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2023 Houston Texans Off Season Programs

Throughout the offseason, coach DeMeco Ryans has rotated Stroud and incumbent Davis Mills with the first-team offense. Tuesday was Stroud’s day to lead the unit. Mills is expected to lead the first-team offense Wednesday.


But Ryans didn’t seem worried with Stroud’s misses.


“The best thing I’ve seen about C.J. with his improvement and his growth is he doesn’t make the same mistake twice,” Ryans said. “He learns from his mistakes, he puts those behind him and he finds a way to continue to improve and get better.


“That’s what being a pro is, and C.J. is definitely heading into the right direction when it comes to that.”


One such example was after he missed an open receiver in 11-on-11 drills. On the next play, Stroud hit Nico Collins on an out route that went for a 25-yard score. It was one of his more impressive throws of the day.


As of now, Stroud and Mills are 1A and 1B on the depth chart. Ryans has not declared either his starter. When asked how long he planned to continue to rotate the quarterbacks, Ryans indicated that it would likely continue in training camp.


“As the competition continues to grow, we’ll see who separates themselves,” Ryans said. “The decision will take care of itself.”


At some point during training camp, Stroud is expected to emerge as the starter. The Texans drafted him No. 2 overall because they were unhappy with their quarterback play since trading Deshaun Watson last year.


But that Ryans and his coaching staff are making this a competition points to the front office’s earlier points that Stroud will have to earn the starter role. Throughout the offseason, Stroud has been impressive.


He’s shown an ability to go through his progressions and be patient and make the smart play. During the portions of practice open to the media, he also hasn’t turned the ball over. The Texans were second in the NFL with 28 turnovers last season, including 19 interceptions.


But the most important thing will be whether he can lead his teammates and his command of the offense. That comes with time. But the early signs look good.


“C.J. doesn’t look, he doesn’t sound, he doesn’t practice, he doesn’t study like a rookie,” veteran quarterback Case Keenum told the Chronicle. “I’ve learned some stuff from him and how he groups his notes, and how he studies. Obviously he’s physically talented, but I think mentally and emotionally, he’s very mature as well.”

Other highlights from practice

• Center Scott Quessenberry started with the first team at center. The veteran, who signed a contract extension with the Texans this offseason, is battling with rookie Juice Scruggs, who took second-team snaps. Quessenberry started all but one game in 2022 when then-starter Justin Britt unexpectedly took a leave of absence after playing the season opener. Scruggs has filled in some with the first-team offense at left guard while starter Kenyon Green has missed time after undergoing an arthroscopic knee procedure. On this day, Michael Dieter took first-team snaps at left guard.


• Running back Dameon Pierce, Green, and safety Jimmie Ward were among the starters not at practice Tuesday. Minicamp is mandatory. But a spokesperson said Pierce was sick. Green is injured. And when asked about Ward’s absence and whether he expected him back Wednesday, Ryans said “Jimmy is fine.”


• Inside linebacker Denzel Perryman has been limited since returning to practice. Linebacker Christian Kirksey practiced with the first team, along with Christian Harris and rookie Henry To’oto’o.


• Cornerback Steven Nelson, who is looking for a new deal, showed up to mandatory minicamp.


• Left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who was not at voluntary OTAs, was back for mandatory minicamp. In March, he signed the richest contract for a left tackle in NFL history.


• Rookie Will Anderson Jr. worked mostly with the second-team defense on drills, but he’s another player who has impressed the coaching staff and his teammates. On the two-minute drills, Anderson swatted one of Stroud’s passes. Stroud and the offense were unable to gain any more yardage, but kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn hit a 60-yard field goal.


“One thing about Will, he’s been the same guy who we thought we were getting when we drafted him, right?” Ryans said. “He’s been on it every single day. When it comes to just the effort, the tenacity that he plays with, the energy, everything about him, he’s been that and more.”


• Mills saw some success against the second-team defense. He was accurate with his passes, including completing five consecutive passes in a two-minute drill. The drive stalled, but ended with Fairbairn hitting a 42-yard field goal.
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www.houstonchronicle.com

C.J. Stroud's minicamp misfires not a concern for Texans coach

As the Texans began a two-day minicamp, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud had his ups and downs, but nothing that concerned coach DeMeco Ryans.
www.houstonchronicle.com www.houstonchronicle.com
 
Was he supposed to say what a sorry bunch of losers? I mean we can all see it's the weakest group on the team, especially at the top.

There's not even a slight, remote chance that anyone on this team becomes a true badass #1 receiver. I'm not even convinced there is a solid Robin to someone else's Batman.

I see a lot of ok, alright, good depth, he's a #3 or #4, etc. It's a deep group, but that's damning with faint praise. You've got a bunch of guys that can make a roster but who are you going to when the chips are down and you need a play?

Job #1 in the 24 offseason is to go get a true #1 WR. This will help CJ immensely next year.
 
Porky said:
Was he supposed to say what a sorry bunch of losers? I mean we can all see it's the weakest group on the team, especially at the top.

There's not even a slight, remote chance that anyone on this team becomes a true badass #1 receiver. I'm not even convinced there is a solid Robin to someone else's Batman.

I see a lot of ok, alright, good depth, he's a #3 or #4, etc. It's a deep group, but that's damning with faint praise. You've got a bunch of guys that can make a roster but who are you going to when the chips are down and you need a play?

Job #1 in the 24 offseason is to go get a true #1 WR. This will help CJ immensely next year.
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And you were sure about so much else this offseason that's been spot on right?
 
BattleRedBlud said:
The Panthers org made that decision to appease the media, fans. Whereas the Texans are allowing the position to be earned.
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Been down that path and it didn’t work out. But I understand. Now if CJ doesn’t start and we start the season off losing with Mills. A lot of fans and the media will be pissed. Then you will have the usual suspects gloating about how he couldn’t beat out a QB who was a bottom dweller. Oh how it was a wasted pick.
 
Texansballer74 said:
Been down that path and it didn’t work out. But I understand. Now if CJ doesn’t start and we start the season off losing with Mills. A lot of fans and the media will be pissed. Then you will have the usual suspects gloating about how he couldn’t beat out a QB who was a bottom dweller. Oh how it was a wasted pick.
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On the other hand, we need to remember that Mills were in the WCO at Stanford (even when he redshirted or sat on the bench, he can still learn the plays and playbook).

Keenum held off the no. 1 pick Jared Goff for 9 games.
Had the Rams performed better than 4-5, Goff would have been on the bench even longer.

On the other hand, we all know about Savage and Watson.
 
C.J. Stroud leaves behind two contrasting images as the Texans break for the summer: promising precision and familiar disaster.


The No. 2 overall pick, the quarterback who was drafted to uplift Houston’s miserable offense, ended his first offseason with aplomb Wednesday. He completed six of eight passes with the first-team offense during a two-minute drill that concluded with veteran tight end Dalton Schultz leaping to snag an 18-yard touchdown reception in the middle of the end zone.


It’s a best-case connection the Texans believe can become frequent between Stroud and Schultz, the rookie and his dependable security blanket. But they’d previously combined for a defensive score. In a blur of apparent miscommunication during an 11-on-11 drill, Schultz stopped on a route Stroud overshot. Eric Murray, Houston’s reserve safety, stretched to intercept the pass, tumbled, rolled and returned the pick for a defensive touchdown.


Such were the plays that summoned Stroud. Davis Mills, who threw three pick-sixes in 2022, finds himself competing for the starting job due to his inaccuracies. Stroud, whose strength is his precision, will supplant Mills in 2023 so long as he delivers his trademark throws. The Texans expect their rookie to make mistakes. They somewhat welcome them. Stroud knows he must overcome them to become QB1.


“For a quarterback, you have to have a short memory,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “You can’t let one bad play become three bad plays. Put that behind you. You’ve got to make some bad plays. But as long as it doesn’t matriculate into other bad plays, I’m fine with that, right? To see him, see his resolve, see the way he was able to come back, compete, drive the offense down for a touchdown there at the end of practice was pretty cool.”


Stroud did dazzle with downfield passes the Texans lacked in their last two seasons. He gunned a 19-yard pass over the middle to Nico Collins, who absorbed a hit from Jalen Pitre. The second-year safety dislodged a pass from Collins on Tuesday. This, too, was promising for a team that averaged the second-fewest yards per attempt last season (6.3). First-time offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is attempting to finally maximize the potential general manager Nick Caserio saw in the 6-4, 215-pound Collins, who’s missed 10 games in the last two seasons.


Mills had a lukewarm day himself. He spent the week with the second-team offense, and on Wednesday, he lofted a 15-yard pass to Tank Dell along the left sideline that fit just over the shoulder of nickel safety Tavierre Thomas. Mills slung a 44-yard completion to Alex Bachman, who hasn’t yet logged an NFL catch, with linebacker Jake Hansen, an undrafted free agent in 2022, giving chase.


But Mills finished the summer by stalling with the second-team offense in his two-minute drill. He hurled a long fourth-down pass that was almost intercepted by safety M.J. Stewart. The coaching staff respotted the ball at the 17, gave the unit another series, and it again turned it over on downs. Reserve linemen Derek Rivers and Byron Cowart both chased down Mills with would-be sacks in contact football.


Ryans’ recent rhetoric projects a quarterback battle. It’d be lost if Mills wins. There is only one offseason asset higher than the No. 2 overall pick, and after selecting Stroud, general manager Nick Caserio parted with one of Houston’s two 2024 first-round picks to trade up for Will Anderson Jr. at No. 3. There is no greater task than Stroud’s development for a regime that’s under pressure to finally produce wins.

Views that Sting: Derek Stingley Jr. foreshadowed what may be to come from the 2022 No. 3 overall pick in the new defensive scheme. He matched up man-on-man with Collins during 7-on-7s, and when Stroud launched a go-route to Collins along the right sideline, Stingley leaped with significant vertical to deflect the deep shot incomplete. Newly signed Shaq Griffin played opposite Stingley this week. Steven Nelson, last year’s starter, wasn’t with the team during voluntary workouts but returned for mandatory minicamp.


Open season at wide receiver: Robert Woods, 31, is still showcasing some burst in his routes. On the first play of 7-on-7 drills with the first team, he separated from Griffin for a reception on a quick crosser. Woods found open space again two plays later on a hitch. There isn’t much proven depth at the position, so unlikely contributors have rare opportunities. Combinations of trios rotated with both the first-team and second-team squads. Bachman, a 6-foot, 190-pound veteran, has yet to record a catch in five seasons. He's battled for roster spots with the Rams and Giants, and he logged a career-high 30 offensive snaps in New York in 2021. He rotated with the first-team offense Wednesday, dropped a short pass from Stroud during 7-on-7, and then, with outstretched arms while on the run, caught his 44-yard pass from Mills (with linebacker Jake Hansen giving chase) with the second-team offense during 11-on-11 drills.


Not yet the time for the line: Anderson continues to see most of his snaps with the second-team defense. He rotated in with the first-team squad Tuesday and swatted a sideways pass from Stroud incomplete. On Wednesday, he pressured Mills on what seemed would’ve been a sack under full-contact rules. The Texans’ upcoming joint training camp practices with the Dolphins and Saints will better hone and display Anderson’s development.


Still questions along the offensive interior: There are no questions who’ll start at left tackle (Laremy Tunsil), right tackle (Tytus Howard) or right guard (Shaq Mason). Kenyon Green, Houston’s No. 15 overall pick in 2022, underwent a minor offseason knee operation and has missed the spring and summer workouts. When asked about expectations for Green in training camp, Ryans said the Texans will have to wait and see where the left guard is in his recovery at that point. His absence is alarming. Because he missed the majority of the 2022 preseason with a concussion, Green’s development was hindered in a rookie season in which he surrendered the fourth-most pressures (47) among the league’s guards, according to Pro Football Focus. Missing more time certainly isn’t optimal. Michael Deiter, a utility lineman in four seasons with the Dolphins, was the left guard with the first team Wednesday. Scott Quessenberry remains the starting center. He’ll be challenged by draftees Juice Scruggs and Jarrett Patterson. Scruggs, a second-round pick, played left guard on the second-team offense with Patterson, a sixth-round pick, at center. Both have taken snaps at center during offseason workouts.
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www.houstonchronicle.com

Texans minicamp takeaways: C.J. Stroud, others have their moments

The rookie QB capped workouts with superb execution in the two-minute drill, and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. gave hints he might be in a for a big year.
www.houstonchronicle.com www.houstonchronicle.com
 
Texansballer74 said:
Been down that path and it didn’t work out. But I understand. Now if CJ doesn’t start and we start the season off losing with Mills. A lot of fans and the media will be pissed. Then you will have the usual suspects gloating about how he couldn’t beat out a QB who was a bottom dweller. Oh how it was a wasted pick.
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Truth hurts

This doesn't mean it's a wasted pick. It means Stroud is dumb and couldn't learn the offense well enough to beat out the 30th ranked QB. Hopefully he's just a slow learner if things turn out the way you're describing.
 
zshawn10 said:
The Panthers traded a crap ton of picks and more including their really underrated #1 WR in DJ Moore to get BY so I hope he's going to be their starter going forward

EDIT: I am just being cheeky; hope it wasn't mean
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Young's a smart guy. He can figure out how to operate an NFL offense in short order. Stroud, we'll see.
 
Lucky said:
Both are new to this offense. I think the experience difference is overstated and trumped by talent.
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I simply don't get those who think a third-round project with two years of not consistently showing any bright spots is going to outplay and outperform the #2 pick that started 25 games at a blue chip school, simply because of a new offense.

As someone already stated, Mills (or Keenum) only start if Stroud bombs. Neither have the talent level to outplay him.

And I know the coming responses... "we aren't saying he will, but we are saying he should" type of philosophical argument.

Listen, if my aunt had junk she'd be my uncle. But she doesn't.
 
sandman said:
I simply don't get those who think a third-round project with two years of not consistently showing any bright spots is going to outplay and outperform the #2 pick that started 25 games at a blue chip school, simply because of a new offense.

As someone already stated, Mills (or Keenum) only start if Stroud bombs. Neither have the talent level to outplay him.

And I know the coming responses... "we aren't saying he will, but we are saying he should" type of philosophical argument.

Listen, if my aunt had junk she'd be my uncle. But she doesn't.
Click to expand...

A lot of this has to do with how smart Stroud is and how quickly he can pickup the offense.

Dont you just love Stroud fans who in one breath will say he's going to be a top QB in one breath and then tell you to lower your expectations in another breath. I guess this is to be expected by some fans who are covering their butts if Stroud struggles to learn the offense.
 
sandman said:
I simply don't get those who think a third-round project with two years of not consistently showing any bright spots is going to outplay and outperform the #2 pick that started 25 games at a blue chip school, simply because of a new offense.

As someone already stated, Mills (or Keenum) only start if Stroud bombs. Neither have the talent level to outplay him.

And I know the coming responses... "we aren't saying he will, but we are saying he should" type of philosophical argument.

Listen, if my aunt had junk she'd be my uncle. But she doesn't.
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My reason for wanting to start anyone other than Stroud has nothing to do with anyone being better or more talented than Stroud.

It's about not knowing if Slowick is any good or if he's going to be like Lombardi or Mike Lafleur.

I wouldn't have drafted a QB for that reason. But we did, so now we have to hope for the best.
 
steelbtexan said:
I guess this is to be expected by some fans who are covering their butts if Stroud struggles to learn the offense.
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No one is saying lower your expectations. They're saying this is year 1 of the redux of the redux rebuild. Expectations should be 6-8 games. That's "lifting" expectations.

In a 16 game season, imo. 17 game season we should expect 7-9 wins. Which is basically 10 games, so I think we're saying the same thing.
 
thunderkyss said:
My reason for wanting to start anyone other than Stroud has nothing to do with anyone being better or more talented than Stroud.

It's about not knowing if Slowick is any good or if he's going to be like Lombardi or Mike Lafleur.

I wouldn't have drafted a QB for that reason. But we did, so now we have to hope for the best.
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The Texans never draft the way I think they should. The Texans have never really been a good team. Therefore, I am smarter than the Texans. :splits:
 
www.houstontexans.com

Most intriguing Texans for training camp | Ultimate 11

Team Analyst/Radio Sideline Reporter John Harris described which 11 players he's most intrigued to watch during training camp later this summer.
www.houstontexans.com www.houstontexans.com

1. WR Nico Collins - Since his last season at Michigan in 2019, Nico has only played 24 football games as a result of COVID and injuries. He's tired of talking about that as he noted in his press conference last week and wants to truly show what he can do when he's healthy. I'm on that train, too. I'm a firm believer that if Nico can stack days, and weeks, of consistent healthy performances, he will reach levels that many haven't expected.
 
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