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2022 OTA’s Mini Camp And Pre Season

Porky said:
I just see a giant "fail" sign on Metchie. Unless he becomes a super solid slot for the long haul, we gave up too much to get him. He is an injury just waiting to happen, and he wasn't that special to begin with so why did our vaunted GM feel the need to give up other picks in a deep draft? For the life of me, I cannot fathom the reasoning behind trading up for this guy. Hope I'm wrong. If so, I take my crow deep fried.
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No crow for dinner. My spidey senses have been tingling since the moment we drafted this guy. When I have premonitions this strong, I feel confident in what I say. No doubt I am rooting for his complete recovery and that he has a long happy life. My thoughts relate to the football side. No matter who runs this FO, they just cannot stop making epic unforced errors like this. Instead of trying to be too cute, let the damn draft come to you. We lost not one, but two players in a strong draft over this incredibly poor decision by this GM. He needs to wise up and stop pulling this crap if he ever wants a winning team.
 
Porky said:
No crow for dinner. My spidey senses have been tingling since the moment we drafted this guy. When I have premonitions this strong, I feel confident in what I say. No doubt I am rooting for his complete recovery and that he has a long happy life. My thoughts relate to the football side. No matter who runs this FO, they just cannot stop making epic unforced errors like this. Instead of trying to be too cute, let the damn draft come to you. We lost not one, but two players in a strong draft over this incredibly poor decision by this GM. He needs to wise up and stop pulling this crap if he ever wants a winning team.
Click to expand...

Depends on how good Metchie is when he comes back. This was just a case of bad luck and Metchie's story has yet to be told.

You need to get to Vegas with your premonitions as quickly as possible. Knowing when somebody is going to get cancer is a true gift. You've got a very special gift. They should make a movie starring you about you.

It's not like Derrick whose actions said he was a selfish person, both on and off the field
 
Porky said:
No crow for dinner. My spidey senses have been tingling since the moment we drafted this guy. When I have premonitions this strong, I feel confident in what I say. No doubt I am rooting for his complete recovery and that he has a long happy life. My thoughts relate to the football side. No matter who runs this FO, they just cannot stop making epic unforced errors like this. Instead of trying to be too cute, let the damn draft come to you. We lost not one, but two players in a strong draft over this incredibly poor decision by this GM. He needs to wise up and stop pulling this crap if he ever wants a winning team.
Click to expand...
OK so you think Caserio blew one pick in the '22 Draft becasue his prescience didn't kick in and alert him that the 'BAma WR was gonna be diagnosed with Cancer, and the second mistake would be ?
 
steelbtexan said:
Depends on how good Metchie is when he comes back. This was just a case of bad luck and Metchie's story has yet to be told.

You need to get to Vegas with your premonitions as quickly as possible. Knowing when somebody is going to get cancer is a true gift. You've got a very special gift. They should make a movie starring you about you.

It's not like Derrick whose actions said he was a selfish person, both on and off the field
Click to expand...

i had no idea about the cancer and wasn’t claiming such. But I had a very strong fail chance on him and said so - repeatedly. That was my point. Yes I get feelings about people. Call it intuition but I am frequently right…not always but frequently. And I also said he wasn’t worth the trade up and he wasn’t and will very likely never be. So yes it is a Casserio failure.

I wish the young man a full recovery and happy life, my takes here are football related. Last time I looked this is a football forum.
 
Porky said:
i had no idea about the cancer and wasn’t claiming such. But I had a very strong fail chance on him and said so - repeatedly. That was my point. Yes I get feelings about people. Call it intuition but I am frequently right…not always but frequently. And I also said he wasn’t worth the trade up and he wasn’t and will very likely never be. So yes it is a Casserio failure.

I wish the young man a full recovery and happy life, my takes here are football related. Last time I looked this is a football forum.
Click to expand...

The young man hasn't played a down of football and he's already a fail? Ok,
 
Porky said:
i had no idea about the cancer and wasn’t claiming such. But I had a very strong fail chance on him and said so - repeatedly. That was my point. Yes I get feelings about people. Call it intuition but I am frequently right…not always but frequently. And I also said he wasn’t worth the trade up and he wasn’t and will very likely never be. So yes it is a Casserio failure.

I wish the young man a full recovery and happy life, my takes here are football related. Last time I looked this is a football forum.
Click to expand...

Fail chance in football or health?

Health presented itself….NFL playing time zero. But, that can be corrected in 2023.
 
So Metchie is off the books until next year. In the grand scheme of things, that won't hurt the Texans to much if he makes a full recovery and plays up to his potential starting next year.

The NFL is just a bunch of cattle owners and the players are the cattle. Cattle, like humans, are individuals and are all different, humans much more so. The draft is nothing more than a lottery to the owners, sometimes they hit on a good one and sometimes not. Humans are notorious for not being what you predicted.
 
IDEXAN said:
OK so you think Caserio blew one pick in the '22 Draft becasue his prescience didn't kick in and alert him that the 'BAma WR was gonna be diagnosed with Cancer, and the second mistake would be ?
Click to expand...
Totally don't agree with Porky, but you have to wonder. This, imo, is similar to Quesenberry... different, but no way anyone could have known.

Yet lightning has struck twice.

I'm telling you if & when they decide to build a new stadium, they need to build as far away from the Astrodom as possible while still remaining in "Houston"
 
In many situations it is good to allow draft players to sit and learn the first year. In my opinion the Texans are not in the position to want that. We needed for all the pics in our first two rounds to significantly contribute this season. Upon being drafted I didn’t think Stingley or Metchie would do that. I find myself in an "oh, well.." scenario. I realize many will disagree.
 
thunderkyss said:
Totally don't agree with Porky, but you have to wonder. This, imo, is similar to Quesenberry... different, but no way anyone could have known.

Yet lightning has struck twice.

I'm telling you if & when they decide to build a new stadium, they need to build as far away from the Astrodom as possible while still remaining in "Houston"
Click to expand...
Agree with him about what ? What's the other blown pick besides Casserios failure to predict a cancer diagnosis ?
 
badboy said:
In many situations it is good to allow draft players to sit and learn the first year. In my opinion the Texans are not in the position to want that. We needed for all the pics in our first two rounds to significantly contribute this season. Upon being drafted I didn’t think Stingley or Metchie would do that. I find myself in an "oh, well.." scenario. I realize many will disagree.
Click to expand...

My thought was that at least this would keep them from rushing him back too fast. I mean, I felt bad about thinking that, but there it is. Trying to find a silver lining.

Hopefully he has a full and complete recovery, and he's ready to go next year.
 
badboy said:
In many situations it is good to allow draft players to sit and learn the first year. I
Click to expand...
Silver lining & all.

Yesterday we were talking about a relatively healthy Will Fuller in college who became injury prone in the NFL. He had a few broken bones, but most of his unavailability was due to a hamstring that never properly healed.

Metchie could have been headed down the same path as he was personally invested in playing game one, which could have led to compensatory issues.
 
The Pencil Neck said:
My thought was that at least this would keep them from rushing him back too fast. I mean, I felt bad about thinking that, but there it is. Trying to find a silver lining.

Hopefully he has a full and complete recovery, and he's ready to go next year.
Click to expand...
There is a personal side to this situation and a football side as there is with many situations. We all wish him speedy recovery and long-lasting health but it's okay to consider this and it's relationship to the Houston Texans team.
 
thunderkyss said:
Silver lining & all.

Yesterday we were talking about a relatively healthy Will Fuller in college who became injury prone in the NFL. He had a few broken bones, but most of his unavailability was due to a hamstring that never properly healed.

Metchie could have been headed down the same path as he was personally invested in playing game one, which could have led to compensatory issues.
Click to expand...
Metchie as well as Stingley have not encouraged me to be more optimistic about Car stereo.
 
steelbtexan said:
Depends on how good Metchie is when he comes back. This was just a case of bad luck and Metchie's story has yet to be told.

You need to get to Vegas with your premonitions as quickly as possible. Knowing when somebody is going to get cancer is a true gift. You've got a very special gift. They should make a movie starring you about you.

It's not like Derrick whose actions said he was a selfish person, both on and off the field
Click to expand...

i think you are missing the point. It’s not about guessing someone might have cancer. It’s about assessing risk/reward and making smarter decisions at the macro level.
 
Texans training camp could be prime time for rookie S Jalen Pitre
Mark Lane
Mon, July 25, 2022 at 11:28 AM·1 min read


One Houston Texans rookie from the 2022 NFL draft class that has intrigued Clutch City sports fans is safety Jalen Pitre.

The second-rounder from Baylor graduated from nearby Stafford High School. Not only does Pitre generate fan favorite sentiments from being a local kid coming home to start his NFL career, but the 5-11, 198-pound defensive back is a welcomed infusion of youth and playmaking to the Texans’ secondary.

According to D.J. Bien-Anime, the new Texans beat writer for ESPN, Pitre will be dominating reports coming out of Houston Methodist Training Center.
Camp prediction: Safety Jalen Pitre will be a dynamic force during training camp. The Texans’ second-round pick out of Baylor showcased premier playmaking skills in college. In Pitre’s last season, he finished with 18.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 7 pass breakups and 3 forced fumbles. Some in the NFL compare Pitre to Tyrann Mathieu, Quandre Diggs and Budda Baker. Making plays on the football is Pitre’s forte, and that fits into coach Lovie Smith’s defense. Pitre’s versatility should give him the ability to roam in the box and play deep middle safety. Expect to see plenty of reports of the No. 37 overall pick being a disruptor heading into the season.
Click to expand...
Smith gave a favorable report on Pitre on June 7 during the last week of organized team activities.
“He’s been outstanding; knack for the football,” said Smith. “Has done a lot of good things.”

If the Texans are able to have the good things Pitre does in training camp translate to the regular season, it should help Houston improve upon their 25 takeaways in 2021, which were tied for the 10th-most in the NFL. The Texans were the only team with a losing record in the top-10 in takeaways. Adding Pitre allows the Texans a chance to stay in the top-10 and possibly advance further.
 
Moore needs more than one catch a game.

The way that Petrie hits I wish that he would put on a few more pounds.

It will be interesting to see how tight ends will be utilized this season
 
Hi friends. Hurray. We have got to actual football and still exist! I am doing a driveby to share some thoughts.

First, I want to deeply thank TT folks for being my friends, teaching me things about football, internet and how it interacts with real life. Mostly, I want to thank y'all for being very supportive during times in my life that were very difficult. That is one of the best things online/in person communities do, and this one really helped me and shaped my thinking. I've had ups and downs since but the lessons I learned here and through the Texans community as a whole has helped so much.

One of the things in particular that I appreciate about TT is how their moderation guidelines made it a place I felt welcomed and comfortable. Somebody who is a Jets fan visiting our tailgate marveled at how generous, friendly and comfortable it was, and to me that is just part of our ethos as a fanbase and city. When things go south, it is usually a don't start none, won't be none situation.

Second, y'all are one of the reasons why I did the blog thing. Because of that drive to actually know what is happening in training camp, and trying to figure the tea leaves of what is observable, knowable, miscommunicated, or just a matter of opinion. I always appreciate this particular yearly thread. Doing media in person changed the way I see reports coming from camp. How it is really hard reporting on stuff where everyone wants to know stuff, but there are limitations of what is knowable, limitations on what you can see, and often limitations on what you are allowed to report on. Limitations on reportable information are designed to allow fans to know what is going on but without doing anything that could hurt winning.

Also, the blog thing has been helpful with just helping connect people to info that makes it more fun and easier to be a fan. Being able to navigate that in a semi-sane comes completely from being a member here. I am still the utopian dreamer lol, and I never want to lose that.

I haven't been writing about football for a while because (waves hands around) there were a lot of things that were preventing being heard as I intended, the team being heard as intended, fans being heard as intended, and it just turned out to be bad feelings in an era where nobody needs that, including me. Anyway, my blog posts have always been a snapshot of my thinking at a time based on observations and listening. Filtering info in both broad and narrow ways.

Here's my latest snapshot based on everything I experienced at OTAs/minicamp. Stephanie Stradley's Houston Texans training camp preview

Probably doesn't have the level of detail in it that TT craves but just some processing of things through the filters of what I've seen in recent years, and what I want to see more of.

Though I didn't put all this in there, I am devastated for Metchie. Leukemia diagnosis is a medical emergency. You go from just living your life and dreams to a doctor saying you need to drop everything and deal right away. Not really preventable like we think of prevention. Comes out of nowhere. It is very ton-of-bricks disorienting. This is a time of year where a lot of medical stuff gets found by teams because just the proximity to health care/making sure players are fully tuned up.

Anyway, what I saw of him, he wasn't allowed to participate in drills, but he carried a football everywhere with him like guys often do when all they are allowed to do is mental reps. He had a lot of eyes on him, and if you didn't know he was recovering from an ACL, you wouldn't know.

It was nice to see him at least being able to watch the drills because sometimes with rehab guys, coaches have them on another field, but him getting mental reps to me was more important. One of my pet issues is in WR drills, throwing against air, guys dropping catchable balls or not being able to see from the outside whether the drill is about them staying in bounds or going out of bounds. I really like seeing practice with purpose.

Anyway, on one rep, a young player dropped a catchable ball, a guy who likely may do some slot work. (Not mentioning the dudes name because it was just one rep and I don't want outsized attention to that, and really this is about JM3). Right after that, I saw Metchie and this WR practicing some change of direction footwork together. Metchie would show him, and the WR did it. It is hard to hear the news about him because obviously the serious nature but also he was one of those guys where all the respected football people I talked to just thought he was The Dude. There's a few players like that coming in as rookies. Watt. DeMeco. Anyway, if there is anyone to fight this, a disease not supposed to affect people his age, it is him.

Due to (thankfully) becoming an old, I have to really limit my computer time but do check back when I can. Particularly this time of year. I try to answer answerable questions on Twitter. The biggest thing I want to convey is that I know that there are a lot of people with the Texans who want things to be better between folks again. I have had those conversations. Lots of people are. Can't guarantee anything other than sharing that they want things better, and who doesn't? I got you, and y'all got me.

Love y'all, be good, LFG,

:texans chick:
 
Texans_Chick said:
Hi friends. Hurray. We have got to actual football and still exist! I am doing a driveby to share some thoughts.

First, I want to deeply thank TT folks for being my friends, teaching me things about football, internet and how it interacts with real life. Mostly, I want to thank y'all for being very supportive during times in my life that were very difficult. That is one of the best things online/in person communities do, and this one really helped me and shaped my thinking. I've had ups and downs since but the lessons I learned here and through the Texans community as a whole has helped so much.

One of the things in particular that I appreciate about TT is how their moderation guidelines made it a place I felt welcomed and comfortable. Somebody who is a Jets fan visiting our tailgate marveled at how generous, friendly and comfortable it was, and to me that is just part of our ethos as a fanbase and city. When things go south, it is usually a don't start none, won't be none situation.

Second, y'all are one of the reasons why I did the blog thing. Because of that drive to actually know what is happening in training camp, and trying to figure the tea leaves of what is observable, knowable, miscommunicated, or just a matter of opinion. I always appreciate this particular yearly thread. Doing media in person changed the way I see reports coming from camp. How it is really hard reporting on stuff where everyone wants to know stuff, but there are limitations of what is knowable, limitations on what you can see, and often limitations on what you are allowed to report on. Limitations on reportable information are designed to allow fans to know what is going on but without doing anything that could hurt winning.

Also, the blog thing has been helpful with just helping connect people to info that makes it more fun and easier to be a fan. Being able to navigate that in a semi-sane comes completely from being a member here. I am still the utopian dreamer lol, and I never want to lose that.

I haven't been writing about football for a while because (waves hands around) there were a lot of things that were preventing being heard as I intended, the team being heard as intended, fans being heard as intended, and it just turned out to be bad feelings in an era where nobody needs that, including me. Anyway, my blog posts have always been a snapshot of my thinking at a time based on observations and listening. Filtering info in both broad and narrow ways.

Here's my latest snapshot based on everything I experienced at OTAs/minicamp. Stephanie Stradley's Houston Texans training camp preview

Probably doesn't have the level of detail in it that TT craves but just some processing of things through the filters of what I've seen in recent years, and what I want to see more of.

Though I didn't put all this in there, I am devastated for Metchie. Leukemia diagnosis is a medical emergency. You go from just living your life and dreams to a doctor saying you need to drop everything and deal right away. Not really preventable like we think of prevention. Comes out of nowhere. It is very ton-of-bricks disorienting. This is a time of year where a lot of medical stuff gets found by teams because just the proximity to health care/making sure players are fully tuned up.

Anyway, what I saw of him, he wasn't allowed to participate in drills, but he carried a football everywhere with him like guys often do when all they are allowed to do is mental reps. He had a lot of eyes on him, and if you didn't know he was recovering from an ACL, you wouldn't know.

It was nice to see him at least being able to watch the drills because sometimes with rehab guys, coaches have them on another field, but him getting mental reps to me was more important. One of my pet issues is in WR drills, throwing against air, guys dropping catchable balls or not being able to see from the outside whether the drill is about them staying in bounds or going out of bounds. I really like seeing practice with purpose.

Anyway, on one rep, a young player dropped a catchable ball, a guy who likely may do some slot work. (Not mentioning the dudes name because it was just one rep and I don't want outsized attention to that, and really this is about JM3). Right after that, I saw Metchie and this WR practicing some change of direction footwork together. Metchie would show him, and the WR did it. It is hard to hear the news about him because obviously the serious nature but also he was one of those guys where all the respected football people I talked to just thought he was The Dude. There's a few players like that coming in as rookies. Watt. DeMeco. Anyway, if there is anyone to fight this, a disease not supposed to affect people his age, it is him.

Due to (thankfully) becoming an old, I have to really limit my computer time but do check back when I can. Particularly this time of year. I try to answer answerable questions on Twitter. The biggest thing I want to convey is that I know that there are a lot of people with the Texans who want things to be better between folks again. I have had those conversations. Lots of people are. Can't guarantee anything other than sharing that they want things better, and who doesn't? I got you, and y'all got me.

Love y'all, be good, LFG,

:texans chick:
Click to expand...
Great to hear from you T_C and appreciate your comments and analysis.
Don't be gone so long the next time.
 
Texans_Chick said:
Hi friends. Hurray. We have got to actual football and still exist! I am doing a driveby to share some thoughts.

First, I want to deeply thank TT folks for being my friends, teaching me things about football, internet and how it interacts with real life. Mostly, I want to thank y'all for being very supportive during times in my life that were very difficult. That is one of the best things online/in person communities do, and this one really helped me and shaped my thinking. I've had ups and downs since but the lessons I learned here and through the Texans community as a whole has helped so much.

One of the things in particular that I appreciate about TT is how their moderation guidelines made it a place I felt welcomed and comfortable. Somebody who is a Jets fan visiting our tailgate marveled at how generous, friendly and comfortable it was, and to me that is just part of our ethos as a fanbase and city. When things go south, it is usually a don't start none, won't be none situation.

Second, y'all are one of the reasons why I did the blog thing. Because of that drive to actually know what is happening in training camp, and trying to figure the tea leaves of what is observable, knowable, miscommunicated, or just a matter of opinion. I always appreciate this particular yearly thread. Doing media in person changed the way I see reports coming from camp. How it is really hard reporting on stuff where everyone wants to know stuff, but there are limitations of what is knowable, limitations on what you can see, and often limitations on what you are allowed to report on. Limitations on reportable information are designed to allow fans to know what is going on but without doing anything that could hurt winning.

Also, the blog thing has been helpful with just helping connect people to info that makes it more fun and easier to be a fan. Being able to navigate that in a semi-sane comes completely from being a member here. I am still the utopian dreamer lol, and I never want to lose that.

I haven't been writing about football for a while because (waves hands around) there were a lot of things that were preventing being heard as I intended, the team being heard as intended, fans being heard as intended, and it just turned out to be bad feelings in an era where nobody needs that, including me. Anyway, my blog posts have always been a snapshot of my thinking at a time based on observations and listening. Filtering info in both broad and narrow ways.

Here's my latest snapshot based on everything I experienced at OTAs/minicamp. Stephanie Stradley's Houston Texans training camp preview

Probably doesn't have the level of detail in it that TT craves but just some processing of things through the filters of what I've seen in recent years, and what I want to see more of.

Though I didn't put all this in there, I am devastated for Metchie. Leukemia diagnosis is a medical emergency. You go from just living your life and dreams to a doctor saying you need to drop everything and deal right away. Not really preventable like we think of prevention. Comes out of nowhere. It is very ton-of-bricks disorienting. This is a time of year where a lot of medical stuff gets found by teams because just the proximity to health care/making sure players are fully tuned up.

Anyway, what I saw of him, he wasn't allowed to participate in drills, but he carried a football everywhere with him like guys often do when all they are allowed to do is mental reps. He had a lot of eyes on him, and if you didn't know he was recovering from an ACL, you wouldn't know.

It was nice to see him at least being able to watch the drills because sometimes with rehab guys, coaches have them on another field, but him getting mental reps to me was more important. One of my pet issues is in WR drills, throwing against air, guys dropping catchable balls or not being able to see from the outside whether the drill is about them staying in bounds or going out of bounds. I really like seeing practice with purpose.

Anyway, on one rep, a young player dropped a catchable ball, a guy who likely may do some slot work. (Not mentioning the dudes name because it was just one rep and I don't want outsized attention to that, and really this is about JM3). Right after that, I saw Metchie and this WR practicing some change of direction footwork together. Metchie would show him, and the WR did it. It is hard to hear the news about him because obviously the serious nature but also he was one of those guys where all the respected football people I talked to just thought he was The Dude. There's a few players like that coming in as rookies. Watt. DeMeco. Anyway, if there is anyone to fight this, a disease not supposed to affect people his age, it is him.

Due to (thankfully) becoming an old, I have to really limit my computer time but do check back when I can. Particularly this time of year. I try to answer answerable questions on Twitter. The biggest thing I want to convey is that I know that there are a lot of people with the Texans who want things to be better between folks again. I have had those conversations. Lots of people are. Can't guarantee anything other than sharing that they want things better, and who doesn't? I got you, and y'all got me.

Love y'all, be good, LFG,

:texans chick:
Click to expand...
Good stuff. I look forward to reading your insights and evaluation.

We got love for you to. Stay blessed
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
Texans training camp could be prime time for rookie S Jalen Pitre
Mark Lane
Mon, July 25, 2022 at 11:28 AM·1 min read


One Houston Texans rookie from the 2022 NFL draft class that has intrigued Clutch City sports fans is safety Jalen Pitre.

The second-rounder from Baylor graduated from nearby Stafford High School. Not only does Pitre generate fan favorite sentiments from being a local kid coming home to start his NFL career, but the 5-11, 198-pound defensive back is a welcomed infusion of youth and playmaking to the Texans’ secondary.

According to D.J. Bien-Anime, the new Texans beat writer for ESPN, Pitre will be dominating reports coming out of Houston Methodist Training Center.

Smith gave a favorable report on Pitre on June 7 during the last week of organized team activities.
“He’s been outstanding; knack for the football,” said Smith. “Has done a lot of good things.”

If the Texans are able to have the good things Pitre does in training camp translate to the regular season, it should help Houston improve upon their 25 takeaways in 2021, which were tied for the 10th-most in the NFL. The Texans were the only team with a losing record in the top-10 in takeaways. Adding Pitre allows the Texans a chance to stay in the top-10 and possibly advance further.
Click to expand...
Are you pulling our legs? Is his name really Disk Jockey Good Cartoon Porn?
 
Texans_Chick said:
Hi friends. Hurray. We have got to actual football and still exist! I am doing a driveby to share some thoughts.

First, I want to deeply thank TT folks for being my friends, teaching me things about football, internet and how it interacts with real life. Mostly, I want to thank y'all for being very supportive during times in my life that were very difficult. That is one of the best things online/in person communities do, and this one really helped me and shaped my thinking. I've had ups and downs since but the lessons I learned here and through the Texans community as a whole has helped so much.

One of the things in particular that I appreciate about TT is how their moderation guidelines made it a place I felt welcomed and comfortable. Somebody who is a Jets fan visiting our tailgate marveled at how generous, friendly and comfortable it was, and to me that is just part of our ethos as a fanbase and city. When things go south, it is usually a don't start none, won't be none situation.

Second, y'all are one of the reasons why I did the blog thing. Because of that drive to actually know what is happening in training camp, and trying to figure the tea leaves of what is observable, knowable, miscommunicated, or just a matter of opinion. I always appreciate this particular yearly thread. Doing media in person changed the way I see reports coming from camp. How it is really hard reporting on stuff where everyone wants to know stuff, but there are limitations of what is knowable, limitations on what you can see, and often limitations on what you are allowed to report on. Limitations on reportable information are designed to allow fans to know what is going on but without doing anything that could hurt winning.

Also, the blog thing has been helpful with just helping connect people to info that makes it more fun and easier to be a fan. Being able to navigate that in a semi-sane comes completely from being a member here. I am still the utopian dreamer lol, and I never want to lose that.

I haven't been writing about football for a while because (waves hands around) there were a lot of things that were preventing being heard as I intended, the team being heard as intended, fans being heard as intended, and it just turned out to be bad feelings in an era where nobody needs that, including me. Anyway, my blog posts have always been a snapshot of my thinking at a time based on observations and listening. Filtering info in both broad and narrow ways.

Here's my latest snapshot based on everything I experienced at OTAs/minicamp. Stephanie Stradley's Houston Texans training camp preview

Probably doesn't have the level of detail in it that TT craves but just some processing of things through the filters of what I've seen in recent years, and what I want to see more of.

Though I didn't put all this in there, I am devastated for Metchie. Leukemia diagnosis is a medical emergency. You go from just living your life and dreams to a doctor saying you need to drop everything and deal right away. Not really preventable like we think of prevention. Comes out of nowhere. It is very ton-of-bricks disorienting. This is a time of year where a lot of medical stuff gets found by teams because just the proximity to health care/making sure players are fully tuned up.

Anyway, what I saw of him, he wasn't allowed to participate in drills, but he carried a football everywhere with him like guys often do when all they are allowed to do is mental reps. He had a lot of eyes on him, and if you didn't know he was recovering from an ACL, you wouldn't know.

It was nice to see him at least being able to watch the drills because sometimes with rehab guys, coaches have them on another field, but him getting mental reps to me was more important. One of my pet issues is in WR drills, throwing against air, guys dropping catchable balls or not being able to see from the outside whether the drill is about them staying in bounds or going out of bounds. I really like seeing practice with purpose.

Anyway, on one rep, a young player dropped a catchable ball, a guy who likely may do some slot work. (Not mentioning the dudes name because it was just one rep and I don't want outsized attention to that, and really this is about JM3). Right after that, I saw Metchie and this WR practicing some change of direction footwork together. Metchie would show him, and the WR did it. It is hard to hear the news about him because obviously the serious nature but also he was one of those guys where all the respected football people I talked to just thought he was The Dude. There's a few players like that coming in as rookies. Watt. DeMeco. Anyway, if there is anyone to fight this, a disease not supposed to affect people his age, it is him.

Due to (thankfully) becoming an old, I have to really limit my computer time but do check back when I can. Particularly this time of year. I try to answer answerable questions on Twitter. The biggest thing I want to convey is that I know that there are a lot of people with the Texans who want things to be better between folks again. I have had those conversations. Lots of people are. Can't guarantee anything other than sharing that they want things better, and who doesn't? I got you, and y'all got me.

Love y'all, be good, LFG,

:texans chick:
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Hello Steph, you are a welcome sight. Seeing your name on a Chron.com article feels like we're getting the band back together. It's reminiscent of better times during the Kubiak era. The fanbase during that time had created a special atmosphere and culture that wouldn't be expected around such a young franchise, but it was organic and real and we really need to get back to that. The dark ages of the past seven years, and especially the past two years, had driven me and others away from the NFL. I eventually came back because I have too many friendships connected to this sport and team, and I also realized the NFL's awful leadership and politicization won't be around forever. But for Texans fans who've stuck around, our chi won't be balanced until we reignite the spirit that once permeated every watch party and home game while Kubiak was the coach. Achieving that won't even require a playoff berth, just proof the team is always improving. In other words, "hope," as you mentioned.

Personally, I (and my dad) will be grateful that you've returned to your charming stream-of-consciousness style of writing about the team, which already informs us that Cal is aware and cares about some of what I've explained above. On that matter, I'm willing to cut Cal some slack after the organization his father built was inexplicably suicide bombed from the inside by both a coach and a QB. But the sooner he can return this team to respectability, the more it will help us put the past few years, the massage scandals, poisonous contracts, political tensions, and all that other noise "into the trash," to borrow a phrase. Until then, we can be grateful that your return to Texans blogging has brought at least one star back into proper alignment for this fanbase.
 
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Brisco_County said:
Hello Steph, you are a welcome sight. Seeing your name on a Chron.com article feels like we're getting the band back together. It's reminiscent of better times during the Kubiak era. The fanbase during that time had created a special atmosphere and culture that wouldn't be expected around such a young franchise, but it was organic and real and we really need to get back to that. The dark ages of the past seven years, and especially the past two years, had driven me and others away from the NFL. I eventually came back because I have too many friendships connected to this sport and team, and I also realized the NFL's awful leadership and politicization won't be around forever. But for Texans fans who've stuck around, our chi won't be balanced until we reignite the spirit that once permeated every watch party and home game while Kubiak was the coach. Achieving that won't even require a playoff berth, just proof the team is always improving. In other words, "hope," as you mentioned.

Personally, I (and my dad) will be grateful that you've returned to your charming stream-of-consciousness style of writing about the team, which already informs us that Cal is aware and cares about some of what I've explained above. On that matter, I'm willing to cut Cal some slack after the organization his father built was inexplicably suicide bombed from the inside by both a coach and a QB. But the sooner he can return this team to respectability, the more it will help us put the past few years, the massage scandals, poisonous contracts, political tensions, and all that other noise "into the trash," to borrow a phrase. Until then, we can be grateful that your return to Texans blogging has brought at least one star back into proper alignment for this fanbase.
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Hahahah thank you. YESSSSSSS. What you are talking about is that feeling of pure and real. There are various times in the franchise where you have that feeling of connection.

Personally, what I want is more than that. I think it is possible. Mostly because Houston. We all want the same thing, and there's people who want to get us there. It's not fully right until we get our football right.
 
Glad to see TC back as well! Unlike you guys, I'm a pessimist until Janice and her clod son decide to sell and move to Beverly Hills where they can build a concrete pond and eat vittles and road kill for dinner. I wish I could be the eternal optimist, but I just can't with this org anymore, and especially with the ownership which is over the top awful. It's awful squared. Lucy can only pull the football so many times from good old Charlie before he starts to realize that Lucy has it out for him.
 
Texans_Chick said:
Personally, what I want is more than that. I think it is possible. Mostly because Houston. We all want the same thing, and there's people who want to get us there. It's not fully right until we get our football right.
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I think it's possible because we have the right QB now. Not being Pollyanna, but Mills has an uncommonly smooth throwing motion that results in exceptional ball placement when he knows where to put it. His only deficiencies were mental, which he proved were non-issues by demonstrating rapid progression through his learning curve. He's also mature and a bit stoic for his age. None of this has been adequately recognized in the media, which is fine, even great for anyone who's a sports bettor.
 
Thorn said:
I like TC's optimism on Mills. Mills though has got a tough job ahead of him this season. I don't think Tom Brady could get 8 wins out of this bunch. :lol:
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I don't see it as optimism. Just observations of what I've seen and an understanding of why they'd like to see if Mills works. I mean, if he were actually good, that would be useful for now and in the future. (You could also interpret it as Not Behaving Like Brock, Not Throwing Like (insert many) and a few others lol). I don't believe in optimism or pessimism because I get feedback telling me I'm too this or that, and usually that is just a subjective view of things based on the perception of the observer.

Pep is the wild card in all of this. There are actually some coaches that do make observable impacts on a team quickly. Really, I have a hard time evaluating. I could see why some with the team liked Tim Kelly but I thought he was over his head in his role. So I think to some degree in 2021, there was an anvil on the offense: Their plan, it seemed was bizarrely hoping that somehow 4 would come back and having an offense which was It Doesn't Work, 4 Needs To Do Something Amazing Offschedule. Makes looking at players last year and projecting to this year a little less accurate. What is a Not TK offense look like? Hopefully refreshing.

As far as the group of WRs they have, they have some big targets which are nice for young WRs (Big Ben concurs), just watching them this summer, it's obvious how Cooks stands out, but the rest seem workmanlike, and you can do stuff with that if your scheme functions and your QB deals. Nobody I saw looked completely out of their element, which hasn't always been the case some summers. IOW, I don't think this group of coaches is afraid of coaching guys up. Sometimes plans are overly ambitious that way, and we will see.

So the short version is, hmm, this is novel, it would be cool if this works, schedule seems favorable, AFC South is a bit of a suckery
 
Texans_Chick said:
I don't see it as optimism. Just observations of what I've seen and an understanding of why they'd like to see if Mills works. I mean, if he were actually good, that would be useful for now and in the future. (You could also interpret it as Not Behaving Like Brock, Not Throwing Like (insert many) and a few others lol). I don't believe in optimism or pessimism because I get feedback telling me I'm too this or that, and usually that is just a subjective view of things based on the perception of the observer.

Pep is the wild card in all of this. There are actually some coaches that do make observable impacts on a team quickly. Really, I have a hard time evaluating. I could see why some with the team liked Tim Kelly but I thought he was over his head in his role. So I think to some degree in 2021, there was an anvil on the offense: Their plan, it seemed was bizarrely hoping that somehow 4 would come back and having an offense which was It Doesn't Work, 4 Needs To Do Something Amazing Offschedule. Makes looking at players last year and projecting to this year a little less accurate. What is a Not TK offense look like? Hopefully refreshing.

As far as the group of WRs they have, they have some big targets which are nice for young WRs (Big Ben concurs), just watching them this summer, it's obvious how Cooks stands out, but the rest seem workmanlike, and you can do stuff with that if your scheme functions and your QB deals. Nobody I saw looked completely out of their element, which hasn't always been the case some summers. IOW, I don't think this group of coaches is afraid of coaching guys up. Sometimes plans are overly ambitious that way, and we will see.

So the short version is, hmm, this is novel, it would be cool if this works, schedule seems favorable, AFC South is a bit of a suckery
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Losing Metchie is really going to hurt the wr corps and Mills development if Lovie doesn't add a vet wr.
 
steelbtexan said:
Losing Metchie is really going to hurt the wr corps and Mills development if Lovie doesn't add a vet wr.
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Too early for me to say that. I need to watch the receivers more doing actual play. I'm curious to see how Nick-Lovie handle roster upgrades as camp progresses. Very much focusing on that topic. They seem to know what they want, are not afraid, and talk.
 
steelbtexan said:
Losing Metchie is really going to hurt the wr corps and Mills development if Lovie doesn't add a vet wr.
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Most of the WRs on the Texans are vets. And most of these vets have never been very good. I don't need to see Conley and Dorsett in this offense, because they've never done anything special in any offense at any point in their 6 year careers. And what are the Texans going to find in the vet WR marketplace? Guys like Conley and Dorsett whom have never been good, or guys that were once good and no longer are.

What the Texans should look for are young receivers that get squeezed out in the numbers game. It takes time for WRs to get to speed in the NFL and some teams can't afford to be patient. The Texans can afford to be patient.
 
Lucky said:
What the Texans should look for are young receivers that get squeezed out in the numbers game. It takes time for WRs to get to speed in the NFL and some teams can't afford to be patient. The Texans can afford to be patient.
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OK I like that philosophy and I dunno do we still retain the 2022 Draft order for the waiver wire, i.e. , we are #3 ?
 
Lucky said:
Most of the WRs on the Texans are vets. And most of these vets have never been very good. I don't need to see Conley and Dorsett in this offense, because they've never done anything special in any offense at any point in their 6 year careers. And what are the Texans going to find in the vet WR marketplace? Guys like Conley and Dorsett whom have never been good, or guys that were once good and no longer are.

What the Texans should look for are young receivers that get squeezed out in the numbers game. It takes time for WRs to get to speed in the NFL and some teams can't afford to be patient. The Texans can afford to be patient.
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You just described Davion Davis.

Add Beasley so he's got a vet to learn from. Problem is Beasley wants more than the vet min.
 
Texans_Chick said:
I don't see it as optimism. Just observations of what I've seen and an understanding of why they'd like to see if Mills works. I mean, if he were actually good, that would be useful for now and in the future. (You could also interpret it as Not Behaving Like Brock, Not Throwing Like (insert many) and a few others lol). I don't believe in optimism or pessimism because I get feedback telling me I'm too this or that, and usually that is just a subjective view of things based on the perception of the observer.

Pep is the wild card in all of this. There are actually some coaches that do make observable impacts on a team quickly. Really, I have a hard time evaluating. I could see why some with the team liked Tim Kelly but I thought he was over his head in his role. So I think to some degree in 2021, there was an anvil on the offense: Their plan, it seemed was bizarrely hoping that somehow 4 would come back and having an offense which was It Doesn't Work, 4 Needs To Do Something Amazing Offschedule. Makes looking at players last year and projecting to this year a little less accurate. What is a Not TK offense look like? Hopefully refreshing.

As far as the group of WRs they have, they have some big targets which are nice for young WRs (Big Ben concurs), just watching them this summer, it's obvious how Cooks stands out, but the rest seem workmanlike, and you can do stuff with that if your scheme functions and your QB deals. Nobody I saw looked completely out of their element, which hasn't always been the case some summers. IOW, I don't think this group of coaches is afraid of coaching guys up. Sometimes plans are overly ambitious that way, and we will see.

So the short version is, hmm, this is novel, it would be cool if this works, schedule seems favorable, AFC South is a bit of a suckery
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Again, thank you for giving us the boost that it's more than just a dream that for the first time in a long time, ownership, coaches and players are all coming together with the ultimate goal of developing a winning team. While the rest of the NFL world are in lockstep predicting the same old same old from the Texans,
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NFL futures, odds: Houston Texans are favorites to be the worst team in football
Pete Truszkowski
Thu, July 28, 2022 at 12:47 PM·7 min read
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the Texans and most of us are opening ourselves to the coming of much better things.

TC, don't be a stranger! Your sunshine is better medicine than I can supply.
 
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