One day after **discussing his rehab** with HoustonTexans.com, Texans tight end Owen Daniels said that he hopes to remain with the team in a Wednesday afternoon appearance on "Jim Rome is Burning" on ESPN.
A restricted free agent, Daniels was **tendered by the Texans** in March but has yet to sign with the team. He is hoping to receive a long-term contract.
"They had some real positive talks between my agent and management at the combine," Daniels said during a lengthy interview with Rome in Los Angeles. "They say they want to get something done. I'm assuming they're going to have to wait 'til I get (medically) cleared and can do everything, but I looked at the high tender that they put on me, the max tender, as a really positive thing. If they didn't want me around, they could've tendered me at a lower amount. That's saying that they want me around, they want me to be their guy, so I'm looking at it as positively as I can.
"I want to be in Houston. I love playing there, love the city, love playing for Coach (Gary) Kubiak. That's where I want to be."
Daniels, a 2008 Pro Bowler, is coming off of a season-ending injury to his right ACL. Rome asked him if he thinks he'll have a long-term deal in place before the 2010 season.
"I hope so; I hope before the year starts," Daniels said. "But I can totally understand if they have to wait 'til I can play some games, preseason games, whatever it may be. I understand the business. I'm just trying to be as positive as possible with all of this."
In February, ProFootballTalk.com reported that Daniels **could skip training camp** in the absence of a long-term deal. Daniels sat out OTAs last offseason because of a contract dispute.
He indicated to Rome that he wants no part of another holdout.
"I don't want it to (come to that); I really don't want it to," he said. "It got a little messy last year. I'm not the type of guy that likes to sit out when everyone else is working, because I like to be around the guys. So any way to avoid that is what I want to do, but if things get ugly, you never know. Like I've said, I'll never say never to holding out, but it's definitely something that I don't want to do or be a part of."
At the end of his interview with Rome, Daniels expressed support for the **new overtime format** for postseason games that was passed yesterday at the NFL meetings in Florida.
"I like it," Daniels said. "It's a step forward. It's better than college, it's better than what we had previously. Both teams get a chance. It's not a return, a nice run and then a long field goal. So it's good to see that both teams get a chance to play.
"When you don't get another chance to get out there and play, it's kind of like… when a team has momentum at the end of the game, and say they kick the field goal to tie it up and then they get the ball first, you're kind of left empty-handed there."
UPDATE (3/25, 9:36 a.m.): **Here's the video** of Daniels' interview with Rome. Thanks to "zanth91" on the **HT.com message boards** for the find.
