00:00Take the drive. Those are my babies.
00:02Believe it or not.
00:06Sports Radio 610 presents
00:09The Strange
00:11The Bizarre
00:13The Unexpected
00:14The Drive with Sterner and Hubley
00:17Believe it or not.
00:23There it is, believe it or not, as we ride into training camp.
00:27Believe it or not, 713-572-4610.
00:32YouTube and Twitch.
00:35We'll talk about a couple of topics and subjects.
00:38Do you believe it or not?
00:40Is this something that you believe or don't?
00:46These are kind of conversations that have been hyped
00:48coming inside the building, outside of the building,
00:51from the national perspective, local perspective.
00:54These are things that have been talked about.
00:57And you let us know if you believe it or not.
01:00Clint, do you believe it or not?
01:03We've been seeing this from a lot of publications.
01:06But even one in particular,
01:08that the Texans' offensive line
01:11will be ranked in the 30s
01:13after the additions.
01:14Someone did the off-season rankings
01:17going into the season
01:18and had the Texans' offensive line,
01:20even after all the moves they made
01:23to upgrade it,
01:25rate it the 31st offensive line.
01:28Do you believe that or not?
01:29No chance.
01:30No chance at all.
01:31Look, I think...
01:32Or not!
01:33I think...
01:34I'm sorry.
01:34Or not.
01:35Believe it or not.
01:36Or not.
01:37Or not for sure.
01:39No, look, I think this team
01:41just simply gets better
01:42because they added better players.
01:44They added more competent players.
01:45They literally were rotating left guards
01:49through, I think, week eight last year.
01:51And the two guys that were rotating
01:53didn't end up being the guard they settled on.
01:55And it wasn't because of injury.
01:57It was because neither could play.
01:58Right?
01:58I mean, so, you insert Wyatt Teller.
02:02You're going to be all right.
02:05Trent Brown was a huge upgrade
02:07at the right tackle position last year.
02:10Now, given that Titus Howard
02:12was having to play guard,
02:14Trent Brown ended up being
02:15a great sign and a savior
02:17because when he got healthy,
02:19we needed him more than you could imagine.
02:21So the Braden Smith sign is big.
02:24But, yeah, look, I think they get...
02:26I think they get significantly better.
02:28I think by any metric,
02:30any advanced stat,
02:31I will be shocked
02:32if the Texans are anywhere close
02:36to the 30th offensive line,
02:3830th ranked offensive line in anything.
02:39I don't think they're going to make the jump,
02:41obviously, like the Bears made
02:42from when Caleb Williams
02:43was the most hit quarterback in the league
02:45to, I guess it was a season ago.
02:48But I do think that the improvement
02:51is going to get them well above...
02:52It'll get them out of the basement for sure.
02:54Or not.
02:55Man, it's better not be.
02:57What?
02:57It better not start with no three.
02:59Oh, hell.
03:00I mean, they almost made it out of the 30s last year.
03:03It better not start with no three.
03:06And it better not be upper 20s either.
03:09Like, to me, this offensive line,
03:13it will be a failure if they are not rated.
03:18And I'm being easy.
03:2125th or above.
03:23To me.
03:24It would be a failure to me.
03:27Yeah, obviously, they don't have
03:28a real superstar or anything like that.
03:32I don't think they have a great player.
03:35I think probably Ursary or Smith
03:38are probably the ones you would look at
03:40and say, all right, who's got a chance
03:41to maybe make a Pro Bowl?
03:42I would say maybe one of the tackles,
03:44potentially.
03:45Potentially.
03:46But it looks like a group
03:48that is mostly made of solid players
03:52who all played in the NFL
03:55and had some semblance of success
03:59and most definitely haven't been a dumpster fire
04:02for an extended period of time
04:04except for the center.
04:06And we would think Rutledge is somebody
04:09that will grow into that
04:11and get better and better
04:12as the season goes on
04:13and will be better
04:15because he's got veterans around him.
04:17So, yeah, there is...
04:19I am...
04:21I'm not shocked
04:22that people would rate that.
04:24We also read Jeremy Fowler said,
04:26I believe in his report,
04:28they're the shakiest.
04:28They may be the shakiest
04:30offensive line in football.
04:31I don't think that.
04:34And I think a big reason to me, Clint,
04:36is it appears,
04:37obviously we will see,
04:38but just on paper,
04:40it appears that they are an offensive line
04:43that at least does something well.
04:45Like, they appear like
04:48they're going to be an offensive line
04:49that can be physical
04:50and be able to move people.
04:53Now, we'll see more when we get there,
04:55but on paper,
04:56when you look at it,
04:57when you look at Braden Smith,
04:58who was one of the better
04:59run-blocking right tackles in football,
05:02Ed Ingram was one of the better
05:03run-blocking guards last year,
05:07Ursary is pretty physical and good,
05:08Teller in his prime
05:09was a really good run-blocker,
05:11and then Rutledge
05:11is maybe one of the more physical players
05:14they've drafted
05:16and traditionally is a physical player.
05:18So they at least have something
05:20that it looks like they do well.
05:21So, yeah, I can't see them
05:24being rated that low.
05:25No, you've got to be bad.
05:27I mean, you've got to do things
05:28like rotate left guards
05:29and land on neither.
05:30I mean, you've got to do things like that.
05:33You know, just handing the job
05:35after being cut by a,
05:37at the time,
05:38not very good or not great
05:41New England Patriots,
05:43you know, hindsight tells you
05:44they're really good,
05:45but at the time,
05:45you didn't know how good
05:46New England was going to be.
05:47So, yeah, I just,
05:50I'll be shocked, Ron,
05:51if they're not in that
05:53low 20 range.
05:55Low 20 range,
05:56high teen range.
05:57Oh, you think so?
05:58You had to guess like what?
06:00Yeah, I mean, look,
06:01because you've always got,
06:02look, you're going to have
06:03five to eight
06:03that are just
06:05what we've seen
06:06from the Texans pissy poor.
06:08You're going to have
06:09those teams out there.
06:10I don't think they're going
06:11to be one of those.
06:11So, you're starting,
06:13you're starting mid to,
06:15you know, mid to low teens
06:16just by getting out
06:17of the basement
06:19with the other teams
06:20that look like they're
06:21trying to play bad O-line.
06:22And the one thing
06:23that also looks good
06:24on paper, too,
06:25for my future
06:27frozen yogurt partner
06:29and Nick Casario is
06:31what also we've learned here
06:33is there's probably
06:33going to be a couple
06:33of injuries
06:36and their depth,
06:37it appears to look
06:39a lot better
06:40right now
06:42and at least
06:42more experience.
06:43Like it's,
06:45they're not going
06:45to have to do
06:47something where
06:47they switch
06:48a tackle
06:49to go play guard
06:49like they've had
06:50to do the last
06:51two years.
06:52I think the kid
06:53from Oklahoma
06:53they drafted,
06:54I'm not going
06:54to attempt his name,
06:55but the kid
06:55from Oklahoma
06:56they drafted
06:57is solid.
06:58Evan Brown
06:59has played
07:00all three
07:01interior positions.
07:02We saw
07:03what Trent Brown
07:04was going to be,
07:05what he was
07:05last year
07:06and could play
07:06the tackle spots
07:08and the hope
07:08is Jake Andrews
07:09is a backup.
07:10Now,
07:10if you tell me
07:10Jake Andrews
07:11as a backup
07:11and got to
07:12come in
07:12and fill a couple
07:14of weeks,
07:14that's pretty good.
07:15That guy was a
07:16starter for you.
07:17So I think
07:17their depth
07:17also is a big
07:19part of this
07:21when they have
07:21some injuries
07:22like we've seen
07:23every single year.
07:24They're not going
07:25to be like,
07:26all right,
07:26hell man,
07:26Titus,
07:27can you fill in
07:29here?
07:29Look,
07:30I think Keelan
07:30Rutledge is the one
07:31that would have
07:32to change positions
07:32that hadn't done it
07:33and that's a big
07:35piece obviously,
07:36but the reality
07:37of it is you've got
07:38tackles playing
07:38tackles,
07:39you've got interior
07:39offensive linemen
07:40playing interior
07:40offensive line
07:41positions.
07:42I think that is,
07:43I've said it a million
07:44times,
07:44like it is,
07:45we talk about
07:49the move
07:50from tackle
07:51to guard
07:52and guard
07:52to tackle
07:53totally different,
07:53right?
07:54Larry Allen
07:54was viewed
07:55back in the day
07:55for many reasons
07:56obviously,
07:56he's one of the
07:57best offensive
07:57linemen in the
07:58game,
07:59but the reality
08:00of it was he
08:00was great at
08:01four positions,
08:02the only one he
08:02didn't play
08:03was center,
08:04right?
08:04His ability,
08:05like he was a
08:06rare breed
08:07because he was a
08:08guard that could
08:08move out and play
08:09tackle in a pinch,
08:10and be really,
08:11really good.
08:11Oh buddy,
08:12that was at
08:12Kansas City,
08:13that was a guard
08:14that moved out
08:14and played tackle,
08:15now he's with
08:15Joe Tooney.
08:17I mean,
08:17that is the rare,
08:18rare part.
08:19We act like a tackle
08:21moving inside and
08:22playing guard isn't a
08:24steep hill to climb.
08:25Titus Howard did it,
08:27did it to the best
08:27of his ability,
08:28not ideal.
08:29I love the fact
08:30that they've got,
08:31I mean,
08:31it's crazy that the
08:32bar is set this low,
08:33but it's how they
08:34operate.
08:35I love the fact
08:36that you've got
08:36interior offensive linemen
08:38playing guard center
08:39and you've got
08:40tackles,
08:40playing tackle.
08:41Yep.
08:42As I look at the
08:42text line,
08:43I must have said
08:44on paper a lot.
08:45I feel like a lot
08:46of people are
08:46rolling through here
08:47as on paper,
08:48on paper.
08:49I must have said
08:50that a lot.
08:51I got to rolling
08:51on the on paper.
08:54Notice.
08:55I feel like I'm
08:56pretty critical of you.
08:57I'm pretty critical
08:58of Ron and my wife.
08:59I've got to be better.
09:01I don't remember.
09:02I would like to,
09:02I thank you for your
09:03honesty on that.
09:05I don't remember.
09:08On paper,
09:09this is an offensive line
09:10that will take the
09:12mentality of D'Amico.
09:13On paper,
09:14this is,
09:16I must have said
09:17that a few times.
09:17I apologize.
09:18Yeah,
09:18on paper.
09:19They know,
09:20they look.
09:21He just went from
09:22an apology for doing
09:23it to doing it
09:23immediately.
09:24Yep.
09:24On paper.
09:25Sorry for saying
09:26that,
09:26but on paper.
09:27Text line coming
09:27in,
09:28the offensive line
09:28will be dead middle
09:2915-16
09:31somewhere in there.
09:32Hey,
09:32that,
09:33that would be
09:34great.
09:34Boy,
09:35if,
09:35if,
09:36if,
09:36I don't know,
09:37I don't know the last
09:38time they've had an
09:38offensive line that's
09:39been rated that high,
09:40to be honest with you.
09:43Maybe one of the
09:44middle years.
09:45What's,
09:45what's the O-line
09:46coach's name?
09:47Oh,
09:49what's the,
09:49what's the Popovich?
09:51Paul Popovich?
09:52I'm going to say
09:52Applebaum.
09:53What am I doing?
09:53Popovich.
09:54I don't know where
09:55that came from.
09:56Boy,
09:56if he can take this
09:57group to mid,
09:58mid-teens,
10:00middle of the league,
10:00middle of the pack.
10:01Oh,
10:01yeah.
10:02Big time.
10:03In his second year?
10:05Big time.
10:05Wow.
10:06Yeah,
10:06that would be big,
10:07no doubt.
10:08Again,
10:08we looked at that.
10:11Tyler,
10:11in the last 12 years,
10:13one person
10:15from the offensive line
10:17have made the Pro Bowl
10:18from the Texans.
10:20That'd be the false
10:20starter,
10:21wouldn't it?
10:21One person,
10:22yep.
10:23Thanks for that,
10:24Minnesota,
10:25by the way.
10:25The false starter.
10:26Yep.
10:27Him,
10:27then you've got to
10:28get to Dwayne Brown
10:30and our guy
10:31Wade Smith
10:36and Myers,
10:37the center.
10:38Four,
10:38four players,
10:40I believe this was,
10:41four players
10:41in the history
10:42of the franchise
10:43coming up on year 25
10:44to make the Pro Bowl.
10:46When they get to 15th
10:47or 16th,
10:48you might have two guys,
10:49a couple guys
10:50rolling in there,
10:51especially,
10:51I mean,
10:52especially the way
10:52to make the Pro Bowl
10:53now.
Comments