He's a guy on reddit who happened to go to Greenbrier. I noticed that the Texans fanbase is much more fragmented online than the Rockets fanbase where the majority is on Clutchfans, so I visit all the Texans message boards and blogs to find any little tidbits, especially since not many people can visit Greenbrier due to its location.
Zero reporting today. Gese. Going to have to listen to 610 and the afternoon crew now for their updates.
There are updates. Just nothing new that stands out. Photos: https://www.chron.com/sports/texans/slideshow/July-31-Texans-training-camp-183761.php Hopkins excused from practice: https://www.chron.com/sports/texans...re-Hopkins-excused-from-practice-13120479.php Bill O'Brien not pleased after lethargic practice: http://abc13.com/sports/bill-obrien-unhappy-with-texans-after-rest-day-/3855319/ Spoiler WEST SULPHUR SPRINGS, West Virginia (KTRK) -- The second week of Texans training camp is in full swing at the Greenbrier in West Virginia. While the cooler weather could bring out the looseness in players, it could have some negatives. The off day for players did not seem to add any extra motivation, as it was a lethargic practice. DeAndre Hopkins was missing from practice on Tuesday and is not expected back until Thursday. Head coach Bill O'Brien called it a personal day and said it is nothing to worry about. On the heels of a day off, O'Brien didn't seem impressed with Tuesday's practice. "We need to come out, ready to go tomorrow." O'Brien also said some days will feature a different amount of reps in practice, making sure players are ready for the opening preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Post-practice interview transcripts: https://www.houstontexans.com/news/texans-transcripts-july-31
https://www.houstontexans.com/news/texans-transcripts-july-31 Spoiler HEAD COACH BILL O’BRIEN What have you seen from WR Sammie Coates Jr. so far? “Good work ethic, good speed, good size. (Can) help us, hopefully, on special teams and then does some decent stuff on offense. He’s done a good job. He’s done a good job.” Was this a veterans’ day off for WR DeAndre Hopkins and DE J.J. Watt? “Hop had a personal reason. He’ll be back, I think, on Thursday. J.J. Watt was out there for the practice I was watching.” Did you notice an extra hop in the players’ step after the day off? “Not really. I need to see that more. I think that they need to come out ready to go tomorrow.” Is there a ramp up in energy you want to see in the second week of training camp? “I think that’s something that we’re looking at. Definitely alternating days relative to reps. Some days you won’t see as many reps as another day and alternating that back and forth. I think that’s all part of trying to make sure that we’re ready to go for the Kansas City game.” From the players’ perspective, do you want them going full speed? “There are different drills in each practice. There are certain drills that are learning drills, focus, teaching drills. Then, there are other drills where they need to be going.” How has WR Braxton Miller been progressing? “He’s gotten better at knowledge of the offense. He’s a better route-runner. There’s a lot of things that he’s doing better offensively. It’s a very competitive position. Improving on special teams is a big deal for him, too. I think he comes out with a good attitude every day. As long as he does that, he’ll improve.” *What have you seen from CB Aaron Colvin? Do you think he can play outside as well as inside on the defense? *“I think primarily he’s going to play inside, but then there are going to be certain packages – I mean, we do so many things on defense – there’s going to be certain packages where he’ll play on the outside. He has the ability to do both. Mostly, in Jacksonville, he played on the inside of the coverage, inside of the formation, but here he’ll do a little bit of everything.” What does OLB Whitney Mercilus bring to this team? “Whitney’s a multiple-sack guy. He’s really good against the run. He’s a guy that’s a very valuable piece on our defense. He’s got a great work ethic. He’s an excellent teammate. He’s everything you’re looking for in a Houston Texan.” Why is it so important to not put the logos on the helmets in training camp? “The logos? On the helmet? I don’t know. It’s just something we do.” Is it to underline the importance of team? “Not really. I just don’t know if they’re ready yet at the print shop. So, I’m not sure. Don’t read too much into stuff. Just trying to get better every day.” Is there any chance you will use WR Braxton Miller in a wildcat-type formation? “C’mon man. I’m not going down that road. Good try.” What’s been the difference with CB Kevin Johnson so far in camp? “Very competitive guy. It’s hard. I think there’s been, the past couple of years, some injuries and I think he’s come back from the injuries. He’s in good shape. He feels good. He’s learned a lot over his first couple of years in the league and I think he’s playing with more patience. He’s just a great guy. He’s going to work hard to get better every day. That’s a big part of why he’s improved.” What has TE Jordan Thomas shown you so far? “Big guy, good size, good hands. He started out his career at Mississippi State, he was a receiver. Obviously, after last year, he’s 275 pounds. So, he moved closer to the ball the bigger he got. He’s really, the first few days here, he’s actually done a decent job blocking relative to being a young player – better than I thought he would do. I think if he can keep improving in that area, he’s good in the passing game, I really like what we’ve got there.” Can you tell us about TE Ryan Griffin? “Griff’s doing well. Griff’s a steady player for us. The whole thing with Griff is always staying healthy, feeling good about himself, physically. He’s a good player for us. He’s been a really solid player for us.” You talked a great deal about how tough it is to play tight end in this offense. “Yeah, there’s a lot involved in the running game and the passing game. You’re involved in the blocking, obviously in the running game, you’re involved very, very intricately in the passing game. Then, sometimes you’re involved in pass protection. So, you have to really understand all three areas of the offense. It’s a very difficult position, especially sometimes you’re playing ‘Y’, sometimes you’re playing ‘F’, sometimes you’re playing ‘U’. So, we ask him to do all three different things, so it takes an intelligent guy and he is.” Many players attribute their physical shape, increase in muscle and healthy diet to Senior Director of Sports Performance Luke Richesson, how does that process work? “I think we’re all in a communication with the players. I think we have a lot of different people here that we’ve hired over the last year that have really contributed to these guys feeling good about themselves physically. I think, obviously, Luke and his crew, he has a really good staff, they do a great job with the players in different areas. Then we have Ladd (Harris) and Jacob (Mertens) who work with them on nutrition. So, I think there’s a lot of different things that are going on in our organization now that are really good for the players. It’s up to them to take advantage of it, but we all communicate on it, what’s best for the player. Each player is different in their needs, what they need to improve and things like that. So, there’s a lot of meetings that take place to make sure the player understands what he needs to be better.” Did you talk to Senior Director of Sports Performance Luke Richesson about your personal fitness? “No, no, no. I’m a lost cause.” How do you quantify the leadership role RB Lamar Miller has on this team? “Very good pro. A guy that really leads by example, smart guy, good runner, good pass protector. He has really improved in the passing game and his route running in this training camp. Really like the way he’s come into camp here. He’s playing really well for us.” Does anything stand out about CB Aaron Colvin? “Yeah, very competitive, smart guy, instinctive player, can do a couple of different things, relative to playing inside, playing outside. He’s helping us on special teams. So, he’s a versatile guy that is a good guy, a very good guy, a very competitive guy.”
What has TE Jordan Thomas shown you so far? “Big guy, good size, good hands. He started out his career at Mississippi State, he was a receiver. Obviously, after last year, he’s 275 pounds. So, he moved closer to the ball the bigger he got. He’s really, the first few days here, he’s actually done a decent job blocking relative to being a young player – better than I thought he would do. I think if he can keep improving in that area, he’s good in the passing game, I really like what we’ve got there.” Thats about as glowing a review as you will get out of BOB. Impressive.
John Harris' Training Camp Report: August 1st https://www.houstontexans.com/news/the-harris-hurryup-august-begins-at-texanscamp
I see they intentionally put rookies towards the end of the depth chart. But Stephen Anderson is the 5th Tight End? LOL
Saw that. That was the one thing I was most curious about. I guess the rookies really are making an impression and/or Anderson has been that bad.
The problem with Anderson is that he's essentially just a large WR but he doesn't have the size that Ryan Griffin or Jordan Thomas do....hell even Jordan Akins and Mycole Pruitt have size on him when it comes to ass mass. The team likely believes that they have better receiving only TE options and he's nothing resembling a blocker.
