Five Questions with 610 AM’s Brandon Scott

Brandon Scott is one of the forces behind the scenes at Sportsradio 610 AM. He occasionally subs in on the air when one of the regulars is out, but most of you probably know him better as one of the two primary reporters that add content to their website on a daily basis. As such, he governs more as an old-fashioned sports reporter than a radio personality. It also means he cover the Houston Texans and is there every time Nick Caserio, DeMeco Ryans, or any of the players speak with the media. So, he seemed like a perfect person to bring in to gain his perspective on the Texans draft and offseason so far.

Battle Red Blog: What do you think are reasonable expectations for C.J. Stroud in year one? Where do you see his ceiling when he does reach his potential?

Brandon Scott: Stroud should be the day one starter, simply because the Texans only have backup quarterbacks on their roster aside from Stroud. There is no reason for Case Keenum or Davis Mills to start over him, even if there is a steep learning curve for the rookie.

That said, the learning curve is something we shouldn’t lose sight of when evaluating Stroud in year one. He will struggle at some point, because every rookie does. The interesting part to watch is how he responds and the progress he makes. I view Stroud as a better version of Jimmy Garoppolo or Kirk Cousins.

BRB: Obviously, Nick Caserio gave up a lot to get Will Anderson. Do you think the gamble will ultimately be worth it? If not, what would you have liked to have seen the team do there instead?

BS: It is not a move I would have made. I would have been perfectly content with the Texans drafting C.J. Stroud and trading back from the 12th pick to draft one of the wide receivers who went in the 20s, then possibly the best available edge rusher at No. 33 (second round pick they traded to draft Anderson).

However, I love the move. It’s bold, shows conviction and starts the clock on when the Texans need to get good again, because they certainly can’t finish with four wins or less for a fourth straight season. They wouldn’t be rewarded for it, since they traded away the pick for a player they really wanted.

BRB: Most of the focus will be on Anderson and Stroud, but who are one or two guys from day two and three that you think the Texans fan base should keep their eye on? Do you have a personal favorite selection?

BS: Tank Dell is the obvious answer because he is the one who should most have the ball in his hands. Xavier Hutchinson is also interesting, considering his production at Iowa State. As a sixth-round pick, if Hutchinson is productive at all, he would be the steal of the Texans’ draft.

Juice Scruggs as their potential answer at center is also intriguing, since that is a position they have been trying to fix for years. I love the idea of pairing a young quarterback with a young center and allowing them to grow together.

BRB: June 1 will bring another round of cuts and movement in free agency. Are there any positions you think the Texans should target?

BS: Yeah, wide receiver is the obvious answer. It’s the one clear weakness of the team, which they addressed by signing Robert Woods and Noah Brown in free agency, but it still feels like they could do more to solidify this group for a rookie quarterback.

BRB: Vegas had the Texans at 5.5 wins before the draft. If I set the number at 6.5 are you going over or under? Are there any developments (on the positive end) that could change that number significantly?

BS: I’ve got them winning six games, so I would take the under. It would just be too much to expect, or bet on them taking a significant enough leap to more than double their win total in one season.

But what if C.J. Stroud is immediately a superstar? That’s a far-fetched and unlikely projection, but what if it happens? If Stroud looks anything like Deshaun Watson did in his first seven games before suffering a torn ACL in his rookie season, then suddenly the Texans look like an eight- to 10-win team.

We want to thank Brandon again for joining us to answer our questions. In addition to his work at 610, you can also catch him on Htown Hoops along with his co-host Adam Spolane. For the Texans benefit, you can hear Brandon behind the scenes asking questions at nearly every press conference. What do you think of his answers? Do you agree with Brandon?