- 2 days ago
Seth and B-Scott discuss the Texans extending TE Dalton Schultz, the notion that he'd be more productive as part of a tandem of TEs, and who a good "running mate" would be as the other TE.
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00:00Texans and Dalton Schultz, their number one tight end, agreed to terms on a one-year extension
00:07worth $12.6 million. That's now $17.6 million in guaranteed money combining 2026 and 2027.
00:19So, of course, that keeps Dalton Schultz with the Texans through the next couple of seasons.
00:25I don't have an issue with this move. Dalton Schultz arguably had his best season as a Texan
00:31out of the three seasons that he's been a Texan, had his best one this past season.
00:35I think it makes sense to keep Dalton Schultz around for as long as he is productive.
00:40And certainly last season, he was productive. I'm all for it.
00:44And I, by the way, am Brandon Scott and Prashan Pendergast here with Seth Payne.
00:49But here's my thing about it, Seth. I feel like they've got to get this guy a running mate, man.
00:55They've got to get Dalton Schultz a running mate of some kind.
00:59I'm not even particular on whether it's a complementary type of tight end who's more of the inline blocking type
01:06and less of the pass-catching type but still the pass-catching option,
01:10or another Dalton Schultz type that is more of the pass-catching type of tight end
01:16but at least willing to get out there and block for you when the time calls for it.
01:22But for me, the lack of depth at this position for the type of offense that they want to run
01:29simply can't stand.
01:31I think you and I both like the upside of Cade Stover
01:34or at least optimistic about what he could potentially be.
01:38But we didn't see a whole lot of that potential in 2025.
01:42Not sure of how much we can expect to see of it in 2026.
01:46And, of course, Brevin Jordan, another tight end for the Texans,
01:50has been kind of a sad story for him over the last couple of years
01:54the way his season ended before he could really, really, truly get going.
01:58So, for me, Dalton Schultz locking him up for the next couple of years is fine and all,
02:04but I would like to see this offseason, whether it be through the draft,
02:08whether it be through free agency, whether it be through trade,
02:12that they address the depth of this position and get Dalton Schultz a tight end running mate.
02:17Yeah, and it's probably one of the more under – we're so fixated on, you know,
02:23now offensive line.
02:24Before it was running back and offensive line.
02:26It feels like with the David Montgomery trade that, you know,
02:30there's not that same level of urgency at running back.
02:33But tight end is one of that sneaky – it's one of those sneaky spots where when you feel like,
02:39okay, they've got their starter, you'd love to have a second and a third guy,
02:42but it almost feels like a luxury.
02:44And yet, man, when you've got two good ones, two viable ones.
02:49Because they just – with Brevin Jordan not healthy and with Cade Stover kind of limited so far
02:54in exactly what he can bring, especially in terms of just threatening downfield athletically,
02:59they don't have anybody to really offset Dalton Schultz.
03:02And Dalton Schultz has got his own issues as a complete and total tight end.
03:07He's a willing blocker.
03:08He's just not all that good at it.
03:09I like that he makes the effort.
03:11I really wish he was actually just better at it, though.
03:14Yeah, yeah.
03:15It would help if he would just be better at it.
03:17But with the tight ends, though, I think about – and I think it's – in some cases,
03:23it's a little bit lazy, but it's instructive.
03:25It's what we've got to go off of in terms of what this offense is.
03:29It's the Patriots offense in essence, right?
03:31And when you think about the success of the Patriots offense beyond just the obvious, Tom Brady, right?
03:38You think about two different things, or at least I think about a couple of different things.
03:43Of course, they always had a credible run game, which I think any successful team should aim to have.
03:49So let's just put that to the side and kind of admit that it goes without saying that you want
03:54to be able to run the football,
03:56especially late in the season, especially in the cold when the weather's not ideal,
04:00all that same when you're going up against the better teams, all that sort of thing.
04:04But the things that they had when the offense was really humming in New England was either the deep threat,
04:11which we mentioned earlier in the show, talked about the Patriots never throwing the ball deep
04:15until they got Randy Moss, and then they got Randy Moss, and they threw the ball deep,
04:17and they did it well, right, because they had Randy Moss.
04:20So the Texans don't have, obviously don't have Randy Moss,
04:24but they don't even have anything close to that type of deep threat.
04:27So you don't view them as a deep threat type of explosive offense.
04:32If they're not going to be that, then what was the other wildly successful version of the Patriots offense?
04:38It's one that ran multiple tight ends, and I'm not just saying that you can just go to a factory
04:42and remake Rob Gronkowski and the one who was out there perhaps murdering multiple people in a short amount of
04:52time.
04:53But you can at the very least try to replicate something like that.
04:58We've seen around the league other teams that have multiple tight ends.
05:01The Ravens were this type of team at one point, and I feel like the Texans could be that, right?
05:06Like the Texans could be that if they're trying to replicate the Patriots offense.
05:10Well, you've already got one really good tight end.
05:13Why don't you try and go out and get another?
05:15And I'm not saying that they're not trying to do it, but it's high on my wish list,
05:19and it's something that I'd like to see them get accomplished this offseason.
05:22Let me ask you this.
05:24What would your appetite be for Travis Kelsey, who is a free agent,
05:31and who reportedly, as of yesterday, has decided that he definitely wants to play another year,
05:37but it's not 100% certain that he's going to be back with the Chiefs?
05:42Would you – Travis Kelsey, who is not the same guy he used to be,
05:46is still a viable wide receiver, but are you also ready for all the hoopla
05:50that comes with Travis Kelsey?
05:51I actually would be.
05:53Personally, I'd be down for Travis Kelsey.
05:56I'd be down for the hoopla.
05:57Honestly, it would come down to me, or for me it would come down to the price
06:02that you would have to pay for Travis Kelsey, right?
06:05Do you get to pay for the amount that we actually think that Travis Kelsey is worth
06:12at this point in his career, or do you have to pay some sort of Travis Kelsey tax
06:16with him being who he is, bringing his name and his accomplishments and all of the hoopla?
06:22Like, is that – is the price on Travis Kelsey a part of said hoopla?
06:26You know what, Travis Kelsey, I mean, part of it, too, aside from all the Taylor Swift stuff
06:32and everything that would come with it, which would be annoying as hell.
06:36But not just – I'm not saying she's annoying.
06:39I'm saying everything that comes with it is annoying.
06:41Dude, I think you'd be so –
06:43I don't want the Swifties coming after me.
06:44I think you could be – I think you'd be surprised with how wildly popular that would make this
06:48radio show, station, and our respective YouTube channels.
06:51Oh, my God.
06:52Which yours is already successful, I'm just saying.
06:54If we've got Travis Kelsey routinely in our headlines, we're going to be doing pretty good, my friend.
07:00The – so, okay, last year, Travis Kelsey, 76 receptions for 851 yards.
07:08He was – he had kind of a resurgent year in a lot of ways.
07:12You know, his average per catch was back up to what it had been the previous seasons before last year,
07:18before 2024.
07:18But Travis Kelsey, 76 receptions for 851 yards.
07:23Dalton Schultz, 82 receptions for 777 yards.
07:28I think the amount of money that somebody's going to be willing to pay Travis Kelsey just on a one
07:33-year deal
07:33is probably going to put him out of the Texans' price range, even if the Texans wanted him,
07:38just because I think that there are – I think there's teams out there that need a number one tight
07:43end,
07:44even if he's an aging guy that you don't necessarily feel awesome about.
07:47But I – it's weird.
07:50I don't – when it comes to signing guys who have been in successful programs,
07:54there's a lot of times people assign somebody – they just love – like the Carlos Correa going to the
07:59Twins.
08:00They wanted somebody that's got all this playoff experience and success just to be almost a mentor
08:04and a guy that can set the standard a certain way.
08:08As successful as Travis Kelsey has been, I don't view him in that light.
08:12And I can't – I don't know if it's just because I can't let go of how –
08:16what a complete doofus he was early in his career and just how goofy he was.
08:20Am I being – do I have a – do I have an unfair prejudice against Travis Kelsey
08:24and what a jackass he was early in his career?
08:26I don't – I think that's your – that's your unfair prejudice.
08:30Can I tell you mine?
08:32And this is one that I know for sure just would not slide here in Houston,
08:36and I suspect that Travis Kelsey would know this upon arrival.
08:41But you know all those chest bumps or heated exchanges that he has with Andy Reid on the sidelines?
08:47Those ain't happening with D'Amico Ryans if Travis Kelsey was to come to Houston, I can tell you that.
08:52No, no.
08:53I can tell you that.
08:54You might be putting an armbar right quick.
08:56Look, I think D'Amico commands a certain level of respect that would eliminate that.
09:02But also, D'Amico in noticeably better shape than Andy Reid, you know?
09:07Like, if this has got to come down –
09:09We're splitting hairs, I guess so, yeah.
09:11If this has got to come to mano a mano, Travis Kelsey is going to have to earn it, right?
09:15He's going to have to earn it against D'Amico if he wants to be the supreme alpha male in
09:21that confrontation.
09:22Well, the other part of it too is, hey, I said, you know, Dalton Schultz isn't a great blocker,
09:25but he's a willing blocker.
09:26He tries.
09:27He's just not always that good at it.
09:28Oh, yeah, you're right.
09:28Travis Kelsey, not necessarily his deal, you know?
09:30Yeah, yeah.
09:32And probably – never has been.
09:34Right.
09:34Probably even more so now, I would say, since he's both older and extremely famous.
09:40Like, he – like, we're just being honest about it.
09:42He has no use for blocking.
09:44No use for it.
09:45It's not going to benefit him in any way, not his legacy, not his bank account, none of that.
09:53He has no use for blocking, even though any team that he were to join would desperately want their tight
10:00end to participate.
10:01I just – yeah, the thing that's always annoyed me about me with his run blocking is that it's not
10:05like he's a small tight end or anything.
10:07No!
10:08Yeah.
10:09It's – that's what – and the – and it wouldn't bother me because, look, most running – most tight
10:13ends in the NFL aren't good blockers anymore.
10:15But the thing that always bothered me was that people would compare him to Rob Gronkowski
10:21and they would act like the passing stats are the only thing that matters.
10:24Where Gronkowski – Gronkowski was a better pass blocker than some offensive tackles.
10:29Right.
10:29The things that he would – the bind that he would put defenses in because teams just couldn't figure out
10:36whether they needed to be in nickel or base.
10:38Because if they line up in nickel, then you've got Gronkowski, the run blocker, that can help them run it
10:44right down your throat and vice versa.
10:46If you line up – if you line up in base defense, then you've got to try to have a
10:51linebacker cover Rob Gronkowski and good luck with that.
10:55So I'm – I don't – I have zero appetite for it.
10:59I'm trying to figure out – I'm trying to be honest with myself and say if they did sign Travis
11:04Kelsey to a reasonable deal, I'd probably get really excited about it.
11:07But also it would be kind of that – kind of like when you tried to embrace Dwight Howard and
11:12you're like, yeah, Dwight, you're my kind of guy.
11:17Hey, bygones be bygones and all that.
11:20Yeah, I just feel like I'd be – I'd be being dishonest with you if I said I wasn't –
11:25that I wouldn't be excited about it upon hearing the news if the news were to come down.
11:30But I'll also say this, and maybe this is me arguing against myself, but I'm just trying to be honest
11:35here.
11:35I would be excited, but do you think I'm crazy if it gives me kind of Ed Reed vibes?
11:40Like, I'm not saying it'd be –
11:42Oh, no, no, no.
11:42I don't think you're crazy at all.
11:43I don't know if it'd be exactly like that.
11:45I don't think I'd fake an injury.
11:47Maybe the spectacle of it all would be different from that, but it feels similar.
11:55Sort of washed up, has-been-ish.
11:58No, I think that's fair.
12:00Legend.
12:00I don't know.
12:01You know, it kind of feels like that.
12:03Ed Reed getting flown down on the private jet and the Texans treating him like, oh, this is the guy
12:08who's going to tell us how it's going to be.
12:10And remember, yeah, that Travis Kelsey has been a guy that has these sideline disruptions, you know, chest bumping Andy
12:16Reed and whatnot at various times.
12:19That in a new environment all of a sudden where he hasn't maybe had – you know, people haven't learned
12:27how to deal with him
12:28and he doesn't necessarily understand how to operate, that it might be really, really ugly.
12:32I'm glad you brought that up.
12:34Yes.
12:35It's got too much of an Ed Reed vibe.
12:36You're 100% correct in that.
12:38It feels like – wait a second.
12:40We've got to bring this guy in to show us how to play football.
12:43On the offensive side, I would agree.
12:46They do need help in bringing guys in that know how to play a certain type of football.
12:51But I don't think Travis Kel – that's why I like Trent Williams so much.
12:55If you want to bring in a guy that can show you how to be a veteran offensive lineman and
12:59do it the right way,
13:00100% Trent Williams all day long from the 49ers.
13:04But I don't feel that same way about Travis Kelsey.
13:06Yeah, and to the point of not really knowing how much Travis Kelsey would cost,
13:12I talked about the potential Travis Kelsey tax that maybe he'd have to pay more than what he's actually worth
13:17at this point in his career.
13:19I'm sitting here watching Get Up, and I saw them have on their chyron here a headline of – about
13:27Alec Pierce, right?
13:28The wide receiver from the Colts who's a free agent now.
13:31And it just made me think as we were having the discussion, that's not an apples-to-apples comparison by
13:36any stretch.
13:36But I would say that whatever money that could potentially be thrown at Travis Kelsey,
13:42I'd much rather them just take that and use it toward the Alec Pierce fund or the Trent Williams fund
13:50or the somebody else that can help you immediately fund.
13:53These are, again, not apples-to-apples.
13:55These are different positions, different markets, different costs.
13:58But if we're talking about the money all coming from the same place, I'd rather say no to that
14:03and let's try to say yes to this and put the money towards an Alec Pierce type of –
14:08you know, top off the defense, take the top off the defense type of player.
14:12Speaking of Alec Pierce, he had a quote last week where he's basically telling Kay Adams, you know,
14:17he's excited to go somewhere where they pay him that money because that means that, you know,
14:21they have to throw him the ball more.
14:23And there's a part of me that just – it wrinkled my old-school sentiments a little bit.
14:29Like, all right, man, you've had four years to prove that you deserve more than 80 targets a year,
14:34whatever it might be, but now you want to go somewhere where because they paid you,
14:38they have to throw it, throw the ball to you.
14:40It made me – I think I'm going to continue hating him even after he's an Indianapolis Colt.
14:45I just – I thought I hated him just because he's a Colt, but now it might be different.
14:51It might be deeper than that.
14:52But, see, it could be that just the right remedy for this is to pair him with a true ball
15:00placement specialist,
15:01which, as we know, the Indianapolis Colts have not exactly had that throughout Alec Pierce's career.
15:08Yet and still, he's been able to have some degree of success even without that.
15:12You put him with a quarterback that's as accurate as C.J. Stroud,
15:17maybe that encourages the Texans offense to open it up a little bit
15:21and take some more shots downfield since they have a legitimate deep threat.
15:25They've got a quarterback.
15:26Now, C.J., we've talked about this as well.
15:29The accuracy has taken a little bit of a step back from when we first got our impression of him
15:35when he was a rookie.
15:36But if he can sort of tap back into that, find the accuracy from the rookie season,
15:41and that was true to the scouting report when he first came out of college,
15:45match that with a guy like Alec Pierce, I feel like we would kind of change our tune pretty quickly.
15:50Like, if we can just get two play 68-yard drives with, you know, 78-yard drives with Alec Pierce,
15:59I feel like we would feel a lot differently about that.
16:01You know what?
16:02Speaking of his ball placement specialist moniker, that I saw somebody,
16:06oh, somebody, an intelligent person who I respect, but I disagree with on this.
16:10He said that, I think it was Texans Jacob, actually.
16:13He pointed out that, hey, if you look at C.J.'s, you know, accuracy numbers and everything,
16:19his rookie year, it wasn't actually all that great.
16:22And that maybe we're talking about C.J. as a guy that's different from whom he actually is.
16:28The area I disagree with that in a little bit is that I think some of it his rookie year
16:33especially
16:34was that he, by rookie standards, was pretty good at knowing when to throw the ball away
16:40and also when to just maybe make a throw that is either going to be caught by the receiver
16:46or nobody at all.
16:47So he would make a safe throw.
16:50So it could be an incompletion, but it was actually good ball placement.
16:53It was that he was taking care of the football.
16:56And that's where it's still there because his impressive throws,
17:01which he does pretty regularly even in his bad games,
17:04he still has a few throws where he throws it into a really tight window
17:07or layers the ball just perfectly.
17:09And I think it's more consistent than some of the numbers show just because of that
17:13that dynamic of just knowing when to throw the ball away.
17:16Because he started off, he was really good by rookie standards.
17:19Then he kind of lagged off on the judgment part of it for a while.
17:22And then I think he regained some of that this year.
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