And UPI had this article on WR and RB so far
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Lining up on the perimeter of the defense, Houston Texans Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins quickly gets cornerbacks back on their heels with the explosiveness in his patterns.
While Hopkins is an established commodity after a career breakthrough season last year in which he caught 111 passes for 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns, the Texans are breaking in several new wide receivers to work in tandem with him.
"It's interesting," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "When you think about that, you have different guys. Some guys like Hopkins who have been in our system now going on three years that know where to line up at every position."
Jaelen Strong has impressed with his upgraded conditioning after his rookie season.
First-round pick Will Fuller has flashed his trademark speed, and caught the football crisply while absorbing the playbook.
Third-round wide receiver Braxton Miller is adapting well to his new position after converting from quarterback while playing for Ohio State.
Cecil Shorts is healthy again after catching 42 passes for 484 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games and four starts last season.
And the Texans have seen good things from wide receivers Keith Mumphery and undrafted rookie Wendall Williams, one of the fastest players on the roster with a 4.32 time in the 40-yard dash.
"You have those guys like Mumphery and Jaelen that are going into year two, that are really bright receivers and you can use them in different ways, too," O'Brien said. "Then you have your rookies in Will (Fuller) and Braxton (Miller), and a guy like Wendall Williams, who has been out there doing some good things. There are kind of three different groups of guys. Cecil Shorts is going into year two, but he's a veteran player and knows our system really well.
"There are different standards in the fact that we don't expect Will Fuller and Braxton Miller to know where to lineup and run the exact route at every single position. But we do expect them to know the positions that we're starting them out in. They're doing a good job with that. Whereas Hopkins, there is a very, very high standard for him and moving him around and asking him to do a lot of different things. That's what we're trying to do. So different strokes for different folks a little bit at that position."
--Running back Akeem Hunt displayed his trademark burst during the Texans' organized team activity, scooting upfield away from pursuit.
It was a familiar sequence for one of the fastest players on the roster.
The Texans have identified progress from Hunt after a rookie season in which he flashed skill and versatility, albeit in spot action.
"He's a lot farther along than he was last year," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "We brought him in a little bit later on. He's got really good speed. He's a very hard worker. He's guy that we used a little bit in the passing game last year. He's helping us.
"You can see where he's trying to contribute more on special teams. He's got a little role that were trying to use him in on offense as far as being a receiving back, but also being able to run the football, too."
Hunt is hoping to upgrade his role after playing in seven games with one start last season, when he rushed for 96 yards on 17 carries and caught six passes for 39 yards.
"I feel very positive about everything I did this year," Hunt said. "I learned a lot from everyone and just focused on improving. I'm excited about my future here."
The Texans promoted Hunt to the active roster from the practice squad on Nov. 21 after he was signed initially on Nov. 2 after previous stints with the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens.
With 4.37 speed in the 40-yard dash, a 37.5-inch vertical leap, a 3.96 short shuttle and a 10-2 broad jump, Hunt's athleticism provided a change of pace to the Texans' offense.
Hunt finished his Purdue career with more than 4,600 all-purpose yards, rushing for 949 yards and catching 48 passes in his final season for the Boilermakers.
The Texans primarily used Hunt on sweeps and swing passes.
"They found ways to get me in space," said Hunt, who is under contract for this season with a $525,000 base salary. "I just want to keep their trust. It was fun. I just want to have a great offseason, keep getting strong and do more and more."
Between Hunt, new starter Lamar Miller and backups Alfred Blue and Jonathan Grimes, the Texans like the way the running back position is shaping up.
"I think our backfield situation is a pretty good one right now as far as different types of players there all having different types of skill sets from Lamar, Alfred, Grimes. You've got Akeem. You've got Kenny Hilliard. You have a lot of different types of backs there and Akeem is doing a good .
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