Did you see the earlier video of him jumping up on a box? Looked really small. Now he looks like "brutus." Hmmm.
Cush in February: One thing about having a lot of muscle, if you already have it and then lose it, you can put it back on faster than if you're building that muscle for the first time.
Quotes from day 1 of training camp: Head Coach Bill O’Brien Spoiler (on how the first practice was for everybody) “You know it was the first practice. There was some good and some bad. These guys, first thing is, the guys that ran the conditioning test, every one of them, the guys that ran it, passed it, which that is a good start. So I feel like we got off on the right foot there. We still, we’ve got a long way to go as far as getting used to our practice tempo and how we do things. But so far, I think we started off ok.” (on if the conditioning test given to the players is the norm) “Pretty standard. I mean, I know there are different ones. You’re either in condition or you’re not. You can do shuttle runs, you can do forty-yard dashes, you could do gassers. No matter what you do it will be a test of their stamina, their conditioning level, and I felt like our guys, the guys that ran it, did a nice job.” (on the atmosphere of having the fans there) “I always think that is good. You know, I think the fans of Houston are awesome. It’s a football town. It’s a football state. You know, I think one of our, I believe one of the things we talk about a lot is making sure we represent our organization well because we have great fans that take a lot of pride in our football team. We’re doing everything we can to make sure that we field a very competitive football team and give our fans something to really cheer for.” (on the sharpness and the intensity being where he would like it to be) “I felt like the intensity and the competitiveness was good. I felt like the sharpness was something we’ve got to continually work on.” (on Jadeveon Clowney’s health) “He’s practicing and he’s rehabbing. We’re staying with the rehab protocol, which allows him to practice a little bit. We just stick with that and he’ll be fine.” (on allowing Jadeveon Clowney to participate when the pads go on) “We’ll see where we’re at when we get to that day.” (on Jadeveon Clowney being on some sort of restrictions) “Sure. Just like every guy that is coming off a surgery that is out there. Everybody has a different level of restriction, like you said, which is a good way to put it. What they can and can’t do and we as a coaching staff follow the protocol of (head athletic trainer) Geoff Kaplan and the doctors. We’ve got the best when it comes to that. We do that and these guys are edgy, they want to get going, but it’s a long season. So we bring them back at their pace. When they’re ready to go, they’ll go.” (on having Andre Johnson back at practice) “It’s good to have everybody out there. It’s good to have everybody out there. It’s good to have 90 guys out there. Of course, like I’ve said many times in the past, when you have a player like Andre Johnson, what he means to this organization and what he means to this football team, the type of player he has been over the years, I’ve had the chance to watch him quite a bit on film, and he’s a fantastic player and we’re glad to have him out there and we’re glad to have everyone out there.” (on Andre Johnson not doing the offseason work with the offense) “I think in the first year of a new program, football-wise, scheme-wise, it’s important for everybody to do extra work. Every single position, everything is new, everything is different, so I think it is important for everybody to get in extra work. Not just this guy, that guy, this guy with that guy. Everybody needs to make sure that they do something extra after practice, in between practices, watching an extra piece of film, maybe getting extra treatment, maybe run an extra sprint, because somebody on some other team is certainly doing that. We’ve got to try and do our best to stay up with the other 31 teams.” (on Andre Johnson discussing the change of culture within the building and players ‘buying in’) “I don’t really know what that means. I know you guys asked me a lot about that in the spring. I’m not sure what like buying in and not buying in. We have a strong belief in how to win. Our coaching staff and our players, it’s not our coaching staff has a strong belief and the players don’t. That’s not what it is. We all do. We’ve all got to try and get better each and every day. That’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to compete better, we’re trying to coach better, we’re trying to play better, we’re trying to work on our technique, improve every single day, and that’s what is great about coaching is to see the improvement. Every single day you go out there and see a guy or a unit get better and a team gets better. That is what it’s all about. So that’s what we are doing.” (on the closeness of the first game against the Washington Redskins and how that affects training camp practices) “I think the point you are making with that question is a good one, meaning we have an installation process that leads up to our first game, and I’m talking about our first regular season game. Right now what we’re trying to do is make sure that we get everybody enough reps to make sure that we not only teach them our schemes, but we give them a fair evaluation, a fair chance to make the team. That is why you’ll see a lot of different drills go on at once. You didn’t see it as much today. You did a little bit in the beginning. You’ll see it more as we move on. We’ll do more two-spot drills to get a bunch of guys reps at once instead of just everyone standing around watching 22 guys go and 70 guys are standing there, 68 guys are standing there. We’re getting a bunch of guys reps. And then as we work through that process and then we get closer to the 75 cut and then we’ve got to make some tough decisions. Then we get closer to the 53 cut, then hopefully we’re in a position there where we’re ready to practice and game plan for our first game. We are light years away from that right now.” (on if the work put in during the voluntary portions of the offseason showed up today) “I definitely am a strong believer in the offseason program. I believe that we are in better condition than we were on April 7, much better. I believe we are more in tune with our schemes. I think now we’ve got to get in tuned with how we do things in training camp. Nothing is easy in this league. Everything is difficult. Everything that anybody gets on this team, coach or player, will be earned. Everything will be earned. That is the process that we are in now. That is the beauty of training camp. You’ve got 90 guys plus the coaches and the rest of the organization coming together to chip in and field a winning football team. Yesterday in our team meeting, first team meeting, we had probably just about 200 people right in that auditorium and that was good. I had everyone involved with the organization on the football side of things in there. The scouting department, the trainers, the equipment, the video, the security, obviously the owner, Mr. (Bob) McNair and Cal (McNair) was in there and Rick Smith, our general manager, and we all got off on the right foot, the same foot. And now we’ve got to try and work on that every single day. That is the beauty of training camp.” (on Johnathan Joseph and other players hampered by injuries) “I think you guys were racing in from the field when I answered that before. Everybody has a got a different plan of rehab, and what we do as coaches, we stick with the plan. Some guys can do this amount of practice, some guys can do a little bit more, some guys can do a little bit less. And we try to ramp them up where they can through a full practice. We just stick to it because it is a long season. Johnathan Joseph has had a ton of success in this league and we just want to make sure that he is ready to go when he feels like he is ready to go and the doctors and the trainers feel like he is ready to go. And that is where we are at right now.” (on Brandon Brooks not being on the active list to start training camp) “That is between myself and Brandon Brooks. He’s working hard to get back on the field, but he’s dealing with something.” (on when the tackle portion of training camp will begin) “So the first two practices, you have a three day acclimation period. So the first day is conditioning and team meetings and things like that. And then the next two days are helmets and shells. The third day, which is Monday, will be full pads. We’ll be in full pads quite a bit.” (on the install portion of practice and what you find out about the guys in that process) “No question. First thing we did was the conditioning test and I thought that was a good sign because all the guys that ran the conditioning test passed it. I think we’re a team right now in no pads that is in pretty good position. Now when the pads go on, that is a little bit different. We’ll see where we are there. We’re working through making sure that these guys understand what it takes to grind through a training camp practice. I would say we were intense today and we were competitive, but we weren’t as sharp as we need to be. We’re going to continue to work on that as a football team. But yes, it is a process of getting them in condition. They’re already in condition, but getting them in contact condition, playing condition and being able to play with full pads on, and then it is a process of making sure that they grind through and that they are sharp all the way through a practice. That is what we are working towards right now.” (on having a player like Andre Johnson and pushing him in training camp and the preseason) “We’re a long ways away from that. That is a great question. Andre and I had a lot of discussions during the time that he was away. We got to know each other. We talked a lot about the offense. I wouldn’t say that we got so much into scheme, but we talked a lot about concepts. When a guy has played that many years in this league at such a high level, they get it. They’ve played in some really good systems. They understand, ‘Hey, this means that.’ They can associate, ‘Hey, that is something similar to what we did in the past. Oh, that might be different. I’ve got to learn that.’ He’s a bright guy. He’s an extremely talented football player. We’re glad he’s back. When he’s ready to go, he’ll be going.” (on Andre Johnson saying that O’Brien doesn’t just tell players what they want to hear but what they need to hear) “I don’t know. You’d have to ask them.” (on his philosophy with hitting in practice with pads) “You know, there are a lot of things that you think about when the pads go on. Whether it is live, when to go live, meaning tackle to the ground like a game, when it’s thud, when it’s what we call tag off, where we’re not in contact, so we have that all planned out, but we also gauge that on a day-to-day basis based on the injury report or as our staff sees it. Hey look, this is what we’ve got to do with this guy. Different guys have different things that they need to get done on a day-to-day basis. We’ve got it mapped out right now, certainly not for public disclosure. But, those that come to practice will see. They’ll see the plan. It will be a competitive training camp.” (on if the addition of Akeem Dent shifts Brooks Reed to only outside and not inside) “We talk about with our guys quite a bit. We talk about the phrase ‘the more you can do’. So we played Brooks on the inside in the spring. Right now we’re playing him in both places. Today we played him on the outside quite a bit. He’s a multiple player. He can do those things. With the addition of (Akeem) Dent, who is an inside backer and also a very good special teams player, we’ll work him in there and see how he does. I think all of our guys needs to, it’s something I talked to the team about yesterday about understanding the whole concept of the offense and the defense and the special teams. How everything works together. Then if you need to fill in at another position, you can do that because you’ve understood it, you’ve done it, you’ve learned it, you’ve put the time in. All of the guys understand that.” (on what young players can learn from a veteran like Tyson Clabo) “Again, he’s played a bunch of years. Anybody that has played, I have a strong belief in this, guys that have played six years, seven years, eight years, nine years and 10 years, those guys have seen a lot of snaps, played a lot of football and I always tell the rookies to listen to the coaches, make sure you understand your assignments and watch the vets. Watch how they do things. The successful veterans, which anybody that has lasted that long in this league has been successful, and I think you can learn from all of the vets.” (on how close the competition between Brandon Harris and A.J. Bouye is shaping up) “I think all of the competitions are close. I really do. I think we have a competitive roster. We’ve tried very hard to put a competitive roster together. You have when we call for ones, there is a first team, we have a lot of different personnel groupings though. So there is a first in this personnel grouping and a first team in that personnel grouping. But I think competition everywhere is important to the team and I think there is competition at every position. I could go down and we’d be here forever. That is one of them, certainly, but there is many, many others.” (on bringing in Tyson Clabo and the comfort at the offensive tackle position) “You know, I don’t think in this league, in my opinion, especially my first year as a head coach, I don’t think I’ll ever feel comfortable. But I do believe that we have a good bunch of guys there that are competitive and they are working hard and I like the way they communicate. I like the way they work and we just have to become sharper in our assignments, in our techniques and things like that. We feel good for right now, for day one of training camp, for where we are at.” T Duane Brown Spoiler (on how day one of training camp was for him) “It was good. It was good. Knocking the dust off, learning some new terminology, getting some good work against our defense. I think it was a good start. (on the bad taste in his mouth from last season) “We’re not focusing on it too much. It’s a new year, it’s a new start, and it’s a new team. We’re not forgetting about it but we’re not worried about it too much. We’re all about this year and how we can improve the team this year.” (on Arian Foster) “He looked good. He looked good. He got some quality reps but he looked good.” (on if it is difficult adjusting to the heat without playing in it) “Not really. You know, being in Houston it is part of the deal, but it only makes it tougher. Being out here with everybody, everybody is grinding here together. It really brings us together and builds that chemistry and that bond. It’s not easy but that’s the beauty of it.” (on Coach O’Brien imposing discipline on the team) “It’s accountability; holding everyone accountable. He holds all of us to high expectations and we’re professionals so you gotta come out here about your business and know your cues or he’s gonna make you pay for it.” (on the amount of breaks players get) “Yeah, there are fewer breaks. We’re always going. But it’s good. That’s the beauty of the grind.” (on how being bigger in size helps him) “Just being able to anchor it better. I’ve been bless with athleticism, I really work on my quickness, but I really have to work a lot to keep my weight on. And it helps me to anchor a bit. A lot of those guys that I’m going against on the edge, they’re quick but they’re strong as well so I always feel like I’m able to mirror them pretty well. But being able to anchor and create that pocket is always good and it also helps in the run game getting the extra drive and pushing off the ball.” OLB Jadeveon Clowney Spoiler (on how he’s progressing after his surgery) “I’m getting better, taking it one day at a time, learning the plays, running around, getting back to it.” (on how he feels health-wise) “Like I said, I’m just taking it one day at a time, letting the trainers take it one day at a time. I’m just trying to come back, get back for the first game.” (on if he thinks he’s 100 percent) “No. I’m not going to give it a percentage, but I know I’m not 100 percent.” (on if he is limited) “Yes sir, limited.” (on what it was like to be out here for the first time with his teammates) “It felt good to get everybody back out here, back learning the playbook. Just looking forward to getting back in to the mix and I’m looking forward to the season.” (on the biggest challenge for him at practice today) “No big challenge, it was just running around, learning the playbook still, being alert.” (on if he’ll be ready to practice in full pads) “I don’t know. I hope so, but I’ll let the trainers make that call.” (on how he feels now compared to OTAs) “I’m a lot better than where I was. I learned a lot of the playbook already, so we have to keep pushing and keep getting better every day.” (on his goals during training camp) “Being the best teammate I can be. Like the guys tell me every day, just try to be the best teammate, a better teammate each day, get better, listen, learn what to do.” (on his comfort level with his new position) “I’m feeling very comfortable. I still have a lot of work to do. Just keep getting better and better each day.” (on who he leans on to help him with the transition) “My coach (Mike Vrabel). I think I have one of the best coaches in the game, in this business. I’m just listening to him and talking to him. I’m listening to him more than anybody.” (on when he started working out after surgery) “I started running during the second or third week.” (on if he feels a little better each day) “Yes, ma’am. Every day. One day at a time, rehabbing and see where it goes.” (on what he did over the past four weeks) “I studied the playbook, worked out, treatment, did just about everything to try to better myself so I could get back with the team.” (on if he stayed in Houston) “Yes, I stayed here.” (on if it is more exciting now that camp started that he’s in the NFL) “It’s very exciting. It was exciting the first time I got out here with the guys I looked up to coming in to the NFL – J.J. Watt, Johnathan Joseph, D.J. (Swearinger), guys like that on my team, I just I looked up to before I got here so now that I’m here with them, it’s even better.” (on if it’s exciting to see Andre Johnson out here) “Very exciting. I talked to him when he got here and I said, ‘I’m glad you’re back’ and he started smiling. I’m glad he’s back.” QB Ryan Fitzpatrick Spoiler (on working in this kind of heat) “I grew up in Arizona, the dry heat. 115 is hot, too. It’s a different deal but we’re out here practicing and working hard, just like everybody else is. There are plenty of other teams that are working in the same heat.” (on the heat not being a culture shock to him) “Today wasn’t too bad, in terms of the weather.” (on his first impressions of WR Andre Johnson and developing a relationship with him) “He’s a true pro. I think everybody here knows that and I’ve always admired him from afar. I’ve heard a lot about his work ethic and the way that he attacks everything. It was nice to sit back and throw to him a little bit today. There’s a lot of work, not only with him, but with everybody, in terms of getting everybody on the same page. We’ve got to get that going here during camp.” (on if it was hard to not take it personally when WR Andre Johnson wasn’t with the team during the offseason) “No, not at all. I came in, I didn’t put a lot of thought into that, hoping that eventually stuff was going to work itself out. I’m glad to see him here.” (on if he was pleased with the way everything went the first day of training camp) “We had too many assignment errors. We had too many mistakes. It showed up in the early training camp, too, just guys kind of getting back into it. I think tomorrow will be a big day and the next day, just in terms of we’ve got our base level now but we’ve got to continue to get better every day.” (on if he’s been in practices that have had live contact in the past and if he thinks it’s better to practice that way) “It’s the NFL and it’s a very physical game, so those guys have to get ready for (it). And it’s good for us too as quarterbacks to kind of have that chaos going on around you and not allowing it to bother you.” (on if he likes it when his coach pumps up the music at practice) “I might have to bring some earplugs. It was pretty loud but it’s great for us as an offense; being able to communicate whether it’s with facial expressions and looks or hand signals and being able to get everybody on the same page in the most difficult environment.” (on if music or noise is new for him at practice) “Maybe haven’t done as much noise but everywhere pretty much does noise.” (on if he likes Bill O’Brien’s play list at practice) “I’m too focused. I have no idea what it is.” WR Andre Johnson Spoiler (on how his first practice back with the team went) “I felt it went fine. I was studying my plays and the stuff for me to do and stuff like that. They didn’t want to just throw me out there with this being my first day and stuff. Things continued to get better as the day went on. So far, the first day install I picked up pretty well. I went out there and wasn’t really thinking a lot. I got with Fitz (Ryan Fitzgerald) after everything last night and me and him went over some stuff. Everybody has been very helpful with me picking up everything. It’s just fun to be back out here and be with my teammates and getting back to football.” (on if he’s staying away from anything due to time missed in the offseason) “Coaches, when they go up and have their meetings, they have certain things they want you to do. It’s not just with me, it’s with everybody, and if they’re coming off injuries or things like that. A lot of times they try to just work you back slowly. I’m pretty sure that as every day progresses, I’ll be doing more and more stuff. It’s just the first day.” (on his first impressions of Ryan Fitzpatrick) “I like him. My first time ever meeting him was at J.J (Watt)’s softball game. He’s great. He’s been very helpful. He has been communicating a lot.” (on how important it is to develop a good relationship with Ryan Fitzpatrick) “Yeah it is. He’s the quarterback. We have to be on the same page, especially in this offense. There is a lot of communication and a lot of stuff that goes on. Just being on the same page as him, we’ll just keep working every day and trying to get better as a group.” (on how much his offseason regimen helped him for today) “I was able to go out and still run the conditioning test with the team and stuff like that. I think normally, when you have stuff like that with guys coming in, they usually don’t pass it. I was able to do it. I wouldn’t’ say that I’m in tip-top football shape right now. I think that just comes with time and doing stuff out here on the field, things like you’re normally doing in games. Like I said, every day it will get better and better. I’m looking forward to it.” (on what it means to him that he was able to pass the conditioning test despite not being here for workouts) “It doesn’t really matter. I’m just here to play ball, man. That’s it. All that other stuff, it is what it is. Like I said, I’m going to continue to come in here and work the way I’ve been working for the past 11 years and try to help this organization to where it wants to be.” (on how steep of a learning curve it is to learn this new offense) “It’s a little different. There’s a lot more information and a lot more formations and stuff like that. The first time I looked at the playbook, I was like, ‘Wow.’ There are definitely some differences. It’s a challenge, not just for me, but for everybody. A lot of the guys that were here last year, when they first saw it, they thought the same thing. They’ve been in it longer than I have, but like I said, I’ll catch up. I look forward to this upcoming season.” (on his thoughts on Bill O’Brien’s demeanor on the field) “I love it. It’s great. The one thing that I like about him and I think that’s the thing when I first met him, he’s straight up with you. He will let you know what needs to be heard. He’s not just going to tell you what you want to hear. I love his demeanor, it’s fun. I think just his whole attitude and everything he brings is a lot of fun.” (on if he likes how loud Bill O’Brien is) “I love it. It’s great. I think it’s something that was needed around this place. I’m excited about it.” (on if it is weird having to lean on the younger receivers to help learn the playbook) “No, it’s not weird. Guys still ask questions with certain routes and things like that. The thing about it and I tell the young guys, ‘If you see me do something wrong, don’t hesitate to tell me.’ I don’t really worry about a young guy telling me something. I think that’s how you make the whole group better, when you can all critique each other.” (on his first-day chemistry with Ryan Fitzpatrick) “I think it was fine. I’m pretty sure it will get better as time goes on. It was our first day out here, so things will continue to get better for us.” WR Keshawn Martin Spoiler (on young receivers who have stood out to him) “Well everybody has been making good plays. We’re young, so young guys get to step up and for the most part, everybody’s been doing it.” (on what the playbook has been like for him) “It’s tough. But that’s how this business is. You’ve got to learn new stuff. You get a new staff and you’ve got to learn to stuff and you’ve got to be ready for it.” (on if the new offense plays to some of his strengths) “I like the offense a lot. We’ll see about that.” (on how much bulk he’s put on in the offseason) “I put on a little muscle. Not as much weight but just a little muscle.” (on how he feels) “I feel good. I feel nice and light.” (on if there is something he has to do better to make himself a more complete player) “With me, I just want to get out there, be more physical at the top of my routes. Just get better every day, learning the playbook, learning all the spots.” OLB Whitney Mercilus Spoiler (on the pressure on him to play well in increased role) “I’m not really worried about the pressure. I’m just focusing on the here and now right now and I’m just going at it each and every day. I’m out here to perfect my craft each and every day.” (on if he’s had time in offseason to adjust to new defense) “We’ve already had time in OTAs and minicamp so now it’s just forming the team and the 53 guys during this time. Pretty much that and we’ve got to be ready to go right now because it’s full speed.” (on the defense’s potential) “We’ve got playmakers all over the place and becoming just one unit and having our leaders step up and bringing up the guys who are young and things like that, we’re going to be a pretty good team.” (on the differences under Coach O’Brien) “We already went through in OTAs and minicamps. Right now going into it we already know what’s expected of camp. Pretty much it’s just we know exactly is expected of Bill O’Brien and what he expects of us and right now we have to come out here and just do it.” (on if open practices brings more out of the team) “Of course, yeah some guys probably want to show off a little bit, do some good plays. Just don’t be that guy who actually messes up, but other than that you just have to be focused on your assignment on the practice field and make sure you’re doing your technique right.” (on Jadeveon Clowney’s first practice back from surgery) “I can’t really touch on that. The guy has to speak for himself on that. If you’re injured the motto is just work your butt off to get back on the field. That’s it.” (on if Jadeveon Clowney has communicated with him) “No. I wouldn’t assume that everybody would call him if they had their own ways or if Clowney was sitting here and doing rehab.” (on differences between camp last year and this year) “The setup is different, how we go through practice and the practice we go through. But that’s about it. But everything else is pretty much the same. Fast tempo, building our conditioning up and trying to find the right 53 guys to get on the field.” (on if the players staying in hotels is a good idea) “I think so. It definitely builds a lot of chemistry. Everybody goes back to the hotel. You get some downtime. You’re able to chat with some guys and that’s where you feel you learn to make those bonds between each other.” (on if he’s had a coach run sprints with him like Coach Mike Vrabel did) “No, but I bet you Mike Vrabel would do that.” (on Mike Vrabel running sprints with the linebackers) “Oh yeah? I didn’t even see that. I was way over on the other end. He’s definitely an energetic guy.” http://www.houstontexans.com/news/a...ing-Camp/1282dc04-37d1-4f78-979b-59dba1ec38fc
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The Texans signed outside linebackers Lawrence Sidbury and Quentin Groves.</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/statuses/493242271760785408">July 27, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Video of John Harris explaining how Andre Johnson will fit in O'Brien's offense. http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-med...lines-up/96bc37bf-e96a-489e-afa9-7a5b599869c3
I don't know who the other guy is but Groves could be a productive find. With good coaching he and Mercilus could rotate that lb spot and terrorize qbs. I'm intrigued
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>BACK TO WORK. Watch highlights from Sunday's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash">#Texans</a> practice NOW. VIDEO: <a href="http://t.co/KnWs6AC53D">http://t.co/KnWs6AC53D</a> <a href="http://t.co/KTxR742AVN">pic.twitter.com/KTxR742AVN</a></p>— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) <a href="https://twitter.com/HoustonTexans/statuses/493424842192875523">July 27, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Worth a look, but have been underachievers. Groves was a 2nd rounder with physical skills, but never put it all together. I think bringing these guys in with Vrabel will help to increase camp competition and maybe one of them will surprise us.
The Texans have their first casualty of camp. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>G Cody White suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Saturday's practice. He played in one game last season.</p>— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/McClain_on_NFL/statuses/493440120041656320">July 27, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Andre in the Slot The 'Welker Position' He is a better Receiver than Welker and bigger target Fitz is no Tom Brady . . . . I think it equals out. Rocket River
Quotes from day 2 of training camp: Head Coach Bill O’Brien Spoiler (on how the second day of practice compared to day one) “I thought the execution was slightly better. We’re still a long way from where we need to be, but the guys are really taking the coaching and they’re trying to get better. The intensity is good. The tempo is decent, not near where it needs to be or where it is going to be, but it was overall a better day than yesterday, which is what you are looking for, improvement every day.” (on if Arian Foster is OK) “Is Arian (Foster) OK? As far as I know.” (on he and the coaching staff evaluate the drills and operate on a daily basis) “We are extremely detailed. Just like every staff in the league. We watch every bit. We watch quarterback-center exchange. We film that. We watch every drill. The drills that we are behind on watching we try to catch up on the next day. Maybe we move a meeting around so we can get it all watched, but we watch every bit of practice to evaluate.” (on the speed and style of the training camp sessions so far) “We like to play at a fast tempo overall. We believe in controlling the tempo. Obviously, offensively is what I am talking about. I think early in training camp when you are installing, it’s not a review because a lot of these plays have been run obviously in the spring, but you’re still in an installation mode. So you’re huddling, you’re going to the ball, you’re calling the play in the huddle and you’re going to the football. Hopefully by practice six, seven and eight, that process speeds up to the point where now you’re in no huddle and then your huddling and your back and forth and controlling the tempo on offense. I just think we’re a long way away from where we are going to be as far as tempo is concerned.” (on the loud music at practice) “You know, I just really believe in that. Obviously, places that I have been we did it. I felt like it did a few things. It forced communication with the players. The coaches aren’t out there on Sundays telling you what you alignment is, what call you should make and who the ‘Mike’ is. You’re out there as a player on your own. You’ve got to figure it out in communication with your teammates so that you crank the music it forces communication among teammates. Then they get to know each other’s body language and how they do a signal or how they do this or how they do that. I think that is good. And then obviously, I just see, I believe a difference in the enthusiasm and the tempo of practice when you crank the practice. Not to say that they always like my music selections, but they seem to like when the music is going.” (on the outside linebackers, Quentin Groves and Lawrence Sidbury, added to the team today) “We just always are looking at each position to make it the most competitive position we can.” (on the quarterback reps leading in the first preseason game will be determined) “It’s predetermined basically in the first three or four practices. Fitzy (Ryan Fitzpatrick) will get the bulk of the reps, and then right now Case (Keenum) is getting the second most and Tommy (Tom Savage) gets quote en quote the third most. But basically Tommy probably gets a lot of reps on his own because we do a two-spot drill there in the beginning of practice and we’ll do more of those as practice where he gets his own reps and Case comes over and gets some of those reps to. So it balances itself out, and then we determine who is ahead of who after a few practices. However many practices we think we need to determine who the backup quarterback is going to be. We’ll take our time with that. You know, right now it is Ryan, it’s Case and then it’s Tom.” (on Alan Bonner and Cody White not being at practice) “We’re still in evaluation on that. They both went down with something yesterday and at some point in time we’ll let you know, but they’re still getting checked out by our medical people.” (on if he noticed Lacoltan Bester intensity at practice) “No. But, you know, I’m not trying to be, I just didn’t notice that with him. I like Lacoltan. I think he works extremely hard. I haven’t seen really anyone really jump out. I think we’re working hard as a team. Everyone is trying to learn the system and execute. We’re trying to hold ourselves, each other, coaching staff, players, we’re all in it together and we’re trying to hold each other to a high standard. I wouldn’t say anyone has jumped out or not jumped out or jumped in or whatever. I just know that we’re out there working and trying to get better every day.” (on what goes on from the end of the morning practice until the afternoon practice) “What we do is we take a little break here, grab some lunch, work out, whatever as coaches. Then we go upstairs and we watch the tape from the morning practice. It usually takes between two and a half to three hours to do that. Then we go to a basically a special teams meeting in the afternoon. Offensive and defensive meeting in the afternoon and then we go to a walk through either on the field or in the bubble. And that is basically an hour and a half or an hour and 45 minutes divided up between the first portion of it being special teams. Its corrections from the morning practice and then looking ahead to the next practice or the next two practices, and then that is the same thing with the offense and defense. We correct some things that have to be fixed. We talk a lot about fixing problem within a game. You’ve got to fix problems in the game. You can’t wait until halftime or Monday to fix something that came up in the game. We’ve got to fix those problems either on the practice field or in the walkthrough, and then move on to the next practice.” (on fixing problems on the go, specifically a running back dropping passes) “We do those. I don’t know if you see the drill where we do there in the middle of practice where we call it a turnover tackling type drill where they have to catch, they get hit simultaneously and then they have to force the tackler to miss, the tackler has got to take the proper angle, those types of things. We make them do extra work on the jugs machine, extra work with the quarterbacks and all kinds of drills. At the end of the day, they have to catch the football. They have to intercept the football when it is there for them. Ultimately, it is up to the player to get better at that. But we as coaches try to do everything we can to help them improve.” (on the young draft picks acclimating to training camp) “I think you’d probably have to ask them. I think so far it has been OK. I think the guys came back in shape. All the guys, all the rookie guys that ran the conditioning test passed it. I feel like they did what we asked them to do in that regard. We feel like it is a good class, a good bunch of guys and fun guys to coach, but it’s a big jump. It’s not easy. Nothing against anything in college, but when you go from, say you’re Xavier Su’a-Filo, and you go from blocking whoever you were blocking in the Pac-12 to six short months later you’re blocking J.J. Watt. That is a little bit different ball game, so I think they are adjusting as good as they can. They just have to keep trying to get better every single day.” (on what you want to see from the guys in full pads) “Yes, tomorrow we will be in full pads. I just want to see these guys come out and compete. I want to see these guys do a good job with contact speed. I want to see these guys make sure that they take the meeting to the walk through and then ultimately for all of us, we’re all here to produce on the field and win. That is what we are here for. Hopefully, those guys go out there and get better from where they were today.” (on whether they will go live tomorrow) “You’ll probably be at practice? Yeah. You’ll find out then.” (on the heat of practice and if it affects practice) “I coached at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Altitude? What are you, a geography major? I mean, it is Texas. It is hot, whatever. These guys are doing fine. We’re not expecting an Alaskan cold front to come in wiping through here. We’re out there and we’re going. We’re practicing. We go out there every day with the mission of getting better. We don’t really worry about things we can’t control. We can do nothing about the weather. All we can control is what we do and what we know and how we produce on the field and how hard we play and what type of condition we’re in. How hard we’re studying and working and all those things. With all due respect to the question, that is not anything that we think about.” (on if the heat of practice helps players get into better shape) “I mean, I think there are 31 other teams that are getting in shape. I think it is hot everywhere right now. That is what it’s all about. Everybody is working hard to be ready for their first game.” (on if he chooses the musical playlist at practice) “Yeah, for the most part I do. Sometimes I’ll ask the guys. It’s a big thing because I love music and the players love music. My thing is all we do is that we try to make sure that it is respectful music and that everyone gets a little taste of each other’s music or whichever ones they like. We just try to crank it loud and the guys seem to enjoy it. They make fun of me a lot because of my selections, but it’s all in good humor. It’s fun.” (on guys like Jadeveon Clowney and Johnathan Joseph and how much of bringing them back to speed is determined before or during practice) “I would say that any, especially the rookies, I would say especially the rookies, they are on a need-to-know basis. We just let them go and Kap (Geoff Kaplan) and I discuss it, and that is how it goes.” (on veterans like Tyson Clabo and Akeem Dent coming in and if they have different expectations coming in) “I think you have to treat them brand new in the fact that they are brand new to the way we do things. But I do also believe that there is respect level for what they’ve done in the league. I do think that you want to make sure that they understand what you’re doing but you also want to when they’re here after a few weeks, a couple weeks or three weeks, that, you know, maybe they have something they’ve seen in places where they’ve been that is good too. For right now, it just like they are brand new and we’re just making sure they know how we do things.” T Tyson Clabo Spoiler (on avoiding another season like last season) “Like I said, we’re not looking back. This is where I wanted to be and it’s where I’m at.” (on what J.J. Watt was like when he played against him) “Long.” (on why this team was enticing) “Like I said, I’ve been down here before, played down here several times. The atmosphere here for home games is tremendous. I just like the city. I sat down with Coach O’Brien and really enjoyed our time together. I knew Coach Dunn. I know they have a lot of talent on the roster. It was an easy decision.” (on the depth at offensive line) “Yeah, but we have a long way to go. We have a lot of work to do. When I watched myself yesterday it looked like I hadn’t played football in 7 months. And I anticipate that every day I need to get a little bit better and so we all have that same—looking through the same set of eyes. We all know that we have a lot of improvement to do to get ready for the opening.” (on where he played in Europe) “Hamburg.” (on if he picked up any German) “No, very little and it was a long time ago so I forgot it all.” OLB Quentin Groves Spoiler (on if the coaching staff was a deciding factor in him signing) “It is. (Mike) Vrabel is probably one of the best 3-4 outsides to play the game. To pick his brain and to ask him questions is a plus. And Romeo (Crennel) had probably one of the greatest defenses to ever play with the New England Patriots. So it’s exciting. I haven’t gotten a chance to sit down with Romeo and just talk football yet, but I’m anticipating that change to do that. They have great minds—they are great minds. I’m thankful for the opportunity to come in and learn.” (on if putting the pads on is the same with a different team) “It is. Once you put those pads on—it’s even the same in underwear, you can only do so much—but when the pads are on and you go click clack and people start and you can’t hide anymore, you know what I mean? So we’ll see what everybody’s about. I’m gonna be a little rusty. I haven’t had the pads on in probably over six or seven months because I ended the season on IR. So it’s gonna be exciting, you know, to see how people move, see how people hit, see how people get a couple ‘ooh’s’, a couple ‘ah’s’ out of the crowd so it’s always exciting when the pads go on.” (on his fit with the team) “I think I fit in pretty nice. I think I fit in pretty well, special teams-wise and outside linebacker. Some of this stuff is going to carry over and all you have to do is learn the terminology. By the grace of the most high I think I’m smart enough to do that and learn that so I’m thankful for the opportunity.” (on his comfort level with what the team is doing) “I do, I do. Like I said, it’s pretty much the same thing I’ve been doing for the past 3 or 4 years. It’s just learning the terminology; just learn what it means to talk differently like this defense. Once you get those words out you pretty much know it.” (on if practice was more difficult after having taken time off) “No, because one thing I did was I stayed in shape. I kept practicing football and studying football, and football is football. Cover-3 is cover-3, cover-2 is cover-2, and cover-1 is cover-1. You just have to figure out how you fit in that piece of the puzzle. And then, like I said, the code words. It was pretty good. I got around, moved around, hopefully looked pretty good. You’ve just got to keep building, you know. I was a bit rusty in some areas and in some areas I felt I excelled.” (on how much he knew about the coaching changes in Houston) “I knew about the Bill O’Brien change. I knew about Romeo Crennel being the defensive coordinator. I was surprised I didn’t know (Mike) Vrabel was the outside linebacker—I mean the linebackers coach, so I didn’t know that. But I pretty much know it’s the Patriots of the South. I think that’s kind of why I jumped at the bit because to get that type of coaching they had over there, to get that winning pedigree, I’ve longed for that. Not to say I haven’t had winning coaching but when you’re around a winner and you can feel the winner and the intensity that he brings. I was thankful for it and that’s what kind of sparked the decision.” CB Johnathan Joseph Spoiler (on how Bill O’Brien goes about his business) “It’s strict business, man. It’s all about going in and putting the hard work in and eliminating the distractions outside of football. The moment he hits the practice field and the game field it’s all about football. He just wants to see you take what you learn in the classroom and take it out to the practice field and progress.” (on D.J. Swearinger’s growth from year one to year two) “A lot. A Guy like D.J. shows tremendous upside potential but he’s another one of those players; second year, we’re looking for him to make strides and I think he’s done a great job just coming out here and trying to get better each and every day.” (on what different things the new coaching staff brings) “You can’t really look at it much different because everyone’s going to want to run certain things a certain type of way. It’s for you as a player to adjust and go with the flow and try to get better and make the situation better. Obviously this is a new coaching staff so they’re just trying to get us better and just learn what they want to learn from a defensive standpoint, offense and special teams.” (on John Butler, his defensive backs coach) “Always a great guy and great coach. He’s just out here trying to push us and trying to get us better each and every day, help us learn from our mistakes and just better our technique.” (on his timeframe for being ready for the season) “The season’s a month, month and a half away so right now it’s about trying to get better each and every day in practice. You know, I can’t look ahead up until the season, I just gotta try to better myself day by day and once the season gets here just be ready for it.” QB Case Keenum Spoiler (on how camp has gone so far) “It’s going well. Never as good as you want, but never as bad as it seems after you watch it on film. You are learning every day, you have to make some mistakes to learn from them, but you just try not to not to make the same mistake twice, move on and learn. You have to learn the new receivers out there, guys who have gotten better and seeing how we react to different defenses and getting better.” (on if he feels like a veteran) “As far as feeling like a vet, I try to come out here and enjoy every day like it’s my first day and could be my last day. You just never know, but it feels good.” (on what he’s had to learn with the new offense) “There are a lot of things I’ve had to learn. New verbiage, new coaches and how they react. There is a lot of good stuff and I’m learning every day. It’s been good.” (on what he learned about himself during the 2-14 season last year) “I learned you have to go out every day and attack each day and forget about the last, successful or not, learn from it and move on. I took a lot away from last year and that is just one of them.” FS Shiloh Keo Spoiler (on coverages and adjustments) “We’re playing all kinds of coverages out there right now, but we have certain adjustments and we’re just trying to do our job and when we do our job, plays are made. It was a good day for the defensive backs today, but we still got a lot of work to do. (on differences in calls and techniques this year) “Yeah, there are some calls that are completely different than what we were running in the previous years since I’ve been here, but there are some similarities too. There is a little carry over, but it’s just getting those different techniques down and getting them memorized and focused in and just continue to work and progress on those and I think we should be alright.” WR Travis Labhart Spoiler (on trying to make the team out of training camp and catching extra balls after practice) “This opportunity comes around once in a lifetime. As being a rookie, you learn from veterans. You see Andre (Johnson), he’s been here 12 years, 13 years, I don’t know how long he has been in the league, but he’s catching jugs after practice. You just have to wait your turn. For me, I want to make the most of this opportunity. If it means sticking around 30 extra minutes catching passes and trying to figure out what I need to work on. If it’s not catching passes maybe it is working on routes or timing with quarterbacks. So I mean there are a lot of things. There is more than just catching. Just for me, I just want to make the most of this opportunity. So, whatever, hard work or whatever extra things I need to put in is what I am going to do right now.” (on his ability to get open when the ball is going to be delivered) “I mean, that is just a lot of watching guys in front of you. Mike Thomas, a lot of the guys, Andre (Johnson), DeAndre (Hopkins), Keshawn (Martin), you know, just a lot of good veteran leadership has allowed me to see what they’ve done and then put it in play for me. Just, you know, get open. I think that has been the biggest thing for me. Just watching those veterans and seeing how they get open. For me, translate it and do the same.” C Chris Myers Spoiler (on how the first two days of practice has gone) “It seems like a little bit of an introduction to the start of camp, but it doesn’t really start until tomorrow until you put the big boy pads on. For the most part we are out here taking care of each other. We have the foams on, it’s a nice little slow introduction to get your legs under you and to be able to get the offense and the defense going and then tomorrow hit at full speed.” (on if he looks forward to hitting with full pads on) “You do. It’s been so long since the end of the season and to be able to put them all back on again, to get those kinks out, to get the rust out, and you slowly progress from there. It’s pretty exciting around tomorrow morning.” (on injuries at guard) “Injuries happen in camp and you don’t expect them to happen, but you know it’s a possibility especially on the offensive line. I’ve dealt with that throughout my career here and there has been a smooth transition at guard all throughout training camp. If you want to consider it an unfortunate thing with injuries especially with what happened with Cody (White) yesterday, prayers are up for him. You don’t ever want that to happen to anybody, but it opens up opportunity for other people, myself eight years ago I stepped in to a certain role because of an injury so it’s just an opportunity for other people to step up and play well.” (on what he knows about Tyson Clabo) “Actually me and Tyson, my rookie year, were in training camp together out in Denver so we knew each other 10 years ago and obviously I followed his career while he was down in Atlanta. He’s just one of those wily vets that has started a lot of games in the NFL for a long time, so to be able to have him here with his experience and veteran leadership helps out big time.” (on if his responsibilities are different in the new offense) “Obviously the new offense is brand new for everybody in general, but for the offensive line and especially the center and the quarterback there is a lot of communication that has to go on identifying defenses, identifying the Mike linebacker and being able to get everyone on the same page is the biggest key.” (on how different the offense is from last year) “It’s just different in general. It’s different for everybody; every single person is going through the same thing so we are going through it together.” WR DeVier Posey Spoiler (on his roles and responsibilities in new offense) “I don’t know. I feel like it’s probably the same, which is get open, catch the ball, and make sure I block and get lined up. Like a receiver, just consistency, just making sure that you’re winning all of the time, being a guy that is winning more than you are losing, and getting open more than you are getting covered. I think that’s the job for all of the receivers and my job personally.” (on difference of the offense compared to the past few years) “Of course it’s different, just the approach and the way they view the game. It’s great for our team and great for match-ups and I just like the way we prepare for everything.” (on having Andre Johnson at training camp and if he was worried about him missing time) “I wasn’t worried too much. Andre had to handle himself and whatever he went through. We were here working and making sure we were getting our parts in, so when he got in and needed help, we can help him. We are excited; he’s our leader. Anytime a guy like myself can be in the room with a hall of famer and just feed off of all of the stuff he does and see the way he runs his routes is a positive thing for everybody in the room.” (on wide receiver vs. defensive back rivalry) “It’s just a part of the game, we love that. We have to get each other ready to go against the other DBs in the league and we all understand that we can’t go easy on each other. It might take some pushing, but when we get inside the stadium, we’re going to eat lunch together, we’re going to laugh, we’re going to joke, we’re going to look at twitter and talk about all of the stuff going on, and talk about some more football. That’s just how we play, that’s how we approach it, and that’s how we get each other better.” (on putting the pads on Monday from a receiver’s standpoint) “It’s just a part of the game. I like the pads; that’s how the game is played. It’s not in shorts and t-shirts, so I am looking forward to putting the helmet on and getting some smacking going on.” (on being fully healthy) “I was just dealing with the present. Last year, I had a deal that was on my plate and soaked up each moment and just learned from each opportunity that I had. This year I just tried to take the same approach with being physically healthy, so I’m just trying to soak in each month and each opportunity to get better for myself and work on my game. I just kind of created a new habit for myself; it’s kind of beautiful just to be in the moment and just enjoy getting better each day.” (on feeling like a different receiver) “No, I don’t feel like I’m a different receiver, I just kind of feel like I’m healthy and I can do all of the things I used to do: cut, get out, run, and open up. It feels good and I just want to hone in on those skills and get better.” (on Andre Johnson’s impact on the team after only two days) “A guy like that, he’s done it so many times. He has more pro routes than anybody in the room. Just for him to get out here and dust everything off is easy. We’re learning and we’re all helping each other and it’s just good to have our leader back.” (on Andre Johnson counting on teammates as much as they count on him) “Yeah, definitely. But, that’s part of being a team and being good teammates, just making sure we’re all prepared. If something goes wrong, being able to look to the guy next to you and know he can help you, that’s what it’s all about and that’s the culture we’re trying to create here.” DE J.J. Watt Spoiler (on putting the pads on tomorrow) “I feel like training camp ramps up a little bit when the pads come on. Being a defensive lineman, that excites me quite a bit, obviously. But that’s football. You play the game with pads on. You hit with pads on. You get a chance to really go out there and improve your craft when you play with pads on. So I’m really looking forward to it.” (on the tempo of training camp through the first two days) “I think the tempo has been great. I think the guys have been working hard. I think we’ve been running through some things. Obviously, you’re going to have your share of mistakes. It’s early in camp. Guys are going to be working through some things but what I like is everybody’s attitude, everybody’s intensity and the way that we’re attacking practices is really good.” (on some of things he’s looking to improve on this year) “It’s little things. First of all, with a new defense, I want to make sure that I understand it fully because you can’t play to your full potential if you don’t understand the defense and you don’t have all of the intricacies down. That’s probably the biggest thing right now; I want to get all the little things within the defense down so that I can go out there and let it loose.” (on the challenge of knowing what everyone else around him is doing in addition to his own assignment) “I think that’s always good when you know that. When you can understand the full concept of a defense of a team it helps you understand your role better. Everybody needs to have a role and everybody’s role needs to be fulfilled. When you do that, that’s when you truly have success. I think we’ve been doing a good job and I think guys have been doing a really good job. Does that mean maybe staying in your playbook a little bit longer? Does that mean maybe watching a little bit extra film? Yeah. But we’re professional football players and that’s what we’ll do.” (on what he thinks about the concepts of this defense) “I like playing in this defense. RAC’s (Defensive Coordinator Romeo Crennel) a smart coach. He’s been around for a long time. Football is football. I like to go out there and play football.” (on how the defense is adjusting to having music at practice) “I like the music. It makes it loud. It makes communication a little bit tougher, which is good because on game day, communication is difficult. So it’s good to have a little bit of music out here to make you think, to make you really focus in on the calls and it doesn’t hurt to have a little bit of a beat every now and then.” (on how his leadership role has changed this season) “First and foremost, I’m always trying to lead by example. I’m going to go out here and try to do things the right way, try and show the guys that I’m all-in. Obviously, with a lot of the young guys, I’m a little bit older now—I’m 25, so I’m a little bit older—I’m trying to help them as much as I can. I’m telling them little tips, just some of the little things: how to be a pro off the field, how to take care of your body, how to take care of your business. And then on the field, little tricks, little tips that I’ve learned through my few years. (I’m) doing as much as I can. Just getting in guys’ ears and letting them know what they can do to be a better player.” (on now being one of the most experienced defensive players on the team) “I know, man. I’m like an old man now. But it’s definitely a little bit different role than in the past but I enjoy it. I thoroughly enjoy it and I thoroughly enjoy being able to help some of the young guys out. It’s cool to have a guy come up and ask, ‘How can I learn? How can I get better? What can I do?’ Just little things, sitting in the cafeteria, ‘What should I do training-wise? How should I eat?’ That stuff is really neat to be able to talk about because that means guys are interested. That means guys are trying to get better and trying to improve and that’s what you love.” (on how his relationship with the fans continues to grow) “I mean, they’re the absolute best. I can’t thank them enough. It’s such a humbling experience to walk across that bridge every day and to hear them yell and to go through practice and hear them cheer for the littlest things; I mean, doing a drill, jogging, walking, getting a drink of water. They cheer for everything and I thoroughly love it. I enjoy it so much and that’s why I try and spend as much time with them as I can. Because, like I’ve always said, some day it will not be like this. So I’m very, very thankful and I’m very fortunate and I love this city and I love the people here. I hope I stay here for a long, long time.” (on how engaged and hands-on Head Coach Bill O’Brien is) “He does a great job. He’s very energetic. But he’s also very smart. He’s knowledgeable of every position. He knows what everybody is supposed to do. So when he coaches you, he’s coaching you legitimately and it’s great. When your head coach works hard, it makes you want to work hard for your head coach. That’s always a good thing. He’s put together a great staff and he’s got the players on the right track. It’s enjoyable. It’s fun to come to practice. It’s fun to work. Like I’ve said, training camp is the best time of the year to improve. Every single day you can improve on some technique, on some fundamental. There’s no time of year like it. Every single day you can get better and that’s why I love it.” http://www.houstontexans.com/news/a...ing-Camp/b4972c9c-c07d-48f6-a769-f72a30ec431d
Sounds like we won't be getting any subtle Kubiak political games anymore. At this point anything that is different from Kubiak is better in my view.
As was mentioned, Cody White tore his Achilles. Alan Bonner suffered a foot injury yesterday and the Texans waived/injured both players. Once they clear waivers they will revert to IR. The Texans will then negotiate an injury settlement and then release them outright. Rookie OT Anthony Dima left the team and the Texans waived him with a left squad designation. The Texans now have one open spot on the roster. Eric Winston on line 2???
Thanks for the video! Nothing to do with the Texans..... That guy in the grey shirt and blue aviators (on stage) is all over Houston. I've seen him sing in the band the Slags at The Pub at the Fountains in Stafford....dude has an amazing voice.
