Minicamp quotes

[CloakNNNdagger]

Some HT.com quotes from OB:

Head Coach Bill O'Brien spoke to the media following veteran minicamp on Tuesday.

Head Coach Bill O’Brien:

(on his impressions of the first day of voluntary mini-camp) “It was a decent start but we’ve had (the players) for a little bit. I thought the ability to take it from Phase I in the weight room to Phase II to the coaching sessions and now to a practice, so we kind of built up to this. It was a typical first practice but they handled things pretty well.”

(on if there was anything he was specifically looking for today) “No.”

(on what he likes about his team and what stands out to him about it through his interactions thus far) “I do enjoy the group of guys, I really do. I think right now we have about 63 guys in here and the guys come to work every day. There’s some good camaraderie in the building and to this point they’ve done what we’ve asked them to do. So, yeah, I enjoy—I think we all do, all the coaches enjoy being around these guys.”

(on how Arian Foster is doing) “We have to go watch the tape but he’s just like everybody else: first day, learning the systems and I think everybody without singling anybody out, I thought everybody had a decent start to the first day.”

(on Arian Foster being cleared after surgery) “Yeah, he’s cleared and he looked good. He looked fine.”

(on how his first day went) “This isn’t my first day, so to speak. We’ve been out here for a week in the coaching sessions and every time we come out here on the field it’s like a practice to us. As a coaching staff, we go back in there, we’ll meet and we’ll iron some things out every day and try to get better every day.”

(on why Andre Johnson wasn’t at mini-camp) “It’s voluntary. Again, we just coach who shows up.”

(on if things ran as smoothly as he anticipated today) “I thought it was. From drill-to-drill and the guys understanding the tempo of things, for a first day, I thought we got off to a good start.”

(on how he pleased he is at the way the players have adapted to what he wants in his system) “Again, these guys are professional football players. I think from the first day, we told them every year is different. Every year in the NFL there’s change. There’s different players, there’s different coaches and part of being an NFL football player and an NFL coach is being able to adapt to change and I think these guys have adapted well to this point.”

(on how important it was to get this work in before the rookie class comes in after the draft) “We want the vets to be able to take a leadership role when the rookies get here and understand how we do practice, the tempo of practice, where the drills are, what’s the offensive field? The defensive field? How we do special teams. So I think it’s definitely important to have these practices with these guys that have played in the pros for a little bit and then when the rookies get here, they just get in line, keep their mouths shut and follow the lead.”

(on his first impressions of the team’s quarterbacks) “We’ve really enjoyed working with these guys to this point. These guys are smart. They show up every day. They get extra work, all three of them. We’ve enjoyed working with them.”

(on if he has a timetable for Brian Cushing) “No.”

REST OF THE QUOTES



A disconcerting response from OB on the Cushing question. Cushing was reported to have a fibula fracture with an ACL. "uncomplicated," this should be a 3 1/2 months max return to play........this is already 7 months. If a timetable for return is not over and done with, I have to be concerned that the injury involved more than an uncomplicated fibula and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury......in fact, that it may have somewhat affected/disrupted the ACL repair that he had undergone the season before in the same joint......or the injury involved the joint structures in some other manner. I hope OB's response carries a more benign explanation.

 

[Playoffs]

A disconcerting response from OB on the Cushing question...

I wouldn't read much into his "no". I don't think we'll be getting much injury info from OB -- Belichick school. At this point, he may not even know. But if you put a timetable on it you'll have to deal with it w/media again.

 

[DocBar]

Some HT.com quotes from OB:


REST OF THE QUOTES



A disconcerting response from OB on the Cushing question. Cushing was reported to have a fibula fracture with an ACL. "uncomplicated," this should be a 3 1/2 months max return to play........this is already 7 months. If a timetable for return is not over and done with, I have to be concerned that the injury involved more than an uncomplicated fibula and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury......in fact, that it may have somewhat affected/disrupted the ACL repair that he had undergone the season before in the same joint......or the injury involved the joint structures in some other manner. I hope OB's response carries a more benign explanation.

OB said tha the didn't have a timetable for return, not that the timetable hadn't been completed.
Cush eyeing week 1 return.
Not much to infer from that, either.

 

[Texans_Chick]

A disconcerting response from OB on the Cushing question. Cushing was reported to have a fibula fracture with an ACL. "uncomplicated," this should be a 3 1/2 months max return to play........this is already 7 months. If a timetable for return is not over and done with, I have to be concerned that the injury involved more than an uncomplicated fibula and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury......in fact, that it may have somewhat affected/disrupted the ACL repair that he had undergone the season before in the same joint......or the injury involved the joint structures in some other manner. I hope OB's response carries a more benign explanation.

I wouldn't read too much in that. O'Brien is VERY much focused on talking about the guys working on the field and not the guys who are not.

Cushing was working out on side field. Just not doing team drills/plays. That's pretty common with recovering players. Other players not participating were JJo, Brennan Williams, Trevardo Williams, Andy Cruse.

Biggest issue team usually has with Cushing is that he is one speed. So they tend to hold him back. There is no reason why he needs to be out on the field right now.

 

[Texans_Chick]

I first started writing a blog because writing on the Texans was thin.

There are many more outlets now.

The reasons I continue now are more limited, and my blogging is more limited now by choice. No reason for me to write many daily news stories because they are being written and I'd rather do other stuff. One of the reasons I continue blog is because more often than not it is fun, and I love Texans fans, and because of my blog stuff, I can do things for all of us.

One of these things is to answer questions about what is happening at closed sessions. There's some limitations given media restrictions in general, but even with those restrictions, I can answer a lot of stuff. Unfortunately, given the Texans circumstances, a lot of the stuff we want to know, right now is pretty much unanswerable.

So, in sum, if you have questions about minicamp stuff or other stuff, let me know, and I'll answer in this thread. I'll check back when I can.

 

[Playoffs]

Notice any recurring themes...?

(on if there is anything he can see out at a three-day mini-camp that could influence the draft) “I think you do come out here and you definitely evaluate every position. You evaluate, obviously, the individual player and then you evaluate the depth at that position. The majority of our 2014 team is more than likely, based on the draft and how many rookies are going to make the team, the majority of the team is here on the field, so you’re evaluating as it relates to the draft but also as it relates to next year’s team and the depth at each position and all those things.”

(on how much he talks about what happened last season) “We don’t talk about it that much as it relates to the whole season. We show tape. There were plays that Houston ran last year that are similar to the plays we run. So we’ll show them, ‘Hey, here’s how we did it at this place and here’s how you guys did it last year,’ so they can see themselves on tape. They called it apples, we called it oranges. But as far as addressing all the things that whatever—I wasn’t here. I was not here last year so I have really no idea. So I would be very remiss in addressing anything that happened last year having not been here.”


(on if he senses that the players sense that this year is a new year) “Ask them. I don’t sense what they sense and sense this and sense that. I think that’s something you need to ask them.”

T Duane Brown
(on if today’s practice felt different) “Yeah, it’s a little different feel out here. It’s a very intense staff. They really focus on attention to detail, working on little things that hurt us a lot as a team before. I think it’s going to make us better. Today everybody was pretty locked in and we’re all working hard and looking forward to the future.”

(on how the offense will be different under Coach O’Brien) “I don’t want to get too much into detail. You’ll see when we get going. It’s a very exciting offense. I love it. It is different. It is different than what we’ve been doing before. It’s a very intricate offense. For me personally, as an offensive lineman, you just have certain things you know and you don’t have to change too much of it.”

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(on adapting to the terminology and the new offensive system) “I think that’s exactly it, adapting to a new language. The great thing is that pace that we’ve gone at so far. They’ve been very, very detailed. We’ve been able to take our time a little bit and really focus on the little things and I think it showed out here today. It’s still very early obviously but the attention to detail and just the expectations of perfection are a couple things that really stuck out to me today that I think are really going to make us a better team.”

(on the learning curve in a new offense) “It’s a steep learning curve. I’ve been in a lot of different offenses. I’ve never been in this offense. Just like my rookie year, I’ve had to come in and learn something new. That being said, just in terms of conceptually different things we’re trying to do, there’s only so many ways you can do it. So there’s stuff I’ve done over my career that I can pull from those experiences and apply it to this. There’s going to be learning every day and trying to get a grasp of this system.”

(on what it was like having Head Coach Bill O’Brien out there) “Coach O’Brien, I think what you see right away is his expectations are high. His expectations are high of everybody that’s on the field, whether you’re a starter, whether you’re a guy at the bottom trying to learn a job. What we learn in the meeting rooms you’re expected to know when we step on the field for walk-throughs and everything that we’ve gone over for the day. Mistakes, the mental mistakes aren’t really acceptable and I think that demand of perfection is going to be a nice thing around here.”

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

OB said tha the didn't have a timetable for return, not that the timetable hadn't been completed.
Cush eyeing week 1 return.
Not much to infer from that, either.

I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say (especially after reading your link I quoted below). By 7 months, following his purported injuries, he should be back to as good as he will be. Bringing him back "slowly" should not be a concern at this point if the injury only consisted of simple fibula fracture with LCL tear, and if there are not other identified structural concerns.

Cushing's participation in the Texans' voluntary workout program is a step in the right direction. However, it has yet to be determined if and how much he will participate in organized team activities which begin later this month. Despite being medically cleared to return to football activities, Cushing still wants to take things slow to ensure he makes a full recovery.

A "full recovery" should have been already into the books..........by the beginning of February.

I wasn't concerned about the straight-forward nature of his injury (and I've written very positive posts for Cushing's return from his alleged injuries) until now. Obviously, we'll see.

 

[DocBar]

I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say (especially after reading your link I quoted below). By 7 months, following his purported injuries, he should be back to as good as he will be. Bringing him back "slowly" should not be a concern at this point if the injury only consisted of simple fibula fracture with LCL tear, and if there are not other identified structural concerns.



A "full recovery" should have been already into the books..........by the beginning of February.

I wasn't concerned about the straight-forward nature of his injury (and I've written very positive posts for Cushing's return from his alleged injuries) until now. Obviously, we'll see.

Cushing's participation in the Texans' voluntary workout program is a step in the right direction. However, it has yet to be determined if and how much he will participate in organized team activities which begin later this month. Despite being medically cleared to return to football activities, Cushing still wants to take things slow to ensure he makes a full recovery.

I'm saying that all BOB said was that he didn't have a timetable on Cushing. Cushing is medically cleared to resume football activities.
It seems more likely that Cush is being very cautious right now and there very well could be nothing to see here. Of course, I could be wrong....

EDIT: Maybe Cushing has developed the same opinion of the Texans medical staff that you and many others (me included) have.

 

[drs23]

I'm saying that all BOB said was that he didn't have a timetable on Cushing. Cushing is medically cleared to resume football activities.
It seems more likely that Cush is being very cautious right now and there very well could be nothing to see here. Of course, I could be wrong....

EDIT: Maybe Cushing has developed the same opinion of the Texans medical staff that you and many others (me included) have.

That's what I'm thinking. (hoping really)

 

[Texn4life]

Its pretty unlike Andre for him to not be there.

 

[badboy]

if Cushing is a no go, the draft is more important than I thought.

 

[Texans_Chick]

I wasn't concerned about the straight-forward nature of his injury (and I've written very positive posts for Cushing's return from his alleged injuries) until now. Obviously, we'll see.

Technically, media was not supposed to ask ANY questions about players not participating. The two questions about Cushing and Andre were in violation of the media policy. So I wouldn't interpret anything from his answer whatsoever.

They have often held out Cushing from various practice sessions, whether to increase his conditioning, protecting him from himself, even when he's said he's okay. I'd wrap him in bubble wrap.

Nobody seemed overly alarmed with his absence.

 

[Texans_Chick]

Its pretty unlike Andre for him to not be there.

This is true.

That is what I wonder about more than Cushing. Because he is often at things that he doesn't participate in because preserving him for the season.

Could just be him doing his Miami workout thing. Could just be him taking a mental break as an older player. Could be him getting one of those surgery things where we don't find out he had a surgery until he just shows up. (That happened one year). This date was moved up earlier than usual because new staff, so it may be something that just didn't work for him.

I'm poking around a little bit about this stuff.

 

[Texans_Chick]

http://www.stateofthetexans.com/blog/2014/05/06/texans-mini-camp-culture-shock/

Agree with most of this. Though I don't think Foster looked bad last year before he got hurt.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

Technically, media was not supposed to ask ANY questions about players not participating. The two questions about Cushing and Andre were in violation of the media policy. So I wouldn't interpret anything from his answer whatsoever.

They have often held out Cushing from various practice sessions, whether to increase his conditioning, protecting him from himself, even when he's said he's okay. I'd wrap him in bubble wrap.

Nobody seemed overly alarmed with his absence.

Truly appreciate that bit of info, and as always, your perspective. I still remain guarded re. the need for bubble wrap at this point.

 

[kiwitexansfan]

Andre not being there stood out to me too.

New coach new system. You'd think everyone would want to be there.

Do we get a roll call. What 63 players are there?

How many do we have under contract?

 

[DocBar]

Andre not being there stood out to me too.
Maybe had prior commitments...don't

New coach new system. You'd think everyone would want to be there. Agree with this.
Do we get a roll call. What 63 players are there? I think that would violate the new CBA? If you stated who was there, you could infer who isn't. This is voluntary.
How many do we have under contract? All of them.

Answers in red

 

[False Start]

I saw some pics, and what stood out to me were the plain jerseys with no names, and no logos on the helmets. Is it just because they are minicamp jerseys, or is O’Brien going with you have to earn the name and logo system? If its the latter, I dig that.

 

[Playoffs]

I saw some pics, and what stood out to me were the plain jerseys with no names, and no logos on the helmets. Is it just because they are minicamp jerseys, or is O’Brien going with you have to earn the name and logo system? If its the latter, I dig that.

He answered "the uniforms were being reconditioned" but I suspect there's some team building behind that.

 

[DocBar]

I saw some pics, and what stood out to me were the plain jerseys with no names, and no logos on the helmets. Is it just because they are minicamp jerseys, or is O’Brien going with you have to earn the name and logo system? If its the latter, I dig that.

He answered "the uniforms were being reconditioned" but I suspect there's some team building behind that.

Right up there with having "recognized player" photos/posters removed. Nothing comes before the team kinda theme.

 

[Texans_Chick]

I saw some pics, and what stood out to me were the plain jerseys with no names, and no logos on the helmets. Is it just because they are minicamp jerseys, or is O’Brien going with you have to earn the name and logo system? If its the latter, I dig that.

He said not to read too much into that.

 

[Texans_Chick]

Day one report stuff from Dale Robertson.

I'm going to do something similar to this, with all the changes I think I see.

 

[badboy]

Day one report stuff from Dale Robertson.

I'm going to do something similar to this, with all the changes I think I see.

Enjoyed the read TC and thanks. I am very interested in health of Quessenbery and Brennan Williams if you pick up on that. Also your impression of the LBs not named Cushing.

 

[Troy Chapman]

Multiple sources reporting the only reason Andre is not there is he is in South Carolina for Dunta Robinson's wedding. Coaches were aware that Andre would not be in attendance.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

From what I've heard, during practice yesterday, Brooks was lined up next to Brown and Jones next to Newton (who was still at the RT position).

 

[Playoffs]

"If somebody jumps offsides, everybody runs" -- Whitney Mercilus

 

[Scooter]

From what I've heard, during practice yesterday, Brooks was lined up next to Brown and Jones next to Newton (who was still at the RT position).

not a fan of this alignment. brooks was really coming along at right guard and didnt seem as comfortable at left. not only that, brooks's biggest issue is in his head, he needs to be put into a spot and kept there, changes are severely hampering his progress. jones looked better at left, though "better" is misleading because he wasnt very good at either spot.

 

[kingtexan]

Multiple sources reporting the only reason Andre is not there is he is in South Carolina for Dunta Robinson's wedding. Coaches were aware that Andre would not be in attendance.

Hope that is true. Not having Dre there was a little curious.

 

[RT22]

Multiple sources reporting the only reason Andre is not there is he is in South Carolina for Dunta Robinson's wedding. Coaches were aware that Andre would not be in attendance.

The only weddings that happen on a Tuesday are at the courthouse. Weird. I believe AJ doesn't want to start over and wants a chance at a SB. When is the last time AJ has missed anything when he was healthy?

 

[ObsiWan]

Its pretty unlike Andre for him to not be there.

This is true.

That is what I wonder about more than Cushing. Because he is often at things that he doesn't participate in because preserving him for the season.

Could just be him doing his Miami workout thing. Could just be him taking a mental break as an older player. Could be him getting one of those surgery things where we don't find out he had a surgery until he just shows up. (That happened one year). This date was moved up earlier than usual because new staff, so it may be something that just didn't work for him.

I'm poking around a little bit about this stuff.

Yeah, that struck me as a bit weird too.

And the terse "we'll coach who's here" response... is that O'Brien sending a msg that "you ain't nothing special to me, Andre"...???

 

[IDEXAN]

I am very interested in health of Quessenbery and Brennan Williams if you pick up on that.

Those two guys along with Cushing are the players I'm most interested in right now before our draftees report. Their recoveries and return to action will be keys to our season.

 

[DocBar]

Yeah, that struck me as a bit weird too.

And the terse "we'll coach who's here" response... is that O'Brien sending a msg that "you ain't nothing special to me, Andre"...???

Nothing to see here...

Nobody was supposed to ask him about players who weren't on the field - that had been clearly spelled out in advance in a directive laying down the ground rules for those permitted to watch the practices - but somebody did anyway.

"(Participation) is voluntary," was O'Brien's poker-faced response. "We just coach who shows up."

 

[MistaRed]

The only weddings that happen on a Tuesday are at the courthouse. Weird. I believe AJ doesn't want to start over and wants a chance at a SB. When is the last time AJ has missed anything when he was healthy?

How did you get to "Andre doesn't want to be here." Just from him missing voluntary mini camp?

 

[kiwitexansfan]

To answer my own question from earlier.

We have 66 players listed as being on the team on HT.com.

So there are only three players not volunteering.

 

[Texans_Chick]

Enjoyed the read TC and thanks. I am very interested in health of Quessenbery and Brennan Williams if you pick up on that. Also your impression of the LBs not named Cushing.

Quessenbery looks good, healthy and is participating. B Williams is still out. So is Trevardo Williams (looks yoked).

Hard to eval linebackers not hitting. Will say that just eyeballing the coaches, looks like they are more hands on, particularly the outside linebacker coaching.

New LB coach Vrabel is intense. He is all up in Mercilus' kitchen, but in a good way. You know, you give players the bidness when you see their potential. When they are running to different fields, areas on the fields, Vrabel is often the first guy there.

(The David Carr rule? You stop yelling at a guy when you give up on them).

 

[Texans_Chick]

Here's my latest from today:

Bill O'Brien and the use of NFL analytics.

Was able to get four questions in today. Unusual. But I was being pushy. Here's the transcript of OB:

Head Coach Bill O’Brien
(on what he can find out from a three-day mini-camp) “That’s a very good question because I think obviously, when you get the pads on, that’s when you really get a good look at the linemen and your running game and your run defense and things like that and how guys tackle and how they are on special teams. So to me, this is a lot about watching everybody out on the field, their conditioning level, their ability to take the installation from one day to the next day, to the next day, how they learn and how they compete out here. You can really see that, too. I think just with all that being said, I think these guys have, to this point, they’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do.”

(on if his overall impressions are what he expected) “I don’t really have any expectations. It’s more about day-to-day. You go out there and you meet in the morning, you have a walk-through and you make sure that the guys understand what the tempo of practice is and the plays that you’re going to try to execute and the drills that you’re going to try to execute. Like I said, to this point, these guys have really done a good job of following our lead, and working hard and trying to do their jobs.”

(on what he has seen from Ryan Fitzpatrick) “With all of the quarterbacks, I’ve seen guys that are smart, really fun guys to coach. You can see the improvement from meeting-to-meeting as far as their knowledge of the game. It’s just a good group of guys to be around.”

(on how it’s been working with Romeo Crennel and how the veterans have adapted to his coaching) “Romeo has been doing it for a long time and he’s a really good guy to have on the staff for a lot of different reasons. Number one is the job as defensive coordinator. I think he’s one of the best. I know when I was hiring him, I knew that he was a guy that when we had gone against him when I was in New England, it was a difficult deal to go against. So that was part of it and then also, the big part of it is his knowledge of the game and his resume and what he brings to our staff and the level of respect that he brings to the football field.”

(on if it’s important to him to have a defensive coordinator with as much experience as Romeo Crennel with it being in his first year as an NFL head coach) “I think it’s important in the fact that Romeo is a hell of a football coach. He’s here and he’s been a coordinator and obviously been a head coach and all the guys that have played for him hold him in high regard. He’s a very valuable member of our coaching staff.”

(on the use of advanced analytics as it relates to this team) “We use that quite a bit. We use it in the draft. We use it especially when we get toward the season. Probably not so much now in the mini-camps but we’ll use analytics when we get into the season and look at different ways to study our opponents. But again, at the end of the day, it comes down to how you play when you’re out here on the field. But anything that you can look at that can help you get an edge in a game plan or your knowledge of the draft or your knowledge of free agency, those things always help. I think it’s really important to gather as much information as you can.”

(on his initial thoughts on DeAndre Hopkins) “Young player. Works hard. Trying to do his job, trying to learn what to do. I have really enjoyed being around all those receivers. These guys are working extremely hard and he’s part of that group.”

(on previously saying there weren’t any slot receivers on the roster and how Mike Thomas is playing in that role) “I did say that and now being out here for a few days, including our coaching sessions, there are a few guys, including Mike, that have the skill set to play in the slot and to play outside. That’s why these camps are good.”

(on the comparison between Ryan Fitzpatrick and Teddy Bridgewater) “I don’t get into the comparison between a college player and a pro player. There’s absolutely no comparison there. You’re talking about a guy that’s played 10 years in the NFL versus a kid that’s just graduating from college. There’s no comparison there.”

(on what Linebackers Coach Mike Vrabel brings to his staff) “Again, a lot of experience as a player and as a coach. He’s been in different schemes already as a coach, which is really good, and just his knowledge of the game really stood out to me when I was in New England when he was a player. He was a very intelligent guy. A guy that had a 14-year career because he worked hard. He obviously had a really good skill set but he was intelligent and he understood how to take care of his body and all those things. Now as a coach, he can relate his understanding of the schemes but also his understanding of how to have a long career in this league and how to do it. So I think he’s another guy, just like all these guys on our staff, they all bring a lot of value to our staff.”

(on if he sees a lot of similarities between Brian Cushing and Mike Vrabel) “I think every guy is different. I don’t get into comparisons. I know that those guys are enjoying being coached by him just like I said, because of his knowledge or our defense, his coaching ability and also the fact that he played a lot of football in this league. I don’t get into comparisons of this guy is like that guy or similarities. Every person in this group, every person in that team meeting room, everybody is different.”

(on scheduling his day Thursday for mini-camp in the morning and the draft in the evening) “It will be a fun day but there’s been a lot of preparation for both events. We’ve been preparing for this practice for a long time. We’re ready to go for tomorrow. We may tweak a couple things based on what we saw the last two days but we’re ready to go for the practice. For the draft, we’ve been preparing for the draft for quite a long time and we’re ready to go on that. I’m looking forward to, like I said yesterday, working with Rick (Smith) and his guys and trying to improve our team.”

(on what the process has been like working with General Manager Rick Smith) “I think it’s been a great process for me just to have a guy like Rick, who’s been in this league for a long time, who’s done a really good job, I believe, here and to learn how he does it. Obviously, I add my two cents where I can to help him. It’s been a really enjoyable experience. We communicate well. We meet every day, probably twice a day and it’s been fun to be a part of that.”

(on how it feels heading into his first draft as an NFL head coach) “It feels good. You’re right, it is my first one as an NFL head coach. I’ve been a part of a draft process but nothing like I am now. Again, a lot of it is a learning process for me but it’s also our ability as a staff to express to our scouting department and Rick who are the type of players who fit our scheme on both sides of the ball and on special teams, so that’s been good, too, because we’re getting everybody in the organization on the same page as us as far as what we’re looking for in a player. That’s been a good part of the process, too.”

(on what has stood out the most to him in the first two days of mini-camp) “I don’t think anything has stood out one thing over the other. I just think that I’ve been pleased with the effort that these guys have given and each guy really trying to do his job, competing and trying to execute our schemes, our drills and learn on the run. I don’t think that’s always easy and I think these guys have done a good job of jumping in and really working hard at it.”

(on what logistic steps he took to decide what he wanted to keep the same and what he wanted to do different) “Well, I think that’s a long process. I don’t think you do that overnight. I think the first thing you do when you come in here is you put together as good a staff as you can and I believe we have a really good staff here. A strong staff. At the same time, you’re evaluating the roster. So you’re watching last year’s film and trying to envision how these guys are going to fit your schemes because every coaching staff is a little bit different as to what they are looking for. That was the first part of it. And then from there, there are a lot of observations and meetings and a lot of communication that takes place. As long as everybody is honest with each other and we’re all working toward the same goal—which we are and which we have been—then any change that’s made, whether it’s from Rick’s (Smith) end or Bob’s (McNair) end or my end, is always in the name of success and winning and what we’re trying to do that’s best for the Houston Texans. I think that’s been a good process.”

(on if he can identify what some of the bigger changes have been) “I don’t want to get into all that. I can tell you that I think the thing that we did when we came in here was we expressed to Rick’s (Smith) crew and Rick the type of players that we’re looking for and a lot of them exist right here on this field today. They’re here. I think that was the main goal, was to say, ‘Hey, look, we’re playing a 3-4 on defense and this is the type of offense we want to play. These are the type of tight ends we want. These are the type of backs we want,’ and so on and so forth. That was probably the biggest line of communication that had to take place and that’s taken place quite a bit over the last four months.”

(on if the two extra weeks before the draft has helped that process take place) “I’ve heard a lot about that, that people are saying, ‘Two weeks is too long,’ or ‘Two weeks isn’t enough.’ You know what I do? Whatever the rules are, I try to follow the rules. Whenever they say the draft is, then that’s how we prepare for it. So I don’t get into all that.”

(on if he’s ever had politicians second-guess his decisions as a coach before) “Oh yeah. I’m sure the governor of Pennsylvania had a few thoughts on some of my fourth-down calls over the last two years.”

(on Houston Mayor Annise Parker saying she likes Johnny Manziel but thinks the Texans will draft Jadeveon Clowney and then trade) “When her term is up, maybe she should come work for us. I think (Houston) is a great city where people really care about football. All the fans that I see when I’m out there in public or in a restaurant or somewhere, I always tell them, ‘These guys are working really hard to field a winning football team here in Houston.’ We know how important football is here in Houston. We’re very well aware of that.”

(on who selects the music playlist at practice) “It’s my iPod. I like a lot of different types of music: country, rap, all kinds of music. I just make sure that it’s very respectful music, clean music, because I don’t always know all the words, so I have to listen to it really carefully or have one of the younger guys listen to it for me. That’s my music. Some guys are complaining already about it but that’s too bad.”

(on if the Mo Money, Mo Problems track at practice more about the first-round pick or being a new head coach) “I don’t know. What were the words to that? Somebody else asked me that out on the field. I just like rhythm to that song.”

(on why he plays music at practice) “The main reason I do it is to force communication. It’s not about having fun out here at recess. It’s about forcing guys to communicate. The coaches aren’t out there behind them during a game.”

(on using the music at different times during practice) “I try to mix it in there and it’s been good. It’s worked for us wherever I’ve been, whether it was at New England or at Penn State. It also livens up practice. Guys enjoy it.”

(on where he got the idea to play music at practice) “I don’t know. I know we did it in New England, so I guess I got it from Bill (Belichick).”

(on former Penn State players Daquan Jones and Allen Robinson) “I’ll start with Daquan. He’s number one, a great kid. Very hard-working guy that has a great story. Overcame a ton in his life to graduate from Penn State and played a lot of really good football for us. Big guy, tough guy. Just a really fun guy to coach and wish him all the best because he deserves everything that he gets that’s good. With Allen, when we got to Penn State, he hadn’t played that much. He was a young guy from the previous staff and hadn’t played that much and when we got there, we noticed him right away as a very talented guy. Obviously, over the two years that I was there I think he had upwards of however many catches and a ton of yards. Very productive guy and a competitive guy. Great kid and fun to coach. All those kids there were a lot of fun to coach and those two are definitely examples of that.”

 

[Texans_Chick]

Other dudes:

TE Garrett Graham
(on the new look to the team) “It’s good to be out here. It’s good to get to know the coaching staff and get back out onto the field with the guys.”

(on his thoughts on the changes with the team) “Any time there is a new coaching staff, there is going to be change. We’re kind of just trying to learn the new plays, be out here, and it’s just good to be back and out on the field.”

(on what he will be doing during the draft) “I don’t know. I probably won’t be watching it. I’ll probably be doing whatever I’m doing, maybe grocery shopping. I’ll check my twitter feed though to see who we get.”

LB Brooks Reed
(on how practices are different under the new coaching staff) “It’s a lot different. They expect a lot out of us this year and we’re not talking about last year. We never talk about last year. We’ve moved on.”

(on if he prefers it to just move on as a team and forget about last year) “Yeah, it’s a new start. We’re working really hard out here, but the expectation level is really high. We all want to practice perfect. It takes time and that’s why we’re out here.”

(on how Romeo Crennel differs in style from Wade Phillips) “In some ways, they’re similar and in some ways, they’re not. They both have different coaching styles and different coverages for different situations. There is some carryover but there are still a lot of things that I have to learn for this defense.”

(on having a new playbook to learn) “Definitely. Like I said, there is some carryover, but all the terms and all that, it’s just all different”

(on Mike Vrabel as a linebackers coach) “He’s awesome. You can tell that he really wants to teach the players and he really wants the players to play well. We get that feel from him and he’s a great teacher of the game and a very smart guy. I can see why he played so many years in the NFL.”

(on listening to what Mike Vrabel has to say based on all of his experience in the league) “He has a tremendous level of credibility. He’s done it all. He’s probably the perfect guy to be our position coach. He’s a teacher of the game. He tries to help you understand concepts and defenses. He just harps and harps on it until you get it. He’s not moving forward until everyone is on the same page, which is how it should be.”

(on Mike Vrabel’s passion) “Yeah, he cares about us. He cares whether we know what to do on the field.”

(on what he thinks about the blaring music during practice) “I think it’s a good thing. One of the emphases this year is communication. Obviously if it’s louder, you have to yell louder to get the call across. That’s what we’re doing out here, so everyone is yelling loud.”

(on how far along he is in learning the defense) “I don’t even know how much they have. I imagine we have a lot more to do. There are a lot of new concepts that we have to learn and adjustments we have to learn compared to last year. It’s a process. Guys are slowly beginning to get it now, but we still have a lot more to learn.”

(on if he thinks he will enjoy playing in this defense) “Yeah. You have to be on your A-game when you’re out there. We’re forced to recognize a lot more formations and adjustments, so you have to really pay attention to the game when you’re out there. It’s something that you really have to prepare for every day and really study hard for every night.”

(on the energy out on the practice field) “It was really good. It was the first time we’ve played football for a little while. It was good to just put on the helmets and run around. We’re not hitting each other or anything. It’s just good to compete a little bit.”

(on if it is tough to pace himself in new practices) “I think it’s somewhat of a test for the players to try and have a lot on their plate and see how much they can decipher when the pressure is on, music playing and coaches yelling at you. That’s what this minicamp is, but we still have a lot more time to grasp the defense and to learn all the in’s and out’s.”

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

TC, as always thanks for the feedback.

 

[thunderkyss]

So, in sum, if you have questions about minicamp stuff or other stuff, let me know, and I'll answer in this thread. I'll check back when I can.

I appreciate the offer. Main things I'm concerned about are the interactions with O'Brien/Godsey & the QBs and with the OL personnel..... what the heck is Newton doing? Q? Brennan & Jones.

 

[thunderkyss]

Notice any recurring themes...?

Looks like "coach speak" to me, or "don't rock the boat" speak..... we'll see how it plays out on the field.

 

[ObsiWan]

Quessenbery looks good, healthy and is participating. B Williams is still out. So is Trevardo Williams (looks yoked).

Hard to eval linebackers not hitting. Will say that just eyeballing the coaches, looks like they are more hands on, particularly the outside linebacker coaching.

New LB coach Vrabel is intense. He is all up in Mercilus' kitchen, but in a good way. You know, you give players the bidness when you see their potential. When they are running to different fields, areas on the fields, Vrabel is often the first guy there.

(The David Carr rule? You stop yelling at a guy when you give up on them).

Thanks for the on-the-scene reports!! Puh-leeease keep 'em coming.
+1

 

[thunderkyss]

not a fan of this alignment. brooks was really coming along at right guard and didnt seem as comfortable at left. not only that, brooks's biggest issue is in his head, he needs to be put into a spot and kept there, changes are severely hampering his progress. jones looked better at left, though "better" is misleading because he wasnt very good at either spot.

I liked Ben Jones on the right side & I loved Brooks on the left. Ben Jones looked as good to me as Chris Meyers in the run game. Whether he pops out to the second level, or Meyers does, I think it adds versatility you don't get with Brooks there. I also prefer to see Ben pull around the left end when we run to the left.

As far as pass pro goes, Brooks belongs over there with Duane. That's an impenetrable wall over there. Forget about the left side for the next 5 years.

That's how I wanted to do it last year. Wade Smith had no business playing, much less starting.

I know everybody has high expectations for Quessenberry, but that guy looks like a tackle to me. He should be in the mix with Williams as the RT/Swing tackle.

I believe it's possible that we've got all the pieces we need to field a starting OL. A good starting OL & may not need to address it as early in the draft as I would like. If we see Ben Jones in the starting lineup, if we see Quessenberry as a tackle, that's just going to add to my theory that the RickSmith/GaryKubiak fued has been going on a lot longer than we think & it finally came to a head in 2014.

Kubiak, Wade, Harris, Kollar, even Frank Bush & Vance Joseph. Those guys are teachers. It's hard for me to believe we've developed basically no one that Rick Smith has brought in, but these guys go to other teams & are able to scrape together decent NFL careers (longer than 3 years). I think they manipulated the roster for years, because they didn't like Rick's guys.

But we'll see.

 

[Texans_Chick]

I appreciate the offer. Main things I'm concerned about are the interactions with O'Brien/Godsey & the QBs and with the OL personnel..... what the heck is Newton doing? Q? Brennan & Jones.

O'Brien is all over the place. Doing a lot of very verbal, hands on coaching.

I don't recall seeing it before, but they have another end zone view, not from the scissor lifts but rather dude on a ladder right behind the action.

As a condition of going to camp, media not allowed to talk personnel formation stuff. Even photos are supposed to be tight. You might want to look at photos from the Texans site.

Newton looks fit. Ben looks like Ben. Brennan is not participating yet.

 

[Playoffs]

Quessenbery looks good, healthy and is participating...

New LB coach Vrabel is intense. He is all up in Mercilus' kitchen, but in a good way. You know, you give players the bidness when you see their potential. When they are running to different fields, areas on the fields, Vrabel is often the first guy there.

Great news on both counts. Somebody needed to get up in Whitney's kitchen. Needs to be coached up big time. Vrabel is going to be fantastic.

 

[ObsiWan]

O'Brien is all over the place. Doing a lot of very verbal, hands on coaching.

I don't recall seeing it before, but they have another end zone view, not from the scissor lifts but rather dude on a ladder right behind the action.

As a condition of going to camp, media not allowed to talk personnel formation stuff. Even photos are supposed to be tight. You might want to look at photos from the Texans site.

Newton looks fit. Ben looks like Ben. Brennan is not participating yet.

Well BEANS!

That's exactly what I wanted to know about. Are they running spreads? I formation? double TEs? Quick tempo?

 

[DocBar]

Looks like "coach speak" to me, or "don't rock the boat" speak..... we'll see how it plays out on the field.

I would be shocked to hear anything even close to controversial. If you didn't like Kubes on this, you're gonna hate BOB.

 

[kiwitexansfan]

My sources tell me that large men seem to be following a brown oblong shaped object made of animal skin..

 

[IlliniJen]

New LB coach Vrabel is intense. He is all up in Mercilus' kitchen, but in a good way. You know, you give players the bidness when you see their potential. When they are running to different fields, areas on the fields, Vrabel is often the first guy there.

I heard from someone covering minicamp that Vrabel was in Mercilus's ear for a good deal of time day 1, which was more coaching that Mercilus got than the last two years from the previous staff.

Stuff like that pisses me off. Why wasn't this guy coached up more? Just throw a guy out there and hope he performs? Nothing to teach him?

I hope Mercilus turns things around this year and plays to his potential. I was very excited when he was drafted, but his inconsistent play is troublesome.

 

[IDEXAN]

Bob Allen on Channel 11 last night suggested that the reason Andre Johnson is absent from O'Briens first team practice this week is because he might be involved in a trade for a Draft pic(s). OK I'd be the first to say that's probably horse crap, but whatever ?

 

[Thorn]

Trading AJ is not the way a new regime wants to start out here in Houston. That'll get them on lot's of folks **** list quickly.