OTA thread

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by SheTexan

This Houston heat will either make um or break um. I bet some of them HATE Houston right about now! Doubtful they had a clue how HOT and humid it can get here. BUT, they are very lucky they have Reliant to play in.

Position Competition: Wide Receiver
Posted by Nick Scurfield on May 26, 2012 – 12:41 pm

The Texans have a wide-open competition at wide receiver this offseason.

Beyond veteran starters Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter, there is not a single receiver on the roster who has caught an NFL pass. It’s a group that consists of five rookies and four young veterans who have played in a combined five games.

Johnson is not participating in OTAs because of recent arthroscopic surgery on his knee. That has left Walter as the elder statesman and opened the door for a lot more reps for the Texans’ young receivers.

“They’re young, I can tell you that,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said after practice on Tuesday. “It’s exciting because we’ve got a lot of ability to work with, but obviously we’ve got a long, long way to go. It’ll be interesting to see how they sort themselves out.”

The Texans could keep five or six receivers on the active roster in the regular season. Third-round draft pick DeVier Posey and fourth-round pick Keshawn Martin should be locks to make the team.

That leaves one or two spots up for grabs among Lestar Jean, Jeff Maehl, Trindon Holliday, Juaquin Iglesias and undrafted rookies Jerrell Jackson, Dwight Jones and Mario Louis.

Jean, a promising undrafted rookie from Florida Atlantic in 2011, lined up opposite Walter with the first-team offense this week. Next week, that opportunity could possibly belong to Maehl or someone else as Johnson continues to sit out.

“It’s a great opportunity for them,” Kubiak said. “I mean, you look at (how) Lestar Jean is working as a starter right now. As a player, all you can ask for is to get on the field, and if you do it, you’re not coming off. That’s the way this thing works. I’m going to rotate them every week. I think I’ll change them up, change the depth chart and see who’s going to stand out, who’s going to help our football team. But they’re all going to get an opportunity.”

Asked about the young receivers after the final practice of the week on Thursday, Kubiak said he has seen “flashes” of talent.

“They’re all what we thought they were,” he said. “Getting a little fatigued right now. That bothers me; you’ve got to be able to run all day. Posey is out here pretty tired today. We’ve got to get those guys, condition-wise, to where they can do it all day long. But talent-wise, it’s exactly what we thought we were going to get.”The competition should for playing time – and roster spots – should only heat up in the coming weeks and months.

[Wolf6151]

CND, that article about the depth and competition at WR really scares the hell out of me. If we lose AJ again then we're screwed at WR.

[TdotTexas2Step]

That leaves one or two spots up for grabs among Lestar Jean, Jeff Maehl, Trindon Holliday, Juaquin Iglesias and undrafted rookies Jerrell Jackson, Dwight Jones and Mario Louis.

So would those two spots go to Jean and Maehl? Or maybe Jean and Jones?

[JCTexan]

Originally Posted by TdotTexas2Step

So would those two spots go to Jean and Maehl? Or maybe Jean and Jones?

Well, that would depend on how they impress the coaches during training camp, preseason games, practices, etc..

[Vinnie]

Originally Posted by Wolf6151

CND, that article about the depth and competition at WR really scares the hell out of me. If we lose AJ again then we're screwed at WR.

We'll probably be able to pick David Anderson up off the Washington practice squad if that happens.

[powda]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

Position Competition: Wide Receiver
Posted by Nick Scurfield on May 26, 2012 – 12:41 pm

I remember a quote from Kubiak last year talking about getting the younger guys in shape so they can run all day. No reason to be alarmed...I hope.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by powda

I remember a quote from Kubiak last year talking about getting the younger guys in shape so they can run all day. No reason to be alarmed...I hope.

Got to ask oneself, after the excitement during OTAs last year, how many young receivers made it to the roster........and of those, how many produced anything?

[ChampionTexan]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

Got to ask oneself, after the excitement during OTAs last year, how many young receivers made it to the roster........and of those, how many produced anything?

[TdotTexas2Step]

Originally Posted by JCTexan

Well, that would depend on how they impress the coaches during training camp, preseason games, practices, etc..

Thank you for your contribution sir.

Let's just say my initial question was enough to entice further discussion for a message board, which players do you think would be likely to have an advantage based on factors outside the ones you listed?

I went with Jean and Maehl mainly because we'll most likely be carrying two spots for rookies who are starting from scratch, so it'll be good to have two young guys for the last open spots to have at least some familiarity with the offense.

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by TdotTexas2Step

So would those two spots go to Jean and Maehl? Or maybe Jean and Jones?

I'm going with Jean and D. Jones and Maehl stays alive on the practice squad for one more year. Not to be type-casting but he looks like a K.W. replacement unit.

[Playoffs]

Originally Posted by ObsiWan

I'm going with Jean and D. Jones and Maehl stays alive on the practice squad for one more year. Not to be type-casting but he looks like a K.W. replacement unit.

I don't think I've picked up any chatter on Dwight Jones yet ..... anyone?

[Allstar]

Originally Posted by Playoffs

I don't think I've picked up any chatter on Dwight Jones yet ..... anyone?

They've only had 3 days of OTAs. I think I read that we had so many WRs that the UDFAs really didn't get any reps.

[JCTexan]

Originally Posted by TdotTexas2Step

Thank you for your contribution sir.

Let's just say my initial question was enough to entice further discussion for a message board, which players do you think would be likely to have an advantage based on factors outside the ones you listed?

I went with Jean and Maehl mainly because we'll most likely be carrying two spots for rookies who are starting from scratch, so it'll be good to have two young guys for the last open spots to have at least some familiarity with the offense.

Sorry. The way you worded it made me assume you wanted a definite statement on who will make the final 53. I just misinterpreted.

As far as a guess? I will say Jean and Jones. Jean impressed during preseason games last year and I think he could end up being the #3 WR going into the regular season. Dwight Jones is built like Andre Johnson (6-4 225) and has the talent to easily beat out Maehl (imo). His character could easily get in the way of him making the team, though.

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by Playoffs

I don't think I've picked up any chatter on Dwight Jones yet ..... anyone?

Looks good in just basic drills. But only has done a very few reps in teams.

Will be interesting to see if today they mix up the WR reps like Kubiak said they might.

[beerlover]

“They’re all what we thought they were,” he said. “Getting a little fatigued right now. That bothers me; you’ve got to be able to run all day. Posey is out here pretty tired today. We’ve got to get those guys, condition-wise, to where they can do it all day long. But talent-wise, it’s exactly what we thought we were going to get.”

Welcome to the NFL.

[Playoffs]

Nick Scurfield ‏@NickScurfield
Rookie DeVier Posey worked w/ starters today in 3WR sets. Kubiak said Lestar Jean had his best day #Texans

1h Stephanie Stradley ‏@StephStradley
The #Texans WR that were there looked sharp. Holliday and Jean had NICE catches over the top. Maehl, Martin both had some tough catches

[Texans_Chick]

Really like how Martin looks out of the slot. Very different.

He has nice acceleration out of the break, and then once he's going north south he looks like he has a different gear. Very noticeable.

Like Posey's hands. Soft. Catching the ball looks effortless.

Lots of oohs with both Jean and Hollidays' bomb catches. Jean's came from TJ, Holliday's came from Beck.

[drs23]

Originally Posted by Texans_Chick

Really like how Martin looks out of the slot. Very different.

He has nice acceleration out of the break, and then once he's going north south he looks like he has a different gear. Very noticeable.

Like Posey's hands. Soft. Catching the ball looks effortless.

Lots of oohs with both Jean and Hollidays' bomb catches. Jean's came from TJ, Holliday's came from Beck.

Glad to hear Trindon caught a long one. How was his pass catching in general TC? More completions than drops, I hope. I'd really like to see that 'lil burner make it!

[Premier]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

Got to ask oneself, after the excitement during OTAs last year, how many young receivers made it to the roster........and of those, how many produced anything?

i agree, terrance tolliver was a stud and going to push jacoby for a roster spot last season.. where is he now.. fans get overly excited every year. reality is most of these guys will be put on the practice squad, a few standouts will contribute on special teams..

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by Premier

i agree, terrance tolliver was a stud and going to push jacoby for a roster spot last season.. where is he now.. fans get overly excited every year. reality is most of these guys will be put on the practice squad, a few standouts will contribute on special teams..

I don't see what's wrong with hoping some of these guys become an Arian Foster or a Mike Brisiel or a Rod Smith or a Kurt Warner or a Priest Holmes. I don't see why it's wrong to get excited about the young players fighting on the bubble of the team's roster fighting for a spot.

If you don't want to follow these guys and root for them, fine. Go read another thread. Or, if you want to say that none of these guys are going to make it, fine... that's your opinion.

All of us know that the ceiling for most of these guys is to be some marginal special teams player.

But what if one of them hits and becomes a star? Why not get excited for some of these guys and root for them to burst out into superstars?