2016 Houston Texans Off Season

[eagle eye]

Yesterday the Texans did what I figured they would do and that's release QB Brian Hoyer. The depth chart is now set for the Texans heading into offseason workouts that begin today. Brock Osweiler is the starter and Brandon Weeden, Tom Savage and a real dark horse to make the team BJ Daniels left to fight out who will be the Texans backup this coming season. It may not be as set as you think if TJ Yates is able to come back from the torn ACL he suffered late last season. Houston resigned Yates in October when they cut Ryan Mallett. He came in a won a game for the Texans after Hoyer was injured in a November game against Cincinnati. On December 20 Yates tore his ACL in the game against Indianapolis and he was put on season ending injured reserve the next day. I doubt Yates will be able to come back by training camp so his best bet is to be available by mid season as injuries start to pile up around the NFL.

 

As you look at the needs of the Houston Texans you may have a tendency to overlook left tackle. You just sort of take for granted Duane Brown will be there. Then, when you stop and thing about it, Houston probably could use an infusion of talent at LT. After all, Brown will turn 31 just before the beginning of the 2016 season and he is coming of a torn tendon in his quad suffered in the Texans last regular season game. It probably should be a time for Houston to start thinking of Brown's replacement which may be needed as soon as September. Brown is making good progress in his rehab but when you say your goal is to make it back to the field by the start of the season it would be asking a lot of a player to just jump into the fire without benefit of training camp. I'm not saying Brown can't do it because he's a vet and he knows the NFL and he knows his job. It's just not that easy to do is all I'm saying. Check out this article from the Bleacher Report on Brown's point of view.

 

http://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/1008905?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

As for who will be available to Houston at pick #22, it won't be Laremy Tunsil. He will most certainly be a top 10, or even top 5 pick. It has been argued that Tunsil is the best player in this year's draft. Unless Houston sells the farm to move up they won't get him. It doesn't mean there won't be a top prospect or 3 left on the board when it's Houston's turn to pick. There's Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley and Michigan State's Jack Conclin or even Ohio State's Tony Decker who could be available for Houston to draft. Houston does have options on their roster already but none you would consider to be your franchise left tackle. The O-line needs some upgrade and left tackle is no exception and shouldn't be a position Houston overlooks as they head into the Brock Osweiler era of Texans football.

[eagle eye]

This will be my final mock draft, version 8.0, and the first mock since the big Rams-Titans trade last week. Of course this comes from fanspeak.com's On The Clock draft simulator and, as I've done in the past, I use the CBSSports.com player ranking board. I'll click on the "Let's Draft button and let's see what happens this week.

 

22: R1P22

OT JACK CONKLIN - The 3rd ranked OT in the draft and the highest ranked tackle on the board.

MICHIGAN STATE

 

52: R2P21

S VONN BELL - The top ranked safety in the draft after Jalen Ramsey was reclassified as a cornerback.

OHIO STATE

 

85: R3P22

WR STERLING SHEPARD - A playmaker for the Sooners will help out at WR and could be a really good kick returner.

OKLAHOMA

 

119: R4P21

G SEBASTIAN TRETOLA - Another building block for the O-line. Big, stout man in the interior line.

ARKANSAS

 

159: R5P20

DT D.J. READER - I went down some for reader because he's the one technique DT who could end up being the long term answer after Vince Wilfork retires.

CLEMSON

 

166: R5P27

CB JAMES BRADBERRY - A long fast CB from a small school with a tremendous upside. At 6'1 and 211 lbs he's big enough to match up with any WR and some TE's. He ran a 4.50

SAMFORD - at the NFL Combine and a 4.45 at his pro day. As any player drafted this late he's got issues but they are issues good coaching can help solve.

 

195: R6P20

OLB DADI LHOMME NICOLAS - Has got the size and ability to play inside LB in Houston's 3-4. Again a late round pick needs to fix some issues but Lhome-Nicolas is fast enough to

VIRGINIA TECH - to play in the NFL. He needs a year in the weight room but he can contribute on special teams this season.

 

That's it. It's not my favorite mock to date, that would be last week's mock 7.0, but if this is how the draft goes for Houston I won't be mad. They add depth to the O-line, got a quality WR and got a good nose tackle to help out Vince Wilfork. All in all, not too shabby. The downside of this mock is I wasn't able to get my target TE, Nick Vannett, but as I have learned from fantasy football and these mock drafts you can't always get what you want because somebody else is drafting too.

 

Beside cutting Brian Hoyer loose the Texans also released QB BJ Daniels leaving the Texans with Osweiler, Weeden and Savage at QB. All in all, I believe they are in good shape especially if Osweiler proves to be the man. I don't believe Houston will draft a QB in the 1st or 2nd round because of all the money they have tied up in Osweiler. The Texans have pushed all their chips in the middle of the table taking a big chance they will hit on the come with Osweiler.

[eagle eye]

So, you know that Brock Osweiler talked a good game when he had is press conference after he signed the deal with the Texans. Great, but lot of guys SAY the right things but don't back it up. Case in point, Johnny Manziel. John Football said this week he is getting his life in order and he is ready to walk the straight and narrow. Early in the week JF was out to the wee hours partying in LA. Said the right thing, did the wrong thing. Osweiler is walking the walk however. He organized some off season work with his fellow QBs and receivers at his alma mater Arizona State in Tempe and it wasn't party time. Osweiler had completely planned the entire week they spent in Arizona with an hour by hour itinerary. Check out this article from Texans.com. There's also a video in the article where Osweiler talked about his week in Arizona. Osweiler has a grant total of seven career starts and the only thing left for him is get game experience and he will certainly get that. What's encouraging about him is he has played in some big games on the biggest of stages and won. Hopefully, Bill O'Brien can be a good mentor for Osweiler, I think if O'Brien is all in on him, Osweiler will do just fine thank you.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/What-Osweiler-WRs-learned-in-Arizona/d9337ab9-7648-4fd5-8f42-49eaa0493bb1

 

The Texans, like all the other NFL teams, began Phase I of the allowed team activities on Monday. Basically, Phase I is devoted to supervised strength, conditioning and rehab work with coaches and trainers. Phase I lasts for the first two weeks of the allotted nine weeks of off season activity. Phase II is 3 weeks of on-field instruction by coaches which include drills on an individual level and on a team level but no physical contact is to take place and no offense vs defense drills are permitted. Phase III is the last 4 weeks of off season work that included OTA's and mini camps. No live contact is permitted but 7 on 7, 9 on 7 and 11 on 11 drills are permitted. There is also a veteran mini camp allowed in Phase III on top of the other work as well as a rookie development program that can last up to 7 weeks that begins in May that includes a rookie mini camp following the NFL draft. There are more nuts and bolts to the off season workout rules stipulated in the collective bargaining agreement between the player's union and the NFL but they aren't worth talking about here. The one thing I will say is, there are a lot of people that believe that the lack of contact in off season work leads to more injuries for that very reason. It is also a reason why the tackling in the NFL has become very spotty at best.

 

Jadeveon Clowney was the 1st overall pick by Houston in the 2014 NFL draft and even the most kind observer has got to admit that he hasn't lived up to expectations. He missed virtually all of his rookie year when he injured his knee against Kansas City in the season opener. The knee was pretty serious and needed microfracture surgery which has been career threatening in the past. Clowney came back way ahead of schedule last season and while he has some decent moments he wasn't the force of nature he was touted as when Houston drafted him. In the article linked below there is a breakdown of why there is reason to hope Clowney will finally become the beast we thought he was going to be. Within the article there are several videos showing what his potential can be as noticed in the Texans game against Buffalo late last season.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Football-101-Clowneys-future/a8b583eb-f8cb-4267-9086-74f8be0e93d7

[eagle eye]

The draft is finally here this week. It seems like a million years we've been waiting for the draft since the Senior Bowl way back in February but it's just 3 days away now. What are the major needs Houston has in this draft? Well, it's not QB since they signed Brock Osweiler during the free agency frenzy and the multi-year multi-million dollar deal he got means Oz is the starting QB for the Texans. Love him or hate him he's the guy for the foreseeable future.

Houston needs offensive line help, they need wide receiver help and they need a quality tight end. They could use some depth at corner and safety and the old adage that says you can never have enough good linebackers. It remains to be seen how much Houston will miss Jared Crick who went to Denver in free agency but what Houston needs is guy to play nose tackle with an eye on eventually replacing Vince Wilfork. There are several good NT prospects in this draft and as Rick Smith was quoted as saying there is a lot of depth in this draft in positions that will help the Texans make themselves better.

 

Right after this draft 3 key men in the Astros front office will be stepping down from their posts. Senior Personnel Advisor Bobby Grier, National Scout Ed Lambert and College Scout Bob Beers will conclude their Texans careers on May 1, the Sunday after the conclusion of the draft. It's quite unusual for 3 key members of a front office staff retire en masse outside of a complete front office makeover by a new GM or head coach.

 

After GM Rick Smith released QB Brian Hoyer on April 17th within about 2 days it was reported that, in effect, Smith was saying oops, I made a mistake. I could have held on to Hoyer and traded him for a draft pick. I haven't been a big fan of Smith as a GM because I didn't think he and his staff didn't handle salary cap issue too well and his personnel decisions left something to be desired. This latest faux pas over Brian Hoyer is just another example of his lack of foresight. I'm not going to bitch too much because, whether it's because of or in spite of, Rick Smith's leadership the Texans have become fairly consistent playoff contenders. They have a filled some holes in free agency and they have a real chance to make themselves better beginning Thursday night. Of the two Texas NFL teams I honestly believe, top to bottom, the Texans are better than Dallas and frankly I think their ceiling is higher than the Cowboys. Dallas has too many holes to fill and too many problems with personnel right now. A lot could change for Dallas this week so we'll see but a lot could change for Houston too. I hope they both do so well I get my Texas Super Bowl at long last.

[eagle eye]

It's time to get back to what really matters here, Cheerleaders! Houston has been doing tryouts for potential Texans cheerleaders and they have narrowed the field to a select group of finalists. The link below takes us to a slideshow of these lovely finalists and Texans.com gives us all a chance to vote on our favorites to make the team. Nice.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/photo-gallery/VOTE-HTC-Finalists/0f6d1be1-b105-4533-9365-34c706303b87#start

 

Excuse me but I don't have anything more important to talk about while I make a detailed analysis of who needs to be the HTC squad for 2016. This is an important decision that will require extensive research so I should be tied up on this for the rest of the day.

[eagle eye]

It's heeeeeerrrrre! Fans of the old movie Poltergeist know that quote. The NFL draft starts in a matter of hours and it will be around 90 minutes to 2 hours after the opening bell at 7 o'clock before Houston knows who they are getting. The main needs for Houston are O-line, WR, TE and defensive end. Which way will they go? I believe Houston needs to concentrate on offense and get as much help as possible to give their new QB a fighting chance. I think if Houston goes O-line it won't be bad but for a 1st round pick I might need a little more sizzle. I'm thinking WR in the form of Josh Doctson from TCU or Corey Coleman from Baylor should be the pick. If there's a D-tackle you love you see as the future anchor of the D-line when Vince Wilfork hangs it up like Alabama's Jarran Reed or A'Shawn Robinson or Louisville's Sheldon Rankins I'm okay with that. Later in the 2nd round you may target the WR or maybe a really good guard like Josh Garnett from Stanford, Christian Westerman from Arizona State. The second round may be the place to take a Sterling Shepard from Oklahoma or Braxton Miller for Ohio State to fill a WR spot.

The 3rd round you can pick up a center like Jack Allen or Max Boehm or another guard in Isaac Seumalo. There may be a good linebacker like a Joshua Perry or LSU's Deion Jones available.

In the 4th there may be a OT available which might be a little bit of a reach but he's a versatile guy who has played every O-line position in college in Fahn Cooper from Ole Miss. You could get a TE here too. Nick Vannett might be there is he gets past Dallas or a Jerrelle Adams from S Carolina that's worth a pick here. If Houston doesn't go DT early they might consider Adolphus Washington from THE Ohio St University or Illinois DT Jihad Ward. Ward is listed as a defensive tackle but at 6'5" and 297 lbs he would be a crackerjack fit at 3-4 DE to replace Jared Crick who Houston lost to Denver in free agency.

Two picks in the fifth and Houston can continue to fill holes. O-line help and maybe a linebacker or two--3-4 teams can never have enough good linebackers and there are couple worth looking at in the round like Nick Kwiatkoski from W Virginia, Eric Striker from Oklahoma or Travis Feeney from Washington. This guy could go in the fourth or fifth round but when describe and offensive lineman as a coke machine with arms and legs you have to take notice. That guy is Evan Boehm from Missouri. If you are building a line to protect your $72 MM QB I want a guy like this. It's hard to run around a coke machine especially if the guy is pounding on you. If Houston still hasn't got a defensive guy to play nose tackle then I want Clemson's DJ Reader. At 6'3" and 327 lbs he is a prime candidate to be the next man playing nose for the Texans and I really like the players from Clemson and Ohio State in this year's draft.

In the sixth I am looking at CB James Bradberry from Samford, S Deiondre Hall from Northern Iowa or ILB Jared Norris from Utah.

 

It's here at last and I'm excited. My personal hope is that Houston takes WR Josh Doctson in the first round and S Karl Joseph in the 2nd. Doctson is a possibility but I really don't think Joseph will be. If not it won't break my heart to see Houston pick up Ohio State's Vonn Bell or Fla. State's Keanu Neal. I wouldn't sqawk much if an Eli Apple or William Jackson is taken in the first round. The top CB's will go quickly and there won't be any available later where Houston is picking. If Houston goes CB, S in the first two rounds that's okay as long as they address O-line and TE after that. Hope everyone has a great time over the next 3 days. I'll post Texans picks as they happen for the benefit of those who are busy.

 

I love the draft. It's like Christmas in April to me. There needs to be draft carols, don't you think? Finding out your team's draft picks is like opening presents on Christmas isn't it? You might think you know what you are getting but you are also often surprised. Like some presents, some players are just what you wanted and you are so happy. Other picks are like getting a package of socks, useful but nothing to jump up and down about. Then there are lumps of coal. Players you make that pained face over and say "WTF was that?" That's the great thing about the draft, you don't have to be polite. There is no rein on your emotions in the draft. Raw drunken bliss or despair on display with no remorse attached. You gotta love it.

[eagle eye]

I am happy as a clam about Houston's pick last night. I think Texans GM Rick Smith panicked a bit by swapping picks with Cincinnati but considering the Bengals took a WR right behind Houston maybe it wasn't as much of a stupid move as I originally thought. I think that Fuller's nickname should be The Flash because the guy can flat run. He ran a 4.32 at the NFL combine and a 4.28 at his pro day. The scouting report on him is he tracks the deep ball well and catches with his hands which makes him a legit deep threat and his YAC is top notch. With the retirement of Nate Washington in the off season Houston has gotten the better of the deal by adding Fuller. This WR corps has the potential to be scary good. If Jalen Strong can leave the weed alone and with Cecil Shorts this staff can be better than the Pittsburgh receiving corps of Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant (another guy who can't leave weed alone), Markus Wheaton and Darius Heyward-Bey. Houston would counter with DeAndre Hopkins, Strong, Fuller and Cecil Shorts. Hell yeah, I will take these guys any day. If Houston can add a quality TE in the draft and with the addition of RB Lamar Miller in the off season Houston can be scary good as long as Brock Osweiler is even a tick better than average. With a $72 MM contract he needs to be more than a tick better than average anyway.

2nd round picks can go any way as long as it's an offensive lineman or a tight end.

3rd round I'd like to see a defensive player taken here. The best available linebacker or DT Jihad Ward. Just get better tonight because there are players who can do just that for Houston. Will Fuller is a great start and maybe we can attack our weaknesses with the same quality tonight in rounds 2 and 3. I'll be checking it out.

[eagle eye]

Houston traded up in the 2nd two spots to take C Nick Martin. A definite move to upgrade the talent on the O-line. Nice move in my opinion. Nick is the little brother of Cowboys All Pro RG Zack Martin. The line on Nick is he's not as powerful as his brother but he's tough and can play any interior line position. He'll be good this year but he'll be better next year after a year in an NFL weight program.

The jarring thing on the night happened in the 3rd round with the 85th pick Houston took another WR in Ohio State's Braxton Miller. I almost crapped a goose. Talk about weapons for their new QB, holy cow. Now you're looking at DeAndre Hopkins, Jalen Strong and Cecil Shorts who are being joined by new draft picks Will Fuller and Braxton Miller. OMG! If Houston manages to get a TE worth a damn today Houston could have an offense that is so scary it could literally cause nightmares for opposing teams.

So far I have to say that Houston has done WAY better in this draft than the Cowboys if you care about such things. Dallas started off strong by selecting RB Ezekiel Elliott but they took a chance on a linebacker who won't play in 2016 and has a chance to never play again followed by a marginal DT in the 3rd round. The Cowboys need linebacker help but this year not next year. IMO the Cowboys needed to address their defense but not in the way they have. They could salvage their draft today but I am not that hopeful. This is the Texans thread though and I've already talked to much about the Cowboys. With the surprises thrown down by Houston so far I have no clue what's coming down today. More O-line help I would imagine and some help on defense won't be a bad thing. The thing is, when I did all my playing with the On The Clock draft simulator there were players available in the 4-6 rounds that I have hoped Houston would target those players. Trouble was most of them were taken in the 2nd and 3rd round last night. I think it would be funny if Bill O'Brien takes his own Gronk as the youngest Gronkowski brother is still available and is listed as a fullback. It would be funny but Houston only has 3 picks today. One pick in the 4th and 2 picks in the 5th because they had to give up their 6th round pick to Atlanta when they moved up to pick Martin in the 2nd round. This means they can't be frivolous with their picks.

One guy I think would help Houston would one of two DT's that would be prime replacement material for Vince Wilfork when he finally retires. I would like to see Houston take either DJ Reader from Clemson or Nile Lawrence-Stample. There are still some O-linemen available who could help add depth or become starters. Today is going to be fun to watch as Texans fans simply because they have killed it so far and they really can't screw up the draft no matter who they pick.

[eagle eye]

RHouston did a great job in this draft. I don't think much of GM Rick Smith but I have to give him props for a job well done. In case you missed it actually living your life this weekend here are the Texans draft picks.

 

Rd 1 - WR Will Fuller - Notre Dame

Rd 2 - C Nick Martin - Notre Dame

Rd 3 - WR Braxton Miller - Ohio State

Rd 4 - RB Tyler Ervin - San Jose State

Rd 5 (first pick) - S KJ Dillon - West Virginia

Rd 5 (2nd pick) - DT DJ Reader - Clemson

Rd 6 Traded pick to Atlanta to move up in the 3rd round

Rd 7 No pick

 

If you take a look at the first 3 picks you can see a lot of "wow" factor. Let's take a quick look at them all.

 

Will Fuller - As I said on Friday reviewing this pick Fuller should be nicknamed "The Flash" because of his 4.3 speed. He will need time to learn the whole NFL route tree but he can make an immediate impact stretching the field on deep slants, deep posts and 9 routes. He was nothing but a playmaker for the Fighting Irish.

Nick Martin - The younger brother of All Pro guard for the Cowboys Zack Martin. Both from Notre Dame and both top notch linemen. Zack is stronger and more powerful but Nick has played guard and center and is very smart and a year in an NFL weight program and he will be a beast like his brother.

Braxton Miller - A really good athlete who started at QB for 3 years at Ohio State before moving to receiver his senior year to make room for Cardale Jones. He is a good runner and he's really taken to being a WR. He is also fast, not as fast as Fuller, but he's a play making machine. He should be great at kick returner and will add yet another dimension to the suddenly scary Houston passing attack.

Tyler Ervin - I thought that this was a wasted pick by the Texans because of all the RB's Houston has already. Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes, Akeem Hunt, Kenny Hilliard and newly signed Lamar Miller seem like Houston has got a handle on the RB position. Ervin falls in line with the rest of the draft class with his 4.36-40 speed. That alone should be enough to cause a little nervousness in the Texans RB corps but he's a tougher runner than his 5'10", 190 lbs frame would suggest. Definitely a 3rd down type of back who can run or catch a pass for a first down. If he can learn to return kicks with his speed he could be a very dangerous weapon for the Texans.

DJ Reader - You ever looked at the mocks I have posted the last few weeks? If you did then you will recognize Reader as a frequent member of my mocks. I specifically targeted Reader in the late rounds, according to his player ranking, as a future replacement for NT Vince Wilfork. Reader brings a load (6'3", 327 lbs) and he anchored the middle of the Clemson defense all the way to the National Championship game. Clemson didn't win but it wasn't because Reader didn't do his job. He needs work to refine his technique and focus better but who better to learn from than Vince Wilfork and JJ Watt? Reader is absolutely athletic enough to play the DE opposite JJ Watt while he learns the NFL game because there is a void there with Jared Crick signing a free agent deal with Denver.

 

All in all, this is a really good draft. I like the fact that they have upgraded their talent in a big way on offense in support of Brock Osweiler. The defense was, and has been, the strength of this team in the past. With the talent the Texans have added on the offensive side of the ball they should more than pull their own weight in 2016. I think Houston definitely needs to be in the conversation about who goes to Super Bowl 51.

[eagle eye]

The Texans were still active yesterday despite that their draft was over after selecting DT DJ Reader in the 5th round. The have signed 16 priority free agents. Here is a link to a Houston Chronicle article listing them.

 

http://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/Texans-agree-to-deals-with-16-undrafted-free-7386037.php?cmpid=twitter-desktop

 

JJ Watt's little brother Derek was drafted by the San Diego Chargers. He goes into the NFL as a fullback.

 

Get the lowdown on all of Houston's draft picks. There are links to video on all of the draftees on Texans.com linked below.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/index.html

[eagle eye]

I heard a guy say today that Houston drafted like they were playing Madden. I agree with him and I also agree that likes what Houston did. They addressed positions of need and they drafted with nothing else in mind than giving their new QB weapons to work with to maximize his ability to be successful. Even though I thought drafting RB Tyler Ervin in the fourth round was not a good pick I have changed my mind somewhat on this. Whose to say they can't use either Jonathan Grimes, Alfred Blue or Kenny Hilliard as trade bate? The could cut loose with at least two of them and still have a nice backfield with Lamar Miller, Ervin and whoever was left of the 3 guys above. I'm not even including speedster Akeem Dent in this mix. You can see if Houston can't get a trade for any of these guys they are just going to have to cut them. Teams don't normally carry more than 4 RB's on their roster. Houston currently has 8 RB's on their roster.

The Texans didn't address TE in the draft and they sure could have in the 4th instead of Ervin. There were still a couple of draftable guys on the board. Jerrell Adams from South Carolina was there, as was Tammerick Hemingway from So Carolina St and several others worth a pick.

 

One of the 16 UFA's Houston signed was a tight end from Cal named Stephen Anderson. If you look for him as a tight end you won't find him. At Cal, in the offense they ran, there was no place for a traditional TE so Anderson played WR. The only write up I could find about him was from californiagoldenblogs.com via SBnation.com. It looks like Houston may have a real diamond in the rough here.

 

http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2016/4/30/11534846/stephen-anderson-nfl-draft-houston-texans

 

In short, I like this draft and browsing through the UFA's there are some names I recognize there too. You would have to say the needle is definitely pointing UP for the Texans.

[eagle eye]

The Texans website is posting a "Get to know ----" series on their draft picks. Linked below are the articles about 1st round pick Will Fuller and 2nd round pick Nick Martin.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Get-To-Know-Will-Fuller/0588b4e4-d007-43b4-9195-825c156a24f6

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Get-To-Know-Nick-Martin/dc3801c9-045c-41f3-8de5-685a8ff8f0bd

 

I mentioned yesterday how the Texans drafted like they are playing Madden and it's sort of true. Look at the 3 skill positions they drafted on offense.

1. WR Will Fuller - Ran a 4.32 at the scouting combine

2. WR Braxton Miller - Ran a 4.36 at his pro day at Ohio State

3. RB Tyler Ervin - Ran a 4.39 at the scouting combine.

We already know that DeAndre Hopkins isn't the fastest man on in the Texans WR corps but he's a #1 NFL receiver but it speaks volumes about the flat out speed Houston drafted last weekend. Jalen Strong isn't even the 2nd fastest guy in the corps. Hopkins ran a 4.57 predraft in 2013 while strong ran a 4.44 prior to the 2013 draft. Heck, Cecil Shorts only ran a 4.59 prior to being drafted in 2011. Lamar Miller ran a 4.40 prior to his 2012 draft. Get me now? These kids are fast. Only backup RB Akeem Hunt posted a 40 time to compare with these guys with a 4.36 best time at his pro day last year.

 

The Bottom line is this team is fast at the skill positions. Fuller is a bit of a one trick pony but that trick is very dangerous to opposing defenses. Same will Braxton Miller who has only played one season at WR after playing QB for 3 years in college. He has a lot to learn but he was asked to do a lot of things at Ohio State that could translate well to the NFL. In the past it usually takes 3 years or so to be worth your salt as a WR in the NFL but that trend is changing too. Rookies have the ability to come in and make an impact right away then they get better over time. Kind of scary when you think about it. As long as Houston's defense continues to play at a high level the offense may finally be able to pull it's share of the load. Brock Osweiler is the wild card of course but he won some pretty important games for Denver last season including one over the Patriots in December when opposing teams simply do not beat them. If he's got something, and early indications are that he has, Houston might be a favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. That's how much Osweiler and these free agents and draft picks have altered the Texans fortunes. Just wait until these guys see how load and fired up the fans at NRG Stadium get on game day. I will be seriously surprised if Houston doesn't win 12 games this year.

Edited May 3, 2016 by eagle eye

[eagle eye]

Today is the beginning of the rookie mini camp for the Texans draftees and UFA's as they will get their first real look at what it means to play for an NFL team. In this mini camp the newbees won't see at big change in the speed of the game, that will come later during full team practices, but they will get some first class NFL coaching and they will soon realize this ain't college, Baby.

 

In the Texans "Get to know....." series linked below the Texans introduce us to 3rd round pick WR Braxton Miller and 4t round pick RB Tyler Ervin.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Get-To-Know-Braxton-Miller/7847188e-660e-48fb-b01e-568f0560f653

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Get-To-Know-Tyler-Ervin/3dd59974-3bb6-4ed5-97a4-18503b813add

 

In this draft the Texans drafted players who can run, flat out run, highlighted by 3 of their first 4 picks. The catch phrase of this season's draft and Texans team is #speedkills and it's not hard to wonder why with 3 of their draft picks able run a sub 4.4-40. In this series by Texans.com's John Harris called 'Football 101' he talks about how the Texans draft picks can may a difference for the team in 2016 and beyond. The first installments include Will Fuller, Nick Martin, Braxton Miller and Tyler Ervin.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Football-101-Speed-kills-with-Will-Fuller/589af354-d363-4895-94a1-7a0751c00504

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Football-101-Nick-Martins-skill-set/ec424d41-beec-4f5b-8699-eb157f697002

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Football-101-Speed-kills-with-Braxton-Miller/8a24888b-3188-4a25-a5fd-0ce0136ee4fc

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Football-101-Speed-kills-with-Tyler-Ervin/ae6700ec-aaed-4f7a-908a-f42ec6aa2f2d

 

I like Drew Dougherty, staff reporter for the Texans. The guy is good at his job, he doesn't take himself too seriously and has fun. If you check out the Texans website he does a weekly segment called 'Dear Drew' where he answers questions from Dear Drew facebook page. In this edition of Dear Drew he answers questions about this year's draft picks. There is the article and video of the segment that includes an answer to the question of how he got his job which was, in part, excellent skills with a Bo staff and switchblade. See what I mean, Drew likes to have fun.

 

This past week a player tested positive for a certain amphetamine and the player denied using PED's or recreational drugs. Turns out he was in Mexico on vacation and he ate a steak while there. Further investigation found the meat at that restaurant had traces of a growth hormone and the amphetamine. Houston and Oakland will play a regular season game in Mexico this season and knowing the folks south of the border use drugs on their cattle what's to say Houston players, as well as Oakland players but I don't care about them, won't test positive for illegal substances when they get back home? Hmmm.

[eagle eye]

The player who was facing a 10 game suspension was Texans OT Duane Brown and he avoided the suspension after it was found that Mexican meat was laced with growth hormones causing Brown to fail his drug test. All is well now and Brown will be on the field for the Texans this fall.

 

Speaking of being on the field the Texans rookies and UFA's were on the field yesterday for the first day of rookie mini camp. Here's an article from Texans.com including some videos of the first official day of practice for 2016.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Rookie-Minicamp-First-NFL-practice/c4cc951a-aa1e-4d12-bf49-62f9ab38e1d6

 

The Texans coaches had Will Fuller, Braxton Miller, Tyler Ervin and a couple of DB's fielding punts and kickoff yesterday. Drew Dougherty talks about the newest Texans day working on the kicking game.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Fuller-Miller-others-practice-punt-returns/6de42ecb-1fca-426b-8032-9b158ef95070

 

Here are the 13 observations of the Texans first rookie mini camp practices by Texans.com's John Harris.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/13-observations-from-rookie-minicamp-day-1/086981e1-2ee7-431f-bc19-cb89b9484265

 

On the other end of the scale here are 5 observations from yesterday's work by head coach Bill O'Brien.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/5-things-OBrien-Texans-observing-with-rookies/ea6c2983-aa08-4040-af0c-c73b3efef075

[eagle eye]

Day 2 of the rookie mini camp took place this past Saturday and there are some news and notes from those practices.

 

On Friday Houston signed it's 4th and 5th round draft picks, KJ Dillon, Tyler Ervin and DJ Reader to their first contracts and they announced the signing of 15 UFA's.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-sign-3-draft-picks-15-undrafted-free-agents/0c23de57-dbc3-49b5-952a-ec4109210d0b

 

In the "Get to know....." series we get to take a look at KJ Dillon and DJ Reader.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Get-To-Know-KJ-Dillon/068e2570-4059-45c2-8456-175cf696ef07

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Get-To-Know-DJ-Reader/3acb2023-ad50-4e54-b341-6c6bec02d7a8

 

As promised here is a link to a video of Day 2 of the rookie training camp. Click on the 5th bullet point on the home page for the video.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/index.html

 

Here's a link to the Texans video page with interviews with Bill O'Brien, JJ Watt, Brock Osweiler and Texans owner Bob McNair and their thoughts on the rookie mini camp.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/Extended-Cut-OBrien-on-rookie-mini-camp-more/d35113b1-d57a-4258-af69-ec517f8c6d1b

[eagle eye]

On Tuesday Houston made a couple of roster moves. They signed UFA ILB Ryan Langford from the University of New Mexico and to make room for him on the roster they waived OLB from South Florida Eric Lee. Lee was actually one of the UFA's signed post draft but the team waived him on Tuesday because he failed to disclose a knee problem. Houston resigned him with an additional injury waiver added to the deal. Who knows what will happen with Langford since Lee was resigned later in the day on Tuesday but, as with all teams around the NFL the 90 man roster is always in a state of flux. Langford made the 90 man roster by virtue of his showing as a tryout player during the Texans rookie mini camp. Here's look at him from an article I got off the Bleacher Report which includes a slide show of Langford at UNM and at the mini camp.

 

http://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/Texans-to-sign-rookie-linebacker-Ryan-Langford-7423718.php#photo-9958689

 

The Texans have a new defensive line coach who also played for the Texans from 2006 to 2008. That guy's name is Anthony Weaver and he's been in coaching since the 2009 season. It doesn't hurt to have the best defensive player in the league endorsing you and that's what has been the case. JJ Watt is down with Weaver saying, "We have a good group, and now we have Coach Weaver, who's a lot of fun to play for. He's been in the league. Anytime you have a guy who's played in the league, he knows the ins and outs."It's fun to bounce things off of him." Good enough for me, welcome Coach Weaver! Here's a link from Texans.com's Drew Dougherty talking with Weaver about being back in Houston.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Anthony-Weaver-Surreal-to-be-back-wTexans/2d4a132d-114d-4709-84d2-71944a3a0995

 

Lonnie Ballentine, the CB from the University of Memphis was the 2014 draft's Mr Irrelevant as the last player selected in that draft by the Texans. Ballentine was a heckuva prospect to get that late in the draft as he is big (6'3'', 215 lbs) and fast (4.39-40) you wonder how a guy with these measurables could have slipped that far in the draft. Ballentine battled hamstring and an arthroscopic knee surgery in his rookie season and in Octorber last season he blew out his knee in a game against Jacksonville that landed him on season ending IR. He dislocated his knee and tore his MCL and PCL ligaments that ended his season. He is expecting to complete his rehab and be ready for training camp. Ballentine has not had a real chance to show what he can be as yet. Hopefully he can stay healthy and give the Texans are real presence at CB.

 

32 year old veteran CB Jonathan Joseph underwent offseason arthroscopic surgery this off season that was really to done to help offset the wear and tear on his knee. The procedure was so minor that Joseph didn't even need crutches post op. Joseph has been a mainstay of the Houston defense since being signed as a free agent in 2010. He has also been a consistent player never playing in any less than 14 games a season since his signing. Joseph is 32 and is hoping, after a big comeback season last year, play a full 16 games for the 3rd consecutive season. Houston is pretty well set at CB with Joseph along with last year's first round pick Kevin Johnson and 2010 1st round pick Kareem Jackson. If the above mentioned Lonnie Ballentine can make his comeback Houston will be rock solid with both young and veteran players.

 

It's hard to deny that Houston has a definite playoff caliber roster. With the talent and speed they added in the draft to go along with the players they added in free agency and that were already here Houston can be a very dangerous team to deal with. They have seriously upgraded the talent on offense this offseason with the additions of RB Lamar Miller and QB Brock Osweiler and they added incredible speed at RB and WR in the draft. The scary thing is Houston won't see the best of these player for a couple of years as they learn how to ply their craft in the NFL. This upgraded offense along with a Grade A defense led by the NFL's best defensive player, JJ Watt, and the Texans and their fans have a lot to be excited about for this season and beyond. It all comes down to Osweiler though. Is he going to be as good as his contract says he is or is he going to be a more expensive Brian Hoyer? Early reports are that Osweiler will be the good QB that Houston has been searching for several years. Shoot, maybe their whole history. It will be fun to track his progress through OTA's, mini camps and training camp. I believe by Week 1 we should have a good handle on what he's going to be as a Texan. I hope he looks like the real deal and actually plays like it too.

 

HBO won two Sports Emmy Awards for their "Hard Knocks" series featuring the Houston Texans last summer. The awards were for Best Serialized Sport Documentary and for Best Post Produced Audio/Sound.

[eagle eye]

The festivities at Minute Maid Park for the JJ Watt Charity Classic took place this past weekend. Watt expressed amazement that the event raised so much money, over $2MM and the 30,000 people who showed up at the Juice Box for the event. It's the most exciting event in the stadium this season. JJ Watt jacked two HR's off HOF caliber pitcher Roger Clemens. Brian Cushing hit 5 dingers. For complete coverage of the event check out Texans.com in the link below. Follow the links on the home page to find out all about the event.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/

[eagle eye]

Texans QB Brock Osweiler has been saying all the right things since he came to Houston. He organized private workout with his new teammates at Arizona State earlier this year before the draft and he is saying things about creating a good team chemistry that seem very encouraging. Osweiler is tall and movie star hansome and he has shown he can play some in the NFL. Texans.com's Deepi Sidhu wrote an article about what Osweiler is looking forward to when Phase II is completed this weekend and Phase III begins with the first whole team OTA's on Monday. There is also a schedule for the Texans offseason work included.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Brock-Osweilers-offseason-to-do-list/954aa9f9-c523-4f85-bf8b-2b5f9a7ec29e

 

LT Duane Brown injured his quadriceps muscle in the season's final game against Jacksonville causing him to miss the playoffs. Brown has been working extra hard this offseason to get back to full health and be ready for the Texans opening game against Chicago. Here's an article, again, from Deepi Sidhu (who is pretty hot BTW) about Brown and his rehab.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-Extra-motivation-for-No-76/a5d76f5e-3c6a-472a-9b09-402450ebb0a2

 

The radio voice of the Houston Texans, Marc Vandermeer talks about the state of the AFC South as it appears that all four teams in the division, including the Texans, have all gotten better. It is no long a write in for Indianapolis with the rest of teams vying not to be in last place. It seems that all the teams have arrows definitely pointing up and while it may not be this year because Tennessee has such a long road to rebuild their roster but within a couple of seasons this division could be the best (meaning toughest) in the NFL.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Vandermeers-View-Arms-Race-Underway/82ff70b5-c0d2-4816-aa13-33e1c5e8f552

[eagle eye]

Houston will begin Phase III of their offseason program on Monday when they will have their first their OTA sessions. Here is a link from Texans.com's John Harris who is clueing us in on what we should be watching for on Monday and beyond.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-What-to-watch-for-during-Texans-OTAs/85bc6a57-15dd-4516-9de1-d1b940ff8fc9

 

I hit Texans.com pretty hard today with all the links to the Texans website. Here is an article by Deepi Sidhu who talked to the Texans new free agent running back. The man who will be replacing Arian Foster is Lamar Miller and when you talk about having big shoes to fill Miller has a set of size 12's because Arian Foster was really good at his job during his time with Houston.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Lamar-Miller-on-new-team-new-city/7583d972-c2ec-496d-ab85-27984d08bd61

 

There is a series that the website is doing that covers their AFC South opponents in a "Know Your Opponents" set of articles. Here are the first two as they cover changes by the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. The review of the Jags could be a little skewed because it was written before the Jags first round pick, Jalen Ramsey, suffered a partially torn meniscus in his right knee.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Know-Your-Foe-Changes-in-Jacksonville-/d87682d5-d7b3-4081-8ce3-028cb1ddfdbd

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Know-your-foe-Changes-in-Tennessee/4cc6ff29-3ae6-4362-aebb-da0e5a7cef25

[eagle eye]

The Texans began their OTA's today as Phase III of the NFL offseason program has officially begun in Houston. JJ Watt is not currently practicing because he is still recovering from offseason groin surgery. Check out this item from the Bleacher Report.

 

http://www.chron.com/sports/texans/article/Texans-star-J-J-Watt-not-practicing-after-7940363.php

 

I didn't even know that Jadeveon Clowney had a problem with his foot, or rather, I forgot about the foot injury that sidelined him in Week 17 and the Texans playoff loss to Kansas City. This article from Bleacher Report says that Clowney claims he is 100% healthy and ready for the season. Two seasons ago Clowney was the #1 overall pick in the NFL draft and strictly based on his production you would have to say to date he is a bust. This season will go a long way toward determining whether that was a wasted pick or not.

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/05/23/jadeveon-clowney-says-hes-100-percent-healthy/

 

Here is an article from Texans.com from Texans analyst John Harris who gives us his 14 observations on today's OTA practices.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/14-observations-Mondays-OTAs/0987d9d5-49ce-4aff-a39c-598c8cec9510

i

From Texans.com are 3 goals from Bill O'Brien for the upcoming OTA's

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Bill-OBriens-3-main-goals-for-OTAs/792f453c-e13f-4bf8-96bc-44f64c5b2948

 

Houston acquired OL Jeff Allen as a free agent in March and it brings together a couple of guys who actually know each other pretty well. Jeff Allen and Whitney Mercilus faced off against each other in the playoff game in January but there's more to the story than that. Both attended the University of Illinois and they were roommates in college so they know each other very well. Both guys actually came out of college the same year, 2012, with Mercilus taken in the 1st round by Houston and Allen went in the 2nd round to KC. Mercilus had a breakout season for Houston last season as he stepped in for Jadeveon Clowney when he was out with injury and they shared time at weak side LB when Clowney was active. A strength of Houston's defense is the quality of depth they have at most positions and it's becoming true for the O-line with the addition of Allen. In all likelihood Allen will vie for the position opposite from Xavier Sua-Filo. This Texans team is as talented as any team in the NFL and they have one of the best defenses for sure.

 

The Texans success will hinge on Brock Osweiler's performance and nobody knows that better than Osweiler himself. In his post practice interview his enthusiasm is unmistakable.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Osweiler-This-is-what-football-is-all-about/2a5a7ab6-4c35-43a7-a1dc-78f43ea99af9

 

As a final thought I want to say I like Osweiler so far in the limited exposure we've had to him. Of course he's saying all the right things but he's also been walking the walk as well as talking the talk. I can't say enough of how impressed I've been with the way he's conducted offseason work with his new corps of receivers and his work in the weight room and he desire to build a good relationship with his teammates speaks well of him. He obviously learned a lot from his mentor in Denver, Peyton Manning. I guess there is a lot to be said for learning from the best as long as he actually learns the lessons. It looks like Osweiler has learned his lessons well. I am rooting for this guy to succeed because I like him and because the Texans deserve a good QB.

[eagle eye]

On Thursday Houston officially signed their 3rd round pick WR Braxton Miller to a 4 year deal worth 3.114 million dollars. Houston's only draft pick that remains unsigned in 1st round pick Will Fuller from Notre Dame. Fuller's deal could be done at any time. Contracts for rookies have not been a big issue since the institution of the rookie salary cap. The draft pick's salaries are slotted and you can predict what their salaries will be according to where they are drafted.

 

In this article from Texans.com by Deepi Sidhu talks Texans as it relates to social media. This is a regular feature on Texans.com called the DeepSlant named for Deepi.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/The-DeepSlant-Week-In-Review/fb31b63d-dcf1-4aed-854e-766087b0adc7

 

Brock Osweiler has now underwent his first week of OTA's with the Texans and by all accounts it was a success. In this Texans.com article by Drew Dougherty it recaps the first week of team work for Osweiler including some reactions by he new teammates.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Brock-Osweiler-talks-Texans-playbook/b624255b-b445-4a03-aeb9-f45279085cba

 

Week 2 of Texans OTA's begin on Tuesday. Happy Memorial Day!!!!

[eagle eye]

JJ Watt spoke to the press today after today's OTA practice. Watt has been practicing on the side as he is still rehabbing from offseason surgery but he hopes to be back practicing with the rest of the team very soon.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/JJ-Watt-gives-update-on-health/de1e9f95-8dfb-4fb4-80ef-d4eab5e61826#start

 

I don't know if this drifting into man-crush area but the link below comes from Bleacher Report which is an Instagram post by Watt. You see pics of Watt when he's in uniform and sometimes in street clothes but you don't imagine a guy who is 6'5'' and nearly 300 lbs would look like this.

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/204822/j-j-watts-shirtless-instagram-post-draws-teasing-from-teammate

 

One of the feel good stories of the last year and half was the one involving OT David Quessenberry. DQ was drafted in the sixth round of the 2013 draft but he missed most of his rookie season after injuring his foot bad enough to land him on season ending IR in September of 2013. During the summer of 2014 Quessenberry complained of fatigue and a persistent cough which was diagnosed as cancer. He went through cancer treatments which also meant that he was again sidelined for the season. Last summer he was in remission but still undergoing treatment but he was working toward making his comeback but he just wasn't well enough to be cleared to practice. Now, in this second week of the 2016 OTA's Houston has decided to waive Quessenberry because he is still taking cancer treatments and will not be ready to practice any time soon. In his presser today Bill O'Brien said that Quessenberry should concentrate on getting well this year so he can be ready for OTA's in 2017. The story isn't yet over but there is definitely more obstacles to overcome but there could still be a happy ending yet. Let's hope so.

 

Here are twelve observations from today's OTA practice from Texans.com's John Harris.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/12-observations-Tuesdays-OTAs/133d2050-d6cd-41a4-b942-3f447e1fd535

[eagle eye]

The Denver Broncos will be visiting the White House as the defending NFL Champions to meet President Barack Obama. It will be the last such event for Obama who is serving his final year of his final term in office. Previously Obama has hosted the Steelers, Saints, Packers, Giants, Ravens, Seahawks and Patriots. It will be the 8th and final time the White House will greet the NFL champs with Obama as the sitting president. What is somewhat newsworthy is that Texans QB Brock Osweiler was extended an invitation to go to the White House with his former teammates but he has chosen instead to stay with the Texans attending scheduled OTA practice. In an attempt to stir up some controversy the media has tried to stir the pot by asking Broncos GM John Elway his feelings about Osweiler declining to go meet President Obama. Elway refused to bite simply saying the decision was Osweiler's and "It's his choice." There was some feeling that Elway was a tad pissed at Osweiler for leaving Denver for Houston since the Broncos had drafted Osweiler and developed him but Osweiler instead opted to sign a big contract offered by the Texans leaving Denver and its less lucrative offer. If you're a Texans fan you've got to say "That's pretty cool for Osweiler to skip meeting the president to be with the team.". By contrast, if you're a Broncos fan you are likely saying, "F--- him!". In private I'm betting that is what Elway says.

 

A guy who is easy to overlook by fans is the Texans new RB Lamar Miller. After the huge splash the Texans made this offseason by signing Brock Osweiler and all the offensive weapons the Texans drafted Miller is kind of flying under the radar. Miller's signing was a big deal as the Texans try to get a guy who can replace Arian Foster. I'm not saying they got a guy who fills a roster spot. Foster was much more than just "a guy". Foster was very much an impact player who made the Texans offense a force, despite the fact the Texans had very real QB issues, so Miller is an attempt to replace the best offensive player in franchise history with a guy who can truly replace his production. It took 3 to 4 guys to fill the role of Arian Foster in the offense and collectively they couldn't really fill Foster's shoes. Miller is a guy who is talented enough to fill those size 13's Foster leaves behind. Osweiler is the key to the success of the Broncos offense but Miller is the engine that will make that offense go.

 

Texans radio on it's flagship station AM 610 there are some changes being unveiled which increase their coverage of the team. Here's the article from Texans.com about those changes.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-Radio-unveils-program-changes/75dce52d-85e4-4b28-9bea-3c931ced1f2d

[eagle eye]

JJ Watt was well enough to join his teammates in OTA practice yesterday for the first time. Here's an article by Texans.com writer Deepi Sidhu about Watt's return following offseason groin surgery.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/JJ-Watt-returns-to-practice-in-OTAs/83330929-1eee-4d83-ad86-5202e08d5fef

 

The Broncos went to the White House to meet President Obama in honor of the Super Bowl 50 victory earlier this year. One guy who didn't go was former Broncos QB Brock Osweiler. Osweiler chose to pass on the opportunity to meet the president in favor of staying with his new team, the Texans, and participate in OTA practice. It really sends a message to the team how committed he is to the Texans. It's a big deal to pass on a trip to the White House to meet the President of the United States. It's something that just doesn't happen every day so not going speaks volumes about how committed he is to his new team.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Brock-Osweiler-declines-White-House-for-OTA/f75dc2ea-82f9-4588-8d93-5ee0a4cd43c4

 

Here are Texans.com's John Harris' 13 observations from yesterday's OTA practice.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/13-observations-Mondays-OTAs/f79a4a73-cab2-4d03-a561-aac8f50d9bf4

 

In this morning's Breakfast With The Bulls article from Deepi Sidhu about what is an uncatchable is to DeAndre Hopkins.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Breakfast-Whats-uncatchable-for-DeAndre-Hopkins/adc46389-0f15-40ed-a904-b3c05845c915

[eagle eye]

Who is the most forgotten man on the Texans roster so far in 2016? My vote would go to 2014 4th round draft pick QB Tom Savage. Savage was guy who saw his draft stock rise sharply in the weeks prior to the draft based on a strong senior season at Pitt. Savage was touted a player who could be drafted anywhere from the end of the 1st round to the 2nd or 3rd round. As it was he fell to the 4th round which was great value for this player. Everyone knew he was a project guy who wouldn't be a day one starter in the NFL and he could sit behind Ryan Fitzpatrick and learn. In December of 2014 he got his first start in the NFL because of a broken leg suffered by Fitz. Savage did a good job but Savage injured his knee in a game against the Colts the following week and was done for the season. Case Keenum was signed off the Rams practice squad an finished out the final two games for Houston. The injury bug hit Savage again in the final preseason game last year against the Cowboys. This time he hurt his shoulder and was placed on injured reserve and done for the season. I don't know why the Texans put Savage on IR when they could have put him on PUP and got him back later in the season. There was a bit of a QB merry-go-round last season as the starting job bounced from Brian Hoyer to Ryan Mallett to Hoyer to TJ Yates to Brandon Weeden. Savage, had he not been on IR, would surely have gotten his chance. In the 2015 preseason Savage was a much improved player who did a lot of nice things and looked like a solid #3 behind Hoyer and Mallett as he paid his dues learning the pro game. Now Savage is fully recovered from that shoulder injury and he's been looking good in practice. Gone are TJ Yates, Mallett and Hoyer leaving only Brock Osweiler, Brandon Weeden and Savage as the only QB's on the Texans roster. People are assuming that Weeden will be the #2 man behind Osweiler but that may not be true. Weeden hasn't had a whole lot of success in the NFL although he did lead Houston to a couple of late wins last season but he wasn't impressive enough to keep Brian Hoyer on the bench when Hoyer recovered from the injury that sidelined him at mid season. Savage has learned a lot showing dedication and a strong work ethic despite his injury problems and there is no reason to assume he won't get a shot as the primary backup to Osweiler. Savage has sort of come up like Osweiler did by being a backup learning behind a veteran QB. Osweiler's advantage was learning under the great Peyton Manning and Osweiler seems to have brought the things he learned from Manning to Houston. Savage has been in Osweiler's hip pocket ever since the Big O came to Houston which includes the week long workout for QB's and receivers Osweiler organized in April. Do not be surprised if Osweiler's backup is one Tom Savage come September.

 

The Texans concluded the last of their OTA's today and now all that stands between the team and six weeks of vacation before training camp in late July is the mandatory mini camp scheduled to begin next Tuesday. Here's an article from Texans.com by the radio voice of the Texans Marc Vandermeer as he gives us his 5 take aways from the past 3 weeks of OTA's.

 

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Vandermeers-View-5-OTA-Takeaways/6a4df86c-a295-4db6-8740-bc076c4c44bb

Edited June 8, 2016 by eagle eye