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Early Camp News

Ibar_Harry

Ibar_Harry

All Pro
There have been a lot of generalizations, but no real comments so far on the camp and the players. Some have been speculating on DD and his weight, but there have been no comments about AJ, DD or Carr. Is 610 going to run anything locally on a daily basis or will it be hit or miss? Again I think we are all hungry to hear about how things look. Isn't the 1st session over with by now? Things like was BJ, Earl and others who are coming off of inuries able to run. Gosh there is so much most of us would like to know, but it seems like there is very little feedback.
 
For the most part, no news is good news coming out of the first days of camp because injuries and holdouts are usually the only newsworthy items early in camp.
 
I believe this is the first day of actual practices, you have to give it a little time
for events to occur before there is anything to report.
 
The players checked in yesterday and camp starts today. Something has to actually happen before anyone can report something.
 
There are some slides up on the Texans web site of the 1st session. Kind of interesting that they featured the younger players. Only David shown running to his left. He looks a little heavy to me. Armstrong seemed to be the featured player with photos of Wand, Robinson, and others. Glenn was shown trying to cool off. They have indicated more coverage is to follow.
 
BJ has been placed on the PUP list, so he won't be participating in camp. Only film and classroom. As far as in depth coverage...check out www.houstonprofootball.com on Sunday, where they are starting a training camp notebook.
 
Ibar_Harry said:
There are some slides up on the Texans web site of the 1st session.
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Did you notice the pic of Dunta about to drop his shoulder & lower the boom on poor Armsrong? It didn't look like they were supposed to be "live". Someone forgot to tell Mr. Robinson. Dunta needs the Dolphins to get here quick before he puts a hurt on one of his teammates. :)
 
If BJ is already PUPed then that is news. That's a negative already as it looked like he would be competing this year. I would say its highly unlikely he will play again if that's the case.
 
Ibar_Harry said:
If BJ is already PUPed then that is news. That's a negative already as it looked like he would be competing this year. I would say its highly unlikely he will play again if that's the case.
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Competing for what??? He was going on the practice squad. And if he played most of the college season with a torn ACL, I think he can come back after they fixed it...
 
According to the front page, Joppru was placed on the physically unable to perform list today.
This is really unfortunate, I was looking forward to watching him compete.
Wonder if he will ever play again?
 
We should have drafted Jason Witten. I thought he was a better TE coming out of Tennessee. Now, he's going to star with Dallas, and was pick lower than Joppru. :confused:
 
That is too bad. I was hoping to not have to rely on Bruener. Looks like Walker, Symons and Joppru are lost till week 6. Big news for Walker and Joppru but Symons was expected.
Joppru heads PUP list
By Carter Toole
HoustonTexans.com

Between their first two training camp practices, the Texans placed three players on the Physically Unable to Perform list Saturday.

The Texans drafted Joppru in the second round of the 2003 draft.
Heading the list is second-year tight end Bennie Joppru, who missed all of his rookie season with a groin injury. Joppru participated in all of the team's off-season work but re-injured his groin since the Texans broke mini-camp on June 16.

Thus, Joppru has been placed on the Active/Non-Football Injury list. Quarterback B.J. Symons was also placed on that list since his knee injury occurred during his senior season at Texas Tech. The Texans drafted Symons in the seventh round of this year's draft.

Strong safety Ramon Walker, who injured his left knee in the Texans' Nov. 30 win over Atlanta last season, was placed on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list. Walker, one of the team's top special teams players, is entering his third season.

All three players still count on the team's active list. A roster decision must be made on Joppru, Symons and Walker by the mandatory cutdown to 65 players on Aug. 31, two days before Houston's final preseason game. Any player on PUP can't be activated until after Week 6, which would be the Texans' Oct. 17 game at Tennessee.
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Yea, I just saw the same thing on the Web site.

Some others with medical knowledge had said this was a very bad injury that doesn't respond all that well to treatment. I would say this is pretty negative news for him and the Texans. May be its slight, however, but it doesn't look good.
 
I was talking about BJ Symmons and Joppru.

Actually I was only talking about Symmons...the Joppru thing is new to me. Sucks to see this happen. Now its only Bruener and Miller.
 
What is wrong with Walker?? I know he's coming off an injury, but that is very bad news for the special teams and secondary.
 
I hope this is not a continuing trend. If we continue to have a lot of injuries, then I would say we need to look at the training regement. Seems BJ did it between the minicamp and training camp. May be he was trying to hard.
 
We will always have injuries because the NFL is brutal. Lack of depth is one of the main reasons expansion teams don't do well. In year 3 we are just now getting to the point where we are two-deep everywhere.
 
All right, now let's panic and go get Winslow. :D Now I am hysterical.

Seriously though, this stinks. It does not kill our club by any means, but you just hate to see a guy trying to come back from an injury, struggling like this.

As far as " we should have taken Witten". That's fine if you are saying that from a talent perspective, but it's not like we drafted Bennie knowing that he was injured, he was injured with the Texans, could have just as easily happened to Witten had we taken him as opposed to Joppru.
 
Walker tore his ACL late in the season last year. Seth Payne tore his ACL in week 2, and there is talk of him being ready by the regular season opener. Goes to show you that it takes quite a lot of time to recover from that sort of injury. Granted Payne had complications that increased his recovery time, but still Walker will need every bit of that time to recover.
 
V what happens in BJ's case if he is PUPed? They indicate that the player can not be activated until the 6th reqular game. Is that if they are PUPed after the end of the preseason games or does that apply now and they must decide whether to keep the player by the end of preseason?
 
Ibar_Harry said:
V what happens in BJ's case if he is PUPed? They indicate that the player can not be activated until the 6th reqular game. Is that if they are PUPed after the end of the preseason games or does that apply now and they must decide whether to keep the player by the end of preseason?
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I'm a bit hazy on this myself but I will look it up for us all if someone else doesn't come forth with a clear understanding. I think there is an active PUP list and a reserve PUP list. If you are on the reserve list you are ineligible to practice or play for 6 regular season games. If you are on the active list you can practice. I'm not sure how they count against the rosters differently. After the six weeks the team has to include you in the active roster or release you.
 
The news of Joppru is very disappointing for the fact that it will be almost a year and half before we get to see a second rounder play besides Jabar Gaffney and Tony Hollings, both of whom have been less than spectacular. However, this should be Jabar's breakout year, if he is going to really breakout or if he is going to just fill the role of a solid #3. From the training camp interview with Gaffney I heard on the TV, Gaffney sounds determined to make the most of the opportunity and wants people to start talking about him rather than Bradford. From the looks of the Texans website slideshow, Derrick Armstrong is getting some time and being successful, so Gaffney and Bradford better watch out.

As far as Joppru, the lingering groin injury probably left little confidence with the coaches and is likely why they went after Bruener, in retrospect, during the offseason (among other reasons I am sure, such as veteran leadership and proven blocking ability to complement the receiving/no blocking Billy Miller). Although, unless Bruener starts showing himself to be a good receiver (something that has not historically been his stong suit), he will telegraph the run as much as when we sent Seth Wand (who displayed some guns in the slideshow) in at tightend last season (OK, perhaps that is a bit much, but Bruener does not provide the dual threat that Joppru would supposedly exhibit-if we were to see him play). The omission of Joppru will not leave a glaringly obvious hole in our offense but he would still be a nice addtion and provide some new energy/flexibility to the offense when he hopefully returns the first part of the season.

It will be nice to one day see if he can live up to expectations. Right now, disappointing.
 
Pretty much what CND said would happen, re-injured it. (he's an MD) If I were betting this one I would bet that Bennie is pretty much done and that sucks big time. I was looking forward to him coming back. Sure hope I lose this bet.
 
OK this might not be as bad as it seems. According to several media sources, the Pats have also placed Rosevelt Colvin on the active PUP list. The other PUP list is the reserve list. The difference being that a player placed on the reserve list can't play or practice for the 1st 6 weeks of the season, but a player on the active list can still make it back by Aug. 31. From the North Adams Transcript:
FOXBORO -- New England Patriots linebacker Rosevelt Colvin, who missed most of last year with a broken left hip, has been placed on the team's physically unable to perform list, the Boston Herald reported Tuesday.

The move means Colvin, who injured his hip in the second game of last season, will not practice in pads or take part in contact drills when the defending Super Bowl champions begin training camp Thursday at Gillette Stadium. It does not, however, mean that Colvin will miss regular-season games.

The linebacker was placed on the active physically unable to perform list, rather than the reserve physically unable to perform list. Had be been placed on the reserve list, he would have been ineligible to practice or play for the first six games of the regular season.

Players may be taken off the active physically unable to perform list at any point of training camp.
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So "Keep Hope Alive", if you will. Joppru may make it back by the beginning of the season. We'll have to wait until the Texans have something further to say.
 
Ditto Texansbacker. I'm dissapointed with Joppru too. It may not be all that serious so we dont need to just to any hasty conclusions. It may just be a tweek and he'd be back into the line up in 30 days. But either way it sucks. I want him to play.

On a side note I like the Joppru pick in 03. Anyone who says otherwise simply does not understand personell. He was very impressive in workouts and in the senior bowl (I think that that is where the Texans coaches discovered him) How can you predict if a player will be injured going into the season? He certainly wasn't injured when they drafted him. To say that it was a wasted pick is just nonsense. Bennie still has an incredible upside to him.

That leaves me without saying that I am worried that this will be something that he'll be dealing with for his entire career. :hmmm:
 
Both BJ's were placed on a different list than Walker. What you said might be true about Walker, but I'm not certain about both BJ's. It did say on the web site that Symms threw the ball today, but I'm not certain what the role was. This stuff is so technical.
 
Ibar_Harry said:
Both BJ's were placed on a different list than Walker. What you said might be true about Walker, but I'm not certain about both BJ's.
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All three players are on the "active" PUP list, so they are all still eligible to play at the start of the regular season right now. The Texan won't have to make a decision on that until August 31st, when they would either be placed on the active roster, placed on the reserve PUP list, or placed on injured reserve.
 
go to texanstalk.com forums, i did a nice little write up that had what i liked/didnt like at each position along with other notes
 
Dadgummit, that is really unfortunant for Bennie Joppu. I know the kid was really looking forward to competing and playing this year. Dare I ask how Seth Payne's rebuilt knee is coming along, for fear of jinxing him too? eek:
 
texansfan88 said:
go to texanstalk.com forums, i did a nice little write up that had what i liked/didnt like at each position along with other notes
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I read your practice report and I really liked it. Feel free to share anything else you might come up with, as well. I like your interviews on nfldraftblitz.com, also (Matt Jansen, columnist). Keep up the good work and keep us informed. :)
 
Re. Joppru reinjuring his groin, I feel bad for the team and us fans, but I feel terrible for Bennie. That has to be unbelievably disappointing and frustrating for
a young man in his situation - just wanting to have the opportunity to initially compete and then make the active roster and perhaps ultimately start for the Texans. I remember personally in HS (we are talking many decades ago), missing
virtually a whole Track season from a groin injury. So I knew they could be serious, but did not realize they could potentially end an NFL players career.
This must be more than an ordinary groin pull, which cancertainly be serious enough.
 
nunusguy said:
Re. Joppru reinjuring his groin, I feel bad for the team and us fans, but I feel terrible for Bennie. That has to be unbelievably disappointing and frustrating for
a young man in his situation - just wanting to have the opportunity to initially compete and then make the active roster and perhaps ultimately start for the Texans.
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I feel bad for him because he cant play and he is still going to have to carry Billy Miller's stuff around. Poor soul....
 
Keith of HPF.com has uploaded his take on the Texans 1st practice of training camp.
10:09 – More 11-on-11. Wade creates a nice hole for Davis. The running back is showing the same cut and burst he had a year ago.

Whoa! Babin just kicked in an awesome speed blitz. Hollings was too slow to pick him up, but it’s tough to blame him. Babin’s got some jets.

Hollings then runs into traffic on his next carry, losing his helmet on his way down. The intensity is definitely up by this point of the practice.
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Man, that sounds great. Can't wait to get out there!
 
Ramon Walker going on the PUP is not a surprise. He's less than 8 months off ACL surgery.

Time to move on at TE. Joppy may never realize his dream and we may never see what he can do. Hope like HELL that Aaron Glenn doesn't also reinjure -- he's a high risk, so I'm told.

-----------------------------------------

AP article by Mark Babinek from the San Jose Mercury News:

Texans look for Bradford to go deep more in 2004

MARK BABINECK
Associated Press

HOUSTON - Corey Bradford's streaking catch between two defenders down the left sideline on the first day of training camp didn't go unnoticed.

In fact, considering his disuse last season, it was kind of an event.

"It was nice to see David Carr hit Corey Bradford on a deep throw up the field. It's something we're putting a lot of emphasis on this season," coach Dom Capers said Saturday after Houston's first workout of camp.

"We think we've got the speed and we know we've got the quarterback to get it there and we can make some big plays down the field. It's nice to come out here in the first practice and see that happen, because it didn't happen enough last season."

And how.

Bradford, whose blazing speed prompted the Texans to sign him away from Green Bay before their 2002 expansion season, has averaged a staggering 48.1 yards on his team-high 10 touchdown catches. His 16.8-yard average overall is second best in the league over the past two seasons.

His problem isn't quality, it's quantity. He caught 24 balls last year for an average of just 1 1/2 per game.

"I get paid all this money to try to perform," said Bradford, heading into the last season of a three-year, $5.25 million deal. "Reporters, fans, say, 'Y'all are going to make all that money and you're not doing anything.'

"Hey, you can't do anything if you don't have the opportunity to do it."

Even with David Carr incurring an NFL record 76 sacks and running for his life on several other plays, he managed to connect with Bradford 45 times for 697 yards and six scores in 2002.

Last season, with a better line and No. 3 overall draft pick Andre Johnson attracting attention at the other receiver slot, Bradford seemed in line for a big year.

Instead Bradford, the former sprinter who didn't play college football until his senior year at Jackson State, seemingly became missing in action after a 78-yard TD catch in Houston's opening day upset at Miami. He finished with four TDs and 460 yards.

The drought led the seventh-year veteran to be wistful about what might be.

"Sometimes I wonder how it would feel if I got 75 balls in a season, just to see how many yards, how many touchdowns I'd have," Bradford said.

That would come out to 1,260 yards based upon his averages as a Texan, which would have put him seventh on the receiving production list last season.

Until he gets a chance to do more, Bradford vows to produce as much as he can given the chance.

"When I do get the ball, it'll be a first down, touchdown or a big play. That's the way I look at it," Bradford said. "I know when I touch the ball, something will happen. I don't even need a step - just put it in my hands and I'll make something happen every time."

NOTES:@ TE Bennie Joppru's second season is getting off much like his first, and that's not good. The Texans put him on the active physically unable to perform list Saturday because Joppru injured his groin just before camp. He had the groin surgically repaired last summer and missed his entire rookie season. "It's tough, it's tough for Bennie. He's got to try to get it healthy and we've got to pick up and move on," coach Dom Capers said. Joining Joppru on the PUP list were two expected names, S Ramon Walker and QB B.J. Symons, both of whom are recovering from knee surgery. The move gives the Texans six weeks into the regular season before deciding whether to activate them or shelve them for good. ... The Texans will conduct their two-a-day sessions outdoors and their one-practice sessions indoors throughout training camp to give players a break from the notorious Houston heat. Last season, Capers kept his team outside as much as possible to prepare for the balmy season opener at Miami, which Houston won 21-20.
 
well if you read keith weiland's coverage of the training camp on hpf it sounds like we have a couple of jems in our mints...he makes several references to RB jason anderson as being a quick shifty runner like DD...other players having a good first day of training camp were:

babin, norris, ragone, and wade...robinson has quick feet while jammal lord is still learning...weary is still jumping off-sides...and lekkekkekker is showing some promise

guys who were having some trouble were sloan thomas...catching the ball with his body not hands...and mckinney who sat out the afternoon practice...yet no injury was claimed?...interesting

if you want more just go to www.houstonprofootball.com they got everything
 
Apparently Steve has a hamstring injury. Found this at houstonchronicle.com.

McKinney hurt
Center Steve McKinney was held out of the evening workout because of a hamstring injury and will undergo an MRI as a precaution. McKinney said the injury might keep him out of a couple of practices, but he was not overly concerned about it being serious.

Right guard Zach Wiegert also was held out of the evening practice because of an infection on his left elbow. Rookie safety Glenn Earl, who is recovering from knee surgery, practiced during the morning workout only.

Texans coach Dom Capers will decide whether Earl will participate in both practices during two-a-days.

"It depends on how his knee feels," Capers said. "This first week, we want to be cautious."
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Texans Notebook
 
I didn't realize we were in the midst of "Babin Mania." Apparently Kalamazoo thinks so.....


»from the Kalamazoo Gazette

Broncos News

Babin-mania cookin' in Texas Texans, fans have high hopes for Paw Paw product

Sunday, August 1, 2004
By Scott Jungman
sjungman@kalamazoogazette.com

Maybe it's the tattoos. Or that big, fat, six-year, $8 million contract.

There's got to be some reason why Paw Paw native and former Western Michigan University defensive end Jason Babin has already become the toast of Houston -- before the Texans' camp even began Saturday in Houston.

The 27th overall pick in this year's National Football League Draft has suddenly been swept up in Babin-mania. His rookie bubble-gum card, which currently retails for around $30, sold like sirloin steaks in Texas, prompting the card maker to snatch the final 30 available for Babin to sign.

Out in public, Babin's life has become even more surreal.

Babin-mania cookin' in Texas

"Every time I go out, no matter where it is, people always ask me for my autograph, or a picture, or something," Babin said. "It's kind of funny, though. It's just like, 'Hey, I haven't played a down yet, you know? I could wind up being a nobody.'

"But, for some reason, the people here seem to gravitate to me."

Perhaps it's because WMU's all-time leader in quarterback sacks (38) is expected to be one of the saviors of a Texans defense -- ranked the second worst in the NFL last season -- that made Houston football fans cringe. They are the same fans from that football-crazed state who yearn for a true superstar to finally emerge from their third-year expansion team.

"Whether everybody's watching, or nobody's watching, I'd still be doing the same thing," Babin said. "I don't feel any added pressure from the attention."

The Texans organization sure seems confident Babin can be that superstar. They traded away three lower draft picks to move up and snag the two-time Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year in the first round. He was instantly named a starter -- at the unfamiliar position of outside linebacker, no less.

"The one thing (Babin) did show to us in college was his outside pass-rush ability, which is key to that position for us," said Vic Fangio, the Texans' defensive coordinator and Babin's position coach. "I thought he had the ability to stand on his feet and play like a linebacker. I thought he had enough athletic ability to be a guy in pass coverage. I like his intensity, the attitude, the passion he plays the game for."

Houston wasted no time and signed Babin on for five years, with an optional sixth, and threw him a $2.2 million signing bonus -- which helped supply the NFL rookie and his fiance a big house in Texas' biggest town.

That money alone was enough to keep Babin busy this summer.

"I don't think I've had enough time to really even think about getting homesick," Babin said. "When we first got down here, I had practice and all that stuff. Now that we've got the house, we've been running around like crazy, trying to pick out furniture, drapes, silverware, yard people, getting the phones in our name, everything. It's been non-stop every day."

Babin said he was a little nervous the first day around his new defensive tutor, Fangio, who has 10 seasons of experience as an NFL defensive coordinator. But the two quickly developed a good relationship.

"My coach is the coordinator, so there would obviously be a lot of scrutiny on him and on myself," Babin said. "But he's a guy that talks to you all the time. He'll pull you aside and really explain the details of what's going on. He definitely knows what he's doing and he was real patient with me and the transition."

"He may not be ready today, but at the end of the camp I think he will be," Fangio said.

For Babin, training camp will be nothing shocking. He's already participated in 24 team practices since being drafted last spring and showed off the same hard-work, lunch-pail attitude he showed for five years in Kalamazoo.

"I saw Jason last weekend and asked him if he was getting excited with training camp coming up and all that," said Jim Babin, Jason's dad. "And he says, 'Naw, I'm just getting ready to go to work.' "

"I like the way (Babin) plays the game and approaches the game," Fangio said. "He has a passion that, to me, is part of a quality of only some guys in this league. Some guys have it and some guys don't. I think as he gets more comfortable, that will maybe even be infectious to other players on our team."
 
aj. said:
I didn't realize we were in the midst of "Babin Mania."
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Get with the program, aj. It's Babin Mania 24/7 from now through the playoffs. :)

Now I need the NFLshop to get on board and come out with that Babin Battle Red jersey.
 
All I have to say is that he better be good. He is one of the defining draft picks of this regime.
 
Tickets were distributed through all Foleys Ticketmasters a couple of weeks ago. They are free but there was a limited number distributed to control crowd size. There might be a few floating around somewhere but I don't have any extras.

Good coverage in the Chroncle today btw. Over a page <shocked>

Of course, McClain has his usual half-page on the Cowboys <wink>
 
A buddy of mine just got 2 free tickets for tonights practice. We'll be heading out here in a little bit.

I'll try and give some sort of basic report but I'm just going to primarily enjoy seeing some live football.
 
Thanks for the ticket info aj.

The Chronicle has stepped up the coverage of the Texans and it is nice. As far as McClain, he is the dual downer, reporting the Cowboys or the Titans, both in the least wanted info section of my daily reading. I think I would rather read about ice skating........OK it is still football...must have dozed off.
 
Does anyone know which players signed autographs last night after practice? My son and I were on the way down to practice when he threw up. Obviously we didn't make it. Thanks for your help.
 
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