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Eisenhower primed for state run

Eisenhower primed for state run
The Eagles have state title on their minds. Via VYPE

Originally Appeared on VYPE

BEING CLOSE, just isn't good enough when it comes to the competitive world of Texas high school track and field.

Eisenhower girls' relay teams have been close the past two seasons, but self-inflicted wounds like dropped batons on exchanges have kept the Eagles from reaching the final track meet of the year in Austin.

Coach Ahmad Roper has watched this happen the past two years and is ready for the 2019 season to be the dawning of a new standard.

"This year, it's unfinished business," Roper said. "I told them, we have to take care of business. We get hyped up because we have one of the fastest times in the state, but we're not at the big dance."

In 2017, Eisenhower sent its 4X200-meter relay team to state, where it finished eighth overall with a time of 1:38.48. Last season, no relay teams made the trip to Austin, failing to get out of regionals.

"It was that lack of execution throughout the year that caught up to us when we really needed it," Roper said about last season.

The consistent message to his team during the offseason has been about consistency and discipline.

If his group buys into that message, he believes they will be able to make the run needed to get to state because they have the raw talent to get there. The core of the girls' track team includes Iyana Gray, Darnee Williams, Kiana Rollins, Jaiya Covington, Tytiania Morrison, Hannah Simmons, Chanelle Houston, Deshawn Petitt and DeJanee Washington.


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The Texans are the class of the division. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

The Houston Texans received a lot of praise for their moves in free agency across various outlets. And for good reason, most people believe the team got significantly better with the additions of Danielle Hunter, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Denico Autry among others.

But there's another factor to consider this offseason. How much have the other teams in the AFC South improved?

When looking at the PFF grades in free agency, the Colts received a B-minus. Most of the Colts moves this offseason involved spending a lot of money re-signing their own players. Which is great in theory, but it's hard to improve the overall quality of your roster when you're bringing back players that were already there to begin with. A lot will be riding on player development for the Colts to see a big jump this season. A healthy quarterback wouldn't hurt either.

The Jaguars have made some big additions financially this offseason by signing receiver Gabe Davis and defensive tackle Arik Armstead. They also lost the top receiver on the market, Calvin Ridley, to the Titans. Gabe Davis wasn't able to establish himself as a reliable No. 2 receiver with Josh Allen throwing him the ball in Buffalo. So it's hard to believe he'll take the next step in Jacksonville. Their best move of the offseason might have been retaining edge rusher Josh Allen by using the franchise tag on him. So what did PFF think of Jacksonville's offseason? They received a B-minus, just like the Colts.

The Titans have a lot of turnover heading into the 2024 season, and not just on the roster. They have a new head coach in Brian Callahan, who's looking to revamp Tennessee's offense. Early in free agency, they agreed to terms with former Cowboys running back Tony Pollard, signing him to a 3-year deal at $8 million per season. Which is more money than the Ravens are paying for Derrick Henry, who left the Titans in free agency. Calvin Ridley was the most notable addition to the squad, he received a 4-year, $92 million deal. And while this could be viewed as an overpay, at least he gives the Titans' offense some upside. Their receiving corps looks a lot more dangerous with Ridley added to DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks.

They also spent big at the center position, adding Lloyd Cushenberry on a 4-year, $50 million contract.

Because the Titans spent a lot of money on some highly coveted players, PFF gave them a B.

Now that brings us to the Texans. The Texans re-signed some of their own players like Dalton Schultz and Noah Brown. But they also made some big splashes with Hunter, Autry, Al-Shaair, and Joe Mixon. But the Texans spent their money in a more conservative way by not handing out many contracts over two years in length.

The Texans managed to add the best pass rusher in free agency with Hunter, but it's only a two-year deal. The overall talent level is going up on this roster, and GM Nick Caserio isn't having to sign players to long contracts that could come back and haunt him.

That's why we're seeing post-free agency power rankings coming out with Houston in the Top 10. And that's also why PFF gave the Texans an A for their moves in free agency.

Be sure to check out the video above as Craig from Sports Talk Extra takes an in-depth look at PFF's grades for the AFC South, and much more!

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