Peyton Manning finally sets record straight on criticism of Texans' CJ Stroud
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
23 July 2024
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning joined The Pat McAfee Show recently and shared his thoughts on the outlook for CJ Stroud and the Texans this season.
Peyton talked about how impressed he was with Stroud's rookie season, and how much he enjoyed coaching him at the Pro Bowl.
He also discussed playing against Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, and spoke to how tough the Texans will be to overtake in the AFC South with Stroud and Ryans leading the offense and defense respectively.
But what really caught our attention was Manning's comments about the criticism Stroud received leading up to the NFL Draft. Stroud's S2 scores — which measure cognitive ability — were rumored to be below average. Causing the perception that his draft stock was tumbling in the eyes of some teams.
The other big knock on Stroud was his maturity. Which many believe stemmed from CJ being a no-show at the Manning Football Camp.
Which it turns out was completely false, according to Manning.
“I kinda felt bad. He kind of got criticized for not going to the camp… I probably could have come out and clarified that he never committed to come.”
Manning said he apologized to Stroud about the flak he received from NFL teams during his NFL Combine interviews.
Peyton wasn't aware at the time that there was a narrative about Stroud “ghosting” the Manning Camp.
As a Texans fan, I hate that Stroud had to deal with unwarranted judgement about his character. But at the same time, perhaps this misinformation played a part in him slipping to No. 2 overall and being selected by Houston.
It's hard to imagine what this franchise would look like if the Texans had selected Bryce Young or a different quarterback.
Be sure to watch the video above as Manning clears the air about Stroud, and provides an in-depth look at the 2024 Texans and the AFC South.
With spring training about to get started, it appears Alex Bregman has finally narrowed down his options to three teams, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.
Olney indicates the Astros are out of the mix, and Bregman will choose between the Tigers, Red Sox, and Cubs. There is also a belief that Breggy will make his decision by the end of the week, and MLB Network's Harold Reynolds said his sources are telling him Alex is heading to Chicago.
We still haven't seen any concrete evidence that there's a long-term deal on the table greater than the Astros offer, which makes us think he'll sign a shorter deal with a higher AAV. Don't be surprised if Breggy inks a 3-year $105 million deal with opt-outs just like Carlos Correa did a few years back.
Houston reportedly increased their offer to Bregman last week, but we don't know exactly what that entails. Based on reports Scott Boras didn't feel Breggy should take a pay cut. It would make sense if Houston added some money to the frontend of the deal, but whatever they did, it doesn't look like it's enough.
Had the Astros been willing to go 6-years, $180 million, perhaps that would have sealed the deal. But there's also a possibility Bregman is ready to move on to another team. Maybe he doesn't feel like the club is heading in the right direction after trading Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly. There were also reports last season that he wasn't happy with the communication from Astros manager Joe Espada when he was moved down in the order. We'll definitely have more clarity when we see the final numbers from the contract he ultimately accepts.
Call to the bullpen
Speaking of Espada, he joined the Crush City Territory podcast this week and spoke about some pitchers that will be counted on this season with Pressly now in Chicago.
The three pitchers he named were Tayler Scott, Bryan King, and Forrest Whitley. Espada spoke about how he trusted Scott in high-leverage spots, and how well King through the ball last season. He also mentioned Whitley as a player he's excited about. Based on these comments, we expect Scott and King to get opportunities in the seventh inning with Pressly out of the picture.
What does Vegas think?
It depends on which sportsbook you look at. But as a frame of reference, MyBookie has the Astros as the favorites to win the division, and they have their win total at 88.5.
If the Astros end up winning the division after moving on from Bregman, Tucker, and Pressly, should Houston fans consider that a win?
Don't miss the video above as the crew from Stone Cold 'Stros breaks it all down!
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