Coty Davis - Linktree
Wondering what's in store for the Houston Texans in the 2023 season? Join us as we sit down with Coty Davis of Texans Daily and the Locked on Texans podcast for an enlightening discussion that takes you through the Texans' busy offseason. With Coty's insight, we talk about the team's new head coach and former Texans linebacker, DeMeco Ryans, along with his vision, and the dynamic rookie class that Houston brought in.
Our conversation with Coty also took us through Houston's free-agency additions as the team added notables like Dalton Schultz and Robert Woods. With the Texans being a young team, we discussed why adding these veterans was important as the Texans will look to improve their record in 2023.
In the final part of our chat, Cody helps us examine the strengths and weaknesses of the Texans' roster, previewing the strengths and weaknesses of the team. All of this, and more was discussed in our final preview of our three part AFC South review!
Touchdown Jaguars Linktree
Download the SeatGeek app & use code " TOUCHDOWNJAGUARS " for $20 off your first SeatGeek order!
James Johnson and Phil Smith bring you the best and most up to date Jacksonville Jaguars news. "Touchdown Jaguars!" is a tribute to the prospective ownership group "Touchdown Jacksonville!" In 1991, the NFL announced plans to add two expansion teams and "Touchdown Jacksonville!" announced its bid for a team, and Jacksonville was ultimately chosen as one of five finalists. In November 1993, the NFL owners voted 26–2 in favor of awarding the 30th franchise to Jacksonville. James and Phil have been fans of the franchise ever since and have had the honor (and sometimes dishonor) of covering the team professionally since 2017. The rest as they say, is history.
Coty Davis - Linktree
Wondering what's in store for the Houston Texans in the 2023 season? Join us as we sit down with Coty Davis of Texans Daily and the Locked on Texans podcast for an enlightening discussion that takes you through the Texans' busy offseason. With Coty's insight, we talk about the team's new head coach and former Texans linebacker, DeMeco Ryans, along with his vision, and the dynamic rookie class that Houston brought in.
Our conversation with Coty also took us through Houston's free-agency additions as the team added notables like Dalton Schultz and Robert Woods. With the Texans being a young team, we discussed why adding these veterans was important as the Texans will look to improve their record in 2023.
In the final part of our chat, Cody helps us examine the strengths and weaknesses of the Texans' roster, previewing the strengths and weaknesses of the team. All of this, and more was discussed in our final preview of our three part AFC South review!
Touchdown Jaguars Linktree
Download the SeatGeek app & use code " TOUCHDOWNJAGUARS " for $20 off your first SeatGeek order!
James Johnson and Phil Smith bring you the best and most up to date Jacksonville Jaguars news. "Touchdown Jaguars!" is a tribute to the prospective ownership group "Touchdown Jacksonville!" In 1991, the NFL announced plans to add two expansion teams and "Touchdown Jacksonville!" announced its bid for a team, and Jacksonville was ultimately chosen as one of five finalists. In November 1993, the NFL owners voted 26–2 in favor of awarding the 30th franchise to Jacksonville. James and Phil have been fans of the franchise ever since and have had the honor (and sometimes dishonor) of covering the team professionally since 2017. The rest as they say, is history.
Welcome to the Touchdown Jaguars podcast. Here's your host, James Johnson and Phil Smith.
Speaker 3:Alright, what's good. Ladies and gentlemen, it is James Johnson back for, yet again, another episode of Touchdown Jaguars, as we are right now in the process of putting together our divisional preview of the AFC South. As you all already have heard, we had Stoney on for the Titans preview of the unofficial Titans podcast, and so, bros, we had Megan Hall, who covers the Colts through the Colts wire shout outs to my former wire site comrade over there as well and she's also from Hall about Sports as well, hall about Sportscom. So both of them did a very good job on the previews in which we needed for Tennessee and for Indianapolis. And, lastly, we have one more preview coming up, which is what this episode is about. Again, this will be the third consecutive episode of the week in which we have previewed the Houston Texans through Cody Davis of Texans Daily and the Lockdown Texas podcast. So shout outs to him, and we appreciate him coming on and helping us out and getting that last preview up for you all this week, as the season, once again, will be starting within a matter of days. So, that being said, we'll get into that in just a little bit.
Speaker 3:Before we get into that, of course, you all know that I have to plug all our handles and information in regards to where you can follow us in social media and you can just check out all our content. Of course you can follow me at sports grind underscore done on Twitter at TD Jaguars pod for the podcast handle on Twitter at fill the Filipino for Phil and also shout outs to seek geek, who is our sponsor for this podcast. You all who have been listening to the podcast over the last year or so already know what seek is all about is the place you could basically go for all your ticketing needs, whether that's sporting events, which is what we cover, obviously, with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but not just football, but the NBA and the MLB, major league soccer you name it and also stuff outside of the sports realm as well in terms of concerts and what have you. Our promo code with them is touchdown Jaguars. We always link that in our descriptions and put it in all our sound bites and all of that. That won't be hard to find. So if you want $20 off of your first purchase from seek geek dot com, feel free to put in that promotion code in the promotion code bar and we can help you out there and save you a little bit of money Without further ado.
Speaker 3:As I said, I won't really talk your ears off. We'll get right into the episode here with Cody Davis previewing the Houston Texans heading into the 2023 season. Once again, he is from Texans daily, as well as the locked on Texas podcast, so let's get into it. All right, ladies and gentlemen? Welcome back to touchdown Jaguars.
Speaker 3:I am one half of your hosting panel here, james Johnson, here with our next guest for our AFC South Division preview. As you all already heard, we spoke with Stoney not too soon ago about the Tennessee Titans, and we spoke with Megan Hall as well about the Colts. So we're doing our last preview is with Cody Davis of locked on Texans and Texans daily. He's been doing some reporting for both of them for a little bit here. So before we get into the questions about the Houston Texans, who will see twice this year, as we always do, I want to let Cody introduce himself first and foremost, let us know about his work and where we can find them, and then we'll get into learning a little bit of intel on the Houston Texans. But, cody, the floor is yours. Welcome to the podcast. We appreciate you coming on.
Speaker 1:First and foremost, james, thank you so much for the invitation and I would like to say Understand, this is a job wars podcast and I don't know if this is a question, for what I would like to say is I do have the Jacksonville job wars Winning this division for the 2023 season. I know that's very shocking coming from a Houston Texans reporter. However, I would like to say come 2024, I think things might be a little bit different here in the ALC South. But you know, for those of you guys who don't know me, I'm Cody and Davis, a credential Houston Texans media member covering the Houston Texans for the lockdown podcast network and for sports illustrated Texans daily. You can find all of my work on the artist what were you known as Twitter at Cody Davis, underscore 24. Once again, as Cody COTY. The API is underscore 24.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I like how just like me you you refuse to acknowledge X as Twitter. Now, they still don't roll off my tongue as easily as Twitter did. I'll never get used to that. Yeah, it's like what are we doing here, man? Let's just leave it as it is, man, some things are better left as they are, and that was one of them.
Speaker 3:But here we are right, oh, but uh. Yeah, man, we appreciate you coming on, as I said, and we appreciate your time and consideration and we'll get right into the questions here, because I know you've been checking out of Texans at training camp and what, have you had practices? The season starts in what two days officially, as the Lions and Chiefs will take on each other, but we're gonna talk about the Texans. We want some intel on the Texans, a Long time rival of ours, that have really been a thorn in the Jaguars foot. I've even, you know, last year they split the series. So there's that.
Speaker 3:But my first question is you all were one of the teams who you know. Y'all made a head coaching change, obviously at the beginning of the year and you know those come every year. You all were amongst the teams that did that. You guys landed Did former Texans linebacker to Miko Ryan's. I'm sure a lot of jazz fans remember him from his days on the field and he also went to Alabama SEC country, so we're well aware of who he is. If you would, could you talk about him taking over that job in the place of lovey Smith? And yeah, what are your thoughts on Ryan's In the early stages of his career as a head coach so far? You know, the first thing the coach want to do is establish their culture and all of that. So how has his process been these first few months for him stepping in to replace lovey Smith?
Speaker 1:It's been successful. You know, as you guys know, you know, being in the AOC South, you guys saw from a distance the downfall that the Houston Texans have been on ever since they blew that. What 24? Nothing lead to the Kansas City. You know it's just been one thing after another. You know you lose basically all of your talented players. You know your franchise quarterback decides he wants to bail on you and next thing, you know, he got other issues that start to come out his closet to make the situation worse. You got people making decisions for this organization that should not have been making decisions to begin with and that's why you at the time you are well going into the 2023 season you are looking at a franchise who has only won 11 games over the last three seasons and Within that time, you already had four different head coaches. You already know the starter, the, the start of the rebuild project. You departed from bill o'brien. You bring in Romeo Cannell. You know you did a decent job given the circumstances, but then you all of a sudden decide to hire David Cully and then, after one season, you depart from David Cully. Things didn't work out and won't win who you wanted to hire, so you decided to elevate lovey Smith and, of course, lovey Smith Got the shorting of this, of the stick, out of all of these coaches. And then you already know, after one season, even before you, you, you, you return back to Houston. You know, you fire him literally in the air after the final game of the season and Now it's like, okay, what are the Houston Texans want to do?
Speaker 1:Everyone knew that this organization needed talent at Just about every single position. Everyone knew that they need a young, promising quarterback with the number two overall pick. Everyone knew that they need several franchise cornerstones. However, the most important thing that the Houston Texans needed was a coach, and not just any coach that's just going to, you know, help this organization Execute. The exes and O's know they actually needed a coach to bring some stability and Respectability back to this organization and through the first couple of months of the Miko Rhydes tenure, that is what you have been seeing.
Speaker 1:I go back and I take a look at. I Go back and I think about training camp in 2021, in 2022, under former coaches David Cully and lovey-smyth, and it seemed like the energy in the effort with were missing at times and you actually saw it on the field. I think the worst game that I ever covered from this team was, I believe, we. I think it was like week nine or week 11 of the 22 campaign where they just got the behinds handed to him by the Washington commanders and it was early in the second quarter and the Texans were already down 21 to nothing and they literally seemed like a group of 53 players just going out there to collect the check, the effort, the hustle, not none of that. It was terrible.
Speaker 1:However, with the Miko Ryan's coming in and he's bringing the respectability he's bringing the stability he's bringing.
Speaker 1:He is a head coach that a lot of these players can actually relate to.
Speaker 1:You. You no longer question the effort and the certainness of these players on both sides of the ball. This was the very first training camp that I've been to where Every single day, both teams were getting after. You had that one joint practices, that one joint practice against the Miami Dolphins and they literally was using that game as a quote-on-quote real game, like the effort and everything was there and Just the fact of having somebody like coach the Miko Ryan, who not only help this organization but just help the city in general, because everything that happened to this organization over the last three or four years. It basically sucked out the love and the appreciation that the city had for the use in Texans. Now you bring in coach the Miko Ryan's and everybody understands that it's going to be a learning curve with him because he is a first-year head coach. However, he is a guy that you definitely need in order to kind of shift this Organization from being the laughing stock to being okay, the Houston Texans, they are a team on the rods.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, it sounds like you know you. You kind of sound familiar to us not too long ago and the coaching changes through that. Just you know, just coaches left and right urban Meyer, you know, and so on and so Just needed the right head coach to lead a franchise and we kind of stumbled upon that with Peterson. Another former player is well kind of like the Miko Ryan's. That always helps. It feels like right to have a Coach that was a former player in In the locker room and it sounds like you guys are like just going through a little bit of what we went through. That being said, I'm not shocked to hear the things that I've heard you say about the Miko Ryan's. Just for the simple fact in the terms of like the mentality he's brought to practice, just for the simple fact he's a Nick saving. He was coached by Nick Saban right at Alabama and I'm sure he took in so much from him, you know, for for the years that he was there and also, of course, you know as a player.
Speaker 3:He took in a lot as well as a player, but more so just like taking in that coaching from Nick Saban and how he ran things. We all seem like the documentaries of how Alabama practices look, in Georgia practices look they're pretty intense. You know and yeah not for people, that that the faint of heart, as they say.
Speaker 3:But yeah, it's good to hear that it sounds like he's doing a good job and shifting that culture, shifting that mentality and bringing the intensity that that colts are, excuse me, the Texans organization Needs and we'll see, you know where how much it helps them throughout the season, especially late in the season. You know this is a team that you know that type of coaching can help them rattle off some games at the end of the season. They can go into the next season in 2024 with some momentum. So we'll see, time will tell, but we'll be definitely watching him, just for the sake of, not just because they're in the division, but he's just another coach that kind of, in some ways reminds me Of Doug Peterson and the the tax that he has on his hands in terms of turning this, this Texans team, around from where they previously were. And so, that being said, I'm gonna get into my next question, which is in terms of the offseason.
Speaker 3:Y'all had, aside from a coaching edition. You guys really made some noise in the draft, and me and Phil, my co-hosts, we were at the Jaguars facility, you know, awaiting the press conference, for you know the Jaguar side of things. And as we're watching the draft and watching these first few picks or whatever. From from the conference room we see all of the moves that Houston's making and me and Phil look at each other like man, like they. They really up to something. They're cooking, you know you guys.
Speaker 3:Stroud you know like which. It was kind of an unknown where Stroud would go, like he was the quarterback that everybody was like, okay, he can go anywhere in that top 10. Nobody really knew. You guys kind of shocked us there and with with him. And then you all also got will Anderson, another Alabama guy, by the way. So y'all address two premium positions quarterback and the edge rusher position. Other notables you all got tank Dell, somebody we've talked about on our podcast a few times as well. Shift the receiver that could be a problem. We saw him in the preseason where he can do. He looked scary out there, but you got him as well. Could you discuss those three and just the draft class in general In terms of what you all got in April, in terms of that overall class?
Speaker 1:Well, the Texans draft class in 2023. It has the potential to go down, to go down as arguably the best and the most important and I know that's very early to say that. As of right now I mean as we record this podcast on September 5th, we only a few days away from the start of their their official start of their NFL careers. But when you go back and you take a look at everything that this organization needed in terms of foundational Cornerstone pieces they basically had had, they basically got that in this year's draft, especially when you take a look at the addition of CJ Stroud and will Anderson Junior now here in the city of Houston for reporters, we were all shocked by the trade. Nobody really saw that coming. I know my locked on Texans call host John Hickman. I remember the day before the draft he played along with the idea on whether or not the Houston Texans could possibly Tread back up into the top 10 and try to get you know one of the defensive linemen that they was targeting and it was very it was crazy, because if you go back and you take a look at a lot of Houston media's reporters, you know we were being told that it's either CJ Stroud or will Anderson Junior. I was being told, heavenly, that the Miko lines definitely wants will Anderson Junior. You had other people reporting that, yes, the Miko wants we'll. But Miko cereal and the rest of the Houston Texans. They definitely know that they need a quote-unquote franchise quarterback and of course you're going to get that in CJ Stroud. So it was like, okay, with this number two pink they're gonna pick one of the other and then we can see they're possibly trading back up into the top 10 and getting somebody. But the fact that they gave up that entire package and traded back up to number three to get will Anderson Junior, it says a lot that this franchise is ready To move forward with their rebuild. And you already know about CJ Stroud. Will Anderson definitely looks like the new defensive foundation Cornerstone that this franchise desk desperately need, especially when you look at their front four.
Speaker 1:But tank Dale was the biggest surprise out of all of these rookies because look, you know, if you draft CJ and will Anderson Jr At two and three, they're gonna come in with expectations placed on their shoulders. However, when you look at the fact that Nick Aserio Traded up in the third round to draft Tank Dale, it was like, okay, well, they need to fill out their receivers. Okay, this could be a receiver that can probably, you know, use his first year develop. You know, he's kind of on the smaller size. As a matter of fact, I think me him might be the same height and I stand at five nine. So it's like, okay, we really don't know what we're going to get out of.
Speaker 1:Tank Dale Okay, he looked pretty good. And rookie mini-cam it was like, okay, that's, it's just rookie mini-cam. Okay, he looks pretty good at OTA. It's like, okay, tank trying to make some noise and they know to, yes, but it's OTA. Do you know pads are not on. But once the past got on, once you watch them in joint practices against the Miami Dolphins, what you watch them for, not one not to, but three preseason games Well, you saw what he can do in the passing game and the return game is like, okay, tankdale is definitely trying to be one of those game changers that the Houston Texans definitely need After, while receiving court and I always go back to what, what, what Mika cereal said the day after he drafted tankdale and he was asked about what he saw the tank, because a lot of us we remember tank.
Speaker 1:He went to the University of Houston and we seen him over the last two years and Mika cereal said the one thing that caught his attention about tankdale was the fact that During the senior bowl I believe in February, from my mistaken he said that tankdale was by far the best wide receiver during the senior bowl and couldn't nobody stick him one-on-one. And when he said that, I Can kind of see it now because the Texans they have a pretty good secondary and to see him literally just I don't even know how to describe it like the things he has been able to do in practice. And all you have to do Just go back and take a look at the first preseason game against the New England Patriots, where he finished the game with like five or six catches for like 80 or 90 yards. You saw what type of threat that he can be in the passing game and it's like tankdale has literally blew Everybody minds in terms of what you, what you, what you have been seeing out of this Ricky class in 2023. A Ricky class, that's pretty good.
Speaker 3:Yeah, man, and you don't have to tell me about being shocked by draft day moves or moves that a team has made. I've been it's been many, many times where you know it's draft day as a reporter you be, you're hearing stuff, and then you hear some some crazy stuff and then like, when the draft comes, it's like the team does something that's just kind of. You know that you weren't expecting, aka what the Jaguars did when they got Blake Bortles. You know A lot of us were spec expecting another quarterback. Not necessarily, but we should have known because Blake played down the road. You know he's from Ovito and that's another story for another time.
Speaker 3:In terms of what you said about tankdale, I'm not surprised Because he was one of the the players that we talked about in our thread a lot amongst our touchdown Jaguars threat and Shoutouts to boogey my nephew. He just kept sending me tankdale clips Like I won't take Dale on the Jaguars and I was like I don't know if that's gonna happen and lo and behold the Texans. And it was. But yeah, he, you know it's funny.
Speaker 3:You mentioned how he looked at the senior bowl because we've seen the clips on Twitter, man, he was out there making just embarrassing folks, him, people with all kinds of rocker steps and stuff like that and it's like, yeah, I could definitely see why he impressed at the senior bowl Again, another kind of situation I would be familiar with cuz the Jaguars have coached in it many times. So those evaluations from the senior bowl mean something to these coaches and you know they can lead to teams getting a good player, just from experience that I've seen. But that being said, man excited to see tankdale, I just hope he won't like turn up on us, but everybody else, feel free to have him, the coats and Titans included. But yeah, my next question is in regards into which is continue on the offseason.
Speaker 3:We talked about your coaching edition. We talked about the draft editions. If you would, could you talk about the free agencies Moves you all made? I know you got, if I'm not saying Dalton, short shorts, robert Woods and a notable that we're pretty familiar with here In Shaq Griffin, former Jaguar corner bet.
Speaker 3:So if you would just talk about this free agency class, you all landed briefly well, the free agency class, I Like it.
Speaker 1:Let me let me first, first off, say I like it. I like the players, like Dalton shots that Nick, as cereal, brought in. As a matter of fact, you know, the free agency class basically ties into what I said earlier about coached Amiko Ryans, about him bringing respectability to this organization, and that's part of the reason why this was the very first time in Nick as serials three-year tenure that he actually went out in sign actual good Football players in the free agency. And I'm saying it like that because the last two years, especially going into that 2021 season, there were so many players when you looked on this roster and say who the heck is this, who the heck is that? Where this guy come from. Well, he spent the last five years on a practice squad roster, but he found a home here with the Houston Texans. It was just like there was literally signing the bottom of the barrel of players throughout free agency and I get it now understand it. The Houston Texans were a mess at the start of Nick as serials tenure as general manager. However, this, like, like I mentioned, this was the very first year where he actually had a chance to go out there and sign quality players and the only shows is by far one of the best off-season signings and I like the fact how he not only went out and signed quality players but he also went out there and signed players. That can actually Kind of help develop and be a veteran to the younger guys. And I know some people might hear that and you know they might overlook how important a veteran is in the locker room. Let me tell you something, james. I've covered the Houston Texans and the Houston Rockets for the last three years, which means I have been through the gauntlet of both of these teams Rebuild and it's very important and very crucial for a young franchise to make sure that they put several veterans in these locker rooms For these young guys, because it makes a difference on and off the field.
Speaker 1:And when I look at an addition like Robert Woods, I'm not big on him. What I saw throughout training camp, however I it was after those practices. You'll see a young guy like John Metchie tanked ill, even Nico Collins, a guy who is going into his third season. You will see so many of these young guys Go up to a Robert Woods and get that post practice workout in and you can see, was literally helping these young guys. You know, just established themselves even more. It goes beyond that. Even when you take a look at a guy like Denzel Paramann, who I think is probably at the end of the 2023 season, I would not be surprised we're sitting here looking at Denzel Paramann as a top three offseason Acquisition in general, he is going to do wonders for the Texans linebacking court. But once again, it's not just what he, what he has done on the field. It's him being a mentor to the young guys, like a Christian Harris, a Henry tol-tol, like. That's what I love the most about the free agency and it's even like that with these secondaries in general. You take a look at the addition of Jimmy Ward, another guy who I think is going to have a potential to be a top five Offseason acquisition. Now only is he good on the field field but he's also good and help shaping and molding and helping the young the young safety that we got in jail in Petrie, like I think Nick Kaseyro did a phenomenal job in hitting, making sure that he go out there and get quality players, but veterans who can also help these young guys develop as well.
Speaker 1:You mentioned a name that I'm kind of disappointed in him and that's Shaq Griffin, and I'm keeping short. But Shaq, I was excited when he first came here. Understand his short time in Jacksonville didn't go his plan. Correct me if I'm wrong. I believe he had a back injury. That kind of like hampered him throughout the 2022 campaign, thank you. Underplay like six or seven games and it was a. Then he had to shut it down, had back surgery. When I saw Shaq was coming to the Texans, I was excited, because when you see Shaq Griffin, you think of what he did in Seattle. However, I have not seen that version of Shaq as of right now. I'm hoping that changes when the regular season start. However, put it like this, he was actually one of those bubble guys to make the 53 man roster, but I think that last preseason game against the New Orleans Saints kind of saved his job here in the city of Houston. But with the exception of Shaq Griffin, the free agency class that Nick Kaseyro brought in was pretty good.
Speaker 3:So, with Shaq, output it this way. Our listeners are probably listening to this podcast, shaking their heads and uh-huh, uh-huh, the sounds. You know, I'll put it that way when it comes to no disrespect to him. Yeah, hopefully he does put it like you said to.
Speaker 3:You know, time will tell on that. And then in terms of the impact you mentioned for veterans, yeah, you're right it that is More important than people realize. Look no further. I guess the parallel I could draw, the comparison I can draw for us. Look, look no further than you know. When Kaleis Campbell came here and got to, you know Tudor people or a mentor, yannick and Gakoy and Josh Allen, you know those two have like probably some of the better years of their career. You know, with Kaleis there in terms of um, you know everything they took in and then what they were able to output on the field. And then look no further. Then, kind, of what we did last year.
Speaker 3:Uh, evan Ingram now, who you know still a very young tight end, but you know one of the more experienced tight ends in our room now leading away and and paving a path for an all out general and make uh, making an example For a young tight end group. That together is pretty good, but his leadership is a key to them being a pretty good tight end room. So I understand where you completely coming from when you talk about leadership. Uh, my next question is um, who is a player? Do you think Um could take a step In 2023 that was previously on the roster last year?
Speaker 1:Um, if I had to pick, I would say Nico Collins. Um, without a shadow of a doubt, nico man, ever since he's been, but the Texans over the last two years. You can see the potential is there. I'm not about to sit here and call them all poor Y receiver the next Deandre Hopkins and Audrey Johnson and all that other stuff. Not about to sit here and call them all that. However, the one thing that I would say I believe that this is going to be the year that Niko Collin take that step and be this team's number one wide receiver.
Speaker 1:James, I don't know how much you paid attention to, you know, the Texans going into training camp, but one of the things that myself, my co-host, john, a couple of my colleagues, you know, we, we get together and talk either on the record, off the record and our reportings and all that other stuff.
Speaker 1:We all had concerns about the Y receiving cord, and so I was still a little bit concerned about it, I must say. However, just looking at the leap that that Niko Collins can take in year three, first and foremost, knowing that you playing with a better quarterback and CJ Stroud, I think he's definitely going to be this team's most improved player, at least on the offensive side of the ball. Matter of fact, just in general, I think he's going to be able to take the biggest leap. However, for me at least, it's not just quarterback play, but it's. Can he stay healthy, because that has been his biggest knock over the last two seasons. Can he stay healthy? And you, once again, you just take a look at his, his production, take a look at his stature 6-4, he's definitely a rez on target. You know, he's definitely a guy that's not only 6-4, but he's athletic.
Speaker 1:He can go out there and grab those 50-50 balls as a matter of fact I think he might have grow out Arguably his head, what arguably his best catch of his young career. I guess you guys in Jacksonville last year, if I'm not mistaken. I can't remember who that was on, but if I, if I find the picture, I'm gonna send it to you because I remember writing about it. I'm gonna send it to you, james. But you know, and Nico is just one of those guys, like I mentioned, the Potential, the talent and everything is there in that young man.
Speaker 1:And if you give me a quick second, I'm going to give you two and it's literally identical to everything that I just said about Nico Collins, on the defensive side of the ball. I look at Jonathan Granard. He's another guy to where pairing him with Will Anderson it's gonna help him be even better on the field. However, he's another guy that definitely needs to stay healthy in order to fully reach his potential. So I know you said one, but I gave you one on the offensive side and one on the deep down, one on the defensive side and Nico Collins and John Granard.
Speaker 3:Hey man, nothing like a little extra content. Man, we always down for some extra Intel and and what, what not for you on the podcast. And yes, I do recall Nico called Catching and one on somebody I cannot remember To save my life I was. I was just looking at some jab wars Highlights from last year and I've seen it and it's gonna, it'll probably hit me.
Speaker 3:Off the air.
Speaker 3:But yeah, I mean turns of Nico. So, like what stands out to me for Nico Now? Like I haven't admittedly I haven't watched his NFL career a lot, but I know I can remember him from Michigan, and here you have a guy that you know going to Michigan learning from coach Hardball. He was already, you would think, coming from that program, kind of like we see with the kids that come from Georgia and Alabama that we kind of mentioned, already prepared for the NFL. Now look, as you said, like maybe there's been some issues with staying healthy, but I think he came into NFL, or he should have at least and this is just me speaking from you know it's coming from Michigan, a little bit ahead of the curve, if you will, in terms of getting the NFL game down and getting the NFL mentality, and I think that that's Kind of why you guys are seeing him or viewing him as a guy that could take that step, heading for it, because he was already ahead of the curve, kind of coming into his rookie season, as opposed to other rookie some.
Speaker 3:But that's just the Outsider looking in on that. And then, in terms of Jonathan Granard, of course, some we know of him. Uf went to University of Florida, if I'm not mistaken.
Speaker 3:He's a guy I don't want to talk too much on because I'm a Georgia Bulldog fan so I don't talk too much about Gators, but he was a guy that we really wanted in Jacksonville, had him in a lot of mocks going to us. I mean, don't be whole, he ends up with the Texan, so we'll watch him Heading forward, especially with the threat he can pose as a defensive lineman. That being said, we'll wrap it up here. I'll get to the last question, which is and you?
Speaker 1:kind of talk about away. That was Tyson Campbell.
Speaker 3:Okay, so that in Tyson Campbell is arguably a top-ten corner. So that's to do that on Tyson. Like you know, they got a, they got to make. You wonder like, okay, what kind of steps is King on take heading for now, I'm kind of excited to watch that that rematch of that too.
Speaker 3:Now, because Tyson again, I'm a Georgia Bulldogs fan I'm putting my money on Tyson to shut it down, as you will see and and time will tell. But my, my last question is and you dabbled in it here and there but what do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of this Texans roster heading in the 2023?
Speaker 1:Without a shadow of a doubt, the strength is going to be the defense, especially the secondary. This is a defense, this is a secondary who, throughout training camp and I made sure I kept that they recorded 15 takeaways and I Want to say at least 10 were interceptions led by Stephen Nelson and he had four throughout training camp. So I definitely believe the strength is going to be the defense for this organization on all three levels. By the way, even when you take a look at a young guy like Will Anderson Jr I don't know if it was just because it was the Texans, but then again I started to see it against the Miami Dolphins during that one joint practice he commands, he's starting to command a double team, which means that he's going to be able to open up some gaps for his teammates to make sure that, if it's not him creating disruption and opposing teams backfield, it's definitely going to be one of his teammates and that's why I say I think the pairing between him and Jonathan Garnard is going to be really good because towards the end of training camp, once Will Anderson started to understand the game and started to get his strength up and started going after guys like a Laramy Tunsel and George Fan, who was the quote unquote starting right tackle as of right now for the Texans, with Titus Howard being out. But just watching his progression and stuff, watching him getting better, going after the offensive line, you can tell that he's definitely going to be a problem. So the defense is definitely going to be a strength when it in terms of weaknesses.
Speaker 1:If I had to pick, it's just going to be the youth, the overall youth of this team, because you're going into this season with a rookie quarterback starting under center. Everyone already knows that the offensive line has been pretty banged up, but even with that offensive line, you're still going to have a couple young guys going in. That's going to be a lot of apps for them right off the back just to try to hold it down until some of these veterans get a lot better. But that's just the young players that they have. I just mentioned the rookie quarterback, the young players. That's basically going to get thrown into the fire with the offensive line. But as great as Tink Dale has looked throughout training camp, the joint practice and in preseason, he's going to have to go through a learning curve once these games really start counting. The same thing on the defense side of the ball.
Speaker 1:Yes, will Anderson, like I just mentioned, has looked phenomenal. However, he's going to have a learning curve. And that's just the players. That doesn't account for first year head coach, dmico Rines, first year offensive coordinator, and Bobby Swoer Like there's a lot of thirst. That's there and it's not just the rookies and not just the first year head coaches. It's guys like a Damian Pierce, derek Stingley Jr, jalen Petru. These guys has already proven that they can play on the NFL level. However, this is only their second season and there's going to be even more that they're going to have to learn and I think, in terms of weaknesses, that's definitely going to be the biggest thing for the Houston Texans going into this season.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so that reminds me a lot of the Trevor Lawrence class that we brought in with Trevor Lawrence right Last year we knew if the January took a step.
Speaker 3:It would be because of that class, who they were like. You're just saying about a lot of your veteran players, which they still are super young. That was us last year. They put a lot on Trevor Lawrence, shoulder right, putting a lot on Andre Cisco's shoulders, putting a lot on Tyson Campbell's shoulders, all of those people that were drafted alongside Trevor Lawrence. So you hit the nail on the head, because that's what I was thinking with the weakness Soon, as you worded it, just as our youth. So, that being said, man, this Texans team is still, I think, will be exciting to watch. Of course, me and you will have to link up when we play all the two times in the season as well. But yeah, man, we're going in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just hit me up, man.
Speaker 3:Yeah, bet We'll do man, Me and Phil. Yeah, next time I'll get Phil on with me. And yeah, if you would, before we close out and wrap it up, just let us know where we can find your content one more time and where everybody can follow you and get ahold of you in terms of the latest Texans content.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so once again you can follow me on the artist formerly known as Twitter at Cody Davis, underscore 24. Once again, it's Cody Cotoy, the AVIUS, underscore 24. And if you do thread, you can follow me on thread too. Man, I'm trying to get into thread and build that up, just in case something happens to Twitter. But if you do thread, just follow me on there. It's the same tag as well.
Speaker 3:All right, sounds good, man, so I will also link your information in the actual description, so we'll make it pretty easy to find you as well. We appreciate your time, Cody man, and your insight. Man, and again man. We look forward to linking up with you later down the road in the years. So, that being said, I'm James Johnson, that's Cody Davis for the Texans preview and I am signing out. ["touchdown Jaguar"] ["Touchdown Jaguar"].
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Touchdown Jaguar's podcast. Here are your hosts, James Johnson and Bill Smith.