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2017 Houston Texans Official OTA's, Minicamp, and Training Camp Thread

JB said:
People on here would have gone ballistic Manning's rookie year... and imagine the outcry if Rodgers would have sat three years for the Texans... talk about a wasted pick
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Rodgers is a totally different position due to Favre being the starting QB. It only came to a head because of Favre's annual retirement threat because he didn't like TC.
 
sandman said:
It doesn't matter what I think the Texans should do. I'm providing my opinion into what the Texans are doing. Right or wrong. My opinion or not. The Texans, based on their actions, are not tapping Weeden for the QB1 slot.

And no, the decision to not have Weeden be QB1 - or give him his "fair" chance - does not concern me in the least bit. Because Weeden is Fitz or Hoyer. Just like Savage is Mallett or Brock. Like Watson could wind up being like so many other RD1 QB busts. I've seen three years worth of OB trying to make the next Brady out of retreads and projects.
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Just a tidy up on that quote to make the insight more complete. There are risk at every stop for NFL QB's, such as who they're playing for, the system, the players surrounding them, etc, etc, etc. Some QB's just get the unlucky situation of going to a team that isn't just a QB away from doing anything....they still suck and destroy a potentially good QB along the way. Some QB's drafted in RD1 or the majority after RD1 go to the right team and situation where the QB position or team is settled and success is immediate.

Remember, according to O'Brien, he prefers not to start rookie QB's. His reasoning, they're just not ready for the jump and the team isn't ready to accommodate them as QB1 either. Savage was bench bound in his first season whether he was drafted in RD1 or inevitably in RD4. Savage was IR'd in season two...which I still think was a blunder by the team. O'Brien had Savage ready to go for season 3 and between McNair and RS, they circumvented O'Brien by signing Osweiler. O'Brien covered himself by stating, I coach the guys they get me. RS felt like he had gone out and got a QB that would step in and lead this team to a SB visit to be played in Houston....that was another rushed knee-jerk move in the hopes of having the Texans be the first team to host and play in the SB. That piss-poor signing set this teams offense back an entire season. Savage will finally get his chance to lead the team even though he had to wait through foolish circumstances or moves...it's his time to seize the opportunity. I also think O'Brien would be thoroughly satisfied if Savage did just that.

Weeden had the unlucky RD1 QB stigma of going to Cleveland. At that point, everyone in football knew the Browns were not a RD1 QB away from turning it around. Bad timing for Weeden but he did survive to QB again...some never do! He didn't have a great season in Dallas. He's been a Texan going into his 3rd season and contrary to how some of you feel, O'Brien nor RS haven't exactly felt the urge to replace him with what they may deem as a better QB2 or QB3. He did what he was supposed to do and won in his opportunities when called upon. I can see Weeden being a backup for the Texans for as long as he remains productive and relatively inexpensive to retain. He's a valuable asset to have if QB1 goes down.

Texans have more time vested in Savage and more money vested in Weeden between the two. Let's not forget, O'Brien could very well be coaching for his HC position with the Texans in 2017. I feel fairly confident that O'Brien will go into this campaign with Savage as QB1, Weeden as QB2 and Watson carrying the clipboard and soaking up as much knowledge as possible to compete for the QB1 spot in 2018. If Watson starts a game in 2017, it will be due to incompetence or injury by both Savage and Weeden.

On a side note, I'd love to see coaches put their future QB's in the booth with their offensive coach for a couple of games to see, hear and learn what the decision making process is during the heat of the moment.
 
OptimisticTexan said:
Just a tidy up on that quote to make the insight more complete. There are risk at every stop for NFL QB's, such as who they're playing for, the system, the players surrounding them, etc, etc, etc. Some QB's just get the unlucky situation of going to a team that isn't just a QB away from doing anything....they still suck and destroy a potentially good QB along the way. Some QB's drafted in RD1 or the majority after RD1 go to the right team and situation where the QB position or team is settled and success is immediate.

Remember, according to O'Brien, he prefers not to start rookie QB's. His reasoning, they're just not ready for the jump and the team isn't ready to accommodate them as QB1 either. Savage was bench bound in his first season whether he was drafted in RD1 or inevitably in RD4. Savage was IR'd in season two...which I still think was a blunder by the team. O'Brien had Savage ready to go for season 3 and between McNair and RS, they circumvented O'Brien by signing Osweiler. O'Brien covered himself by stating, I coach the guys they get me. RS felt like he had gone out and got a QB that would step in and lead this team to a SB visit to be played in Houston....that was another rushed knee-jerk move in the hopes of having the Texans be the first team to host and play in the SB. That piss-poor signing set this teams offense back an entire season. Savage will finally get his chance to lead the team even though he had to wait through foolish circumstances or moves...it's his time to seize the opportunity. I also think O'Brien would be thoroughly satisfied if Savage did just that.

Weeden had the unlucky RD1 QB stigma of going to Cleveland. At that point, everyone in football knew the Browns were not a RD1 QB away from turning it around. Bad timing for Weeden but he did survive to QB again...some never do! He didn't have a great season in Dallas. He's been a Texan going into his 3rd season and contrary to how some of you feel, O'Brien nor RS haven't exactly felt the urge to replace him with what they may deem as a better QB2 or QB3. He did what he was supposed to do and won in his opportunities when called upon. I can see Weeden being a backup for the Texans for as long as he remains productive and relatively inexpensive to retain. He's a valuable asset to have if QB1 goes down.

Texans have more time vested in Savage and more money vested in Weeden between the two. Let's not forget, O'Brien could very well be coaching for his HC position with the Texans in 2017. I feel fairly confident that O'Brien will go into this campaign with Savage as QB1, Weeden as QB2 and Watson carrying the clipboard and soaking up as much knowledge as possible to compete for the QB1 spot in 2018. If Watson starts a game in 2017, it will be due to incompetence or injury by both Savage and Weeden.

On a side note, I'd love to see coaches put their future QB's in the booth with their offensive coach for a couple of games to see, hear and learn what the decision making process is during the heat of the moment.
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I don't necessarily disagree with anything you stated, especially the bold part. I think Weeden does a great job being exactly what he is: an inexpensive backup veteran. I don't envision him being anything else for this team, most certainly not a named starter outside of any condition other than injury. IMHO, there is simply no scenario I can envision where OB willingly sits both Savage and Watson in favor of Weeden.
 
JB said:
People on here would have gone ballistic Manning's rookie year... and imagine the outcry if Rodgers would have sat three years for the Texans... talk about a wasted pick
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Besides what CNND had posted, Manning wasn't coming in a good situation with the Colts.

The D was 29th in both yards allowed and points allowed.

That with a running game registering less than 90 yards per, doesn't help any QB, let alone a rookie.

Their O-line consists of an old guy in his last year (Mandarich), a rookie at Center (Steve McKinney, an average O-line man even when he had had some years under his belt; remember him) , and two second-year man ( one was just 22 - Tarik Glenn, a big guy that is never too nimble for pass protection, moving from Guard to LT; the other was Meadows who at 290lbs isn't your prototype RT). The last guy was Leeunburg a 294lb journeyman that never had a fixed position.

The only receiver he had was Marvin Harrison, who missed 4 games, and likely playing hurt in some others.

Coming off a 3-13 season the year previous; it's little wonder why a rookie Manning "struggled" when everything was loaded on his shoulders.
 
OptimisticTexan said:
We are just going to have to let OTA's and the off-season play out. At the moment, Obie's got Savage in the QB1 spot so there must be some sound reasoning behind him doing this. Reporters got a glimpse on Day 2 and that was pretty much it. Having the opportunity to view 1 practice and come away with a 3 day summary is pretty foolish. O'Brien hasn't changed his opinion on who his QB1 after the first round of OTA's and seems just fine with Savage going into the second round of OTA's as his QB1...no changes.

O'Brien has the benefit of watching the QB's for the whole day and every day. He certainly isn't going to be swayed by the opinions of sports writers who get an opportunity to watch a practice here and there. In the end, sports writers are just like us...some have played the game and some have not but what they have is 2 eyes and a brain...which help them form an opinion. Like us, their chances of ever getting to run or coach an NFL team are never going to happen but like us, they're allowed to form an opinion. I like how my eyes and brain work in forming my opinions. Mostly I try to remain neutral and leave the emotions out. I take what I read with a grain of salt but like to watch the actions of the FO, coaches and players since actions almost always speak louder than words.
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Sorry, but you talk of O' Brien as if he had made great decisions on the QB , which is the furthest from the truth.

The numbers don't lie. His offense has regressed each year so far.

While I'm willing to give him another year to prove himself; he's not too far from the doghouse either. :kitten:
 
sandman said:
Remember these exact same conversations about Keenum? Fans around these parts love the 3rd string emergency QB even more than the backup.
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But Keenum wasn't just a 3rd string emergency QB.
He leaped frogged Yates, kept Foles out of his starting spot with the Rams, and held off a no. 1 pick.
I never said he's a bona-fide NFL starter, but to me, he's better than any QB the Texans had since the good Schaub.

There's absolutely no doubt that with the D the Texans had the last 3 years and a running game that can churn out at least 300 yards more than the one in 2013, that Keenum can't be better than guys like Fitz, Hoyer or Mallett.
 
76Texan said:
But Keenum wasn't just a 3rd string emergency QB.
He leaped frogged Yates, kept Foles out of his starting spot with the Rams, and held off a no. 1 pick.
I never said he's a bona-fide NFL starter, but to me, he's better than any QB the Texans had since the good Schaub.

There's absolutely no doubt that with the D the Texans had the last 3 years and a running game that can churn out at least 300 yards more than the one in 2013, that Keenum can't be better than guys like Fitz, Hoyer or Mallett.
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I absolutely agree with your last sentence, but I don't think you meant it to come out that way.
 
infantrycak said:
Steve McKinney played LG in '98 and became far above average eventually.
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Also, I remember defending him for giving up his body.
Sometimes, he got bowled over / pancaked, but he kept the play alive for just a hair longer.
Not pretty to watch, but efficient nonetheless. :brando:
 
sandman said:
I absolutely agree with your last sentence, but I don't think you meant it to come out that way.
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My motto is not to support bad players and to "not" undermine those who have had positive contributions.
It's been like that from the start, from a much-maligned Chris Myers or a rookie Kareem Jackson.
Now, I never meant that they were great, just that they did not deserved to be chastised.

:handshake:
 
Reader being asked for his new hairdresser's name.

DBLG3NVUwAAMnph.jpg:large
 
Are we revising history again. Keenum was terrible and was never more than that. Moving right along...
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
Wonder what the reasoning is behind banning him specifically only until December 31, 2018?
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That's what I was wondering.

The article says the report which was made by the accuser contained conflicting info on who was the aggressor.

The prosecutor declined to press charges.

Sounds like the university is just doing something just to do something.
 
Just watching some video and a reporter asked him about Strong going down in practice. Anyone else hear anything about that?
 
DocBar said:
Just watching some video and a reporter asked him about Strong going down in practice. Anyone else hear anything about that?
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Just that he walked of on his own power. This is still not encouraging because a player can walk off on his own power after significant ankle and knee injuries.......... such as even ACL ruptures.
 
Bill O’Brien: “It’s OTAs, It’s Not Real Football”
By Matt Hammond, SportsRadio 610 May 31, 2017 4:09 PM By Matt Hammond

Bill O’Brien appreciates the attention.

But media coverage at OTAs? The Houston Texans head coach doesn’t get the point.

After Wednesday’s workout at the Houston Methodist Training Center, O’Brien cautioned reporters in attendace against reading too much into what happens on the field

“I think it’s great you guys are out here, but I would just tell you that, it’s OTAs,” O’Brien said. “It’s not real football. They’re in gym shorts, jerseys, helmets. No pads.

“The real test will be in West Virginia (for training camp).”

So, how much can we learn from OTAs?

With the offensive and defensive lines, not much. Will JJ Watt be the same JJ Watt coming off back surgery that he was before? Can Jadeveon Clowney take the next step toward reaching his potential as a former No. 1 overall pick? Can DJ Reader adequately replace Vince Wilfork at nose tackle? How soon can Julién Davenport be ready to man the right tackle spot? Can David Quessenberry continue to defy the odds, and earn a spot on the 53-man roster? Tough to know when everyone’s in tee-shirts and shorts.

“I like Julién,” O’Brien said. “He’s a rookie, so they’re all learning. “It’s tough in no pads. I think the true test for linemen is when the full pads are on in camp. But so far, he’s smart, he works hard. He’s got a good skill set for that position. So, so far, so good. But again, the true test for linemen is when they put pads on (in training camp).”

Individually, there are other challenges. With all the moving parts – roster at 90 players, many of whom aren’t NFL caliber; first, second and third-teamers working together interchangeably – it’s hard to know who, exactly, is responsible for what.

“Yeah, it’s tough,” O’Brien said. “It’s OTAs. I think the evaluation has a lot to do with the mental part of the game, the execution. There’s no real first, second, third team. You see some so-called first-teamers in there with so-called third teamers.

“So I wouldn’t judge anything by that.”

But even if OTAs aren’t everything, they’re certainly something.

Think of the two biggest storylines for this team, this season.

Is Tom Savage good enough to ride this defense to a deep playoff run? And If not, how soon can Deshaun Watson be ready to hopefully, eventually do it himself?

Much of that depends on how much these quarterbacks know, and how well they can translate what they’ve learned in the classroom onto the field. So, it stands to reason, how they handle the mental part the position is, to a degree, worth watching.

Savage said today that OTAs are absolutely important for quarterbacks.

“Oh, you need them,” Savage said. “I mean, it’s just the chemistry, especially the receivers. JJ and Clowney and those guys would love to rip my head off, but they can’t, because we’re not in pads, and luckily, they’ll never be able to.

“But you’ll be able to just go out there and work on each throw. I don’t want to say knowing you’re not getting hit, but getting the ball out and the defense is letting us throw the ball even if they are coming through, and it’s kind of what we need.”

If it sounds like O’Brien would rather the NFL scrap OTAs altogether, he wouldn’t. The last question he took on Wednesday was about Jaelen Strong, who went down with in injury during the session but was able to walk off on his own power. It wasn’t long before O’Brien pivoted to a commentary about the NFL’s offseason practice rules.

“I’m gonna try to hold my tongue on some of the offseason rules with the NFL. I don’t agree with a lot of them,” O’Brien said. “So, we’re just trying to execute as good as we can, with no pads on, and see if we can just continue to get in better condition and get ready for training camp.”

Whatever the value of OTAs, the Texans have four more left on the offseason calendar, before mandatory minicamp (June 13-15) and, finally, training camp in Greenbriar.
 
Houston Texans OTAs Update: Deshaun Watson Continues to Work and D'Onta Foreman Hits the Field
Patrick Starr
3:00 PM

Quick Hitters from OTAs during the second week of phase III of work.

Quick hitters from the Houston Texans work day during the second week of Phase III of OTAs.

The Texans gave some key veterans time off from work today. J.J. Watt, Johnathan Joseph, Chris Clark and Brian Cushing (shoulder surgery) all took in practice from the side while wearing team-issue gear. Duane Brown was a no-show once again and Keith Mumphery was not in attendance at practice after news coming out regarding an incident at Michigan State in 2015 that has him banned from campus until late 2018. The Texans were still gathering information on the incident that hit newswire early this morning.

Rookie running back D'Onta Foreman hit the field for the first time all spring and was instantly plugged into the offense to get him used to the scheme. Foreman has been working to get back on the field since rookie mini-camp and missed that three-day period plus the first week of OTAs, as he was working to get into NFL shape. Bill O’Brien mentioned Foreman’s conditioning levels at the start of OTAs and the Texans will take no chances with players who are not ready to hit the field. It was clear Foreman was trying to get his footing early and became more comfortable as the practice went on. He showed some of his one cut ability and is able to getting into the second level with a quickness when he has space.

Braxton Miller returned to the field and it is clear that he is way more comfortable with the offense and his role in it. He made a nice catch on a ball thrown behind him and was able to turn his body, making the catch in between two defenders. Miller is looking confident getting in and out of his routes. Last season he was able to win one on ones with pure athleticism. Now he is winning with refined route running. It is clear Miller has worked on his craft over the off-season.

The offense looked much better with Tom Savage running the show. If anything, Savage looks more comfortable with his role as the starting quarterback. That alone has settled him down compared to last week and he was able to throw some nice strikes to receivers. He hit Hopkins early in the day with a quick throw for a touchdown in red-zone work, and he has done a good job of getting the ball out on time.

There continues to be a learning curve for Deshaun Watson regarding how he is acclimating to the game, the offense, and just NFL life in general. It is easy to see, EARLY in the process, that he is overmatched. There is plenty of time for him to continue to work on his game and continue to learn the system. Watson had a few good throws and then some really bad ones today, but when he does make the good throws, it is pretty clear that he has the attributes necessary to succeed in the NFL. Getting him slowed down and confident in his ability to work within the system will be a process. One thing Watson is doing plenty of is asking questions to coaches and his fellow quarterbacks after reps on the field. He works late after practice with receivers and centers trying to iron out his game which is a plus for any player at this level.

The deeper cuts will be out later this evening…….
 
Jaelen Strong limps off, Texans end practice early
By Aaron Wilson

Updated 8:34 pm, Wednesday, May 31, 2017


Texans coach Bill O'Brien halted practice early Wednesday, a decision made following a session where wide receiver Jaelen Strong limped off the field.

Strong wasn't injured seriously, though.

"I think he's all right," O'Brien said.

The practice continued after Strong limped off, but it was eventually cut short by O'Brien.

Following the organized team activity, O'Brien took issue with the NFL offseason rules regarding practices mandated under the collective bargaining agreement.

Physical contact isn't permitted during offseason practices, but it's difficult for players to not knock into each other while still going full-speed and avoid injuries.

"I called it off," O'Brien said. "We had more to go right there but these guys are really competitive and it's OTAs. It's non-contact but everybody wants to win. Football is a contact sport. It's tough.

"I'm going to try to hold my tongue on some of the offseason rules with the NFL. I don't agree with a lot of them. We're just trying to execute as good as we can with no pads on and see if we can just continue to get in better condition and be ready for training camp."
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Strong sustained an ankle sprain November 7 2016 said to be no more than a 4 week recovery. More than 8 weeks later, rehab was not successful and he was IR'ed December 10. The beginning of January, Strong underwent what was reported by the team as a "minor ankle clean out." Today we hear that he limped off the field.............but Strong wasn't injured seriously.........."I think he's alright"........................................translates to :firehair:
 
Texans, Lonnie Ballentine hope he can finally stay healthy
By Aaron Wilson

Published 9:08 am, Thursday, June 1, 2017


When the Texans drafted safety Lonnie Ballentine three years ago as the final pick of the draft and Mr. Irrelevant, they had high hopes for the former Memphis safety.

Ballentine has prototypical size at 6-3, 215 pounds, outstanding speed with a time of 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash and an aggressive, hard-hitting style.

However, injuries have derailed Ballentine's career with the Texans.

He's been limited to four games, three tackles and one pass deflection since joining the team in 2014, spending each of the past three seasons on injured reserve.

Ballentine suffered a major injury to his left knee in 2015 against the Jacksonville Jaguars where he dislocated the knee and tore his medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments. Once he was activated last season from the physically unable to perform list, he played in just two games with no statistics before being placed on injured reserve again with groin, ankle and knee injuries.

Despite Ballentine's significant injury history, the Texans have remained patient with him and are crossing their fingers that he can finally stay healthy. Ballentine has looked sharp during organized team activities.
 
1. Safety Kurtis Drummond[ continues to make plays during all facets of practice. It’s clear the difference in the veterans and the rookies because the vets can adapt quickly to motion and shifts and Drummond is clearly on top of those situations. He made an excellent play down on the goal line early in practice when he flipped his hips and turned back in front of an in breaking route for a pass breakup.

2. The first play of that goal line drill was a laser from Tom Savage to DeAndre Hopkins for an easy touchdown. The offensive unit didn’t build on that success throughout the rest of the drill, though, as the defense remained standing for push ups at the end of it...if you catch my drift.

3. After practice, Savage noted that the one thing he’s realized more than anything else facing this defense is that he must get rid of the ball quicker. When he made quick, decisive decisions, he typically had success. There were times, though, when it was evident that he knew he had to get rid of the ball quicker. All the quarterbacks, for the most part, struggled with that on Wednesday.

6. The best play I think I saw Savage make was during team drills. He saw the front and the coverage and changed the play at the line of scrimmage. He moved back into gun, directed his running back to the proper side and barked out the signals, identifying the soon-to-be blitzer. Knowing the coverage, he then held the safety with his eyes and threw a laser to Hopkins on the far sideline. To my point, he didn’t hesitate at all at the line of scrimmage - he saw the defense, checked into the play, knew the coverage, disguised his intentions and then threw a seed. THAT’S what he’s capable of doing; he just now has to get more comfortable doing that play in and play out.

7. A rookie that caught my attention today is a guy that I expected to make a run at making the 53-man roster in September - undrafted linebacker Dylan Cole. That young man can fly. Down on the goal line, quarterback Deshaun Watson scrambled to his left as Cole was playing in the middle. As Watson took off for the goal line pylon, Cole flew after him. He tagged Watson just before going out of bounds, nearly 30 yards away from where Cole started the play. He can really run, but he must continue to progress and not plateau, heading into the five weeks away from the team after minicamp is over.

10. Later in practice, rookie linebacker Zach Cunningham was in man coverage on running back/offensive weapon Tyler Ervin. Cunningham was inside with the corner man-to-man on the tight end to his outside. The tight end ran up and across the field, generating a natural pick on Cunningham as Ervin shot to the flat. Cunningham, though, evaded the route and then sprinted right to the spot where Ervin was going, not where he was, and blanketed the 2nd year pass catcher. No one has stayed with Ervin in the two OTA practices that we’ve seen but the rookie from Vanderbilt did it perfectly on the goal line.

11. Rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson didn’t have a tremendous day throwing the ball, but down on the goal line, on the final drill of the day, he did his best work. In fact, he was decisive and made quick reads, getting rid of the ball on time and on point. He made a few interior throws, one to Braxton Miller for a completion down at the one yard line, that were as good as any made by a quarterback throughout the entire drill.
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http://www.houstontexans.com/news/a...xansOTAs/207b5ed4-37c2-4357-a2b3-4b21a5a8cdf8
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
Texans, Lonnie Ballentine hope he can finally stay healthy
By Aaron Wilson

Published 9:08 am, Thursday, June 1, 2017


When the Texans drafted safety Lonnie Ballentine three years ago as the final pick of the draft and Mr. Irrelevant, they had high hopes for the former Memphis safety.

Ballentine has prototypical size at 6-3, 215 pounds, outstanding speed with a time of 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash and an aggressive, hard-hitting style.

However, injuries have derailed Ballentine's career with the Texans.

He's been limited to four games, three tackles and one pass deflection since joining the team in 2014, spending each of the past three seasons on injured reserve.

Ballentine suffered a major injury to his left knee in 2015 against the Jacksonville Jaguars where he dislocated the knee and tore his medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments. Once he was activated last season from the physically unable to perform list, he played in just two games with no statistics before being placed on injured reserve again with groin, ankle and knee injuries.

Despite Ballentine's significant injury history, the Texans have remained patient with him and are crossing their fingers that he can finally stay healthy. Ballentine has looked sharp during organized team activities.
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Poor guy is talented. If he can stay healthy he has the ability to take the starting safety spot opposite Hal and maybe being an upgrade over Demps. Staying healthy is easier said than done however...
 
With those measurables, why was the guy such a late pick? Anyone have any insight?

In any case, I keep rooting for the guy to get and stay healthy because in very limited action, I think he's got what it takes to make it and be a solid player on the back end.
 
sandman said:
I don't necessarily disagree with anything you stated, especially the bold part. I think Weeden does a great job being exactly what he is: an inexpensive backup veteran. I don't envision him being anything else for this team, most certainly not a named starter outside of any condition other than injury. IMHO, there is simply no scenario I can envision where OB willingly sits both Savage and Watson in favor of Weeden.
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I agree. Man, I really wish McNair and RS hadn't made signing Osweiler such a high priority b/c it was so foolish. If Savage had started last season and did average (no better, no worse in regards to wins) then I would look forward to an open competition between him and Watson.
 
TheRealJoker said:
Poor guy is talented. If he can stay healthy he has the ability to take the starting safety spot opposite Hal and maybe being an upgrade over Demps. Staying healthy is easier said than done however...
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...........especially when all 3 seasons' injuries have been isolated to the lower extremities. The first lost season (2014) was not elaborated upon in the article. But Ballentine injured his hamstring severely early in TC and could not get healthy enough to practice or play in any of the three preseason games. In early 2015, Ballentine suffered a dislocated knee cap (not knee as stated in the article) in addition to a torn PCL and MCL in the same left knee during a freak accident occurring during a tackle. In 2016, after beginning the season on reserve/PUP, he was brought back in October and within 2 weeks of being activated, he managed to sustain sprains to his ankle and to his knee.........but most seriously, a groin tear after which he could no longer play through....and which ultimately landed him on IR for the third time. Those multiple injuries sustained in the latter part of 2016 made it obvious that he was still incompletely rehabbed from his 2015 knee injuries (despite the lengthy period of time since the knee injuries) when he was sent out again.

His physical specimen and even his skills are what D coaches dream of. Unfortunately so far, staying healthy are what Ballentine still dreams of.
 
Texans' Will Fuller focused on reducing drops, adding strength in Year 2
7:35 AM CT
  • Sarah BarshopESPN Staff Writer

HOUSTON -- Will Fuller V knows he had trouble catching the ball in key spots last season. That’s why his focus during the offseason, he says, has been “catching the ball consistently.”

The Houston Texans wide receiver, who was the team’s first-round draft pick in 2016, was tied for 89th in the league with four drops and ranked 96th with drops on 4.4 percent of his target. And while that’s not a huge number, those drops came in big moments.

The biggest came in the third quarter of the Texans’ playoff loss to the New England Patriots. With Houston trailing 24-13, Fuller dropped a would-be touchdown on a perfect pass from then-quarterback Brock Osweiler in the end zone. The Texans were forced to punt on the next play and went on to lose 34-16.

And although Fuller seemed to have more difficulty on deep balls -- he caught just 13.3 percent of passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield, third-lowest in the NFL -- he said he doesn’t think those passes down the field are more difficult to haul in.

“Wherever the ball is coming from, you catch it with your hands and catch it with your eyes,” Fuller said. “Every pass is different, but they are all the same with what you catch the ball with. I won’t say any is harder than deep balls or short balls.”

Fuller played in 14 games during his rookie season, finishing with 47 catches for 635 yards and two touchdowns. After the season, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien said he thought Fuller needed to get stronger, something the young receiver said he still has time to accomplish.

O’Brien said that while it’s only May and there’s a ways to go before the season starts, he has been impressed by the improvement in Fuller since his rookie year.

“He definitely has better knowledge of our system,” O’Brien said. “For the guys that were rookies last year, this is a much easier spring for them, because they know where to go, they know what to do. I’ve seen a lot of improvement with all the guys that were rookies last year.”

For Fuller, that comes from being more comfortable on the field and being past his rookie year.

“I feel like it’s a lot different, first year to second year,” Fuller said. “Last year I was thinking a lot, just coming in trying to learn the offense and trying to make sure I was doing everything perfect. This year I’m just a lot more relaxed.

“Last year I was starting from ground zero. This year I’m a lot more comfortable, and I’m just going to build off what I did last year.”

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It does no good to be fast, if you can't run routes..............and can't catch. And as he carries a relatively small footprint, he needs to significantly increase his strength in order to mix it up some with DBs to challenge for ball possession.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
It does no good to be fast, if you can't run routes..............and can't catch. And as he carries a relatively small footprint, he needs to significantly increase his strength in order to mix it up some with DBs to challenge for ball possession.
Click to expand...

Damn!!!

If only we could hire some people who could teach these guys to get bigger, better, stronger.

We could call them player developers, or personnel improvers... Or something easier to remember like couch, or cokes, or something like that.
 
thunderkyss said:
Damn!!!

If only we could hire some people who could teach these guys to get bigger, better, stronger.

We could call them player developers, or personnel improvers... Or something easier to remember like couch, or cokes, or something like that.
Click to expand...

Let's bring in Keith Jones!
 
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