Should Texans Bring Back Diggs? + Which Team are We Most Optimistic About?

Summary

PAYNE & PENDERGAST PODCAST SUMMARY
Episode: Should Texans Bring Back Diggs? + Which Team are We Most Optimistic About?
Date: July 14, 2026 | Hosts: Seth Payne & Chris Partee (in for Sean Pendergast)

---

EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this episode, Seth Payne and guest host Chris Partee dive deep into the Houston Texans’ options in free agency, with a special focus on former Texan Stefon Diggs and other big-name players still on the market. The conversation transitions from potential signings and team-building philosophy to an assessment of Houston sports optimism, comparing the Texans, Astros, and Rockets. The discussion is honest, nuanced, and sprinkled with relatable Houston sports banter.

---

Should the Texans Bring Back Stefon Diggs?

[01:31–07:18]

Diggs’ Market Position & Perception

• Stefon Diggs is still available in free agency and made comments positioning himself as the league’s “best number two” receiver—but with recognition he’s not the clearcut No. 1 option anymore.

  • Seth Payne:

    "He's still being cocky, but in a way that recognizes...he's not going to come out and say he's the best receiver in the league or anything, but it's a really good way to position himself...You could have the best number two guy, the best one, two punch in the league." (03:13)

• Seth and Chris debate how Diggs, while supremely talented, always seems to have “something going on”—on or off the field drama—which may be keeping teams at bay.

  • Seth:

    "He was a dream when it came to how he operated in the building and as a leader and everything. But there was drama off the field with him while he was here." (05:00)

    • Mentions legal disputes and controversy from previous seasons, including off-field incidents.

• Financial and developmental concerns are key. The Texans have spent a lot this offseason, and with Diggs likely requiring at least a mid-term deal, that could hinder the growth of younger receivers like Jaden Higgins, Jalen Noel, and Tank Dell.

  • Seth:

    "There comes a point where you gotta say...we need to develop these young guys. We think they have a high ceiling...You can't spend money on everybody.” (06:01)

Fan Appetite vs. Front Office Reality

• Listener texts show fans still want to bring Diggs back, but Seth and Chris highlight the importance of giving younger guys their shot, especially since the team already spent big elsewhere.
  • Seth:

    "Me as a fan, I would say, yeah, bring Stefon Diggs in. More the merrier. I get it...but some point, you gotta, you gotta give your young guys that you want to see develop a chance to develop and get the benefit of them being on the rookie contract." (07:18)

---

Texans' Tolerance for Risky Players

[07:18–11:31]

• Chris asks why the Texans sometimes take chances on players with checkered pasts.
• Seth argues the Texans have loosened their stance compared to the past, but still have one of the league’s lowest numbers of players who’ve been arrested.
  • Example: A recent tryout with Terrion Arnold, a player facing legal issues, raises questions about team standards.
  • Seth:

    "There's definitely more of an appetite now for the Texans and signing people that might have a sketchy past than there was in the past. But...they still have pretty high standards for exactly how much chicanery they'll allow.” (07:53)

• Seth distinguishes between types of off-field issues (“violence toward a woman” is a firm line) but suggests a one-strike policy for others if character reports are strong.
  • Seth:

    "I could see...by way of just his character reports...you can look at and say, like, try to figure out, all right, man, what the hell happened? Like...how did you go from being a guy that Nick Saban...was gushing about for your character to where you got wrapped up in a scenario like this after two years in the NFL." (10:09)

---

What Is an NFL Draft Bust? Evaluating Young Players

[11:31–16:46]

• Chris and Seth debate where to draw the “bust” line for draft picks, with Seth expressing empathy for late first- and mid-round picks who don’t pan out.
  • Seth:

    "I have a hard time even calling anybody a bust if they're not top half of the first round because...the best GMs in the history of football are...not all that much better than 50% in figuring out which first rounders are going to be good." (12:19)

• Blunt about NFL politics: high-round picks get more chances, sometimes to the detriment of team culture.
  • Seth:

    "That creates a bad culture...You're letting your ego control things. And that’s one thing I think the Texans have done a good job with that in recent years...It's an open competition, we don’t care where you were drafted." (15:23)

---

Big Free Agents Still Available: Should the Texans Make a Move?

[18:48–24:43]

Big Names on the Market

• Chris runs down a list: Deebo Samuel, Keenan Allen, Joey Bosa, Bobby Wagner, Taylor Decker, Mekhi Becton.
• Seth’s thoughts:
  • Deebo Samuel: Dynamic, but “2021 was a long time ago.” He’s more intriguing for his versatility than as a primary receiver, but could crowd a receiver room if Tank Dell is healthy.
  • Keenan Allen: Great, but “an unorthodox method to his route running...maybe not what CJ needs right now.”
  • Joey Bosa: Interesting addition for depth, but likely wants to start elsewhere.
    • Seth:

      "I suspect that Joey Bosa is probably waiting to see which teams end up either being desperate for a defensive end because they don’t like the guys they have or because of injury, where he can be a starter.” (22:37)

  • Derek Barnett: Typifies “nice piece for a good defense,” but probably wants to start.

Realistic Texans Targets

• Seth is open to adding O-line depth (Mekhi Becton, Cam Robinson) on budget deals, citing their rotational value.
• Analytics insight: Depth O-linemen (6th/7th) play crucial snaps over a season—Texans look better in this area now than in past years.
  • Seth:

    "Your sixth and seventh offensive linemen are just as important. I think the Texans have done a good job of that this year...they're better suited for that this year than they were last year." (27:10)

---

State of the Offensive Line

[28:05–29:30]

• Seth highlights statistical improvement in the Texans’ O-line and sees reason for guarded optimism:

  • 2023 O-line ranked 16th by PFF—a significant boost.
  • A better line should unlock more from CJ Stroud.
  • Chris Partee:

    “If this offense can even be average...this team really should be with that defense. They should be legit Super Bowl contenders.” (29:08)

• Seth:

  "The gap between where they were last year and being a genuinely good offense isn't as great as it feels... tweak [short yardage/red zone/run game] and it's a much different offense." (31:32)

---

Which Houston Team Inspires the Most Optimism?

[34:07–40:13]

Texans, Astros, or Rockets?

• Both hosts agree: the Texans are the team they trust most for playoff and championship potential.

  • Seth:

    "I still feel like it's the Texans. Despite any arguments about CJ Stroud, look at how close they could have been to an AFC championship...with CJ ...playing the worst football of his life.” (35:08)

  • Astros described as "mediocre" (by record and performance) despite a recent improvement; bullpen reliance is a playoff red flag.
  • Rockets failed to meaningfully improve roster; losing Fred VanVleet exposed flaws, and the lack of point guard play was glaring.
    • Seth:

      "I feel more optimistic about the Rockets...if Fred VanVleet is healthy. Defense wasn't the problem last year...It's that. No. Can they have a well structured and designed offense and execute it properly there?" (38:29)

• Text line contributions: some listeners critical of Rockets GM Rafael Stone; Seth and Chris believe front-office failures, not players, caused the letdown when injuries occurred.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You need to...It's sink or swim time for some of the younger players on your offense and we need to bring those guys along."
  —Seth Payne, on choosing youth over veterans like Diggs (06:02)

• "I wouldn't be upset if they signed him. The other part that I think people are forgetting is...two years into his career, a bit of a disappointment."
  —Seth, on Terrion Arnold and risk management (11:00)

• "I like it, usually if a team...cuts a third rounder after his rookie year...good for him. Like that's a guy whose ego isn't all wrapped up in it."
  —Seth, on draft pick accountability (15:23)

• "If this offense can even be average...this team really should be with that defense, they should be legit Super Bowl contenders."
  —Chris Partee, on Texans’ ceiling (29:08)

• "It's hard to be a team that's anchored by your relief pitching."
  —Seth, on the Astros' playoff limitations (35:49)

• "There is a thing going on with the Rockets that's a lesser version, but kind of similar to what happened with the Texans, which is that the playoff results skew your feeling about the entire operation."
  —Seth, on overreacting to playoff disappointment (38:25)

---

Segment Timestamps

• 01:31 — Start of substantive discussion: Stefon Diggs’ free agency pitch
• 03:13 — “Best number two” WR argument, team fit, and receiver duos
• 05:00 — Diggs’ off-field concerns and leadership reputation
• 06:01 — Texans’ cap, youth development, and priorities
• 07:18 — Team risk appetite & the Terrion Arnold question
• 12:19 — How to judge a bust: draft pick tier, team philosophy
• 18:48 — Other available free agents: Samuel, Allen, Bosa, Wagner, O-line
• 22:37 — Bosa’s potential fit and free agent calculus
• 27:10 — Importance of O-line depth and team-building analytics
• 29:08 — Texans’ offense: how much improvement is needed?
• 34:07 — Which Houston team sparks most optimism?
• 35:49 — Astros’ bullpen-based playoff worries
• 38:25 — Playoff context misrepresenting Rockets’ progress

---

Final Takes

• The hosts agree: tempting though it may be, bringing back Stefon Diggs would stifle needed growth for the Texans’ young receiving corps and doesn’t align with their cap position.
• The Texans have improved their offensive line and overall roster depth, setting themselves up as Houston’s most credible playoff contender.
• The Astros and Rockets have significant issues—Astros are “mediocre” and over-reliant on the bullpen; Rockets are stalled by injuries and “unimaginative” front-office decisions. But all three teams, on paper, are at least playoff-caliber.
• The show closes with a tease: which Texan storyline could have the biggest impact heading into training camp?

---

For Houston sports fans, this episode provides a confident, pragmatic look at why the Texans—and not the city’s MLB or NBA franchises—are the best bet for success heading into the new season, while offering sharp insight into roster, cap, and team culture debates.

Transcript

[Dr. Horton Sales Announcer]

Now is your time to get into a new Dr. Horton home by taking advantage of its national Red tag sales event going on right now through Sunday, August 2nd. Stop by any of its participating communities and find select red tag homes at Incredible Pricing. So whether you're buying your first home or looking for an upgrade, you don't want to miss the red tag sales event going on right now. Discover the Dr. Horton Difference at DrHorton.com Dr. Horton America's Builder and Equal Housing Opportunity Builder.

[Jen Hatmaker]

Hey, it's Jen Hatmaker. Here's what I've learned in midlife. Joy isn't the reward you earn after all the work is done. Joy is the work. That's what this new series on for the Love is all about. The sacred yes. It's choosing delight, rest and pleasure on purpose. Because saying yes to yourself, that's the thing that finally lets you fill your table with everybody else. Come find your sacred yes with me. Follow and listen to for the Love wherever you get your podcasts, a morning

[UnitedHealth Group Narrator]

walk, some bird watching, it's another easy Sunday. UnitedHealth Group makes these ordinary days possible. With partners like the University of Tennessee Health Sciences helping communities manage their health closer to home. 54% of participants have lowered their blood pressure, meaning fewer heart attacks and more Sundays at the park. This might feel like an ordinary day to UnitedHealth Group. It's the healthcare system working better for everyone. Learn [e-mail] Commitment it's pain and pender gas.

[Chris Partee]

I'm Chris Partee. He Seth Payne. I'm in for Sean Pendergast this morning. So before the break, I gave you a little tease there. There's an offensive playmaker out there that is still available in free agency who's a former Houston Texan. Stefan Diggs is still on the market looking for a team and he had some comments recently that if they are true, they would fit the Texans once again to a T. Opportunities aside, people

[Caller or Guest Analyst]

might say it might be like, what, seven? That's like real one, right? My opinion, I could compete with anybody. But take those as your ones, Right? Right. You can't name a number two better. There's not a number two on a team. Like let's presumably give people the credit to just say, okay, you want to take the number one spot away? Name your number two receiver right now. Right. And tell me how much he makes. And then my last question is, is he better than me?

[Oregon Lottery Announcer]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. All right, Seth, a lot of big

[Chris Partee]

talk there from your boy.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I you Know what I appreciate, honestly though, I feel like this is a weird, there's a weird tip of the cap to somebody who recognizes that, man, he's still being cocky, but in a way that recognizes the. Like he's not going to come out and say he's the best receiver in the league or anything, but it's a really good way to position himself, which is like, look, man, there aren't a lot of teams. He's saying there's no team out there that's as good as him as a no guy out there.

[Chris Partee]

Number two.

[Seth Payne]

Who's the number two guy? So he's acknowledging, like he's telling teams, look, I'm not going to come in and act like I'm your number one guy, but you could have the best number two guy, the best one, two punch in the league. The first guys that jumped to my mind immediately were George Pickens and Devonte Adams. Yeah, like just so George Pickens with the Cowboys and Devonte Adams in the red zone especially was just unstoppable last year. Right. So I like. But I understand where he's going and how. You know, I brought up devontae Smith. Yeah. I said devontae Smith yesterday thinking about like if you, if you took last year's, you know, if you're using that example and it's just hard to figure with the, with the Eagles just because the like AJ Brown and the way they were using them was so weird and everything was so strange about.

[Chris Partee]

There's a lot going on.

[Seth Payne]

I think he's got a point though that he would be the best number two receiver on a lot of teams in the league. I think that, I think the problem is that I think the follow up question is so easy to answer. If that is true, then how come he's not on a team right now? Well, because everywhere you go there's always some kind of controversy either on field or off field. And I would include the Texans with that. He was a dream when it came to. He was a dream when it came to how he operated in the building and as a leader and everything. But there was drama off the field with him while he was here. He was, he, he was being sued for whatever by a couple of women. He goes up into New England and you've got at least two off field dramas. You had the, well, looking. I don't know, it seemed like whatever the hell happened with Cardi B. That didn't seem like. I don't know how much. How disruptive that was or anything. But you also had him. Him handing out the pink substance on the boat to the girls in Miami.

[Chris Partee]

That was not a good.

[Seth Payne]

Reports early on that he wasn't in the building as much as people wanted him to be. And then the entire season, like he's under the veil of this, this pending criminal charge, which he was completely cleared of eventually. But he's the kind of guy, there's just always something going on. But I don't, man, based on how he operated when he was in Houston, I have a hard time telling a team that you shouldn't bring him in. Yeah, I think for, for me, where I am right now is that the Texans have spent pretty heavily in terms of just total cash up front. They had a lot of cap space that's kind of dwindled pretty quickly. Oh, yeah, you're not going Diggs to a long term contract. There comes a point where you got to say, look, we like Jaden Higgins and Jalen Noel and Tank Dell might be coming back, that we need to develop these young guys. We think they have a high ceiling. You know, none of us on the outside know exactly how they feel about Tank Dell right now. But it's just, it's. It falls into the category for me of man, you can't spend money on everybody.

[Chris Partee]

No.

[Seth Payne]

And that you also just. You need to. It's sinker swim time for some of the younger players on your offense and we need to bring those guys along.

[Chris Partee]

Well. 7, 1, 3 here on the text line. Yes. Digs, please. They sound like they want Diggs back, like immediately.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, I don't know. And that's a problem. It's like I could say that about so many of the guys that are remaining right now in free agency. I would say, look, Joey Bosa, hell yeah, bring him in. I know, like as a backup. Yeah, pay him, whatever. There's like different offensive linemen that I'd love to have in here. I mean, at a certain point you gotta like, you can't spend on every single guy that might be an asset on your team after you've already spent a good chunk. And that's like, that's the hard part. Yeah. Me as a fan, I would say, yeah, bring Stefon Diggs in. More the merrier. I get it. And I understand. You know, a couple of years ago when everybody wanted Simmons the safety, because he was out there on the market and they were wondering, all you did, all you have is this second round draft pick, this Calum Bullock kid, what the hell is he ever going to do? I know he's turned into one of the best young safeties in the league. You know, like, that's, like that's, that's, that's what they. Excuse me. Third round pick. some point, you gotta, you gotta give your young guys that you want to see develop a chance to develop and get the benefit of them being on the rookie contract.

[Chris Partee]

If you want to join us on the text line, join the show. Hit us on the text line. 713-572-4-6-10. So, so, you know, so I guess what is it right now with the Texans and. Or what is it about the Texans in general and bringing in, I guess, players that kind of have, you know, sketchy or murky backgrounds? I mean, they've done it a few different times. It's worked. It hasn't worked. I mean, even bringing in Terry on Arnold for a workout, was it last week? That was kind of surprising to some, but to some, to others, not so much right now.

[Seth Payne]

I think that. Well, for one, all they did was work him out.

[Chris Partee]

Exactly.

[Seth Payne]

So that's not the same as signing him. I think the. There's definitely more of an appetite now for the Texans and signing people that it might have a sketchy past than there was in the past. But I do think that the important thing is they still have pretty high standards for exactly how much chicanery they'll allow when a guy is actually on the team. They're still one of the bottom teams when it comes to players who have been arrested. Yeah. And, you know, I brought up, when I brought up Jimmy Ward the other day talking about this, people pointed out that he never ended up getting. He never ended up getting charged with anything officially. Right. But he was arrested. I think they only count the actual arrests.

[Chris Partee]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

So whether a guy ends up being exonerated or not, it's still like, okay, there's like, you get a general gauge of like, how many. How much chicanery is on their team by the number of arrests. And the Texans are still pretty low. I'm all for, like, I don't look everybody. Like, everybody's got things they've done in their past that they're not proud of. Some of them are more extreme than others. You grow, you move on, you change. And I've always been of the opinion that as long as a guy, for one. This is going to sound. This is going to sound really bad. I'm going to say this up front. I understand how bad this is going to sound.

[Chris Partee]

Preface it.

[Seth Payne]

All right. Terry and Arnold is accused of being part of a pretty violent plot to intimidate a couple of guys that he thought had stolen property from him into giving the property back. He was wrong, apparently, about those guys actually being the guys who had stolen the property. And two, if what the police say is correct, he's innocent until proven guilty. Obviously he was. He orchestrated this scheme where his buddies pistol whipped a couple of guys, a few guys trying to. Trying to get some stuff out of him. That's pretty bad. That's really, really bad. It's. It's not as bad. It's bad. Remember, everybody, I said it's bad. It is really bad. I think, though, it's. It's different than violence towards a woman. Yeah, I think like a. Domestic violence or something like that is definitely bad. Bad. Nobody forget that. But it's also like, I don't, I don't want to. I don't want to, like, throw that aside as it's like, oh, that's just, that's just boys being boys. Like, no, this is. It's deeper than boys being boys. But he's innocent until proven guilty. And I could see some, like, by way of just his character reports of what he was like as a player coming out of Alabama and the fact that this was part of him and four of his friends who, some of whom sound like they, they must be pretty sketchy dudes to begin with. This is the kind of thing you can look at and say, like, try to figure out, all right, man, what the hell happened? Like, what. How did you go from being a guy that Nick Saban and everybody at Alabama was gushing about for your character to where you got wrapped up in a scenario like this after two years in the NFL. And I, like, I can envision, I can envision there being a story behind it where you say, all right, we just got to get you back on the straight and narrow path. And you know, you're going to be like, you're on a one strike policy and all of that, but I wouldn't be upset if they signed him. The other part that I think people are forgetting is that he was so far, two years into his career, a bit of a disappointment. Like I was. It wasn't ready to call him a bust yet because he had some highs, but he also had some lows. He wasn't nearly as consistent as you would hope he would be. And then he got injured last year, so, like, wasn't a bust. But also, it's not like he comes in and you think immediately he's better than Jalen Smith or some of the other guys you have on the roster, but you do add him to the mix as guys that can, can be, can be competing for those backup spots.

[Chris Partee]

Seth, you mentioned the word bust there, saying that Terrion Arnold is not a bus yet. But where's.

[Seth Payne]

Well, I mean, yeah, I mean, he's a bus. For the Lions. Yeah.

[Chris Partee]

Yeah, for the Lions.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Chris Partee]

I mean, because he's gone.

[Seth Payne]

But I guess in general, 100% conclusively a bust.

[Chris Partee]

Exactly. Where, where is the, the overall first round bust line? Like, is it three years and you've done pretty much nothing or like, how does that.

[Seth Payne]

I always. Like for you, I have a hard time. I, and maybe I'm too nice. I have a hard time even calling anybody a bust if they're not top half of the first round because it's a, like it's a. Now, I mean there's, there's degrees to that. Like if it were based just on his play and he was a second half of the first round guy, but if he got, you know, you get released after your second season if it was just for his play, all right, that's a bust.

[Peter Hamby]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

But like I try to with the draft and one of the reasons I don't get as excited about the draft as some people is I just kind of look at it as a probability cloud. You know, I like, I like, I've. Anybody who's got any honesty with themselves at all knows that you're like, it's, it's a dicey predicting who's going to be good and who's going to be bad. In the NFL, the best GMs in the history of football are, are not all that much better at 50% in figuring out which first rounders are going to be good football players or not. So I kind of like, there's guys I get excited about, but I've always got that healthy skepticism in the back of my mind that like, you know what though? Like, we'll see. We'll see when they get out there if they're any good. So for me, I got, I tend to be more on. All right, if you're a top 10 pick and you don't become an impact player, yeah, you're a bust. Those were, those are big time assets. Back half of the first round, I start looking at it as more as like, man, it was a, it was a bad pick and they screwed up. But the guy like, what's the difference really between back half of the first round and first pick in the second round? It's not necessarily all that big.

[Chris Partee]

Yeah, yeah, no, I get that.

[Seth Payne]

So do you get. Do you get. Are you like a guy where you call a third rounder a bust?

[Caller or Guest Analyst]

No.

[Chris Partee]

Yeah, he was drafted in the third round. I mean, you know what I mean? Like, if he doesn't pan out, if he pans out, it's a plus for the team. Right? It's a bonus, I think.

[Seth Payne]

Okay, so if we go to third rounders, that's where. Especially in any. In any of the first three rounds, if it's something where the guy just. It turns out the guy didn't have a good attitude or a good work ethic or something, then I'll label him a bust because I hate him because of that. Like, I get a little bit angry and disgusted with the guy. Like, oh, all right. And the Texans used to draft a lot of guys like that in the third round where it was just like, you know, some guys get knocked down to the third round because people might think they're not athletic enough. Like, they're really good football players, but not athletic enough. The Texans used to draft these guys in the third round who fell to the third round specifically because nobody was sure if they even liked playing football or if they were just kind of lazy or whatever. And like, that's the worst. That's the worst. Because those guys, they don't get cut for the first three years. In a sense that as a player, when you're on a team and there's some third round pick who's just a bum and he just keeps getting chance after chance because he's a third round pick, you get pissed. You're like. Because you also see, like, I used to do this with offensive linemen. There'd be some offensive linemen who are late round draft picks or free agents, rookie free agents. And I'd be practicing against them. And I'm like, this kid's got something to him. But meanwhile, like, the coaches and the front office act like he's a bum. Where meanwhile, the second or the third rounder is starting in football games. And I know for a fact that he's as soft as applesauce, but he's out there starting football games because he's a second rounder. Like, that creates a bad culture on the team that created, like, it just feels like you're a player and you're like, these guys don't even know what they're looking for or their. Their egos are so wrapped up in their own. Their own forecast that they can't see the they can't see the truth of the situation.

[Chris Partee]

But, but that's more about a, I guess a certain type of, a certain level of investment usually.

[Caller or Guest Analyst]

Right.

[Chris Partee]

As far as the first and second round pick getting all the, all those opportunities.

[Seth Payne]

Right, right, right. But that's where, but that's where, you know, good GMs know that they got to be open to being wrong. And that's why I always respect the, I like, I like it usually if a team, if I see that a, if I see just without knowing anything else about it, if I see that a GM cuts a third rounder after his rookie year, I like, usually I'm like, you know what? Good, good for him. Like that's a guy whose ego isn't all wrapped up in it. Because you can take a hit, you know, in admitting, you have to admit that you made a big mistake on somebody early on, then people are going to judge you for it. But the right thing is the right thing. And if, if that guy's taking up a roster spot from somebody who's a late round draft pick or an undrafted rookie free agent or maybe just some blue collar one year free agent that you signed, then you're not doing right by the team. You're letting your ego control things. And that's one thing I think the Texans have done a good job with that in recent years of just saying, hey, look, it's an open competition, we don't care where you were drafted. And they haven't. It's not like they've just automatically made guys who are draft pick starters right away. You know, like they did it with Kamari Lasseter, but it was because they were that impressed with him early on, they felt like, okay, yeah, he's doing everything that we were hoping and thought he would do, but they make some other guys wait. Like Caleb Bullock was raw and you know, he was a third round pick but he was raw and he had to bide his time and he worked his way into it his rookie year.

[Dr. Horton Sales Announcer]

Now is your time to get into a new Dr. Horton home by taking advantage of its national red tag sales event going on right now through Sunday, August 2nd. Stop by any of its participating communities and find select red tag homes at incredible pricing. So whether you're buying your first home or looking for an upgrade, you don't want to miss the red tag sales event going on right now. Discover the Dr. Horton Difference at Dr. Horton.com Dr. Horton America's Builder and equal housing opportunity builder.

[Belvita Breakfast Announcer]

Whether you're rushing out the door or eating on the way to work Conquer morning chaos with Belvita Baked with whole grains, Belveda Breakfast Biscuits go great with coffee and are a part of a balanced breakfast when paired with low fat dairy and fruit. And when you're looking for a post breakfast snack to tide you over till lunchtime, try Belvita Energy Snack Bites. They're a good source of fiber and come in delicious flavors like Banana Dark chocolate with sunflower seeds. Find Belveda at your local store today.

[Oregon Lottery Announcer]

Oregon Parks make an Oregon Summer but what makes an Oregon park? Well, Oregon Lottery Gameplay helps no matter the game Megabucks, video lottery or keno funds from lottery games help support parks projects across the state, including ensuring they stay safe, accessible and open for all. In fact, Discover State Park Scratches are in stores now. It's the perfect way to put a little bit of Oregon's parks in your pocket. The Oregon Lottery Together we do good things. Must be 18 or older to play. Lottery games are based on chance and should be played for entertainment only.

[Moth Podcast Narrator]

Every week on the Moth Podcast, real

[Seth Payne]

people tell their stories live on stage.

[LinkedIn Ads Announcer]

I burst into tears and I wasn't sure if I was crying because I

[Seth Payne]

hadn't been kissed in a really long time or if I had just never

[LinkedIn Ads Announcer]

been kissed like that before.

[Moth Podcast Narrator]

To hear fascinating, heartbreaking and sometimes hilarious stories from astronauts, teachers, farmers and people just like you. Follow and listen to the Moth wherever

[Oregon Lottery Announcer]

you get your podcasts.

[Chris Partee]

Seth, I want to get your thoughts on some a few other free agent names that are still out there and if you would have any interest in bringing any one of these guys into the Texans. But also on the other side, we're going to go over which Houston team are you most confident? Chris, we, we go all the way to 37 here.

[Seth Payne]

Oh yeah, sorry, I explained. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we do. This is our mega segment.

[Chris Partee]

All right, well, I thought you were

[Seth Payne]

just doing a long and ornate segue.

[Chris Partee]

That's my fault. There something you can give me your thoughts here? I'm going to give you a few names here that are some key names that have been, you know, impact players in the past in the NFL. But right now they're still looking for teams. So we got Debo Samuel, Keenan Allen at receiver, then we also have Joey Bosa on the defensive side as well as Bobby Wagner, Taylor Deck Taylor Decker O Line, and Makai Becton offensive.

[Seth Payne]

Debo Samuel is an interesting one. And, and it's funny because I feel like, I feel like there's a lot of people that hear Debo Samuel and they think of that 1400 yard season that he had and, and don't realize how long ago that was.

[Chris Partee]

It has been a while.

[Seth Payne]

It was 2021.

[Chris Partee]

Was it that long ago?

[Seth Payne]

I was thinking 2021.

[Chris Partee]

Wow, that's five years.

[Seth Payne]

He hasn't had a 1,000 yard receiving season since then. And you would say, yeah, but you remember with Deebo, the thing is that he can be a running back too, right? The most running rushing yards he ever had was in that 2021 season. That was where he was so incredible. He, he had 365 yards rushing. He had 1405 yards receiving in 2021. And like since then he hasn't had as many rushing attempts. He's never had more than 892 yards receiving. And that was in 2023. And his versatility is really cool. And I think, yeah, he can be a valuable part of it. The, like he's a guy. In a weird way, I think that Stefan Diggs is 100% a better receiver.

[Chris Partee]

Oh yeah.

[Seth Payne]

Than Deebo Samuel is. But there's more about Debo Samuel that intrigues me in terms of bringing him in onto this roster where I want to keep developing my young receivers. But with some of the cool and fun and funky stuff that you could do with Debo Samuel, if he's open to it, that it might add, it might add a certain level of wrinkle to the offense. That would be intriguing and it would probably be for a cheaper price than Stefan Diggs, but it still does create a really wide receiver, like a really crowded wide receiver room. Yeah. I think like right now, if they were to sign Debo Samuel or Stefan Diggs, I'd be really excited, intrigued by it. Or Keenan Allen for that matter, because he's another guy that's still out there.

[Chris Partee]

Oh, yeah.

[Seth Payne]

It would make me though, it would make me a little bit sad because I would feel like, okay, they really, they don't have high hopes for Tank Dell. If you think about, you think about like, depending on how they feel about Tank Dell right now you might be really intrigued by Stefan Diggs still acknowledging that, man, we've got these young guys and Nico and like, it's just, we want, how do we work all these guys in, not to mention getting our draft pick some looks. But if, if you don't, if, if you don't have Tank Dell, you know, it's still not overly crowded. If they're optimistic about Tank Dell, then bringing in Debo Samuel or Stefan Diggs right now, it's just like it's wasting cap salary, cap space. On something that. On other positions that you might need to fill because of injury or what have you, you know, like backup defensive end. If I had to. If I had to spend money right now to get depth in a position group, I'm way more focused on either the secondary or backup defensive end than I would be in the wide receiver room, especially if they feel good about Tank Dell.

[Chris Partee]

So that sounds like a, Like a, like you're leaning towards Joey Bosa there.

[Seth Payne]

I don't.

[Chris Partee]

As a backup defense, you know, outside

[Seth Payne]

rusher Joey Bosa, I'd be really intrigued by. I suspect that Joey Bosa is probably waiting to see which teams end up either being desperate for a defensive end because they don't like the guys they have, or because of injury, where he can be a starter. And, you know, I think the first thing you think of with Joey Bosa is you worry about his injury history, but he's been a lot healthier over the last couple years. I just, I wonder if he's. I'm guessing that he's not interested in signing with a team like the Texans where he's definitively going to be a backup, and that he might not get as many reps as he would like that, you know, because he started 15 games last year for the Bills. So I'd. Yeah, I'd be intrigued by him, but he'd have to be cool with understanding that he's going to come in and be part of a rotation with the Neil Hunter and Will Anderson, and he's not going to be the main guy. The guy that's out there right now that doesn't show up any on any of the lists that I, That I'd really be happy about is Derek Barnett. You know, like, like Derek Barnett. It's weird. I, I don't. I don't know why he's gotten zero credit from people for, for giving you five sacks a year, not to mention a couple of touchdowns. We'll. We'll play in for one of the best defenses in the league. I think that. I think it's partly probably because it's the best defense in the league that people are thinking like, well, yeah, he's a nice piece to have when, you know, when you already have a good defense. And that's what I myself am saying. Like, yeah, he's a really nice piece to have, and he's been a part of being a top two defense in the NFL. I think he is also another guy that's probably biting his time and saying, you know, like, I'd like to be a starter somewhere, but I am getting up there in years. It's not like. It's not like Houston is a bad situation or anything.

[Chris Partee]

Not at all.

[Seth Payne]

But he might just be waiting to see if there's an opportunity for him to go in and be a starter somewhere and make. And also make more money, but that. That he's probably. He's still accepting calls from the Texans.

[Chris Partee]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

So I think, like, he might show up at some point.

[Chris Partee]

Realistically, could you see the Texans signing any one of these guys? I mean, I know we haven't got the training camp yet, but realistically, any of these names we just talked about, could you see the Texans bringing in any one of these guys?

[Seth Payne]

I think the. I think, realistically, I like. And Keenan. Keenan Allen's another interesting one that I don't like. Boy, I would love to have Keenan Allen. And yet, at the same time, there's kind of an unorthodox method to his route running that I don't know if that's what CJ needs right this moment. Like, we're trying to get CJ on time and in rhythm and everything that. It's just sometimes things are just not quite the perfect fit based on what you want to be as an offense, which feels weird because I'm kind of turning my nose up at a really good wide receiver, but just for all the same reasons that I think. I don't want to make that wide receiver room more crowded than it needs to be when you're banking on a couple of your young guys to keep developing. So I like the wide receivers. I'm intrigued, but until there's an injury or something, I don't feel a desperate need for. I think that. I think Joey Bosa might be the one that I'm most intrigued by. And then there's a few. There's a few offensive linemen floating around out there that like. Like Makai Becton still out there. And Makai Becton's been very high and low. You know, he's a bust with. He was a bust with the jets, but then ends up being really good with the Eagles, but then he goes out to the Chargers, and he's part of one of the worst offensive lines in football. Like, he seems like a classic guy that the Texans would say, oh, yeah, bring him out on a cheap deal and see how he fits in. And maybe this is. Maybe Cole Popovich is. Has got the magic touch with him, the same way that it seemed like Jeff Stoutland did in Philadelphia. So there's a lot of like Cam Robinson stuff still out there. And again, just on a budget, one year deal. It didn't work out when he was here last year, but maybe circumstances are changed. There are a lot of these guys floating around that I'm, I that could be depth pieces. The one there was a tweet yesterday from this guy. He used to be, he used to be in the like analytics for a few different teams. So it's cool because I like one of these guys that are like actual analytics guys show up all of a sudden in the media instead of just like people who can barely do basic math but write about analytics. There are, there's a lot of people out there writing about analytics who just don't understand basic algebra. And like you can tell they've never taken a stats class because they just don't and they're annoying. So this guy, Ryan Paginetti, okay, he wrote this, he said from 2023 to 2025, OL6. So your sixth offensive lineman averaged 408 snaps per season and your seventh offensive lineman averaged 256 snaps. So like those two guys average 1,000 snaps per team on the season, which is almost like a full slate of games. And I think his point is you got to almost. You got to look at your depth at. You got to look at your depth on the offensive line as a starting position almost. Your sixth and seventh offensive linemen are just as important. I think the Texans have done a good job of that this year. I think that this is something that I've heard a few different people say. You know what the top they're starting five. If you look at it, you might not rank them all that high. If you rank their stop their top eight or top nine, they're actually doing a lot better than a lot of other teams. And like, like ideally I'd love to have both, but the reality of the situation is you're probably going to play, you know, at any given time eight or nine or ten different guys on the offensive line during the year. And I think they're better suited for that this year than they were last year.

[Chris Partee]

So it sounds like you think the Texans may have finally gotten the offensive line right and on track. That's what it sounds like I don't

[Seth Payne]

know about is right.

[Dr. Horton Sales Announcer]

Right.

[Seth Payne]

Sounds pretty or on track, pretty dramatic or like they can addict or like

[Chris Partee]

they could get be on track this year because they've struggled with the offensive line.

[Seth Payne]

In 2023, the O line for all of its issues, still finished up ranked 16th on pro football folks, this final O line ranking. So, like, for whatever it's worth, take PFF with a grain of salt and everything. It's way higher they've been the last couple years, that is. And that was, lo and behold, that was CJ's best year as our most, most impressive and most encouraging year as a pro. I think that they could have got. They might be back at that level now, which is again, pretty. If they're that much improved, they don't have to be, right? Like, they don't have to be one of the best offensive lines. But if they have a substantively better offensive line and CJ doesn't get better, then that's a really, really bad sign. If he does get better, then, hey, man, what people have been saying all along is like, yeah, you just got to support him a little better. All right. That makes a lot of sense. Look at him. He's been the same guy. He just. He's got a better offensive line in front of him.

[Chris Partee]

Yeah. I think if the offensive line can get back to that kind of mid level there. Like you said, they were ranked 16th by PFF. Take that for you know what it's worth. I think, yeah, I think CJ will improve and I think that offense, I mean, I've been saying this. If this offense can even be average, I mean, this team really should be with that defense. They should be legit super bowl contenders.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, legit. The one thing, because I always bring this up and it's a little bit. It's a little bit shady on my part because I'll point out that they were the 13th best scoring offense last year. Like, all right, but you got to weigh that with a couple of that was they had some blowout victories and some situations where, yeah, we know that by and large, it wasn't like they were in above average, slightly above average offense. But in terms of just. I always remind myself of that just to remind myself that, look, they weren't the Browns, they weren't the Dolphins. They weren't a bad offense. They were just. They. They definitely now. And if they didn't have the defense they have, they wouldn't have been the 13th scoring. You know, they were. They're the beneficiary of a lot of turnovers and short fields and all of that. But there are. The gap between where they were last year and being a genuinely good offense isn't as great as it feels. And I think a lot of it comes down to, again, an oversimplification. But short yardage and red zone and the ability to run the game, run the ball. Those things are all interrelated. You know, having the ability to run the ball also makes you a better red zone in short yardage offense. But those three things, like you tweak those up because they were one of the worst red zone offenses in the league last year. They were really good at getting down into the red zone. They just couldn't do anything when they got down there. They were awesome at kicking field goals in the red zone. But the just by. And that's where I think with David Montgomery. I don't expect David Montgomery to be a top 10 running back this year, but he doesn't need to be if he can just be that guy that. Think about all those short yardage. Think about those short yardage situations down in the red zone where they just needed a half yard and couldn't get a half yard. Yeah, like that's what I need out of David Montgomery. I need a half yard. You know, I need 18 inches. Like that's a, it's a, it's a big difference and it creates a much different offense than. And it doesn't need to be that David Montgomery runs for five and a half yards per carry or anything. It's got to be in those specific situations that you can do something.

[Chris Partee]

Well, we're going to find out here soon because like I said, training camp we're coming up on a couple weeks away.

[Dr. Horton Sales Announcer]

Now is your time to get into a new Dr. Horton home by taking advantage of its national red tag sales event going on right now through Sunday, August 2nd. Stop by any of its participating communities and find select red tag homes at incredible pricing. So whether you're buying your first home or looking for an upgrade, you don't want to miss the red tag sales event going on right now. Discover the Dr. Horton Difference at Dr. Horton.com Dr. Horton America's Builder and Equal housing opportunity builder.

[Oregon Lottery Announcer]

Oregon Parks make an Oregon Summer. But what makes an Oregon Park? Well, Oregon Lottery gameplay helps. No matter the game Megabucks, video lottery or keno funds from lottery games help support parks projects across the state, ensuring they stay safe, accessible and open for all. In fact, Discover State Park Scratches are in stores now. It's the perfect way to put a little bit of a Oregon's parks in your pocket. The Oregon Lottery Together we do good things. Must be 18 or older to play Lottery games are based on chance and should be played for entertainment only.

[LinkedIn Ads Announcer]

Are your ad campaigns lighting up the dashboard but not the pipeline that's bullspend and marketers are calling it out in dashboard confessions.

[Seth Payne]

My boss asked for results so I opened my dashboard for the only positive sounding metric I had.

[LinkedIn Ads Announcer]

Impressions Cut the bull Spend See revenue, not just reach LinkedIn delivers the highest return on ad spend of major ad NETWORKS. Advertise on LinkedIn spend $250 on your first campaign and get a $250 credit. Go to LinkedIn.com campaign terms and conditions apply.

[Shell Power Nitro Plus Announcer]

What if your drive was fueled with more Like More protection for more time on the road Shell v Power Nitro plus provides more protection for longer lasting engines, so it helps keep your engine running like new force for whatever drive is ahead. Shelby Power Nitro plus engine performance that lasts compared to minimum detergent gasoline with continuous use of Shelby Power Nitro plus and gasoline direct injection engines, actual effects and benefits may vary. See Shell us More Protection for more information hey there.

[Moth Podcast Narrator]

I'm Kendra Adachi and my show the Lazy Genius Podcast helps you be a genius about the things that matter and lazy about the things that don't. And you get to decide what what matters. I'm not here to tell you what to do. I'm here to give you a new way to see Episodes of the Lazy Genius Podcast are full of compassionate time management tips and permission slips to do what makes sense for you. New episodes drop every Monday. Follow and listen to the Lazy Genius podcast on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Chris Partee]

Let's get to this. Which Houston team are you most confident in right now based on your previous season or current season results?

[Seth Payne]

So we'd have to say this all right, is so confidence kind of the bar for all three of those teams right now is all right, they're. They're playoff worthy. That like obviously, like it might based on recent results or just where the Astros are right now. Like, okay, they're all, they're all capable of making the playoffs, so it's a huge disappointment if you don't make the playoffs. How. How capable are they of making a genuine push in the playoffs, like a league championship or a conference championship game. I still feel like it's the Texans. Like, despite any of the despite any arguments or debates about CJ Stroud, I think, I mean you look at how close they could have been to be in an AFC championship game last year with CJ Stroud playing the worst football of his life. Like that's the the fact that that was still a relatively close game deep into the third quarter versus the Patriots.

[Chris Partee]

It's amazing.

[Seth Payne]

White C.J. stroud being as awful as he was that day.

[Chris Partee]

It's amazing.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. Like, I still feel the most confident about the team. Texans.

[Chris Partee]

Texans. Okay.

[Seth Payne]

Where are you on that?

[Chris Partee]

I. I gotta go with you there. I mean, just looking at the. How the Rockets ended their season and what they have really haven't done this offseason, they have not done much. I know you guys have talked about that a little bit. I've talked about it on different, different shows on our slate here at Sports Radio 610. And then the Astros just. I mean, they're just. They've been a mediocre team this year. I know they played better as of late, last six weeks or so. But just overall this season, the Astros have been. They've been mediocre. 47 to 51. That's mediocre to me.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. No, and it's really hard. Like, I mean, there's just. I thought the. I thought this weekend it was kind of a perfect microcosm of what you're looking at with the Astros, which is that the. It's hard to. It's hard to be a team that's anchored by your relief pitching. That. All right, like, okay, we got. For us to somehow make it through a playoff series, we got to be sure that. We got to be sure that we can score enough runs and that Oakr, Brian King and Josh Hader are the best versions of themselves, which are. Then they've been really good and steady and solid and everything. But man, I don't like going through and having it. When having it be that they couldn't win that series because. Because their. Their best players in their best relief pitchers had a little bit of an off day or an off night. They have a starting. Yeah. Especially if you go to a seven game series and. Okay, well, we only have maybe by then we have two starting pitchers that we trust and then we just need the relievers to pitch a boatload of innings versus a really good baseball team in the playoffs. And it's like. No, they're gonna. They're gonna. They're not. They're. They're gonna.

[Caller or Guest Analyst]

You.

[Seth Payne]

You like every game can't be a bullpen day.

[Chris Partee]

It shouldn't be.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. I honestly, I honestly, I feel. I feel more optimistic about the Rockets and their ability to be more the team. The team that people thought they were going to be headed into 20, 25, 26, headed into last season. I do think that. I think that there's some weird gap where. Because positionless basketball is such a big thing these days and everything. I feel like we Almost want to act like having a point guard doesn't matter anymore.

[Chris Partee]

Oh, it matters.

[Moth Podcast Narrator]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

I don't. But it's weird. I don't know, maybe it's. People don't like simple solutions or whatever, but I just. I said like. And I'm not like. I don't claim to be like the big NBA guy or anything, but there

[Peter Hamby]

is a part of it.

[Seth Payne]

It's like, yeah, I. Look, I know Fred Van Vliet's not one of the top point guards in the league or anything, but when you take a team that's built to function with a point guard, specifically to function with Fred Van Vliet, and you decide like, no, instead we're going to take all these young guys and have them play in an uncomfortable role and position. Exactly.

[Caller or Guest Analyst]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

You're going to get drastically different results. And then, especially even when. Even when you make that work to a certain degree, but then Kevin Durant is injured in the playoffs, then, yeah, it's going to look really, really bad. There is a thing going on with the Rockets that's a lesser version, but kind of similar to what happened with the Texans, which is that the playoff results skew your feeling about the entire operation.

[Chris Partee]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

I think to a more extreme degree than it should. And I like. And I just. I don't. I feel like a dullard. But there's a part of me that just wants to say, like, yeah, it really, really matters having Fred Van Vliet out there and if he can be healthy. I'm a little bit concerned about how his injury and his age might affect his defense. But beyond that, I think they're. But defense wasn't the problem last year with the Rockets, and it hasn't been. Yeah, right. It's that. No. Can they have a well structured and designed offense and execut execute it properly there? It's just going to be night and day as long as Fred Van Vliet is healthy. Yeah.

[Chris Partee]

And if Fred Van Vliet is there and he's healthy, Amend Thompson doesn't have to play out of position at point guard.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Chris Partee]

Reed shepherd doesn't have to play point guard. You can put him. Put him off the ball, let him be a tour. I believe he's small, but I believe he's a natural two guard.

[Seth Payne]

There are a lot of things that we wanted the young core to do in terms of progressing last year. Like, I feel like everybody that talks about the Rockets two years ago, at the end of the season, at the end of the playoffs thought, you know, before The Durant trade or anything is like, wow, this young core is so good. And these guys each individually, just have to take that proverbial next step forward. You get to last year, and once Fred Van Vliet gets injured and then certainly after Steven Adams goes down, I think that. I think people almost felt like, well, okay, I might have said they needed to improve by 10%, but. But really, these guys just need to improve by 50% and everything will be just fine. All we need is for Reed shepherd to develop into a true point guard. Okay, cool. So what are they going to do about it? Barely play him at all. Yeah. And really just not give him an opportunity to develop into that role. Okay, so you're going to go out and find somebody to actually play point guard? No, no, no, no, no, no. We're going to wait until after the trade deadline and then really give Reed Shepard an opportunity to learn how to play point guard.

[Chris Partee]

Well, the 713 on the text line here. Rockets need a better GM. So someone is not a fan of Raphael Stone.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, I don't. Man, I. It's. It's hard because, again, I don't want to. It just. You never want to just hit the easy button and say, it's as simple as, yeah, you lost Fred Van Vliet, who was a vital cog beforehand. That part you can't anticipate. Just like the Texans last year couldn't anticipate that Joe Mixon was going to be mysteriously injured.

[Chris Partee]

No, you could not.

[Seth Payne]

Not play football the entire season. But like, the. Like, what do you do? What do you do to account for it or make up for it? That was where I felt like the organization really failed them last year.

[Chris Partee]

Yeah, it did feel like they dropped the ball there. Which Texan storyline could have the biggest impact on the team's success in 2026? As we approach training camp, we'll get to that next Sports Radio 610.

[Peter Hamby]

Understanding power requires more than headlines. I'm Peter Hamby, host of the Powers that Be, a podcast from Pak, examining politics, economics, and media to provide context, analysis, and clarity without sensationalism. We ask how power operates, who benefits, and what's at stake. If you want to move beyond breaking news to deeper understanding, join us on the Powers that Be new episodes every weekday. Follow the Powers that Be wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dr. Horton Sales Announcer]

Now is your time to get into a new Dr. Horton home by taking advantage of its national Red Tag sales event going on right now through Sunday, August 2nd. Stop by any of its participating communities and find select red tag homes at incredible pricing. So whether you're buying your first home or looking for an upgrade, you don't want to miss the red tag sales event going on right now. Discover the Dr. Horton Difference at Dr. Horton.com Dr. Horton America's Builder and Equal Housing Opportunity Builder Are your ad campaigns

[LinkedIn Ads Announcer]

lighting up the dashboard but not the pipeline? That's bullspin and marketers are calling it out in dashboard confessions.

[Seth Payne]

My boss asked for results. I opened my dashboard for the only positive sounding metric I had.

[LinkedIn Ads Announcer]

Impressions Cut the bull Spend. See revenue, not just reach LinkedIn delivers the highest return on ad spend of major ad NETWORKS. Advertise on LinkedIn spend $250 on your first campaign and get a $250 credit. Go to LinkedIn.com campaign terms and conditions apply.

[State Farm Announcer]

Finding ways to be financially savvy is a smart move. And knowing you could be saving money for the things you really want, like that dream home or new ride is a great feeling. That's why the State Farm Personal Price Plan can help you save when you choose to bundle home in auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan. Head to statefarm.com to get a quote. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state.

[Oregon Lottery Announcer]

Oregon Parks make an Oregon Summer, but what makes an Oregon park well, Oregon Lottery Gameplay helps no matter the game. Megabucks, video lottery or keno funds from lottery games help support park's projects across the state, ensuring they stay safe, accessible and open for all. In fact, Discover State Park Scratches are in stores now. It's the perfect way to put a little bit of Oregon's parks in your pocket. The Oregon Lottery Together we do good things. Must be 18 or older to play Lottery games are based on chance and should be played for entertainment only.