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Texans random thought of the day

The Chronicle has released the details of the Texans' preseason schedule:

The Texans launch their preseason on the road on Aug. 14 against the San Francisco 49ers at 6 p.m.

Their second preseason game is against the the New Orleans Saints at NRG Stadium on Aug. 20 at 7 p.m.

The Texans play the Arizona Cardinals at 3 p.m. on Aug. 28 in a game that will be televised by FOX Sports.


The Texans close out the preseason against the Dallas Cowboys on the road Sept. 1 with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
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PHILLYTEXANFAN said:
SPOILER ALERT: Wendall Williams will be the return man
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I will drink to that:

Passing GP GS Efficiency COMP ATT INT PCT YDS YDS/G LONG TD SACKS
2014-15 9 0 34 1 2 1 50% 20 2.2 20 0 0
Totals: 19 10 1 2 1 50% 20 1.1 20 0 0
Defense GP GS Solo Ast Total Sack-Yds FR-Yds Int-Yds Blks Saf
2014-15 9 0 1 0 1 - 1 - 0 - - 0.0
Totals: 19 10 1 0 1 - .0 1 - 0 0 - 0 0 0.0
Receiving GP GS NO YDS AVG AVG/G LONG TD
2014-15 9 0 16 326 20.4 36.2 56 3
2015-16 10 10 15 457 30.5 45.7 65 8
Totals: 19 10 31 783 25.3 41.2 65 11
Punt Returns GP GS NO YDS AVG LONG TD
2015-16 10 10 6 141 23.5 66 1
Totals: 19 10 6 141 23.5 66 1
Kickoff Returns GP GS NO YDS AVG LONG TD
2014-15 9 0 25 694 27.8 83 1
2015-16 10 10 24 777 32.4 98 3
Totals: 19 10 49 1471 30 98 4
 
Has Fuller signed yet? I'm hoping I missed it. Of all our new weapons he needs to be at practice and in the weight room the most.
 
Not a surprise that JJ, Clowney, and Merci were our best defenders last year. This may shed some light as to why we let Crick walk. Cushing's stats being so bad is also surprising...and I'm not a fan of his.

NWAD7DJ.png
 
PapaL said:
Not a surprise that JJ, Clowney, and Merci were our best defenders last year. This may shed some light as to why we let Crick walk. Cushing's stats being so bad is also surprising...and I'm not a fan of his.
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Curious as to why you don't like Cushing.
 
sandman said:
Curious as to why you don't like Cushing.
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-He gets a pass for being terrible by too many people around here. He lead the team in tackles doesn't impress me. He's an ILB, he should lead the team in tackles.
-One juke and he's whiffing on a tackle.
-Coverage skills are below average.
-WAY overpaid.
-The whole on field persona is too over the top for me; maybe WWE should have been his calling.
-The whole thing with Blue was ridiculous to me.

Off the field I think he's a swell guy; family guy, helps the community, etc. I definitely respect him off the field.
I'm also not naive enough to think that injuries haven't robbed him of what he could have been.
 
sandman said:
Curious as to why you don't like Cushing.
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Because his lack of movement skills due to the knee injuries has turned Cushing into a shell of his former self. Tackles look good but the defense is designed to funnel the ball towards Cushing/McKinney so the tackles count should be high. With that said, Cushing was better last season than the previous couple of seasons.
 
PapaL said:
-He gets a pass for being terrible by too many people around here. He lead the team in tackles doesn't impress me. He's an ILB, he should lead the team in tackles.
-One juke and he's whiffing on a tackle.
-Coverage skills are below average.
-WAY overpaid.
-The whole on field persona is too over the top for me; maybe WWE should have been his calling.
-The whole thing with Blue was ridiculous to me.

Off the field I think he's a swell guy; family guy, helps the community, etc. I definitely respect him off the field.
I'm also not naive enough to think that injuries haven't robbed him of what he could have been.
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I like this, even though I liked the whole Blue thing.
 
PapaL said:
-He gets a pass for being terrible by too many people around here. He lead the team in tackles doesn't impress me. He's an ILB, he should lead the team in tackles.
-One juke and he's whiffing on a tackle.
-Coverage skills are below average.
-WAY overpaid.
-The whole on field persona is too over the top for me; maybe WWE should have been his calling.
-The whole thing with Blue was ridiculous to me.

Off the field I think he's a swell guy; family guy, helps the community, etc. I definitely respect him off the field.
I'm also not naive enough to think that injuries haven't robbed him of what he could have been.
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I get the persona thing. That is what I expected you would say. Not everyone's cup of tea.

BUT, I have a hard time not liking a guy because two devastating injuries robbed him of some of his skillset. He has worked his ass off so it's not for lack of trying. Not like he was a lazy or a bust that was stealing money from the team. Wanting the team to move on from him because he isn't the player he was? Sure. Not liking the guy because he isn't the player he was? Kind of harsh.
 
steelbtexan said:
Because his lack of movement skills due to the knee injuries has turned Cushing into a shell of his former self. Tackles look good but the defense is designed to funnel the ball towards Cushing/McKinney so the tackles count should be high. With that said, Cushing was better last season than the previous couple of seasons.
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This is what I've posted on with both Cushing and Demeco over the past few years when people keep pointing to their tackle numbers..........very few outside the hash marks, and virtually none in the opponent's back field.............where overall perfomance analytics that are less than impressive. These injured players have survived mostly because the "funneling towards the middle" that is a result of the "system" in which they play.
 
I think Cush looked good last season. Not his old self, but getting there. I think he & McKinney both will benefit from a second year in this system playing together. Largely because I believe they'll be able to play faster, with less thinking & more trust in their team.
 
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kiwitexansfan said:
Is making some of his pay incentive pay around tackles a clever way of ensuring he actually plays games?
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This insinuates that Cush doesn't want to play and only collect a paycheck. Regardless of his degraded skillset, no one has ever questioned his work ethic or desire to be on the field.
 
sandman said:
This insinuates that Cush doesn't want to play and only collect a paycheck. Regardless of his degraded skillset, no one has ever questioned his work ethic or desire to be on the field.
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They're called performance bonuses and many athletes have them in their contracts. Don't be so defensive man.
 
PapaL said:
They're called performance bonuses and many athletes have them in their contracts. Don't be so defensive man.
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Not being defensive at all. How is "clever way of ensuring he actually plays games" supposed to be interpreted if performance bonuses are the norm?
 
sandman said:
Not being defensive at all. How is "clever way of ensuring he actually plays games" supposed to be interpreted if performance bonuses are the norm?
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What good is a player if he doesn't play? Same reason guys have workout, per game, and achievement bonuses - to make sure they play/participate.

Hell even JJ has a workout clause in his:
"2016-2021: $500,000 salary de-escalator if he doesn't complete workouts"

K. Jax does too: "Annual Per Game Bonus: $15,625 ($250,000, 12 LTBE in 2016)"

With Cushing's vast history of injuries and "over-training" the FO would be fools not to have incentives in his contract. IMO You're reading way more into it than need be.
 
PapaL said:
What good is a player if he doesn't play? Same reason guys have workout, per game, and achievement bonuses - to make sure they play/participate.

Hell even JJ has a workout clause in his:
"2016-2021: $500,000 salary de-escalator if he doesn't complete workouts"

K. Jax does too: "Annual Per Game Bonus: $15,625 ($250,000, 12 LTBE in 2016)"

With Cushing's vast history of injuries and "over-training" the FO would be fools not to have incentives in his contract. IMO You're reading way more into it than need be.
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Those are built into contracts to protect the team more than be an incentive in cases like Cushing. I can see them as player incentives if you have a player with a rep for missing workouts.
 
kiwitexansfan said:
My comment was injury related not desire related. You can't make tackles from the trainers table.
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I agree Kiwi, regardless what term is, he gets more money and team reduces risk against injury, etc. IMO it has nothing to do with players desire in Cushing's case or others mentioned above.
 
RANKING ALL 32 NFL CORNERBACK GROUPS
https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-cornerback-groups/

8. Houston Texans
Top CBs: Jonathan Joseph, Kareem Jackson, Kevin Johnson

Key stat: Joseph recorded 16 pass defenses in 2015, second-most in the league.

After a torrid display against the Panthers in Week 2, Joseph rebounded with three pass defenses and only 24 yards allowed to the Bucs a week later, and he didn’t look back. Over the final 14 weeks of the season Joseph was the highest-graded corner in the league in coverage. While Kareem Jackson took a step back from his 2014 form, Kevin Johnson put in a solid rookie display to add to the overall strength of this trio.
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Broncos, Cardinals, Redskins, Patriots, Bills, Chargers, and Packers ranked ahead of our guys.
 
DeAndre Hopkins ranks rookie Wendall Williams as fastest Texan
By Aaron Wilson
June 6, 2016


Wendall Williams was a football and track star at the University of the Cumberlands who created an instant reputation for his explosiveness prior to the NFL draft.

Williams ran the 40-yard dash in 4.19 seconds unofficially while running for NFL scouts. His official time was a 4.32, which is still incredibly fast. He also posted a 45-inch vertical leap.

Now, Williams is proving to be a quick study since joining the Texans as an undrafted rookie free agent.


"Yeah, he has," Texans Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins said of the 25-year-old New York native who scored 15 touchdowns last season and was an All-American in the 100 meters, 200 meters and a champion long jumper. "I'm not sure what the guy ran, a 4.1 or 4.2, but it definitely relays over to the football field."

Hopkins ranked Williams as the fastest Texans on the 90-man offseason roster in front of cornerback Robert Nelson, who ran in the 4.4 range coming out of Arizona State, first-round wide receiver Will Fuller, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds at the NFL scouting combine and improved his time to 4.28 seconds at the Notre Dame Pro Day workout along with running back Akeem Hunt.
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Insideop said:
I guess 8 out of 32 is pretty good. I'm just a little concerned about how long JJo can hold up physically due to his age, and if Kevin Johnson can hold up physically due to his weight and thin bone structure.
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yep and this is where we start strengthening bench going forward. I think we made very good progress bringing Strong, Manz, Covington, Devon Still, Reshard Cliett, Curtis Drummond, and Fairbairn over last two years + 2016 draft as low costs to roster.

Having Kevin Johnson to take over for Joseph if necessary with Bouye moving up is what we need at every position. I also expect to see better players on practice squad going forward.

With good coaching we could get positives from:

Duke Thomas-
NFL Media senior analyst Gil Brandt wrote that Texas CB Duke Thomas "had a great positional workout" during Wednesday's Pro Day.
Thomas was one of a number of Longhorns to put in unexpectedly solid work on Wednesday, with Brandt writing "Scouts did not go into Texas' [P]ro [D]ay expecting to see these types of performances." Among the numbers that the 5-foot-10, 184-pound Thomas posted, two runs in the 40-yard dash clocked at 4.44 seconds and 4.46 seconds, a 34.5-inch vertical jump, 10-foot-1 broad jump and 17 bench press rep
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http://www.rotoworld.com/player/cfb/134302/duke-thomas

CB Cleveland Wallace III 5'11" 177 44 Ts, 3 INTs, 1 TD, 7 PBUs, 1 QB hurry

LB Shakeel Rashad 6'2" 235, 126 Ts, 8.5 for loss, 3 forced fumbles, 2 INTs, 1.5 sacks, 3 hurries and 2 PBUs.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
Will Fuller remains one of only five NFL rookies not yet signed.
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Hmmmm, let's see what all the other 1st rd rooks signed for
From NFL-dot-com....
1. QB Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams: Signed a four-year deal worth $27.9 million over four years with a fifth year option, Rapoport reports, per a source informed of his deal. He gets a $18.6 million signing bonus.
2. QB Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles: Signed four-year, $26.6 million deal.
3. DE Joey Bosa, San Diego Chargers: Not signed.
4. RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys: Signed four-year, $24.9 million deal.
5. CB Jalen Ramsey, Jacksonville Jaguars: Signed a four-year, $23.3 million deal.
6. OT Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens: Signed four-year deal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
7. DE DeForest Buckner, San Francisco 49ers: Signed four-year deal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
8. OT Jack Conklin, Tennessee Titans: Signed a four-year deal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
9. LB Leonard Floyd, Chicago Bears: Signed a four-year deal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
10. CB Eli Apple, New York Giants: Signed a four-year, $15.1M deal.
11. CB Vernon Hargreaves, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Signed a four-year deal. Terms of deal were not disclosed.
12. DT Sheldon Rankins, New Orleans Saints: Signed a four-year deal. Terms of deal were not disclosed.
13. OT Laremy Tunsil, Miami Dolphins: Signed a four-year, $12.46M deal.
14. S Karl Joseph, Oakland Raiders: Signed a four-year deal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
15. WR Corey Coleman, Cleveland Browns: Signed a four-year deal. Terms not disclosed.
16. OT Taylor Decker, Detroit Lions: Signed a four-year, $10.96 million deal.
17. S Keanu Neal, Atlanta Falcons: Signed a four-year, $10.7M deal.
18. C Ryan Kelly, Indianapolis Colts: Signed a four-year, $10.4M deal.
19. DE Shaq Lawson, Buffalo Bills: Signed a four-year deal. Terms of deal not disclosed.
20. LB Darron Lee, New York Jets: Not signed.
21. WR Will Fuller, Houston Texans: Not signed.
22. WR Josh Doctson, Washington Redskins: Signed a four-year, $10.05M deal.
23. WR Laquon Treadwell, Minnesota Vikings: Signed a four-year deal. Terms not disclosed.
24. CB William Jackson III, Cincinnati Bengals: Signed a four-year deal. Terms not disclosed.
25. CB Artie Burns, Pittsburgh Steelers: Signed a four-year deal. Terms not disclosed.
26. QB Paxton Lynch, Denver Broncos: Signed a four-year deal worth $9.476 million, which includes a $5.09 million signing bonus, NFL Media's Rand Getlin reported, per sources informed of the deal. NFL Media's James Palmer reported that Lynch will receive $600,000 guaranteed in the fourth year of his contract.
27. DT Kenny Clark, Green Bay Packers: Not signed.
28. OL Joshua Garnett, San Francisco 49ers: Not signed.
29. DT Robert Nkemdiche, Arizona Cardinals: Signed a four-year, $8.6M deal.
30. DT Vernon Butler, Carolina Panthers: Signed a four-year deal. Terms not disclosed.
31. OT Germain Ifedi, Seattle Seahawks: Signed a four-year, $8.27M deal.
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kiwitexansfan said:
With salary slots pretty well defined, I wonder what the drama is.
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What drama? The only thing close to drama is on this MB. He'll sign when he signs. He's been involved in OTA's and he'll supposedly be at mini camp this week. Nothing to see here.
 
Insideop said:
Wonder what the hold up is with Fuller? Who's his agent? :bigboss: Anybody know?
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I found out that Fuller is represented by huge conglomerate Creative Artists Agency (CAA) that represented Peyton Manning and represents a large number of high profile NFL (and all other professional and collegiate sports) players............in addition to even coaches and sports broadcasters.

Representing many of the most successful players in the NFL, helping to guide both their on- and off-field business strategies. Clients include more than one-third of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL, nine of the last 14 NFL MVPs, 29 players selected to the 2016 Pro Bowl, and the #1 or #2 overall selections in the NFL Draft for eight of the past 13 years. In the past 16 years, CAA Sports agents have represented more than 100 First-Round picks, more than three times the next closest competitor.
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More information re. CAA and the NFL players they represent
 
A very informative and interesting piece on the person who seems destined to someday be handed the torch from Crennel.

As Mike Vrabel's star rises, Texans reap benefits
Linebackers coach sticking around despite overtures from other teams
By Aaron Wilson

June 11, 2016 Years after the clash with Herman, Vrabel smiled this week while recalling the altercation with one of his best friends in the profession.

"There were some choice words Tom and I shared with each other," Vrabel said. "It was early morning conditioning - new staff, new team. Everybody was on edge, and the offense beat the defense and Tom might have gotten in one of the player's faces that lost, and I quickly got over and might have pushed him away. But Tom and I are great friends, and he's done a great job in Houston. We're happy he's here."

The Texans have a similar feeling about the continued presence of Vrabel on their coaching staff.

Future opportunities

One of the most pivotal moves of the Texans' offseason by general manager Rick Smith and coach Bill O'Brien was collaborating with owner Bob McNair to convince Vrabel to stay with the AFC South champions.

Vrabel declined an offer from Chip Kelly to become the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator after interviewing for the job, landing a hefty raise from the Texans for resisting the overture.

There will undoubtedly be other future opportunities for the 40-year-old to run a defense. Vrabel is learning behind 68-year-old coordinator Romeo Crennel, one of the most experienced and highest-compensated defensive coordinators in the game. There are scenarios in which Vrabel eventually could succeed Crennel down the road or emerge as a future NFL head coach.

"The sky's the limit for Mike, he's a natural," Herman said. "We're watching the career of a head coach in the NFL unfold right before our eyes. When that happens and when the right time is, nobody knows. If I was a betting man, I would surely bet he will be a head coach in that league before too long."

Herman is admittedly not impartial when it comes to Vrabel, but what he's saying carries legitimacy and is being echoed in NFL circles.

Vrabel is regarded as a tough, passionate coach who relates well to his players. The former Patriots standout has a demanding style but also communicates well.

"Vrabel has that 'it' factor you can't teach," an NFL executive told the Chronicle on condition of anonymity. "You can see that what he was like as a player - a tough, smart, determined guy - translates very well to what he does now as a coach. He's a huge part of what the Texans are doing on defense. I can tell you that he's on a short list with a bunch of teams as a defensive coordinator candidate.

"He's such a good leader that I could also see him skipping a step and being a head coach without going the coordinator route. You can see why the Texans stepped up to keep him."

Vrabel was instrumental in the development of outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus last season. Mercilus recorded a career-high 12 sacks in the regular season and notched three more in an AFC wild-card playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Choosing Houston

Under Vrabel's direction, middle linebacker Brian Cushing had his most productive season in years and led the team in tackles. Rookie inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney became an effective starter. And outside linebackers John Simon and oft-injured former top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney combined for 91/2 sacks.

Although the 49ers made Vrabel their first choice and offered him the job, he felt his top option was staying in place with the Texans.

"Being a young coach in this profession and in this league, it's always great to have people want to interview you for opportunities," Vrabel said. "In the end, what's best for us and me is being here."

Vrabel earned three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots.

The hard-nosed Akron, Ohio, native recorded 704 career tackles, 57 sacks, 11 interceptions and forced 17 fumbles. He doubled as a red-zone target for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as a tight end, catching 10 touchdowns on 10 career receptions.

Now, Vrabel is imparting his knowledge and passion from his 14 years playing in the league as he enters his third season coaching for the Texans and his sixth year coaching since retiring following the 2010 season with the Chiefs.

"I think you're always learning and trying to study the game and trying to understand schemes and concepts," Vrabel said. "The biggest thing in coaching is being able to reach your players. The schemes can be great. The concepts can be great, but until you make that connection with your players and get them to believe they're getting better and they can see they're getting better and you're giving them ownership of the room and having conversations and dialogues.

"That's been the biggest thing for me as a coach is trying to make a connection with the players. Once you can set the hook, you got their attention."

Collaborating with Mercilus last season, Vrabel helped the fellow Akron native hone his techniques and become a more impactful contributor as a bookend pass rusher opposite Pro Bowl end J.J. Watt. It allowed the defense to become more dangerous and versatile.

"Oh yeah, our relationship has grown," Mercilus said. "Him being here, it's grown tremendously. He wants nothing but the best for us, and that's exactly that. He loves it when the players go out there and just perform well."

'Passionate guy'

Beyond the strategy aspect of football, though, what resonates about Vrabel is his hard-nosed approach to the game. He has a leadership style and a tough-love style that gets players to buy in and play hard for him.

"He's an unbelievably passionate guy, not just for the game but for his player," Herman said. "He's one of the truly genuine guys in our profession that really cares for his players. That shined through in how hard they played for him. His knowledge of the game is off the charts having played as long as he has and studied the game. He's one of the great ones for sure.

"The coaching part for him was easy. For lack of a better term, he's been a coach on the field for most of his career."

A former consensus All-American at Ohio State who was named to the Buckeyes' All-Century team, Vrabel tends to have an encouraging approach to coaching. He's also quick to remind his players about how poorly the defense played in blowout road losses to the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins during a 2-5 start last season before finishing third in total defense and first in third-down defense.

"We've talked about that in the linebacker room about we don't want to rely on the reputation of a team that was third in defense," Vrabel said. "That doesn't mean anything. What we need to do is remember how we played on the road in Atlanta and on the road in Miami and try to fix those things and not let them happen again. We can't rely on our reputation as defensive football players."

Importance grows

When Vrabel was playing for the Patriots, he embodied what coach Bill Belichick was seeking in players in terms of not taking anything for granted and possessing an ability to adapt to any situation.

Those qualities are serving the Texans in a similar manner in his role as an assistant coach whose importance has increased each year since being hired by O'Brien. Vrabel wants to keep growing as a coach.

"I think that's just kind of in your nature," Vrabel said. "That's what you believe in. Either you have it or you don't.

"There are days where you don't feel great and you have to work as a player and a coach and compete and grind and make your players better. You have to earn your position in this league every day."
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CloakNNNdagger said:
A very informative and interesting piece on the person who seems destined to someday be handed the torch from Crennel.
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Yep. I guess the perfect scenario would be for the Texans to win a SB (hopefully this season), Crennel retires, and Vrabel to take over as DC. I just don't know how long Vrabel will wait for Crennel to step down. And, if other teams come calling to fill a head coaching job, he may not wait at all!
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
I found out that Fuller is represented by huge conglomerate Creative Artists Agency (CAA) that represented Peyton Manning and represents a large number of high profile NFL (and all other professional and collegiate sports) players............in addition to even coaches and sports broadcasters.



More information re. CAA and the NFL players they represent
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Thanks for the info CND! I've never heard of this agency but it sounds like they dominate the market. Just wonder if they are easy to negotiate with or one of those that are tough to deal with and like holding teams hostage to get what they want.
 
Insideop said:
Yep. I guess the perfect scenario would be for the Texans to win a SB (hopefully this season), Crennel retires, and Vrabel to take over as DC. I just don't know how long Vrabel will wait for Crennel to step down. And, if other teams come calling to fill a head coaching job, he may not wait at all!
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Agree + with O'Brien being young head coach, seems only way Vrabel becomes a HC is either O'Brien fails or on another team. I could see him waiting around a couple seasons after this one if he becomes DC here. Perhaps he can become head coach 2. I am in no hurry to rush Crennel off if defense remains successful.
 
Battles at center, left guard figure to be intense for Texans
By John McClain
June 12, 2016 Updated: June 12, 2016 10:00pm


When you consider the rules that limit them to playing patty-cake on the practice field, it is amazing the offensive and defensive linemen can stay awake during the Texans' offseason program.

Linemen were born to hit. They're accustomed to collisions. But this time of the offseason is for the cerebral part of football. There are no pads and no hitting during organized team activities and minicamp.


Teams use the on-the-field part of the offseason program as basically a passing academy for quarterbacks, receivers, tight ends, running backs, defensive backs and linebackers. The quarterbacks throw, and the defensive backs and linebackers cover.

The defensive line is looking for a new starter at right end to replace Jared Crick. The offensive line will have new starters at center and right guard in place of Ben Jones and Brandon Brooks.

Jeff Allen, signed as a free agent from Kansas City, is entrenched at right guard in place of Brooks.

The competition at center and left guard should be fierce.
Second-round pick Nick Martin and Tony Bergstrom, signed as a free agent from Oakland, are competing at center. Martin is expected to win the job.

Bergstrom is also competing at left guard with Xavier Su'a-Filo, who was in the lineup for the last eight games last season when the Texans finished 6-2 but has to prove himself. He has a long way to go before he proves he was worth being the first pick in the second round of the 2014 draft.

Mandatory session

The three-day minicamp Tuesday through Thursday is the only mandatory part of the offseason program. Coach Bill O'Brien said he's been happy with the participation in offseason training activities.

Whatever the coaches have learned - or think they've learned - could change when training camp begins. That's when the linemen pound each other in practice and opponents in games.

"This time of year is about teaching techniques, learning the system, seeing what they can do and trying to evaluate from that standpoint," offensive line coach Mike Devlin said. "The real evaluation comes with the pads on."

This is Devlin's second season coaching the offensive line. He knows the players, and they know him. At least those who played for him last season.

"It helps a ton," he said about the familiarity. "When you get to spend time with a player or coach and learn more about them and how they operate, it's always a plus.

"Last year, I was learning the system and trying to learn about them, and it took some time to figure out what made each one tick. Part of coaching is how do you push those buttons to try to get them to the next level."

Injuries in the offensive line played a major role in the Texans' 2-5 start. They had a different starting five in the first eight games. Once they were healthy, Brooks was the only regular to miss a start over the second half of the season when that 6-2 finish helped the Texans finish 9-7 and win the AFC South.

Eight different linemen started over the first eight games. Right tackle Derek Newton was forced to start games at both guard positions. Tackle Chris Clark started on both sides. Jeff Adams started at guard and tackle before being lost for the season. Oday Aboushi started at left and right guard.

"We have some flexibility, which is what we preach," Devlin said. "Smart, tough guys with flexibility."

Once they settled with Duane Brown at left tackle, Su'a-Filo at left guard, Jones at center, Brooks at right guard and Newton at right tackle, the line played well.

Now Brooks and Jones are gone. Brown is recovering from surgery to repair a torn quad tendon suffered in the 16th game and is on pace to be ready for the opener against Chicago. Bergstrom could beat out Su'a-Filo.

16 linemen on roster

There are 16 linemen on the roster. All but Brown should be ready for training camp.

"As a whole, there's a lot of competition," Devlin said. "They're working hard and doing their due diligence."

When camp begins, though, the physical part of the game becomes paramount to decisions the coaches make.

Devlin will use camp, joint practices with San Francisco and New Orleans, and four preseason games to find out which players can handle the hitting in the heat and humidity as well as the day-in, day-out grind of the NFL.

The situation seems to be in good hands with Devlin, whose late father, John Devlin, coached linebackers for the Oilers under Hugh Campbell.

"It's great to have Mike back," O'Brien said. "He's a really good teacher and a really good coach, one of the best I've been around. That's saying a lot, because I've been around some great line coaches."
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From NFL.com:

Cecil Shorts takes pay cut to remain with Texans
By Kevin Patra Around the NFL writer
Published: June 18, 2016 at 12:03 p.m.


The Texans upgrades at receiver have been a hot topic in Houston the summer.

Rick Smith added first-round pick Will Fuller and third-round wild card Braxton Miller. Both offer intriguing elements of speed and open-field elusiveness to complement stud DeAndre Hopkins. The offseason hype for 2015 third-round pick Jaelen Strong has been off the chains this spring. Coach Bill O'Brien has praised the the second-year player almost weekly during offseason workouts.

With the infusion of young potential, veteran Cecil Shorts was in danger of getting cut.

However, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports that this week Shorts signed a new contract with a pay cut to secure his roster spot, per a source who has seen the deal.

Shorts was scheduled to make $2.75 million in 2016. He'll now earn a $1.2 million base salary with a $500,000 roster bonus. He also has a chance to earn $250,000 total in per-game roster bonuses ($16,625 for each game he's active), per Rapoport.

Depending on how many of those bonuses Shorts earns, his pay cut will land between $1 million and $800,000.

Shorts doesn't offer the upside his younger counterparts provide to Brock Osweiler, but can be a steady hand out of the slot. The 28-year-old could very well start the season with a big role and see it reduced as the young bucks develop. He'll have to fend off Fuller and Strong for the No. 2 and 3 gigs.

Keeping Shorts in house entering his sixth year will ensure another veteran is in a youth-filled receivers room and insurance if the young projects take longer to grasp an NFL offense.
 
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