While Andre Johnson's future with the Houston Texans is up in the air, inside linebacker Brian Cushing is doing all he can to get back in uniform.
"I know I'll be ready," Cushing told the team's official website this week. "I know when it's go-time, and I need to ramp it up and get on the field, I'll be there."
Cushing is nearing the end of another long offseason rehab on the heels of the broken fibula and torn LCL he suffered last October. The Pro Bowl player spent all of last offseason mending from a torn ACL.
"It's been a tough two years, but I'm ready to put it behind me and have a great year," Cushing said. "I feel good, and I'm just excited about the opportunity and the things ahead of us for this team."
The former Defensive Rookie of the Year wouldn't put a date on his return to practice, but the goal has always been the team's Week 1 showdown with the Washington Redskins.
While Johnson has expressed concern over the team's uneven offensive roster, there's plenty to like about Houston's front seven. J.J. Watt is a top 10 player, rookie Jadeveon Clowney is a freak of nature and Cushing -- when healthy -- is one of the game's most disruptive and versatile inside 'backers.
Coordinator Romeo Crennel has plenty to work with on this side of the ball.
In the latest "Around The League Podcast" the guys reveal their personal top 10 lists to coincide with the "Top 100" finale.