Payne and Pendergast August 3rd , 2026 Full Show

Summary

Payne & Pendergast – August 3, 2026 (Houston Sports Radio 610)

Hosts: Seth Payne & Sean Pendergast
Date: August 3, 2026
Location: Houston Methodist Training Center (Live, Texans Training Camp)

---

Episode Overview

This episode dives headfirst into a massive weekend for Houston sports, led by the Texans’ impactful defensive signings—most notably the return of Jadeveon Clowney—and how these moves shift the team’s outlook toward true contention. Payne and Pendergast blend detailed camp analysis, roster debates, and their signature banter, circling into broader Astros and Rockets territory, and touching on major headlines and local narratives as NFL and MLB seasons heat up.

---

Key Segments & Timestamps

1. Clowney Returns: Texans Stack the D-Line

[02:34 – 15:00]

• The Texans signed Jadeveon Clowney (one-year, $5.5M base, up to $8M with incentives), bringing back the former No. 1 overall pick after his tour around the NFL.
• Also signed: Mario Edwards (DL, reunion); Sione Takitaki (LB); Mario Edwards returns after a previous release.
• Seth: “This is the rich getting richer. … For him to be your third guy, rotating in with Daniel Hunter and Will Anderson... this could end up being one of the smartest and best signings in the NFL this year.” [08:52]
• Sean: “He was the Cowboys’ leading sack guy last year at 33. He can still play, and the role here makes a ton of sense.” [05:43]
• Discussion of Clowney’s reputation, personality, and past with Houston/Bill O’Brien: “He was just kind of an immature goofball…not a cancer." – Sean [08:08]
• Notable shift: Both agree Clowney’s older, more mature, and his return fits a winning culture.

Memorable Quotes:

• “All hail the label! I’ve never been happier about a mis.” – Seth (on how Clowney’s perceived flaws led to a bargain deal) [12:47]
• “It’s a stacked defense, man... You have to protect your QB on third and long against Will Anderson Jr., Daniel Hunter and Jadeveon Clowney.” – Sean quoting Max Loeb’s viral tweet [13:02]

---

2. Texans Training Camp: Pads On, New Expectations

[15:00 – 21:47]

• First day of padded practice, “where evaluation kicks up” per D’Amico Ryans.
• “Football is played in pads…when you put the pads on, you know who won a rep and who didn’t.” [02:34]
• Recap of first 4 camp practices: Offense facing a fearsome defense, ongoing OL battles, and context for early misfires or “vanilla” looks.
• Seth notes the offense’s solid but unspectacular start—emphasizing context: “They’re going against the best defense in the league.”
• Battles to watch: Nico Collins vs. Derek Stingley & Kamari Lassiter.
• Pressure on CJ Stroud and the offense increases because the defense looks elite.

---

3. Astros Sweep, Deadline Moves, and Houston’s MLB Reality Check

[24:09 – 34:38]

• Astros sweep Rangers; 11–1 since the All-Star break.
• Trade deadline intrigue: Astros nearly traded Brian Abreu for Trevor Larnach, but the deal was nixed by owner Jim Crane’s inner circle. “Feels like there’s a lot of checking on Dana Brown’s paper.” – Sean [26:07]
• Organization’s philosophy: Don’t trade off MLB roster; top two prospects (Kevin Alvarez, Xavier Nyens) unlikely to move. “There’s so many variables…”
• Discussion of competitive imbalance: Dodgers’ massive TV deal and acquisition of Tarik Skubal as an example of why a salary cap/work stoppage is looming. “When you’ve got almost $300 million more per year in revenue… it’s hard to compete.” – Seth [35:29]
• Correa update: Hints at an earlier-than-expected return; “I wouldn’t be doing all this work if I didn’t think there was a chance [of returning this season].” [42:37]
• Pendergast: “The last thing I want is for the possibility of Correa coming back to loom over Isak Paredes’ mojo right now.” [45:03]

---

4. Texans Headlines & Camp Battles

[37:14 – 68:24]

• CJ Stroud’s contract negotiations ongoing—a deal is possible, but both sides appear patient.
  • Ian Rapoport: “Talks are ongoing, neither side seems close yet, but both sides comfortable if it doesn’t get done before the season.” [50:25]
• OL Competition Heats Up:
  • Keelan Rutledge praised by D’Amico Ryans as a “swarm player” and “nuisance for the defense.” [58:00]
  • All spots open except left tackle. Wyatt Teller/Braden Smith contracts may not guarantee starting jobs.
  • Worth watching: Will Rutledge start at center, or will he be a guard in Week 1? “It might take a little longer for him to figure that out.” – Seth [59:45]
• DeAndre Hopkins joins Georgia Tech staff as assistant WR coach but isn’t retired yet.
• Camp crowd favorite: Tank Dell—massive fan support despite limited participation as he recovers.
  • “Tank Dell is the most popular player on a near two-year hiatus I’ve ever seen in my life.” – Sean [66:02]
  • James Palmer: “Cautiously optimistic” about Dell’s health; no firm timetable but not on PUP list, so team is betting on his return for Week 1. [66:54]

---

5. On-Field Matchups & What to Watch in Pads

[64:02 – 68:24]

• Most anticipated matchups: Interior OL vs. DL, especially Kaden McDonald and Keelan Rutledge.
• On the outside: Will Anderson Jr., Daniel Hunter versus Trent Brown.
• Seth: “On days like this, the strong guys earn their money.”

---

6. Acknowledge Me – Honors, Madden Ratings, and Houston Icons

[68:45 – 81:09]

• Texans’ top Madden ratings: Will Anderson Jr., Daniel Hunter, Derek Stingley Jr., Nico Collins (all 90+).
  • “This matters—it brings the young folk up to be lifelong Texans fans.” – Seth [69:54]
• CJ Stroud’s Madden rating: 76, 24th among QBs. Seth and Sean debate whether that disrespect stings more than his omission from NFL Top 100.
• Humorous detours: Seth’s personal Madden scores; Will Levis declares he’s better than 32 starting QBs—“every bit as stupid as Jackson Dart.” – Seth [73:34]
• Astros’ Yordan Alvarez’s dominance of the Rangers continues, compared to TY Hilton vs. Texans.
  • “Most home runs against the Rangers: Mariners 9, Yankees 9, Braves 9…Yordan Alvarez 8.” – Sean [76:48]
• J.J. Watt to CBS A-team (with Jim Nantz), potentially replacing Tony Romo after his sabbatical.

---

7. Coach’s Corner: D’Amico Ryans’ Scouting Reports

[83:37 – 92:40]

• Kalin Bullock (S): “His greatest asset is taking the football away… This year it’s about communication, disguises, and owning the role. The better he is, the better our defense.” – Ryans [84:02]
• Logan Hall (DL): Versatility stressed; can play DE or inside; “He’s done a great job in his first four days.” – Ryans [86:47]
• Tommy Togiai (DT): Still labeled “the most consistent Texan.” Noted for strength, explosiveness despite “alligator arm” measurements.
• Broader point: Defensive backfield and line are both deeper and smarter; wrinkles coming in 2026.

---

Tone and Noteworthy Moments

• Humor & Banter: Emptied throughout—recap of Madden “jumping” ratings, worries about fans overemphasizing appearances in non-padded practices (“beach muscles”), and playful digs at Will Levis.
• Real Football Talk: Seth’s breakdowns of D-line depth, contract realities, and past-busting of myths about Clowney’s supposed lack of effort (“disruption is production”).
• Quotes That Pop:
  • “All you need is above-average QB play now; it’s a really, really hard team to beat.” – Seth [14:33]
  • “Texans gain Reed Blankenship, Kaden McDonald, and now Jadeveon Clowney…everyone else is back.” – Seth [14:09]
  • “Don’t be so emo, man. Settle down. CJ’s doing a really good job of not being emo about [contracts]…” – Seth, compared to Baker Mayfield [53:13]

---

Summary for the Uninitiated

This episode marks a high-water point in Houston optimism—Texans fans fired up as their defense becomes perhaps the NFL’s best with the savvy signing of a now-mature, discounted Jadeveon Clowney. The O-line competition is fierce, offense is serviceable, and only QB play stands between the Texans and real Super Bowl contention. Astros fans get the usual rollercoaster of trade-deadline nerves, with a side of Big Market Blues and hope that Carlos Correa might shock with a return. The episode mixes deep football insight, inside jokes, and a sense that Houston’s teams are both on the verge—and, as always, under the microscope.

Next up: GM Nick Caserio joins the show live at training camp—with plenty more drama, depth charts, and defensive wrinkles still to come.

---

For full Texans interviews, Astros deadline fallout, and padded-practice recaps, follow Payne & Pendergast daily, and catch segments and podcasts via Audacy and 610 SportsRadio.

---

All quotes/timestamps per provided transcript. Episode ads, intros, and non-content edited for clarity and flow.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

With Squarespace, you can do more than just build a website. You can build a business. Squarespace helps restaurants and hotels showcase signature offerings and experiences. And with Squarespace, consultants and photographers can create invoices to collect well earned payments. You can even send email newsletters to keep in touch with your loyal customers. Done. So grow your [e-mail] get started with offer code. Make it real for 10% off your website or domain. What would you do with 30 extra minutes a day with LG? That time starts coming back? LG appliances are built to make everyday life feel lighter. With lg, fewer laundry mistakes, fresher groceries and easier cleanup add up to more time back. 30 extra minutes isn't just time saved. It's breakfast without rushing, dinner without stress, and one less thing to juggle. Smart performance, sleek style and reliability for real life. That's LG. Get your time back with LG. See the latest models and savings [e-mail]

[Sponsor Voice]

this episode was sponsored by We Feed Raw Feeding Dogs Real food should not feel complicated. With We Feed Raw, it doesn't complete and balanced raw meals are customized for each dog's size, age and activity level, then delivered right to the door. Just thaw, serve and feed. No prep, no guesswork, no trying to figure out portions alone. Inside every meal is highest quality meat, nutrient rich organs and premium nutrition designed to support better digestion, healthier skin and coats, and lasting energy. Real food made practical for real life. Visit we feed raw.com to get started and see today's best offer.

[Sean Pendergast]

Hey y', all, I'm Maddie. And I'm Poodle. And together we host the podcast Reality Gays. We are two ridiculous homosexuals who love nothing more than talking about reality television and tearing in a new one. So whether it's 90 day fiance love is Blind after lockup or any other

[Seth Payne]

trash TV show about lonely hearts looking for love, your gay besties got you covered, y'.

[Sean Pendergast]

All. New shows every week. Follow and listen to reality gays wherever you get your podcast.

[Seth Payne]

Reality Gays.

[Sean Pendergast]

Let's love. Sports Radio 610 presents Seth Payne and Sean Pendergast.

[Seth Payne]

We coming to ace time.

[Guest or Analyst]

Let's get the work in, man.

Let's go.

[Sean Pendergast]

Great day. Great day.

[Seth Payne]

Oh, give me some juice, baby. Oh, yeah. Let's do it.

[Guest or Analyst]

Happy. When real football starts, it's a lot of lot of all stars in shorts. And that happens a lot. So I don't let anybody in shorts fool me, right? Football is played in pads, so that's where the evaluation process kicks up. When you put the Pads on. You see, you talk about blocking and run game, which plays are successful. You don't have to have any guesswork. When you put the pads on, you know who won a rep and who didn't win a replacement.

[Sean Pendergast]

And the pads go on today, baby. The pads go on out here at the Methodist Training Center. Welcome in, everybody, on a Monday morning. Good to be with you. Sean Pendergast and seth Payne. Day 5 of Texans training camp. And that's just the beginning of what's going on today.

[Seth Payne]

There's. Yeah, there's a lot going on. For those of you who missed it, you're just enjoying winning the Silver Boot and whatnot. The Texans signed two defensive linemen, Mario Edwards and Jadevion Clowney.

[Sean Pendergast]

Two reunions.

[Seth Payne]

Jadevion Clowney back in the fold. This has become. You know what, it's becoming a thing because they've done this with Sheldon Rankins, the defensive lineman. They go out into the world, they sow their oats, and then they come back into the fold. Yeah, there's no place like playing on this. D' Ameco Ryan's defense.

[Sean Pendergast]

He's been. Clowney's been on quite the journey.

[Seth Payne]

Clowney's been on the odyssey. He had to put wax in his ears and to come down I45 from day Dallas.

[Sean Pendergast]

Sheldon barely got to the county line. He's been circumnavigating the globe over the last 10 years.

[Seth Payne]

Well, he's done on four. This is now his fifth team in the last five years, and he's still a very, very good football player. And, you know, last year led the Cowboys in sacks. I mean, they were a pathetic defense, but he did.

[Guest or Analyst]

He.

[Seth Payne]

I went back and I watched four of his complete games. I put together a highlight reel from his whole season yesterday. And I actually did that yesterday morning because you and I had an inkling that this might happen.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

So I was excited about it. And honestly, honestly, look, I knew he'd still been playing well, and I'd watched him here and there, but really, just in going back and watching complete games and going back and watching all his sacks and pressures and tackles, he's still. Here's the thing about two things. Size and height and length. Those things don't change like he. Or, well, I should say strength. He's still strong as hell, and he's still a freakishly large human being who at times makes plays that other people can't, either because he's getting to it pretty quickly or because he's just so long, he takes one Step and he makes a tackle for a loss. You know, coming down from a wide alignment, defensive end down to the, to the opposite side guard. He's making these tackles for a loss. He's fun to watch and look as a guy. For him to be your third guy, rotating in with Daniel Hunter and Will Anderson and maybe being in there on first and second down to stuff the run because he's still very, very good against the run. This is, this is the rich getting richer. Remember how people said that about the Texans signing Kaden McDonald?

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And that's a draft pick.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

You know, people, people around the league saw that the Texans got Kaden McDonald. They were like, oh, great, great guy. That could have been a first rounder. The Texans get him. Of course, this is Jevian Cloudy, who's a proven football player.

[Sean Pendergast]

Commodity. Yeah, proven commodity. Well, and I think, okay, so there may be people waking up not knowing the details of this. As Seth pointed out, Mario Edwards Jr. Back Jadevion Clowney signs yesterday. Here's the details of the deal. So it is a very good deal for the Texans. It's one year, five and a half million dollar base with a chance for him to earn up to $8 million. So presumably incentives in there for sacks and TFLs or whatever. He had eight and a half sacks last year for the Cowboys. He led the Cowboys in sacks last year. So at age 33, as Seth pointed out, he's still a very, very productive player. So he signs. They also signed Sione Takitaki, the linebacker who played five years in Cleveland. I think he was with New England most recently.

[Seth Payne]

Might be an indicator that Jake Hansen's ankle injury is worse than something minor,

[Sean Pendergast]

is as bad as it looked when he had it the other day.

[Seth Payne]

At the very least, you know, even if it's not an awful, awful injury, if he's going to be out for three or four weeks, they've got a spot.

[Sean Pendergast]

The Clowney thing is, is really interesting to me because one this, you're right, this is like he's going to be in the Derek Barnett role. But the sheer fact of the matter is he's a better player than Derek Barnett is.

[Guest or Analyst]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Maybe even significantly so. And that's not to diminish Derek Barnett, but Barnett was the guy who was sort of the third man in that defensive line rotation. Played about 300 to 350 snaps last year. And Clowney said yesterday, like some of the quotes that are interesting from the article in the Chronicle and I think are worth noting here for Texan fans who May have a certain impression of Clowney in their minds. You know, maybe the fact that Bill o' Brien didn't want him here anymore and traded him for a third round pick still sticks with Texan fans. Maybe there's Texan fans who were following Clowney in Cleveland a couple of years ago when he had issues with the way he was being used in Cleveland. Hey, you're letting Myles Garrett line up all over the formation. Why didn't you let me line up all over the formation like you do with Myles Garrett?

[Seth Payne]

It felt like he'd earned that.

[Sean Pendergast]

He's a defensive player of the year, that's why. Yeah, but some of the quotes I think were interesting, Seth, in the Chronicle article about this, quotes like this. I've grown up and learned the game a lot more since leaving. I feel I can help the younger guys. I've learned how to lead. It was a really easy decision. It wasn't about the money. These are quotes that are very indicative of somebody who's much more mature than the Clowney that we knew when he left here. Not that he was a cancer or that he was a bad guy or anything like that. He was just kind of like an immature goofball.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, he's a lovable goofball. If you would. If you didn't attach it to some of the performances of the Texans, you'd see in the contrast between him and Bill o' Brien, in hindsight, is hilarious. At the time, it was kind of stressful. Yes. No, I think that's the. I think that's the thing that you got to be careful about is sometimes people put any kind of, like any kind of either football character, maturity or anything. They put it all into one bucket and act like C.J. gardner. Johnson and Genevion Clowney are the same guy. Couldn't be more night and day. When it comes to the. Whatever issues Bill o' Brien had with Jademi on Clowney, they weren't like the types of issues CJ Gardner Johnson has had where he's selling out teammates, where he's getting in arguments and battles and pointing fingers and all of that. Other than that one incident in Cleveland, which was also.

[Commercial Announcer]

That was.

[Seth Payne]

That was kind of a weirdly reported incident. And who knows exactly what happened there. I like. I think this is. I think this is a slam dunk. Awesome. Potentially. Honestly, and I'm saying this without trying to be a hot take artist or anything, this could end up being one of the smartest and best signings in the NFL this year for the amount of money you're paying and for the impact you could make on a defense that's already really, really, really good. But who's one. One of the few questions that you had about their depth was, all right, who are your backup defensive ends and what kind of an impact?

[Sean Pendergast]

You've been talking about that since the off season started with them. And I think, too. Look, I think you got to point out the Texans were very fortunate last year with their injury luck on the defensive side of the ball. Will Anderson Jr. And Daniel Hunter didn't miss a single game last year. And I know Daniel Hunter is a superhero, but he's in his early 30s now. That was the first season Will Anderson Jr. Had where he hadn't missed any games. He'd had that ankle issue his first two years in the league. The fact of the matter is it's football, and there's a chance that that type of luck doesn't happen again this year. Boy, if you can, if one of those guys has to miss a game or two and you're sliding Jadevion Clowney in there to play 60 snaps, that's about as good as it gets when you're talking about third defensive ends in a 4, 3 defensive end rotation.

[Seth Payne]

And I think if, you know, because some of the guys who are out there, you might wonder about, like Von Miller probably wasn't the right scheme fit. You know, might be useful as a third down pass rusher. But unless Will or Danil gets injured, that's not necessarily what you're looking for. They need somebody that can rush the passer but also be really stout against the run, and that's where he is. Like, Sean, the whole thing about, you know, Clowney getting older, the thing that doesn't hurt him like it might others, Clowney's always been kind of stiffer. You know, one of the reasons he doesn't have a boatload of sacks is he doesn't have great bend at the top of his pass rush.

[Sean Pendergast]

Kind of stiff.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah. But he's. But it doesn't matter because. So he plays with a higher pad level than most defensive ends. Yeah, that's what he's always done. And the biggest. One of his biggest strengths is just he's so ridiculously strong that he kind of just stands there. There's some plays on his highlights that look like he's Hodor, where he almost just. There's almost nobody that can knock him backwards or side. The other thing, though, the one big misconception about Clowney, that goes back to the scouting process that still angers me to this day is that people love to have this story about Clowney, that he doesn't play hard all the time. And I can remember when you knew the Texans were gonna draft him. I went back and I watched every snap of his final year in college. And I'm trying to find the. I'm trying to find these moments where he's slacking and he doesn't. He plays his butt off on Sundays. He chases down. He chased Xavier Worthy 20 yards downfield and tackled him. He's like.

[Sean Pendergast]

He is.

[Seth Payne]

He plays with a lot of. He plays with a lot of swarm.

[Sean Pendergast]

Is he swarmy? That's what I was gonna say.

[Seth Payne]

He's incredibly sworn.

[Sean Pendergast]

That's the question.

[Seth Payne]

The question was always when he was here with Bill o'. Brien and like he said himself, you know, he's more mature now. I think it was about, okay, how did he operate in practice, in rehab, all those things during the week that, you know, Bill o' Brien wanted more out of him. But as far as, like, how he's played on the field, he's always been a guy who plays his butt off. He's got a. He's got a really good motor. Yeah. It bothers me because it's the exact opposite of how the label that stuck with him. And I think that kind of. That label kind of colors some of the commentary about him. Like when Michelle defoyer reported that in that game when he was made inactive, she reported that he stormed out of the building. And it turns out, no, he was going out to the parking lot to give his. His mom some tickets.

[Sean Pendergast]

2015 Chiefs playoff but when somebody like

[Seth Payne]

Michelle Tafoya thinks, oh, yeah, Clowney, he's the guy that, you know, has this or that about him, like, somehow gets interpreted as him storming out the building.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep.

[Guest or Analyst]

And. And.

[Sean Pendergast]

And if we're being honest, Seth, some of that may be the reason why you're able to get him for one year, five and a half million bucks.

[Seth Payne]

I'll hail the label. I'll hail the label. I've never been happier about a mis.

[Sean Pendergast]

Keep perpetuating the narrative. So you bring me back next year on the same deal.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

So Jadevian clowney. I love this summary of it. This is by somebody named Max Loeb.

[Seth Payne]

Who.

[Sean Pendergast]

I didn't know who he was until yesterday, but I love the tweet. It's third down. You couldn't run the ball on first or second down against this Texans front seven. You now have to protect your QB on third and long against Will Anderson Jr. Daniel Hunter, and Chadevion Clowney. And I think it's interesting because we've seen Will do it and we saw Clowney do it when he was here. Maybe there are some packages on third down where they line one of them up inside, line them up over a guard or a center, and use their quickness to their advantage. But just to finish the tweet, you now have to protect your QB against Will Anderson, Daniel Hunter, and Jadevion Clowney while your wide receivers and tight ends are trying to get open against Derek Stingley, Kamari Lasseter, Reed Blankenship, Kalyn Bullock, and Jalen Petrie. I added to that and said yes. And it sees Al Shayer is lurking in the middle of the field. If anybody dare go through the kill zone. It's.

[Seth Payne]

It's a stacked defense, man. I mean, the things they did. It was already. So you put the Seahawks and the Texans up there at the very top of the NFL. The Seahawks lose a few guys this offseason. The Texans gain reed Blankenship, Kaden McDonald, and now Jadevion Clowney. I mean, it's. It's really.

[Sean Pendergast]

Everybody else is back, right?

[Seth Payne]

Everybody else. Every starter is back except for the one, the one position that didn't have a starter last year, your revolving door safety opposite Kalen Bullock. Now you've got an actual starter there. You've added a different body type to the defensive line with Kaden McDonald. Now you've brought Barrio wet, you brought Edwards back, and then you've also added Jadevion Clowney into the fold.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, man, it really is.

[Seth Payne]

Like for anybody that said all offseason long, man, all they need is above average play by CJ Stroud or just in that Patriots game. Obviously, just average QB play wins you that game, but it really, it makes it that much more of a dynamic that, man, the offense can be a functioning offense. If they can be a threatening offense, especially then it's a. It's a really, really hard team to beat.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep. So. So then shifting gears, we're four practices in and I think I agree with you. That was my thought this morning. Seth, just in thinking through this Clowny thing driving down here, this puts even more pressure on the offense now.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

In my mind, with the Texans, like, okay, Clowney, this is a guy who's, you know, Clowney is coming here. This is one of those signings that super bowl contenders make. You know, Clowney said that he had other places for more money he could have gone to. I wholeheartedly believe him. He was a productive player in Dallas last year and he was their leading sack guy last year. He was, he got the attention on a bad defense and still at eight and a half sacks last year at age 32. So, so I think this actually amps up the pressure on the offense even more this year. You're making additions like this on, on the defensive side of the ball. Says exactly what you're saying. The offense just and doesn't need to be great, but it needs to be good. And so four practices in, just shifting gears for a second. What have you seen from the offense?

[Seth Payne]

Okay, so from the offense, I know a lot of people were depressed and concerned about the fact that the first couple of periods didn't go well for the offense on Saturday. And you know, I've been praising some of the progress, just how the offense is made from all the pre snap stuff from net, from being sharp with all of their pre snap motions and a lot of these tight end shifts they're using. CJ's been, you know, CJ's been completing passes and it hasn't been an aerial highlight show or anything, but they're going against the best defense in the league. It's just a, it's a, it's a functional offense right now. They're doing all of the little things, right, but they haven't had pads on the first couple of periods on Saturday. I think the one thing that's, that's really important to remember is that the defense, this defense was kind of vanilla last year. Remember they didn't disguise a whole bunch or have a bunch of wrinkles in it. There's going to be wrinkles this year. And I mean there was one of CJ's nicer throws to Jared Wayne on Saturday. Will Anderson was out in coverage. You know, so just like, just for, for that alone. And I'll say, you know, I'll describe that play because it's out there on the Internet and fans took shots of it and everything. The, like, the defense is going to be a little bit more complex. It doesn't have to be crazy, it doesn't have to be like a Brian Flores type of defense or anything. But because they have all these veteran guys that are comfortable with the system, they can do a little bit more of that. I thought honestly the bad plays the offense had on Saturday, if I try to use that test where I walk out and I don't know anything about this team at all and I just watch it play, I would say, well yeah, the defense had some nice plays in that period. But then the offense came back, and they did some good things, too. And, you know, C.J. had some clutch throws on hypothetical third downs. It was. It was a back and forth, more so than I think, if you only watch the first period or the first couple periods of Saturday's practice.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, I didn't think, you know, again, like you said, it's a practice. It's not in pads, you know, and. And. And whatnot. But I thought when CJ had time to throw on Saturday, I thought he looked pretty good. I think, you know, my. My grade for cj, if I. If we can grade, you know, three outdoor practices in an indoor walkthrough type practice, none of them in pads. Like, CJ's been in, like, a solid B plus so far in training. Yeah, yeah, he's been good. He's been fine.

[Seth Payne]

You know, and the other thing, man, the battle between Nico Collins and Derek Stingley and Kamari Lesley, like, it's. It's fun to watch. There have been a couple of deep balls to Nico where, man, Nico is fighting with Derek Singley and Kamari Lassiter. And I, like, it's a. It's a 50, 50 ball type of situation. And that's where I'm trying to. I'm thinking from CJ's perspective. All right, you got to try to practice the way you would play. And if. If I'm looking at any receiver in a 50, 50 ball matchup with Derek Stingley, probably not gonna throw the ball that way. But there's a part of me that's like, ah, come on, cj, just let it rip a little bit. But then I think about CJ again and think about, like, oh, yeah, he spent the whole off season with the entire Western hemisphere talking smack about how awful he is and everything.

[Sean Pendergast]

Four picks.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. So if C.J. were coming up on all Pro season or something, you might see CJ just out there, just be like, yeah, let's see what happens. I think he's gonna be so dialed in on trying to play clean football that we're not gonna.

[Sean Pendergast]

2,000 people with cel here.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

This is gonna wind up on the Internet and everybody's gonna think I'm trash.

[Seth Payne]

Cj, what's the worst that could happen? Oh, that's right. It's gonna get aggregated, and it's gonna send out, and it's gonna be. It's gonna be all over. First take. Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

You excited for pads today, man?

[Seth Payne]

I am, I am. I really. Yeah. But it's also as D' Amico said, you know, some guys can kind of be pretenders and frauds. He didn't use the word frauds, but there's guys who are frauds when there's no pads.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And especially in.

[Sean Pendergast]

Say it, but I meant it.

[Seth Payne]

Well, I don't have to worry about it on this defensive line, because these guys are all proven. But with some defensive linemen, especially when there's no pads on and they just violate the practice tempo and they're jumping the snap count because they know, you know, they know the quarterback and all that. That some of those guys really shine when there's no pads on, and then all of a sudden, they disappear. I like when d' Amico said that he, you know, tries not to get fooled by guys when they're in no pads. The first year in 2002 of this franchise's existence, there was this linebacker who they gotten out of the Canadian League. And the guy was one of the most impressively built dudes you've ever seen. Incredible athlete, and he. He was the best linebacker I've ever seen in any OTAs ever. He was better than Ray. Ray Lewis was a bum compared to this kid. And the coaches. The coaches remember the linebacker coach and these. They loved him. This was the guy. He was rocketing up the depth of chart, and you get to the first week of training camp, and you're. You're kind of like, what is that? Is he still on the team?

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Is that what. What happened to that guy anyway?

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep, yep, yep.

[Seth Payne]

So d'. Amigo. D' Amigo wouldn't make that mistake of rocketing the guy up the depth chart. Yep, yep.

[Sean Pendergast]

In wrestling, what they say is when a guy walks to the ring and he just looks like a million bucks.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

And they say. And then the bell rang.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. Got those beach muscles.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah. Can't throw a punch. Can't do a move.

[Seth Payne]

That's why. Yeah. The beach muscles. The best. The best reminder of being too impressed by the beach muscles. When you think about guys like Darrell Rivas.

[Guest or Analyst]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And. And Deion Sanders. Those are two guys. You look at them. If you had to judge if you did a physique contest. Well, clearly, those guys aren't very good defensive backs.

[Sean Pendergast]

No, they're two of the best ever. All right, Payne and Pendergast with you, day five of training camp on a Monday. Big weekend this weekend. All right, coming up next, let's circle over to the Astros. They swept the Rangers this weekend, and now we've got a big 11 hours coming up here. What do the Astros do? What did they have lined up to do before it got nixed over the weekend? Reportedly we'll we'll lay out all the details from the from the Silver Boot over the weekend.

[Seth Payne]

Training camp is here live from the Houston Methodist Training Center. Sports Radio 610 presents Payne and Pendergast

[Sean Pendergast]

all right, we should mention that in the the aftermath of Jadevian Clowney's return to Houston, a couple other signings that Texans made as well. Mario Edwards returning Sioni Takitaki, linebacker signing with the Texans that we will be able to discuss all of these transactions and a whole lot more Tomorrow morning at 7:15 when we are joined by Texans Executive Vice President and General Manager Nick Casario. So he will join us for about 40 minutes tomorrow morning to talk about everything going on both transactionally and with the Texans on the field. And again today, first day of padded practice. So busy time for GMs in this town is going to be hopefully a

[Sponsor Voice]

busy next this episode was sponsored by We Feed Raw Feeding Dogs Real food should not feel complicated with We Feed Raw. It doesn't complete and balanced raw meals are customized for each dog's size, age and activity level, then delivered right to the door. Just thaw, serve and feed. No prep, no guesswork, no trying to figure out portions alone. Inside every meal is the highest quality nutrient rich organs and premium nutrition designed to support better digestion, healthier skin and coats and lasting energy. Real food made practical for real life. Visit wefeedraw.com to get started and see today's best offer.

[Commercial Announcer]

What would you do with 30 extra minutes a day with LG? That time starts coming back. LG appliances are built to make everyday life feel lighter. With lg, fewer laundry mistakes, fresher groceries and easier cleanup add up to more time back. 30 extra minutes isn't just time saved. It's breakfast without rushing, dinner without stress, and one less thing to juggle smart performance, sleek style and reliability for real life. That's LG. Get your time back with LG. See the latest models and savings [e-mail]

[Seth Payne]

the podcast Campus Files is back with

[Commercial Announcer]

more stories of scandal, crime and intrigue on college campuses. It is not hard to destroy a college. It's almost like a university under siege. Listen to and follow campus files available now wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sean Pendergast]

11 hours for Dana Brown I can't believe I'm saying hopefully it's busy because I feel like it was just like a week and a half ago where I was like, sell, Mortimer, sell. But here we Are. And the astros have won 11 out of 12 games. They're 11 and 4 since the all Star break. They got swept by the Orioles right out of the chute, and now they're 11 and 1 since then. And even amidst this 11 and 1 stretch that I still feel like I look at this team, I'm like, no, there's still definite needs on this team. You're right. There are moves to be made for this team.

[Seth Payne]

Well, and the astounding thing is that you've been able to have this incredible turnaround and been one of the better teams in the league since late mid May. Mid May. Well, May you and I had reset the season at May 15. May 22 is where you cherry pick. And they've actually got really impressive 38 and 24.

[Guest or Analyst]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. But you also managed to do this when one of your starting pitchers is a guy who routinely goes out and gives you less than one inning. Now been relegated. They sent am I to the bullpen and I'm like, I don't know if he's got enough. I don't know if he's got. He doesn't have enough to make it through one inning in the bullpen. How does old one inning guy can he last the three required batters that he needs to see when they insert him? I'm not so sure. But yeah, you do that with guys like Peter Lambert, who's just been awesome and in that Pena has really been a revelation. Him coming back and playing the way he has, but also being a guy that after the Astros got swept coming out of the All Star break, emerged as one of the team leaders that really just flat out said, hey guys, this ain't cutting. It gotta be better than this.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep, yep. He's been great. Jordan's been great. The whole. The top third of the order has been fantastic.

[Seth Payne]

Yesterday, Yesterday we could have gotten frustrated about what they did with runners in scoring position, except that it didn't matter because they had 15 hits and it was.

[Guest or Analyst]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Well, it was bad early, too. They like, they, they had. They had like seven at bats with runners in scoring position in the first two innings, Right.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, it was crazy. They squandered a lot.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep. And still won 73 yesterday. So they sweep the Rangers this weekend. Chandler Rome has a piece on the trade deadline on the Athletic. Kind of what he's hearing about the Astros with the trade deadline. We should point out before we get into that, that the Astros reportedly. Over the weekend, I saw this Michael Marino, who's an MLB reporter over the weekend reported that they had a deal all lined up. The Astros did to address left handed bat in the outfield. They were going to trade Brian Abreu to the Twins for outfielder Trevor Larnack. And according to Michael. Michael Marino says Jim Crane nix the deal. Yeah, I've talked to other people and it was. Wasn't necessarily Jim Crane solo coming down and saying Jim Crane's got a. An inner circle around him that I think are overseeing a lot of the things that Dana is doing. Feels like there's a lot of checking on Dana Brown's paper. You know, like, like looking over. Let me see your work here, Dana.

[Seth Payne]

They're not just, they're not just submitting it.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, yeah. So they're so. So it was. It did get. Nix had heard that that deal had gotten lined up and got nixed, which I think says a lot about two things. One, that Brian Abreu actually has value again, I think is a significant thing.

[Seth Payne]

Right.

[Sean Pendergast]

I don't think he's getting. Obviously he's not getting traded. They nixed. Unless it's a really good deal because they nixed a deal. That's been a nice development too that now all of a sudden you got the 8 and the 9 inning there kind of sewed down.

[Seth Payne]

He's gotten on a streak of seven scoreless innings now.

[Sean Pendergast]

He's been good.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. After whatever. So fixing whatever was leading to the disastrous first half of the season.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah. And I think that story also kind of tells you who's running things here. And if Jim Crane, who obviously is running things, he's the owner. But if he's having the level of oversight that it would appear, I think they're going to make an aggressive move today. They make an aggressive move every single year. I went back and looked at the history of trade. There's not been a single trade deadline since the beginning of the golden era, including the first two years before they even won a World Series where they have not been aggressive at the trade.

[Seth Payne]

The only thing with whether, you know, Jim Crane and his brain trust nix the Abreu trade is that I worry sometimes that the brain trust is wrapped up a little bit in their own egos when it comes to guys like Jose Abreu or whomever else, or Brian. Jose Abreu or Brian Abreu that are. These are much maligned. These are much maligned contracts and decisions you've made with these guys. And yet you just hang on and hang on and hang on. And because Abreu is in the middle of a Good stretch right now. Are you weighting that too heavily as opposed to. As opposed to just really rounding out the team better than it is right now?

[Sean Pendergast]

Larnac's had a good year. I mean, it's been kind of an outlier year for him. He's got an OPS of.823. He's typically been a guy that's been in the 700s, OPS wise, but he's a lefty bat that would have fit in nice in the outfield. There's so many variables going on with this team right now, though, and we'll get into this in headlines. But Carlos Correa over the weekend saying he might be back now, like he's. He's doing things.

[Seth Payne]

He demurred on whether he was asked the question. He didn't quite. He didn't give an emphatic no.

[Guest or Analyst]

Right.

[Seth Payne]

I got the audio and headlines.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, we'll play. Yeah, we'll. We'll play it in headlines. I got the audio and headlines. Here's what Chandler is saying, Seth, about the trade deadline. Just a couple things that are worth noting here. Jim Crane, reportedly, according to Chandler, has instructed Dana Brown not to trade off of the major league roster. Yeah, so don't do anything. And maybe that's the spirit of why they nixed the Brian Abreu trade, is that Abreu has re. Evolved back into a pretty critical piece for them on the. You know, you're weakening one thing to strengthen another. So according to Chandler, no trading off of the major league roster. And it sounds like their major prospects, which in their system would be Kevin Alvarez and Xavier Nyens, are believed to have a very low chance of being moved. They're the equivalent of Kyle tucker back in 2018 or something like.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah. I guess the only, the only thing I worry about sometimes with the Astros is the way they operate when, you know, forever. Even after the Astros didn't have the incredible farm system that they had, they would. They would like the rankings of the Astros farm system would fall down way below the actual guys that they got out of that farm system because their player development was so good and because they scouted Latin American players so well that the Astros farm system would be ranked is not all that great. And then all of a sudden, you got guys like Javier and Blanco and everybody else showing up. I just don't know if the Astros are that same organization anymore when it comes to player development, when you're throwing away prospects. And I don't know if they have that edge when it comes to scouting prospects Either. I think that's what they've tried to do. They're trying to gain that edge in Asia that they used to have in Latin America. So far, it's led to imai. And, you know, Dung doesn't really count because he was already in the mlb. But, like, I just don't know if. I don't know if they're a team that can operate by trading away the future so flippantly because, oh, hey, we'll just develop these other guys that people are sleeping on.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And did you see that, Tarik? School ball's got a new home.

[Seth Payne]

Frickin. What the hell? Why'd you have to bring that up, man?

[Sean Pendergast]

All right.

[Seth Payne]

I have never been. This was.

[Sean Pendergast]

This was. It's news.

[Seth Payne]

This is what did it. I'm like, all right, yeah, there needs to be a salary cap. Look, I kind of. I've been a dispassionate observer what puts you over to the team and. Yeah. And it's not. It's not like it's a sudden development or anything. Seriously, what the hell?

[Sean Pendergast]

This was my thing yesterday, and I was curious as soon as I typed this. I'm like, I can't wait to see what Seth has to say about this. Because I think, you know, I'm probably a little bit more cognizant than the average fan of a work stoppage.

[Seth Payne]

Work stoppage. Stoppage.

[Sean Pendergast]

And I think it bothers you a little bit that I'm not living in the moment as much as I should in 2026.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

And as soon as I typed it in the rundown, I'm like, I think Seth's going to take me to task for this. But it sounds like it hit you the same way, which is like, if, man, when you got this, you have this season going on where the work, you know, recommendations can be great. Maybe someone recommended this podcast and here you are. But home projects are different. If a podcast isn't your thing, you lose a few minutes. If you hire your cousin's neighbor to mount your tv, you might end up with a lopsided screen and wall damage. Maybe I know a guy. Just isn't enough for your home. That's why thumbtack works. It matches you with top rated local pros with photos, reviews, and credentials all in one place. For your next home project, try thumbtack. Hire the right pro today.

[Commercial Announcer]

What would you do with 30 extra minutes a day with LG? That time starts coming back. LG appliances are built to make everyday life feel lighter. With lg, fewer laundry mistakes, fresher groceries and easier cleanup add up to more time back. 30 extra minutes isn't just time saved. It's breakfast without rushing, dinner without stress, and one less thing to juggle. Smart performance, sleek style and reliability for real life. That's LG. Get your time back with LG. See the latest models and savings [e-mail]

[Sponsor Voice]

this episode sponsored by We Feed Raw. Your dog deserves better than ultra processed food every single day. That's why there's We Feed Raw. The highest quality meat, nutrient rich organs, complete and balanced meals formulated by animal nutrition experts. No fillers, no artificial preservatives, just real food. Dogs are biologically built to eat and when dogs eat better, people usually notice it. Better digestion, healthier skin in coats, more energy, more excitement at mealtime. Meals are delivered right to the door and portioned for each dog's needs. Real food made simple. Visit wefeedraw.com to get started and see today's best offer.

[Sean Pendergast]

Hey gang, it's Jill Schlesinger. I'm launching a new show. It's called Money Moves and we are gonna move. We are gonna answer your financial questions and take the mystery out of your financial life. Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sponsor Voice]

This episode was sponsored by We Feed Raw. Feeding dogs real food should not feel complicated with We Feed Raw. It doesn't. Complete and balanced raw meals are customized for each dog's size, age and activity level, then delivered right to the door. Just thaw, serve and feed. No prep, no guesswork, no trying to figure out portions alone. Inside every meal is the highest quality meat, nutrient rich organs and premium nutrition designed to support better digestion, healthier skin and coats, and lasting energy. Real food made practical for real life. Visit we feedraw.com to get started and see today's best offer stoppage is kind

[Sean Pendergast]

of looming in the background. The last thing you like. Could you think of a more stark reminder that there's a work stoppage coming up after this year likely than the Dodgers picking up the best pitcher in baseball over the last year?

[Seth Payne]

I don't begrudge you thinking about it or worrying about it being interesting, but like by and large, the one thing I've noticed in my 15 years in this industry is that the public at large doesn't care about this stuff nearly as much as the either talking heads or like the die hard baseball team.

[Sean Pendergast]

I agree with you, but this was a tipping point for a lot of people.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah, no, that's right. Yeah, exactly.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, yeah. This is a Big tipping point for a lot of people, I think.

[Seth Payne]

And just when it comes down to you've just got, you've got some teams that are operating in such different environment where when there's no cap, the amount of revenue that they make. Like the Dodgers make 752 million in revenue per year.

[Sean Pendergast]

Their local TV deals are the difference.

[Seth Payne]

You know, the Astros make 494 and they're no poppers. But like when you're, when you're Talking about almost 300 million more per year in revenue out of one of the team that's able to spend on guys like Tarik. School ball. Yeah. It's. It's hard to compete.

[Sean Pendergast]

And then add to that that those big time teams like the Dodgers, the Mets especially.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Have owners that really don't care about running in the red.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

You know, they don't, they don't care about. Jim Crane wants to have a profitable business. Yeah, the, the Mets, they, they f. The profits, you know, like they, they don't. And I'm not sure how the. If the Dodgers operate the same way it would appear because they're spending, including luxury tax, $120 million this year. Kyle Tucker's 710 ops.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, I'd be interested in seeing their P L. There's something the public at large loves here, spreadsheets and whatnot. But because of all those deferred contracts, you got no understanding of ebitda. The, the whole thing about the Dodgers too is they've got all those deferred contracts too.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yes.

[Seth Payne]

So, yeah, I don't know. I don't know whether they're running in the red operationally or not, but good point.

[Sean Pendergast]

They will be someday with showing contract coming up down the pipe. All right, headlines. Coming up next, we've got big Texans news that we hit in the open. We'll hit it again, by the way. Baseball talk on Sports Radio 6 and presented by Xfinity. Score the most reliable Wi Fi 1 price 5 years guaranteed. Xfinity. Imagine that. Texans news in headlines. We will circle back to the Astros. We'll have that Correa audio that we promised as well. And another Texan, former Texan, I think a lot of people want back that didn't see the news of what he's going to be doing moving forward over the weekend. We'll get to that.

[Seth Payne]

As in npndergast with today's headlines.

[Sean Pendergast]

All right, let's start with the Texans. Big day yesterday for the Texans. Nothing going on on the practice field, but plenty going on inside the building, working the phones. Nick Casario doing work yesterday on a Sunday, the Texans sign three players, including two returning players. Sione Takitaki, linebacker, is the Houston Texan. Mario Edwards returns after being cut loose with an injury designation earlier in the offseason. Apparently healthy again, he'll be back to help fortify the depth on the defensive line. But the big one is Jadevion Clowney. The former number one overall pick for the Texans back in 2014. Made three Pro Bowls for the Texans between 2016 and 2018 before being, I will say, unceremoniously traded away to the Seattle Seahawks for a third round pick by then general manager Bill O' Brien back in 2019. Since then, Clowney's had quite the journey. He's played for about a half dozen other teams in the league, still been a productive player. He returns here Seth on a one year five and a half million dollar deal in which he can earn up to $8 million total. This is a signing that I think if I'm the other playoff contenders in the afc, if I'm other teams that are contenders around the NFL, I think there were a lot of like drinks thrown at computers when they saw that. This is a, this is a great sign of Texans.

[Seth Payne]

The thing about Clowney is that he's just always been kind of an enigma in terms of like I, I predicted that this is what he would do is start going to a sign in one year deals year after year. He's kind of like a vagabond that goes around like, or a mercenary soldier of fortune and consistently plays really good football. It's been really annoying. Like when he was with the Ravens a few years ago, people were saying this is the best clown he has ever played. Like no you idiots. He played this way when he was in Houston. He's been a good, solid, steady player. It just matters whether he's on a good team or not, whether people notice it. And that's what he did last year for the Cowboys. He had eight and a half sacks. He had double digit tackles for a loss. He's still very effective versus the run. He's still a guy that rushes at the passer well and puts pressure on the quarterback. He's just, he's not great at finishing sacks. So he does, he's never had double digit sacks, but he's very much a presence. The old, the old saying disruption is production. Yeah, that's clowny. Like, all right, like the conventional sack numbers and everything don't reflect how disruptive he is as a football player.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep. So. So he is. He is back. Jadevian Clowney is. And I would. I don't know if he'll be out here today. I mean, he lives in Houston, so it's not like he's got to fly in and find a hotel or whatever. He still lives here, so it's incredibly convenient for him, Corey declining a hotel

[Seth Payne]

if he wanted to. He's got $8 million, potentially.

[Sean Pendergast]

That's true. You know what? Just for the hell of it, he's gonna stay at the Marriott Marquis downtown. So Clowney is back. That's good news. The Astros over the weekend.

[Guest or Analyst]

Good news.

[Sean Pendergast]

A lot of good news. This weekend, they sweep the Texas Rangers. And it almost appears now, seth, with about 10 or 11 hours till the trade deadline.

[Guest or Analyst]

That.

[Sean Pendergast]

And we'll hear from Carlos Correa here in a second. But after the sweep of the Rangers, reportedly the Rangers had been on the brink of do we buy or do we sell?

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

And to the point where Ken Rosenthal was even saying, like, yesterday's game was a big deal for the rangers and, like, one out of 162. But that might tip the scales, like, if they're two and a half behind the Astros, as opposed to virtually tied with them in the division. And Seattle is already doing things that would indicate that they're going to be selling. They traded Luis Castillo. Granted, he's not been good this year, but he's one of their starting pitchers. They traded him to the Chicago White Sox, another American League team. So it almost looks like with the way the Astros have been playing, that signs seem to point to them kind of having squelched the life out of the rest of the division.

[Seth Payne]

A bunch of quitters, this little run that they're on, at the end of the day, that's ultimately what they are.

[Sean Pendergast]

But you know what? It's. And it's. And I.

[Guest or Analyst]

And.

[Sean Pendergast]

And I agree with you.

[Seth Payne]

We were quitters, like, two weeks ago.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But there was one point throughout this, the last month or so, through the ups and downs, where there. Somebody had a report like, no, the Astros are still looking. They're still acting like a buyer out there, like, even when it was bad. And there was part of me that was like, you know what? I'm glad my team, actually. I know it's not the most practical thing to do, and I know they're probably not winning the World Series this year, but as a fan, like, I'm just looking at Texas and Seattle, I'm like, they're just giving. They're giving up. I Mean they're within shouting distance.

[Seth Payne]

Especially when, you know, it's the old. If you just make it into the tournament, anything can happen. And everybody. I'm old enough to remember 2019, Sean, and what the Nationals were able to do in a year where it looked like they were. They were a nothing before the trade deadline or before in the first half of the season and ended up winning a World Series versus a pretty good baseball team in my memory.

[Sean Pendergast]

I don't remember that one. I blocked that one out.

[Seth Payne]

They were pretty good.

[Sean Pendergast]

So Carlos Correa was at Dyken park yesterday, and he was doing things. He was running. He was. He wasn't hitting yet, but he was taking grounders on one knee. So while Carlos is there, the media gathered around him and said, hey, man, you're out here doing some things. What is this an indicator that you could possibly be coming back? All right, so let's adjudicate this here. Here's Carlos Correa talking about the possibility of returning. Keep in mind, the reports when he got surgery on his ankle was he was going to be out till spring training next year.

[Seth Payne]

Things are going well.

[Guest or Analyst]

Things are going real well.

[Seth Payne]

That's where I will leave it at. Is there a chance to play again this season?

[Guest or Analyst]

We'll see.

[Seth Payne]

I wouldn't be doing all this work if I didn't think there was a chance.

[Sean Pendergast]

Has the recovery progressed, like, faster than you thought it would initially, or just where are you at compared to, like, where you.

[Guest or Analyst]

I mean, a really good spot In

[Seth Payne]

a really good spot. I don't feel it.

[Guest or Analyst]

We've been progressing to running and sprinting,

[Seth Payne]

and everything feels great.

[Commercial Announcer]

Are you at all surprised how fast you're progressing?

[Seth Payne]

Well, as soon as I got hurt,

[Guest or Analyst]

I got on this protocol, and I

[Seth Payne]

started looking for all the information I could into how to speed up the process and the things that I needed to eat and, you know, how I needed to sleep and the type of treatment that I needed.

[Guest or Analyst]

And we've been doing a great job

[Seth Payne]

with that, so we're in a good spot.

[Guest or Analyst]

Okay.

[Sean Pendergast]

And I flew to Germany and I.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, that's what I was kind of hoping he didn't. You know, there's some substances that, you know, the authorities haven't caught up to yet that are still technically legal. No, it's just food and diet.

[Sean Pendergast]

Based on that audio, what do you think the chances are that Carlos Correa returns?

[Seth Payne]

I think I tend to look at stuff like that, kind of like the Fred Van Vliet throwing it out there, that maybe there's a Chance or something that I don't.

[Sean Pendergast]

It could be a major shift from like, yeah, he ain't coming back till March, to he might be playing in the playoffs in October.

[Seth Payne]

And that's not as miraculous as the comeback CJ Gardner Johnson made last year. Roundabout this time.

[Sean Pendergast]

He got hurt again this weekend.

[Guest or Analyst]

Yeah, he did.

[Seth Payne]

Now it looks like it might be an Achilles this year.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

But I was making a joke because the report was that he was going to be out for the year.

[Sean Pendergast]

Right.

[Seth Payne]

Turns out he was fine. Yeah, unfortunately. Yeah, unfortunately, he was fine.

[Sean Pendergast]

He would have been better off. Yeah. Here's the thing that I think. But look, Carlos Correa is a. He's an outstanding player, obviously. And you know, he's good hitter, great fielder, can play third base and shortstop for you. The first thing I thought of, though, Seth, was of the guys in this lineup right now. And there's plenty of holes for a good team. There's plenty of holes in this lineup right now. Two of your holes right now are not third base or shortstop. Those are. Two of your three best players right now are Jeremy Pena and Isak Paredes, the top third of that order. I know Jordan and Jeremy Pena are getting a lot of the attention. Isak paredes has nearly a.900 OPS since the middle of June. He's had a good run. There's a reason he's batting third in the lineup every day. So I just wondered that, like, look, I'm not going to sit here and say if Carlos Correa could come back and be the player that he is, if the Astros couldn't use him because injuries happen in the playoffs, too. But the last thing I want to have happen right now is for the possibility of Correa coming back to loom over Issac Paredes Mojo right now.

[Seth Payne]

You know, I think. You know what? Honestly, with all three of the major teams we could look at in the last calendar year. All right. Tank Dell, There are whispers and possibilities that maybe he would come back at the end of last season. And here we are in August waiting for him to participate in an 11:11 full speed drill. Yeah, so. Or even a seven on seven. And Fred Van Vliet, who knows, don't rule him out. So I just, I think more times than not, he's probably making more progress than the schedule would suggest at this point. But he's also got to get to, like, at some point you got to make the smart decision about just, you know, injuring yourself again.

[Sean Pendergast]

Well, that. But I was honestly, I was more glad hearing Carlos talk about where he's at when it comes to next season than I was about this season. You know that because you know eventually they're going to need him. They're paying him a lot of money over the next couple years. All right, those are your headlines. Tarek Skubal to the Dodgers. We talked about that a little bit. Luis Castillo traded from the Mariners to the White Sox, among other trades over the weekend. Peralta getting traded from the Mets to, oh, God, I wish I had it in front of me. Anyways, oh. To the Rays. And oh, by the way, DeAndre Hopkins joining the staff at Georgia Tech. So for those of you out there, like, hey, bring t hop back now.

[Seth Payne]

But also not. He reiterated he's not officially retired. Right. He's open to leaving for another job.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep. But he's, he will be an assistant wide receivers coach and people are wondering the connection there. George Gotse, who was the offensive coordinator here during a couple of DeAndre Hopkins years, including the one horrible year he had here by DeAndre's standards.

[Seth Payne]

And Gotze was a quarterback at Georgia.

[Sean Pendergast]

He's a quarterback there. He's the OC now. So. Yeah. All right. Pain and pender gas.

[Seth Payne]

Coach up those nerds. DeAndre with all those nerds. That's good. That's interesting.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

You know, we'll get some content on

[Seth Payne]

social media like DeAndre teaching those guys how to live.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yes.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. All right, coming up, your engineering textbooks.

[Sean Pendergast]

Four practices in here at Texans training camp. What are the biggest storylines so far as we get ready for the first padded practice today, the Houston Methodist Training

[Seth Payne]

Center Sports Radio 610 presents Paine and Pendergast.

[Sean Pendergast]

All right, a few things, few administrative things before we get into the big storylines that have evolved over the first four practices here at Texans training camp. Number one, we've had a few people ask this. What number is Clowney going to wear? He's going to wear his old number 90. So if you have an old number 90 clowney jersey.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Probably not good for revenue generation because a new number would have meant new jerseys for people. But he's getting his old 90.

[Seth Payne]

He's already hurting the team.

[Sean Pendergast]

He's already hurting the bottom line. Well, he took a hometown discount.

[Seth Payne]

Okay. Balances out, man.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, it balances out.

[Seth Payne]

No, and the other thing, too is when you look at his draft photo, I've got a nice picture of Rick Smith and Bill o' Brien as Clowney holds up the jersey. It's in front of a backdrop that says Reliance Stadium.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

I wonder if they changed the name back to the stadium when they figured out we'll probably sign Clowney. All those old photos popping up.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, yeah. So he'll wear. He'll wear number 90. A few programming notes about this time tomorrow. Fifteen minutes from now, Nick Casario will join Seth and I out here at Texans training camp. So we'll get the skinny on how the whole Clowny thing went down and talk more about everything going on with the Texans.

[Seth Payne]

You guys can spend your two minutes talking about WrestleMania 4003 or SummerSlam over the weekend.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, it was a big, big affair over the weekend. SummerSlam. You look agitated right now. And then Cal and Hannah are going to be joining Mark and John out here this morning at 8:30. And off the field today in the Loop has Kamari Laziter. So that's a good. Oh yeah, he's fun.

[Seth Payne]

You know, was out here on Saturday was Robert Mays from the Athletic. I talked to him a little bit.

[Guest or Analyst]

Oh, you did?

[Seth Payne]

And he interviewed Kamari Lassiter too. So if you're. If you're. What you're jonesing for is some Kamari Lassiter content, it's gonna be a boatload of them.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, you've come to the right place.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, the guys are doing the. Putting the lines out on the field right now on the grounds crew. And I talked to. We talked to them a couple years ago. Aaron, how many miles did the guy. He said 12 miles. He walks to do all three of these fields.

[Sean Pendergast]

Sounds about right. Yeah, that sounds about right. It's a lot of walking.

[Seth Payne]

You know what? There's no.

[Sean Pendergast]

They better hustle. It's seven o'. Clock.

[Seth Payne]

You know what? You know what guys love when they tell you something like that is when you give a comment like, huh, you should be paying them. Get yourself a good workout. Cheaper than a health club.

[Guest or Analyst]

They love that.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, they Love that. Lost 20 pounds. Oh, my God.

[Sean Pendergast]

All right, so. So we are four practices into Texans training camp. Fifth practice today. The biggest story so far, four days in, I would say the biggest one, the one that's gotten the most attention outside of Houston, probably other than the Clowney signing yesterday, would be C.J. stroud's contract situation. We know that Nick Casario commented on it. We'll certainly. I'm sure that'll come up tomorrow when he joins us. C.J. commented on it. They both seem to have generally positive impressions of where things were at.

[Seth Payne]

I think the most positive situation you could hope for is that, okay, unlike Baker Mayfield, that if they don't come to an agreement that it's, I don't want to say no big deal, but that it's not anything that C.J. stroud or David Mulligetta gets agitated about. Right. So when they say that conversations have been positive and productive, that could also include like, well, you know what, maybe we're probably too far away. Let's see how the season goes and we'll revisit.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yes, good point. So this is Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network as of as of Friday, where things stand with CJ Stroud.

[Ian Rapoport]

We could, in fact get a CJ Stroud deal sooner rather than later, provided all sides agree and they are not there yet. It does not seem like they are close yet. A couple important factors are. First of all, we saw CJ Stroud struggle at the end of the year for the Houston Texans. It is clear inside this organization they view him as the franchise starter, no question, the player who led them to the playoffs multiple years in a row, who is entrenched at that position. And those guys, those franchise starters who are young, were looking at new contracts they essentially make in the 50s based on new money average. I'm talking about the Jared Goffs of the world and Jordan Love and Trevor Lawrence. Certainly seems like that would be the category of CJ Stroud. Will he end up being able to get a deal with with the Texans? We simply don't know. It seems like both sides are comfortable making an attempt at it, that if it doesn't happen by the season, that is okay. They will try again next year. But the fact that talks are going on is, I would say, at least extremely noteworthy for Houston's belief in C.J. stroud.

[Seth Payne]

The only issue I have sometimes with the way people frame this is when they say, you know, Stroud led them to the playoffs, like, all right, no. The last couple of years, it's been, it's been the defense. Shroud's been a part of a playoff effort, but it's been the defense that's led them to the playoffs. And that's not I'm not even trying to criticize C.J. there or not, but it's important to point out that it's not like if there's a team Peyton Manning, back in the day, early in his career, he was awful. He was atrocious in the playoffs, but he led them to the playoffs. His regular seasons were incredible. He led them to the playoffs. It hasn't been that case. So it's not. If a guy's genuinely, he's the reason you're getting to the playoffs, then it's a lot. It's a much easier decision to make.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, it's. It's way more complicated than that. Yeah, for sure. Which is why there's no contract right now. If it wasn't complicated, there'd be a

[Seth Payne]

contract from the player side of things. Like, look, you know, Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson did a really good job in their careers of. Or have done in their careers, a good job of just the. Financially, if you.

[Guest or Analyst]

If you.

[Seth Payne]

If you can not be too worried about injury, it always makes more financial sense to push it as far into close to free agency as possible. Dak Prescott did that.

[Guest or Analyst]

Yep.

[Seth Payne]

And, like, that's the. The difference in football compared to baseball is that you really got to worry more about injuries. But still, I don't if CJ's got that mindset and maybe Mulligetta, too, is like, look, man, look, we could. We could take this number now, but realistically, you just. You gotta go out and perform, and you're gonna make more next year, and then. Then nobody's throwing a temper tantrum like little baby Baker Mayfield.

[Commercial Announcer]

Baker.

[Seth Payne]

This is the thing about Baker Mayfield. You can't have it both ways, bro. You can't be Joe, old school tough guy. But then also, like, I feel disrespected.

[Sean Pendergast]

Oh, I just.

[Seth Payne]

I felt like I've done so much for this team, and this is the respect I get. You never do the dishes. Oh, just shut up.

[Sean Pendergast]

I didn't think we were gonna get a drive by a Baker Mayfield.

[Seth Payne]

Don't be so emo, man. Don't be so. Just. Just settle down.

[Sean Pendergast]

I'm with you. I'm with you, Doug.

[Seth Payne]

CJ's doing a really good job of not being all emo about it 100%.

[Sean Pendergast]

That's why I love the Baker audio, because I think it Highlight how well CJ's handling.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Right now. Storyline number two, four days into training camp, I think we should go into this one just because it's. I think it's. It's very much tied to CJ's contract situation. He's. He's looked good so far in training camp. The offense is actually winning some reps this year. This was Steve Smith on his podcast that he does with James Palmer talking about how the Texans have not helped CJ Stroud enough.

[Guest or Analyst]

Now, they didn't do a really good job of holding themselves accountable, of not putting CJ Stroud in bad situations, because they literally just said they're gonna line up, put them in shotgun, and, hey, you beat Them didn't have checkdowns, didn't have adjustments, just didn't do a really good job. In my humble opinion of setting CJ Stroud up to not be considered.

[Sean Pendergast]

Right.

[Guest or Analyst]

The Achilles heel at times.

[Seth Payne]

The. If you look at that, it's a very complex situation when it comes to, okay, how much did the offense help out the quarterback or how much did the coaching help out the quarterbacks? And there are a few things that went on last year where, yes, Nick Haley needs to be better as an offensive coordinator in his second year as an offensive coordinator, to be sure. But whenever, like, it's way too easy for people on the outside to say, well, I can't believe the offense is coordinator, isn't doing this for the quarterback, when sometimes the quarterback is the obstacle. A lot of the really cool, funky, fun stuff that you want to do needs to be with the quarterback, handling it competently. And there were times last year where I think, because the operation isn't always just on everybody except cj, CJ directs the operation and needs to make those checks. And there are also times where, look, there's guys that. There's receivers that should have adjusted to either blitzes or coverages and become the hot route who didn't do it. So CJ's looking for eyes to throw to when there's pressure and there's nobody looking at him. And so how many Times Was it CJ's fault? How many times was it Nick Kaley's fault? How many times was it Jaden Higgins or Jalen Knowles fault? It's impossible to say other than the sum total was, yeah, it wasn't good enough. Yeah. And then the big one, the big overarching one is when you can't run the football, your quarterback is put in second and 10 and third and 10 way too often.

[Sean Pendergast]

And he statistically was put in it more than almost anybody.

[Seth Payne]

Right. So no matter who you are as a quarterback, it doesn't matter if you're Tom Brady or anybody else, you, you're third and ten, you're more times than not, you're screwed. It's really, really hard to convert.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep. So. But it's got. But it's looked better at camp this year. It's year two in the system. It's year two for CJ with Nick Caylee. I think they've done a better job of going out and getting good offensive linemen this year than they did last year. I mean, they, you know, some of the stuff that was going on with the offensive line last year you know, between giving Cam Robinson a bunch of money and then he's not even starting for you. Yeah, I mean, it's a good thing Ariante Hershey developed last year to a degree. I mean, he's still got, you know, he's still got room to improve, obviously in his second year. But I mean, if that hadn't happened, boy, they would have really been sunk last year.

[Seth Payne]

Well, the whole like last year it felt like, okay, this is going to be a two year process on the offensive line. And I wasn't. I would have preferred that they were aggressive the way the Bears were. The Bears. The Bears were incredibly aggressive in the offseason two years ago and ended up being one of the better offensive lines in football. But they made kind of muted moves. But two of them, look, three of the moves last year. If you think about the four major moves on the offensive line last year, Ariante Ursary, Cam Robinson, Ed Ingram and Trent Brown wasn't really a major move at the time because they paid him almost nothing. I mean like the veteran minimum almost. And three of those four worked out and now they're aggressive again this year. More aggressive and like if a couple of those work out, then that's a, it's a pretty good two year process. I would have been more. I'm still, I still would have preferred they were greedy or more aggressive just last year.

[Sean Pendergast]

Well, left guard was just such an Achilles heel for them. You know, they were. They're rotating guys in game. They're rotating guys and they're cutting Lake and Tomlinson starting in week one if he's cut by the middle of the season.

[Seth Payne]

They spent the first half of the season having cotton competition at left guard between two guys, neither of whom would win the competition. Right, right, right, right.

[Sean Pendergast]

And, and who became the left guard? Their right tackle.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Became the left guard. All right, so that's, that's the first two storylines to me are C.J. stroud related. Number three, Keelum Rutledge. Speaking of the interior of the offensive line, we'll see what position he plays, but he's going to play. I feel like he is going to play whether it's guard. He now in the practice on Saturday it was. He was all guard on Saturday. I don't know that he did anything at center, but he's played a little of both in training camp. Here's Jamiko Ryan's. He could tell. He really likes their first round pick.

[Guest or Analyst]

Keelan is a swarm player. Man, I love it. Like I love to see o lineman and Pushing guys downfield, still fighting to make sure he finishes. I love his mindset. I mean, that, that's what it should be. He cares a lot. You guys see it standing to the side. We see it. I watch it all the time. Try to highlight him, you know, in our team meetings because that's what we're looking for. When you have that type of mindset at O line, it's a problem for defenders because you're just a pessy. You can't get rid of guys. And that's what he is. He's a nuisance for the defense and that's what he's going to be for us. And I love every bit of it.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, I think his mindset and the way he operates and everything, whenever you, if you worry about whether a first round pick is going to take it seriously or not, he takes it. You can tell he takes it very, very seriously. He's the only guy that. I think in his interviews it reflects kind of what it looks like his mindset is at practice. Yeah. There's no nonsense about him. Yeah. And so that part of it, as far as the intangibles, I think they, they got exactly what they were hoping to get. When it comes to where is he going to play. Going back to what Casario said the first day of training camp, it's, it's a wide open competition at every spot other than Ariante Ursary. And I think that that's, that's what you want. You've got guys, multiple guys who are capable of being starters, competing to be a starter. I don't think Wyatt Teller's history as a, you know, I don't think the history of his career or the contract they gave him or anything like that means that he's 100% going to be the starting left guard. The big question is if Wyatt like Keelan Rutledge in playing center, it's, it's a lot to learn as you're also just trying to learn how to be an NFL office lineman. And it might be something that he eventually gets, but it might not happen immediately. It's, There's a whole lot of muscle memory that goes into snapping the football in the gun or with the quarterback under center and then, not to mention, you know, the variations in footwork and everything. So I don't think it's a slam dunk. Even if Keela, like you could tell me that Keelan Rutledge is going to be an all pro center in his second year, to me that doesn't mean that he's starting at Center Week 1 of this year. It might take a little bit longer for him to figure that out.

[Sean Pendergast]

Could you see a scenario where your two starting guards are Wyatt Teller and Keelan Rutledge and Ed Ingram is.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, I could see that. I could see that. I think that the more than likely scenario would be money. The. The more than. Right, right. But I think, like, going. They're trying to be contract blind to it.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Cam Robinson was making a lot of money last year, and then, you know, I get it.

[Sean Pendergast]

I get it.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. I think Trent Brown could start at right tackle over Braden Smith, despite Braden Smith being the higher ticket item.

[Sean Pendergast]

I 100% agree with you. It's just a really interesting scenario that you could see two guys making $13 million a year being backups.

[Seth Payne]

I think D' Ameco made a comment the other day about how even for the veteran players, it's an adjustment learning Cole Popovich's technique. So no matter what Wyatt Teller or Braden Smith or any of these other guys have done, they got to tweak their techniques a little bit to fit this scheme and what Cole Popovich and Nick Haley want to do. Yeah. So from that standpoint, you know that maybe. Maybe if it takes Wyatt Teller a little bit longer to get longer to get comfortable in that and they like. They like the trajectory of Keelan Rutledge, then, yeah, maybe he ends up being the starter or plays better than Ed Ingram. I'll be surprised. Ed Ingrid would be one of the bigger surprises if he's not a big surprise.

[Sean Pendergast]

But he. He was. He was not great out here the other day. So we'll see. I mean, the pads go on today. Like, yeah, I don't.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, like, we'll see. I don't like. Like, it's not like I like giving excuses to the Texans offensive line because they haven't really earned the right to have excuses made for him. But like, nope, you just can't tell a no.

[Sean Pendergast]

It's fourth practice. Yeah. No, no, no. I'm not burying the guy. It's just. It's. It's going to be an interesting competition for sure. Storyline number four, not much to say here on this one, but the defense, they're bleeping amazing again. They're awesome. They're really good. Here was Nico Collins on Saturday at his availability on the difficulty of facing the Texans defense.

[Guest or Analyst]

Nah, you just gotta keep positive pace, man. You know, defense, they send them blitzes and the offense, we gotta see it, we gotta react high routes and things like that, you know, as an offense, we gotta adapt to it. And defense, they can continue to do what they do, you know, so we gotta get in order to get better on that. We gotta find the voids, the hot routes, identify the safeties, pre snap reads, you know, a lot coming to it. You know, the defense, they're the best now. And so it's only right, it's what you want as offense, you want to go against the best every single day, you know, and there's no better feeling than this going against them every single day. Sharpening the blade, man. So on Sundays we humming, you know, so day four, supposed to be hard, supposed to be hot. That's going to count, man. That's what make it fun.

[Sean Pendergast]

Where, where does Nico versus the cornerback stack up on the matchups, the training camp matchups that you, you were stacking it like a wrestling card.

[Seth Payne]

I don't spend a whole lot of time watching from the receivers and defensive backs, but like I, it's like it sticks out to you. 11 on 11 when Nico's running downfield, like, that's where I'm just saying, when I can tell the ball's not going to Nico or whatever, I'm not watching exactly what's going on. And it's like you don't get to go back and watch the film. There have been some really good, There have been really some really good battles between Nico and those two cornerbacks. On some of the deep balls, there have been some really tight window throws at CJ's. Some of them he's completed, some have been knocked away. But that part of it, watching those guys go after it. But then also I'm a little bit annoyed that CJ had the playoff performance that he did because I don't think CJ's in a position to be like, yeah, it's just training camp. I'm just gonna, I'm gonna throw 50. Go throw a 50, 50 ball to Nico and Derek. To Derek Stingley and see what happens.

[Sean Pendergast]

Winds up on TikTok.

[Seth Payne]

I think he's making the white. No, I think he's making the right decision in a game. You're just, you know, there's certain parts of Derek Stingley that you're just, you're not, you're, you're not throwing it in that direction when it looks like it might be a 50, 50 ball.

[Sean Pendergast]

So there's people that are going to be out, there's fans out here, there's fans out here all week. Going up to the night practice on Saturday and there's fans already lined up outside here as there have been the last couple years for training camp. Probably listening on the Odyssey app on their phone. What's. If you were. If someone were driving here and you were telling them the matchup in pads today for the first time that you're most looking for forward to see.

[Seth Payne]

Oh, okay. I would say in the. When they're in any kind of a run situation, the interior offensive and defensive line. Because you'll see Kaden McDonald. Well, for one, you're going to see Keelan Rutledge potentially if he's working with the ones going against. Well, really. Even if he's working with the twos going against some really good defensive tackles. Kaden McDonald Just in general, like, he's a guy that can't.

[Guest or Analyst]

He's.

[Seth Payne]

He's more of a strength guy than a speed guy. So there's not a lot that he can really flash during when there's no shoulder pads on. He earns his money and his draft status on days like this.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Where there's an inside run and how's he holding up in there and then how's the offensive line doing against him and Tommy Togi and all those guys. So. But then on third down, Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson and I don't you think should have him practices today?

[Sean Pendergast]

I don't know. Travel.

[Seth Payne]

Should he travel if he was here. Well, but he had been up.

[Guest or Analyst]

Hmm.

[Sean Pendergast]

Maybe he has to take a physical.

[Seth Payne]

He's gonna know and they're gonna, they'll ease him into it and be sure that he's like. They'll probably have him do some team.

[Guest or Analyst]

He's a vet. Vet.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. I would say though, but Will. Andrew, this is a, this is what I would say about the offensive line this year, where even on Saturday some of the bad snaps is that two years ago. Last year. Excuse me. Last year guys weren't even in position to lose the physical battles because the O line was so stupid mentally this year at times. You know what? Yeah. Ariante Ursary is going to lose some reps to Daniel Hunter or Will Anderson, but he's had some good reps too. And you know, Trent Brown had a really nice rep and one of the ones that kind of went viral on social media. Trent Brown had a really nice rep versus Will Anderson.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep.

[Seth Payne]

But it was all with no pads. So watching today in pads, watching those edge rushers, which is a lot easier to see if you're at practice, watching from the stands. It's hard to watch the interior offensive and defensive line but you can watch those edge rushers.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep. We'll get to acknowledge me in a second. Last one storylines from camp number five. For me, Tank Dell is the most popular player on a near two year hiatus that I've ever seen in my life.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. Did you hear how he gets? He's almost like a young J.J. watt when you come out for training.

[Sean Pendergast]

He got a pop the other day out here, man, and Tank isn't really doing much out here. He's, you know, catching off the jugs machine. He's doing some walkthrough stuff. But Tank is, man, Tank Dell is a popular, popular dude. He'll walk out here today. I'm sure he'll get another big pop.

[Seth Payne]

I think people are also giving him emotional support. There is a kind of, you know, combination of appreciation for seeing him out there, but also keep his spirits. Yeah, yeah. We're here for you, Tank.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep.

[Seth Payne]

Until you wrong us.

[Sean Pendergast]

This is James Palmer on the plan for Tank Dell. All right, here's what I've gathered this spring. They thought he moved around. Well, they thought he moved around. You know, it was, it was positive. I'd say they're cautiously optimistic because of he was running most of the spring at about 70%. He was going full go.

[Seth Payne]

That's good.

[Sean Pendergast]

And so that's kind of where he was at there. I don't think there is a timetable in place right now and I think that's also good. Like, hey, you gotta be back for this. No, let's see how this goes. This could be, and I was told this in a couple days ago, prepping for this. It could be pretty wide ranging. He could show up at camp and go, oh, he's ahead. He put in a ton of work. All right, let's do this. Or it could be, hey, hey, this man, he might not be ready for the start of the season.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. So I think when people ask, what's the plan for Tank Dell? The team's not going to be able to give you. If they were being completely open and transparent, they can't give you a real solid plan. Other than that, we're going to try to take it step by step. We're going to see how he does and we're going to see how he recovers when we advance a little bit. To clarify, when James Palmer says, you know, he was running at 70%, that doesn't mean that he never runs 100%. It's just in the volunteer three quarter speed drills, kind of like the ones we saw out there, that they're they're tamping him back and making sure that he just goes step by step through the process. The fact that he didn't. The fact that they are in that wait and see mode or just, you know, not trying to put a specific timetable on it, it's. It makes it even more encouraging, though, that they didn't put him on the puppet because they could easily at that point say, well, if we don't know if he's going to be ready by week one, we want to reserve the right to put him on PUP at the. Keep him on PUP at the start of the season. To put. To not have him on PUP at the start of training camp, you're kind of pushing your chips in.

[Guest or Analyst]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And saying, we got to see him out here in practice and see. And then maybe we're in an uncomfortable situation with roster spots, but it's worth the risk and it's worth a gamble.

[Sean Pendergast]

They are betting on him being held.

[Guest or Analyst]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

That's what. Not being a pe, It's a little

[Seth Payne]

bit of a gamble on him. Yeah. They're kind of betting. If they had to toss a coin, it feels like it's a weighted coin, that it's a better than 50% chance that he's ready. Week one.

[Sean Pendergast]

That would seem to be. That would seem to be. All right, let's get to acknowledge me acknowledging big performances. Big news. Other things from over the weekend. I will say a name or in the case of the first one, a series of names. And Byron, who's back in the studio producing today, will play Roman Reigns, Tribal Chief who won at SummerSlam last night. He beat Seth Rollins. And we'll acknowledge big performances. All right, here we go.

[Seth Payne]

Hey, can I ask you real quick?

[Guest or Analyst]

Sure.

[Seth Payne]

So on espn, are they actually breaking down wwe? Is this what I saw? I saw people all upset about something. Yeah, that's what it was. Actually breaking down wwe.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah. In the week leading up to it, they have Joe Tessatore, who's one of the voices of WWE in studio, like, breaking down the matches, and Mike Greenberg on Get Up.

[Seth Payne]

Why would people be upset about that? Why would I see so many tweets about, like, oh, this is where we are right now? I guess. Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

I love it.

[Seth Payne]

Oh, I love it. I have to start watching ESPN again and I don't even care about wrestling, but I'm intrigued to watch what everybody is.

[Sean Pendergast]

You need to watch the action.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. You need to watch.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah. Will Anderson Jr, Daniel Hunter, Derek Stingley and Nico Collins. These are the four Texans with a Madden score of 90 or higher, Seth.

[Seth Payne]

That's what it's all about, Sean. It's like wwe. This is the stuff that matters, damn it. It is kind of does from a team standpoint, like a business standpoint. You want people out there playing with your players and everything and. Yeah, well, it is. I mean, it is bringing the. Bring the young folk up to be lifelong Texans fans.

[Sean Pendergast]

Look, I will say this. This is probably a better indicator of what your overall talent level is in the NFL top 100.

[Seth Payne]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Like there. And it breaks down all the different aspects of a player. So Those are the four players that are above 90. C.J. stroud, 76.

[Seth Payne]

What's that. What's that mean?

[Sean Pendergast]

24th best quarterback in the sport according to Madden. Behind. Behind the likes of Aaron Rodgers. Old man. Aaron Rodgers.

[Seth Payne]

All right, that does that kind of annoy me.

[Sean Pendergast]

All right, Bryce Young.

[Seth Payne]

Okay, I'll. Well, whatever.

[Sean Pendergast]

Jackson Dart, huh?

[Seth Payne]

Well, I wonder, you know, factoring in running ability and everything.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yes, I guess.

[Seth Payne]

I mean, I would, you know, took it to Jackson Dart last year. Jadevion Clowney.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

He bounced his head off the turf a couple of times.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, I have.

[Seth Payne]

Brian Dabel probably ignored that. Pulled him out of the tent multiple times after Jeffy on Clowney.

[Sean Pendergast]

Hey, which slight, which slight do you think C.J. takes the most offense to not making the NFL's top 100? I know the top 100 is not over yet.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, but it's.

[Sean Pendergast]

It looks like he's not going to make it. Not making the player voted NFL top 100, only getting one vote in that ESPN thing that were coaches and front office people. Or a 76 score on Madden that puts him behind Aaron Rodgers and Bryce.

[Seth Payne]

You know, the 76 score is the one that comes up in nature the most. Like people approaching you and everything.

[Sean Pendergast]

He probably plays video games.

[Seth Payne]

There's kids that want to play with C.J. stroud. They probably come up to him as like, I love you so much, but I just can't.

[Sean Pendergast]

I can't even win at Madden.

[Seth Payne]

And you're kind of like, what I'm gonna do? Tell this kid to bleep off and go viral. Yeah. Probably one that affects him the most, just walking around when he's at the Kroger. Yeah, yeah,

[Sean Pendergast]

I gotta play with Jackson Dart now.

[Seth Payne]

And it's always nice when you do have a high Madden score and kids come up to you because that happens for generations.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Sometimes a Madden score will be a little too generous and kids will come up to you and be like, man, I'll tell You what? In such and such year you were a machine and I played with you every game.

[Sean Pendergast]

Did you ever know what your Madden score was?

[Seth Payne]

No, I never had it clue.

[Sean Pendergast]

Okay.

[Seth Payne]

I was always criminally underrated. I know, but there was like a glitch in a couple of years where I had like one move that was unstoppable.

[Sean Pendergast]

Really?

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, it was. And I had guys always and I never bothered. Don't be a jerk, man. Yeah, no, I'd like to this day I was at an airport rental car counter in Buffalo and this kid, he was like 23 years old and he was like, he was looking at my license and my reservation. He's like, are you the guy you played for the Jaguars and the Texans

[Guest or Analyst]

back in the day?

[Seth Payne]

And I was like, yeah. He's like. And he knew. He had gone. He was like a super mad nerd. He'd gone through and played every season. Yeah. And everything. And he just like he was telling me stuff about.

[Guest or Analyst]

You were.

[Seth Payne]

What happened in 19 or like 1999.

[Sean Pendergast]

Did he know about your, your super special move?

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

A counterclockwise swirl.

[Seth Payne]

That's what it was.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yes. Will Levis acknowledge me. I am going to acknowledge Will Lev for this five star level of delusion that he had. Will Levis had a press conference last week. He is the backup quarterback in Tennessee to Cam Ward. This is Will Levis talking about where he thinks he stands among other quarterbacks in the NFL.

[Seth Payne]

I know I put the tape out there already that I'm a, you know, a dang good quarterback in this league and I'm even better than I ever have been. So the faith that you have a

[Sean Pendergast]

future as a starter in this line. 100%, but 100%.

[Seth Payne]

I know I'm, you know, I think I'm. There are not 32 quarterbacks in this league better than me. I know that for sure. So he's a confident young man. I'd say he's every bit as stupid as Jackson dart. But without all the physical prowess to make up for it. Will Levis might be one of the dumbest football players I've ever seen.

[Sean Pendergast]

Is he One of the 32 best quarterbacks? That's the question.

[Seth Payne]

I don't know. There's some bad quarterbacks out there. I don't know. Let's see, last year with his, his 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and his eyes, his 2,000. This was 2024, not last year. No, I would have to say that I don't think it's a slam dunk that he's better than 32 guys out there.

[Sean Pendergast]

Can I just tell you, Aaron Raybould, who's out here on site.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Pulled up your Madden scores from your career. You aged like a fine wine. Your three best Madden scores were your last three years in football.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, but I don't know, they weren't good Madden scores.

[Sean Pendergast]

You 87.

[Seth Payne]

Is that good?

[Sean Pendergast]

That's good.

[Seth Payne]

Is it?

[Sean Pendergast]

87 is good if you're in the high 80s.

[Seth Payne]

You know what's so bogus about that though is like so much of that's based on probably how many. Like, because I had a couple. I had a couple years where for. For a nose tackle I had like five sacks, which is like so. But it wasn't like I was better that year or anything.

[Sean Pendergast]

I just felt, you know, it's funny and I think you'll take most offense to this because you had a pretty good vertical leap for a big guy.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

They added jumping ability in 2001.

[Seth Payne]

Jumping ability for a no tackle 11. Oh, is that out of 100?

[Sean Pendergast]

Yes, but. But then the next six years you were in the 40s, so clearly they just.

[Seth Payne]

That was race based right there.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, they judged a book by itself.

[Seth Payne]

I had a really good. No, it's like, then they started watching

[Sean Pendergast]

like, wow, look at the hop.

[Seth Payne]

My combine stat. My 40 times sucked. But like as far as my vertical, my horizontal and all that stuff, I was pretty damn explosive.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, man.

[Seth Payne]

And, and yeah, they had all these coaches being like, you ever think about playing o line? And I'm like, I don't. Like, I feel like I'm, I feel like I can play defensive tackle. Why are you asking me this question?

[Sean Pendergast]

An 11 jumping, you may as well be wearing cement shoes.

[Seth Payne]

Well, that was also after a couple of ACLs and a torn pateller tendon.

[Sean Pendergast]

How is it? Oh, no, no, no.

[Seth Payne]

But oh, yeah, that was before Jacksonville.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, yeah.

[Seth Payne]

No, I tore my patellar tendon my rookie year.

[Sean Pendergast]

Oh, you did? Oh, that's right.

[Seth Payne]

I played with it for two years.

[Sean Pendergast]

You didn't know about it.

[Seth Payne]

I played. Yeah, that's how you can. Partially torn patellar tendon.

[Sean Pendergast]

That's your psychological connection with Jordan Alvarez.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah, because he played with a couple of. It's not fun.

[Sean Pendergast]

Hey, by the way, let me.

[Seth Payne]

They didn't know that it was partially torn back then. They would do an MRI and it was just. I'm pretty sure they would just like use a Polaroid and guess.

[Guest or Analyst]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Here's the outside of your knee. Speaking of Yordon, Jordan Alvarez, acknowledge me. Jordan Alvarez who is is way out in front for American League MVP right now. Another whole. I think this thing, my favorite thing about when the Astros play the Rangers. Seth.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Is we get at least one hilarious Jordan Alvarez graphic during a game about how he's destroyed the Rangers to the same degree that whole teams have, or that he's hit as many home runs in that ballpark as guys on the Rangers who are leading them in home runs, things like that. This was the funny graphic from over the weekend. Most home runs against the Rangers, Rangers in 2026. The Mariners with nine. The Yankees with nine. The Braves with nine. Jordan Alvarez with eight.

[Seth Payne]

He is there. He is to.

[Sean Pendergast]

By the way, the Astros 25 home runs against the Rangers this year. How about that? Yeah, go ahead.

[Seth Payne]

I interrupted a bunch of losers.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

So I was almost to say Yordon is to the Rangers kind of what Ty Hilton was. The Texans differences though, that Ty Hilton wasn't. Ty Hill wasn't nearly as good a football player as he was when he was versus the Texans. Right. He was way better versus the Texans than he was the rest of the time. Whereas Jordan is one of the best players in the league. So I get. He's kind of like Derrick Henry was to the Texans for a long time until d' Ameco got here. And now d' Ameco's had the Texans since d' Ameco has gotten here, have delivered Derrick Henry a couple of the worst games of his career. But he's still like when Derrick Henry had just remember, like he had basically rushed for a mile again against the Texans.

[Sean Pendergast]

He was like three 200 yard games in a row or something like that. Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

All right.

[Sean Pendergast]

J.J. watt.

[Seth Payne]

Did they sign him now?

[Guest or Analyst]

No.

[Sean Pendergast]

That would be fun though. That would be great. He is. This happened over the weekend. He is getting bumped up, at least on an interim basis to the A team on cbs.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

So that would seem to indicate to me that Tony Romo, by the way, Tony Romo, who's been put on indefinite leave by CBS in the aftermath of his OWI arrest up in Wisconsin. It's DWI to you and me. JJ Watt is getting bumped up. He's gonna be with Jim Nance for the foreseeable future.

[Guest or Analyst]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

On cbs.

[Seth Payne]

I'm with you. I really liked him with an Ian Eagle and I thought they were a great pair. And I don't know, maybe like really, Jim Nance and Tony Romo together as a package have really not been a great broadcast crew. But I think Jim Nance has been been dragged down By Tony Romo just deciding to not pay attention to the game he's watching. You know DEZ Bryant. DEZ Bryant had a tweet this weekend about how smart Romo is and how he sees the game and everything. And I. And I wanted to say, like, yes, I agree with you. He probably. Those things are probably true. He's devoting none of that intelligence towards actually preparing for or watching the game while he's out there.

[Sean Pendergast]

This was the dumbest. I have his tweet. Des Bryant. Des Bryant's actually pretty good on Twitter. Yeah, this was. And he's taken up for Tony Romo. I get it. The dumbest thing in this tweet was when he says the knowledge Tony rarely shows the world is on another level. And so I retweeted, I said, des, he's a broadcaster. I would suggest he show that he

[Seth Payne]

rarely shows it to the world.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

It is like you knew from his first couple years as a broadcaster that, oh, cool, he sees the game differently. I thought people took the calling out the plays a little too far because, for one, he was wrong way more than people realize. But two, it was just annoying. And. But he just steadily over time looked like everything that. If I were a Cowboys fan, I would be like, oh, this is why he never really capitalized on his potential as a player. It doesn't seem like he's really working all that hard at it.

[Sean Pendergast]

Here's my question to you.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

These are the CBS week one game. Because Bill's Texans is a good game.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

That's the game that. It's noon Sunday, week one. These are the six CBS games. Do you think we get Jim nail Chance and J.J. watt? Bill's Texans, Jets, Titans. No chance that they get him.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Ravens, Colts. I think Bill's Texans better than that. I would say.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. Browns, Jaguars, Likely not.

[Sean Pendergast]

Likely not.

[Seth Payne]

Okay, don't. Definitely likely not. You've got a bad team versus a good team, but the good team is one of the smallest markets.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yep, yep, yep. And then the two late window games. Two late window games. I'll get this one out of the way. They're not doing Cardinals, Chargers.

[Seth Payne]

No, no, no, no, no.

[Sean Pendergast]

But 325 window, which is a big window for CBS. Yeah, that's oftentimes where you see the A team on there. Packers, Vikings. Do you think get Texans, Bills, noon or Packers, Vikings, late window?

[Seth Payne]

I think it probably ends up being Packers, Vikings.

[Sean Pendergast]

I think that's. I think that game's in the late window for a reason.

[Seth Payne]

You know what I mean, right, Right, right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

The Bill's Texans, man.

[Seth Payne]

No, no, no. Bill's Texans is if you base it purely on pure football matchup, two of the favorites in the afc, et cetera, et cetera to the two big name quarterbacks, all of that. Whereas the Vikings, you don't, you don't even know what the hell's going on with quarterback situation.

[Guest or Analyst]

No, no.

[Seth Payne]

By pure football standards, it should be Texans versus the Bills or Bills versus Texans. But the packers are the packers. And it's a divisional matchup with.

[Guest or Analyst]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And it's the, it's a late afternoon.

[Sean Pendergast]

That's the biggest thing. If the Packers, Vikings were at noon, I'd be like, oh, yeah, no, they'll do Bills, Texans. But that late window to me is, is that.

[Seth Payne]

What's the latest scuttlebutt? J.J. mcCarthy is actually in the lead now in the quarterback competition.

[Sean Pendergast]

That's not what I've seen.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, that's not what you've seen.

[Sean Pendergast]

I haven't been following it close.

[Seth Payne]

I just follow, I just see various tweets. So who knows? I haven't read an article or anything.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Seth Payne]

So they're saying Kyler Murray is the favorite. Now that I thought after the first week it looked like, well, this is what I saw. I was like, okay, JJ McCarthy looks like a guy who, who's been in the system for a year.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

And knows what he's doing. Whereas Kyler Murray, it's still more again,

[Sean Pendergast]

when I say I haven't seen, I've

[Seth Payne]

not followed it at all.

[Sean Pendergast]

So, yeah, I'm just not, Yeah, I, I, I had heard good things about Kyler Murray through the spring, but, you know, this is where the rubber meets the road. All right, that was. Acknowledge me. We do it, we do it each and every Monday at about this time. All right, d' Amico Ryan's scouting reports on different guys. Four practices in, including two new guys. And this guy is still getting the same label, the same title he got from d' Amico Ryan's last year. And I'm, I like it. Wonder if this guy's going to be around for a long time. We'll see. But we got d' Ameco Ryan scouting reports as we get you ready for today's first padded practice out here at Texans training camp. That's coming up next.

[Seth Payne]

420610 presents Payne and Pendergast.

[Sean Pendergast]

Payne and Pendergast. All right, Seth, so we just acknowledged me. Acknowledged. You know what? We should have acknowledged Seth Byron can We get Seth Payne and acknowledge me real quick. Acknowledge you were an 87 on Madden overall your last three years in the NFL. Yeah, like a fine wine year.

[Seth Payne]

You tell me. He's good.

[Sean Pendergast]

This is who you. Okay. How would you feel if you were the equivalent of Zach Allen of the Denver Broncos?

[Seth Payne]

You had to go the white guy, huh? Yeah.

[Guest or Analyst]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

You're sandwiched in between Leonard Williams and Milton Williams.

[Seth Payne]

I was. Yeah. That was. That's cool.

[Sean Pendergast]

One point behind Leonard Williams. He's really good.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, I know it's always such a. It's always such a shock to people like you, and you find out that I was.

[Sean Pendergast]

You accept. You accept praise like you're being handed a diagnosis.

[Seth Payne]

Well, you always act, like, incredibly surprised. Like, hey, I'm excited for you. Not surprised. No.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

I don't like you were a good player. I don't like being singled out for stuff.

[Sean Pendergast]

Okay.

[Seth Payne]

No, but yes, thank you. Yeah, I'll acknowledge it. I'll.

[Sean Pendergast]

Okay, good, Good. We've got. We've got 10 minutes left in the show. I shall now read all the 20, 26 defensive linemen that 2006 Seth Payne was better than. Grover Stewart, Kobe Turner.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Byron Murphy, D.J. reader. 84. Duron Payne, your brother. He's 84 also. Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

All right.

[Sean Pendergast]

I won't keep going.

[Seth Payne]

All right.

[Sean Pendergast]

So Demiko Ryan's met with the media over the weekend, as he always does, and he. It was kind of cool. He gave, like, sort of some scouting thumbnails on some of the guys Kalyn Bullock met with the media, too. This was d', Amico Ryan, then Kalin Bullock's one of the guys people are real excited about in year three. I know you've said this with Reed Blankenship back there. Now maybe it unlocks a different level with Kalen Bullock. This was d' Ameco on Kalen Bullock this weekend.

[Guest or Analyst]

Kalen's done a really good job of just working on his communication skills. Yeah. We all know Kalen's greatest assets is being able to take the football away. That's where he truly shines. One of the best in the league at taking the football away. I've seen him take a jump and his tackling, like, every year, the kid has gotten better and he's putting in the work to do that. So this year has just been the communication, moving him around a little bit more. He's well versed in what we're doing defensively now, continuing to work with his disguises and, you know, showing one thing, giving him another. So the more he can really own that role. The better he'll be, the better our defense will be.

[Sean Pendergast]

Is he another one of these guys set that benefits from something you were talking about earlier in the show, which is this is a defense that's just going to have more wrinkles to it this year?

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah, 100% for one. All these guys have been in the system now for a couple of years. At least a couple years. We look Kamari Lasseter and Kalen Bullock. But then you add Reed Blankenship to it. Now that you've got five veteran players in the defensive backfield, you can do some funkier things. And for one, you know Bullock, when he's in that deep center field safety position, that's where he can really utilize his, his range and be kind of an eraser. And if there's, if there's an errant pass at all, it turns from an incompletion into a potential interception. But they also, because you have Reed Blankenship, it frees them up to maybe move Calum Bullock up near the line of scrimmage at times and have Reed Blankenship play deep and take advantage of Bullock's speed and versatility down there. Yeah, and they're just. There will be more wrinkles this year just because if you look at last year having a revolving door at safety next to Kalin, there's just only so much you can do in terms of disguising without screwing everything up because it's just more on the plate of a rookie or a guy that you just signed to, to try to disguise or to do anything funky. It's just there's going to be more mental errors when you can't trust everybody back there. So as long as everybody's healthy or, you know, like if Jalen Petrie got injured, for instance, hypothetically, they can, they can, you know, they can move Reed Blankenship around or some of those younger guys are now a year older that it doesn't have to disrupt you as much. So, yeah, I think they, this year they'll be really freed up to, to take advantage of everything that Kalen Bullock offers athletics.

[Sean Pendergast]

I think one of the more interesting guys on the defense that we haven't talked about a ton is Logan hall because of the versatility he brings to the defensive line. Who knows if the Clowney signing impacts how they envision using him eventually? Because I think there had been a notion that they were so thin at the backup defensive end that Logan hall could give you some snaps there. We'll see how that works.

[Seth Payne]

Out.

[Sean Pendergast]

But this was d', Amico, and this is obviously before the Clowney signing, but this was d' Amico. On Logan Hall.

[Guest or Analyst]

Well, Logan, he's done a good job with just, you know, working himself back, getting out of playing football. You know, he had surgery there in the off season, so he's been, you know, doing a good job of working with our guys on the side and now getting integrated back to football. He just has to get used to the techniques and the things we're asking a D line to do. As we know, completely different scheme from what he's used to. So it'll take some time to him to get caught up what we're doing, so we'll see how he continues to grow with that. But he's. He's done a great job in his first four days.

[Seth Payne]

No. So Logan hall, you know, we've talked a lot about how, okay, Logan hall in some ways can be the replacement for Deanico Autry, who's kind of a. Like a. He's a. He's more of a combo defensive end slash defensive tackle. Played defensive end in a 3, 4. That's kind of like an interior defensive lineman. So. But I think more so than Denico Autry, they'd be more comfortable having him play defensive tackle in more situations. So it's going to be a game plan by game plan thing or based on injuries. He gives you a lot more ability that look, he can be a replacement for like, not a direct replacement, but if Will Anderson goes down or both of them went down, if Will Anderson and. And Daniel Hunter both went down, you got Genevieve on Clowney and Logan hall as your defensive ends and you can roll with that. You're not going to be as good, obviously, but you can roll with that. But likewise, if you have a bunch of injuries at defensive tackle. Logan hall can play a lot more defensive tackle in normal situations. Autry was kind of a guy that might play defensive tackle in passing situations or, you know, in specific, you know, other. Other situations. Logan hall is more of a genuinely versatile inside outside player.

[Sean Pendergast]

All right, last one here. The. The title of most consistent player last year. This shocked a lot of people when d' Ameco said it a year ago, said the most consistent Houston Texan is Tommy Togia. And this is before Togei had evolved into what he became this past season. Does he still hold the belt for most consistent Houston Texan?

[Guest or Analyst]

Tommy is just always the most consistent guy. He's always here working out, always one of our best guys in the weight room. And it shows on the field. When he steps on the field, there's no. He doesn't surprise us. He's made a play today on the the screen in the backfield. He's just smart, aware. Not just running with his eyes closed. He's aware of what's going on. Really good feel, really great instincts inside and that's what's allowed him to shine as a player for us. And he's again gotten better each and every year. He's looking the best that I've seen him look here in training camp. So excited to see the type of season that he'll have.

[Seth Payne]

This is. I'm going to show you something that I had actually I texted you and me after the last time we had Kazario on because he was talking about Togei being as explosive as he is. And it's spider chart. If you ever go to mock draftable, it's a fun thing to do. They'll show how a player looks based on his combine stats. Like relative to other things. Togih you might wonder okay, how's the guy who's in the 92nd percentile of three cone drill, 77th percentile of 20 yard shuttle. He's in the 80th percentile of vertical jump. Looks like a pretty extra explosive guy. He only gets. He's a mid round draft pick. Arm length, 9th percentile. No arms, hand size, 2nd percent.

[Sean Pendergast]

He's trying to play defensive tackle without any arms height and weight.

[Guest or Analyst]

Weight.

[Seth Payne]

He's at the. The. The top of the lower quartile.

[Sean Pendergast]

Right, right, right. Well, it would stand to reason that when you have no arms your hand size would also be very small.

[Seth Payne]

He's a smaller guy so he's almost. And he's not quite as impressive as Aaron Donald was.

[Sean Pendergast]

Wild looking spider.

[Seth Payne]

He's like he doesn't have the length that guys feel comfortable. Comfortable with but sometimes guys like that end up being really like Aaron Donald's the ultimate example of a guy that is short and it didn't matter because he made up for it in so many different ways.

[Sean Pendergast]

The ideal spider chart is where there's color spreading everywhere.

[Seth Payne]

J.J. watts. It's like all green. Like it's color. The whole circle is green.

[Sean Pendergast]

Yeah. Like on Tommy Togi like the left hand half. That's all like drills.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Are all amazing. The other half is like the invisible man but the. He doesn't exist.

[Seth Payne]

Oh, that was the fun part. I did this once. So you look at JJ's and it's almost all green all over. Oh my God. Other than his 40 because they're comparing him to edge rushers.

[Sean Pendergast]

Where does he. That's his 40 right there.

[Guest or Analyst]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Okay, yeah, so it's 40 time but like 20 yard shuttle, bench press, arm length, hand size, height, all that.

[Sean Pendergast]

It's a much fuller web than toge.

[Seth Payne]

No, it's funny because if you take. I found three guys who curiously were recruited as tight ends out of high school or were recruited only to mid major conferences. It was Max Crosby, J.J. watt and what's the name from the Bengals to the, to the Ravens.

[Sean Pendergast]

Oh, oh, Trey Hendrickson.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, Trey Hendrickson.

[Sean Pendergast]

What are they all having?

[Seth Payne]

Every college coach in the nation looked at these guys and thought, I don't know, not sure he's cut out to be a pass rusher in college.

[Sean Pendergast]

Like three of the best.

[Seth Payne]

Looks more like a tight end to me if they're made of it.

[Guest or Analyst]

Idiots.

[Sean Pendergast]

Central Michigan was J.J. right?

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

Max Crosby, Eastern Michigan.

[Guest or Analyst]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

And then I think Florida. One of the Florida's either international or Atlantic.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Sean Pendergast]

For Hendrickson.

[Seth Payne]

JJ started off as a tight end and I want to say one of those other two guys also started off as a tight end. Sounds right. Defensive end at the very least. Didn't get any big time offers.

[Sean Pendergast]

Definitely passes the eye test.

[Seth Payne]

97th percentile. A three cone drill amongst NFL players. Looks like he's probably going to be a tight end at Central Michigan. Unbelievable.

[Sean Pendergast]

Oh my God. How unsophisticated. Holy smokes. All right, so well that's what they

[Seth Payne]

used to do with quarterbacks of the recruiting process too. That was where like high school quarterback. This fellow looks more like a wide receiver to me. To my eyes. I know I've been watching football a long time and this fellow here is no quarterback.

[Sean Pendergast]

Oh my God.

[Seth Payne]

He threw for 7,000 yards. Yeah. But looks more like a wide receiver to me.

[Sean Pendergast]

Oh my God. All right, so a reminder, a couple of things. Couple, two, three things. John Harris, Mark Vandermeer, who are about to get the hot tag from us, they're going to have Cal McNair and Hannah McNair on this Morning at 8:30 the fellas on in the loop. We're gonna have Kamari Lassiter off the field today as their player guest. And tomorrow at 7:15 Nick Casario joins Seth and myself here on Pain and Pendergast. So first day of Paz. If you're a fan coming out here, we look forward to seeing you out here. If you're a fan standing in line, God bless you out there. Antibodies to you.

[Seth Payne]

If you're drunk.

[Sponsor Voice]

Hey, this is Richard Deitch, the host of the Sports Media Podcast.

[Sean Pendergast]

If you're interested in what's happening with

[Sponsor Voice]

all the places where you consume sports,

[Sean Pendergast]

the Sports Media Podcast has you covered. I've been turning down interviews all week. Hoda Kapi reached out. Oprah George Stephanopoulos. So I said no. I was booked on the Deitch Podcast before the Taylor Swift phenomenon. I must live up to my responsibilities.

[Sponsor Voice]

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

[Commercial Announcer]

What would you do with 30 extra minutes a day with LG that time starts coming back? LG appliances are built to make everyday life feel lighter. With lg, fewer laundry mistakes, fresher groceries, and easier cleanup add up to more time back. 30 extra minutes isn't just time saved. It's breakfast without rushing, dinner without stress, and one less thing to juggle smart performance, sleek style and reliability for real life. That's LG. Get your time back with LG see the latest models and savings [e-mail] hi,

[Sean Pendergast]

I'm PJ Vogt and I want to tell you about my podcast Search Engine. We try to make sense of the world one question at a time. No question too big, no question too small. We will even answer your questions if

[Guest or Analyst]

you send them in.

[Sean Pendergast]

Stuff like what happens when a cemetery goes out of business? What should we do about teens using AI to do their homework? Who buys luggage at the airport luggage store? Follow and listen to Search Engine in partnership with Odyssey. Wherever you get your podcasts.