2019 Training Camp Thread
 

11 days from now the Texans will begin training camp. Time flies when you're having fun, eh?

Texans announce dates and times for 2019 training camp:

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Harris Hits - Training Camp Day 1:

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If you applied for training camp tickets then I believe today is the day you are notified if you received them. Hopefully this new method reduces the crowds a bit.

Yes, and if anyone attends a camp session, please post here how it went. Very curious.

And at a minimum, I'm glad the team is back in Houston for camp instead of West Virginia.

I applied for the 14th and 15th. I got both but was surprised it was only 2 seats for each one. Anybody get extras for Wednesday the 14th?

And I'll be happy to apply my extensive football knowledge to some training camp observations after I go. Although I think it might come out something like... "Deshaun Watson Good. Run Fast and Throw Far!"

John Harris parlayed those sorts of insights into a job.

And no offense to Harris, but I much prefer our collective camp insights. We are not on the Texans payroll, nor do we depend on media access to put food on our tables.

I'm rather interested to hear how the OL develops over the next couple weeks.

This team has the potential to be 5-11 or 11-5. Hard to remember a season where I had as tough a time figuring out their squad.

To me that's the Deshaun Watson effect.

Whatever flaw I see, no matter how big, I can imagine Watson making that flaw irrelevant with his special play. I honestly think the best he has played is already better than any QB in the NFL. And if he does it enough to make the playoffs and then has a hot month I think we win the super bowl in spite of our 5-11 talent.

Wow barrett didn't know you had so much confidance in the Texans or maybe I should say Watson ? I don't see Watson even in the conversation with Mahomes as the top young QB in the league so surprised to see you say his best is better than all the others ?
I hope you are right about everything you say because nothing I'd like better than seeing the Texans make it to the SB.

Watson isn't the player Mahomes is at this point. Mahomes gets rid of the ball on time and makes off schedule plays. By getting rid of the ball he passes on the play making to big time play makers and lets them get hit.

Too often Watson holds the ball in anticipation of making an off schedule play. If he had a TE or RB who could make a play for him then that might improve some. Right now he has nobody in the short passing game and it makes him reliant on downfield big plays and intermediate plays. He needs to learn to let a play go and get them on the next one. His amazing talent leads him to think every play can be a winner.

But Watson combines one of the best deep balls in the league with the most escapability and that combo terrorizes defenses. They are left to defend for longer then 3 seconds against a guy who can drop a ball on the WRs head anywhere on the field. Put a healthy Will Fuller on the field for 16 games and I wouldn't be shocked to see him produce Mahomes numbers. Give him the full package of talent Mahomes plays with and I think he breaks the NFL even before he totally figures things out.

Foreman Cut.

We have zero talent at the position that is easiest and cheapest to acquire talent. Super weird.

CBS (and likely others) see it as an opening to acquire Melvin Gordon in trade with LAC.

You don't need to cut Foreman to go after Gordon. One has nothing to do with the other, as one would be the starter making millions and the other is rookie deal back-up making 3rd round money.

And I would be very surprised if they make any run at Gordon considering the amount of draft capital it would take to acquire him as well as the contract he's after.

Seems like just the latest in a string of bumbling moves by them. It had been reported that he was not the most diligent rehabber and that their were some attitude issues. Throw in the fact that he was recovering from arguably the worst injury a RB can suffer, you would think the Texans would have done something to prepare for the possibility that he wouldn't cut it. But no, here we are again with a position group completely and predictably decimated.

The backup RBs need to play ST. So if you get Gordon then Foreman is less valuable then all of the various camp flotsam since he doesn't play ST.

But I am in full agreement that our RB depth chart is sad.

And finally it doesn't sound like the release had anything to do with health but rather with attitude.

Harris Hits: Day 1 in Green Bay

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The Houston Texans signed free agent QB Jordan Ta'amu (Ole Miss). (McCarron has a bit of a hand injury, I believe).

The Houston Texans waived C D.J. Coker.

Texans sign RB Duke Johnson from the Browns for a 4th round pick. More of a pass catcher than a rusher it seems...

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Training Camp Day 10: Notes and Quotes:

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I think we overpaid with a 4th rounder but Johnson is a legitimate receiving back. His presence will hopefully help Watson get rid of the ball by providing a guy who can catch a short pass. Our TE/pass catching RBs were brutal before this.

Watched most of practice today.

Bernard McKinney is a huge human being. He also has a ton of fun out there.

Jordan Thomas is whatever is like 2 levels bigger than a huge human being. The guy dwarfs the linemen.

The TEs and Safeties went at it on my end of the field so I missed the WR/DBs. Jerell Adams is fast for a TE and ran great routes. He killed every DB he matched up with. Jordan Thomas can't get an inch of separation against man coverage.

In the team portion our offense looked good. Watson hit Fuller and Hopkins for nice gains over the middle. Fuller also had a play where he lined in tight to the line and then just ran a fade into the space outside. He wasn't 'open' but Watson threw it to the boundary and Fuller easily beat the DB to the ball for a beautiful play that was impossible to cover. And the ball came out on time in spite of no obvious read. Against our defense the Lions couldn't throw the ball at all. On almost half of the pass plays stafford ended up being flushed to his right and throwing on the run to nobody. They did gouge us on 1 run play where the guy went to the house even with 2 hand touch rules.

I hadn't been to a practice in 4 years and the atmosphere was way better. It seems like they cut the number of 'tickets' in half and the smaller crowd was way more fun. I also loved the shade over the bleachers.

And I forgot to add earlier that while watching the LBs work zone coverage drops I was struck that the assistant coach throwing the passes was built like an action figure. He was so huge I pulled up the list of assistants to figure out who he was.

Brian Cushing.

Let me just say our assistant strength coach looks fully qualified and also looks like he shouldn't pee in a cup any time soon.

This is encouraging. Thanks for sharing. Very happy the team is back from the Greenbriar.

The development of the young TEs is something I am very interested in following.

I have a hard time reconciling that head coaches allow their star players to compete in these joint practices where tickets are usually free, yet paying fans don't get that in the preseason games. Some two-handed touch vs. tackling sure, but I've also seen some hitting in these joint workouts, too.


Sorry for the off topic rant, but when 20% of your season ticket prices goes to that fake game garbage, I feel justified complaining.

The preseason is a racket beyond all doubt. Saw an article the other day they may go to 7 playoff teams and the 2 extra WC round games will be enough to make up for the revenue of cutting the preseason in half. So if that happens you'll be paying for one less worthless ticket.

But I get the draw for a coach to the practices. Coaches have far more control and every NFL coach is a control freak. They can take away the randomness of preseason games with crazy intense fringe guys gunning for jobs and replace it with controlled reps where their QBs where red jerseys. They can also sit behind the huddle and yell at guys. Matt Patricia was in a walking boot so he was using a 4 wheeler as his scooter with one leg on the 4 wheeler and one down. He drove right out to the 20 while his team operated from the 30. On Saturday he'll sit on the sideline while his guys get hurt at a rate about 500% higher than they did today for the same amount of reps.

Maybe they'll just start holding preseason practices on the game field and selling tickets. It's not like the NFL misses many opportunities to monetize the sport.

Hey Barrett hopefully you got a look-see at the OLine group and if so what are your thoughts about them and top Draft pick Tytus Howard in particular ?

I didn't see them at all in their individual drills. They were on one of the back fields.

In the team drill Watson had time on all but one play where he got hit pretty hard even though he wasn't taken to the ground. It happened so quickly after the snap I assume it was a missed assignment but without replay I'm not sure. In the running plays during the team portion Miller got the corner once so that was nice.

Honestly I can't say I saw a ton of the OL.

Training Camp Day 17: Notes and Quotes - Deepi Sidhu

More at link.

Was most impressed with RB Howell's performance on Saturday and wondering why we haven't seen more of him in real games.....

In the where-are-they-now department, Alfred Blue is with the Jags and has a shot as the back up RB but is nursing a sore ankle....

I miss the old cutdown dates. Made for some artificial drama and speculation.