Training Camp 2018

[Arky]

Training Camp 2018 begins tomorrow.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Texans place 4 on PUP list.

RB D'Onta Foreman
CB Jermaine Kelly, Jr.
T Martinas Rankin
TE Jevoni Robinson

In addition, the Texans have placed S Andre Hal on the Active/Non-Football Illness list.

[Keith]

Not feeling optimistic about Foreman's readiness for the regular season. Hope I'm wrong.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by Keith

Not feeling optimistic about Foreman's readiness for the regular season. Hope I'm wrong.

Yeah, those achilles are bad news.

Have to say this has been one fast off-season. I got totally away from football and found other things to do. Didn't even think about football. It made the off-season fly by and I think I will probably do it again next year....

[Arky]

Some Harris stuff:

-- Man, it was great to see J.J. Watt back in action...and Deshaun Watson...and Nick Martin...and D.J. Reader...and Whitney Mercilus...and Christian Covington. That’s a lot of firepower that was lost to injury last year.

-- Watt looked like he hasn’t missed one minute in the weight room and I can’t wait to see him bangin’ in pads on Saturday.

-- One thing I noticed studying free agent signee interior lineman Zach Fulton was his strength. There were no pads on today, but I saw him take a Texans linebacker and literally shove him ten feet by the pile as if it were nothing.

-- I didn’t see many dropped passes on Thursday at all, which when I think back a few years, that was a real issue.

-- Loved seeing the coaches challenge the linebackers/safeties/cornerbacks during one-on-ones forcing them to cover with no use of hands/collision. That’s as challenging a drill as can be for cover guys to rely solely on read/react/redirect skills.

-- Running back Alfred Blue’s pass receiving skills seem to have improved every single year in the NFL and he made a couple of slick catches during the one-on-one/seven-on-seven periods.

-- Linebackers had a ton of trouble slowing down running back Lamar Miller in pass periods.

-- Still trying to get used to a few number changes. Tyler Ervin is now #21. Dee Virgin is Ervin’s old #34. Seantrel Henderson is wearing #76, which was worn for nearly a decade by Duane Brown.

-- Rookie receiver Keke Coutee has some serious next level quickness and speed, but his best overall trait might be his gluesticks for hands. He really snatches the football no matter where it’s thrown to him.

-- Tyrann Mathieu is a Texan. Tyrann Mathieu is a Texan...maybe if I keep repeating myself, it’ll sink in more and more. The star safety has such excellent instincts, whether it’s cutting off a route in coverage or reading the QB/playing the middle of the field in zone coverage.

[barrett]

I'm happy just to see posts around here.

It's a huge bummer Foreman is hurt. I'd love to see him take the job by season's end. We are right out of the 1990s paying premium money for above average RB production.

[Arky]

Day 2

More sunshine from John Harris:

-- I love seeing new drills from different positions/groups. There was one that I’ve never seen in all my years of football - a toss/bootleg drill between the quarterbacks and running backs. It was brilliant from the quarterbacks and running backs.

-- Rookie receiver Keke Coutee made a pair of grabs, including a DeAndre Hopkins Toe Drag Swag type catch, during team drills. His hands are just outstanding.

-- Fellow slot receiver Bruce Ellington made another couple of catches down the field on Friday as defensive backs struggled to cover him deep in the secondary.

-- A few of the defensive veterans relished the challenge of covering the team’s rookie tight ends - Jordan Akins and Jordan Thomas - during drills. They, in particular linebacker Benardrick McKinney, had some success early, but Akins went down the seam later in practice and hauled in a beauty and the chatter seemed to stop at that point.

-- First play of 7-on-7, Watson hit Hopkins on an out route to the sideline. Pitch. Catch. Toe Drag...it’s like they’ve doing that for years.

-- Rookie receiver Jester Weah adjusted to a deep throw from Brandon Weeden during 7-on-7, making a sliding catch. He just has to be more consistent catching everything thrown his way.

-- There’s a comfort in having Tyrann Mathieu at safety for this defense. He had a pass breakup on the first play of team in the red zone.

-- Down in the red zone, after a few stops by the defense, Watson lasered one to Jordan Akins. The defensive back seven looked at each other afterwards like “nothing we could do.” They were right.

-- We can talk all we want about receiver Will Fuller’s speed, but he’s a much more accomplished route runner than anyone likes to discuss. Yes, his speed helps sell those routes, but very few utilize that speed properly on their routes.

[Keith]

From a sporting perspective, three things helped make this offseason fly:
1. Astros are good.
2. Rockets are good.
3. World Cup.

Great combo especially in an offseason without a first round pick in the NFL draft.

[Arky]

Training Camp Day 4: Notes and Quotes, Deepi Sidhu:

Johnson Bademosi has also transitioned well to his new team. Last year, he was traded to the New England Patriots shortly after they wrapped up practices at The Greenbrier with the Texans. The Texans signed Bademosi to help improve special teams and bolster the secondary.

“Good guy, has really good size, good speed,” O’Brien said. “I like the way he communicates. Smart player, practices hard, brings a good attitude to the field every day. Definitely a guy that has fit in really well here.”

Bademosi also loves acai bowls (who doesn’t?) and even has one named after him in California. He described the recipe for the famous Bademosi Bowl.

“Acai, blueberry, peanut butter, I think it has chia seeds in the mix,” Bademosi said. “And then on top, you have granola, strawberries, blueberries, banana, put some cinnamon on top and then drizzle some honey. It’s perfect.”

After practice, J.J. Watt and Bruce Ellington found a soccer ball and played a few rounds of soccer golf, followed by kicking field goals with the soccer ball.

The Texans do not practice again until Tuesday. Many have plans to relax, rehab while others may explore West Virginia. If they do, O’Brien won’t be joining them.

“I know I won’t be river rafting or on an ATV,” O’Brien said. “I’ll be watching some film.”

[nunusguy]

Where's the Chuckster I would have thought he'd of checked by now with
TC underway.
Oh wait, those wealthy River Oaks types spend quite a bit of their time up in Aspen this time of the year don't they to avoid these horrid summers we have in these parts.
Yes he's probably up their golfing, playing tennis and such things with the McNairs and some of his other very well to do River Oaks pals.

[chuck]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Where's the Chuckster I would have thought he'd of checked by now with
TC underway.
Oh wait, those wealthy River Oaks types spend quite a bit of their time up in Aspen this time of the year don't they to avoid these horrid summers we have in these parts.
Yes he's probably up their golfing, playing tennis and such things with the McNairs and some of his other very well to do River Oaks pals.

Nunu! Jolly good to hear from you old boy, what what! Whilst dressing me this very morning my manservant mentioned you'd rang as it were and after a restorative breakfast of boiled guinea fowl I thought I'd give you a pip pip!

Yes, of course, I've been to the horses with Bobby and Jan over at their summer cottage in Saratoga, and they honoured me with their graceful presence at my seaside shanty in Bar Harbor where we have enjoyed a number of bathes that were most agreeable.

I regret that I must wrap this up for now. The yachting club awaits, and I must confess at my advanced age extended use of a monocle pains my dominant eye.

My staff and I extend our warmest wishes to you and all of your chums in the work release program and to your neighbors in the park, I certainly hope management has not once again raised your lot fees.

[barrett]

For years I've thought it's kind of corny how silly the Texans are about only having choir boys on the roster. To me it was one more thing about McNair that seemed more concerned with image than substance.

Then my beloved Astros acquired a reliever who may or may not have beaten his wife and I am crushed by it. It's hard for me to process a team with no reason for desperation being so desperate. Maybe it's because I'm spoiled with perspective after last year's world series, but I feel like I'd rather lose with no women beaters than win with one.

So thank you to Bob McNair (who I don't at all like) for making the Texans a bumbling but easy to root for group of players.

[chuck]

As is invariably the case, barrett and I are in lock step agreement on this. It's unbelievable, really, that I can side with McNeck on anything, and admittedly his insistence on choir boys over the years is something I have belittled from time to time, but it sure looks more defensible now, doesn't it, that the Astros have traded for a vicious wife-beater and are parading around acting like their "due diligence" somehow mitigates the shame of having some piece of shit like that on the team.

At least the players aren't buying it.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by chuck

As is invariably the case, barrett and I are in lock step agreement on this. It's unbelievable, really, that I can side with McNeck on anything, and admittedly his insistence on choir boys over the years is something I have belittled from time to time, but it sure looks more defensible now, doesn't it, that the Astros have traded for a vicious wife-beater and are parading around acting like their "due diligence" somehow mitigates the shame of having some piece of shit like that on the team.

At least the players aren't buying it.

I love the Astros more than any other sports team or organization and they have an incredibly likable team. But I hope that once the facts come out about the incident, Verlander publicly destroys the organization for this shameful trade. He has the stature to do it.

And I guess I'll focus on the Texans right now. I don't always love the on field product or the front office/ownership, but Deshaun Watson and JJ Watt are pretty fantastic humans (and countless other Texans).

[Arky]

Harris' notes - Aug 1:

......................

-- Tight end MyCole Pruitt had a safety attached to his hip yet still made a tremendous catch for a touchdown during one-on-one drills against the safeties.

-- Rookie safety Justin Reid had a pass breakup on the final play of the one-on-one drill as he covered fellow rookie Jordan Akins. Reid had to stay with Akins all the way across the field on a deep crossing route. It’s not a route that safeties like to cover, nor are they successful doing it. Yet, Reid handled it beautifully.

-- One of the toughest parts of training camp for any offense is the familiarity the defense has with what the offense does regularly. Case in point, in team drills, linebacker Dylan Cole recognized a formation just prior to the snap during a team drill. He pointed to the spot where he knew the ball was going and ran right to the spot to help on the tackle.

-- Now, it does go both ways, but defenses are more apt to take advantage at this point in training camp. It’s not cheating, but if it helped me get an “attaboy” from the coaches, I was all about it. Offenses didn’t like it much, though, and still don’t.

-- One of my favorite plays on the day didn’t seem like much on the surface until I drilled down a little further. Quarterback Brandon Weeden had his unit at the line of scrimmage, ready for the snap. Just prior to, he sent a guy in motion to the other side of the field. When he did the defense shifted and rookie safety Justin Reid showed as if he were going to rush the edge. Before the ball was snapped, Weeden noticed it. He checked the protection and made sure that Reid was accounted for if he did blitz. He did and the O Line picked it up allowing Weeden to make a clean throw.

-- The communication was just so impressive during that 20-25 second time frame on both sides. Very cool to watch and listen.

-- The best catch of the day was ruled a no catch. Rookie Jester Weah made an outstanding over the shoulder catch right in front of us, landing in bounds, in the end zone. But, with no officiating crew to accurately determine complete/incomplete, it was ruled incomplete...by the defensive staff. Figures, huh?

-- Late in practice, Deshaun Watson was really dealing, especially during seven-on-seven.

-- The Texans worked some situations late in practice and will probably do some more of that this week heading into the last few days at the Greenbrier.

More to come tomorrow...hopefully, the rain will hold off long enough to get more work done. See ya then, everyone.

[Arky]

Texans just 1 week away from their first preseason game on Aug 9 at KC. Probably on ABC 13 locally. Most teams are kicking off their preseason next Thursday with a couple of games on Friday and a couple of more on Saturday.

If you need a football fix, tonight Chicago plays Baltimore in the Hall of Fame game, 7pm CST on NBC.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Arky

If you need a football fix, tonight Chicago plays Baltimore in the Hall of Fame game, 7pm CST on NBC.

I tuned in tonight and had no idea that RG3 was still alive, much less playing in the NFL. Huh.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by Keith

I tuned in tonight and had no idea that RG3 was still alive, much less playing in the NFL. Huh.

Yep, no Astro game so I'm watching (not listening, though), too. Between he, Lamar Jackson and Flacco, Baltimore seems to have it covered at QB....

[Arky]

Harris notes 8/3/18:

The heavens opened up on Friday morning and dumped oodles of rain on the Greenbrier Valley, most importantly on the Greenbrier’s Sports Performance Center.

Here is the Harris Hurry-up from a wet Friday morning practice.

-- The Texans actually worked out longer than they had in a few days. Coach Bill O’Brien noted after practice that he wanted to keep the team out in the elements to get some work in inclement weather. You never know, right?

-- The most important aspect of the day was the multiple situational work that the team did on Friday. Coach O’Brien came up with as many different situations as humanly possible. Even in the rain, the team worked through a litany of end of half, end of game or specialty situations in the downpour.

-- The first play of team drills during situations was a red zone type drill and safety Tyrann Mathieu set the tone with a key pass breakup.

-- Then, on the next play, quarterback Deshaun Watson lofted a beauty to DeAndre Hopkins in the back left corner of the end zone for a touchdown. Hopkins dragged his back foot to ensure the touchdown snag.

-- On the next play, Watson threw a dime to tight end Ryan Griffin for another touchdown. That one had the defensive back seven congregating to figure out how they let that one get to Griffin so cleanly.

-- Rainy conditions are a kicker’s worst nightmare yet Kaimi Fairbairn was more accurate than perhaps any other day in camp.

-- Fairbairn came up short on a couple of 57 or so yard bombs but was right on target. He hit the crossbar with one. He was a yard short on another, then he got some help from the crossbar on the last in the drill. He hit the crossbar and it propelled through the uprights.

-- I mentioned Mathieu earlier for work that he did with the first defensive crew. Later in practice, he actually stepped in on the scout team and recovered an onside kick. I love watching that dude every day because he loves this game.

-- The rest of the workout was specialized situational work that didn’t really provide much in the way of information. Fairbairn did end the day with a “game winning” field goal, which was fun to see from a distance. As he made contact with the ball, water flew everywhere, spinning with the ball as it went through the air.

-- At the end of practice, the Texans turned into a bunch of young kids. The linebackers and defensive linemen took off for some standing water on the field near us and turned it into a slip and slide. The offense did the same on the far field. Nothing like a bunch of professional athletes going full slip n’ slide before ending the day.

[barrett]

Originally Posted by Arky

Yep, no Astro game so I'm watching (not listening, though), too. Between he, Lamar Jackson and Flacco, Baltimore seems to have it covered at QB....

I have no idea if Jackson will be a good NFL QB. He obviously has tools and produced in college. But I watched him against UH and not only did he play awful, he had a terrible attitude. He was a total hothead that reminded me of Philip Rivers. Punching the ground every time a defender dared to tackle him. Yelling at linemen. Most great QBs are Joe Cool back there and not many emotional guys succeed at the position. He got crushed in the game (like he did against most teams that matched Louisville's talent). He dominated bad teams with his legs and with a beautiful deep ball, but he was awful when pressured. It will be interesting to see what he does in NFL games. Most NFL teams have not shown a lot of creativity with mobile QBs. They try to turn them into pocket guys who can scramble on broken plays. Most NFL offenses just aren't very out of the box.

[chuck]

Originally Posted by barrett

Most NFL teams have not shown a lot of creativity with mobile QBs.

I had a dream a couple of nights ago where Deshaun just ran wild. He'd get the snap and stand there for a moment and wait for the play to unwind a bit, see his opening and just take off. It was like fun football where there's one 12 year old with the body of a 15 year old who is just miles and miles ahead of all the other kids and is almost literally a man among boys. We've all seen this, I'm sure. That was Desahaun. But it was the NFL. But it was a dream.

Speaking of dreams, how 'bout that Manziel kid, huh? I certainly hope the Cowboys don't find a way to scoop him up.