00:00Reed Blankenship is one of the newest Houston Texans.
00:03He's got a podcast.
00:03What's it called again, Seth?
00:05The podcast he has with Cooper DeGene.
00:07Exciting Mikes.
00:08Exciting Mikes.
00:08That's what it is.
00:09It's a play on the meme, Exciting Whites.
00:11Yes, yes.
00:12And for those who don't know, Cooper DeGene and Reed Blankenship,
00:16the rare Caucasian defensive backs.
00:19So there's the play on words.
00:20He's now a Houston Texan.
00:22On the same team.
00:23On the same team.
00:24Well, yeah.
00:25Not anymore.
00:26Yeah.
00:26Yeah.
00:27That's just, it's a rarity to have a starting white defensive back.
00:29Well, a cornerback especially.
00:31But yeah, on the same team.
00:33Real rarity.
00:34Two on the same team.
00:36Reed Blankenship is now a Houston Texan.
00:37The league wasn't going to allow that, Sean.
00:39That's why.
00:40Is there a conspiracy theory?
00:41That's my conspiracy theory.
00:43I was like, send that kid.
00:45Send that Chad to Houston.
00:49That's what we got to do.
00:50Or Reed.
00:51Send that basic white boy to Houston.
00:53Yep.
00:54So Reed Blankenship, who is from the state of Tennessee.
00:56He was an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State.
01:00Said a big reason why he is a Houston Texan.
01:03He really felt like he was wanted here.
01:04It felt like I was wanted, you know?
01:07Yeah.
01:08I felt like I've never really had that with my whole career.
01:13And when, like, Houston started calling, it really felt like they wanted to take a shot on me, take a
01:20chance on me.
01:21And, like I said, Houston wanted me.
01:25Houston loved me.
01:26And I'm like, why not?
01:28So.
01:29Yeah.
01:30That's sweet.
01:31So I'm excited, for sure.
01:32I wonder how Philly's feeling about that quote today.
01:34If it's making the rounds in Philly.
01:36Like, he never felt wanted in Philly.
01:38Oh, well, I think he said he, like, pursued after when, you know, because he didn't get a big-time
01:42scholarship or anything.
01:43Yeah.
01:43Oh, that's true.
01:44It wasn't like he was a high draft pick.
01:46Yeah.
01:46He was undrafted.
01:47So, yeah, I think that's a thing.
01:50And that is, you've heard people like Peyton Manning talk about how kind of weird it was in free agency.
01:55Because he'd never been in a situation quite like that before.
02:00And, yeah, I can appreciate what he's talking about.
02:03So that part of it is kind of cool that I don't think he was – when he was talking
02:06about how, like, he felt wanted,
02:09it wasn't just that the Texans wanted him and said, oh, multiple teams are probably talking to my agent and
02:14everything.
02:14This is kind of cool.
02:15I'm the belle of the ball.
02:16Oh, yeah, that's a good point, the overall feeling of just being recruited in free agency.
02:21And, boy, I bet I was thinking about this.
02:23Because I was the same way.
02:24I didn't get, like, scholarship offers or anything coming out of high school.
02:27And it was kind of cool.
02:27Like, all of a sudden when – like, for me, it was getting drafted.
02:30Yeah.
02:31I was like, holy crap, these are like – this is an actual business.
02:34They really like me.
02:35Yeah.
02:36I mean, an expansion team drafted me.
02:38But still, they've been good already.
02:39That's right.
02:40No, they were in the AFC title game the year before.
02:42I was like, they're kind of like a real NFL team.
02:43That's right.
02:44That's right.
02:45And I think, too, when I hear that, man, I bet – I bet D'Amico is great in the
02:50– you know, like in the –
02:51as they would call it in – in high school recruiting, they call it in the living room.
02:55Yeah.
02:55I bet he's – so I'm speaking metaphorically.
02:58Like, I bet he's great in the living room.
02:59You know what I mean?
03:00For the – if they were in the Zoom room because they're allowed to meet by Zoom for an hour.
03:04Especially on the defensive side of the ball for guys on the defense.
03:06Well, and I think what the Texans have, which is so cool, is that they've got – for defensive players
03:12that watch the Texans play on TV.
03:15Yeah.
03:15When you hear Aziz Alshire talk about that defense and what it's like playing on them.
03:19I mean, I tell you all the time, Sean, I am unabashedly envious of those guys on that defense because
03:25they get to play in an environment like that.
03:27It's rare that you get so many guys that are so like-minded that play the right way and just
03:32let it go.
03:34It's awesome.
03:34So, if you're a defensive player, there's an intrigue about the Texans being interested in you.
03:40They're like, oh, wow.
03:41They're – oh, cool.
03:42You want me to play with those guys?
03:43Exactly.
03:44Hell, yeah.
03:44Exactly.
03:45Exactly.
03:46Here's one more from Reed Blankenship saying exactly that.
03:49What you just said, Seth, the Texans have a great defense.
03:51Dude, I mean, it's in the south.
03:52I mean, I'm a southern dude.
03:54In the south.
03:55Dude, the weather is nice down there, bro.
03:58The weather is nice.
04:00But team-wise, bro, they got a great defense too.
04:03Uh-huh.
04:03They got a bunch of dogs on there.
04:05So, kind of just talking to – or just watching them and seeing them, you know, especially throughout my career
04:11there at Philly.
04:13It's just like, man, this team wants me.
04:15You know, they already got a really good defense, and now they're wanting me to come to contribute.
04:21So, that's what really – I just want to see, like, what the fan base is down there and, like,
04:26how – I don't know.
04:28It's just – it's a lot of unknowns, but I'm just – yeah.
04:31I'm just – like, I'm really excited for everything.
04:33Okay.
04:34I just want to give – if Reed Blankenship happens to be listening, I just want to give him a
04:38quick tutorial on what the fan base is like down here.
04:40Okay?
04:41Yeah.
04:41Because that's what he said at the end.
04:43They're much kinder and nicer than the one you just left.
04:46That's true.
04:47We are nicer people.
04:48Now, we're not very punctual.
04:51Mm-hmm.
04:51We're not going to show up as early for the games as they do in Philadelphia, where the stands are
04:57full at kickoff.
04:58Listen, yeah, Reed, that eagerness you felt from teams that were pursuing you, you're not going to get that in
05:03the first quarter of a fan base, okay?
05:05We want you to earn it.
05:06We're not all like, oh, Reed, look at me.
05:09I'm yelling at you.
05:10That's exactly right.
05:10No, no, no, no, no.
05:11We're going to roll in midway through the first quarter, so we're going to have our nachos.
05:15Yeah.
05:16We're going to have a good buzz on, including Sean and I in the press box, and that's kind of
05:20the way it is.
05:21Yeah.
05:23And just – we ease into it down here, man.
05:26The other part – it was funny.
05:27This is the dynamic that I like about Houston, where – I don't know, maybe Reed had already flown through
05:32Houston or something.
05:33I don't –
05:34Oh, the weather?
05:34Okay, so this is the advantage that the Texans have.
05:37For anybody that does actually want to visit the facility before they get drafted or before they sign in free
05:41agency.
05:42Yeah.
05:42Yeah.
05:43It's like this all year.
05:44Right?
05:45Yeah, high 70s maybe.
05:46I thought the same thing.
05:47I'm like, oh.
05:47You get a little bit of sure, yeah.
05:49Old Reedster ain't going to like training camp.
05:51Sometimes it gets a little bit more humid than this.
05:54A little bit.
05:54That's just a tad.
05:55Not much.
05:56How much?
05:57I don't know.
05:57I don't want to quantify it.
05:59Yeah.
05:59I thought the same thing.
06:00When Mario Williams was a free agent, I happened to be up visiting my mom that weekend in upstate New
06:07York.
06:07Oh, when he went to Buffalo, you're saying.
06:08And he went to Buffalo in early March, and it was unseasonably beautiful out.
06:13It was –
06:14Never left the facility.
06:15It was like low 60s, sunny and everything.
06:18And, yeah, he never left the facility.
06:20They were probably telling – Jim Kelly was probably like, oh, yeah, it's gorgeous.
06:24Bluebirds and happiness all year long.
06:25Nobody talks about this.
06:26A cloud in the sky.
06:28Nobody talks about this.
06:29We're like Phoenix without all that oppressive heat.
06:32Right, right.
06:33Yeah, without the heat in the golf courses.
06:35Yeah.
06:35Yeah, and he signed.
06:36Yeah, he did.
06:37He did.
06:38Biggest contract ever at the time.
06:39Hey, you mentioned Aziz.
06:41He was on – I haven't watched the whole thing of this yet.
06:43I've only seen the – I've only seen the posts that Houston Stressons, that Garrett put up of this interview
06:48with Aziz and John Gruden.
06:50Yeah.
06:50But I also saw Garrett post that it was an amazing interview.
06:54So I'm very anxious to watch this today.
06:56But this was Aziz Alshair.
06:58He was on John Gruden's podcast live with him, just sitting on a couch talking to John Gruden, saying this
07:03is – keep in mind, this is a guy who played on the 49ers when they were going to Super
07:07Bowls back – or a Super Bowl back in 2022, I believe, or 2019, whatever.
07:12This is the best defense he's ever played on.
07:14And honestly, like, hands down, on all, like, levels, this is, like, the most complete defense I've ever played on.
07:22And, like, it sounds literally crazy to even say – even talking to the guys who I played with in
07:27San Fran, like, throughout the year will be texting me about it, like, bro, you guys look different.
07:31And mind you, we come from the same DNA as far as the mentality.
07:35So, yeah, I mean, you know, you talk about our D-line, it's just insane.
07:40Yeah.
07:41This is the thing.
07:42This is the thing.
07:43As he was talking about that, the common DNA and everything, I started thinking about, man, you got the Titans
07:48in the division now.
07:49And sometimes people worry that maybe the Texans play with such a style and practice so hard that maybe that's
07:55why they have so many injuries.
07:56Now, the defense was very healthy this year, very, very healthy.
08:00That was ridiculous how healthy the starters were for the most part during the season.
08:05But now the Texans are going to be facing a team in the division that, with Robert Sala as their
08:10coach, that defense is going to start playing a lot more like the Texans did.
08:13Yeah.
08:13And there's going to be some violent, bloody Civil War battlefield type of games out there.
08:18But it's just – buckle up, offense.
08:21You're going to get your – get ready.
08:23I think there is – I went through this yesterday, Sean.
08:26There's a theme of physicality so far in all the free agency moves.
08:31Oh, the guys the Texans have picked up this year.
08:34Braden Smith is a much more physical player than Titus Howard.
08:38I'm not going to say he's better than Titus Howard or anything.
08:40Different style of play.
08:41David Montgomery, very physical.
08:43Break tackles, good short yardage.
08:45Like, he is a physical player.
08:47I think on the defensive side, that's a given that they're going to be hiring physical players.
08:52Well, even Foster Moreau, the tight end they signed, you know, is a physical player.
08:56Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:57And he is – you know, it's dicey.
08:58I went through and watched a little bit of him yesterday.
09:00And then I also – you know, I like to look at what opposing fan bases do.
09:03Go to Reddit where it seems to be a little bit more measured conversation, you know.
09:07Yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:08And it was that – and I think this matches the eyeball test.
09:12It's not like he's George Kittle as a blocker or anything.
09:15Right, right.
09:15But he's a competent run blocker.
09:18But really in pass protection, I think that's where we might see a big difference.
09:22Is that you can – as George Kittle says, I think the art of pass blocking is how to get
09:28beat slowly.
09:29Yeah, yeah.
09:30Look, you're not going to line up and handle Daniil Hunter.
09:34But if that's your job on that play, for whatever reason, figure out how to just get beat slowly.
09:39Right, right.
09:40He's – yeah.
09:41Give him four seconds, you know.
09:43I think he's going to be way more dependable as a pass protector than what we've had in the last
09:48few years.
09:49So the one-two combo potentially of Dalton Schultz and him is going to be nice.
09:53And then, as you pointed out yesterday, and I'm glad you pointed this out.
09:55This is the first thing you said.
09:56Oh, maybe the Texans won't be in so many 6-0 line formations anymore.
10:00Right, right, right.
10:01I got in a discussion with somebody about that yesterday.
10:03He said, hey, it worked.
10:05And look, until – you know, they couldn't do it in the Patriots game, and that's where they really had
10:09trouble.
10:09And I – you know how I feel about this.
10:11It worked, but it wasn't ideal.
10:14It was the least imperfect solution.
10:17The problem is when you have 6-0 linemen out there, you have one less viable receiver.
10:22So, great.
10:23The pass protection is better, but it's harder to find open receivers.
10:27So it was a deal with the devil that they had to make in a certain degree to kind of
10:32give up some things to actually get some pass protection
10:35or to be able to get an extra yard or so.
10:37It wasn't ideal.
10:38It wasn't lethal.
10:40It wasn't like, oh, no, the Texans have 6 offensive linemen out of the field.
10:43Right, right, right.
10:43So hopefully this year they don't have to do that as much.
10:45Let's go.
10:45Let's go.
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