CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
I hope you aren't implying that I get excited when I think there might be a chance that Clowney comes to Houston?
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- Thread starter Wolf
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Hey C&D lighten up because I'm just jack'n around with you, I know you have little use for Clowney.
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
Initially, I was very much against this idea. However, upon further review I’d be happy to invite Clowney back to Houston. I always stated that the Texans 3-4 defense was a horrible misuse of bookending Clowney and Watt in a 4-3 defense. Ryans is bringing in a 4-3 defensive scheme which could suit Clowney just fine.
As for the pencil to paper portion of this thought. Clowney would have to agree to a 1 year prove it, veteran’s minimum deal, loaded with incentives, and absolutely no money guaranteed. Make it, and he’s on board collecting a paycheck with an opportunity to add more money to his paycheck. Fail, and the Texans can simply say thank you for participating. If Clowney truly believes he has a lot more left in the tank for an often injured 30 year old DE, then take the deal knowing it’s only for a season. If he delivers, the payday will be coming from somewhere if the Texans don’t sign him. His career has been far too topsy turvy to expect more at this time…..one can only live so long on a big time tackle in a CFB game.
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So which are you getting rid of? Hughes? Greenard? Anderson? Martin? Horton?
TheRealJoker
Hall of Fame
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
Bringing Clowney to camp in no way costs any player currently projected a starter their roster spot. If Clowney were to exceed expectations…..that becomes a discussion for the day he makes that happen. Suit-up the best players should be the goal for a team that’s been as bad as the Texans.
You could post this post about his tenure in Tennessee and Cleveland. Truth is, the trash has been taken out. Now you're wanting to bring in a guy who wont sign until the end of TC so he doesn't have to put in the work? Hard Pass
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cuppacoffee
Resident Grouch
Clowney is excited to go to any team that is still willing to pay him multi-millions for underperformance and injury
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
Hadn’t heard about his desire to arrive just before the regular season kickoff…..duck him.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
I know! I was trying to be lightly facetious!
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
You can be sure that with whomever he signs with, there will be a reason that he can't practice before the regular season.............in all his years, he has managed not to participate. I agree duck the Diva.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
He'll never agree to non guaranteed money..............never!
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
That’s the easiest way to keep him out of Houston.
I don't want that guy near the young Texans
I like your attitude Op-Tex because you are flexible and perhaps willing to sign Clowney if the terms are right for the Texans
and that might include a few xtra bucks, an incentive for Clowney if he produces.
I trust Demeco's judgment when it comes to making the best decision for the team about hiring a guy who on the one hand is unquestionably talented but also allegedly has dubious work habits.
So many people have such a low opinion of my guy Clowney. It hurts !
Check this out from ESPN:
Clowney says he's open to reunion with Texans
Former Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney told KRIV-TV that he's open to returning to Houston, where he began his career as the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft.
www.espn.com
"It would be nice," Clowney said in the interview with KRIV-TV. "All my family is here. Friends here. The guys I work out with can help me take care of my body a lot better being right up under them. ... You never know. You never know what will happen. You never know what's in front of you. I see what they've got here. They're putting the pieces together. I'm a big fan of their new head coach [DeMeco Ryans]."
***
Why who knows Jadaveon may now be a lunch-pale kinda guy, because it almost sounds like he's married with family and turns out he's still in Houston.
You're a fan, I get it. I'm not, get it?So many people have such a low opinion of my guy Clowney. It hurts !
Check this out from ESPN:
***Clowney says he's open to reunion with Texans
Former Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney told KRIV-TV that he's open to returning to Houston, where he began his career as the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft.
"It would be nice," Clowney said in the interview with KRIV-TV. "All my family is here. Friends here. The guys I work out with can help me take care of my body a lot better being right up under them. ... You never know. You never know what will happen. You never know what's in front of you. I see what they've got here. They're putting the pieces together. I'm a big fan of their new head coach [DeMeco Ryans]."
***
Why who knows Jadaveon may now be a lunch-pale kinda guy, because it almost sounds like he's married with family and turns out he's still in Houston.
badboy
Hall of Fame
It would be nice for Him. to get a contract anywhere.So many people have such a low opinion of my guy Clowney. It hurts !
Check this out from ESPN:
***Clowney says he's open to reunion with Texans
Former Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney told KRIV-TV that he's open to returning to Houston, where he began his career as the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft.
"It would be nice," Clowney said in the interview with KRIV-TV. "All my family is here. Friends here. The guys I work out with can help me take care of my body a lot better being right up under them. ... You never know. You never know what will happen. You never know what's in front of you. I see what they've got here. They're putting the pieces together. I'm a big fan of their new head coach [DeMeco Ryans]."
***
Why who knows Jadaveon may now be a lunch-pale kinda guy, because it almost sounds like he's married with family and turns out he's still in Houston.
OptimisticTexan
2024 / Rebuilding Block 4 After Playoffs / Texans
The only thing that changed my opinion on that statement…..someone mentioned Clowney wasn’t exactly looking forward to OTA’s and/or Pre-Season, but showing up in time for the regular season. That wouldn’t cut it for me b/c Clowney has missed several games each of his NFL seasons.
On the other hand, Clowney’s best NFL season happened the year he took Watt’s job while he was out for the season. Another Texans mistake…..taking a hand in the dirt DE and moving him to OLB in a 3-4 defense. I would’ve liked to have seen the Texans use a 4-3 featuring a defensive front of:
DE: Watt
DT: Wilfork
DT: Covington / Reader
DE: Clowney
I think this alignment would’ve gotten Clowney closer to 10-12+ sacks a season. I think a far more destructive player
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CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Let's not forget why Clowney was sent home at the end of last season.................he refused to play on any down but 3rd down.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
A QUESTION FOR THE MODS: WHY HAS THE TEXANS RANDOM THOUGHT OF THE DAY BEEN MOVED TO THE NFL SECTION????????
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
There's a better way to report this. No reason to be childish about what may have been an oversight.
So many people have such a low opinion of my guy Clowney. It hurts !
Check this out from ESPN:
***Clowney says he's open to reunion with Texans
Former Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney told KRIV-TV that he's open to returning to Houston, where he began his career as the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft.
"It would be nice," Clowney said in the interview with KRIV-TV. "All my family is here. Friends here. The guys I work out with can help me take care of my body a lot better being right up under them. ... You never know. You never know what will happen. You never know what's in front of you. I see what they've got here. They're putting the pieces together. I'm a big fan of their new head coach [DeMeco Ryans]."
***
Why who knows Jadaveon may now be a lunch-pale kinda guy, because it almost sounds like he's married with family and turns out he's still in Houston.
I'll believe this if he signs early and shows up for the 1st day of practice and practices everyday there after.
Well there's a certain mod (Not you) that's very child like, so color me not surprised. And some wonder why a lot of the old timers left the board.
cuppacoffee
Resident Grouch
Even keeled moderator / poster.
The board has become too vanilla for some of the missing posters. That's the way the "owner" wants it, and it is within his purview.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
I'm not looking to get into this with you or anyone else. But "Childish"? I simply thought that this would be the quickest way to address the question. It takes a little more than an oversight to move an entire thread from one section to another section. It was a legitimate question...........there was no underlying nefarious purpose to my question. I'll be happy to take another route to report something like this should it occur in the future. For a post, you can flag a problem. For a thread, there is no built-in report mechanism. I bolded the post to attract the Mods' attention. I saw no Mod on the board when I noted the change. So I chose the route I used to have it addressed as quickly as possible by either an explanation for the move OR a reversal of the move. By no means was it meant to be direspectful.
Texansballer74
The Marine
cuppacoffee
Resident Grouch
Smart move by Texans. Too early to give up on Mills.
His value will probably go up this year. If they do indeed trade him.
Not complaining in any way, shape, or form about last years #3 pick getting some positive comments from this former NFL CB but curious why this particular guy took such an interest in our CB ?
Old timers left for several reasons, but the primary one was too much arguing and bickering and toxic attitudes between members.
Even keeled moderator / poster.
The board has become too vanilla for some of the missing posters. That's the way the "owner" wants it, and it is within his purview.
There's no need to put owner in "". He owns it 100% and this is exactly how he wants it.
Still 1,000% better than Reddit, FB, and any other un-moderated and/or woke social media site.
It was probably me on accident. I moved the Lamar Jackson thread, went back and it was still in the Texans forum. So I moved it again. Now I realize that I probably moved the wrong thread the first time. lol
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
Mills has been getting all the first team reps.
Carr Bombed
Hall of Fame
It was probably me on accident. I moved the Lamar Jackson thread, went back and it was still in the Texans forum. So I moved it again. Now I realize that I probably moved the wrong thread the first time. lol
I just want to know who deleted Thorn's cow patty pic and my gif of a 
crapping into a fan.. I don't want to live in a world where you can't make a 
/fart joke.
That was me.
You can make all the fart jokes you want. I'd prefer you not to make them here. Still, I specifically told you it was deleted because you quoted the Cow Patty pic.
They gave up on him by drafting a QB at 2 whether they want to say it or not.Smart move by Texans. Too early to give up on Mills.
His value will probably go up this year. If they do indeed trade him.
Lol, now it looks like Mills has the least brain cells of the 3.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
He's gotta' say that for his next potential gig. He's got to know that the future of the franchise is CJ.
Oh. Mills got the memo; see the word "still" I take it as I am going to do everything possible to be a better football player
He will when he is traded.
Speedy
Former Yeller Dweller
Smart move by Texans. Too early to give up on Mills.
His value will probably go up this year. If they do indeed trade him.
Wholeheartedly disagree. 1) how is his value going to go up holding a clipboard? 2) if the Texans can get draft compensation back from this dude, I’m jumping all over it.
Well, he’s right about not being in a mentorship role. That’s Keenum’s job. And he doesn’t really have the experience to be a mentor. Good that he has the positive attitude. That should help him to a nice, lucrative career as an NFL backup, which ain’t a bad gig.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
This is the time of the season where there is lots of unicorns farting sunshine and rainbows........................
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Head Coach DeMeco Ryans
On the status of Kenyon Green?
“He's doing well. Getting stronger day by day, so encouraged with where Kenyon is.” On the status of John Metchie “Metchie is doing great. Metchie is working on his goal to get back by training camp. Get him back to football. We're right on the correct path with him.”
Jadeveon Clowney said he wouldn't mind coming back here. Are you interested in Clowney?
“We always look at any players that can help us win. We'll explore all options. I'll never throw anyone off the table. Everything is an option for me.”
How is it with the rookies mixing in with the veterans?
“The rookies have come along well. Guys are flying around. They have a lot of learning to do, but they've picked up on it very well. They're improving each day. That's all I ask of them, take one step every day, one step better. And those guys, they're doing it. I'm encouraged with all of our rookies. They seem to fit right in.”
What do you think of the participation numbers of players here for OTAs?
“For it to be voluntary, we have a really good group participating. A lot of guys out. A lot of guys who -- this time period here, it's about how can I improve as a player? The guys that are here, they are honing their craft. They are getting better. And it's all about setting yourself up to be able to compete to make the team in training camp. So the guys are doing that. I feel like the guys that are here are going to be in great shape to help us out in the fall.”
How do Bobby Slowik and Jerrod Johnson approach teaching C.J. [Stroud]?
“They approach it just like everyone else. They take their time. Each player, no matter if you're a quarterback, linebacker, each player in a position group room learns differently. As a coach, you take your time to get to know that player and get to know how that player learns best. That's how you go about teaching them.”
In your conversations with C.J. Stroud since he's been here, is there anything that's impressed you or anything he said that just stuck out to you?
“C.J. has been the same from the pre-draft process to now. Hard worker, very intelligent guy and a true competitor. He's been the exact same guy. Nothing has changed. Excited to see him out on the field working with his teammates. C.J. has been doing an excellent job these past couple days.”
Since C.J. -- what's the process toward getting him? The quarterback conversation early in it, what's kind of that process?
“The process with all our players is to come out, improve, and get better each day. When the fall comes, that's when we'll talk about starters and who are the best 11 men to go out there and help us win games.”
You talked about Will Anderson [Jr.] What about the other defensive end start? What do you see at that position? What are you hoping for?
“I'm looking for -- like, again, it's not just defense. It's every position for us. I'm looking for guys who want to compete, guys who want to help us win. Defensive line, we want guys who are explosive, guys who are physical, guys who can set the edge, guys who can get after the quarterback. That's what we're looking for. Either side, it doesn't matter which side you play on, that's what we're looking for out of all of our defensive ends.”
With two young guys at wide receiver, what does a guy like Robert Woods bring to the team?
“For Robert, I think he just helps guys. When you're a player and you have those questions that a coach may not be able to get to you right now, get that answer to you as quick as possible, Robert is that guy players can go. You know, ask Robert. Robert has played in this offensive system before. He knows it, knows it just as good as some of our coaches know it. So Robert is a guy that young players should try to lean on. Young players should try to pick his brain and just learn as much as they can from guys. That's what veteran leadership is about in the NFL. The real veterans in this league, they pass on knowledge, they pass on information to the younger guys, and those younger guys continue that as they continue to grow throughout the league. That's why we're here. We stand on the backs of the guys who came before us in this league and allowed us to be in this position.”
Do you like [Case] Keenum in that role, teaching the younger quarterbacks?
“Keenum has been awesome. He has been great to have. Very smart player. Knows it like the back of his hand. So it's really good for those guys to have Case, similar to Robert, right, two veteran guys who are sharp guys, not just in a role to help out, but these guys are competing as well. So that's the cool about having Case and Robert.”
What about Cory Littleton have you seen so far out of this group?
“Everybody at the linebacker position, they've been working hard. Guys are improving every day.”
How can you improve on third down struggles?
“I'm not aware of the third down struggles. It doesn't matter what happened in the past. Whatever happened here, it doesn't matter. We're starting brand new right now. We'll create our own path. We'll set our own path. That's what it's about. It will be about the 2023 Texans. Nothing that happened in the past right now, we're not concerned with that at all.”
The hardest thing this offense is getting the offensive line all on one page. Do you agree with that assessment? Could you explain for the fans what the focus of this offensive line, the structure, how they help this offense grow?
“We have a really good offensive line group. Veteran guys mixed in with some young guys. Right now expect our Oline to be one of the strengths of our team. Had really great coaching with our offensive line, with Coach [Chris] Strausser and Coach Cole [Popovich]. Those guys have done an outstanding job of getting the guys ready to play, being honed in on the details. Our offensive line, they've been impressive to watch over these few practices that we've had. It's been very impressive to watch and see how they've come along. I'm very excited where they're going. I would expect them to continue to improve and definitely be a strength for our offense.” Over the last week on defense, Byron Cowart and Jacob [Martin], talk about those two additions and what they bring. Just two new guys that come in and see where they are and what they can do to help us.”
Right now since the vanilla-type play calling as far as the offense and defense is concerned, how refreshing is it for you to get out there on the field and actually put eyes I on the guys that are actually going to contribute this coming season?
“It's very refreshing. It’s exciting just to be able to get out on the field. We spend a lot of time in the classroom with these guys to make sure they understand it, make sure they have it. Some guys do well in the classroom, some guys not so well, but it's all about how you perform when you're out on the field. To see guys in the element, to see that they made a misstep, or they made this mistake and they instantly are able to correct it. When you see guys improve, that's what fires me up. I'm excited to get out on the field because now we're getting closer to real football, seeing guys in the true element, being able to compete out there in the field. It's been exciting. It's fun for me. I'm trying to put our team in as many competitive situations as possible, offense against defense, just to see how our guys respond to competitive football. That's what it's going to be. In the fall you've got to line up, you've got to compete, and who's going to step up and win. It's been fun, a lot of fun for me to get out on the field.”
You have a quarterback who from a teaching perspective, C.J. didn't really play that much under center in college. (Regarding San Francisco, Miami, New York.) What's the teaching process to getting a guy to play under center who didn't have much?
“For C.J., under center, it's a matter of just getting reps. Nothing magical about it. It's just getting under center and doing it. C.J. had reps under center in college. It's not foreign to him. He's done it before. He's done a good job these past few days in practice of understanding, and we haven't had any issues with that. C.J. is doing a great job.”
With Derek Stingley and Jalen Pitre, taking them into your defense, you guys led in NFL interceptions last year. Where do they fit into what you all are trying to teach them right now? What is the overall goal with that group?
“Pitre and Stingley, those guys fit any defense because they're both play makers. They're instinctive. They're fast. They're physical, and they love playing football. They like to play with their hair on fire. Any defense we play, anything I call, those guys are going to make it work because they are such great players and they love playing the game.”
QB Davis Mills
They bring in Stroud as the second overall pick, what do you see as your role? How will you help him make the transition?
“I'm competing for that starting job. Since I've been drafted in the NFL I've been in a competition. I don't think anything is going to change. It's been great getting to know C.J. so far. He's an extremely hard worker and it will be good to see how we go out there everyday and make each other better.”
What's it been like working with Case?
“It's been great. It's a new offense for me this year, new offense for him. He's been in a version of it previously, but he just has a ton of built up knowledge from being in the NFL for so many years. It's been great getting to ask him a ton of different questions and seeing his previous experiences and being able to learn from him. It's been great.”
How did you approach the off-season after this season? After the draft, after the new quarterback, what's the biggest thing you focused on?
“The big thing is trying to focus on myself. Trying to get better every day. Trying to put a lot of work in. Some of my weaknesses from previous years, trying to make those my strengths now. Biggest thing is kind of putting my head down and getting better each day.”
What are you working on?
“Different things I pointed out. I don't want to say anything in particular. Don't want to clue any defenses across the league. Just different things that I know I need to work on to make myself a better player.”
On the difficulty of going into your third offensive system?
“The only thing difficult is just picking up new plays and not having anything to fall back on from the year previous. A lot of different offenses across the league run similar concepts, but they're just calling it different things. Some of it is getting rid of the old verbiage and picking up new terminology. A lot of the other stuff is learning from new coaches, the new guys we have in the room and finding ways to get better.”
Your third coach in three years. What's your account of DeMeco Ryans so far?
“I think it goes for me and other guys in the locker room, everybody has a ton of respect for him because he's been in our shoes especially, played for Houston. He knows what it's like to go through a training camp practice in this heat. He knows how to take care of his guys He knows what needs to be done to put in the work and win games and that’s kind of spread around the locker room. We feel the fire that comes from him and it's been good. Guys have a lot of respect and we're excited to play for him.”
How has the relationship been with Jerrod Johnson in the locker room so far?
“It's been great. Jerrod, I actually went to a quarterback camp with him when he was working the Elite 11 circuit when I was in high school, so I've known him for years now. It's been great. Bobby [Slowik] is another guy that's been great to know. He's another guy that's put in hours and hours studying defenses. I know he's worked on the defensive side of the ball. He even has more insight than what a strictly offensive coach would have. It's been good seeing how he's going to game plan to attack defenses and use our personnel to go out there and make big plays.”
How would you describe what last year was like for you?
“A big learning experience. Obviously the record was what it was. We wanted to win more games, and I think it led to some of the decisions that we ended up having to make as an organization this off-season. I mean, it's another day, another day to get better for me personally. I'm looking at it as another learning experience that's going to add to my ability to go out there and play quarterback at a high level.” how would you describe Bobby Slowik’s offense “A ton of stuff we talk about in that offense is finding ways to create yards after catches by the receivers. Firing the ball in our inside-outside zone run scheme. Using our big, athletic linemen. Getting out on the edge and getting our play makers out on the edge, and also setting up play action and just ways in the drop back game to get our guys out there in space with the ability to run after catch. It's been exciting so far. We've been pushing the tempo a lot, being aggressive with timing and anticipation on our side as the quarterbacks, and really trying to emphasize to those guys on the edge that we're playing fast and we're going to run by people this year.”
Davis, you just discussed your approach. What do you feel like you've improved? Do you feel like you're a better quarterback now than you were a year ago?
“Definitely. Every year in this league, you feel more and more comfortable. Obviously, the hunger and the drive to become better is still there. It's definitely a different feeling from when I was stepping in here as a rookie, not knowing anything to where I am now, having all that built-up experience from my starts over these past two years. I mean, it's exciting. I'm blessed to have the opportunity to come in here and compete for another job. I'm ready for the year.”
How good did it feel just to be around your teammates like Dameon Pierce and Nico Collins and things like that?
“Oh, it's been great. Coming back for the off-season workouts, it's great to see the guys. You kind of miss some of them and miss being around them every day when you're home in the off-season. Once we're back, you kind of get back into the flow of things. It's like you never missed a step.”
You talk about having the hunger. With them adding a quarterback like C.J., does that make that get even stronger?
“I think so, but a lot of it, I've always been a very self-motivated person. I want to be the best player I can be. Obviously, he's kind of another stress factor kind of pushing me to be my best, but I think a lot of that falls back on me. I've got to be the one putting in the work and waking up every day with that same motivation. I think, if I keep that with me, everything's going to work itself out.”
You spoke about this new offense. Do you feel like it will showcase your skills better than the previous offenses you've been in?
“I mean, I don't know if anything's better in that format or not. I really like what we're doing. I think I fit this offense very well. I'm excited to see once we get to training camp and once we get to start playing versus live defenses, I'm excited to see what we can do.”
Three offensive coordinators in three years. Is there something you take away every year that's now allowed you to bring that knowledge?
“Yeah, I think every coach, every coordinator has stuff that got them in that position and has proved successful for them. You can feed off of those things. I think that's what makes people better players, better people is if they can learn from the good traits from the guys around them and then also be able to get rid of some of those things that won't really mesh with the new stuff. I think I have learned a lot from different coordinators, different coaches over the years, and I'm excited to add all that stuff to my memory bank like I've talked in the past and just keep getting better.”
Under DeMeco, he said most of your wideout group would be different. Have you seen anything different in Tank and Robert Woods?
“Yeah, I've seen a lot. I don't think I've seen anyone get in and out of cuts like Tank before. He's very explosive. Robert is a crafty vet and has been playing this game at a high level for years and years. It's been great. He's already been sitting in on the QB meetings with the offense, trying to pick our brains and make sure we're all on the same page.”
QB C.J. Stroud
Practices feel natural out there?
“First and foremost, want to give all glory and praise to my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. It's been an amazing couple of weeks for me. Very grateful for the opportunity that I have. First couple of days have been good OTAs. Trying to get better every day, push myself, and learn from the older guys, get all the feedback I can, be on the film, be here early, all the little things to push myself to be great.”
On advice from Tom Brady and Travis Scott?
“Things on and off the field. It was amazing. Thank you to Michael Ruben for making that happen. It was just honestly a blessing to have two people who took out time of their day to come and give us wisdom, because there's two people who have done it at the top level in their industries. Learn things on the field, off the field, how to conduct yourself, how it's supposed to look in the locker room, the weight room, off the field, business, everything that you can think of, we talked about. It was a blessing.”
What's it like working with Case and Davis Mills?
“It's a blessing. It's being something that I definitely knew that I needed it. Just that guidance and confidence that they've had. They both played in the league as starters. They've been very helpful and have been very appreciative and very supportive of everything. We have constant communication on and off the field, so it's been really great.”
C.J., one of the highlights that we got to see was Tank. What's he shown early, and how is your relationship kind of developing with him?
“Yeah, it's been going great. We've been hanging out in the hotel, just going over scripts, getting the plays down together. It was great to be not only by myself, but with a great rookie class. Not only just football players, but human beings. Tank has done a great job, very vocal, wants to be better, wants to know what we like so he can run a route a certain way, wants to get right with the coaches. He's just very, very in tune with what we want, and he wants to just be great. So it's amazing to be with him. He's very like minded.”
I'm sure you've heard from a lot of people and got a lot of tips in the time that you've been drafted. Are you able to share any of the best things that people have told you as you prepare for your NFL career?
“Yeah, the one thing that kind of sticks out for me is keep the main thing the main thing. If you take care of football, then everything will take care of itself. Right now, just trying to focus on ball. I'm trying to do my best to have people figure out other things for me and trust people on my team and things like that. For right now, it's really for me football. I'm here all day every day and trying to get better. That's probably the best advice I've gotten so far is just keep the main thing the main thing.”
You've worked to get to this point; your whole life you've wanted to be in the NFL. I know you went to rookie mini camp last week. What did it mean to you when you walked on the field for the first time in your Texans jersey and you're an NFL player?
“It's a dream come true. For me, for me it's just a stepping stool. Of course, it's a dream come true, and of course I've been working for it my whole life, but I feel like I'm built for this. I'm made not just to play football, but to use football to help inspire people and lead people to God. That's what I plan to do. God gave me the talent in order to do such, and that's what I'm here to do. It's just a steppingstone. I have a lot more goals and a lot more plans to accomplish what I want to accomplish on and off the field, and I'm excited to do that with this great organization.”
What's your relationship been like so far with DeMeco and then feeding off the energy he's bringing?
“He's a young coach who knows how it is to play in this league and play for the Texans. He knows a lot about the city of Houston, and he knows what comes with playing here. He's just been great, very vocal. He's really funny too. It's cool to have a coach who's not all stuck up all the time or like super mad. He's been amazing, though. Very transparent. Communication has been great. He's going to be a great head coach.”
How have Bobby Slowik and Coach Jerrod Johnson been teaching this offense?
“They've been very methodical and want to get me to learn it step by step, just like how they would teach anybody else. I feel like I’ve tried to do a lot of work on my own, so when I come back the next day, I have that to put in the bank to be able to move on to the next install, whatever it is. Bobby and Jerrod have done a great job. Coach Slow is a great young mind and an amazing play caller. Excited to work with him and Jerrod, who of course I worked with before. It's exciting to be back and see a similar face and just get more in depth with what he knows about the game and the knowledge he brings.”
On learning the offense?
“It's coming. I mean, it's going to be a process. It doesn't happen overnight. Just trying to learn from the guys who have been in the offense before, like I know Case has been in the offense before. So just trying to learn from him a lot. Davis knows a lot about the game, so learn from him. Learn from some of the vets. That's kind of just been my approach is learn it little by little.”
What has your interactions been like with Dameon Pierce so far? Can you feel his energy as far as on the field and off the field?
“Yeah, D.P. is amazing man. D.P. is a dog, somebody who's not only going to have your back running the ball, but he's going to pass protect. More so than that, he's just a great person. Just being around him a little, getting to know him every other day, he's hilarious. He's always very upbeat, very positive and wants to work and wants to get better. I accept a lot of feedback from him. He likes feedback from me. We've just been enjoying working with each other, so it's been a blessing to have someone like D.P.”
You talked about the biggest difference -- has anything so far surprised you that's different being in the NFL?
“That's a great question. For me, I think I'm a natural born competitor, so that's what I'm here to do. But at the same time, being a great teammate is more important. That's what I've been on, just trying to embrace the relentless swarm that Coach Ryans wants us to be on. That's what I plan to do, be a great teammate, be vocal, be confident. I feel like I've done a decent job so far, but I've got to keep growing every day. It's not going to happen overnight. I'm going to have growing pains and things like that. I think they're putting things around me, Davis, Case, and the quarterbacks to be successful and lead this team to win. I'm excited to be in that room to push each other, but at the same time, help each other, which is more important.”
On practicing with the first team versus the second team?
“For me, I'm trying to get better. It's not about being with the ones, being with the twos, just getting better. That's what spring is for. Getting the timing down. Learning my receivers, learning Tank [Dell], learning [Robert] Woods learning how Nico [Collins] runs his routes, learning how Dalton [Schultz] run his routes just anybody I can learn from. That's what I've been on. It's not about ones and twos right now, just getting better as a whole and getting ready for training camp. So that's been a blessing.”
You've been in this battle before where you've had to kind of learn the ropes. But when you were in Ohio State, what were some things that you learned from your experience working with Justin Fields?
“I mean, Justin was very appreciative, very supportive of me when I first came into Ohio State. It's kind of a long time ago so I don't remember everything. I just remember him being a leader. He's more of a lead by example type of guy. I think I'm a little more vocal, but everybody has different ways that they lead, and he was a great leader. Right now I'm just learning how to follow before I step into the leadership role that I want to become. Yeah, that was a lot of time ago, but some of those principles and things that I learned about being a backup is definitely going to help me now, just being a servant to whoever's in the room, to the offense, to the organization, to the team, to Mr. And Mrs. McNair, to the community of Houston, just being a servant.”
You mentioned some of the veterans on this team. What's it been like developing a relationship with guys like Robert Woods and try to get on the same page as them? What are some of the things you learned from guys like that who have been on the team a long time?
“That's something I definitely feel like you need for me being so young. I think it's going to help with Davis and Case as well. Like I said before, right now it's not just about an individual person. It's about the whole squad, which I'm loving it, man. This team has been very accepting of me, very honest, and very transparent. What I love about it, man, nothing has been given to me. I have to earn everything, which I love. It's been like that my whole career, so it's nothing new. Robert and people like Alex Bachman and Brevin Jordan, like all these guys have been super vocal and super in depth of what they like, how they like things, not only on the field but off. It's just amazing to be around great people and great football players as well.”
WR Robert Woods
What do you try to impart to the younger guys?
“Just trying to set the expectation for this offense and this team, show them how to work, kind of like my experiences on Super Bowl teams, and then from our receiver room, the offense more so, just setting the standard of being in the right spot at the right time. Just trying to be an accurate offense and an efficient offense.”
I know it's the first day, but what do you think of C.J. Stroud and your initial impressions of him?
“I would say a good leader already coming in, vocal, speaking up in meetings, being able to sit with him at times in the quarterback meetings and hearing him ask some great questions, trying to pick apart the offense and grasp it pretty early. Out on the field, making some strong throws, good reads, good decisions. That's really a good thing to start with a rookie quarterback coming in, being able to make the right decisions, know when to throw it, know when to pull it down. Good decisions on timing and accuracy with the football.”
Davis said you were in some of the quarterback meetings early on. What are you trying to get out of those meetings?
“Just pick their brain. Trying to be in there and know what they expect from a quarterback perspective and then what they want from a receiver and being able to have some extra time. Kind of just relaying messages of what I expect in the route and what I'm thinking from the quarterback and defense perspective, where we're both expecting the ball and being able to steal a rep on the film, and being able to go out there and make it come to life in person. It's really just finding ways to get extra reps in the meeting room without taxing our bodies.”
What was it about this team that made it a destination you wanted it to be?
“I would say Coach, knowing the offense he's coming from, me having familiarity with it, and then trying to just, like I said, pick back up in a good offense, efficient offense, having a young quarterback being able to pick it up and kind of just knowing what to expect, me and the Coach having the same expectations with the offense and me understanding it and just trying to get in that same rhythm and knowing how it works, knowing what plays could be made.”
This is very early, but Tank Dell has caught a lot of attention in people's eyes. Young receiver. Your early impressions of him, and how will you work with someone like him to get him up to speed?
“I would say from a receiver standpoint, good technician, good feet, good hands. You see him run his routes really crisp with his feet. For me, just give Tank confidence knowing he could do it at this level, believe in himself. Obviously, he has all the physical abilities to be able to play in this league, fast, quick, really just want him to be able to have an impact right away.”
With size, how can it be an advantage?
“Tank's size? I mean, he's very agile. Being a smaller guy, being able to put his foot in the ground and change direction, accelerate right away, mismatch against linebackers, of course, bigger corners, and he's shifty enough to mix up well with the smaller DBs.”
Last time you were here you had a lot of complimentary things to say about this franchise as far as them rebuilding. Did you ever imagine yourself being here?
What have your interactions with Coach Ryans been like?
“I never knew I would come here to this offense or to this team, but being here, I would say just my -- just coming here and hearing DeMeco talk for years, I guess, being in the Rams and seeing him kind of develop with the 49ers and take over that defense and give energy to that linebacker group, that whole team, and be able to see him come here and kind of feed that same energy to our team. I see from our defensive side, a lot of energy, a lot of juice spreading over to the offense. I think a lot of hungry players, hungry coaches. I feel like this is a similar situation to when I came to L.A. with a young [Sean] McVay. Some say it was a rebuild. I feel like it was just a team buying into your coach, believing in the coach, believing in the system, and I think Coach Ryans has that here. Got a lot of young players buying into this defense, into this culture, and we can change this environment.”
How would you describe the injury in '21, last year heading in with the team, and then what's gotten you to where you're at right now?
“I would say growth and like just a journey. The ACL was a huge shock, I guess, injury to myself and my career, just being able to have a huge injury like that. But being able to bounce back, being able to come back and play every single game last season, contribute, make plays when called upon, and being able to finish the season healthy, come back, finally get a full off-season to train, run routes, get with the quarterback. Being able to do OTAs again and run routes with the quarterback, I feel like all this is important to our timing and to our offense and to myself. Really just being able to like feel it again and coming out here, feeling good, feeling fast, feeling crisp from my routes. Just feels good to be running routes and catching the football again.”
You moved to inside, outside. You mentioned Slowik's offense is partly why you came here. What can you provide to this offense physically and as a receiver?
“Everything. In this offense receivers are asked to do a lot. That's obviously run crisp routes, make plays down the field, be able to take the ball for short catches, get a lot of yack, and make guys miss. Being able to get sweeps and being able to block D-ends. This offense, receivers, are asked to be a true playmaker and play everywhere on the field. That's what I'm able to bring. I'm able to block, able to catch, good routes, have Good speed. Match up well against outside corners, nickel corners. That's why being in this offense, being able to play all around, move all around, will help me and this offense.”
Robert, it's very easy for you to go in and pinpoint last year where this team was, but from being on the opposing side, what were some of the positives you saw?
“Being on the offensive side, I would say I was more so just focusing on the defense. I feel like Sting[ley] was a great corner, good matchups with him, great potential. Good size corner, good feet, good strength. Pitre in the back, played against him. I would say a good, strong, willing safety, doesn't turn down contact, being able to fit in the hole. Good instinct. Then playing with Jimmy throughout the year, a good, strong playmaker, being able to play in the nickel, play post safety, play down safety, good playmaker and good leader to play all around the field and get lined up and obviously take the ball away.”
S Jalen Pitre
On first impressions of C.J. Stroud?
“A real professional. Every day he's looking for something to get better at. Today after OTA2, he come up to the DBs asking different things we're seeing and different ways he can get better. It's a real professional in C.J., and you could see why he was drafted so high because he really cares about the game of football.”
What are some of the nuances that you got better at to contribute to your success as a rookie?
“Just overall knowledge of the game. You're never complete in your knowledge about the game. It's always evolving, and you always learn new things. Just leadership. I want to be a guy that the team could use in hard times. I'm just trying to step up in that role.”
When you hear C.J. say -- he said, I have to earn everything, which I love. What do you think about that comment from your quarterback?
“It just shows that he's a true competitor, a guy that wants to work and a guy that wants to compete at everything. You can hear that in his voice, and I'm happy he's on my team.”
In your words, what is the difference between last year's defense and this year's defense, if you're explaining it to the fans out there?
“That's a great question. A lot of familiar faces, but I would just say new energy. There is a couple new faces. Obviously, we have a new coach and a new defensive staff. I would just say new energy.”
What's the difference in you going from year one to year two, just approaching the OTA with some experience?
“Just overall continue to do the things that I do well and also improving the things that I do not as well. I'm trying to be more vocal and just be that fun guy on the team, be a guy that you could look at for the energy. I'm just trying to be a guy that is positive out there on the field.”
What's your interactions been like with Jimmie Ward?
“Great interactions. We already got a handshake. He a good guy. He's a leader. You can see why he's been in the league so long. I'm excited to play with him. He plays with his hair on fire, and it's fun when you can play with a guy like that.”
What do you think about DeMeco and getting to know him and then seeing him as a head coach for the first time?
“He's a great head coach, a guy that's really intentional with what he's doing. You can see it in his meetings. You can really feel it at practice. He's making sure that every rep that I'm doing, whether it's a walkthrough, a practice, even in the film room, that I'm seeing the things that I need to see and finishing the right way. He's always talking to me about my body position and my leverage. I'm thankful to have a coach that cares so much about the game and really loves the game of football.”
Jalen, what are some of the qualities of Will Anderson [Jr.]?
“Yeah, another guy that plays with his hair on fire, a guy that is excited about the game of football and loves to do what he do. He made a play in OTAs today, and he had a celebration. So it's a guy that's used to just making plays. I love to be around that type of energy.”
As you self-scout your rookie year, what are some things you like about it or some things you think you can do to be much better?
“The biggest thing I would say is my patience. I feel like I developed good patience throughout the year. It's also one of those things that you could never perfect. So I'm trying to build on that and trying to just slow my eyes down, and that will allow me to play faster and make those plays that need to be made.”
What's it like working with Cory Undlin? What are the differences you see in how they're going to work with you?
“I love Cory. He's in the meetings. He's very interactive. He knows a lot about the game of football as a whole and especially about the secondary. In the meeting room, he's not going to let anything slide and make sure every detail is said in the meeting room and making sure we get everything squared away.”
From Houston you've watched this team go through the ups and the downs. This past weekend you got a chance to participate in the Texans Volunteer Day out at Houston Food Bank. Can you just see the renewed energy as far as with DeMeco coming in, you're going into your second year, some of the draft picks they made, can you see that renewed energy in advance?
“I definitely can. I feel it. I feel like there's fresh air. Just a great time to be in Houston. We're trying to bring that feeling back, and we're trying to just continue to stack days and get better. We're not really trying to look forward to anything, but we're just trying to take one day at a time and continue to improve on a day-to-day basis.”
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Head Coach DeMeco Ryans
On the status of Kenyon Green?
“He's doing well. Getting stronger day by day, so encouraged with where Kenyon is.” On the status of John Metchie “Metchie is doing great. Metchie is working on his goal to get back by training camp. Get him back to football. We're right on the correct path with him.”
Jadeveon Clowney said he wouldn't mind coming back here. Are you interested in Clowney?
“We always look at any players that can help us win. We'll explore all options. I'll never throw anyone off the table. Everything is an option for me.”
How is it with the rookies mixing in with the veterans?
“The rookies have come along well. Guys are flying around. They have a lot of learning to do, but they've picked up on it very well. They're improving each day. That's all I ask of them, take one step every day, one step better. And those guys, they're doing it. I'm encouraged with all of our rookies. They seem to fit right in.”
What do you think of the participation numbers of players here for OTAs?
“For it to be voluntary, we have a really good group participating. A lot of guys out. A lot of guys who -- this time period here, it's about how can I improve as a player? The guys that are here, they are honing their craft. They are getting better. And it's all about setting yourself up to be able to compete to make the team in training camp. So the guys are doing that. I feel like the guys that are here are going to be in great shape to help us out in the fall.”
How do Bobby Slowik and Jerrod Johnson approach teaching C.J. [Stroud]?
“They approach it just like everyone else. They take their time. Each player, no matter if you're a quarterback, linebacker, each player in a position group room learns differently. As a coach, you take your time to get to know that player and get to know how that player learns best. That's how you go about teaching them.”
In your conversations with C.J. Stroud since he's been here, is there anything that's impressed you or anything he said that just stuck out to you?
“C.J. has been the same from the pre-draft process to now. Hard worker, very intelligent guy and a true competitor. He's been the exact same guy. Nothing has changed. Excited to see him out on the field working with his teammates. C.J. has been doing an excellent job these past couple days.”
Since C.J. -- what's the process toward getting him? The quarterback conversation early in it, what's kind of that process?
“The process with all our players is to come out, improve, and get better each day. When the fall comes, that's when we'll talk about starters and who are the best 11 men to go out there and help us win games.”
You talked about Will Anderson [Jr.] What about the other defensive end start? What do you see at that position? What are you hoping for?
“I'm looking for -- like, again, it's not just defense. It's every position for us. I'm looking for guys who want to compete, guys who want to help us win. Defensive line, we want guys who are explosive, guys who are physical, guys who can set the edge, guys who can get after the quarterback. That's what we're looking for. Either side, it doesn't matter which side you play on, that's what we're looking for out of all of our defensive ends.”
With two young guys at wide receiver, what does a guy like Robert Woods bring to the team?
“For Robert, I think he just helps guys. When you're a player and you have those questions that a coach may not be able to get to you right now, get that answer to you as quick as possible, Robert is that guy players can go. You know, ask Robert. Robert has played in this offensive system before. He knows it, knows it just as good as some of our coaches know it. So Robert is a guy that young players should try to lean on. Young players should try to pick his brain and just learn as much as they can from guys. That's what veteran leadership is about in the NFL. The real veterans in this league, they pass on knowledge, they pass on information to the younger guys, and those younger guys continue that as they continue to grow throughout the league. That's why we're here. We stand on the backs of the guys who came before us in this league and allowed us to be in this position.”
Do you like [Case] Keenum in that role, teaching the younger quarterbacks?
“Keenum has been awesome. He has been great to have. Very smart player. Knows it like the back of his hand. So it's really good for those guys to have Case, similar to Robert, right, two veteran guys who are sharp guys, not just in a role to help out, but these guys are competing as well. So that's the cool about having Case and Robert.”
What about Cory Littleton have you seen so far out of this group?
“Everybody at the linebacker position, they've been working hard. Guys are improving every day.”
How can you improve on third down struggles?
“I'm not aware of the third down struggles. It doesn't matter what happened in the past. Whatever happened here, it doesn't matter. We're starting brand new right now. We'll create our own path. We'll set our own path. That's what it's about. It will be about the 2023 Texans. Nothing that happened in the past right now, we're not concerned with that at all.”
The hardest thing this offense is getting the offensive line all on one page. Do you agree with that assessment? Could you explain for the fans what the focus of this offensive line, the structure, how they help this offense grow?
“We have a really good offensive line group. Veteran guys mixed in with some young guys. Right now expect our Oline to be one of the strengths of our team. Had really great coaching with our offensive line, with Coach [Chris] Strausser and Coach Cole [Popovich]. Those guys have done an outstanding job of getting the guys ready to play, being honed in on the details. Our offensive line, they've been impressive to watch over these few practices that we've had. It's been very impressive to watch and see how they've come along. I'm very excited where they're going. I would expect them to continue to improve and definitely be a strength for our offense.” Over the last week on defense, Byron Cowart and Jacob [Martin], talk about those two additions and what they bring. Just two new guys that come in and see where they are and what they can do to help us.”
Right now since the vanilla-type play calling as far as the offense and defense is concerned, how refreshing is it for you to get out there on the field and actually put eyes I on the guys that are actually going to contribute this coming season?
“It's very refreshing. It’s exciting just to be able to get out on the field. We spend a lot of time in the classroom with these guys to make sure they understand it, make sure they have it. Some guys do well in the classroom, some guys not so well, but it's all about how you perform when you're out on the field. To see guys in the element, to see that they made a misstep, or they made this mistake and they instantly are able to correct it. When you see guys improve, that's what fires me up. I'm excited to get out on the field because now we're getting closer to real football, seeing guys in the true element, being able to compete out there in the field. It's been exciting. It's fun for me. I'm trying to put our team in as many competitive situations as possible, offense against defense, just to see how our guys respond to competitive football. That's what it's going to be. In the fall you've got to line up, you've got to compete, and who's going to step up and win. It's been fun, a lot of fun for me to get out on the field.”
You have a quarterback who from a teaching perspective, C.J. didn't really play that much under center in college. (Regarding San Francisco, Miami, New York.) What's the teaching process to getting a guy to play under center who didn't have much?
“For C.J., under center, it's a matter of just getting reps. Nothing magical about it. It's just getting under center and doing it. C.J. had reps under center in college. It's not foreign to him. He's done it before. He's done a good job these past few days in practice of understanding, and we haven't had any issues with that. C.J. is doing a great job.”
With Derek Stingley and Jalen Pitre, taking them into your defense, you guys led in NFL interceptions last year. Where do they fit into what you all are trying to teach them right now? What is the overall goal with that group?
“Pitre and Stingley, those guys fit any defense because they're both play makers. They're instinctive. They're fast. They're physical, and they love playing football. They like to play with their hair on fire. Any defense we play, anything I call, those guys are going to make it work because they are such great players and they love playing the game.”
QB Davis Mills
They bring in Stroud as the second overall pick, what do you see as your role? How will you help him make the transition?
“I'm competing for that starting job. Since I've been drafted in the NFL I've been in a competition. I don't think anything is going to change. It's been great getting to know C.J. so far. He's an extremely hard worker and it will be good to see how we go out there everyday and make each other better.”
What's it been like working with Case?
“It's been great. It's a new offense for me this year, new offense for him. He's been in a version of it previously, but he just has a ton of built up knowledge from being in the NFL for so many years. It's been great getting to ask him a ton of different questions and seeing his previous experiences and being able to learn from him. It's been great.”
How did you approach the off-season after this season? After the draft, after the new quarterback, what's the biggest thing you focused on?
“The big thing is trying to focus on myself. Trying to get better every day. Trying to put a lot of work in. Some of my weaknesses from previous years, trying to make those my strengths now. Biggest thing is kind of putting my head down and getting better each day.”
What are you working on?
“Different things I pointed out. I don't want to say anything in particular. Don't want to clue any defenses across the league. Just different things that I know I need to work on to make myself a better player.”
On the difficulty of going into your third offensive system?
“The only thing difficult is just picking up new plays and not having anything to fall back on from the year previous. A lot of different offenses across the league run similar concepts, but they're just calling it different things. Some of it is getting rid of the old verbiage and picking up new terminology. A lot of the other stuff is learning from new coaches, the new guys we have in the room and finding ways to get better.”
Your third coach in three years. What's your account of DeMeco Ryans so far?
“I think it goes for me and other guys in the locker room, everybody has a ton of respect for him because he's been in our shoes especially, played for Houston. He knows what it's like to go through a training camp practice in this heat. He knows how to take care of his guys He knows what needs to be done to put in the work and win games and that’s kind of spread around the locker room. We feel the fire that comes from him and it's been good. Guys have a lot of respect and we're excited to play for him.”
How has the relationship been with Jerrod Johnson in the locker room so far?
“It's been great. Jerrod, I actually went to a quarterback camp with him when he was working the Elite 11 circuit when I was in high school, so I've known him for years now. It's been great. Bobby [Slowik] is another guy that's been great to know. He's another guy that's put in hours and hours studying defenses. I know he's worked on the defensive side of the ball. He even has more insight than what a strictly offensive coach would have. It's been good seeing how he's going to game plan to attack defenses and use our personnel to go out there and make big plays.”
How would you describe what last year was like for you?
“A big learning experience. Obviously the record was what it was. We wanted to win more games, and I think it led to some of the decisions that we ended up having to make as an organization this off-season. I mean, it's another day, another day to get better for me personally. I'm looking at it as another learning experience that's going to add to my ability to go out there and play quarterback at a high level.” how would you describe Bobby Slowik’s offense “A ton of stuff we talk about in that offense is finding ways to create yards after catches by the receivers. Firing the ball in our inside-outside zone run scheme. Using our big, athletic linemen. Getting out on the edge and getting our play makers out on the edge, and also setting up play action and just ways in the drop back game to get our guys out there in space with the ability to run after catch. It's been exciting so far. We've been pushing the tempo a lot, being aggressive with timing and anticipation on our side as the quarterbacks, and really trying to emphasize to those guys on the edge that we're playing fast and we're going to run by people this year.”
Davis, you just discussed your approach. What do you feel like you've improved? Do you feel like you're a better quarterback now than you were a year ago?
“Definitely. Every year in this league, you feel more and more comfortable. Obviously, the hunger and the drive to become better is still there. It's definitely a different feeling from when I was stepping in here as a rookie, not knowing anything to where I am now, having all that built-up experience from my starts over these past two years. I mean, it's exciting. I'm blessed to have the opportunity to come in here and compete for another job. I'm ready for the year.”
How good did it feel just to be around your teammates like Dameon Pierce and Nico Collins and things like that?
“Oh, it's been great. Coming back for the off-season workouts, it's great to see the guys. You kind of miss some of them and miss being around them every day when you're home in the off-season. Once we're back, you kind of get back into the flow of things. It's like you never missed a step.”
You talk about having the hunger. With them adding a quarterback like C.J., does that make that get even stronger?
“I think so, but a lot of it, I've always been a very self-motivated person. I want to be the best player I can be. Obviously, he's kind of another stress factor kind of pushing me to be my best, but I think a lot of that falls back on me. I've got to be the one putting in the work and waking up every day with that same motivation. I think, if I keep that with me, everything's going to work itself out.”
You spoke about this new offense. Do you feel like it will showcase your skills better than the previous offenses you've been in?
“I mean, I don't know if anything's better in that format or not. I really like what we're doing. I think I fit this offense very well. I'm excited to see once we get to training camp and once we get to start playing versus live defenses, I'm excited to see what we can do.”
Three offensive coordinators in three years. Is there something you take away every year that's now allowed you to bring that knowledge?
“Yeah, I think every coach, every coordinator has stuff that got them in that position and has proved successful for them. You can feed off of those things. I think that's what makes people better players, better people is if they can learn from the good traits from the guys around them and then also be able to get rid of some of those things that won't really mesh with the new stuff. I think I have learned a lot from different coordinators, different coaches over the years, and I'm excited to add all that stuff to my memory bank like I've talked in the past and just keep getting better.”
Under DeMeco, he said most of your wideout group would be different. Have you seen anything different in Tank and Robert Woods?
“Yeah, I've seen a lot. I don't think I've seen anyone get in and out of cuts like Tank before. He's very explosive. Robert is a crafty vet and has been playing this game at a high level for years and years. It's been great. He's already been sitting in on the QB meetings with the offense, trying to pick our brains and make sure we're all on the same page.”
QB C.J. Stroud
Practices feel natural out there?
“First and foremost, want to give all glory and praise to my Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. It's been an amazing couple of weeks for me. Very grateful for the opportunity that I have. First couple of days have been good OTAs. Trying to get better every day, push myself, and learn from the older guys, get all the feedback I can, be on the film, be here early, all the little things to push myself to be great.”
On advice from Tom Brady and Travis Scott?
“Things on and off the field. It was amazing. Thank you to Michael Ruben for making that happen. It was just honestly a blessing to have two people who took out time of their day to come and give us wisdom, because there's two people who have done it at the top level in their industries. Learn things on the field, off the field, how to conduct yourself, how it's supposed to look in the locker room, the weight room, off the field, business, everything that you can think of, we talked about. It was a blessing.”
What's it like working with Case and Davis Mills?
“It's a blessing. It's being something that I definitely knew that I needed it. Just that guidance and confidence that they've had. They both played in the league as starters. They've been very helpful and have been very appreciative and very supportive of everything. We have constant communication on and off the field, so it's been really great.”
C.J., one of the highlights that we got to see was Tank. What's he shown early, and how is your relationship kind of developing with him?
“Yeah, it's been going great. We've been hanging out in the hotel, just going over scripts, getting the plays down together. It was great to be not only by myself, but with a great rookie class. Not only just football players, but human beings. Tank has done a great job, very vocal, wants to be better, wants to know what we like so he can run a route a certain way, wants to get right with the coaches. He's just very, very in tune with what we want, and he wants to just be great. So it's amazing to be with him. He's very like minded.”
I'm sure you've heard from a lot of people and got a lot of tips in the time that you've been drafted. Are you able to share any of the best things that people have told you as you prepare for your NFL career?
“Yeah, the one thing that kind of sticks out for me is keep the main thing the main thing. If you take care of football, then everything will take care of itself. Right now, just trying to focus on ball. I'm trying to do my best to have people figure out other things for me and trust people on my team and things like that. For right now, it's really for me football. I'm here all day every day and trying to get better. That's probably the best advice I've gotten so far is just keep the main thing the main thing.”
You've worked to get to this point; your whole life you've wanted to be in the NFL. I know you went to rookie mini camp last week. What did it mean to you when you walked on the field for the first time in your Texans jersey and you're an NFL player?
“It's a dream come true. For me, for me it's just a stepping stool. Of course, it's a dream come true, and of course I've been working for it my whole life, but I feel like I'm built for this. I'm made not just to play football, but to use football to help inspire people and lead people to God. That's what I plan to do. God gave me the talent in order to do such, and that's what I'm here to do. It's just a steppingstone. I have a lot more goals and a lot more plans to accomplish what I want to accomplish on and off the field, and I'm excited to do that with this great organization.”
What's your relationship been like so far with DeMeco and then feeding off the energy he's bringing?
“He's a young coach who knows how it is to play in this league and play for the Texans. He knows a lot about the city of Houston, and he knows what comes with playing here. He's just been great, very vocal. He's really funny too. It's cool to have a coach who's not all stuck up all the time or like super mad. He's been amazing, though. Very transparent. Communication has been great. He's going to be a great head coach.”
How have Bobby Slowik and Coach Jerrod Johnson been teaching this offense?
“They've been very methodical and want to get me to learn it step by step, just like how they would teach anybody else. I feel like I’ve tried to do a lot of work on my own, so when I come back the next day, I have that to put in the bank to be able to move on to the next install, whatever it is. Bobby and Jerrod have done a great job. Coach Slow is a great young mind and an amazing play caller. Excited to work with him and Jerrod, who of course I worked with before. It's exciting to be back and see a similar face and just get more in depth with what he knows about the game and the knowledge he brings.”
On learning the offense?
“It's coming. I mean, it's going to be a process. It doesn't happen overnight. Just trying to learn from the guys who have been in the offense before, like I know Case has been in the offense before. So just trying to learn from him a lot. Davis knows a lot about the game, so learn from him. Learn from some of the vets. That's kind of just been my approach is learn it little by little.”
What has your interactions been like with Dameon Pierce so far? Can you feel his energy as far as on the field and off the field?
“Yeah, D.P. is amazing man. D.P. is a dog, somebody who's not only going to have your back running the ball, but he's going to pass protect. More so than that, he's just a great person. Just being around him a little, getting to know him every other day, he's hilarious. He's always very upbeat, very positive and wants to work and wants to get better. I accept a lot of feedback from him. He likes feedback from me. We've just been enjoying working with each other, so it's been a blessing to have someone like D.P.”
You talked about the biggest difference -- has anything so far surprised you that's different being in the NFL?
“That's a great question. For me, I think I'm a natural born competitor, so that's what I'm here to do. But at the same time, being a great teammate is more important. That's what I've been on, just trying to embrace the relentless swarm that Coach Ryans wants us to be on. That's what I plan to do, be a great teammate, be vocal, be confident. I feel like I've done a decent job so far, but I've got to keep growing every day. It's not going to happen overnight. I'm going to have growing pains and things like that. I think they're putting things around me, Davis, Case, and the quarterbacks to be successful and lead this team to win. I'm excited to be in that room to push each other, but at the same time, help each other, which is more important.”
On practicing with the first team versus the second team?
“For me, I'm trying to get better. It's not about being with the ones, being with the twos, just getting better. That's what spring is for. Getting the timing down. Learning my receivers, learning Tank [Dell], learning [Robert] Woods learning how Nico [Collins] runs his routes, learning how Dalton [Schultz] run his routes just anybody I can learn from. That's what I've been on. It's not about ones and twos right now, just getting better as a whole and getting ready for training camp. So that's been a blessing.”
You've been in this battle before where you've had to kind of learn the ropes. But when you were in Ohio State, what were some things that you learned from your experience working with Justin Fields?
“I mean, Justin was very appreciative, very supportive of me when I first came into Ohio State. It's kind of a long time ago so I don't remember everything. I just remember him being a leader. He's more of a lead by example type of guy. I think I'm a little more vocal, but everybody has different ways that they lead, and he was a great leader. Right now I'm just learning how to follow before I step into the leadership role that I want to become. Yeah, that was a lot of time ago, but some of those principles and things that I learned about being a backup is definitely going to help me now, just being a servant to whoever's in the room, to the offense, to the organization, to the team, to Mr. And Mrs. McNair, to the community of Houston, just being a servant.”
You mentioned some of the veterans on this team. What's it been like developing a relationship with guys like Robert Woods and try to get on the same page as them? What are some of the things you learned from guys like that who have been on the team a long time?
“That's something I definitely feel like you need for me being so young. I think it's going to help with Davis and Case as well. Like I said before, right now it's not just about an individual person. It's about the whole squad, which I'm loving it, man. This team has been very accepting of me, very honest, and very transparent. What I love about it, man, nothing has been given to me. I have to earn everything, which I love. It's been like that my whole career, so it's nothing new. Robert and people like Alex Bachman and Brevin Jordan, like all these guys have been super vocal and super in depth of what they like, how they like things, not only on the field but off. It's just amazing to be around great people and great football players as well.”
WR Robert Woods
What do you try to impart to the younger guys?
“Just trying to set the expectation for this offense and this team, show them how to work, kind of like my experiences on Super Bowl teams, and then from our receiver room, the offense more so, just setting the standard of being in the right spot at the right time. Just trying to be an accurate offense and an efficient offense.”
I know it's the first day, but what do you think of C.J. Stroud and your initial impressions of him?
“I would say a good leader already coming in, vocal, speaking up in meetings, being able to sit with him at times in the quarterback meetings and hearing him ask some great questions, trying to pick apart the offense and grasp it pretty early. Out on the field, making some strong throws, good reads, good decisions. That's really a good thing to start with a rookie quarterback coming in, being able to make the right decisions, know when to throw it, know when to pull it down. Good decisions on timing and accuracy with the football.”
Davis said you were in some of the quarterback meetings early on. What are you trying to get out of those meetings?
“Just pick their brain. Trying to be in there and know what they expect from a quarterback perspective and then what they want from a receiver and being able to have some extra time. Kind of just relaying messages of what I expect in the route and what I'm thinking from the quarterback and defense perspective, where we're both expecting the ball and being able to steal a rep on the film, and being able to go out there and make it come to life in person. It's really just finding ways to get extra reps in the meeting room without taxing our bodies.”
What was it about this team that made it a destination you wanted it to be?
“I would say Coach, knowing the offense he's coming from, me having familiarity with it, and then trying to just, like I said, pick back up in a good offense, efficient offense, having a young quarterback being able to pick it up and kind of just knowing what to expect, me and the Coach having the same expectations with the offense and me understanding it and just trying to get in that same rhythm and knowing how it works, knowing what plays could be made.”
This is very early, but Tank Dell has caught a lot of attention in people's eyes. Young receiver. Your early impressions of him, and how will you work with someone like him to get him up to speed?
“I would say from a receiver standpoint, good technician, good feet, good hands. You see him run his routes really crisp with his feet. For me, just give Tank confidence knowing he could do it at this level, believe in himself. Obviously, he has all the physical abilities to be able to play in this league, fast, quick, really just want him to be able to have an impact right away.”
With size, how can it be an advantage?
“Tank's size? I mean, he's very agile. Being a smaller guy, being able to put his foot in the ground and change direction, accelerate right away, mismatch against linebackers, of course, bigger corners, and he's shifty enough to mix up well with the smaller DBs.”
Last time you were here you had a lot of complimentary things to say about this franchise as far as them rebuilding. Did you ever imagine yourself being here?
What have your interactions with Coach Ryans been like?
“I never knew I would come here to this offense or to this team, but being here, I would say just my -- just coming here and hearing DeMeco talk for years, I guess, being in the Rams and seeing him kind of develop with the 49ers and take over that defense and give energy to that linebacker group, that whole team, and be able to see him come here and kind of feed that same energy to our team. I see from our defensive side, a lot of energy, a lot of juice spreading over to the offense. I think a lot of hungry players, hungry coaches. I feel like this is a similar situation to when I came to L.A. with a young [Sean] McVay. Some say it was a rebuild. I feel like it was just a team buying into your coach, believing in the coach, believing in the system, and I think Coach Ryans has that here. Got a lot of young players buying into this defense, into this culture, and we can change this environment.”
How would you describe the injury in '21, last year heading in with the team, and then what's gotten you to where you're at right now?
“I would say growth and like just a journey. The ACL was a huge shock, I guess, injury to myself and my career, just being able to have a huge injury like that. But being able to bounce back, being able to come back and play every single game last season, contribute, make plays when called upon, and being able to finish the season healthy, come back, finally get a full off-season to train, run routes, get with the quarterback. Being able to do OTAs again and run routes with the quarterback, I feel like all this is important to our timing and to our offense and to myself. Really just being able to like feel it again and coming out here, feeling good, feeling fast, feeling crisp from my routes. Just feels good to be running routes and catching the football again.”
You moved to inside, outside. You mentioned Slowik's offense is partly why you came here. What can you provide to this offense physically and as a receiver?
“Everything. In this offense receivers are asked to do a lot. That's obviously run crisp routes, make plays down the field, be able to take the ball for short catches, get a lot of yack, and make guys miss. Being able to get sweeps and being able to block D-ends. This offense, receivers, are asked to be a true playmaker and play everywhere on the field. That's what I'm able to bring. I'm able to block, able to catch, good routes, have Good speed. Match up well against outside corners, nickel corners. That's why being in this offense, being able to play all around, move all around, will help me and this offense.”
Robert, it's very easy for you to go in and pinpoint last year where this team was, but from being on the opposing side, what were some of the positives you saw?
“Being on the offensive side, I would say I was more so just focusing on the defense. I feel like Sting[ley] was a great corner, good matchups with him, great potential. Good size corner, good feet, good strength. Pitre in the back, played against him. I would say a good, strong, willing safety, doesn't turn down contact, being able to fit in the hole. Good instinct. Then playing with Jimmy throughout the year, a good, strong playmaker, being able to play in the nickel, play post safety, play down safety, good playmaker and good leader to play all around the field and get lined up and obviously take the ball away.”
S Jalen Pitre
On first impressions of C.J. Stroud?
“A real professional. Every day he's looking for something to get better at. Today after OTA2, he come up to the DBs asking different things we're seeing and different ways he can get better. It's a real professional in C.J., and you could see why he was drafted so high because he really cares about the game of football.”
What are some of the nuances that you got better at to contribute to your success as a rookie?
“Just overall knowledge of the game. You're never complete in your knowledge about the game. It's always evolving, and you always learn new things. Just leadership. I want to be a guy that the team could use in hard times. I'm just trying to step up in that role.”
When you hear C.J. say -- he said, I have to earn everything, which I love. What do you think about that comment from your quarterback?
“It just shows that he's a true competitor, a guy that wants to work and a guy that wants to compete at everything. You can hear that in his voice, and I'm happy he's on my team.”
In your words, what is the difference between last year's defense and this year's defense, if you're explaining it to the fans out there?
“That's a great question. A lot of familiar faces, but I would just say new energy. There is a couple new faces. Obviously, we have a new coach and a new defensive staff. I would just say new energy.”
What's the difference in you going from year one to year two, just approaching the OTA with some experience?
“Just overall continue to do the things that I do well and also improving the things that I do not as well. I'm trying to be more vocal and just be that fun guy on the team, be a guy that you could look at for the energy. I'm just trying to be a guy that is positive out there on the field.”
What's your interactions been like with Jimmie Ward?
“Great interactions. We already got a handshake. He a good guy. He's a leader. You can see why he's been in the league so long. I'm excited to play with him. He plays with his hair on fire, and it's fun when you can play with a guy like that.”
What do you think about DeMeco and getting to know him and then seeing him as a head coach for the first time?
“He's a great head coach, a guy that's really intentional with what he's doing. You can see it in his meetings. You can really feel it at practice. He's making sure that every rep that I'm doing, whether it's a walkthrough, a practice, even in the film room, that I'm seeing the things that I need to see and finishing the right way. He's always talking to me about my body position and my leverage. I'm thankful to have a coach that cares so much about the game and really loves the game of football.”
Jalen, what are some of the qualities of Will Anderson [Jr.]?
“Yeah, another guy that plays with his hair on fire, a guy that is excited about the game of football and loves to do what he do. He made a play in OTAs today, and he had a celebration. So it's a guy that's used to just making plays. I love to be around that type of energy.”
As you self-scout your rookie year, what are some things you like about it or some things you think you can do to be much better?
“The biggest thing I would say is my patience. I feel like I developed good patience throughout the year. It's also one of those things that you could never perfect. So I'm trying to build on that and trying to just slow my eyes down, and that will allow me to play faster and make those plays that need to be made.”
What's it like working with Cory Undlin? What are the differences you see in how they're going to work with you?
“I love Cory. He's in the meetings. He's very interactive. He knows a lot about the game of football as a whole and especially about the secondary. In the meeting room, he's not going to let anything slide and make sure every detail is said in the meeting room and making sure we get everything squared away.”
From Houston you've watched this team go through the ups and the downs. This past weekend you got a chance to participate in the Texans Volunteer Day out at Houston Food Bank. Can you just see the renewed energy as far as with DeMeco coming in, you're going into your second year, some of the draft picks they made, can you see that renewed energy in advance?
“I definitely can. I feel it. I feel like there's fresh air. Just a great time to be in Houston. We're trying to bring that feeling back, and we're trying to just continue to stack days and get better. We're not really trying to look forward to anything, but we're just trying to take one day at a time and continue to improve on a day-to-day basis.”
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
DrumBeatsLouder
Noob
A lot of contributors here are going to be undeniably shocked and presented black birds with white gloves on a silver platter this year... (those half-empty MFers).
10-7 is the baseline/floor.
10-7 is the baseline/floor.
badboy
Hall of Fame
If you're correct, most of those guys will gladly eat the crow.
After reading this war and peace piece, everything is great, most of these players are future HOF'ers and I'm expecting parades down on Kirby.