They might be the most interesting team to watch this offseason. NFL Network reporter James Palmer on the Houston Texans
The NFL Combine is a great way to catch a glimpse of head coaches, general managers, television personalities and media from all over the country. Now that we're back from our annual Combine trip in Indianapolis, check out some of our favorite "casual" run-ins through the tunnels and streets of downtown Indianapolis:
-Marc Vandermeer and John Harris bumped into four former Texans coaches/players during lunch Wednesday afternoon. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, new passing game coordinator Charles London, Titans DC Shane Bowen and former Texans QB Dave Ragone (Falcons OC) greeted Marc and John like long-lost brothers.
"Well, not sure Vrabel was happy to see me/us, but he knows he loves us," John said.
-Ragone was nice enough to introduce the group to Falcons head coach and former Titans assistant Arthur Smith as we were leaving the same lunch place. Marc told Smith he could wish him luck (other than when Atlanta hosts the Texans this season) now that he's in the NFC. The two agreed they have the same feelings about the Colts, even though Indy is a nice place to visit for the Combine.
-Speaking of the Colts, GM Chris Ballard, a native of Texas City, TX, walked by with a few funny barbs to his AFC South rival Texans.
-Walking home at nine-ish after dinner through the Indiana Convention Center on Tuesday night, our paths crossed with original Texan Aaron Glenn, who's doing a great job as DC in Detroit. The young Lions improved greatly on both sides of the ball as they made a run at the playoffs and locked up a winning season with a Week 18 victory at Green Bay.
- T.J. Yates stopped by the Combine Radio Row for what's become a semi-tradition of catching up with us. The former Texans QB, now a wide receivers coach with Atlanta, even had a chance to reunite with DeMeco Ryans as he arrived to the Texans Radio setup for an interview.
-T.J. told us when he first met Ragone (the two are on the Falcons coaching staff together) it took a moment to realize they were both quarterbacks drafted by the Texans. The similarities ended there as each played in a very different era of Texans history: Ragone in '03 and T.J. in '11.
-Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll stopped inside the Convention Center to sign autographs for a small mob of fans who recognized him.
-As we were arriving for dinner at Prime 47, Jaguars owner Shahid Khan along with head coach Doug Pederson were leaving.
-It's not an NFL Combine until someone spots Jerry Jones' Cowboys megabus parked in the Indy streets. Check!
-NFL Network host Rich Eisen's favorite all-time Houston celebrity is Hakeen Olajuwon while CBS's Aditi Kinkhabwala says hers is Beyoncé. Chris Simms gushed about the Galleria as one of his favorite spots in Houston.
Until next year!
