IntheBullseye.com

IntheBullseye.com (http://inthebullseye.com/forums/index.php)
-   The Texans (http://inthebullseye.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=2)
-   -   Training camp 2015 (http://inthebullseye.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1918)

Arky 07-31-2015 02:37 PM
Training camp 2015
 
Training camp will kickoff tomorrow and there some good videos up at the main website - Check out "Texans back in the building" and the Texan's Huddle videos. Watt, Brown, Cushing, Shorts, Hoyer - all have a little something to say....

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-medi.../football.html

Arky 08-01-2015 02:37 PM
22 obsverations from the first day of #TexansCamp

Quote:
It’s felt like years since Cecil Shorts’ caught Blake Bortles pass out of bounds on fourth down to end the Texans 23-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fortunately, it’s only been months but it seemed way too long to wait after Bill O’Brien and company finished the season with four wins out of five games and five of the last seven. Excitement has been building and that was abundantly evident on the first day of training camp.

So, what happened on day one? A few observations I was able to make through the quagmire of people on Saturday.

1. Before practice even started, I made note of the players coming out on to the field. The first thing that stood out was that there were no surprises. Everyone that was expected to be on the field was here, accounted for and ready to compete. Sure, Jadeveon Clowney, Akeem Dent and David Quessenberry worked out with the training staff on field three, but we knew that was going to be the case. No surprises. Guys seemingly all in shape and ready to roll.

2. The other noticeable aspect of practice before it even kicked off was the physique of Jaelen Strong, the rookie receiver out of Arizona State. He arrived in May after OTAs and it was clear he wasn’t in shape at all. He returned, though, looking sleek and strong as he did at Arizona State. We’ll get to some more thoughts on him in a bit, but just seeing the conditioning work he put in and the results in his frame and stamina were a good sign.

3. I wrote about the training camp battles that I’d most be interested in during training camp and one of those was punt returner. Well, as I surmised six different players took a crack today - Keshawn Martin, Chandler Worthy, Alan Bonner, Cecil Shorts III, Damaris Johnson and Keith Mumphery. Let the competition begin.

4. Aaron Adams was recently signed, just two days prior to the start of training camp and is a good looking specimen. He’ll get plenty of opportunity to fight for a spot on the 53.

5. Having suffered injuries the past two seasons, receiver Alan Bonner spent both seasons on the IR, missing each season entirely. We weren’t really sure what Bonner would, or even could, bring to the team. Well, if today was any indication, he’s definitely going to be in this receiver mix. He caught everything thrown his way, with one exception on a deep ball vs. Kareem Jackson in 1-on-1s. Bonner is quick as a hiccup and sudden in and out of his breaks. I could truly see him getting reps at the slot receiver position throughout the rest of camp.

6. During 1-on-1s, linebacker Brian Cushing seemed much more confident tracking receivers/running backs out in routes than he was last year. He’s night and day different from last year and I can’t wait to see the full package unleashed once the pads go on. Later in practice during team 11-on-11, Cushing was the backside linebacker on a run away from him and he ran it down before the RB even got to the line of scrimmage.

7. That said, the best linebacker in coverage on this team remains unchanged - Mike Mohamed. One rep he was matched up on Arian Foster who can beat any linebacker in the league and Mohamed read his movement and cut him off before Foster could break his route where he wanted. Later in practice, Mohamed was one-on-one with tight end Ryan Griffin and knocked away a touchdown completion in the back of the end zone. I know the Texans drafted Benardrick McKinney at the inside linebacker spot but Mohamed isn’t about to take a backseat to anyone with his multiple and varied skill set.

8. On one of the first few plays in 1-on-1, Nate Washington made a brilliant, deep downfield catch for a TD. He’s going to be 32 before the end of the month but he gets downfield better than any Texans receiver not named DeAndre Hopkins.

9. Speaking of Hop, news flash, he’s good. Real good.

10. The cornerbacks, though, made life ultra-difficult for the Texans pass catchers. A.J. Bouye got beat by Washington early but broke up a couple of passes over the rest of practice. Charles James is like a gnat that you can’t get rid of and then he lets you know all about it. Darryl Morris ran routes for receivers he was so locked in. That doesn’t even include how well Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson looked throughout practice. There were, I believe at last count, four coverage sacks during practice, which almost never happens. This is as deep a cornerback position as the Texans have ever had, well at least since I’ve been covering the team since 2007.

11. EZ Nwachukwu made a tremendous twisting catch matched up on Joseph. I’m not sure which QB it was but he threw a backshoulder dart and EZ turned completely around and snatched it out of the air for the catch. EZ just has to stay consistent all the way throughout training camp and not lose his momentum as it transpires.

12. I mentioned Jaelen Strong earlier and a concern some have is whether he can get separation from NFL cornerbacks. But, even if he doesn’t, he still might be open. A good example of this occurred during 1-on-1s. Matched up against Darryl Morris, the corner completely read Strong’s route, nearly matching him step for step. But, Morris was still on Strong’s hip; he couldn’t go through him to the ball. Essentially, Strong shielded Morris with his big frame, boxing him out like a defender would do in basketball and made the catch. Morris clapped his hands as if he was angry he didn’t make the play, but he just couldn’t get around Strong or body him out of the way. Strong wasn’t really open but the way he positioned himself on the route allowed him to make the catch and more importantly keep Morris from making the sure pick
(more at link)

painekiller 08-01-2015 10:19 PM
I really like John Harris' stuff. Thanks for posting

Arky 08-02-2015 11:31 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by painekiller (Post 41265)
I really like John Harris' stuff. Thanks for posting
Ya, he can be a little overly effusive at times but overall, he's pretty good and does a good job IMO.

Pics, videos and gifs from Day 2

Nconroe 08-03-2015 12:56 PM
This site has some good alternative player comments as well.

http://www.scout.com/nfl/texans/stor...ing-camp-recap

Arky 08-04-2015 02:24 AM
Texans put on pads, practice under lights

Quote:
The Texans practiced under the lights, and in pads, on Monday.

For the first time since the 2010 training camp, the Texans held a night practice at the Houston Methodist Training Center.

"The players came out ready to go," head coach Bill O'Brien said. "The first day in pads, long practice. "These guys were grinding it out, so I thought it was a good atmosphere."

With 5,085 fans in attendance, the team donned pads for the first time this camp as well. It was a physical evening of work for the squad, but it was welcomed by the players.

"It was a lot of fun," linebacker Mike Mohamed said. "It was good to get the first hits out of the way."

O'Brien noticed the lively crowd, and was extremely complimentary.

"The fans here are awesome," O'Brien said. "The Hard Knocks guys told me that this is the best fan support that they've seen at all the training camps that they've covered."

The team will not practice on Tuesday, and will get back to work on Wednesday morning. In the afternoon, the Texans will fly to Richmond, Virginia for their Thursday, Friday and Saturday practices against Washington.

Twitter.com/DoughertyDrew

Arky 08-04-2015 01:54 PM
Arian Foster needs surgery after suffering groin injury at training camp

Quote:
The severe groin injury that Arian Foster suffered in Monday night’s practice will require surgery, but he should be able to return at some point this season.

The Texans, who have declined comment, have Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes, Chris Polk and Kenny Hilliard on the roster behind Foster.

Blue left Monday night’s practice, after suffering a cramp and should be ready to replace Foster in the starting lineup. Grimes was the third back last season. Polk, signed as a free agent from the Eagles, is suffering from a hamstring injury. Hilliard is a 7th round pick from LSU.

General Manager Rick Smith and coach Bill O’Brien are expected to be on the lookout for another back, whether by trade, free-agent signing or waiver claim.

Also, rookie outside linebacker Reshard Cliett is out for the season with a knee injury suffered during the first practice at training camp.

Foster returned from back surgery last season and missed three full games and part of two others with nagging injuries.
Wow, that didn't take long.....:rolleyes:

Nconroe 08-04-2015 07:23 PM
Pierre Thomas on his way for a tryout tomorrow. He seems like a reasonable 30 year old depth guy a free agent from New Orleans.

I think Bue and Grimes, perhaps Hilliard will do fine till Arian returns, maybe by mid season.

WMH 08-04-2015 09:28 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arky (Post 41269)
Dammit....

chuck 08-05-2015 09:55 AM
This is a very big deal I fear, Arian's injury. There is an enormous dropoff between Arian and everyone who has ever backed him up.

barrett 08-05-2015 11:28 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by chuck (Post 41272)
This is a very big deal I fear, Arian's injury. There is an enormous dropoff between Arian and everyone who has ever backed him up.
Yep. Every offense has lynch pin pieces that prop up everyone else and make it all work. Usually it's the QB. On our team it's Arian Foster. I don't think we are a team with much margin for error and this might sink us. We simply aren't good enough anywhere else on offense (QB, WR, OL) to trot out a replacement level RB too.

Warren 08-05-2015 12:49 PM
Ron Dayne is waiting by the phone.

Arky 08-05-2015 01:05 PM
17 observations from day four of #TexansCamp

Quote:
Day four was a short practice so the team can get out to the airport to catch a flight to Richmond but it wasn’t without excitement, for lack of a better word.

What happened? Well, glad you asked.

1. The absence of Arian Foster was noted and acknowledged and it was the thought on most everyone’s mind throughout the workout. But, Bill O’Brien addressed it after practice, said that he injured his groin and that he’d miss some time. It’s a tough gut punch to take but the team on the field seemingly went about its business as it always does. Teams/staffs can’t dwell and there’s plenty of work to get done. O’Brien knows this better than anyone. His first year as a full-time assistant with the New England Patriots in the very first game of the 2008 season, they lost Tom Brady for the season. That team won 11 games. I’d trust no one else to handle a curve ball like this more than Bill O’Brien.

2. Ryan Mallett took snaps with the ones today and had some tremendous moments. He started the day hot completing all but one throw in a 1-on-1/group drill. He dropped a beautiful corner route on Anthony Denham for a TD. He then lasered one across the middle for a big gain. Then, he completed the drill with a dime to Jace Davis who had a miniscule step on the defensive back for another touchdown.

3. Mallett had a couple of rough spots, including a few down on the goal line, but there weren’t many. After missing a wide open Jay Prosch during that goal line drill, the very next play Mallett threaded the needle on a frozen rope to EZ Nwachukwu for a touchdown. EZ’s No. 17 was the only blue jersey in the area with about four white ones present and Mallett stuck right in his gut.

4. One of the things I heard and/or read this off-season was that Pro Football Focus rated Kareem Jackson as a below average inside/slot corner. First off, I can’t even begin to get into that whole thing about PFF so I won’t (just know, I truly appreciate what they do, but it’s off and misguided on certain situations). As such, please know that it’s not gospel, for many reasons. Either way, I was impressed with his interior coverage today, including two or three pass break ups when he was matched up with WR Alan Bonner.

5. When we all talked about how the tight ends have to produce much more in this offense, Garrett Graham must have heard every word. He has been incredibly difficult to cover throughout training camp and I can’t remember a 1-on-1 situation where he hasn’t gotten open and made the catch. Steady, solid and a reliable passing game tool for these quarterbacks to utilize.

6. Brian Hoyer made some much better throws the second half of practice. I wrote in my notes early in practice “7’s out of synch with these receivers.” But, during team, in particular, a move the chains team drill, he ran the offense like it’s supposed to be run. He had it flying up the field, even to a point where he was back up at the line of scrimmage ready to run a play after a catch took a guy out of bounds. It was a bit chaotic until Coach O’Brien stepped in with some words of, uh, encouragement? Aggressive counseling? to get the defense back in line, so to speak.

7. One of Hoyer’s best throws was a complete look off throw on a shallow cross to Kenny Hilliard. The rookie from LSU has displayed reliable hands throughout the start of training camp but Hoyer’s ability to go through his progressions quickly and find a wide open Hilliard was impressive.

8. Along those lines, both quarterbacks have really impressed me with the way they get through their progressions quickly. Quickly being the key word, of course.

9. I’ll say one other thing about this offense. I watched every single practice and every single play in training camp last year. I can’t remember one time, not one singular time when I’d say the 2014 version of this offense was ahead in any way, shape or form of this 2015 unit. It’s night and day different and I’m not the only one that’s noticed how stark the difference is between the two units, only one year apart.

10. I only got to see two reps of pass rush one-on-ones. As I walked down to the North end of the field, Kourtnei Brown completely bull rushed an offensive tackle, which elicited some hoots and hollers from the defensive guys. Brown, later, in a team drill got loose on a pass rush as well to force an incompletion. Marc Vandermeer would call him a “subterranean under the radar” guy.

11. Linebacker Justin Tuggle was injured throughout minicamp and OTAs and that put him behind the other inside linebackers to start training camp. But, during a run drill today, he completely blew up an OL wrapping around to make a block. Tuggle was shot out of a cannon and knocked the OL backwards, right into the running back. He needs more of that over the next few weeks as he’s in a staunch competition at that inside linebacker spot.

12. During that 'Move the Chains' drill, rookie Kevin Johnson showed why he was a first round selection. He read a slant perfectly, broke on the throw and nearly came up with the interception. He’ll get those picks eventually, but his transition ability to get to receivers, breaking on the ball, is outstanding. Improvement day after day is what you want to see and he’s doing that for sure.
(more at link)

popanot 08-05-2015 02:46 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nconroe (Post 41270)
Pierre Thomas on his way for a tryout tomorrow. He seems like a reasonable 30 year old depth guy a free agent from New Orleans.

I think Bue and Grimes, perhaps Hilliard will do fine till Arian returns, maybe by mid season.
Thomas declined the offer. And don't forget Chris Polk. I think he might be #2 at this point and might even be a challenge to Blue for #1. Not only for the Texans, but my ITB FFL team hopes Foster is back this year as well. :(

barrett 08-05-2015 04:46 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Warren (Post 41274)
Ron Dayne is waiting by the phone.
I still remember him crushing the Colts in a late season throw away game. He got to be king for a day in the NFL.

Arky 08-06-2015 05:38 PM
25 observations from #TexansCamp against Washington

Quote:
On the Road, AGAIN!

Yes sir, last year it was Denver, Colorado to tangle with the Denver Broncos but this year, it’s three days with the Washington Redskins at the Bon Secours Training Center in Richmond, Virginia. It was a festive occasion, similar to the environment in Houston for a public practice. As such, the team got some work done against RGIII and company on Thursday. Let’s dive right into the observations from the team’s workout.

1. Marc Vandermeer and I jumped on the air early and our radio set up was a bit off the beaten path a bit from the two practice fields. But, I had a small view of Field Two. As I was talking, setting up the scene from the facility, the wide receivers and defensive backs were doing some 1-on-1s. In the middle of one of my many diatribes, I saw this blur sprint through the small view with a Redskin defender about four yards behind him. It was rookie Chandler Worthy blazing past, making the catch and scoring a TD.

2. A few moments later, Jaelen Strong was matched up on a white jersey. Now, the Texans flipped jerseys today as the offense wore white while the defense wore blue, so Strong was going one on one with a Redskins offensive player. I eventually realized that the Redskins must be trying to convert former Florida receiver Quinton Dunbar to defensive back. Yeah, Strong whipped him on that route down the field.

3. That was a good moment for Strong, but he had a couple of lapses in concentration, one right in front of me during 7-on-7 when Ryan Mallett hit him right in the hands for an easy catch and Strong couldn’t complete the catch. He’s been excellent in training camp through this point and I expect him to bounce back and have a few great days to finish the road trip.

4. A few moments after seeing Strong flash against Dunbar, I saw a group of Texans WRs and Redskins DBs having a bit of a pow wow and then it turned into a mild fracas. It started as a Redskins defensive back made some comment to Strong, which caught the attention of DeAndre Hopkins and then Redskin DeAngelo Hall opened his mouth. That exacerbated the situation as the verbal tete-a-tete turned into a shoving match with Hopkins and Hall right in the middle of it. Then, I saw Big Tex Ryan Mallett himself run over and defend his teammates which was the least surprising aspect of the the whole thing. Mallett backs down from no one. There were no more dust ups, but the talking did continue throughout the workout.

5. Later during 7-on-7, after hitting three or four consecutive throws, Brian Hoyer went through his progressions and truly only had one option downfield - DeAndre Hopkins across the middle of the field. He wasn’t really open but Hoyer tried to stick it into him anyway. He threw it high hoping Hop might be able to sky to snag it, but it was incomplete. After the play, I was standing a few feet away from the Redskins DBs and a couple of them starting taunting Hopkins, serenading him with “D Hop...D Hop”. I don’t think Hop heard them, but I came back to tell Marc the story and he had the perfect comeback. “Didn’t those guys give up a 75-yd bomb to Hopkins last year?” Boom. Roasted.

6. Early in the radio show, right smack in the middle of one of my answers to Marc’s question, I saw DeSean Jackson walking gingerly right off the field. I didn’t see what happened, but apparently during 1-on-1s with the Texans DBs, he collided with a blocking sled and separated his shoulder. We saw him come back out a while later with a huge ice bag on his shoulder. He’ll be out a few weeks but I really wanted the Texans DBs to be challenged by his deep speed this week.

7. Speaking of Washington receivers, keep an eye out for rookie Jamison Crowder from Duke. This joker can flat out fly, but he’s best in the slot as his quickness has no peer. There’s a Vine video out there with Crowder going 1-on-1 with Kareem Jackson. Crowder darted inside and Kareem slipped on the cut, leaving the rookie wide open. At the Senior Bowl last January, Crowder did that to EVERYONE he faced. He was so quick in space, even though he’s no bigger than your youngest son. Just saying, keep an eye on him, especially now that Jackson is out for a few weeks.

8. First play of team, Hoyer found C.J Fiedorowicz open crossing the formation for a solid catch and run to start the period. I thought the Texans passing game was strong throughout the day.

9. The Texans didn’t pick up one blitz during that team period, but that was the only bust I remember during that team period. Redskins LB Perry Riley came off the edge to “tag off” on Hoyer for the sack. But, after that Hoyer found Cecil Shorts on a slant with a perfect catch and run pass.

10. Hoyer really has a good thing going with Shorts, who a few plays later was left all alone down the right sideline for a deep catch down the field.

11. Jay Prosch hasn’t had a tremendous training camp but he’s had more opportunities in the passing game. He worked himself open versus the Redskins linebackers and Hoyer found him for a long first down throw.

12. When the twos came out on the field, Mallett got a little pressure, rolled to his right and threw a dart right on the money. Dropped.

13. I thought both quarterbacks threw it well today. Hoyer did throw an interception that happened down the field that I couldn’t see exactly what happened. But, that was the only pick that I remember seeing the Texans throw during the day.

14. Late in the practice, down on the goal line, Hoyer threw an absolute gem to DeAndre Hopkins. After Alfred Blue’s strong run to the two yard line, Hoyer lobbed the fade to D Hop in a perfect spot for the touchdown. The offensive players all ran down to congratulate the third year receiver again, as they did when he made the one hand snag back in Houston a few days ago.
(more at link)

Arky 08-07-2015 04:28 PM
24 observations from day two of Texans vs. Redskins

Quote:
Another day is in the books from the Bon Secours (the r is silent, just so you know) Training Facility here in Richmond, VA. As a native of Richmond, TX, I’ve typed TX every single time, but then have to remind myself that I’m back here in Virginia for the weekend. A slight drizzle highlighted the day, but it could’ve been worse...like Thursday night when a gullywasher hit us on the way home from dinner.

1. A number of Texans sat out practice as they rehabbed injuries or got the day off. As such, a number of threes and twos moved up the ladder a rung to the twos or the ones. It disrupted the rhythm of things throughout the day as Jonathan Grimes mentioned after practice. As always there were some good moments, but the Redskins returned the end of practice favor to the Texans, seemingly winning the last couple of drills.

2. One of the great aspects of a shared practice is the fact that players get the opportunity to reunite with former college teammates, coaches and/or acquaintances. As practice was just about to start, nearly everyone was out on the two practice fields, but the last Redskin out of the locker room jogged out of the facility. It was Akeem Davis, a former Memphis Tiger. As he ran past, he made a beeline for Lonnie Ballentine, his former secondary mate with Memphis. The two exchanged a quick bro hug before Davis continued on to the practice field. That was one of the cool moments of the day to me for some reason.

3. It was Ryan Mallett’s day with the ones and there were definite start and stop moments with that first crew. One of Mallett’s first throws during team was a laser across the middle to DeAndre Hopkins but he couldn’t make the catch. It was a ball Hop catches nine and half times out of ten. Washington’s defensive backs may have gotten a hand in on the ball but it’s still a catch he should, and typically does, make. Mallett did hook up with Cecil Shorts III again, but missed the mark to Nate Washington a couple of times during the day. Washington did make a catch during the ones’ Move the Chains team drill, one of the only catches during that period. As I said, it was an up and down day.

4. The story for the Texans today was Brian Hoyer leading the second offense during the day. Since minicamp and OTAs when one of the two quarterbacks took snaps with the second group, it was a struggle at times. But, today, Hoyer lifted the two unit throughout the day. During the team’s first team period versus Washington’s nickel scheme, he threw a dart to Keith Mumphery for a first down. He then lofted one to Jonathan Grimes for another long gain.

5. Later during an 11-on-11 Move the Chains drill, Hoyer threw a bomb down the field and couldn’t have thrown it any better. I mean he dropped a dime right into the hands of EZ Nwachukwu. Unfortunately, EZ couldn’t squeeze it and make the catch. But, the positive was the deep ball accuracy of Hoyer. That ball was just brilliantly thrown down the field. Other than the goal line fade, Hoyer threw to DeAndre Hopkins on Thursday here in Richmond, that deep ball was perhaps the best throw I’ve seen him make. Trust me, that ball should’ve been caught.

6. During the team’s goal line session, the first offense struggled a bit and Hoyer needed to get the twos in the end zone to get some momentum to end practice. On the team’s second play from inside the ten, Hoyer stood in the pocket and found Jaelen Strong in the end zone. He lasered one to Strong, hitting him between the one and the one for a much needed end to the goal line drill.

7. While Mallett and Hoyer faced the Redskins’ nickel unit, the Texans nickel unit took on the Redskins offense. I didn’t get to see too many reps as they were all the way down the field but I saw a couple of excellent throws by RGIII, combined with a scramble out of bounds. A Colt McCoy throw later in the drill led to perhaps the hardest hit of the day. McCoy couldn’t find a downfield receiver, so he checked it down to his closest receiver. POW...Texans OLB Jason Ankrah delivered a massive hit on the receiver right as he caught the ball.

8. I’ve said this before, I can’t stand how often players I love in college end up on opposing teams. I mentioned Jamison Crowder yesterday but another guy that I didn’t get to see yesterday that I was a huge fan of in college was former Florida runner Matt Jones. He’s an absolute load and he ran the ball hard all day long. In fact, he introduced himself to Texans corner Kevin Johnson and by introduced, I mean, he ran KJ flat over right in front of the Redskins’ vets. They went nuts and got all in KJ’s face about it, in a sportsman’s way of course.

9. After radio, the first part of practice that I was able to truly watch was pass rush 1-on-1s. I eschewed watching 7-on-7 so I could focus on the Texans’ pass rushers against Trent Williams and company. Jared Crick continued his strong week of work. He had a really quality day rushing on Thursday but was even better on Friday against the Redskins OL. His hand usage, placement and quickness are all improved and it’s really paid off in much more effective and efficient pass rush.

10. But, the real winners to me during that drill though were two rookies - Christian Covington and Dan Pettinato. Covington, the former Rice University product, is going to be a steal in the sixth round, mark my words. On the first rep that I saw when I walked up, he completely ran flat right over a Washington OL to get to the QB. Over the next four or five reps, Covington won each and every rep and was, without question, the winner of the drill. He won with a variety of different techniques but when he started the drill by running over a Washington OL, it gave him some serious confidence.

11. Pettinato had a couple of reps where he just blew past the Redskins’ offensive line. His quickness won out and that’s his game. He’s not the biggest player but he’s relentless and never stops hunting the quarterback. His quickness though starred in that pass rush drill and he truly flashed.

12. Chris Neild returned to face his former Washington teammates and flashed a couple of good moments. He’s so difficult to move off the ball and he had a pass rush rep or two in which his power won out substantially. His game isn’t about rushing the quarterback but it was good to see him dominate that drill a couple of times.
(more at link)

Warren 08-08-2015 11:38 AM
Wow: https://vine.co/v/ewpAWpU0OEE

Arky 08-08-2015 06:29 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Warren (Post 41280)
Sumo! ;)

-------------------------------------------

16 Observations: Day 3 Texans vs. Washington

Quote:
With no radio on Saturday to keep me from watching practice, I was jacked up beyond belief to see the Texans tangle with the Redskins. Little did I, or many others, realize that they would literally tangle four separate times. The practice fights heard around the globe, or so it seemed, ended the joint practice sessions between the two teams and put them on separate fields for the rest of the rainy Saturday workout. The fights may have muddied up the Saturday practice, but I still walked away with a few observations from today’s slugfest, errr, practice.

I’ll get to the four different skirmishes as I saw a couple of them up close and personal, but before that it was clear that these two teams had seen enough of one another. All of this had been building since early on day one.

The first drill of the day was one-on-ones with four different quarterbacks throwing on the four different ends of the field. I watched Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer throw to their receivers against the Washington defensive backs.

1. WR EZ Nwachukwu had, more than likely, the best period of his three days up in Richmond. The first rep I saw of his, he shook a Redskin DB and headed to the back pylon in the end zone. Mallett dropped a gem at the back corner of the scoring area, right in front of me and Nwchukwu held on to the wet pigskin. I was feet away from him when it happened and he was stoked that he made the catch.

2. The Redskins DBs were extremely physical during that drill and won a number of different reps against the Texans WRs. They didn’t stop all of the Texans’ receivers, though. One receiver that has flown under the radar and continues to have solid workouts is Keshawn Martin. He made a Redskins DB miss badly on him in the back of end zone on a TD catch in one-on-ones. He also had a couple of catches in team drills later in the workout.

3. The one receiver that has been like Circle K, always open 24/7, is Nate Washington. The former Steeler/Titan has fit right in with this Houston squad and is definitely a security blanket for the quarterbacks. He let one slip through his hands on 1-on-1s but he must have made six or seven catches during drills the rest of the day, all at different spots/levels on the field.

4. Once the joint team drills started, the powderkeg was ready to blow. I was down near field two where the Texans offense faced the Redskins defense. Af first, it seemed innocuous and wet but nothing seemed to be afoot. Then, rookie tight end Khari Lee made an outstanding catch. He was crossing the deep intermediate area of the field and the ball was thrown behind him. Now, at this point the rain was falling heavily and plenty of receivers had balls go through their hands. Even RB Alfred Blue had fumbled on the first play of team drills. Anyhow, after the catch, the Texans’ offensive guys started cheering for Lee and congratulating him on the catch. At that point, Ben Jones and Redskins DT Chris Baker got into each other’s face and the first “discussion” of the day started.

5. Watching that unfold, it didn’t seem like anything sinister, but not ten seconds later, I looked over to field one and there were Texans defenders running to a mosh pit in the middle of field one. Many of you have seen the ESPN video of Vince Wilfork destroying a Redskins OL and pushing him right back into the Redskins RB. What some couldn’t see was a Redskins offensive player pushing LB Max Bullough right in the back. Bullough didn’t take kindly to the shove and turned around to tell that player just that. Many of the Texans were running off the field when the Redskins player then threw hands at Bullough and it was on. Wilfork and J.J. Watt turned right back around and jumped into the fray. They weren’t alone. It was a mob scene. Wilfork, though, didn’t take kindly at all to the Redskins antics. More on him in a bit.

6. Once both fields got calm again, the two teams went back to work. The Texans run game picked up some nice gains with Chris Polk and Kenny Hilliard registering a couple of solid runs. On Hilliard’s last run, he barreled over a Redskins defender. Now, every run that I saw from Hilliard v. the Redskins this week finished nearly the exact same way - the former LSU product sending a message to any Redskin defender that dare tackle him. Well, the Redskins two defensive backs in the vicinity didn’t take kindly to that action and threw Hilliard to the turf. That incensed Texans OT Aaron Adams who then sprinted down the field and hammered the defensive back which set off the third fight of the day.

7. Four or five Redskins had Jaelen Strong in a head lock, while a few of the Texans OL ran down the field and dropped the People’s Elbow on a Redskins defender.

8. Just prior to that fight in front of us, on field one, Texans DB Kevin Johnson tackled a Redskins ball carrier down low and that angered the Redskins WR. So, yep, you guessed it, the Texans D and Redskins O went at it again, only to be distracted by the fight on field two that we had going on in front of us.

9. Honestly, I’ve seen training camp fights for years but nothing ever like this. However, as Coach O’Brien noted after practice, it’s training camp football, things happen. And, it did. This, though, had been brewing as I mentioned due in large part to the animosity between the Texans DB/WR and Redskins WR/DB. The first day set the tone and neither team was ready to step down in any way, shape or form.

10. One thing I heard a Redskins player say later was that the Texans were attacking the run drill a little too aggressively. Not sure there is such a thing - it’s football, by gosh. But, when Bullough got slugged in the head, the second year inside linebacker didn’t let that slide. I hadn’t really seen the interior guys get into it much over the three days but they certainly did on Saturday.
(more at link)

Arky 08-11-2015 04:58 PM
26 observations: #TexansCamp on Tuesday

Quote:
Back to the grind, BABY!

Tuesday morning was the first practice here back in Houston since the team got back from Richmond, VA. There were no fights, perhaps unfortunately, perhaps fortunately, to add to the Hard Knocks repository but the team got in a solid day’s work under the glare of the 95 degree sun. Let’s get some observations from the day’s work.

1. Ryan Mallett spent the day with the first unit, which follows the alternating schedule the Texans coaching staff has followed from the first day of the spring. He made a few scintillating throws during practice. His best one was a launch deep downfield to Nate Washington that the former Titan/Steeler held on to for one of the best plays of the day.

2. There are times when Mallett, with his powerful arm, makes it look easy. That was true when he hit Cecil Shorts III on a slant route. Mallett split the one and the eight for an easy pitch and catch.

3. I didn’t get to see much of the initial parts of practice, but I did see some a bunch of 1-on-1 reps down in the end zone. One of those reps, I saw a pass break up by Charles James, one of the many he’s had in this training camp. He was draped on Alan Bonner in man coverage in the end zone. There was no place to throw the ball and James knocked it away at the last second.

4. One of the best breaks on the ball today was cornerback Darryl Morris on a slant route completion to EZ Nwachukwu. Brian Hoyer hit Nwachukwu on time, but Morris exploded into the fray and almost broke up the pass. I just have a feeling that Morris is going to find a way to make plays in this defense this season. I don’t know when. I don’t know how. It’s going to happen.

5. Another player in the secondary that has been fantastic is safety Eddie Pleasant. He had another strong day in coverage, forcing a pass breakup early in one-on-ones and then another one in team drills. “Eddie P” was a forgotten man by some heading into training camp, but he’s more than made his name known this summer.

6. I watched a few reps of linebackers versus running backs in one-on-one pass protection. As I looked down to the other end of the field, Justin Tuggle beat a running back and I heard linebacker coach Mike Vrabel praise Tuggle for his rep.

7. The tight ends and outside linebackers tangled again. As I walked up C.J. Fiedorowicz faced one of the young outside linebackers. After beating the outside backer off the ball, he then whipped the linebacker off the ball. Tight ends coach John Perry then remarked “kick his butt both ways.”

8. One of the best reps all day was when Whitney Mercilus and Fiedorowicz locked horns in run blocking. When it was done, both coaches Doug Colman and Perry said “GREAT battle,” and it was.

9. My man Julian Rowe-Cohen was my eyes and ears down watching the tight ends and linebackers until I could get there. Since I know the personalities a bit, it was interesting to see/hear Julian’s thoughts on the “aggressive counseling” happening down on that side of the field. There are certain players that receive more counseling than others but it goes with the territory to be honest.

10. John Simon is such a technician with his hands and it’s interesting to watch him work those hands defending the run on the edge.

11, During the tight ends/linebacker one-on-ones, I saw Chris Polk running away from one of the inside linebackers on a one-on-one pass drill. I heard some ooooohhhs and ahhhhhhs from the crowd after that one.

12. Speaking of Polk, no one had a better day than the former Philadelphia Eagle. He missed a few days of training camp but got some reps on Saturday up in Richmond, VA. Today, he was back in Houston getting a fair share of reps with Arian Foster temporarily on the shelf. He ripped off a long run down the far sideline on a run during a true scrimmage period. He caught the ball well out of the backfield, got open in one-on-one situation and left a strong impression on most that watched Tuesday’s workout.
(more at link)

Arky 08-13-2015 03:06 AM
21 observations: #TexansCamp on Wednesday

Quote:
Wednesday’s workout, at least to start, seemed to have a Hard Knocks: The Day After sort of feel, but MAN, Wednesday’s real winner was the humidity.

Nearly unbearable at times near the end of practice, Mother Nature dominated the day. Most importantly, though, what about mere mortal, human types on Wednesday?

Here are some observations from the morning workout.

1. As mentioned earlier, it was the day after the premiere of Hard Knocks and it was an action packed first episode. I was down near field three doing a radio hit in Alabama when I heard the fans cheer loudly around 25 minutes before practice. As I talked, I surmised that JJ Watt had just run on the field. Nope. Head coach Bill O’Brien. If there’s one thing that he hates more than anything else, it’s the spotlight being on him and not the team. But, the fans love his fire and appreciate a quality leader when they see one. Hard Knocks gave them the opportunity to see it front and center on Tuesday night. They’re all just finding out what I’ve known for nearly 25 years (he’s going to kill me for mentioning this at all, so I’m moving on in the name of self-preservation).

2. Of course, Watt ran on the field to a raucous ovation as well (to be expected) and left the field well after everyone had left. On the way out, he photobombed Deepi Sidhu and myself recording for Texans 360. This was after spending nearly 30 minutes with two different families on the field, talking with two young kids and playing football with one little boy. Yeah, but he’s just worried about his image (that’s a tongue in cheek blast at those that questioned his sincerity after the first episode - you know who you are).

3. Practice eventually got going and it was Brian Hoyer’s day with the ones. They started the day with an 11-on-11 “coming out” drill. The ball was placed inside the ten yard line and the offense was forced to “come out” from deep in their own territory. I missed the first reps in that bunch but I saw one of the best throws of the day. QB Ryan Mallett threw a laser backshoulder ball to the near sideline to get the drive going. There was some smoke on that ball and it was thrown in the only spot where his receiver could make the catch.

4. On the next play, Mallett looked up Jaelen Strong on the far sideline. I lost the ball in the mesh, but the next thing I saw was cornerback Darryl Morris...and the rest of the defense heading the other way for a touchdown. I believe Morris jarred the ball loose after the catch and scooped and scored to end that drill.

5. I’ve made this comment a number of times, but I’m still waiting for someone to adequately cover tight end Garrett Graham. He completely dominates LB and/or safeties when he’s running routes. The 1-on-1s are just ridiculous. It’s as if he’s playing pitch and catch with the quarterbacks with how open he gets himself downfield.

6. The one thing that stands out watching Graham is that he understands that the route is the starting point to getting open. He understands how to make subtle adjustments in his patterns to remain open and run away from defenders. The young tight ends will learn that in due time but they’re not there yet. A couple of times I saw the younger TEs beat the defender off the line of scrimmage but they then ran themselves right back into the coverage. They started open and then covered themselves. You don’t see that from Graham, in particular. When he knows a guy is beat, he never puts himself back into harm’s way. It’s just the way it is for veterans; they get it, the rookies will.

7. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the guy that’s really shone during training camp. Although TE C.J. Fiedorowicz missed some time up in Richmond versus the Redskins, he’s been outstanding in the passing game. Drew Dougherty, host of Texans TV, spied a one-handed grab and I saw a pair of catches later in practices in different spots. He also beat a linebacker to the back of the end zone for a touchdown during goal line 11-on-11.

8. He was drafted for his blocking, in some sense, and that part of his game has improved as well. He’s the one tight end that I see regularly knocking DE/OLB off the line of scrimmage in run blocking 1-on-1s. One of the best battles of the day was Fiedorowicz against John Simon. The way both fought for hand placement and position, while exerting incredible strength and push, was fascinating to watch up close.

9. Talking with a radio station in Alabama this morning, they asked about LB Benardrick McKinney. I didn’t get to see too many LB/RB reps in 1-on-1 passing game, but one I did see was the MSU rookie locking on to a running back out in the flat and forcing an incompletion. As a side note, perhaps, it was just editing but one of my favorite moments in Hard Knocks that no one will remember involved McKinney. After Washington wideout Pierre Garcon stoked the fires with some trash talk directed at the Texans defenders, in particular J.J. Watt, the very next scene showed McKinney locked up with Garcon during one of the various skirmishes that took place last Saturday. I got the impression that McKinney wasn’t too happy with Garcon’s act in front of his defense and imposed his will.

10. I’ve mentioned Jason Ankrah only in passing during my observations and that’s unfortunate because he’s definitely more comfortable in his skin as a second year player in this defense. I don’t see many tight ends that can block him in the run game - I don’t know that I remember him losing a rep to a tight end on Wednesday. His ability to rush the passer has improved as well and he’ll be a guy I’ll watch closely on Saturday night, especially with Jadeveon Clowney due to return (hopefully) soon.
(more at link)

WMH 08-17-2015 01:35 PM
Clowney made it back on the field today, without a knee brace. That's pretty impressive.

If he can get/stay healthy, man, that D has the tools to be sumthin.

Arky 08-17-2015 03:27 PM
Video - Clowney speaks

---------------------------------------------

14 observations from Monday's #TexansCamp

John Harris
Texans Analyst

Quote:
As Sunday was a day off for the squad, many players squeezed in a trip to the movies, got some rest or got much needed sleep. Or in Christian Covington’s case got some Game of Thrones reading done. But, the time off was much too short as the team got back on the field on Monday in shorts and jerseys, welcoming back a couple of familiar faces on each side of the ball.

Here are a few things from today’s workout.

1. Everyone had been anticipating the arrival of OLB Jadeveon Clowney and by everyone, I mean nearly every TV and Hard Knocks camera followed his every move during the early part of practice. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d see this day when it was announced in November that he was having microfracture surgery. But, consider the work he put in to get back to this point and the work that Geoff Kaplan and his training staff to motivate JD to keep pushing himself. It all paid off to get him back into camp at this point. But, it’s going to be slow going and that’s by the team’s design. JD feels ready but as I’ve said a few times, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, so he’ll get the call in due time.

2. He wasn’t the only one to return to the practice field today. Akeem Dent worked out with the team for the first time since the win over the Jags in early January 2015. A lower leg injury kept him out of workouts until today and his return only serves to muddy up the ILB waters. In a good way, of course. So, Clowney and Dent returned on Monday; it was a good day.

3. Not to be left behind, the offense saw the return of Ryan Griffin to the tight end group. He had a stellar week of practice prior to getting nicked up in Richmond, so here’s hoping that he can pick right up where he left off.

4. I noted in my game observations that the 49ers long run of the night was unfortunate, but correctable. One aspect that I know riled up secondary coach John Butler was that the receiver cracked on the safety and it appeared that safety Eddie Pleasant had no idea it was coming. Sure as shootin’, what was the first thing I heard today when the Texans defense did their walkthrough this morning? “CRACK!” Audible and heard all the way to the sideline where we were standing. Message. Received.

5. Players throughout time have made the transition from being a special team stalwart to key offensive or defensive contributor. As such, the special teams reps often get pushed off to another player. Not so for Alfred Blue. He’s the first guy in line for all the special teams reps, even though if the season started tomorrow, he’d be the starting running back. As a former coach, I notice little things like that and love it.

6. Standing near the end zone, watching practice with former Texas A&M and Dallas Cowboy great Dat Nguyen, quarterback Ryan Mallett dropped an absolute dime right in front of us to Damaris Johnson, with Kevin Johnson draped all over him. Dat is visiting from San Antonio where he co-hosts the afternoon show on our ESPN San Antonio affiliate with Jason Mannix. As such, this was his first look at the quarterbacks and he remarked after that throw what a gem that was. I look forward each year to get to watch practice with Dat to hear what he thinks. He was impressed with Mallett today.

7. I looked down during 1-on-1s with RB and linebackers and as soon as I did, Chris Polk made a one hand catch and made it look easy. The linebacker covering him, I can’t recall, I think it was Max Bullough perhaps, just stared at him as if to say “you didn’t just do that, did you?”

8. Rookie Kevin Johnson flashed a few good moments on Saturday night and his confidence seems to be growing by the day. He had multiple pass break ups on the day and his breaks on the ball were outstanding. He ran a few routes for the receivers and it seems he brings his juice to the ballyard every single day. He never seems to be at a loss for energy and excitement.

9. Kourtnei Brown’s performance on Saturday night will make him a guy to watch in camp this week. He got the coaches attention and it appeared his confidence shot through the roof.
(more at link)

Keith 08-17-2015 04:25 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by WMH (Post 41332)
Clowney made it back on the field today, without a knee brace. That's pretty impressive.
I'm not sure this can be understated if the rest of camp for Clowney proceeds accordingly. This franchise has often over-promised and under-delivered on injured players. Clowney is returning from a serious surgery, and it still remains to be seen how close he can return to pre-injury form, but this is at least beyond encouraging for our otherwise justifyingly cynical fanbase.

WMH 08-17-2015 09:13 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith (Post 41334)
I'm not sure this can be understated if the rest of camp for Clowney proceeds accordingly. This franchise has often over-promised and under-delivered on injured players. Clowney is returning from a serious surgery, and it still remains to be seen how close he can return to pre-injury form, but this is at least beyond encouraging for our otherwise justifyingly cynical fanbase.
Yep. Watched some videos on the website of him cutting during some drills. Didn't look limited at all.

barrett 08-17-2015 10:41 PM
The biggest thing to me is I know how hard he must have worked in his rehab. That work ethic and maturity was a question mark for him. Even though he will likely never be the same athletically, he may be a similar player from the personal growth and increased ability to work.

Arky 08-18-2015 05:42 PM
23 observation's from Tuesday's #TexansCamp

John Harris
Texans Analyst

Quote:
It’s another Hard Knocks Tuesday, but more importantly Tuesday was essentially the middle of training camp. It’s ALL downhill from here, right? Well, not really, there’s a lot of work still on the docket with two weeks and change remaining.

Here are some observations from Tuesday’s full pads practice.

1. Coach O'Brien started the day with a “going out” drill. The ball was placed inside the offense’s five-yard line as it was forced to maneuver. Hoyer, taking first team reps today, hit Cecil Shorts for a short gain and following a five yard run from Alfred Blue, Hoyer hit his fullback Jay Prosch for a first down. The offense looked efficient against a strong rush from the front seven on D.

2. When Ryan Mallett took over on offense, he hit Damaris Johnson in stride. That was where the good start ended as following a false start, Coach O'Brien colorfully told his 2nd team offense to “take a lap.”

3. Tom Savage made a couple of accurate throws leading to a 1st down but it appeared that the slow start frustrated Coach O’Brien and the staff. That would change throughout the rest of the day as the team picked up the intensity and execution.

4. During individual drills, rookie defensive tackle Christian Covington consistently flashed with effort and intensity. There’s rarely a time when he isn’t going all out at every time.

5. During 1-on-1s, safety Eddie Pleasant was all over Garrett Graham, doing a great job of limiting him in the open field. Graham did bounce back with a catch on a well-executed pivot route.

6. One guy who consistently covers the tight ends better than anyone else is former Georgia safety Corey Moore. He locked up Graham on one rep and ended up with a pass break up against the guy that rarely has been covered in training camp.

7. Later in the 1-on-1 drills, Ryan Griffin, who was healthy after missing about a week of practice, ran a pristine route for a big gain. I was also really impressed with rookie Khari Lee who, again, made a few nice catches; he’s been improving a little bit each day.

8. With each and every opportunity in training camp, C.J. Fiedorowicz is flashing in the passing game. He made a great grab on a back shoulder fade down the perimeter and has gotten open consistently.

9. Chris Polk impressed with a catch against Benardrick McKinney that went for a TD. Polk, though, didn’t get everyone. A moment later Polk had a pass broken up by Bullough way downfield.

10. During pass rush 1-on-1s, ILB Benardrick McKinney blew through like a house of fire on one of his interior rushes to get easily to the quarterback dummy. No, the QB isn’t a dummy, the dummy that was in place of the QB. RB Jonathan Grimes had perhaps one of the best reps of the day as he did a GREAT job on Cushing.

11. Jadeveon Clowney finally got to put pads on for the first time since November 2014. He didn’t do any team or group stuff, but he got the chance to lock horns with TE C.J. Fiedorowicz in 1-on-1 run blocking drills. He held up against the Texans best blocking tight end. The power. The leverage. The knee bend. All there. He got two reps against C.J. and that was all, but it’s just wetting the appetite for later in training camp. Tantalizing to say the least.

12. During 7-on-7 drills, Graham looked really strong with some nice catches all over the field from Brian Hoyer. He broke multiple tackles and came down with some 50/50 balls. He continued his assault on the intermediate areas of the defense.
(more at link)

WMH 08-19-2015 02:33 PM
From PFT:

Texans sign veteran defenders Quintin Demps, Fili Moala

Posted by Darin Gantt on August 19, 2015, 8:58 AM EDT
T.Y. Hilton, Quintin Demps
AP
The Texans needed to fill in some blanks with veterans, and brought back a familiar face.

According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans have signed safety Quintin Demps and defensive end Fili Moala.

Demps spent three seasons with the Texans (2010-12), and played the last two years with the Chiefs and Giants. Upon leaving the Texans the first time, he turned in a pair of four-interception seasons, and gives them good depth behind Stevie Brown and Rahim Moore.

Moala, a former second-round pick of the Colts, spent last year on injured reserve with a torn ACL.

Arky 08-19-2015 10:26 PM
31 observations from Wednesday's #TexansCamp

John Harris
Texans Analyst

Quote:
We finally reached THAT stage in training camp. I call it Groundhog Day: Training Camp style. It feels like we’ve done this all before. Practice. Sun. Interviews. Observations. Rinse, lather and repeat, right? It also means that the regular season is one day closer and, more importantly in the interim, Saturday night vs. the Broncos is right around the corner. Or, so it seems. The team was in full pads again on Wednesday in front of another loyal and loud crew of fans. So, here are some observations from the day’s work.

1. The Texans signed two players prior to Wednesday’s workout - former Texan Quintin Demps is now a current Texan and former Colt Fili Moala was signed to the defensive line. Rookie TE Mike McFarland was placed on IR.

2. Demps made a splash in his first workout as he made an outstanding interception late in practice on a goal-line drill. He shared kickoff return duties during practice. He had four interceptions each of the past two seasons with Kansas City and New York, respectively.

3. An intriguing story line on Tuesday night’s Hard Knocks episode was Charles James talking with rookie safety Corey Moore. James’ passion for playing the game was evident, but his point to Moore was, essentially, that Moore needed to communicate with him consistently. James implored Moore to work better together. It was, to me, one of the most important moments of Hard Knocks. Of course, one of the first things I heard on the practice field today was secondary coach John Butler yelling out “TALK!” to his players. It was a point Bill O’Brien made to me at halftime with mostly young players on defense in the second half; he wanted to hear them communicate and talk to one another.

4. Today was Ryan Mallett’s day with the first offensive group and he started the day strong. He dropped a beautiful dime in the back of the end zone for a TD early in practice and a few of his other touch throws on the day were on the money.

5. When Mallett and the offense were backed up in the “going out” drill, he threw two darts - one to TE C.J. Fiedorowicz and one to Cecil Shorts III. That got the ball out of the shadow of their own goal line and a definitive win for the offense.

6. Brian Hoyer’s first throw out of the end zone was a check down to J.L. Grimes in the flat and he was met by ILB Akeem Dent, who has been back in practice this week. Dent let up just a bit at the last minute but, in the game, it would’ve been a highlight hit for sure.

7. The NFL is a different beast than any other level of football, but it’s amazing, even comforting in some sense, to hear this coaching staff harp on some of the most basic aspects of football. One in particular is the ability to play low. Starting in Pop Warner football as a seven-year-old, players hear all the time “low man wins.” That doesn’t change at any level, but I heard three different defensive coaches, within minutes of one another, all mention “pad level”, “bend your knees”, “play lower”.

8. This isn’t a cut and paste from the past few days/weeks, but Garrett Graham is still open. However, I did see someone finally stop Graham - Brian Cushing. The team’s ILB locked up Graham as he started across the middle and wouldn’t let him go. Graham tried to break free to no avail. That’s about the only way anyone’s been able to cover Graham.

9. Speaking of Cushing, he also had a pass break-up as he covered TE Ryan Griffin out in the flat. Oh, this was after Cushing threw up his breakfast during the team’s individual period. I guess he doesn’t agree with JJ Watt and Vince Wilfork that breakfast is the best meal of the day. As a side note, there’s no debate that breakfast or brunch is the best meal of the day. Anyone that wants to argue with me...well, take it up with my muscle - Watt and Wilfork.

10. Speaking of Griffin, later in the same 1-on-1 drill, he ran a go route on a safety up the sideline and made a fingertip catch in the North end zone. I hope we get to see a significant amount of Griffin on Saturday vs. the Broncos.

11. Blitz pickup has quietly become one of my favorite drills to watch in camp and not just because there’s a chance of a Cushing-Alfred Blue tete-a-tete. But, there’s serious competition between the RB and the ILB. The first rep of that drill, rookie LB Benardrick McKinney came screaming through and WHAM...he got met and stoned on the spot by Blue.

12. One rookie that has made steady improvement is TE Khari Lee. I’ve mentioned him the past few days and he continues to impress. It’s a difficult position to try to make this roster but the rookie has put some quality tape together lately. He ran a double move as a perimeter receiver today and just roasted one of the defensive backs. His blocking has improved to a point where TE coach John Perry is finding positive things to say about it as opposed to earlier in training camp.
(more at link)

WMH 08-27-2015 07:40 PM
Jayson Braddock ‏@JaysonBraddock 7m7 minutes ago
Arian Foster Update:

Arian has been in Houston working out & expectations are for him to return to the field in some facet by week 2-4.

WMH 08-31-2015 09:32 AM
O-Line Depth Addressed, would expect additional shuffles on the final 53.


PDS ‏@PatDStat 3m3 minutes ago
#Texans dealing a 7th round pick for Broncos T Chris Clark (6-5, 315). Been with the Broncos since 2010. Played at Southern Mississippi.

WMH 08-31-2015 12:52 PM
John McClain ‏@McClain_on_NFL 30s31 seconds ago
Texans cut Labhart, Witzmann , White, Bonner, A Adams, Ankrah, Neild, Davis, McLeod. Cliett to IR. Five more to go.

Arky 08-31-2015 01:09 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by WMH (Post 41426)
John McClain ‏@McClain_on_NFL 30s31 seconds ago
Texans cut Labhart, Witzmann , White, Bonner, A Adams, Ankrah, Neild, Davis, McLeod. Cliett to IR. Five more to go.
Ankrah is a bit of surprise (to me). I think the next batch of cuts (post Dallas game) have better odds to get a practice squad offer....

Nconroe 08-31-2015 03:01 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arky (Post 41428)
Ankrah is a bit of surprise (to me). I think the next batch of cuts (post Dallas game) have better odds to get a practice squad offer....
Im sure a bunch more surprises coming. Perhaps some of these guys to practice squad.

Nconroe 09-01-2015 12:45 PM
Seems pretty competitive at LB,

Getting to 75, on profootballscout saw this. One of the four transactions, the release of punter****Will Johnson****was reported****yesterday****after the club made its first series of cuts.

Here, via Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link), are the Texans’ other four moves:

Cut:

LB****Jeff Tarpinian

Waived/injured:

TE****Anthony DenhamS****Terrance Parks

Placed on reserve/non-football illness list:

T****David Quessenberry

Arky 09-02-2015 11:48 AM
Quote:
John McClain ‏@McClain_on_NFL · 1h1 hour ago
Texans trade TE Khari Lee to Chicago for a sixth-round pick in 2017.
Texans have depth at TE including youngster Mike McFarlane on IR so, good deal, IMO....

Nconroe 09-02-2015 12:15 PM
Yeah, Khari looked pretty good.

Wonder if a CB or WR or LB or RB or DL might get traded as well.

WMH 09-02-2015 02:21 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nconroe (Post 41436)
Yeah, Khari looked pretty good.

Wonder if a CB or WR or LB or RB or DL might get traded as well.
Not sure if it was real or not, but it seemed like Smith was trying to push a ILB on Elway in the Clark trade.

HPF Bob 09-03-2015 09:42 AM
Sounds like we're going to be a busy team in the 6th and 7th rounds next year. We added a pick from the Rams for Keenum. We added a pick from the Jets for Fitzpatrick. We now have a pick from the Bears for Lee. We traded a pick to Denver for Clark. Not really keeping track but I would think we'll add a low comp pick or two. Don't nap on the last day of the draft.

Nconroe 09-04-2015 12:21 PM
Found this unconfirmed cuts, on Chron, tough day, see who gets picked up elsewhere or practice squad

The Texans cut veteran defensive lineman Louis Nix III and Tevita Finau, according to sources with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly.

Nix is a third-round draft pick from Notre Dame who spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve.

Nix had displayed improvement this year in terms of health, conditioning and his play, but rookie defensive tackle Christian Covington had outplayed him in terms of productivity and is more mobile.

The Texans also cut seventh-round rookie running back Kenny Hilliard.

Hilliard is a physical, bruising runner, but hadn’t been very elusive or able to consistently break tackles at this level to gain extra yards after contact.

The Texans also have also released**** veteran defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick and return specialist Damaris Johnson, according to sources.

Deaderick had dealt with injuries earlier in training camp, but he is healthy now. Johnson being released bodes well for fifth-round wide receiver Keith Mumphery, who also returns kicks.

Finau had a solid preseason, but he also lost outside contain on some long runs.

Finau is a 6-5, 288-pound former Utah player.

He has had stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets.

The Texans also released outside linebacker Kourtnei Brown.

Brown had gamely battled for a roster spot and led the Texans with three sacks during the preseason.

He also had some breakdowns as a run-stopper, including not setting the edge on a long touchdown run by Edwin Baker against the New Orleans Saints.

The Texans also cut offensive lineman Matt Feiler and safety Corey Moore.

Moore is expected to join the Texans’ practice squad if he clears waivers.

****


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:42 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.