00:00All right, you talked about it just a bit ago, Clint,
00:03about Nico Collins popping in at 58 there on the top 100 list.
00:08And it is hard for me not to get to this base.
00:14I think we've talked a lot about the next steps for C.J. Stroud, right?
00:21We've talked a lot about what the need is for him to do,
00:24I'd say maybe even the last two years from, I would say, more than just on the field stuff.
00:30I think we've talked about, Kamari Lasseter has talked about the next steps for him
00:34in being a leader and Will and all these, talked about the next step.
00:39I think the Texans need the next step for Nico Collins.
00:47I'm just not sure if it's in him to be able to do it.
00:51And when I say the next step, to me, there is nobody on this offense, Clint,
00:58that has more, I think, sway than Nico Collins.
01:05Usually you wouldn't say that about the wide receiver
01:08if there's a quarterback that's had the success that C.J. has.
01:12But I think C.J. has got a lot of focus on, hey, man, I don't even have a contract
01:16yet.
01:16Hell, Nico, this is his second one that he has got big money on.
01:19So he's, I think, thought of by most people, the best player on the offense.
01:26And to me, Clint, I think the next step is they need him to find a piece of his inner
01:35diva.
01:36Okay.
01:36They need him.
01:37It's not real hard for most wide receivers.
01:39No, it's generally not.
01:40But he, I think one of the things that many people like about him,
01:44I'm sure one of the things that Nico loves about him is he doesn't really show that side.
01:48I don't, I think it's in him.
01:50I think he walks off and he's at least inside.
01:56Pissed off.
01:57We'll go and see, man, he ain't throwing the ball his way in two quarters.
02:00Oh, I'm pissed.
02:01Hell, in the games, when he's got 10 targets, I'm still pissed.
02:03Because they just stumbled into it.
02:05It wasn't by design.
02:06But I think he's got, I think he's, I think the next step for him, he's 27.
02:10He's established himself in this league.
02:13I think, and I think this is something that is actually needed for the offense.
02:19And that is, don't just accept the ball not coming your way.
02:23Like, I think it's almost selfish for him not to demand that.
02:28Because I think it's best for the team.
02:31And not to just accept, all right, man, they put a safety over the top,
02:34so I'm done for the evening.
02:36I think if he could find that in him, I think he's got to push the envelope
02:42to make some people feel a little bit uncomfortable in there.
02:45Well, look, I would, as I said earlier, I would like for anybody on this offense
02:48to be okay with making people feel uncomfortable.
02:51I would love for somebody on this offense to take the approach of,
02:56there's nothing wrong with a little friendly friction within what's going on.
03:01I would love to see somebody go, no, punt, what the hell are you talking about?
03:05Let's go for it kind of deal.
03:06Like, I would love that.
03:07The problem is, Ron, I think we've seen the extent of diva Nico Collins,
03:15and I think that was done behind the scenes to get that little bit of a raise
03:19to get him back up into that top 10 and get him that $30 million a year.
03:22I really believe, Ron, that we're going to have to bank on David Montgomery,
03:26Wyatt Teller, Braden Smith.
03:29We're going to have to bank on one.
03:30We have to.
03:31Look, I don't think Nico has it any.
03:33I ain't good enough.
03:33I don't think Nico has it.
03:36I just don't believe that you go through what Nico's gone through,
03:40bite your tongue, work behind the scenes a little bit after producing
03:44as good as anybody in the league, and keeping quiet,
03:47being a great teammate, good soldier.
03:49You get that little bit of a raise.
03:51I just don't see it.
03:52I don't think it's in him.
03:52That's why I am so bullish on this offense not having the necessary leadership
03:59that they need.
04:00Is C.J. Stroud number one because of the position he's in,
04:03and Nico Collins' nose-down, just grind approach?
04:06Boy, it leaves a void on offense.
04:08I don't think he has it, Ron.
04:10I think he is one of very few receivers in the league that,
04:14when it comes to being made a priority in an offense,
04:17I don't think he cares.
04:19You don't think he cares about that?
04:20I don't think he cares.
04:21There's no way.
04:22How does he last this long?
04:23There is no way.
04:23How does he last this long?
04:24I do think that he is a team.
04:28I agree with you.
04:30The rock the boat stuff, team thing forward.
04:33I don't want to show up any of my other guys.
04:35I think we got other talented guys there.
04:38And there was a point there.
04:39I mean, when you got Diggs and Tank out there with you, okay,
04:42maybe we're spreading around.
04:44Last year and this year, stop it.
04:48And just with the, hey, man, we're just going to line some.
04:51But there were many times that he was able to be taken away just by alignment.
04:57And I just cannot believe.
05:00And, again, I'm not saying, man, he needs to go out here
05:02and start being Antonio Brown and, like, losing everything.
05:06Don't get naked on the field right off.
05:08Yeah, being embarrassing.
05:09But, like, he's got to move off the little Larry Fitzgerald here.
05:15Let's get in.
05:16I don't want him reading books on the sideline.
05:17I mean, I don't know.
05:19I like Hatchet with Gary Poulsen.
05:21I don't know.
05:21I don't need him reading books.
05:23But I wouldn't mind one time we rode through after the game
05:28and maybe he got up there like A.J. Brown
05:32and you could clearly see, hey, man, we've got to get better.
05:34You could clearly see he's not happy with the ball coming his way
05:37because the ball needs to.
05:39I mean, they just don't have the talent and the guys.
05:43They've got one dude, really, right now that we know of.
05:46They've got one dude that can really be a huge advantage
05:51and just go make plays, and it can't be this easy to take.
05:55Well, I just can't believe he's just good with it.
05:57I'm 100% with your mind and where it's at.
05:59I just don't.
06:00I think when Nick – look, here's the thing.
06:02You can argue, and people are going to not like this,
06:05but you can argue that other than C.J.
06:10I think C.J. is obviously the big piece that needs to be more in control
06:14and more of an a-hole, if we're being honest, about what's going on offensively.
06:18I just don't think he has it in him either.
06:19But the two guys that we are familiar with that have been Texans
06:23and have had more than enough reason to be that necessary a-hole
06:28and chose not to do it is as detrimental to this offense as anything,
06:33and it's Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz.
06:35Both of those guys, Dalton Schultz – I vividly remember Dalton Schultz
06:39going multiple games and, hell, I even saw it in training camp consistently
06:45underneath wide open going like, hey, man, throw me the ball.
06:48Like, I'm wide open.
06:49They just checked this thing down.
06:50As they were talking to C.J. about taking what the defense gives you,
06:53just get completion.
06:56And Dalton Schultz' response was, yeah, you know,
06:59I guess we'll talk about it a little bit in the locker room,
07:01but, you know, I just wait my turn,
07:03and I'm going to get the ball when it comes to me kind of deal.
07:05No, man.
07:06Yeah.
07:07I mean, there's a time and a place.
07:08But you're right.
07:09Nico –
07:09Don't keep doing that.
07:11Nico –
07:12Maybe Dalton –
07:13You do that, that's fine.
07:14Well, I just want somebody.
07:16My point is I want somebody.
07:17You're right.
07:18Nico would –
07:19C.J. would be the best one.
07:20Nico would be number two, and then anybody after that.
07:23But we've seen situations where Nico and Dalton should absolutely, you know,
07:27be a little bit more aggressive, whether it be to C.J.
07:30or to O.C.
07:31or to D'Amico, whoever it may be.
07:33We've seen those situations present themselves,
07:35and what they always choose to do is, hey, I'm going to stay in line.
07:40Take that team role, man.
07:41The good soldier comments, and I would argue that it would benefit this team
07:47for somebody to take a different approach.
07:48I agree with you.
07:49Yeah, I just –
07:52You're probably right.
07:54Like, that's probably not his personality.
07:57But, man, I am hopeful that he has gotten himself more comfortable
08:01and he's established.
08:03And, like, the point of, man, like, we're not going to win this way.
08:09We're not going to win.
08:10Like, he should be, Clinton Tyler, 1,400 yards easy on this team.
08:16He should be 1,400 yards.
08:19He should be over 100 catches if his ass can stay healthy.
08:23Over 100 catches and pushing or having more than double-digit receiving touchdowns.
08:27Because what is around him and what should be the focus.
08:32And I just think, Clint, this is a group that are probably –
08:36we've talked about it – more into plays and not as much players.
08:41And I think they need somebody to push that to make it well comfortable.
08:45Sure, sure.
08:45And I think there's some other guys, the way they operate here, Clint,
08:48they might just see the bench.
08:50Yeah.
08:50Like, I – you know, David Montgomery is probably one that won't –
08:54but maybe – you know, I don't know that Woody's in a place to buck.
08:57I don't know that Higgins or Noel are in a place to buck.
09:00No, I know.
09:00I recommend all the ones you just mentioned right there need to keep to themselves.
09:04You keep that Nick Casario nose down, do your job.
09:07That's what I'm saying.
09:07You might end up on a trade block, right?
09:10Yeah, yeah.
09:11So – but I think that's – to me, that is the next step to his game is, man,
09:17and I don't know if CJ can do it, but, boy, you – like, he has got to push the
09:23envelope.
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