullock
23:18almost had an
23:19interception yesterday,
23:20but he dropped it,
23:21and I was talking
23:22about my frustration
23:24at times,
23:24because Kalen Bullock,
23:25he's got so many,
23:26he's got to be so many
23:27potential interceptions
23:28already early in his
23:29career,
23:29but to spin it in a
23:33positive way,
23:35then we were talking
23:36about Jalen Knoll,
23:37because Jalen Knoll,
23:38I know drop rate
23:39doesn't tell you
23:40everything,
23:41but just by drop rate,
23:42he improved a lot
23:43with his hands
23:44through his college
23:45career,
23:46and he went from
23:47pretty bad to last
23:49year having one of
23:49the best drop rates
23:50amongst drafted
23:51wide receivers,
23:52is that something
23:55that you have a
23:55process for,
23:57or improving
23:58guys' hands,
23:58or is it as simple
23:59as just get out
24:00on the jugs machine?
24:01Yeah, it's interesting.
24:02I'd say I think
24:03you can improve
24:03someone's hands
24:04and just actual
24:05catching of the
24:06football.
24:07A lot of times,
24:10at least for ability
24:10to track and judge
24:11and find the ball
24:12when it's in flight,
24:13especially with their
24:14back to the ball,
24:15isn't as natural.
24:16I would say those
24:17couple plays in
24:18practice yesterday
24:18were plays that
24:19were actually Kalen
24:20was working downhill
24:21and he just dropped
24:22the ball,
24:22but there was a
24:23decent amount of
24:24steam on those,
24:25but going back to
24:26when we evaluated
24:27Kalen,
24:27he was around
24:29the ball quite a
24:29bit at USC
24:30and he was able
24:32to finish plays,
24:32so you have a lot
24:33of defensive backs
24:34who you can
24:35categorize them
24:36as interceptors
24:37where they actually
24:38finish the play
24:39and get their hands
24:40on the ball,
24:40and then you have
24:40some other ones
24:41who are more
24:42PBU or just
24:43more passes defense,
24:44but your actual
24:45hands,
24:46and a lot of it
24:47is hand strength,
24:47so you can work
24:48on that on the jugs,
24:49but then a lot of it
24:50is catching and
24:51running and moving,
24:52which I would say
24:53the best drill
24:53at the Combine
24:54to kind of simulate
24:55this is the gauntlet
24:56drill because you're
24:57running full speed,
24:58you're running
24:58through the football,
24:59that simulates more
25:01of what actually
25:02happens during the
25:02course of the game,
25:03so every player
25:04has got to find,
25:05I mean,
25:05Edelman used to
25:06catch playing cards
25:09from the equipment
25:10manager just for
25:11hand-eye coordination
25:12in the morning
25:13to make him say,
25:14and Julian had
25:15good hands,
25:16but he had drops,
25:17so sometimes it's
25:18hand positioning,
25:19sometimes it's just
25:20some are better
25:21playing the ball
25:22or tracking the ball
25:23on the move,
25:24but Kalen has shown
25:26the ability to find
25:27the ball,
25:27and a number of
25:27interceptions that he
25:28had last year were
25:29actually pretty difficult
25:30catches,
25:31you know,
25:32we feel that he's
25:33probably going to make
25:33more of those plays
25:34than he's not,
25:35and we'd like to see
25:35him catch them,
25:36but there's plenty of
25:37things that you can do
25:38to improve just the
25:39actual catching of the
25:39football.
25:40Yeah,
25:40Nick Casario joining us
25:41here live on Sports
25:42Radio 610,
25:43we're at Texans
25:43training camp,
25:44day six,
25:45Nick,
25:45I know you like the
25:46investment community
25:47and you dabble in that
25:50a little overstock.
25:51Talk me into it
25:53or out of it.
25:53Is he a small cap,
25:54a blue chip,
25:56or a mid cap?
25:58Look good so far.
25:59I think he's an IPO
26:00hopefully,
26:01right?
26:01No,
26:02I think there's too
26:03much volatility
26:05with the IPOs.
26:06Unfortunately,
26:07I've bought into one
26:08recently that I think
26:09it's gone down
26:10probably like $20,
26:11$30 since I bought it,
26:12so hopefully that's
26:13not the case with Stover.
26:14Can I interest you
26:15in this Kate Stover stock?
26:16You've already bought
26:17some of it.
26:17Yeah,
26:17he's a little bit
26:17more of a steady,
26:18maybe a dividend,
26:19you know,
26:20income type of investment.
26:21What have you thought?
26:22In all seriousness,
26:23Kate's worked really hard
26:24in the offseason.
26:25Kate's mindset
26:26and his mentality,
26:27he cares a lot
26:27about football.
26:28He's very competitive,
26:29he's very tough,
26:30he's very smart,
26:31even as a player
26:32who hasn't played
26:33the position for that long.
26:34It's only been
26:35a handful of years,
26:35so he continues
26:36to get better.
26:37You've seen some
26:38tangible improvements
26:39and, you know,
26:40he's going from
26:40year one to year two.
26:41The hope is
26:42is that younger players,
26:44you see a little bit
26:45of a growth or evolution,
26:46but, you know,
26:47we're glad Kate's on the team.
26:48I know we talked about him
26:49when we drafted him
26:50that we were excited
26:50to get him on the team
26:51and he just keeps
26:52his mouth shut.
26:53He works very,
26:54very hard.
26:55He cares a lot
26:56about football
26:56and when he's not here,
26:57he's probably on his farm
26:58bailing hay
26:59because that's the type
27:01of mentality
27:01that he possesses,
27:03but, you know,
27:04excited about where he is
27:05and hopefully his trajectory
27:06continues to move ahead.
27:09Nick,
27:09I'm going to ask
27:10a question of you
27:11that pretty much
27:12every single guy
27:13that steps up
27:14to the podium
27:14during training camp gets.
27:15What are you working
27:16to improve on
27:18in your game this year?
27:21A lot.
27:22I'm always trying
27:22to improve
27:24and get better.
27:25I would say,
27:26I think I've always
27:27kind of taken
27:27the approach
27:30to just stay here
27:31because there's a lot
27:32of things that can happen
27:33and continue to empower
27:35the group that we have
27:37in the building
27:38and give them opportunities,
27:39you know,
27:39whether it's in the scouting area
27:41or it's other areas
27:42that are overseeing
27:42other departments.
27:43So just being disciplined
27:45and diligent
27:45and, you know,
27:46I try to stay hands-off
27:48but pick my spots
27:50where appropriate
27:51and just to continue
27:52to provide support
27:53to whomever needs
27:55in the building
27:55and starting with D'Amico
27:57and my job
27:57is to serve him
27:59and to serve
28:00the entire organization
28:01and just continue
28:02to do that
28:03on a consistent basis
28:04and try to make sure
28:05I stay on a leg day
28:07every Friday
28:08and make sure
28:08they don't miss
28:09any of those workouts.
28:10There you go.
28:10I want to make sure
28:11I maintain that level
28:12of performance.
28:13It's interesting
28:14because D'Amico
28:15talked about how,
28:16you know,
28:16he needs to focus
28:18on developing coaches
28:20and not necessarily
28:21always being about
28:22the player development
28:23as heavily
28:25but he's got to focus
28:26on developing coaches
28:27as well.
28:27Is that something
28:28that generally
28:28in your career
28:30is that kind of
28:31a constant emphasis
28:32of always just,
28:33yeah, okay,
28:33I've got to get to the point
28:34where I'm training
28:35the people.
28:36I mean,
28:36I'm training the people
28:37underneath me
28:37as much as getting
28:38my hands dirty.
28:39No, it's interesting.
28:40I mean,
28:41every year
28:42it's a new year
28:43and where you are
28:44in your individual
28:45evolution and development
28:47potentially could impact
28:48what your focus is
28:49on a day-to-day basis.
28:50So I think
28:51I've had the good fortune
28:52of being in multiple roles
28:54throughout my career
28:56but I think
28:56the approach
28:57that we take
28:57not only with the players
28:58and D'Amico's talked
28:59about on the coaching front
29:00but just all aspects
29:01of the organization
29:02is bring people in,
29:04provide them
29:05the opportunity
29:06and the mindset
29:07of drafting
29:10something that
29:11we're, I would say,
29:12focused on
29:13and the more
29:14we can continue
29:14to do that
29:15create more opportunities
29:17for other folks
29:18and just kind of
29:18nurture them along
29:19and steer them
29:20in the right direction.
29:21Ultimately,
29:21that's my responsibility
29:22to the organization
29:23to hopefully position
29:25this group
29:26for a number
29:27of years to come.
29:28Nick Casario,
29:29Texans Executive Vice President
29:31and General Manager
29:31joining us here live.
29:33Texans training camp
29:34day six.
29:35Christian Harris
29:36was not on the pup list.
29:37He wasn't on the
29:38NFI list either.
29:39He's on the roster.
29:40He hasn't practiced yet.
29:42What can you tell us
29:42about where he's at?
29:43We saw him jogging
29:44out here yesterday
29:44so that was good.
29:45Yeah, I mean,
29:46I think we talked
29:47about this last Tuesday.
29:48There's a number
29:48of players that are
29:49at different stages
29:50in terms of their development
29:51relative to their health.
29:52I would say specifically
29:53in Christian's situation,
29:55the way the rules work
29:56with NFI, PUP, etc.,
29:58if they're on one
30:00of those lists,
30:01there's certain parameters
30:02and limitations
30:03in terms of what
30:04they can participate in.
30:05So as a player
30:06makes progress,
30:07let's say you want
30:07to put him into a walkthrough
30:09in the evening
30:09or something like that,
30:10you just have the flexibility
30:12to do that.
30:13You're sort of keeping him alive.
30:14So you just,
30:15every case is a little bit different.
30:17So we're trying to do
30:18what we think is
30:19in the best interest
30:20of each individual player.
30:21So Christian's getting closer.
30:23He's starting to make
30:23some progress.
30:24So really,
30:25I would say that was more
30:26of a mechanical thing.
30:27There wasn't any funny business
30:28or anything like that.
30:29It's just trying to look
30:30at the situation.
30:30What do we think
30:31makes the most sense?
30:32You sometimes can keep
30:34a player a little bit
30:35more engaged
30:36when he's not on
30:38one of those lists
30:39for a myriad of reasons.
30:41So I'd say,
30:42again,
30:42there is a thought process
30:43and a rationale behind it.
30:44I'd say that's probably
30:45the best explanation
30:46for his situation.
30:47What Sean have talked about
30:51is sometimes when a guy
30:52is put in a leadership role
30:55or becomes the veteran guy
30:57or one of the veteran guys
30:58in a position group,
30:59you can see a change in them
31:01and it affects
31:02their individual player,
31:03but they also grow as a leader.
31:05And it's been interesting
31:07to watch Titus Howard.
31:08So from the outside looking in
31:10this offseason,
31:12you know,
31:12and obviously we're not there
31:13every day,
31:14but just from the things
31:15that he's said
31:15and the way it looks
31:16like he's operated,
31:18it looks like he's really
31:19leaning into or embracing
31:21becoming a veteran guy
31:23on the team
31:23and being a leader
31:25in that unit.
31:26Yeah, Titus has been here
31:27for a number of years now
31:29and honestly,
31:29he's probably seen
31:30as much change
31:31as anybody that's on the team.
31:33And, you know,
31:33to his credit,
31:35I mean,
31:35he's done a number of things
31:36that are very selfless.
31:37Like we've asked him
31:38to change positions.
31:39He's played multiple spots.
31:41He really hasn't complained
31:42and bitched and moaned about it.
31:44So it kind of speaks to him.
31:45Titus is a good kid.
31:46He works hard.
31:47He's got a good attitude.
31:48There's been some ups and downs
31:50throughout the course
31:51of his career,
31:52but he continues to work
31:53and you get better.
31:55So, you know,
31:56we're glad he's here
31:57and, you know,
31:57he's played good football
31:58for us.
31:58And even going back
31:59to, you know,
32:00my first season in 21
32:01when he had to go out there
32:02and play left tackle,
32:03you know,
32:03he showed the ability
32:04to do that.
32:05So, you know,
32:06Titus deserves a lot of credit.
32:08It hadn't been easy,
32:09but I think he's really
32:10made a conscious effort
32:11to sort of work through it
32:11and try to do the right things.
32:13And the big thing
32:14with any player,
32:14Titus included,
32:15is continue to work
32:16and continue to make progress,
32:17continue to improve
32:18and do what you can
32:19to help the football team.
32:20And, you know,
32:21he's certainly embraced that.
32:22He's one of the few guys
32:24so far that hasn't really
32:25been like mixed
32:25and matched
32:26out of his right guard position.
32:27There's been a lot
32:28of shuffling.
32:30It felt like yesterday
32:32you guys were going
32:33with specific combinations,
32:35you know,
32:35with different groups out there.
32:37Is that something
32:38we're going to continue to see
32:39or is there still
32:39going to be shuffling?
32:40Not specific to Titus necessarily,
32:42but where are you at right now
32:43in that whole competition
32:45along the offensive line?
32:45Yeah, at some point
32:46that will probably declare itself
32:47a little bit more.
32:48Probably once we get through
32:49another week here
32:50and then maybe
32:51right before Minnesota
32:52or after Minnesota
32:53somewhere in there.
32:54At some point,
32:55if we think
32:56this is what the group
32:58is going to be,
32:59then, all right,
32:59we're going to go ahead
33:00and let those guys
33:00work together
33:01as much as possible.
33:02The reality is
33:02we probably have
33:03seven or eight players
33:05that are going to factor in
33:07to the actual game day roster.
33:09So you just want to make sure
33:10that whoever those players
33:11are going to be,
33:11they get enough reps.
33:12But we've talked about this.
33:14We feel like we have
33:14a lot of depth
33:15and a lot of competition
33:16at multiple spots.
33:18Some of it's starting
33:19to clear itself a little bit.
33:20You know, we have,
33:21honestly, four or five
33:22starting tackles
33:23or starting level tackles.
33:25Blake Fisher,
33:26I know Trent's not practicing yet.
33:27Even if you were to take
33:28Titus out from
33:29guard and put them outside.
33:30So I feel like we have
33:32decent depth there.
33:33And then inside,
33:34we have a number of players,
33:35some guys that are center only,
33:36some guys that are guard only,
33:37some multi-position players inside.
33:40So I think these next
33:41two to three weeks,
33:42we'll see a little bit more
33:43and we'll have a better idea
33:44and better understanding.
33:45So really, at some point,
33:47all these guys are probably
33:47in a plane with one another.
33:49Eventually, you want to get
33:50to the point where
33:51whoever the five are,
33:52from a communication standpoint,
33:53you want to be able
33:53to go out there
33:54and practice as much as possible
33:55in anticipation of being
33:56ready to go for the Rams.
33:58I haven't adopted
33:59my undrafted rookie
34:01free agent yet.
34:02I'm going to wait
34:02until after the week
34:03that we're in West Virginia
34:04to do that.
34:05But are there any guys
34:06that you should keep an eye on?
34:07Now, remind me,
34:08this is the only ability
34:11or anything,
34:12or even ability
34:12to make the team.
34:13It's like, okay,
34:14I love this kid
34:15and the way he works
34:16and practices and all that.
34:17Yeah, I'm actually
34:17going to give you a twofer
34:18because they kind of travel
34:19in packs here a little bit.
34:21But Casey O'Sai
34:22and Jackson Woodard,
34:23from the time that they've
34:24really walked in the building,
34:26they're as diligent
34:27and their work ethic
34:29and mindset is as good
34:30as anybody in the building.
34:31I mean, every night,
34:34at the end of the day,
34:35they're upstairs
34:35talking to Coach Ross,
34:37going through whatever
34:38the next special teams phase is
34:39because they're in a position
34:41where if they're going
34:42to make the team,
34:42they're probably going to have
34:43to make it in the kicking game.
34:44But their mentality,
34:46and they're very consistent.
34:48And honestly,
34:49they're together all the time.
34:51So whether it's walk through,
34:52getting extra work
34:52with Coach Davis,
34:53spending time with Coach Ross.
34:55I know Jackson,
34:56we didn't sign him right away
34:57after the draft.
34:58He was released,
34:59then we claimed him.
35:00But it was right around
35:01kind of when a draft
35:03had taken place.
35:04But those two players,
35:05and we've asked them
35:06to do some different things
35:08that they aren't accustomed
35:09to doing.
35:09They've played some defensive ends.
35:11So the more that they can create
35:13some versatility for themselves,
35:14at least it's going to
35:15give them an opportunity
35:16to potentially put themselves
35:17in a position to make the team.
35:18Okay, so Seth,
35:19jot those names down.
35:20I already got mine.
35:20You know who mine is.
35:21Mine is Daniel Jackson,
35:22the wide receiver.
35:24Because when the bridge...
35:25Because he's probably
35:25going to SummerSlam,
35:26so knowing him.
35:28Yeah, yeah.
35:28Because you're doing bed checks
35:29at night at the Greenbrier.
35:30Where's Jackson?
35:32He's in MetLife Stadium.
35:34Because when they were doing
35:35the over the bridge question,
35:37they said,
35:37what's your walkout music
35:38going to be?
35:39And he said,
35:39Randy Orton,
35:40voices in my head.
35:41I hear voices, yeah.
35:42So maybe he's going to change
35:43that to a whole team.
35:43Yeah, this guy's making
35:44the team, Nick,
35:45based on this.
35:46Hopefully he can make
35:46a few more plays in practice.
35:49That's true.
35:50Yeah, that's good.
35:51We found out who the
35:51wrestling fans are on the team.
35:53Omar, that's your job.
35:54That's Omar.
35:54Are we working on that?
35:55Omar's got to get me my list.
35:56I want to do a little thing
35:57after practice in Greenbrier
35:59where I find out...
35:59Maybe we can get some
36:00SummerSlam predictions
36:01while we're at it.
36:02Oh, okay.
36:02Give me one.
36:03It's...
36:04Well, it's Cena's last
36:06SummerSlam match, right?
36:08Yeah, yeah, yeah.
36:08So I know he's a big-time actor now.
36:09So I'm sure, you know,
36:11eventually Cody's probably
36:12going to work him out.
36:12Tim and Cody going
36:13against each other, right?
36:14Yeah, and then CM Punk
36:15against Gunther, right?
36:16Gunther, yeah.
36:17I watched CM.
36:18CM came out last night
36:19and had a good monologue.
36:20Gave a nice little
36:20shouting match with him.
36:21I'm a CM Punk fan, so...
36:23Drew McIntyre's trapped
36:24over in England right now.
36:25It sounds like it, so...
36:26You've got a partner
36:26with your Cleveland guy,
36:27Logan Paul.
36:28Can you get to MetLife
36:29Stadium by Sunday night?
36:31I'd rather...
36:31I'm more partial
36:32to The Miz
36:33if we're going to talk
36:34about the Cleveland guys.
36:34Okay, let him do it.
36:35That's a Cleveland guy.
36:36All right, Nick,
36:37we appreciate you stopping out.
36:39Yeah, you bet.
36:39Anytime.
36:40Appreciate you having us.
36:41Yeah, good chat.
36:43Seth, good to see you.
36:44Yeah, good to see you.
36:45I'm going to do my deep dive
36:46on KCOSI and Jackson Woodard.
36:49KCOSI has got a cult following
36:52amongst a few Texans fans,
36:54so they're going to be excited.
36:55Oh, you'll get some hits
36:56on that Seth Payne
36:57YouTube channel, baby.
36:58There you go.
36:58There you go.
36:59Good stuff.
37:00Hey, Nick, we appreciate it.
37:01Thanks, fellas.
37:01Yep, you bet.
37:01Great stuff.
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