Houston Texans Off Season News

[eagle eye]

New head coach Bill O'Brien kept defensive line coach Bill Kollar from the 2013 staff. Sixteen other assistants have been let go. Kollar has been in the NFL for 25 years as a coach and the past 5 with the Texans. JJ Watt credits Kollar for helping him to develop into a premiere defensive lineman.

From Texans.com here are the coaches who have been let go;

Perry Carter (assistant defensive backs), Rick Dennison (offensive coordinator), Karl Dorrell (quarterbacks), Dan Hammerschmidt (offensive assistant), Chick Harris (running backs), Reggie Herring (linebackers), Vance Joseph (defensive backs), Bobby King (assistant linebackers), Larry Kirksey (wide receivers), Marc Lubick (assistant wide receivers), Brian Pariani (tight ends), Wade Phillips (defensive coordinator), Jim Ryan (assistant offensive line), Matt Schiotz (assistant strength and conditioning), Cedric Smith (head strength and conditioning) and Jeff Zgonina (assistant defensive line).


Speaking of JJ Watt, yesterday Pro Football Focus named him the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row. The web site tauted Watt as the best defensive player in the NFL and also the best player in the NFL period.

[eagle eye]

The new head coach is coming into a sweet deal in Houston. He needs to rebuild the team's roster but it's not a major undertaking. The Texans do have some nice pieces in place to build on. Bill O'Brien also has the first pick in the draft to work with. There are a lot of needs to fill and it's no lock that Johnny Manziel or Terry Bridgewater will be that first pick. In fact, it's quiet possible Houston trades down similar to the St Louis Rams did two years ago so Washington could draft RGIII. Both teams have benefitted greatly from the trade but it would be a great debate about who got more bang for their buck. There a lot of QB's in the draft who will go in later rounds like Alabama's AJ McCarron who look like they will be good NFL caliber QB's. Houston could trade down and accumulate extra picks to fill the hole Houston has on the O-line, D-line, linebacker and running back. Not to mention cornerback and safety. The caveat here is, in Houston, will fans tolerate not taking Texas' own Johnny Manziel especially with such a big A&M influence in Houston? What do you think Houston should do?

[eagle eye]

In his first week Bill O'Brien has assumed the head coaching job, fired all of his predecessor's staff except the defensive line coach, met former President George H W Bush (the old man, not his son) and the latest news is that he is a gifted communicator. A man with a way with words. By all accounts a man who will potentially be a very good NFL head coach. He certainly did a nice job at Penn State despite the well documented issues at State College Pennsylvania. It's ironic though that a man with such good communication skills should be frustrated out of a job at Penn State but that's what seems to have happened. Apparently, the old Joe Pa followers still hanging on constantly complained that O'Brien didn't do things like Joe Pa and they didn't like it. They complained so much that O'Brien got fed up with it and jumped at the opportunity to get back to the NFL and away from Penn State where, by the way, he won Coach of the Year honors in 2012. Joe Paterno had a great coaching career which he crapped all over by facilitating a child molester. The Joe Pa boosters are ridiculous but it looks like we got a good coach for the Texans as a result. I think Joe Paterno was evil for what he allowed to continue under his watch and for boosters to taint the excellent effort by his successor is just unimaginable. Screw Joe Pa and I hope the people who revere this sick old man get nothing but a big old F you from the new head man, James Franklin. As for Houston, I hope we win 5 Super Bowls just as a big F you from O'Brien to those stupid people who still think Paterno is worth anyone's admiration.

[eagle eye]

In an interview with Texans owner Bob McNair was asked his opinion of South Carolina's Jadaveon Clowney since McNair is an alumnus of the school. McNair said he feels Clowney is a once in a decade athlete but he sort of questioned his work ethic. McNair said he thought Clowney is such a gifted athlete he never has had to really work to succeed. A question about if Clowney was to come to Houston if the Texans could teach him the work ethic needed for Clowney to succeed in the NFL. McNair said that he would put Clowney with JJ Watt, a guy who has worked very hard to develop into the player he is, would be the perfect mentor for Clowney. Apparently, McNair had asked Watt about mentoring Clowney and Watt said, "If I'm in the room he WILL work!". I don't know if this is a hint at the direction the Texans will go with that first pick in the draft but it would be a pretty controversial pick considering how much publicity is out there about picking either Johnny Manziel or Terry Bridgewater. McNair isn't a stranger to controversy considering the Texans selected DE Mario Williams with the first pick in the 2006 NFL draft instead of the popular choices of either Texas' Vince Young or USC RB Reggie Bush. The fit sure hit the shan with that draft but hindsight bears out that Houston made the right decision at the time. It may very well be that Houston will trade that first pick for draft choices and maybe try to snag Clowney at pick 6 or 7. It will be an interesting topic of discussion as we move through the senior bowl and the scouting combine on the way to the May draft.

[eagle eye]

Left tackle Duane Brown was added to the Pro Bowl roster earlier this week. He will replace Eagles tackle Jason Peters who declined to go. This Brown's second Pro Bowl with his first being last season.

JJ Watt was named a team captain for the Pro Bowl. The four players named as captains are DrewBrees, Jamaal Charles, Robert Quinn and Watt. Brees and Rams defensive lineman Quinn will be paired and Charles and Watt will be paired. The Pro Bowl format will change this year with Deion Sanders and Jerry Rice will pick teams like we used to on the playground instead of zoning in on a per conference selection and rivalry which is really no rivalry at all.

Here's a link to a Texans.com article about the results of the first mock drafts released this past week. Louisville's Terry Bridgewater is the favorite of the mockers but it's an interesting look at who thinks the Texans may go with when they are on the clock with that first pick.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10303206/oregon-pac-12-winners-lsu-sec-losers-nfl-draft-early-entries

[eagle eye]

Well, my hopes have been dashed on the rocks in terms of the style of defense Houston plays next season. How do I know that? Because Houston has hired Romeo Crennell to be defensive coordinator and he's a 3-4 man. My hopes of seeing what kind of damage JJ Watt could do in a 4-3 as a defensive end are dashed to pieces now. Seriously, Crennell is a good coach and his defenses have always been strong. Even two years ago when he was head coach of Kansas City the defense was good it's just that the offense wasn't. Another incident where a good coordinator doesn't necessarily mean he's a good head coach. Most of the needs for Houston is on the defense so knowing the scheme they take into the season will help identify the exact needs of the team. The question still begs will the Texans go defense or offense. Will they draft a QB like Manziel or Bridgewater of will they get DL Jadaveon Clowney? I still think that if Houston switch to a 4-3 you could bookend Clowney and Watt at defensive end and the front four becomes a really dangerous unit.

[eagle eye]

It didn't take long for former head coach Gary Kubiak to find a job. Yesterday he was hired to be the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. Rick Dennison who was the Texans OC will join Kubiak as the QB coach. Kubiak replaced Jim Caldwell who left to become the Detroit Lions head coach. He inherits a unit with a recognized QB (Joe Flacco), a top RB (Ray Rice), a top WR (Torrey Smith) and top TE (Dennis Pitta) with depth at most positions. The Ravens don't have the WR depth Houston does but Ravens GM is possibly the best GM in the NFL at acquiring talent. Head coach John Harbaugh like to have a run-dominated offense and that's Kubiak's forte. Kubiak appears to be the perfect fit for what the Ravens are looking for.

Here's a link to a Texans.com look at possible draft prospect Jadeveon Clowney.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-On-The-Clock-Jadeveon-Clowney/8b33f848-8902-49e6-b5a5-4b2e4b134392

[eagle eye]

Here's a look, for the Texans website about prospective first first round pick Johnny Manziel. As time passes the feeling may be more clear as to who Houston may draft with their first pick but now there are a lot of names that are on the prospective list of possibilities but Johnny Football is arguably the highest profile of them all.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-On-the-Clock-Johnny-Manziel/007b9528-8d56-418f-99ec-3d3c780867bf

[eagle eye]

Here's a link to a Texans.com article about the difference in this off season compared to last year for LB Brian Cushing. This year the outlook is really good without the uncertainty of last season as Cushing was rehabbing from a torn ACL. This time last year Cushing was a long way from being cleared to even practice but this year he's already running and he says he feels great. Good news for new head coach Bill O'Brien and Texans fans.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/“Night-and-day”-offseasons-for-Brian-Cushing/2dea1ebe-e7bf-4043-a38c-40a468baf3ee

Here's a link to a video of Matt Schaub's feelings about his off season and his impressions of Bill O'Brien. Texans fans may not want to hear this but Schaub may be the QB going in the 2014 season. One, his contract is too prohibitive for Houston to just cut him and two, Schaub is a pocket passer and that's something that Bill O'Brien seems to prefer given his recent history of working with Tom Brady in New England and his development of pocket passers at Penn State. At State he developed current Oakland Raiders QB Matt McGloin and Penn State's current signal caller Christian Hackenberg.

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/QB-Schaub-on-OBrien-offseason/0a101bef-cf4d-4d10-b7c0-db0651aec17f

One last item from Texans.com is the interview with Texans DB D J Swearinger who is a former teammate of prospective 1st round pick Jadeveon Clowney at South Carolina and Clowney's statement that the Texans need to "get me to Houston"!

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/Get_me_to_Houston_Clowney/9f2f9800-543d-4842-ab75-f15ac7b77e15

[eagle eye]

Here's a link to an interview with LB Brian Cushing and his impressions on new head coach Bill O'Brien, new LB coach and former All-Pro LB for the Patriots Mike Vrabel as well as his thoughts on the learning curve in new defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel's defensive scheme.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/hou/houston-astros-president-reid-ryan-driven-by-love-for-the-game?ymd=20140217&content_id=67802318&vkey=news_ho u

[eagle eye]

Yesterday Johnny Manziel was interviewed at the Scouting Combine and, to me, he came off pretty good. His official height at the combine was listed as 5'11-3/4". During his interview Manziel said his competitiveness and drive to win make him play like he's ten feet tall. To him his height is only a number. That's a predictable answer but when you see his face when he says it and you believe him. He also iterated that he is a pro now and his approach and commitment to being the best player he can be is an answer to the question about how serious he takes his football. He pointed out that he worked a lot before last season at A&M to improve as a pocket passer and his QB play overall. He also said he has been working out in San Diego in prep for the combine even though he doesn't plan to throw in Indianapolis. He will throw at his A&M pro day and private workouts as requested. The one thing Texans fans should note was that he wants to stay in Texas because he was born and raised in Texas and it's very fortunate that Houston has the first pick in the draft. This was a not-so-subtle hint that he wants to be the Texans choice with the first pick in the draft.

The combine is in full swing with on field work beginning today. I recommend you go to Texans.com and check out the videos posted on the site with head coach Bill O'Brien, A.J. McCarren, ESPN's John Clayton and the article about Maziel's presser. I liked the McCarron presser and I agree he's been underrated as a QB prospect and from a measuerables standpoint he's kind of right up Bill O'Brien's alley. A guy like McCarron could drop as low as the second round and be available for Houston allowing the Texans to draft a Jadeveon Clowney or a Jake Mathews with the first pick. The options available in the "deepest draft in 10 years" according to Mike Mayock for Houston will be a topic of discussion until the May draft begins.

[eagle eye]

The combine is over and if you watched the procedings or checked out the highlights you had to hear all the good---and bad---about Jadeveon Clowney. His forty time was better than most tightends but his bench press wasn't all that great, 21 reps at 225 lbs. He ran the shuttle run and other drills but he didn't participate in the drill where they had to begin lying on their stomach. So, the controversy continues over him. Is he a beast and a no-brainer 1st pick or is his work ethic, or lack thereof, make him too much of a risk? Is he a dedicated football guy or diva? Did his lack of production his senior year send up red flags or will scouts and coaches take into consideration he was double, triple and quadruple teamed on almost every play last season? It's a conundrum wrapped in an enigma wrapped in an anomoly.
Houston is sitting with the first pick in the draft and they will have an immense pressure to draft QB Johnny Manziel. If they pass on Manziel and he blows up and becomes Johnny Pro Football the Texans will never hear the end of it. If Houston drafts Manziel and he doesn't live up to expectations and Clowney blows up same situation. This may be the most important pick in Bill O'Brien's tenure in Houston because repercussions from this draft will resonate for years. If the Texans pick well it's happy days in Houston again and if not O'Brien will be looking for a job within a couple of years.
If you believe the pundits there isn't a QB in this draft that's a 1st pick franchise QB but Clowney himself has caused a lot of doubt about whether he is a 1st pick. Heck Mike Mayock said he would take Pitt's Aaron Donald ahead of Clowney despite Donald's lack of height and arm length. It's going to be a very important pick but it could be clouded by the current QBs on the roster.
Matt Schaub got a big contract a couple of years ago and to cut him would result in a lot of dead money Houston can't really afford. Schaub is a pocket passer, the kind O'Brien reportedly likes and has been used to working with. Houston may be stuck with Schaub for a couple more years. Then there is Case Keenum. Did he show enough to make Schaub a bench warmer? Is either one enough to pass on a QB with the first pick? Wow, I'm glad I don't have to make this decision.

[eagle eye]

Hey, the Texans have already signed the first free agent of 2014. Yesterday they inked TE Zach Potter who was a defensive end in college at Nebraska who was converted to TE in the NFL. Potter was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jets in 2009 and was waived on the last cut. The Jaguars signed him to their practice squad and they converted him to tight end. In 2012 the Rams signed him as a free agent but for some reason I can't find he didn't play a down in 2013. Apparently, the notion that head coach Bill O'Brien likes to stockpile TE's is accurate because with this signing it gives Houston 5 TE's on the roster.
Who knows but the fact that Potter was an Honorable Mention All Big Twelve defensive end might mean he could switch back to DE and be a pass rusher. At 6'7" and 269 lbs he could do just that. He may need to add a few pounds to be a 3-4 DE but who knows what's in store.

Here's an article from Texans.com about who experts around the country think Houston will draft with their first pick in May's draft.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-Mock-Draft-Survey-40/49bd5a92-acae-4d6b-aed5-82d887630c65

[eagle eye]

Talk about a memorable prom night. Houston Texans cheerleader Caitlyn has agreed to go to a Crosby student's senior prom if he get 10K retweets. Here's a link to the Texans.com article for details of this dream date!

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-Cheerleader-agrees-to-prom-date/df778774-5231-46f1-9dbe-cda8d929c7f0

[eagle eye]

Houston has claimed LB Paul Hazel off waivers and released inside LB Evan Frierson. Frierson was signed as an undrafted free agent last May 10th but he was put on injured reserve before the preseason began with a shoulder injury. Hazel went to Western Michigan where he played both football and basketball. Hazel is 6'5" and 227 lbs and he was a standout player at WMU. He was signed as an undrafted free agent last May by Jacksonville but he ended up playing for Cleveland in 2013.

OT Duane Brown says he's going to bulk back up for the 2014 season. In 2013 he took off weight in an attempt to be faster and quicker which he accomplished but he was also not, in his words "able to anchor" so he will put on 12-15 pounds in a healthy way of course. He is currently listed at 303 lbs so he looks to play next season at around 315 lbs. Brown and the rest of the O-line is looking to bounce back after a pretty bad season they and the rest of the team suffered through last season.

Ben Tate said in an interview that a team who signs him in free agency will be getting an elite type of running back. Tate was drafted by Houston in 2010 after a good career as a four year player at Auburn. Tate had done some nice things with the Texans but he has been plagued by injuries during his time highlighted by his missing the entire 2010 season with a broken ankle suffered in preseason. Tate has apparently closed the door on playing in Houston saying, "I'm very grateful for the Texans selecting me and giving me an opportunity coming out of college," he said. "Without a doubt I'm very grateful for that. I just see it as a chapter closing in my life and opening a new chapter." Tate was drafted to be the man in the Houston offense but Arian Foster, who was signed by Houston as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2009, had an unbelievable breakout season in 2010 after Tate was injured. Foster suffered through back issues and barely played last season but Houston has said that Foster is healthy and they expect a return to form in 2014. Most RB's are not all that popular as free agents mainly because by the time most RB's hit free agency they are pushing 30 and they don't get the deal they are hoping for. Tate's situation is different. He's healthy and he's only 25 and he's determined to show how good he can be. He will likely be a bargain for a team that signs him.

[eagle eye]

Rumors are flying around that Houston is going to try to trade for New England Patriots backup QB Ryan Mallet. Houston head coach Bill O'Brien worked with Mallet when he was an assistant for the Patriots so he is familiar with what Mallet is about as a player. Mallet is the type of QB that O'Brien seems to prefer and he would be a good fit in the Texans new O'Brien offense. The rumors are saying Mallet would cost the Texans their early 2nd round draft pick. If true, the Texans would be free to draft DE Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick in the draft and still get a young QB. The upside is that Mallet has served a 3 year apprenticeship under Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and he should be ready to step into a starting job in Houston. A trade would also be beneficial to the Patriots because Mallet will become a free agent in 2015 and a trade now will enable the Patriots to at least get something for their trouble. There is a monkey in the wrench to this rumor. Senior beat writer for the Texans, John McClain, is insisting that Houston will not be trading for Mallet. It would be hard to argue with a guy who follows the team on a day-to-day basis. C'mon May 8 when the draft begins and all speculation will end.

[eagle eye]

Two players who were injured in 2013 contributed mightily to the Texans dismal season. Truthfully, there were a whole group of injuries that adversely affected the Texans fortunes last season but two big losses where Owen Daniels on the offensive side of the ball and Jonathan Joseph on defense. Joseph was lost for the rest of the season in December when he tore a toe ligament but he was also hobbled by one thing or another all season. Daniels was lost much earlier than Joseph when he broke his leg in Week 5 against San Francisco. Both men claim they are on or ahead of schedule in there rehabs and both feel they will be ready when OTA's begin for the Texans.

Here's a link from Texans.com who went back and took a look at some of the free agent signings Houston have done.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/A-look-back-at-Texans-free-agent-signings/d0274c4c-6e22-455a-a83f-85a0b73e5881

[eagle eye]

So much for being ready to start OTA's. Free agency begins at 4 PM today and Houston cleared away some cap space by releasing long time TE Owen Daniels. This is a bit of a surprise but Daniels has been prone to injury since he was drafted by Houston in 2006. He did make two Pro Bowls in 2008 and 2012 and he is sort of like a Jason Witten Lite. That is to say Daniels is a good player and he should be for several more years to come but it just won't be with Houston. Houston has actually done Daniels a favor by releasing him in time to take advantage of the free agent frenzy beginning this afternoon. I could see Daniels as a good fit in New England. There's no guarantee Rob Gronkowski will be back to his old Gronk-ness and the Pats have shown they like using the tight end as a receiver which is something Daniels is very good at. Even if Gronk does come back strong the Pats have never replaced Aaron Hernandez. For the right price I could very well see Daniels go to New England.

[eagle eye]

I've said this before, don't be surprised if Matt Schaub is the quarterback of the Texans in 2014. According to an article in NFL.com the Houston Chronicle's lead Texans reporter John McClain is saying that despite rumors that the Cleveland Browns are interested in him, Schaub won't be going anywhere. The Texans are not is any salary cap distress so they don't have to let Schaub go for that reason. But, they don't want to eat a lot of dead money by releasing him either. The only other option is a trade. Considering how bad Schaub was in 2013 it's unlikely Houston can recoup much value in a trade but you never know just what Houston may be willing to take for him. Cleveland seems motivated to move on a deal for somebody since they cut Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell today. That leaves the Browns with only Brian Hoyer who is coming off a torn ACL suffered about mid season last year. It was highly speculated that Houston may be interested in former Bears backup Josh McCown who filled in so spectacularly last year when Jay Cutler missed several weeks due to injury. However, Tampa Bay has signed McCown so that door is now closed.

[eagle eye]

Houston hasn't made any noise in free agency but they did make a signing today. TE Garrett Graham signed a deal this afternoon to remain with the Texans. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

[eagle eye]

Right now Houston is seeing players leave and they haven't done anything to replace them as yet.

Ben Tate has signed with the Cleveland Browns. If QB Brian Hoyer comes back after ACL surgery in the form he showed when he got hurt the Browns offense should be a force to be reckoned with in 2014.

Antonio Smith is gone too. Yesterday he signed with the Oakland Raiders for a reported 2 year deal worth $9 MM.

[eagle eye]

The Texans have gotten their free agent feet wet and it began by signing their own TE Garrett Graham to new deal. Graham should be even more involved because starting TE Owen Daniels was released last Tuesday. Graham actually signed his deal last Thursday. Some people are sad to see Daniels go but Graham is pretty much the same player but less injury prone. Graham should be the favorite to assume the starting role on the Texans defense and one thing for sure Bill O'Brien likes to use his tight ends. Despite the release of Daniels Houston still has three other TE's on the roster including 2013 draft pick out of UConn Ryan Griffin. Griffin and Graham should give the Texans a nice one-two punch at their position.

The Texans finally made a move in free agency outside of their own players. Today Houston signed former Chiefs nose tackle Jarrell Powe. Powe has only played in two games in 2013 but at 6'2" 331 lbs he should be a good rotation guy at nose tackle. He suited up for nine games in 2012 alternating between defense and special teams.

In Week 6 vs St Louis CB Danieal Manning was lost for the season to a knee injury on his right knee. In an interview today Manning indicated that he is right on schedule in his rehab if not ahead. He said he is running on a treadmill machine called an Alter-G treadmill. The Alter-G in effect mean anti-gravity treadmill which can offset your body weight so undue pressure isn't put on an injured joint like your knee. It allows users to dial up how much of their body weight is put on their legs while walking or running on the treadmill. Currently Manning claims he is up to running on 90% of his body weight. He is hoping to be able to go out and run on the field this week for the first time. Below is a link to what the Alter-G looks like. Pay no attention to the sexy girl in the photo!

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja &uact=8&docid=7OMlUJqyARhTGM&tbnid=MIwvPgqVncuJ7M: &ved=0CAYQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdavislifecareorg.st artlogic.com%2Falter-g-anti-gravity-treadmill.html&ei=VtUoU_moNMPO2wXK-4G4Aw&bvm=bv.62922401,d.aWc&psig=AFQjCNEg2Kv4EdxHn eODXld-FndpOiI4Bg&ust=1395271342498570

[eagle eye]

I asked my friend Wes today what he thought about his Texans only signing a backup nose tackle and their own TE Garrett Graham as free agency is about two weeks old now. He just smiled and shook his head.

It may be possible, since a bunch of the draft gurus are saying there isn't a shoe-in #1 pick QB in this year's draft, that Houston will go for South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney. That's cool. The guy is freak of an athlete but what if, because of his speed and athleticism, the Texans look at Clowney as a weak side linebacker? A pure pass rusher like Lawrence Taylor or DeMarcus Ware. To me it's a much better use of his talent than stick him in as a defensive end. Typically, a 3-4 DE is just supposed to eat up space and tie up the O-line so the linebackers can make plays. Clowney is a playmaker and he didn't do all that well last season being double and triple teamed most the time. Just throwing that out there...........

[eagle eye]

Great, as soon as I rag on Houston for not being more of a player in free agency and what do I find? Houston has signed QB Ryan Fitzpatrick which fuels speculation that Matt Schaub will soon be working in another city. If you believe NFL.com the Oakland Raiders are expressing interest. Fitzpatrick has done some good things in his career, most recently in Buffalo where he started for three injury plagued years. He was a backup in Tennessee last season but the Titans released Fitzpatrick last week in favor of Charlie Whitehurst. Fitzpatrick's signing, according to Ian Rappaport of NFL.com, seems to signal the end of Matt Schaub's tenure in Houston. Rappaport is saying that Schaub could be as early as tomorrow. I supposed earlier that Schaub's $10+ MM salary cap hit would be too much for Houston to just eat but they have had nary a nibble for a trade for a QB who looked so pitiful in 2013. This could refuel the talk of Houston taking a QB with the first pick in this year's draft because there's no question Fitz isn't the QB of the future in Houston.

[eagle eye]

What a crazy week. First Houston signs QB Ryan Fitzpatrick then the Texans sign free agent free safety Kendrick Lewis late of the Kansas City Chiefs who will end up a backup to Danieal Manning and playing next to D J Swearinger. This is, of course, if he doesn't win one of the spots outright. Lewis was drafted by the Chiefs in the 5th round out of Mississippi in 2010. Last season Lewis played in all 16 games for KC starting 15. He's a good insurance policy in case Manning's rehab has a setback or two.

Now, on Friday, the Raidahs actually couldn't wait for Matt Schaub to be released so they traded for him. I know, crazy, right? Houston got two things, 1) they got rid of Schaub who had completed wearing out his welcome in Houston with his awful play last season. And, in all fairness, Schaub probably had enough of Houston especially after angry fans were cruising past his house at one point. Those "fans" deserved to be horsewhipped. 2) Houston gets rid of Schaub's cap hit of $14 MM with it's base salary of $10 MM. Fitzpatrick's signing enabled Schaub to be let go and I still can't explain why Oakland couldn't wait until Houston released Schaub. Dumb move IMO. But, that's the Raiders problem and I'm glad to see Houston win a deal for once.

[eagle eye]

Houston received 3 compensatory draft picks in this year's draft and they are pretty good picks as well. Much better than the 3 seventh rounders Dallas got. Here they are;

Fourth round – 35th-135
Sixth round – 35th-211
Seventh round – 41st-256

Houston will have the first pick in each of the seven rounds plus the sixth round pick acquired in the Matt Schaub deal with Oakland and the above 3 picks giving Houston a total of 11 picks. The compensatory picks cannot be traded but it gives Houston some ammunition to use their own picks to move up or down as they choose. There is a real chance Houston takes Clowney with the first pick and just as equal a chance Houston will go after an A J McCarron or Terry Bridgewater who are both now projected a early 2nd round picks. Head coach Bill O'Brien said today that Houston WILL draft a QB but it won't necessarily be with the first pick.

[eagle eye]

It's just being reported that Houston is making an effort to trade down in this years draft. On NFL.com they feel like Buffalo may be a candidate but on a yahoo sports mock they have Houston trading down to No 5 with Jacksonville. The speculation is turning to a bit of reality if Houston is shopping their No 1 pick. Last week WR Andre Johnson suggested that's what Houston should do. Trade down and accumulate some more picks. If they could get a decent package they could end up with 13 or 14 picks or maybe get a high pick next year. Not a bad strategy but it's entirely possible if they trade down Houston would lose out on Clowney.

It's also being reported that Houston has asked S Danieal Manning to take a pay cut to make him a more friendly cap hit. He is scheduled to make $4.5 mm this year and $6 mm next year, his final year. No word from Mannings camp but Houston has scheduled a meeting with Miami Dolphins free agent Chris Clemens. Clemens was a 5th round pick by the Dolphins in 2009. Manning will be 32 this year coming off a knee injury last season. Clemens will turn 29 in September.

[eagle eye]

I posted earlier in the week that the Texans were talking with free safety free agent from the Miami Dolphins Chris Clemons and today it was announced that the Texans signed Clemons. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. This is second free safety Houston has signed in the past week. Last week Houston signed Kendrick Lewis who comes to Houston from Kansas City. So, what does this mean for veteran S Danieal Manning? It's hard to say because it basically depends on how willing Manning is to accept the pay cut Houston has asked him to take. Manning was a good player for the Chicago Bears and he's been excellent for the Texans since they signed him as a free agent in 2009. He was injured most of last season and at age 32 the Texans may just be willing to let him go if he won't adjust his salary hit.

[eagle eye]

Today new Texans head coach Bill O'Brien held a town hall meeting with suite holders and fans at Reliant Stadium. Texans web site columnist Deepi Sidhu gives a recap of some the questions O'Brien answered for the crowd.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Bill-OBrien-answers-questions-at-Town-Hall-/9f4e4014-c694-46a7-9b8a-a430e8d621b2

[eagle eye]

Jadeveon Clowney's pro day at South Carolina was yesterday and NFL.com took notice of the fact that Houston's DC Romeo Crennel was front and center asking for Clowney to go through pass coverage drills and perform drills in space because Houston is hoping Clowney can be a Willie McGinist type of player that Crennel had when he was DC in New England and winning Super Bowls. I posted about a month ago that if Houston selects Clowney that he should be a DeMarcus Ware type of player as a weak side OLB, a pass rushing specialist, because I thought it utilized his talent better than if he played DE in a 3-4 scheme. It seems like I may have hit the nail on the head this time. Here's a link to the NFL.com article and it also features a video of Clowney's pro day.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000339132/article/can-jadeveon-clowney-play-mcginest-role-for-texans

[eagle eye]

The Texans have signed another unrestricted free agent but, like TE Garrett Graham, he's one of Houston's own. CB Elbert Mack was signed today. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Mack has played in 73 games in his six year career with Houston including 6 starts. He has also been a contributor on special teams.

34 days until Houston drafts Jadeveon Clowney.

[eagle eye]

So I was talking with Wes, a big Texans fan, this morning and he said he doesn't want Jadeveon Clowney. He agreed with me that he's a freak of an athlete but he's seen him in interviews and was not impressed and he's seen him in games and it looked to him like Clowney takes plays off. To sum up his feelings Wes said he just doesn't like Clowney's motor. This gets me to thinking, is Clowney being over hyped? Is the perception of Clowney based solely on that one huge play in the bowl game vs Michigan in January of 2013 in the Outback Bowl? That No 1 pick, man, it's a terrible burden it there isn't a consensus player like Andrew Luck to choose. You could get a big arguement started about whether Clowney is consensus or not. That ain't good. It's my feeling that without a clear cut No 1 caliber QB how can you pass on Clowney? I'm glad I'm not Rick Smith or Bill O'Brien. You miss on the No 1 pick it could ruin your chances of keeping your job.

[eagle eye]

The Texans have made a late move in free agency and it's someone who can possibly help Houston's running game. That is if he can stay healthy. The past two seasons Brown has had campaigns come to a screeching halt when he suffered broken legs that ended his seasons. He's been productive when healthy though and should provide a nice compliment to Arian Foster, assuming HE stays healthy. Houston's backup situation became a priority when Ben Tate signed a two year deal with Cleveland earlier in free agency. All Houston had to back up Foster were the unspectacular trio of Deji Karem, Jonathan Grimes and Dennis Johnson and it looked like Houston was going to have to dedicate a pick or two if nothing was done in free agency. I think we're all hoping Brown and Foster both are past their recent injury problems.

30 days until Houston selects Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

[eagle eye]

Here's an article from NFL.com that's reporting that the back surgery RB Arian Foster underwent to relieve nagging back issues was not as serious as it was made out to be. Foster was medically cleared to whatever extent that means for a guy coming off back surgery about a month ago. From the article it sounds like Foster is ready to get back in the thick of things.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000340219/article/arian-foster-surgery-wasnt-as-major-as-it-sounded

OTA's for NFL teams with new coaches are able to begin 2 weeks before the rest of the NFL teams which means that Houston began OTA practices yesterday. Here's an article from Texans beat writer Drew Dougherty's interview with OL Duane Brown after the Texans practice yesterday. He discussed changes made since Bill O'Brien took over as head coach including adding MMA training to the Texans off season weight training program.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Weight-room-changes-MMA-tactics-new-in-offseason/ef8fb25f-cee5-4a96-ab73-f39e7930ad59

Brown also spoke with another beat writer, Deepi Sidhu, about how he's coming into OTA feeling better than ever despite gaining 20 pounds in the off season.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Duane-Brown-adds-20-lbs-feels-stronger-than-ever-/27539a4f-2f8c-49f3-a6d6-2ee8e420717d

[eagle eye]

Don't you just love the games teams play during the weeks prior to the draft? The latest is in regard to projected top pick Jadeveon Clowney by an unnamed GM in the NFL saying quote,
"He's never worked hard a day in his life, now all of a sudden you're going to give him a bunch of money and expect him to work hard. I don't see it.".
As I said the GM's name or the team he works for isn't named but it's a little suspicious that the comment comes within a day of his workout for the St Louis Rams who just happen to have the 2nd pick in the draft. Hmmm.

Andre Johnson was honored by being elected to the Miami Hurricanes Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday evening. He was given his HOF jacket by fellow Hurricanes alum Michael Irvin. Here's a video of Johnson's HOF speech.

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/Andre-Johnson-Miami-HOF-speech/252fe994-e7f4-4bc2-baa1-fdf4f046173e

I posted earlier that among the Texans new workout regimen included MMA training. Here's a video on LT Duane Brown's take on the new program among several comments in an interview.

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/LT-Brown-on-Texans-MMA-workouts/3264d92b-8f84-4d9e-8607-c72acb2ecb75

I know it won't make any difference because if you intend to see the new Kevin Costner film "Draft Day" you're going anyway but the movie features the debut of RB Arian Foster in his big screen debut.

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/Whos_Arian_Fosters_favorite_actor/d2e25cf6-9c82-485b-a6be-864d4e694429

[eagle eye]

The only real news out of Texans country is that the mock drafts can't deside on who Houston will take with the No 1 pick. The general consensus is it's either going to be Blake Bortles or Jadeveon Clowney. I'm hoping Clowney and I'm hoping that if they do the Texans will use him as the weak side outside linebacker. The tandem of JJ Watts and Clowney at opposite ends of the line feels like a dynamic pairing especially is Brian Cushing is able to come back from the devastating knee injury he suffered last season, his second in as many years.

Here's a link to brief new item from NFL.com where Cush is sounding stong and confident his rehab has gone well and he's ready to play via his twitter posts.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000342000/article/brian-cushing-says-hes-100-percent-healthy-for-texans

Another item of note; the 49ers are being reported on NFL.com that they are open to trade talks concerning LaMichael James the former Oregon RB drafted by Frisco in 2012. I know that Houston signed former NY Giants RB Andre Brown last week but with Brown and Arian Foster both coming off injuries it would be hard to pass on a former blue chip RB especially if the price was right. Why are the Niners willing to get rid of James? Because their 4th round choice from last season, Marcus Lattimore, is healed after a lengthy rehab from the knee injury that ended his final year of college at South Carolina. Lattimore is one of those guys touted to be all world coming to the NFL. He has speed, power and explosion or he did before he tore up his knee. If he comes back and lives up to the hype then San Fran has Frank Gore, Kendall Hunter and Lattimore which makes James expendable. This could the sleeper pick of draft if Houston could land James.

[eagle eye]

With the NFL draft only 2-1/2 weeks away (did I say "only"???) there is really nothing new to talk about. Well, maybe a little something. The Texans are still expected to choose one of two options. Either South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney or a quarterback probably NOT Johnny Manziel have been the talk since the end of the Super Bowl but now a new name has replaced that unknown QB. Lately, in mock drafts and published accounts speculating on who the Texans will select has been one Kahlil Mack linebacker from the University of Buffalo, considered to be the biggest catch of the draft from the linebacker perspective. Fox Sports, ESPN, Profootballtalk, and various other outlets are suggesting that Texans GM Rick Smith actually prefers Mack to Clowney. Now, you and I both know that GMs and coaches are pathological liars this time of year but Mack has been touted at a top 5 pick for a while. He has the combination of size, speed and athleticism that make him "that" guy. Mack may be a better fit in a 3-4 simply because he has played the linebacker position and is used to not having his hand on the ground. That would be the chance the Texans would be taking if they select Clowney, that he could make the transition to linebacker much the same way DeMarcus Ware did with Dallas. It makes no sense to make Clowney a defensive end in a 3-4 because it would compromise too many things he able to do on the field. Clowney certainly has the ability to transition to LB but you just never know how a player will respond once the pads go on. So now, let the debate begin--Clowney vs Mack--and may it be enough to get us through the next 17 days.

[eagle eye]

The draft begins next Thursday and it looks like the Texans website is going to run a series of articles to give a position by position look at the current Texans depth and potential draft prospects all the way through the 7th and final round of the draft. In this article Texans.com's John Harris looks at the running backs.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-RB-Draft-Board/74c64598-9a40-471f-9608-aaa3dd0b22ff

[eagle eye]

Here's the next installment of the Texans.com position draft analysis. Today John Harris looks at wide receivers.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-WR-Draft-Board/7861d392-b08f-405c-b136-ea27e165c8cd

[eagle eye]

The pre-draft analysis continues with a look at the QB position. From Texans.com.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-QB-Draft-Board/2572de74-2101-4f14-be8c-0adc69b316f8

[eagle eye]

The next installment of the Texans Draft Board looks at the offensive line. As before, it looks at the current depth chart on the Texans roster and player draft possibilities from Round 1 through Round 7.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-OL-Draft-Board/22f327e2-8696-432b-b5c5-dba82c350fb3

6 days to the NFL draft!

[eagle eye]

The Texans.com pre-draft preview features a look at the defensive line. It lists the current depth chart and round by round possibilities of who they could draft to help fill needs.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-D-Line-Draft-Board/119aa23d-243f-40ae-8317-56b6aeb8e1d0

[eagle eye]

One day left and we will find out just what the hell Houston will do with that first pick. I'm tired of the talk, it's time to get this party started. In the mean time let me catch up on the Texans.com draft board preview. I'm a little behind so I'll post what is out there to date.

First up is the linebackers: http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-LB-Draft-Board/54a1f2a6-72ba-4092-b28a-54eba987cd4d

Next are the defensive backs: http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-DB-Draft-Board/b2f30b12-5b90-4fe4-923b-11fab23d1d79

A Houston Texans fan has won an ultimate fan experience trip to New York and will participate in the draft procedings. Here's the article from Texans.com. Admit it, you're a little jealous of this guy. Me too.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-fan-wins-ultimate-Draft-experience/eb4081a5-48cd-4cfe-ae05-c53a38d46900

[eagle eye]

Houston didn't do anything but stand pat and take the best player in the draft Jadeveon Clowney. I don't know who they will target to begin the 2nd round but I'd like them to take Notre Dame DE Stephon Tuitt to play opposite JJ Watt or his Notre Dame teammate NT Louis Nix III to play nose tackle. If Houston takes either one of these guys they have seriously upgraded their defense. It's entirely possible Houston grabs a QB to start the round. Most feel like AJ McCarron is the likely candidate and I'm good with that because I think McCarron is a lot better than he's given credit.

The 2nd round begins at 7 this evening. Hopefully, I can catch a little nap sometime today.

[eagle eye]

If Houston's first four picks in the draft are as advertised Houston just had a helluva draft. Of course there's Clowney. I don't need to say anything more that hasn't already been said. The 2nd round pick, guard Xavier Su'a-Filo was the top guard in the draft and should help what has been a rather porous O-line. So far win-win. The 3rd round pick should help solidify the O-line. TE CJ Fiedorowicz fills the need for a blocking TE which can help unleash Arian Foster and the other RB's. Houston traded up to get another 3rd round pick and they chose NT Louis Nix III from Notre Dame. If Nix returns to his 2012 form then Houston has that anchor on the D-line they have been needing. That's just the the first 4 picks out of the draft but it could be the 4th round pick, Houston's fifth, that could push this draft class to the excellent level regardless of what the other 5 picks do. The Texans took Pitt's QB Tom Savage and the guy steadily climbed the draft boards leading up to last weekend. He has the size and the skill set that new head coach Bill O'Brien likes and he can develop for a couple of years under newly signed QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. I'm excited to see how this all shakes out. Assuming he is really healthy now, fantasy owners may be able to lean on Arian Foster as their bell cow in their fantasy leagues given the upgrades both on offense and defense. Nice job under Rick Smith and in Bill O'Brien's first year at head coach.

[eagle eye]

Houston drafted 10 players and since the draft ended Saturday evening Houston has signed 18 undrafted free agents bringing the total of at least 39 players due at the rookie mini camp this weekend.

The UFA's have one name I've heard of and that's Michigan State LB Max Bullock. I saw a lot of his name on the fanspeak draft simulator mainly around the seventh round. Here's the entire list of UFA's:

Chris Boswell (K--Rice)
Kevin Forsch (OG--Houston)
Bryan Witzmann (OT--South Dakota State)
Chris Martin (OT--Central Florida)
Matt Feiler (OT--Bloomsburg) Travis Labhart (WR--Texas A&M)
Anthony McClung (WR--Cincinnati)
Anthony Denham (TE--Utah)
Chris Coyle (TE--Arizona State)
Chris McAlister (LB--Baylor)
Terrance Lloyd (LB--Baylor)
Chris Young (LB--Arizona State)
Max Bullough (LB--Michigan State)
Jason Ankrah (LB--Nebraska)
Sullivan Grosz (DT--Cal Poly State)
Tyrone Ezell (DT--Pittsburgh)
Leon Minto (DT--Johnson C. Smith)
Austin Brown (DT--Miami (Ohio))
Marcus Williams (CB--North Dakota State)

BTW, there was a big ballyhoo on 97.5 this afternoon because WR Andre Johnson said in an interview today that considering his age and the state of the team he wasn't sure Houston was the place to be for him going forward. I think it's much ado about nothing because Johnson is due to make almost $16 mm and his salary cap hit would be just shy of $12 mm. Houston absolutely can't afford to cut, release or trade him so Johnson will have to deal with the fact he will be a Texan for at least the next two years. Right now he's avoided mini camps but in June when the first mandatory camp is held I have no doubt he'll be there. He just needs somebody to explain NFL economics 101 so he understands how the cow ate the cabbage. Personally, I think he's getting some bad advice from his agent probably in an attempt to milk more money out of the Texans which I don't believe will happen.

[LUSportsFan]

I enjoyed watching Travis Labhart play. He was an unrecruited walk-on who earned a scholarship. He has an interesting back story. Here's a link to an ESPN article about him. He is a prime example of the saying "where there is a will, there is a way".

http://m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=sec&id=74380&src=desktop

Congratulations to all the UFAs that get a chance to continue the dream.

Sent from my Android device using Tapatalk2

[eagle eye]

Thanks for the article LUSportsFan. It is a great story and I won't forget Labhart's name as I watch when practices start this summer.

[eagle eye]

With all the hoopla over last weekend's draft and the signing of UFA's this past week there is one item of news that was pretty important to a high school student. The student, a fan of Texans cheerleader Caitlyn, won the opportunity to have her as his date at his prom when he got enough retweets of his desire to have Caitlyn as his prom date for her to agree to go with him. Click on the link in the Texans.com page for a video of the event. This young man had to be on cloud nine and he undoubtedly had the hottest date at the prom!

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

The event even made national news. Here's an article from the New York Dailey News about the student's big evening.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/texas-hs-senior-takes-nfl-cheeleader-prom-article-1.1788918

[eagle eye]

The Texans began their rookie mini camp, the first under a new coaching staff headed by Bill O'Brien. Here's a video snapshot of the Texans first practice.

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/1st_Look_Rookie_minicamp_1/5d296d72-c616-4635-88b0-959fec462154

Here's video of day 2 of rookie mini camp.

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/1st-Look-Rookie-minicamp-2/9036b8aa-f023-4af9-a92c-a6d3f74de07c

Here's an up close and personal look at NT Louis Nix III.

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/Extended_Cut_NT_Louis_Nix_III/06217ea2-2791-42d7-92ef-a2f3c67a45ab

Here's an interview with top draft pick Jadeveon Clowney. BTW, it heard on the radio today that Clowney has gone all Tony Dorsett on us. For those who might remember when Dorsett was at Pitt you pronounced his name DOR-sett but when he got to the Cowboys he wanted to be called dor-SETT. I really don't know how to phonetically spell the way Clowney says you pronounce his first name but I know it's not ja-DAY-veon.

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/NFL_Network_Clowney_on_new_teammates/58593ca1-3508-40aa-992d-135b495caf2b

Here's a video of Bill O'Brien's presser following Friday's practice.

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/EC_OBrien_on_rookies_first_practice/c59cf048-cac4-4f49-b040-bcba83c3cda7

[eagle eye]

Draft-shmaft. It's been an intense couple of weeks and with summer right around the corner I though this video from Texans.com featuring a look at the cheerleaders in Puerto Rico for their calendar shoot. It's only a minute or so long but I guarantee you it'll be the best minute of your day!

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/HTC-on-beaches-of-Puerto-Rico/10de0219-a9fe-491a-ad49-051b28f816c7

[eagle eye]

With rookie mini camp in the books and OTAs about to begin we can take a look at Houston's 10 draft picks. Looking at the picks from round 7 back to the number one pick Jadeveon Clowney. We'll look at each via the segment on Texans.com called The Briefing. Many of you may have checked this out but if not--enjoy.

Rd 7 final pick - S Lonnie Ballentine from Memphis
http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/The-Briefing-S-Lonnie-Ballentine/9377b190-a0d4-47f1-85aa-df3fa7322e70

Rd 7 - CB Andre Hal from Vanderbilt
http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/The_Briefing_CB_Andre_Hal/4ff8c796-4988-44c4-8339-d6344bceeef0

Rd 6 - FB Jay Prosch from Auburn
http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/The_Briefing_FB_Jay_Prosch/199c2bbd-5871-4dcc-b4f0-01880b740dab

Rd 6 - RB Alfred Blue from LSU
http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/The_Briefing_RB_Alfred_Blue/e60ac3c1-0a80-43bf-a2a4-26d4a0b3bc04

Rd 6 - DE Jeoffery Pagan from Alabama
http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/The_Briefing_DE_Jeoffrey_Pagan/59fe3fb9-8ae6-4e2d-b56e-56a1e83a21cf

Rd 4 - QB Tom Savage from Pitt
http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/The_Briefing_QB_Tom_Savage/ba432487-1418-4136-a409-9218295a30c8

Rd 3 - NT Louis Nix III from Notre Dame
http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/The_Briefing_NT_Louis_Nix_III/426cd01d-430b-4457-ba49-534225e30f8a

Rd 3 - TE C J Fiedorowicz from Iowa
http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/The_Briefing_TE_CJ_Fiedorowicz/b8f997a3-ff7d-462c-a653-959b0aa9b426

Rd 2 - G Xavier Su'a-Filo from UCLA
http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/The_Briefing_OG_Xavier_SuaFilo/4a7e89b0-2565-4213-9b8b-9a8d0ea4a713

Rd 1/No 1 pick in the 2014 draft - DE/LB - Jadeveon Clowney from South Carolina
http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/The_Briefing_OLB_Jadeveon_Clowney/968f4f0f-d219-4a61-aebd-a00f72f5ac45

[eagle eye]

Not much to talk about with the Texans. Business as usual. No drama like losing their best defensive player to a freakish injury. Nobody raising hell over his contract......well that's not exactly true. Andre Johnson has been a no-show at OTA's thus far sitting on his indecision over whether he wants to remain in Houston. Some folks are thinking Johnson is just trolling for more money. Some understand that he's too old to go through a rebuilding process again and he wants to go to a contender for a chance at a Super Bowl ring. Either way, he should know the Texans can't afford to trade him or release him because the salary cap hit would hurt the team too much. Heck, they just kind of got out of salary cap prison and there's no reason to believe the Texans want to go through that again.
I think if he's trying to milk more money out of the Texans he will have to understand that ship has sailed. They just redid his contract a couple of years ago and he's a top five guy salary-wise and there is no reason to adjust his salary again. Especially not for a guy on the downhill side of his career. Maybe he should take a look at Tom Savage and Ryan Fitzpatrick before he assumes the Texans have no chance to improve last year's 2-14 record and yes, even have a chance to get back to the playoffs. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, to use an old cliché, but it seems to apply here. Dre needs to get involved in these OTAs because you have a new coach, a new system, new terminology and new QBs and it takes a while to develop some chemistry. It just does. So if Johnson waits until mandatory mini camp commences later this month he's not just hurting himself, he's hurting the team. Wake up Andre and smell the coffee and get your butt back to work.

Houston has OTA practices every week for the next 3 weeks ending the week of June 16 with the Texans mandatory mini camp on June 17, 18 and 19.

[eagle eye]

The Texans have signed their top draft pick Jadeveon Clowney to a contract. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. You would think that would be it wouldn't you? Nope, not that simple it seems. 2nd round pick, Xavier Su'a-Filo is the only remaining draft pick left to sign. Since there is a rookie salary cap and the money is pretty much decided the only explanation is wording of the contract. Many NFL teams are wanting a sort of rebate if a player is hurt and can't play to protect themselves financially. Obviously, players want guaranteed deals over the life of the contract which, for rookies, is 4 or 5 years. That may be a sticking point too. The Texans may want a 5 year deal while Su'a-Filo may want a 4 year deal. Either way, I don't see it as an issue. I feel like he'll be signed and ready to go by training camp next month.

The Texans celebrated Father's Day a little early yesterday by sponsoring an annual event called First Down Dads Field Day. Here's an article about from Texans.com written by community writer Kara Cook.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-celebrate-Fathers-Day-with-First-Down-Dads/6c358dc6-47d1-415e-81d3-7ac48f55f5d0

I'm posting a link to an article about free agent signee Kendrick Lewis written by Texans beat writer John Harris. I'll let you be the judge of this article. But, weighing the title of the article vs the content, I'll have to admit I'm a little confused.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/His-Story-S-Kendrick-Lewis-journey/fc260828-ad6d-414a-8c4b-52e5eee76778

This next link is not confusing at all. Parts I and II of an interview with star defensive end JJ Watt aptly titled, "Blood Sport".

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/1-on-1-with-JJ-Watt--Part-1/78015760-298a-4e68-8ba7-9102e67fb5f3

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/1on1_with_JJ_Watt_Part_2/b5e7ffee-15d8-41da-826a-c2b4cbd250d6

[eagle eye]

I almost forgot. I saw this video on Texans.com and I thought that it was a very interesting chat between new Texans QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and Texans Huddle host Patti Smith.

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/1-on-1-QB-Ryan-Fitzpatrick/124c8e17-e081-465f-80ea-49790241b93f

I know a lot of people who rolled their eyes when Houston signed Fitzpatrick but I didn't. I saw a guy who played pretty darn well in Buffalo until all this wide receivers went down with injuries. He was still leading that team pretty well but a porous defense and the loss of Freddie Jackson was the end of any hope in Buffalo. Fair or unfair the QB shoulders the blame most of the time and gets more than his fair share of credit when they win. I just never thought Fitzpatrick got the credit he deserved when Buffalo was doing well and people didn't take into account the injuries to the Bills offensive weapons when the blame game started in Buffalo. He signed with the Tennessee Titans for the 2013 season and the Titans under former head coach Mike Munchak weren't very good. Fitzpatrick played in 11 games, starting 9, and was 3-6 as a starter but he led the Titans to victory in the final two games of the season over Jacksonville and Houston. In my opinion, Houston has better weapons that the Bills did when Fitzpatrick had most of his success. He's a pocket passer which is right up Bill O'Brien's alley and he has proven he can get the job done. I believe he will do a good job for Houston. Certainly a much better job than some of my friends think he will do. The Texans have another new QB they got in the draft named Tom Savage and many around the Texans camp believe he may become the starter for Houston at some point this season. That may be true but if Fitzpatrick does what I believe he can do it might be hard to move Savage into the starting role. So, here I am. I'm saying it right now. Barring injuries to his weapons or O-line I believe Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the staring QB for all 16 games this season and, yes, even a playoff game or two. It's on record. I can't deny it if it doesn't come to be. I'm good with Fitz under center and I believe you will be too.

[eagle eye]

In the 'WTF' category today during Bill O'Brien's press conference he said that the reason Jadeveon Clowney was not at yesterday and today's OTA practices because he has been in Philadelphia getting a sports hernia surgery. O'Brien indicated that JD was having trouble with his groin and the team sent him to a specialist in Philly and the next thing you know--surgery. Not to worry though because O'Brien said that, although he will miss next week's mandatory mini camp he will be back in time for training camp next Month. If this has been a lingering problem for a while it may explain a bit about his lack of production at South Carolina last season. You never know.

There's a video with an interview with LB Whitney Mercilus and headline reads, "Whitney Mercilus on his role". My first notion was that his role should be one where he makes a few plays. I have thought that the impact I believed Mercilus would have has not lived up to my expectations. I'll bet I'm not the only one to think this way. Maybe Romeo Crennel's version of the 3-4 is a better fit for Mercilus. That and with Brian Cushing coming back, the addition of Louis Nix III at nose tackle and of course Jadeveon Clowney should make life easier on him. Let's listen to what Mercilus thinks.

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/Whitney-Mercilus-on-his-role/86fe5db1-4003-43c1-b27c-36011400a40e

[eagle eye]

Houston has had to place 2nd year OT David Quessenberry on the Non-Football Injury list because after a persistant cough and fatigue that was plagueing was diagnosed as non-hodgekins lymphoma---cancer. Q is 23 years old and he has begun cancer treatments. We should keep Q in our prayers and hope for a full recovery. Quessenberry got some words of support from a fan last week. Pretty touching stuff.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/7-yr-old-has-tips-for-David-Quessenberry/9c2f2e9f-ce63-430e-a4fa-d3e12b97c561

David Newton has been the starting right tackle for the Texans the past two years and nothing has changed according to Bill O'Brien. O'Brien lauded Newton for his work this off season. He said Newtron was there when he came to Houston and went April 7th came, which the first official day players could work with training staff, Newton was there. O'Brien said he has been at the Texans facility every single day and he's worked hard and practiced well. Maybe Newton will be the guy who gets significantly better and helps a much maligned group, the O-line, get back some respect.

[eagle eye]

The Texans began their mandatory mini camp today and their No 1 WR Andre Johnson was not at practice. Johnson has boycotted the Texans OTA practices presumably based on his desire to go to a contending team that came out in an interview with Johnson this off season at a charitable event in Houston. He said at the time he wasn't sure he still wanted to be in Houston because he didn't have time in his career for Houston to go through another rebuilding. To many, this is just a ploy by Johnson to milk more money out of Houston. It doesn't matter what his reason is the fact is he should have been in OTAs and he should be at this mini camp because the Texans offense is new under a new coaching staff. Dre needs to be there learning with the rest of his teammates. It's not like it's a veteran who doesn't want to go through another off season and training camp and can get away with it because he's familiar with the system. I'm disappointed with Johnson as a fan of the team. I never considered him a diva or your typical prima dona WR but I'm changing my mind very quickly.

Bill O'Brien has named Ryan Fitzpatrick the starting QB. Bill O'Brien informed the team today before it's first mini camp practice. O'Brien praised all four of his QBs but he said that Ryan has been practicing well and deserved to be #1 on the depth chart.

[eagle eye]

OTAs and mini camp are over. Next time we will see the Texans on the playing field when training camp in a month. By then we should see Jadeveon Clowney fully recovered from his sports hernia surgery and ready to go. The Texans are, by all accounts, healthy and ready to go. Hopefully, this month off will allow the team to relax (while working out, of course) and get ready for the grind that's coming.

One guy that won't be going to training camp, which is at the Texans practice facility across from Reliant Stadium, is QB T J Yates. Yates, from North Carolina University, was drafted in the 5th round of the 2011 draft and he became the backup to Matt Schaub in his rookie year when then backup Matt Leinart went down with an injury. Yates will forever be in the Texans record books as the QB who led Houston to it's first ever playoff appearance. He was the first ever rookie QB to lead his team to a playoff victory which was against the Cincinnati Bengals. They lost the next week to the Ravens who went on to win the Super Bowl that year. In 2013 Yates lost his backup job to U of H and Houston fave Case Keenum. Earlier this month head coach Bill O'Brien said he didn't see that were enough snaps for four QBs which is what was then the case. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Keenum, Yates and 2014 draftee out of Pittsburgh Tom Savage. This past week the Texans traded Yates to the Atlanta Falcons for former Georgia Bulldogs LB Akeem Dent. Dent was drafted in 2011 by Atlanta and he was named to the 2011 Pro Football Weekly All Rookie Team.

Don't listen to the two most jaded people I've ever listened to on the radio or TV. Who might that be? A J Hoffman and Fred Faour on ESPN's afternoon show The Blitz. I have never heard those guys say one positive thing about any Houston pro team. They will, on occasion, give credit where credit is due but they are so negative and defeatist in their commentary of Houston sports I wonder why they bother. Of course most of their shows are about talking about their favorite TV shows and gambling to get to any discussion of Houston sports unless it's to rag on ESPN newsman David Dilotti (sp?) who is a homer for Houston sports. They'll tell you not to expect Houston to challenge for a playoff spot and they have already awarded the AFC South to the Indianapolis Colts. I'm here to tell you that, as long as they can stay relatively healthy, have a good chance to get back to the playoffs. Foster is healthy, Johnson will be back for training camp, the defense will be a ton better and Ryan Fitzpatrick will surprise a lot of people with his ability to led the offense. It's a long month and I disagree with the notion that August are the dog days of summer. It's the month before the start of NFL training camps.

[eagle eye]

The Texans prize draft choice Jadeveon Clowney is excited about the move to OLB in the Texans 3-4. He's getting some serious help from former Patriot Mike Vrabel who is the Texans LB coach. Here's an article and related video about Clowney. Right now he's only getting mental reps as he rehabs from the sports hernia surgery he had a couple of weeks ago.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Jadeveon-Clowneys-favorite-part-about-playing-OLB-/befe0410-4488-4c85-bb55-dd0b24d169b2

Here's an article from the Texans Breakfast With the Bulls feature. This week it's the top 11 football movie characters. Kinda fun and I wonder if you agree or have a better choice.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/BWTB-Top-11-Football-Movie-Characters/c5340b77-c456-42c3-a51c-6b14ea76ab22

[eagle eye]

One of the big question Houston will need to answer in training camp is who will be the backup, or swing, tackle? The already know that Duane Brown and Derek Newton will start at left and right tackle respectively but the question is still up in the air as to who will provide that needed depth behind them. Here's a link to a Texans.com article about the possibilities from the voice of the Texans Marc Vandermeer in the Texans.com feature Breakfast With The Bulls (BWTB).

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/BWTB-Tackle-Depth-A-Concern/8368731c-28d4-4996-9fbf-3a84794d5c2e

In another BWTB article Drew Dougherty interview HOF RB Eric Dickerson in which Dickerson says he sees a lot of himself in Houston RB Arian Foster.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/BWTB-Eric-Dickerson-sees-self-in-Arian-Foster/c99c1270-6f3e-42e6-a518-89d8bbfb4abc

In NFL Channel's Top 100 of 2014 Andre Johnson was named #21 player on the list. Here's a video of Johnson's announcement.

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/Top-100-of-2014-Andre-Johnson/4382e1b2-0a67-40e2-bfd8-66c205513e10

[eagle eye]

Here's an article by Texans.com beat writer Deepi Sidhu about LB Brooks Reed and the challenge of his move to inside linebacker in new defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel's 3-4 scheme.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Brooks-Reed-on-moving-inside-%E2%80%9CIt%E2%80%99s-totally-different%E2%80%9D/d7fb16a3-36a4-4f2e-b7fb-015d15ea0be3

Here's Sidhu's look at how free agent signee NT Jerrell Powe fits into the nose tackle position and how he is totally familiar with Romeo Crennel's expectations since he played for him for two years in Kansas City.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Playing-NT-in-Crennels-defense/64695fc6-dd2a-42dc-81bf-83b3e133540f

[eagle eye]

In a Breakfast With The Bulls article on Texans.com from writer Eric Sanlnocencio he discusses an poll of the projected 32 QBs in the NFL. In it we find out the guy doing the rankings had Texans QB Ryan Fitzpatrick ranked number 30. I agree with the writer that Fitzpatrick is VERY underrated which is a good thing when Houston begins to kick ass through their schedule this fall.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/BWTB-Ranking-the-QBs/2bd2deae-3b2f-4216-bbf4-f28274860bec

In other news Deepi Sidhu of Texans.com recounts an interview with JC (Jadeveon Clowney) at the rookie symposium held recently in which Clowney talked about his goals for the coming season. It's a little lame and he sort of gives a cliched answer but Houston ESPN radio didn't much care for his main goal of sacking Andrew Luck. Much ado about nothing.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Clowney-talks-NFL-goals-rookie-goals/46b270bb-64a0-4a87-b5fe-04b6f170dc60

[eagle eye]

This Andre Johnson thing is getting tiresome isn't it? Before OTAs in May Johnson he wasn't sure Houston was the place for him to be inferring that he was too far along to go through another rebuilding of the team.
When off season officially began Dre was a no-show. When the manditory mini camp began 3 weeks ago, again, no Andre Johnson to be seen.
Then, on Tuesday in an article on NFL.com Johnson said he was "hopefully" going to be at Texans training camp but nothing was finalized as yet. He did say he has had conversations with the Texans front office about his future.
Today on ESPN's Mike and Mike it was reported Johnson has flat said he wants out of the Houston.
Yesterday NFL.com had reported four teams, New England, Cleveland, Seattle and Carolina, have interest in doing a deal for Johnson. Cleveland and Carolina in particular could use a WR like Johnson.
Today, NFL.com is reporting that Houston Chronicle Texans beat writer John McClain is saying that the Texans will not be dealing Johnson. McClain also goes on to say that the Texans understand this just business for Johnson and they bear no hard feelings toward Johnson. As reported before the Texans simply can't deal Johnson because they would end up with over $11 mm in dead money if they did. If Johnson decides to do what Carson Palmer did when he was wanting out of Cincinnati Johnson would be walking away from $10 mm. On the Chronicle web site McClain posted in a video that he guaranteed that Johnson would be on the field in a Texans uniform on Week 1 vs the Redskins.
I'm sure all Texans fans hope Dre comes to his senses and goes to training camp. The missed out on a lot of the installation of the new Bill O'Brien offense when he decided he wasn't going to attend off season work which makes training camp a must if he expects to play against the Redskins. Crap. Why does everything seem to be so hard?

[eagle eye]

The Texans don't just have home games they have to have themes. Huh? Anyway, the Texans announced the home game themes for the 2014 season yesterday. Here's the list of game themes from Texans.com.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-announce-2014-home-game-themes/deff24af-d07e-4cac-ad17-8dcf5fb3cdd3

In the Thursday Breakfast With The Bulls article beat writer Kara Cook talks about the 2014 Texans Yearbook that will be available around the 2nd week of training camp from the Go Texans Store and online at HoustonTexans.com. But Kara tells it better so......................

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/BWTB-Texans-Yearbook-preview/34f70675-e76b-4080-a054-ce082365719f

[eagle eye]

Here's a little football 1-oh-1 from Texans analyst John Harris who will explain the 3-4 defense. He also goes into a bit of the difference between Wade Phillips version and the version the Texans will use with new defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel. A video that goes a couple of minutes and isn't defensive rocket science but okay for a off season filler.

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

Here's the list of Texans training camp dates when practices are open to the public. May be a nice way to kill a couple of hours and it's not like you have to go to California to watch.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-announce-open-Training-Camp-dates/40c00c89-a708-4dba-8d6f-d09f30733d48

[eagle eye]

Think you know about your Texans? In the link below you get the chance to test your knowledge of Texans history. The voice of the Texans radio broadcasts, Marc Vandermeer, tests just how well you know the team. I admit it, I was only 5 of 10. The answers are at the bottom of the test----don't cheat!

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/BWTB-Test-Your-Texans-IQ/e74d0298-c0a7-4a27-bf43-67f86337b45a


There's a TV program that is scheduled to air on Sunday night at 11 PM titled, "Texans Reloaded: A New Era". Unfortunately, it is being aired on ABC-13 in Houston. Hopefully a station in the Golden Triangle will pick it up or it will air on FoxSportsSouthwest so we can all enjoy it. The show is an overview of the last seven months with the hiring of Bill O'Brien all the way through OTAs and mini camp. It's a look at what we might expect from the team in 2014 as Houston heads into the Bill O'Brien era.

[eagle eye]

The Texans have officially begun their 2014 march to what all Texans fans is a berth in the Super Bowl next February. The have begun without star linebacker Brian Cushing on the field. He is joined by rookie NT Louis Nix III and Trevardo Williams. All three begin training camp on the Active/PUP list.

Houston has waived two players, FB Brad Smelly and DL Tim Jackson. Offensive tackle Dan Quessenberry was placed on the Active/Non-football injury list as he continues to take treatments for cancer. G Brandon Brooks and RB Jonathan Grimes are also on A/N-FI list.

Andre Johnson is in camp and working hard on the field and off as he tries to catch up with his teammates learning the new offense. I think the Texans did the right thing not giving into Dre's demands and I think Dre showed some maturity by showing up at camp. Win-win.

Yesterday Houston gave it's offensive line a shot in the arm by signing former Pro Bowl guard Tyson Clabo. Clabo, 32, will be playing his 11th season in the NFL. He is a quality player who can add much needed depth to the O-line and he could actually challenge right guard Derek Newton for a starting spot.

[eagle eye]

The Texans first day of camp was good. Andre Johnson was there and so was Jadeveon Clowney, although he's limited after having sports hernia surgery a month ago. Check out the link on Texans.com for Bill O'Brien's press conference. The guy won't single people out as much as the media tried to get him to do so but, he is obviously a no-nonsense guy when it comes to his team.
Check out this link below for a list of 25 training camp observations on the first day of camp by Texans.com analyst John Harris.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/25-Training-Camp-Observations-Day-1/61ccf4b1-cc22-488f-99a4-683d1f6933ed

[eagle eye]

The Texans finished Day 2 of 2014 training camp and Texans analyst John Harris gives us 21 observations from yesterdays practice. The article also has several videos of Bill O'Brien, Jonathan Joseph, practice highlights and an NFL 1-on-1 with Andre Johnson.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/21-Training-Camp-Observations-Day-2/4d0f3558-4e1f-4a1d-a899-ed4cf9dd7530

[eagle eye]

I think of Jadeveon Clowney as a physical beast and he is but on the NFL Channel today I saw an interview former NFL linebacker Willie McGinest had with Clowney and I was a bit shocked. McGinest, in his playing days, went 6'5", 270 lbs. and if you look at Clowney's measureables of 6'6", 266 lbs then you could assume both men are roughly the same stature but in the interview McGinest, who still looks like he could strap it up and play, was obviously more developed than Clowney. All I could see was their heads to their waists but at that McGinest was so much thicker than Clowney from his neck down through his shoulders and his chest it was more than obvious who the stronger of the two men were. So, it's okay to expect a lot from Clowney but don't be surprised if he's overpowered some this season. The work he's put in and will put in during training camp and the regular season will help but if you take a mental picture of Clowney now and this time next year you will see just what one full off season of work will do for him. Don't try to say I'm not comparing apples to apples but I am. Both are roughly the same size and both play the same position in the NFL. Both were highly touted players coming out of college and both were 1st round draft picks. Check out the interview later on NFL.com or possibly on Texans.com as McGinest is in Houston for the NFL Channel covering training camp today. Look at each man apart from the other and you don't really see the difference but in the interview the difference is dramatic.

Here's the interview I referenced above from Texans.com.

http://www.houstontexans.com/tv-media/videos/NFL-Network-1-on-1-Clowney-with-McGinest/14b06b26-1ab3-40b8-8778-c4f0c54ab4f2

[eagle eye]

Houston got back to work today after an off day yesterday. I'm sure it was a welcome break from practicing in the brutal heat and humidity that has plaguing southeast Texas lately.
A new face joined the team too. Today Houston signed free agent WR Joe Adams. Adams was a 4th round pick by Carolina in 2012 and he spent some time with the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL earlier this year. At 5'11" and 185 pounds Adams brings speed and kick return ability to the table. Special teams is key if Adams hopes to make the team. He said he enjoyed his first practice as a Texan today. “The first day went great for me," Adams said on Friday after practice. "I didn’t put any balls on the ground. I made sure that I knew what I was doing when I was out there. I’m learning on the fly.”
People have been marveling at the strong arm of QB Tom Savage. Besides having an awesome name for an NFL QB he has some game to go with it. Reports are that Savage's arm is impressive but they also acknowledge that he still has a long way to go. If Ryan Fitzpatrick is what I think he is Savage will have the ability to learn how to be an NFL QB over the next couple of years as a backup and by then he should be ready to step in for the next 10 to 15 years.
Bill O'Brien has said he's not going to rush Andre Johnson back into the lineup since he tweaked his hammy diving for a catch last weekend. Johnson hasn't practiced since last Sunday. Since his holdout in OTAs and mini camp Johnson returned to the fold when training camp began and he's been all in since.

[eagle eye]

The Texans square off against the Saturday night at 7:30 in Arizona. Andre Johnson and Arian Foster won't be in the lineup due to some nagging injuries. Both guys are vets and the 1/2 quarter of work they get won't matter that much. It will be a nice test for the start of the Bill O'Brien era in Houston. He'll be sending Ryan Fitzpatrick out to lead the revamped offense. I will be very interested to see some players in the first look at many of them. Guys like Jadeveon Clowney and Alfred Blue come to mind. I wanted to see NT Louis Nix III but that isn't going to happen this week. I also want to see how DeAndre Hopkins does. He's really been turning heads in camp. I also want to see TE C J Fiedorowicz and Garrett Graham. I will really just enjoy watching NFL games again and the Texans in particular. The one thing is don't want to see is JJ Watt playing more than a series at most.

[eagle eye]

The Texans start tonight in just a little bit and it will be great to see the team in action for the first time this season. Among some of the players I am anxious to see will be new QB Tom Savage. I have heard a lot about his arm strength and his pocket presence so it will be good to see play first hand. Unfortunately, he will probably be playing with the 3rd stringers in the 4th quarter but he could get in the game earlier. I want to see how Ryan Fitzpatrick does but I don't expect more than a series or two. The WR's not named Andre Johnson are of interest. Reports are that DeAndre Hopkins has been superior in training camp and both Keshawn Martin and DeVier Posey have also been very good. Hopkins is one of those guys who don't go through the 3-4 year learning curve most WR's have to go through when going from college to the pros. Martin and Posey are both entering their 3rd year in the league and both should be poised for a breakout. Of course there's the Jadeveon Clowney watch. That will be nice to see him in action but the defense, that was so bad last season, should be back to, or close to, 2012 form. We won't see Brian Cushing but that's okay as long as he's ready to go the first week of September. In case you didn't know the game starts in about 10 minutes on local channel 12.

[Big T]

Yes this is just pre season game number one. Yes, this is just the first quarter.... Holy shit the secondary looks terrible!

[eagle eye]

LOL! Agreed Big T. The first TD the Cardinals scored was a 1st and goal at the Texans 7. Larry Fitzgerald was lined up on the line of scrimmage and the DB was lined up at the goal line. Talk about give a great receiver a free release. I don't understand why teams do this. It was almost a gimme TD. Ryan looks bad too. His passes have been anything but accurate. Jonathan Grimes looked pretty good.

[eagle eye]

The first game of the Bill O'Brien era didn't go off with a bang. It was more of a thud. That's about all you could say about a 32-0 drubbing by Arizona. First and foremost the QB play last night sucked. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum and Tom Savage combined for 11-22 passing for 98 yards and 2 INT's. Both INTs belonged to Fitzpatrick the second of which came at the end of the first half at the Arizona 15 when it looked like Houston may get on the scoreboard. Case Keenum was 3-5 passing and Tom Savage was 2-3 for 14 yards which tells you the Texans offense didn't have the ball much at all last night. The time of possession tells you all you need to know about the game. Arizona 42:07, Houston 17:53. The defense couldn't stop the Cardinals and the offense couldn't make a first down to sustain a drive past a 3-and-out. Arizona looked like they were is mid-season form while the Texans looked over matched especially in the secondary. Romeo Crennel's got to get this defense playing better or Bill O'Brien won't be employed long. By the same token, O'Brien needs to get better play out of his offense to help give the defense a break. The drive Houston had right before the half gives you hope better things are coming. A couple of completed passes followed by a 23 yard run by Fitzpatrick and a drop by Alfred Blue, a catch by Mike Williams for 3 and then on a 3rd and 7 at the Arizona 22 Fitz under pressure threw a ball he shouldn't have that went high intended for Williams but was an easy pick by Arizona's Marcus Bernard. Bad start to the season but fortunately it doesn't count for anything meaningful. O'Brien has his team on film now against somebody else besides his own so now they can go to work and fix some of these problems.

[LUSportsFan]

I may have to dig out my paper bag from the New Orleans "Ain'ts" days. :(

[eagle eye]

The Texans will practice this week against their next opponents the Atlanta Falcons this week. Bill O'Brien said it will be a nice change of pace getting to face someone in practice beside themselves. O'Brien called the Falcons a class organization with very good players and the practices will go a long way in helping Houston prepare for the season. The Texans and Falcons will practice against each other on the 13th and 14th and they will meet in Houston's home preseason opener on Saturday.

Bill O'Brien said he is impressed with new guard Xavier Su'a-Filo who they drafted this past May with the 33rd pick, the first pick in the second round. Here's a link to an article on Texans.com about Su'a-Filo.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Bill-O’Brien-pleased-with-Xavier-Su’a-Filo/abe646e3-9966-4b1c-ba71-2fd721d8457b

Another article from Texans.com that features Jadeveon Clowney and what he is looking for going forward after making a nice showing in Arizona last Saturday night.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Jadeveon-Clowney-working-to-improve-at-OLB/3e0e0e6a-6902-4940-a03a-8030ef63af16

Okay here's a WTF moment for you. The Texans have CUT RB Andre Brown. The former NY Giants RB was signed this off season and was thought to be a nice addition to the team giving the Texans a quality backup to Arian Foster. Apparently, Brown wasn't all that because he never got a down of PT against Arizona. Jonathan Grimes has stepped up and his performance last Saturday was good enough that the Texans obviously felt they could cut ties with Brown. That is a bit of a shock though. The Texans also cut RB's Dennis Johnson and Tim Cornell. To fill the open roster spots Houston signed veteran RB Ronnie Brown and former Cardinals RB William Powell. They join Foster, Grimes and rookie Alfred Blue as the RBs on the Texans roster.

[eagle eye]

The Texans got a couple of draft picks back at practice yesterday. NT Louis Nix III was back after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery not long before training camp began. Depending on how he responded to practice yesterday Nix could play this week against Atlanta. Everything depends if Nix had any setbacks and is able to practice against the Falcons today and tomorrow.
FB Jay Prosch returned to practice wearing a cast on his broken left hand. Prosch broke his hand early in camp. He participated in 11 on 11 drills and looked pretty solid considering how much time he's missed. Prosch is the only fullback left on the roster after Brad Smelley was released on July 22nd.

Here are some reactions from yesterday's practice from Bill O'Brien and some of the Texans players.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Quotes-Tuesday-Training-Camp/ed896874-af5b-43b2-96fa-7b79c3751902

[eagle eye]

Houston will entertain the Atlanta Falcons tonight at 7:00 PM on local channel KBMT. On Directv that's channel 50.

Unlike the Cowboys who seem to be getting injured left and right Houston is getting healthier. In the past week the Texans have seen the return of Andre Johnson, Arian Foster and Brian Cushing. Rookies Louis Nix III and Jay Prosch were back at practice. Houston released RBs Andre Brown, Dennis Johnson and Tim Cornett and they added Ronnie Brown and William Powell. This move was likely made because Brown was disappointing and Jonathan Grimes has been pretty good. Jadeveon Clowney seems to have recovered from the sports hernia surgery he had before training camp began and he made a couple of nice plays in last week's loss to Arizona. Tonight's game should be very interesting to watch.

Here's a list of 5 things to watch in tonight's game from the viewpoint of staff writer Drew Dougherty. I can honestly say Mr Dougherty is right on target.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/5-Things-to-Watch-Texans-vs-Falcons/506cdd1a-cf3b-4139-bd08-c516fc28f293

John Harris gives up his 36 Training Camp Observations as Houston approaches its second preseason game.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/36-Training-Camp-Observations/51eddf7c-67ad-4521-b6a9-fb3ca9e08f46

Last, but not least, the radio voice of the Texans, Marc Vandermeer answers a few fan questions.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Vandermeers-View-Fan-Questions/8f027276-2f2f-4d00-af83-7060917dc675

[eagle eye]

What a difference a week makes. A week after getting humiliated by the Arizona Cardinals the Texans turn the tables and serve up a little humble pie to the Atlanta Falcons. Ryan Fitzpatrick had an equally significant turnaround. He was even brought in off the bench to run the 2-minute drill at the end of the first half and he led the team on a 74 yard drive that ended with an 8 yard pass to DeVier Posey for a TD. The drive was pretty impressive as Fitz marched the team to the score in 9 plays in 1:13 leaving only :19 left in the half. All in all it was a good night for the Texans who looked worlds better than they did last week. Jadeveon Clowney played very well and it looks like he's the real deal. He is going to make this defense a terror for opposing QB's. Full steam ahead for the Texans from here on out.

[CS]

full steam ahead until next week? One good week in the preseason and getting their first win in nearly 16 weeks is a start but likely not the norm. They still have no reliable running back, quarterback and really wide receiver at this point. The defense will have growing pains with Clowney blowing an assignment for every super freak play he makes, he's still a rookie and don't get me started on that atrocious joke of a secondary they'll trot out there weekly. The Texans only saving grace is they play in the worst division in football and they'll get some cheap wins along with way. 8-9 wins with this group and O'Brien should win the coach of the year hands down.

[eagle eye]

full steam ahead until next week? One good week in the preseason and getting their first win in nearly 16 weeks is a start but likely not the norm. They still have no reliable running back, quarterback and really wide receiver at this point. The defense will have growing pains with Clowney blowing an assignment for every super freak play he makes, he's still a rookie and don't get me started on that atrocious joke of a secondary they'll trot out there weekly. The Texans only saving grace is they play in the worst division in football and they'll get some cheap wins along with way. 8-9 wins with this group and O'Brien should win the coach of the year hands down.

Dude, is your name AJ Hoffman or Fred Fauer? I have not heard negativity like that since the last time I listened to ESPN radio. Nobody is saying the Texans are Super Bowl, or even playoff, bound but let's take a step back and appreciate that their performance this week was better than last week. We can list the positives a lot easier than last week and isn't that what you're looking for week to week? As for the job O'Brien will do I give you the example of his first year at Penn State when everyone, and I mean everyone had written the Nittany Lions off after the Jerry Sandusky scandal. What happened? He led the Lions to an shocking 8-4 record which included wins over Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin. That earned Bill O'Brien the 2012 Coach of the Year award. Have some faith, hero. The Texans are NOT going 2-14 again this season.

[Big T]

I have got to find the ignore button on this new layout. This guy is pissing me off to no end.

[eagle eye]

The Texans get a break from the heat and humidity of SE Texas for this week. They are in Denver for 3 joint practices with Broncos prior to their game this Saturday. Current temp in Denver at 6:22 AM is a brisk 57 degrees with a projected high of 88. It's not the 88 we feel around here it's a pleasant 88 with low humidity. The one thing that Houston will need to have is plenty of oxygen handy as the air gets a little thin in the Mile High City. Still, compared to Houston it will still feel like a bit of a vacation weather wise.

In the latest BWTB article on Texans.com Eric Saninocencio tells us about how the hit by Jadeveon Clowney on Falcons RB Antone Smith has become the most watched video on Texans.com since it began. Within the article are the top 5 videos in Texans.com history (most hits). In back to back plays last Saturday night Clowney decleated Smith and then recorded a sack on Falcon's QB Matt Ryan on a play that showed the speed and ability to turn the corner on a defensive tackle. Both plays were pretty impressive. Clowney and the rest of the Texans defense didn't get all that much work in against Atlanta going only 2 series but it's likely the starters will see at least a half this week when they play Denver.

[eagle eye]

The Texans keep getting players back from injuries which is strengthening their depth and just making the team better in general. One guy coming back is guard Brandon Brooks who has been on the non-football/injured list since the beginning of training camp due to an undisclosed injury. Brooks participated in all the OTAs and mini camps but has been a no-show in training camp so far. 2nd round draft pick Xavier Su'a-Filo is currently listed as the starting right guard which was Brooks spot in previous years. Bill O'Brien said that Brooks has a lot of catching up to do but for now it's good to have him back on the field.

LB Brian Cushing participated in 11 on 11 drills today in Denver. There's no telling how much work he will get in the game Saturday vs Denver but he will need to knock off some rust and Saturday is likely the last time he'll play before the season opener Sept 7th.

CB Johnathan Joseph was also on the practice field on Tuesday. He told reporters he's where he needs to be after having toe surgery in the off season. He said he needs to just build himself back up conditioning wise to be able to go for 4 quarters.

Arian Foster was on the field for practice today and he looked good which was a good sign for the Texans and he poses a lot of problems for opposing DBs and LBs who have to cover him in pass coverage.

It looks like the Texans are getting healthy at the right time. Instead of losing players to injuries like most teams around the NFL Houston is getting people back and they are positioning themselves for being at full strength come opening day.

I take issue with all these yapping numbskulls who are writing the Texans off as a middle of the road team who MIGHT get to .500 for the season. I have just one word for those people BULLSH*T! The one thing to hold this team back will be the play of the QB's. If we get the Ryan Fitzpatrick who played his ass off for two years in Buffalo a couple of years ago before injuries decimated his WR's, TE's and RB's the Texans will be fine. I do not subscribe to the notion that Houston is going through a complete rebuilding. They have a large core of very talented players and they have, with this year's draft and in free agency, added a lot of quality players. It would not surprise me one bit if Houston went 10-6 and was in contention in the AFC South in a dogfight with Indianapolis.

[eagle eye]

The Texans and Broncos had the second of 3 practices yesterday only it was in full pads as opposed to helmets and shells on Tuesday. The word was that toward the end of practice things got a little heated but never escalated into a full blown melee like what happened between the Cowboys and Raiders last week. Just a little pushing and shoving and trash talk which didn't concern Texans coach Bill O'Brien one bit. In fact, he said the intensity in practicing against another team was a good thing and he felt his team got a lot of learning accomplished yesterday. Today the Texans and Broncos are practicing for the final time before Saturday night's game and they will be back in helmets and shells.

C Chris Meyers has missed both practices with the Broncos this week. It has been more of a veteran's couple of days off thing. There is no injury reported but Bill O'Brien is giving Meyers a little break from the grind. With Meyers out it gives backups more of an opportunity to get quality reps with the 1's and 2's that they won't get when the season begins.

Jadeveon Clowney left practice early yesterday after a play in the 9 on 7 drills in which Clowney had a head to head collision with Broncos TE Jacob Tamme. According to Bleacher Report after the play Clowney left the field and was in a tent being evaluated by team doctors. Clowney was supposed to be re-evaluated this morning and he was not in uniform or doing stretching with the team at the outset of practice. It is not felt that Clowney is seriously injured. It kind of sounds like he got his bell rung and the Texans are erring on the side of caution.

Here are some observations on Day 2 of practice with the Broncos from Texans analyst John Harris.

http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/48-Observations-Texans-Broncos-Day-2/4e85d3a0-9c9f-4bc8-b632-67cb59d6a836

One thing I took away from Harris' article is to keep an eye on WR Travis Labhart. According to Harris he's been getting noticed pretty frequently all during training camp.

Another thing I have sort read between the lines on is how good QB Tom Savage is and the only thing he needs is time to develop. He's not a finished product and he's not wowing onlookers like Blake Bortles has in Jacksonville but he's got potential. That's the reason Houston signed Ryan Fitzpatrick, well among the reasons anyway, was to give a guy like Savage time to develop. The Texans could have taken Bortles but they would've lost on picking Clowney. That choice will can be debated for the next 10 years but the Texans opted for Clowney and Savage was Bortles-esque and just needed time to develop. Savage became a darling of the draft gurus late in the pre-draft process and if given time I think he can be the franchise QB for Houston. Getting Clowney and a franchise QB in the same draft? Priceless.

[eagle eye]

The Texans sort of looked in control in the first half of a game they were leading 7-3 up until the 2 minute warning. The Texans failed to convert a 3rd and 8 at their own 41 and had to punt. Denver took over at their own 7. After a pass to Adrian Caldwell for 8 yards and a pass interference that moved the ball up to the 33 Manning hit Emanuel Sanders for 67 yard catch and run that gave the Broncos a 10-7 lead. Another quick 3 and out by Houston gave the ball back to Manning and the Broncos with only a 1:07 left in the half. A pass to Wes Welker for 11 took Denver from their own 36 to their 47. An 8 yard pass to Welker got the ball down to the Texans 44. D J Swearinger hit Welker in the head causing him to leave the game with what was later found to be a concussion. Swearinger was flagged for a personal foul that moved the ball to the Texans 29. The next play Manning hit Emanuel Sanders again for a TD and immediately afterward Peyton Manning ran down the field and met with Swearinger near the goal line and gave him a piece of his mind about the hit Swearinger put on Welker. It was the first time in his career Manning has been flagged for something like that. With :05 left in the half the 15 yard penalty for taunting that was given to Manning didn't matter much in terms of the game but I'll bet his teammates appreciated Manning standing up for Welker like that.

JJ Watt didn't play but a few plays and his night was done. Jadeveon Clowney didn't play at all. I'm sure Clowney, who got his bell rung in practice with the Broncos on Wednesday, was just held out as a precautionary measure.
Jonathan Grimes looked good again in his time in the game. He's no Arian Foster but, to me, he's better than Ben Tate. Speaking of Foster he was held out of the game. He practiced all this past week so his seat on the bench was reserved well before the game started. Alfred Blue did some nice things including picking up a 4th and short near the Broncos end zone to keep a drive alive and Grimes scored on the next play. Ronnie Brown got some PT with 4 rushes and a pass reception.
2nd year tight end Ryan Griffin was the leading receiver for Houston nabbing 5 balls for 71 yards including a 31 yard TD from Tom Savage in the 4th that ended up being the game winning score along the 2 point conversion that gave Houston the 18-17 win over Denver.
Ryan Fitzpatrick has a bit of an uneven performance but his passes had some zip on them and he got victimized by a couple of drops as well. His final stats aren't great but 10/17 for 80 yards isn't terrible either in a game where Houston was determined to run the ball. Case Keenum went 11/18 for 74 yards and Tom Savage went 5/6 for 84 yards and a TD.
Ronnie Hillman got some work and was okay but the most important thing he didn't do was fumble. He stayed in John Fox's doghouse for his fumbling issues last season. I mention this a fantasy football player because with Montee Ball recovering from an appendectomy just before training camp Hillman may be the guy for Denver for a couple of weeks at least.

Houston needs to clean up some issues with their 2 minute defense but I'm sure the presence of JJ Watt and Jadeveon Clowney will help that quite a bit. Houston's starting defense has been pretty serviceable the past two weeks. Despite all the nay-saying going on about the Texans prospects for 2014 I think they will be alright.

[eagle eye]

Here's some roster moves the Texans made today in an effort to get down to 75 players on the roster by tomorrow afternoon. If you are counting that's 11 of the 15 the Texans will need to cut.

HOUSTON –The Texans have placed the following player on the Reserve/Injured list:








NFL



NAME

POS

HT

WT

AGE


EXP
COLLEGE



Lonnie Ballentinehttp://www.houstontexans.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif (http://www.houstontexans.com/team/roster/lonnie-ballentine/09fc7b6e-2814-4fe8-a211-b5e97e30b0b9/)

S

6-3

215

21


R
Memphis



The Texans have placed the following player on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list:









NFL



NAME

POS

HT

WT

AGE


EXP
COLLEGE



David Quessenberry (http://www.houstontexans.com/team/roster/david-quessenberry/a1444c97-22b0-4378-8da8-acfc48382c24/)

G

6-5

306

23


2
San Jose State




The Texans have released the following players:








NFL



NAME

POS

HT

WT

AGE


EXP
COLLEGE



Joe Adams

WR

5-11

185

24


2
Arkansas



Austin Brown

NT

6-2

295

22


R
Miami (Ohio)



David Hunter

NT

6-2

301

24


2
Houston



Alec Lemon

WR

6-1

203

23


2
Syracuse



Terrance Lloyd

OLB

6-3

238

23


R
Baylor



Sam Longo

G

6-5

305

23


R
Cincinnati



Junior Mertile

CB

6-1

197

24


1
Florida International



William Powell

RB

5-9

207

26


3
Kansas State



Lawrence Sidbury

OLB

6-3

269

28


6
Richmond

[eagle eye]

Houston made the following cut to get down to the 75 man limit today: WR Joe Adams (http://www.nfl.com/player/joeadams/2532782/profile), NT Austin Brown (http://www.nfl.com/player/austinbrown/2549455/profile), NT David Hunter (http://www.nfl.com/player/davidhunter/2535532/profile), WR Alec Lemon (http://www.nfl.com/player/aleclemon/2540231/profile), LB Terrance Lloyd (http://www.nfl.com/player/terrancelloyd/2550580/profile), G Sam Longo (http://www.nfl.com/player/samlongo/2550731/profile), CB Junior Mertile (http://www.nfl.com/player/juniormertile/2542011/profile), RB William Powell (http://www.nfl.com/player/williampowell/2531056/profile), LB Lawrence Sidbury (http://www.nfl.com/player/lawrencesidbury/2507789/profile).

Bill O'Brien learned his lessons well from his former boss Bill Belichick. I'm not really talking about football related stuff, no, I'm talking about being deliberately vague with injury reports. Nobody has really ever said that Clowney suffered a concussion in practice last Wednesday that caused him to miss the rest of the practice. He didn't suit up in last Saturday's game and he won't play this week. I would have thought that he would've played had he been healthy enough to play. He is, after all, a rookie and he could use the PT. O'Brien didn't say it outright but he did say that he felt like Clowney would be suited up in Week 1. Yeah, thanks for throwing us a bone, Bill.

O'Brien said today that Houston is "likely" going to keep the 3 QB's currently on the roster. Of course Ryan Fitzpatrick is the starter. Case Keenum is the veteran (?) backup and Tom Savage is the QB of the future. Who knows but if Fitz struggles and Houston has a losing record by the end of September could we see the dawn of the Tom Savage era in Houston?

Speaking of QB's, It will be the Case and Tom show on Thursday. It was released today Case Keenum will get the start against the 49ers and probably will play at least a half with Savage getting the whole second half. The PT for both is really valuable because when the season starts Fitz will get most of the practice snaps. Keenum and Savage both are still learning the O'Brien offense so the extended reps will be pretty darn important for them both.

[eagle eye]

The Texans haven't announced all their roster cuts as yet but there is one roster move that was made back in the spring that has me wondering. After the draft in OTA's the Texans made a deal with the Atlanta Falcons that sent TJ Yates to Georgia for LB Akeem Dent. So far that hasn't worked out too well but all things considered Yates didn't exactly set the NFL on fire with his play in preseason games either. But, Case Keenum in his most extensive playing time of the preseason on Thursday sucked. Could Houston make the move to waive Keenum? It's possible that the most prolific passer in NCAA history will be out of a job this afternoon?

[eagle eye]

The off season is over. Final cuts have been made and really no surprises with any of the cuts. Houston has significantly upgraded the talent on this team and in the final analysis Houston is better than they are given credit for. I think this team will surprise people this season in a good way like they surprised people in a bad way last year. They probably won't have the best record in the NFL like they had the worst last year but they will be better than the experts are saying.
Today, as discussed on another thread, Houston got NE QB Ryan Mallett in a trade with Patriots that only cost them a conditional 6th or 7th round draft pick which if Mallett is as good as advertised Houston got a steal. This deal is better than any deal they could have gotten in the spring when the Mallett stock was much higher. Houston is a much better team than they were yesterday with Case Keenum. Keenum was claimed off waivers by the St Louis Rams today.

This will be my final post on this thread as Houston prepares for the Washington Redskins who come to NRG Stadium this Sunday to begin the 2014 season. Football began for real this past weekend with the college season's opening weekend. Now the pros take center stage and I've got my eye on a better than .500 record for the Texans. Homer? Maybe. Unrealistic? I don't think so.