Houston Texans' Futures Bets and Roster Updates for 2024
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00:00Welcome back to Newswire. Let's check in on the Houston Texans and check in with Cole Thompson does such a phenomenal job covering all things
00:07Texans on social media X slash Twitter, whatever it is at mr
00:11Cole Thompson joins us now got to get an updated view on this team Cole
00:15I know it's been a grind the last couple of years. You started to come out of the
00:20Storm, I would say last year with an incredible draft and now all of a sudden being in the mix of a playoff team
00:27It's a great place to be
00:29Yeah, Craig when you look at the way this roster is constructed
00:32They've kind of gotten that balance of being able to have not only a great
00:36Rookie class and a very up-and-coming group
00:39But also a ton of veterans that decided to join this offseason including four-time Pro Bowler Daniil Hunter
00:44Who's coming off of a career season in Minnesota Aziz al-shayer that has a great
00:49understanding about the style of defense that D'Amico Ryan's wants you also have
00:53Incredible play in the backfield from Joe Mixon who is an ideal fit for this style of offense that they want to run
00:59Meet Bobby Slowick and of course the headliners Stephon digs who continues to impress every single route in practice
01:05He continues to be that veteran presence for young players like tank Dell John Metschie even Nico Collins
01:12He's being willing and adaptive to work alongside Derek Stingley jr. And rookie quarterback Kamari Laster
01:18So there is a nice blend of really talented newcomers
01:22But really talented proven players that have already been here and then also the guys that we expect to see more from CJ Stroud
01:28Will Anderson, I think it's gonna take down to that conversation
01:32You're hopeful that you get a healthy Kenyan green at left guard this year
01:35So the expectations are high, but the morale internally with the team is also extremely high
01:41Yeah, and I think that's a big change from where they were a couple of years ago and call it very big surprise
01:46I think where the Houston Texans last year
01:48So that's kind of where I'll begin
01:49Where the expectation level changes in sports and you know covering sports as well as I do that you go from being a sleeper
01:57To a favorite and potentially things could go the other way now
02:00I know that the Texans have fortified their roster as you mentioned with hunter and mixin and digs and some other players as well
02:07But going from the team no one's talking about to the segments like this can change the expectation level
02:14How are the Texans handling that?
02:15You know, what's funny Craig is that when D'Amico Ryan's came into the building?
02:19He immediately said we believe we are going to win a playoff game. We believe that we are going to be a division title winner
02:26We believe that we have a roster that's capable of time being one of the best the AFC and so that mantra
02:32was really the selling point last year for a lot of these players when the going got tough when they lost some offensive linemen when
02:39Some key players in the secondary went down
02:41We have to step up and we have to deliver for our coach because of he believed in the future of this roster
02:46Well before we even saw a vision so the expectations aren't changing. The problem is
02:51The schedule is a lot harder. You know when you look at Jacksonville back in
02:552022 one thing that flies under the radar is they won division with the fourth place schedule and a very easy out of
03:02Conference schedule and so that was kind of the case last year with the Texans fourth place schedule on top of that
03:07They played the NFC South versus what they will this year with the NFC North and so they were kind of able to have that
03:14Understanding and build that relationships of finding that union's unison of CJ Stroud tank Dell and Nico Collins
03:21Against teams that really weren't going to give them a threat. That's not gonna be the case in 2024
03:27They got a matchups against everyone in the AFC East. They have matchups against everybody in the NFC North
03:32They have a first first place schedule where they'll play 11 game
03:36I mean on three games over 11 days
03:38From Miami to Kansas City to them playing Baltimore on Christmas Day on Netflix for some reason
03:44But like that's the level of competition that you're going up against
03:47So not only are people not sleeping on you
03:49But you can't sleep on anybody else because all it takes is one bad performance after a very what I would say
03:57Lackluster start to the season that will allow you to crumble down the hill and eventually find yourself in a similar situation
04:03To where Jacksonville last year
04:05Yeah, no, and that's what we're watching for
04:07I'm glad you gave that answer because that sounds exactly what some people could
04:11You know be anticipating this year and I do want to get to their season win total
04:15We always do this with all of our guests ask over under before we do that impact players from the draft
04:19Everyone knows who called Mari Lassiter was he was phenomenal on Georgia for many years as their cornerback
04:24Beyond that catch me up here with some of the impact players
04:27You think that we could see this year?
04:29For the Texans kind of hard to project anybody for me outside of like a first or second round pick playing
04:35So Blake Fisher is gonna be a name that gets brought up because of the offensive line last year
04:39There were eight different units that took the field at times
04:42So knowing what we do about Titus Howard and Larry meet on so both coming off of knee surgeries
04:47There's a shot that he plays right now
04:49He's working with the first-team offense at left tackle even though he was a right tackle his entire career at Notre Dame
04:56Minus the first game where he tore his ACL. And so now you're seeing that transition to move over to the left side. It's
05:02Rocky at best but maybe by the time that we get to week eight week nine
05:06He could have this feet underneath him. Kalen Bullock is a really rangy center fielder type defensive back
05:12He gets a lot of plays on the football whether that be a pass breakup or a turnover
05:17But he is inconsistent when it comes to tackling so that's gonna be an area where you have to see him
05:22Take that next step forward two players
05:24I'm really interested to see in the Hall of Fame game and how they work is Cade Stover the tight end out of Ohio State
05:29This was a player that CJ Stroud wanted the Texans to target on day three. He's a good blocker
05:35He's a good overall redstone route runner
05:37there's a connection there but from their time at Ohio State when he was a Heisman finalist and
05:42Marcus Harris the defensive lineman out of Auburn now, but an eco Austria suspended for six games
05:48Somebody has got to step up at that three tech position
05:51Harris was an all SEC player last year on the planes for a very underwhelming Tigers team
05:56I will not be shocked to see him eventually start climbing up the pecking order if he has a good game
06:00Also, Jawar Jordan the running back out of Louisville. I expect him to have a role somewhere where that be on third down or special teams
06:08All right, Cole before you go season win total for the Houston Texans
06:13Nine and a half is the number the juice is so high here at minus 150
06:17So I'm not gonna let you off the hook very easily here. So nine and a half is the total
06:21If I gave you ten, what would you do? Tell me how many games you think Houston wins this season?
06:28I'm gonna take the over. I think if they will be at least a 10 win squad
06:31I don't know if we'll see them get to 13 or 14
06:34So like let's temper expectations because you still got to play against
06:37Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson and even to an a defense that really is improved and the game's gonna be at home
06:44So you're going to have that hot atmosphere in Texas when you play against Suo, which we all know he's good at
06:50But I still feel like that with the additions that you added in defensively another year and Tamika Ryan's a system plus
06:56What could it be an MVP caliber season the first that we've seen in the hot minute for a second year quarterback?
07:02There's reasons to believe that the Texans not only will win the division
07:05But they also will finish with at least a top three seed in the AFC
07:09Awesome stuff Cole very thorough appreciate you coming on the show. Thanks, Craig