Former Houston Texans talk about the dark times of 2020-21

As we pointed out in an article here late last week, for some reason, perhaps coincidence, it appears that former Houston Texans employees have had the opportunity to talk about the very , very dark COVID 2020 season (the last of the Bill O’ Brien Era) and the 2021 season that followed (the 4-13 fever dream that was the David Culley era).

Specifically, former running back David Johnson, former wide receiver Randall Cobb, and former head coach/general manager Bill O’Brien have all given their perspectives on those horrific moments on separate podcasts over the past few years. last two weeks. It’s very informative and, for the most part, I come away feeling the same, if not a little better, about each guy.

That said, I would like this to become a trend! I need more former Texans from this era, especially from the January 2020 playoff loss at Kansas City to the meat of the David Culley-led 2021 season. Trust me, it’s a much easier exercise to endure now that the Texans are good at football again.

Here are the ten people I’d like to hear from, their stance with the Texans, the topic I most need them to discuss, and the likelihood of us speaking to them publicly on this topic:

JJ WATT, defensive end and franchise icon
Watt has already discussed his release from the Texans in February 2021, so I think I’d like his take on the chaotic period from the end of the 2020 season until his release, in which Nick Caserio was hired out of thin air Hand, David Culley was hired out of nowhere and Deshaun Watson demanded a trade. I’d like to know what’s going through his mind.
WATT Probability Dishes: 5 percent

DESHAUN WATSON, quarterback and possible super-accused
Throughout this period of inquisition, Watson spoke very little. At the time of his trade request, he spoke through cryptic rap lyrics on social media, then after the lawsuits began, he stopped talking at all. You know, Miranda rights and everything else. I would love to know what it was like for Watson to go to practice every day at the start of 2021 training camp, knowing he would never play for the team again. What was it like playing it safe during walk-through sessions?
Probability of WATSON dishes: 50 percent

JUSTIN REID, security
This one is simple – I need to know precisely what happened and why it happened when Reid was benched for one game in 2021 due to his conduct behind the scenes. It appears that Reid and wide receiver Chris Conley met during a team meeting. For me, it comes down to this: Reid was good at his job, Conley wasn’t, and neither was Culley. Reid was never a problem behind the scenes before either of them arrived. I’m on Reid’s side.
Probability of REID dishes: 65 percent

DeANDRE HOPKINS, All Pro wide receiver
I would like to know if Hopkins thought he was being played a prank when he found out he was being traded, how much he laughed at what the Texans received for him and how much fun he took in watching the kingdom by Bill O’Brien and Jack Easterby. crumble.
Likelihood of HOPKINS dishes: 80 percent

BRANDIN COOKS, Easterby wide receiver and truther
Cooks was drafted a few weeks after the Hopkins trade, ostensibly to replace Hopkins, and while he was largely productive in his three seasons as a Texan, it did not end well. From Cooks, I’d like to know if he saw any blowback for being a hand-picked Jack Easterby truther. The two had a close relationship since New England in 2017.
Likelihood of COOKING food: 85 percent

ROSS BLACKLOCK, defensive tackle
Blacklock, a Houston native, was the player selected by the Texans with the second-round pick they received for Hopkins. He left after a few seasons, but I’d like to know what it was like to be a rookie in O’Brien’s camp in 2020 and a young player in Culley’s directionless camp.
Probability of BLACKLOCK dishes: 50 percent

ROMEO CRONNEL, interim head coach and affable grandfather
Crennel was working a cushy office job with the Texans when O’Brien was fired after four games and asked to take over. I would like to know if he anticipated this possibility when he was around. After all, this 2020 season has had an incredibly difficult first four games.
Probability of CRENNEL dishes: 35 percent

ANTHONY WEAVER, defensive coordinator
Weaver had one season as the DC Texans, following several seasons as coach. He was very popular with the players and was a rising star, so the 2020 season likely delayed his rise by a few years. He is now DC in Miami. I would like to know from Weaver what he thought of the 2020 offseason, where the Texans did nothing to improve the defensive personnel. Weaver was in some ways doomed to failure.
Probability of WEAVER dishes: 15 percent

DAVID CULLEY, head coach (no really, he was the head coach)
As poor as Culley was, I loved hearing him talk! He was a much better storyteller than head coach. Culley talking about anything while in office is completely acceptable to me. Wind it up, let it go, and there will be at least a dozen glorious nuggets.
Probability of CULLEY dishes: 60 percent

JACK EASTERBY, Jack Easterby
This podcast will happen one day, and when it does, I’m sure the Houston Texans’ failure during his time in the building will have very few Easter fingerprints, according to ol’ Jacko. It must be recognized that he delivered Caserio, who proved to be a very good general manager. Somehow I know Easterby is taking credit for this, while deflecting blame from the fact that Caserio should have been hired in the first place.
Probability of EASTER Dishes: 90 percent

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