- 2 weeks ago
ITL debates which player they hope becomes the biggest head-turner when training camp gets underway.
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00:00The rookies will report on July 21st.
00:02The veterans report on the 28th, a week after.
00:05So that's when we go.
00:06That's when we find out how this Texas team looks
00:09when they start with helmets.
00:11And then, I imagine in a couple weeks,
00:14we get pads and then we're really off to the races
00:16and figuring out how good...
00:18I think it's a week, right?
00:19Or is it a week?
00:20Yeah.
00:20A week and change maybe or whatever?
00:22It's usually that...
00:22No, you're right.
00:22It is a week.
00:23It's that first Saturday.
00:24So they start on a Tuesday, 28th.
00:26Tuesday.
00:26Tuesday.
00:27And then, I think Saturday they go pads for the first...
00:30No, you're right.
00:31You're right.
00:31And so, that'll be the first opportunity that we get
00:34to see if the transfusion that they tried to make
00:36when it comes to physicality and nastiness
00:39really, truly did translate on the offensive side
00:42of the football.
00:42And maybe that's part of how you answer this question.
00:45Who would you like, when those Texans do indeed
00:47put on those pads at that time period,
00:49who would you like to be the head turner?
00:51713-572-4610 is the number to text.
00:54Yeah, it's summer break time.
00:56Oh, yeah.
00:57And for the Texans, it's kind of like the...
01:00You know, when you went to high school
01:02after that summer break,
01:03and there's a girl that comes back,
01:06let's just say, looking different.
01:07All right.
01:07That's your favorite analogy.
01:09Of all the ways that you can make that analogy.
01:10Hey, this is his favorite analogy.
01:12Of all the ways you can make that.
01:14Ooh, Sally coming back looking good.
01:16Can you picture it in your mind?
01:19Of course.
01:19Of course you can.
01:20Of course.
01:20But there's other ways you can make that.
01:21Have you ever experienced it?
01:23Of course you have.
01:24But there's other things that we've experienced that factor in.
01:26No, that makes it a great analogy.
01:27A great...
01:28713-572-4610.
01:31It's summertime.
01:32You go freshman to sophomore year, let's say.
01:34And then over the course of the summer,
01:36someone comes back and you're like...
01:38It couldn't be a growth spurt?
01:39No.
01:40You couldn't use growth spurt.
01:41Same circumstance.
01:42And you're saying, well, she's different.
01:43We can't talk about caterpillars?
01:46You guys know it's the best analogy.
01:48No, I would not.
01:49I will give you that it is apt.
01:51That is all I will give you.
01:52It is not the best.
01:54Yeah.
01:54Get the hell out of here with that.
01:55Lopez can't talk about Kevin coming back 6'6".
01:58You know what I mean?
01:59Because that has happened.
02:00Yeah.
02:00That has happened.
02:01When my homeboy was like, oh, man, you played point guard.
02:03And we came back, he was like, oh, no, buddy.
02:05Get your ass in the post.
02:07What the hell happened to you?
02:08Get your big ass in the post.
02:10What are you doing here trying to handle the ball?
02:12You know how tall you are now.
02:13Anywho, you get the point, right?
02:15There's that summer.
02:16Now, the reason this came up is I was looking, I was reading something just in passing over
02:20the weekend about how Derek Stingley, more and more people thought, like, he came back
02:24just bigger.
02:25Which is funny because he was already a grown-ass man.
02:28Yeah.
02:28Like, that was, I remember, that was the distinguishing factor of him.
02:31Freshman year, LSU, they were like, damn, how is he already a grown-ass man?
02:35Right.
02:35And so the point becomes, and the specific thing about Derek Stingley was, will that hinder
02:42maybe his cover skills if he comes back, you know, just a bigger, you know, brawnier
02:47cornerback?
02:47Do you have any concerns about that?
02:49I do not, but I think it's a fair one.
02:51I think if you have concerns about, okay, he's really, really big, you know, and maybe
02:56it's going to affect whatever, you know, the proverbial, you know, hips, you know, and
03:01all that stuff that people like to talk about when they talk about cornerbacks.
03:03Yeah, I feel like the muscle mass, maybe just like straight up speed, because I know
03:08that you're trying to get the nickname of him being a closer, but like, I think it's
03:11that nickname, although ill-fated, came from a good place, which is he does have that closing
03:16speed.
03:16Does any of that, does he lose any of that edge with adding more muscle mass with more
03:21mass?
03:22But I feel like that flexibility should still remain.
03:24Right.
03:24Right.
03:25So, and to set aside the analogy, to set aside, you know, Derek Stingley, although he may be
03:29your answer here, you know, who do you feel like when we come back, and it happens
03:32every year, you know, everybody does the, oh, look at him, you know, that's a big dude,
03:36or whatever it may be.
03:38Who do you feel like could be that head turner for this, for this Texas?
03:43There's one answer for me.
03:44There's only one answer for you.
03:45There's one answer easily for me personally, and it's Jaden Higgins.
03:49It is wide receiver two being, you know, really living up to, because I think it was Albert
03:54Breer that was making this point, and I think it's fair.
03:56A year ago, they wanted to kind of purport him as basically their first round pick.
04:01Remember that you get him two picks after the first round, after we go through the first
04:05day and we go, hey, you traded back, and now who are you going to get?
04:08Jaden Higgins is who they get at 34.
04:10So, first round kind of talent, and at wide receiver, that is the position where you should
04:15be able to, one of the positions where you should be able to make an impact sooner rather
04:18than later.
04:18He did make an impact last year, but it wasn't the same.
04:21I want somebody that forces defense to have to think a little bit more outside of just
04:25a Nico Collins.
04:26And it seems like you have the early portions of that, but where there is still something
04:31to be, there's still something remaining.
04:32There's still something to turn my head is, can he click in with the quarterback?
04:36Because we know wide receiver is only as good as the football that you can get to him, right?
04:40Like, it is the reason why they can be divas.
04:42It is the reason why they can be whiny is because they are at the service of what the quarterback
04:47and what the play callers, what all of those people do for them.
04:51And with the speed that we've seen in OTAs, in minicamp, whatever, the thing that we haven't
04:57seen just yet is that clicking in, that you know happens with Nico Collins, that we've
05:00seen in the past with CJ Stroud and Noah Brown.
05:05You know, that's the thing that would be really great, is if we see them on the same page and
05:09we go, oh, buddy, y'all are in real trouble now, because now we got two 6'4 dudes running
05:12at you that our quarterback can get the ball to.
05:14I think they're, I mean, Jaden Higgins clearly is on my list.
05:17Just the size, just, you know, what you just laid out with him, but he's by no means at
05:23the top of my list.
05:24Okay.
05:24You know, he's already a big dude, you know?
05:26Yeah.
05:27And, but one of those that, that this is weird, maybe this is a weird answer, but Figgy, I'm
05:31curious on yours too.
05:32And of course our listeners, 713-572-4610.
05:34It happens every year.
05:35You know, you get that guy and you're like, whoa, you know, I think even Will Anderson last
05:39year, you know, went from, from like, okay, he's even bigger than he was now.
05:43For me in a weird way, it's Trent Brown.
05:48Because Trent Brown, I hope you're not talking about him getting even bigger.
05:50No, no.
05:51He's 6'7 now.
05:52No, the opposite.
05:54Because one of the big, he's just a house of a man.
05:57I mean, he's just a planet.
05:59I mean, he's, he's an enormous, he's a planet.
06:02I like the idea of an edge of trying to get by Trent Brown and then whipping back around
06:05because of the gravity and I'm pulling him back.
06:08The gravitational pull won't let me get by him.
06:11He's just slingshotting all the way off into the distance.
06:14I'm sure there's defensive ends singing all around the world.
06:18Trent Brown, that's the only way I can describe it.
06:20You talk about my mother now.
06:21He's a planet.
06:22Yeah, man.
06:22He's enormous.
06:23But, but he's also been hindered by injuries.
06:26Yeah.
06:26Keep in mind, he was taking the majority of the reps at OTAs for what it's worth.
06:30Yeah.
06:31And now Brayden Smith.
06:32Yeah.
06:32Brayden Smith wasn't there at OTAs.
06:34Right.
06:34Right.
06:34So that is, that is worth noting.
06:35For what it's worth.
06:36Yeah.
06:36But what if he comes back, maybe just not by any means svelte, but just in a little better
06:42shape and, and takes the reps, you know, that would be enormous.
06:47That'd be interesting.
06:48I think the reason why that does not come to mind to me is that I am in a place
06:52where either
06:53one of them starts and I'm good.
06:54Right.
06:55It feels like a, you know, just a distinction without a difference in my mind, which is
07:00like, do you want Trent Brown?
07:01Do you want Brayden Smith?
07:02Whatever y'all decide is cool.
07:03Like I imagine, not for you, John Lopez, cause you're a little bit of a snob in this
07:06way, but if me and Figgy went to, uh, went to dinner and they were like, would you like
07:10wine?
07:11And we're like, yeah, maybe a red, which one, whichever one y'all pick, right?
07:14Like it's all, it's all gravy to me.
07:16Cause I always say house one, house.
07:18See, you see, you hear the shame in his voice, right?
07:20You're right.
07:21I would not do that.
07:22I know.
07:22But like, whichever one is good.
07:23Cause I feel like they're all, it's all gravy.
07:26Pick a good one.
07:26Exactly.
07:27And this is the thing.
07:28You got nothing but good ones to pick from, at least when it comes down to being able to do
07:31that
07:31right tackle job in my mind.
07:32And so that's why I'm, I'm cool with it.
07:35And that's why it didn't come up as my answer for Trent Brown, but I would love it.
07:37If, if he is in a place where he feels comfortable, he has the level of experience.
07:41It wouldn't make you feel a little, some type of way about Brayden Smith as an acquisition,
07:44but I'm good.
07:45Right.
07:45Just the depth, the not having to think about it.
07:48I'm, I'm cool with that either way.
07:49Do you have one Figgy?
07:50Yeah.
07:51The one I thought about is kind of opposite of yours.
07:54Um, uh, Tay Ersery.
07:55Like I know he's already a big dude.
07:58I know he's already a big dude.
07:59And we saw it around this time last year, but, um, I think if he come in looking way
08:06stronger, actually, you know, looking in, I mean, taking care of his body and stuff like
08:10that, because we know rookies, they kind of come in, you know, as rookies, but that,
08:15that next year where they actually take care of their bodies, they, you know, some might
08:20slim down, some might build muscle.
08:21So I'm curious to see what he's, what, uh, what he'll look like.
08:25No, that's a good one.
08:26And I always hesitate to use this because it's not like they actually have this, but maybe
08:29get rid of a little baby fat, you know, get just sort of feel a little more sculpted.
08:33Uh, you kind of see it though, man.
08:35We saw, we saw with King and green.
08:37Now I know the whole situation didn't work out, but we kind of saw that a lot of people
08:41talked about the baby fat he had.
08:43And then remember, I think it was a year later, he kind of came back a little solid.
08:47Right.
08:48The other one for me is kind of along those same lines and that's Jalen Smith.
08:52Uh, you know, clearly has some, some, you know, injuries and such.
08:56Uh, and to be able to get another cornerback like that, you know, look in the part bigger,
09:01you know, more mature.
09:03I think that'd be huge.
09:03No, I I'm, I'm with you there because, uh, as was mentioned on the YouTube page, I see
09:08you Isaiah in there.
09:08Don't think I'm not reading your messages in there.
09:11Um, he, he wants to see another veteran cornerback.
09:14Remember we were talking about that a little earlier.
09:15And while I feel, I feel okay about Tremont Smith and yes, I did use the word okay.
09:20Um, but I feel pretty good about Jalen Smith because I already was interested in what it
09:25looked like.
09:26He was like, Hey man, this is, this is a dude who didn't even play that whole first year,
09:30right?
09:30Like the idea that you would need to turn to him, especially considering you had so much
09:34good fortune when it comes to, when it comes to injuries or the lack thereof between Derek
09:38Stingley and Kamari Lassiter.
09:40Can you depend on that?
09:41And if you, if you were in that circumstance, who steps up?
09:43I think it's Jalen Smith, but there's a difference between a Jalen Smith that is more raw or Jalen
09:47Smith that looks more polished in year two, that looks better.
09:50And so that, that head turning could be huge in that regard to where not only are you a
09:55suffocating defense, there's also no reprieve, right?
09:58Uh, offense goes, I mean, I hate to see an injury, but glad that guy's not playing.
10:01Then they look up and they go, damn, this guy's good too.
10:03Right?
10:04Like that, that is the feeling that could be there.
10:06If Jalen Smith comes in, um, as the head turner that you're describing.
10:09Yeah.
10:09And then another one is not necessarily going to be a body transformation.
10:13He's already a veteran.
10:13He's already, you know, in a, in a good place.
10:17It's going to be more of an enlightened, you know, an enlightening moment for us.
10:20When you see Reed Blankenship in that position, we might all be going, oh, I see now, you know,
10:27I see now the difference between like a safety and a safety of that caliber.
10:31Yeah.
10:31You know, the, the thing that is tough for me is maybe my mind is just way too mortal.
10:37It is not, it is not, uh, there's not enough gray matter or whatever.
10:40I just cannot imagine how much more imposing could this defense be, right?
10:44Like that's the whole idea.
10:45My brain, my brain is like, it's clearly going to be better, but like, how much could it possibly
10:48be?
10:49And those are famous last words, right?
10:50Like how, how much worse could it possibly be?
10:52How much more expensive?
10:53We've all been there.
10:54Right.
10:55Uh, I just, it, that's where my brain goes.
10:57When I go Reed Blankenship, going to be great.
10:59Excellent.
10:59Excited.
10:59How much more imposing could it be?
11:01And maybe it's that you are stifling to the point where offenses can't do a single damn
11:05thing.
11:05Maybe that's the case.
11:06I just have a hard time going like, it's going to be that much of a head turner.
11:09Cause we already have super bowl level historical level expectations for this.
11:13But we've talked about, you know, that safety position, you know, who's it going to be, are
11:17we getting, you know, the most out of it and everything?
11:19What if in the past year?
11:20Yeah.
11:20What if Reed Blankenship just comes in and you're like, oh, okay.
11:23So that now that it is that defense, it is that completely impenetrable defense.
11:27This thing is like, I'm kind of expecting that.
11:29Like that's just, that's kind of just expectation.
11:31And maybe that is me being greedy.
11:32In fact, I'm willing to say that's probably me being greedy.
11:35And I think this is a place where I'm allowed to greedy.
11:36This is that.
11:37Like, yes, it looks like a greedy move.
11:39You were like, Hey, this defense is incredible.
11:41Do we really need to get anything else?
11:43And they're like, yeah, let's go get us a little Reed Blankenship.
11:44Yeah.
11:44That's what I expect.
11:45More of everything.
11:46That's yeah.
11:47That's what I expected to look like that.
11:49So are there any other names that come to mind for you?
11:52Fig?
11:52Like I've seen some people say Tank Dell making a big, huge company, big comeback would be huge.
11:56And in theory, sure, I just don't know what the comeback looks like, right?
12:00If he looks like his previous self, oh man, we're cooking with grease now.
12:03Yeah, no, absolutely.
12:04Right?
12:04Because there's the deep threat possibility of that.
12:07He's an incredible route runner when he has the, when he's, when he's got it going in that way.
12:10And what I was just talking about, about the Higgins, you have that, or at least you had that before
12:14this system.
12:15Maybe, maybe that's something that you alter, or not even before the system, before with, because he, it looked a
12:21little funny, the connection between him and Tank in the latter parts.
12:25And once they brought in Stefan Diggs, right, that was the change that made this look a little different.
12:28But we have seen the connection between CJ Stroud and Tank Dell be fan bleeping tastic.
12:36And my thought is, if he, if he does turn heads in that way, you drop him back in and
12:40boom, now we're cooking.
12:41But I just, that feels like far-fetched in my head.
12:43I think Tank Dell is not so much a physical transformation as just 100%.
12:47You know, just, just step right in.
12:49That might be one of those, you know, it's not going to be anything where, you know, oh wow, look
12:52at Tank Dell and the presence he has as much as just his ability to do everything.
12:57Now, that would be fun though, if he somehow like, as he's, as he's rehabbing, it's like, wait, you, you,
13:02you, you weigh more now, buddy.
13:03Yeah.
13:04Here's a question that comes in on the text line from the 832.
13:06Is there a head turning for the wrong reasons in your mind?
13:10Like, where's the place that you could anticipate?
13:12Now, I know you've been talking a lot about like the actual physicality.
13:15Like, I just can't see a situation in which somebody comes in out of shape.
13:20I don't either.
13:21Not, not with the, I'm not in this era in the NFL in general, but it happens.
13:25But this text, especially for this team.
13:27How would you feel if somebody like Jaden Higgins come in the same?
13:32Like, kind of similar from last year.
13:33I wouldn't, it wouldn't strike me either way.
13:35You know, you know, one that we haven't mentioned, and I think that's because there's an inherent bias,
13:39or at least preference at that, at that position.
13:43Jake Andrews was a little bigger too.
13:45Like, what if Jake Andrews comes in and you're like, oh, well, okay.
13:49When you ask me, ask yourself, big dog, because that, that was one of the big questions that you had,
13:53was like, just.
13:55Being overwhelmed.
13:56Yeah.
13:56Yeah.
13:57I mean, it's possible.
13:58Now, for me, it's not even just the big, does the power show up for him?
14:02That's the real question there.
14:03Like, is the power there?
14:04Because this is, that's the whole idea.
14:06That's in the transformation on the offensive line.
14:08Right.
14:09They want to be powerful.
14:10Big is, big is a shorthand for powerful.
14:12Because ain't nothing more frustrating than getting a big joker that don't know how to use it.
14:16Yeah.
14:16Like, we've seen, I, it kills me in basketball especially.
14:19You got the big, seven-foot center that can't, that can't move nobody off the block.
14:23You're like, what are you, what are you big for?
14:25Similarly, the big offensive lineman that gets his ass whooped.
14:28Yeah.
14:28On the offensive line.
14:29And so, yeah, does the power show up would be the question for me.
14:32Because that, that actually, you know what?
14:34That might be an answer.
14:35The only thing about it is you already went and made a, a first-round selection to try and address
14:39that.
14:39So it would feel bad if you go, Jake Andrews has now really fully stepped into this.
14:43And now the Keelan Rutledge is kind of just a depth piece.
14:47But, I mean, towards the end of actually playing football outside of asset management, that'd be great.
14:51Now you've got a couple options that you can't go wrong in that instance.
14:55Correct.
14:55With the center battle.
14:56But, I don't know.
14:57We'll see how that looks once we get there.
14:58And from the 972, this is probably a good answer.
15:00Cade Stover to have the road to Damascus this offseason would be, because, again, there was a lot of hope
15:05for him.
15:06Yeah.
15:06In that, in the package of that, of that player.
15:08If he starts realizing that, you're in another place as well with somebody who has more experience.
15:14And in that position where tight ends seem to be the key to unlock what this offense is supposed to
15:18be.
15:19I hear you.
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