00:00We got the victory of an extension on the middle linebacker for your Houston Texans,
00:04Aziz Alshair, the heart and soul of the defense, the brain of the defense, really and truly,
00:08the green dot wearer and everything else.
00:10A three-year extension, we got that during the show, but we didn't know what the number was.
00:14We found out what the number was during the drives time slot.
00:17Obviously, we didn't have any time to talk about it, but if you didn't hear it,
00:20three years, $54 million, which I think makes him the third highest paid on just the number.
00:28However, the interesting part of it is the average annual value percentage of the cap,
00:33which I'm going to try and start utilizing because the numbers are getting so big in sports
00:37that the numbers can kind of...
00:38It's the best way to really gauge it.
00:40Percentage of the cap at signing, he actually comes in fifth.
00:42You remember the Zach Bond deal that he got after they won the Super Bowl where it's like,
00:46hey, look at this free agent that you brought in and had a great year.
00:49He comes in at fifth at almost 6% of the salary cap, which I think I'm fine with.
00:56He plays at that level where, I mean, the only dudes that made more than him on percentage
01:01of the cap, Roquan Smith, which, I mean, good linebacker.
01:05I wonder how much the Bravens feel about that.
01:07Fred Warner, yes.
01:09Of course.
01:09Boye Mafé, which, interesting that they just brought him in in Cincinnati just because their
01:14defense is so bad.
01:15And then, as I mentioned, Zach Bond, right?
01:16He feels like he fits in there.
01:19But the big thing, obviously, was what we talked about, which is you have that middle
01:23linebacker spot, locked down for three years.
01:25And interestingly, with him signing now, there are only two spots on your defense where you
01:31do not have a starter signed through this year and into 2027.
01:36And you know what those?
01:36Yes, starters.
01:37You know what those spots are, right?
01:38Yes.
01:39Well, Tommy Togiai.
01:41Yes.
01:42And who was the other one I said?
01:44We were talking about it before the show.
01:46Who was it?
01:47Ian.
01:48Henry.
01:49Oh, Toa Toa.
01:50Henry Toa Toa.
01:51Yeah, yeah.
01:52So what does that tell you?
01:54The interesting thing is, like, they kind of have succession plans in line for that,
01:58right?
01:58You have answers.
02:00And we know that there's a two-year, it's a two-year window that Nick Asario works in.
02:04Togiai, you can make the argument that Caden McDonald is his replacement.
02:09Now, honestly, they could play together, right?
02:11You ultimately get a deal done with Togiai, and he ends up being still a part of that rotation
02:15because it's not like Sheldon Rankins is going to play forever as well.
02:18But you have something that you're covered there.
02:22It's possible that Wade Woodass is your Togiai replacement if it develops in the way that
02:28you want in this upcoming season, and then, boom, he slides in alongside.
02:31Well, I mean, that's the plan, right?
02:33I mean, I think it's the upside of the plan.
02:35I don't feel like it is so much of a probability that I can guarantee it, but at least you
02:40have
02:40that as an attempt, and if he's good enough, cool.
02:42And if not, you can go back into the draft and get another linebacker to drop in there.
02:46Right.
02:46And you may well either way.
02:47That's the defensive side of the football, but we had been asking for, with this team,
02:52with this draft, hey, probably just get succession plans.
02:55Because you had starters kind of going in where most of your spots, you knew who your starter was.
03:00Get some plans for the future.
03:02Have they kind of answered all the succession plans?
03:04Well, I don't know if they've answered it because you just said it.
03:06I mean, they still have to prove themselves.
03:08I think McDonald is a solid one for sure.
03:11I think we've, have we kind of shortchanged Wade Wood as, because I have, I'll raise my
03:17hand.
03:17I think I have too, because keep in mind, Toa Toa was, is a fifth round draft pick that
03:23they developed.
03:24Correct.
03:24They used in this exact same role, maybe a succession plan down the road.
03:27They drafted him in 2023.
03:29And lo and behold, he becomes exactly what they were hoping.
03:33Well, what else is a fourth round draft pick?
03:35What else has been taken higher?
03:37You know what I mean?
03:38Yeah, maybe they got the same plan they had with Henry.
03:40I think that's where Reggie's going with this.
03:42Yeah.
03:42The only thing, though, that differentiates the Henry Toa Toa and the Wade Wood as is, you
03:47had another option.
03:49Henry Toa Toa is kind of your backup plan.
03:51Sure.
03:52But again, develop and took over the role.
03:55He did.
03:55You don't have, like Wood as right now would be plan A on the succession plan.
04:00Now, it's, and that's not to say that it can't land, because obviously you saw Henry.
04:03It just feels like it's not as much of a given in the same way, because Henry could have
04:07not succeeded in the way that he has, and you should have been fine on the plan.
04:12Of course, Christian Harris flames out, unfortunately.
04:15And thankfully, you had one of those work.
04:18Ultimately, the defensive side, it's really clear that they have, at least they have dudes
04:22locked up for the next two seasons.
04:23Across the board, in terms of starters.
04:26How do you feel like they did on offense when it comes to the succession plan conversation?
04:29Well, I think, you know, you obviously have to start on the interior, you know, with
04:34Keelan Rutledge, you know, that's an obvious one.
04:37He's going to step right in.
04:38Yeah, it feels like they should have a succession plan at center.
04:40What it actually is, I don't know, but they should.
04:43Whether it's Keelan Rutledge at center, whether it's Evan Brown at center, whether it's
04:47Fabian Wee-Woo, it should be like they have some level of succession plan at center.
04:51Wee-Woo and Marlon Klein are kind of in that same boat.
04:54Even though Marlon Klein's a second-round pick, but they're kind of in that same boat.
04:57It's more perception than anything.
04:58Like, if Woodaz was a second-round draft pick, we'd be like, boom, there we go.
05:03You know, there's your succession plan.
05:05But he's not.
05:06He's a fourth.
05:06Correct.
05:07Well, Marlon Klein's a second-round draft pick, and we're kind of shortchanging him
05:10as a second-round draft pick, just because of the perception of where he should have
05:13been drafted, et cetera.
05:14Yeah.
05:16So do you feel good about, like, hey, Marlon Klein is your success plan at center?
05:20No, but my perception is skewed as well.
05:23Okay.
05:24You know?
05:24Yeah.
05:26It's funny, because interior offensive line, you probably talk about center.
05:30I think that one's solid.
05:31But because we've talked about, like, Keelan Rutledge at center, it feels like you can't,
05:36if he does land there, then he isn't succession plan at guard.
05:40And then I go, what is the succession plan at guard?
05:43Because I don't know that Fabeci and Wee-Woo, do you feel comfortable going,
05:47he will definitely be a, or he is likely to be a starting guard?
05:50No, not given how they grade offensive linemen, their track record, and the fact that he's
05:55a fourth-round pick, I don't think it's fair to do that.
05:57I mean, could some of these guys, well, Braden Smith is 30, 31, I think he's 30.
06:06So maybe, you know, they feel pretty good at tackle, at least for the next two or three
06:10years, you know, because offensive linemen play longer, et cetera.
06:13Now, White Teller's older, so I don't know about that, and you're talking about guard.
06:17Yes.
06:17Yeah, so, yeah, there might be a hole there.
06:19That might be the one to watch, actually, because I think White Teller still could be good, but
06:24He's like 35, though.
06:26He might be, maybe not that old, but he's
06:27Yeah, he might be a little younger, but there was some issues last season.
06:30I know it was for the Browns, but there was some issues where he, I think he actually got
06:35benched at one point.
06:36And don't nobody know if it was because of performance or what.
06:40Yeah.
06:41No, and that's something to keep an eye on.
06:42And I do wonder if that isn't part of, a large part of the reason why you end up with
06:46two
06:46guards in this draft and no tackles.
06:48Right?
06:48We talked about, obviously, the quality of those prospects in this draft, but it might
06:53just be, hey, succession plans.
06:54We have a Braden Smith that's younger that, again, two-year window, we feel comfortable
06:58if we have him starting at right tackle for two years.
07:01We'd be good, as opposed to the White Teller, which it's possible that you started for two
07:04years and you're good, but there's more of a likelihood that you might need to go to
07:07someone else.
07:08So, having another guard that could possibly work his way up to being a starter.
07:11Right, right.
07:12Succession plan-wise is the way to go.
07:14I think I feel good.
07:15I feel okay, is the way I should put it.
07:17Offensive?
07:18Or across the board?
07:19With, at least, offensive line, because there's not a succession plan at running back.
07:24Unless you've, even if you have high hopes for Woody Marks, there's not.
07:28There's not a succession plan at running back.
07:30No.
07:30Wide receiver is, the guys are young enough that I don't even know how you handled the
07:34conversation of succession plan.
07:36What about the succession plan at quarterback?
07:37No, I'm just kidding.
07:38Maybe.
07:39And that's, that's, that's the one that ultimately will all hear is.
07:42Maybe.
07:43And here's the thing.
07:44I don't disrespect Graham Mertz like that.
07:46Ah, there it is.
07:47There it is.
07:48It's the Graham Mertz of it.
07:48My bad.
07:49I forgot the Wisconsin transfer, the Florida graduate Graham Mertz.
07:53But yeah, I found that interesting and obviously it tailed off of Aziz Alshayer.
07:57You have him locked in and it feels like you got your team.
08:00Largely some of these things in place, not just for the 26 season, but things that at least
08:04you could visibly or viably see into the 2027 season.
08:07So shout out to Aziz Alshayer being kind of the final place, the final thing that's
08:11put into place there for the two year window as, as Nick Casario would put.
Comments