Houston Texans Pre-season Thread (1 Viewer)

Texans head coach Gary Kubiak spoke to the media at Reliant Stadium on Thursday, a day before the beginning of 2009 Texans Training Camp. Below is a transcript of his entire news conference.

Texans head coach Gary Kubiak

(on players that had offseason surgery) "(DT) Travis (Johnson) and (CB) Antwaun (Molden) will be PUP (Physically Unable to Perform). Also, (TE) Anthony Hill will be PUP starting tomorrow; he's got a hamstring issue. I think the other two guys are going to be okay. I think (C Antoine) Caldwell will be taken off of that by tomorrow and (RB) Jeremiah Johnson. So that's where we stand right now."

(on DT Amobi Okoye's status) "Amobi's fine. He's passed the physical. But I want to be somewhat cautious with him coming off of the scope. You'll see him out there tomorrow morning. He'll be limited in what's he's doing. We'll go from there."

(on CB Antwaun Molden's status) "He's definitely PUP. We think he's a few weeks away. He will not be out there. We will work with him away from the team atmosphere. We will work with him individually. We think he's getting very close."

(on his top three concerns going into camp) "I don't know that I can sit here and say this is one, this is two, this is three. I'm just trying to stay focused on us getting better as a football team. That's the most important thing. Now, there are numerous areas we've got to improve upon. There are obvious ones like turnovers and red zone on both sides of the ball, those types of things. We've just got to stay focused on having a good month, getting our football team better in all three phases of the game and finding some continuity on defense. We've got some new players that we need out there every day and we've got to have (defensive coordinator) Frank (Bush) nail that group together."

(on the standards needed for a successful season) "Our goal as a team is to be a playoff football team. That goal can't be reached until December; that's the way it works. It's July right now, and like I said, we'll walk out on that football field tomorrow with that as a team goal. But we have to be realistic in our approach and understanding that it's about the day-to-day process. You can't get that done in one day, one week or one month. We've got to worry about our football team getting better and if we do that then we'll give ourselves an opportunity to do that."

(on the ‘Playoffs or Bust' mentality) "I like the players to think that way. I like that everybody around here is to the point that we feel like our football team has a chance to do that. That's a compliment to those players, they've worked extremely hard. A couple of years ago nobody would have said that so that's pressure. That's nice pressure. That's why we do this. That's why we're in this business. I like to see our players thinking that way but I also know what type of work it takes to get to that point so I've got to keep them focused on that work."

(on if he is making any changes in how he does practice) "Obviously that's one of our goals that we'll talk about as a team tomorrow. We do have to get off to a better start as a football team. Am I doing anything differently in camp? The basic format for camp is going to be the same. In the afternoon, we're basically going to walk through which is different. We have been pretty tough in two-a-days for about the first ten days. I'm going to start off actually the total opposite. We'll get after it good in the morning. In the afternoons in the bubble it won't be a walk through but it won't be full speed, either. We're going to do that a little bit different. We felt that that worked good toward the back end of camp last year so we're going to continue that."

(on concerns about TE Owen Daniels and CB Dunta Robinson's contract situations) "Obviously it concerns you because those are things that have happened throughout the offseason. I expect Owen to be in here tomorrow. He's under contract. I expect him to be here. Dunta's situation, all indications are to me that he probably won't. So until he is under contract and here with this football team, it's very difficult to comment one way or the other. It's something our team has dealt with all offseason so it won't be a surprise to us one way or another tomorrow."

(on if Owen Daniels told him he would be at camp tomorrow) "I'm not going to get into that. I expect him to be here. He's under contract."

(on his expectations for this season) "I'm very excited. We got back in the office on Monday as coaches. We've got a lot of things we have to get done to get ready for practice and a lot of administrative things that we have to do. I just told the guys to get out of here this afternoon, but they're just sitting up there, gunned up and ready to go. We're very excited. We had a good offseason. We like our football team. We like the way it works. Obviously, we've worked together long enough now as coaches that it's pretty easy for us to go from one year to the next as far as what's expected. We're just ready to keep going."

(on what he's learned from last year and any adjustments) "I think the biggest change for me is going to be to having the confidence in (offensive coordinator) Kyle (Shanahan) to call games from the start. So that is different. It ended up that way last season. I felt very good about it. We'll continue to work together throughout this preseason. That is a change for me, personally. Working with (defensive coordinator) Frank (Bush) as he puts his stamp on his defense of what we want to be. For (special teams coach) Joe (Marciano) and special teams, it's the same. He does a great job. Those are a couple of things to start off with."

(on the differences between last year and this year's defense under Frank Bush) "I think it is early to sit here and start to put all these stamps on it. I think what we have to do is to go teach a base. Frank Bush has got to teach his base, which he did in the off-season so he starts again. We have to develop an identity on defense. We've got a lot of new faces. (DE) Antonio Smith, getting (LB Brian) Cushing who's been a starter since the day he's walked in this room, adding (DT)Shaun Cody, players like that and how (DE) Connor Barwin and fits in. I think our defense has got to find an identity. We have played a lot of football players on defense in the past few years compared to what we've done offensively. I think us locking in on the 11 that are going to make us as good as we can be is the most important thing."

(on Cushing getting the starting job as a first-round draft pick) "I just see him as a starter. When we drafted him, we brought him in here to do a job and think he is talented enough and mature enough to do that job from the start. He didn't let us down from what we saw in the offseason, the way he took over from Day One, it's obvious to us that he is ready to go. His development, his contribution to our defensive football team, how quick that is – that will have a lot to do with how good a defensive football team we are. So, like (T) Duane (Brown) last year, we didn't want to waste time, didn't want to do that. We wanted to let everyone know what we thought of him and what we expected him to give to the football team. Much like what Duane did last year, I'm expecting Brian to do the same thing."

(on his confidence level with the offense after bringing back everyone from last year) "Very confident from that standpoint, because you're very familiar with each of those guys and what they've done. We moved the ball pretty well last year and their challenge now is can they take another step. What were we, third last year? Can it be one of the top offenses in football? Can it be the best in football? So that will be their challenge as we get going. We can get better. We can get a heck of a lot better on that side of the ball in many phases. So they've got their challenges just like anybody else."

(on what he has learned as a head coach) "I don't know. That's tough. As far as my comfort level in what I'm doing on a day-to-day basis, other people I'm doing it with, I'm just getting more and more comfortable every day. Dealing with the players, dealing with football team, getting them ready to go, I think you're continuing to learn every day, so hopefully I continue to get better. This is my fourth go-round. Hopefully we've made some progress and I need to continue to make more progress just like our football team."

(on if it has been difficult transitioning from offensive coordinator to head coach) "I don't know about the difficult part, but it's just a change because you are so focused in your expertise so to speak – what you've been a part of in football for so long. Now you have to broaden your scope and be there for (special teams coach) Joe (Marciano), be there for (defensive coordinator) Frank (Bush), and all phases of the game. The people I have on the offensive side of the ball have helped me with that, because I am so confident with the people that are coaching for me on that side. There has been coordinator movement, but for the most part the group has stayed together as coaches. So that has helped me a great deal."

(on if he think he is a players' coach) "I don't know. I deal with them the best I can. I try to be honest with them. Whether you're a players' coach or not a players' coach, I know as a coach you've got a job to do and that is to win football games. I'm not far removed from what they do for a living. I think I can relate to what they're doing. But at the same time, I've got to do what I can to push them to be the best that they can be. You try to have a good rapport with your football team, but at the same time we've all got certain jobs that we've got to get done."

(on if he has set personal goals for the upcoming season) "I've got a lot of personal goals. I sit down each year and think about things I would like to do differently. I would like to be better in this area. I would like to be more involved in this area. Those type of things. Yeah, I'm not differently than them. It's a new training camp for me. I've got my new haircut. I'm ready to go, too."

(on his drill sergeant haircut) "I do it every summer. It's no big deal."

(on what his personal goals are for this year) "I keep those to myself. My goal for this football team is to get it to the playoffs. That's my goal."

(on if they are looking for a veteran defensive back) "I think that, obviously, our ears and eyes are always focused on what's going on around the league – the players that are out there and what's happening. We're no different. Would we be out there looking for a veteran DB? I wouldn't say that right now. I think we've had good work in the offseason. We've got some young players that we're counting on, when you look at (CB Glover) Quin and the young man from Utah (CB Brice McCain). What they did in the off-season they are going to be contributors to this team very quickly. Now how big a step they make in the next month? We'll see. Hopefully three or four weeks from now, we feel excellent about those guys and we'll be moving on. But time will tell. It's time to go to work and all those questions will be answered."

(on if DT Jeff Zgonina will be returning to the Texans) "I don't want to get too far ahead of myself but we are in the process right now of thinking about brining Jeff back. I am concerned, as we go into practice, with me trying to protect (DT) Amobi (Okoye) a little bit, I would like to keep (DT Shaun) Cody off the turf, (DT) Travis (Johnson) is not going to work for a period of time. So there is some discussion right now and hopefully we can get that done in brining Jeff back as part of our football team but there is some work to be done."

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Texans general manager Rick Smith(on signing second-round pick DE Connor Barwin) "I'm pleased, happy. That's important, especially in his case as he had not had an opportunity to have as many reps as some of the other rookies, especially with the late graduation date, so he's good."(on status of negotiations to sign first-round pick LB Brian Cushing) "Nothing new. We've got very productive conversations, and we're working with Tom [Condon], and I'm hopeful we'll get this guy in as soon as we can."(on when he might get in) "I don't know. I was hopeful that we might have him out there this morning. I totally understand this process. These things happen, and we're having productive conversations so expect that we'll get this done pretty soon."(on the impact of slotting on the Cushing negotiations) "Well, it's a process, and we're letting the process run. They've got opinions, we've got opinions, and at some point we'll figure out a way to agree."(on the status of CB Dunta Robinson) "I don't know. I think Dunta needs to be in camp, and that's my opinion. I think he needs to be here with his teammates and when he's coming in, that's a decision he's going to have to make."(on the slotting situation where one agent represents numerous picks ahead of Texans' pick) "It's a unique situation, that's for sure. Tom has a real good understanding of the market because he does represent so many of the guys that are close to us, and that's why I think we can sit down [and talk]. We'll get a deal done soon."(on his thoughts about TE Owen Daniels reporting to camp) "I'm happy, and I'm disappointed that we didn't get a deal done, because that's something that is important to me. We're going to build this football team through the draft, and that means that we've got to get our good players under contract long term, and that was a big goal of ours this offseason that we didn't accomplish. So, he's under contract this year, and we're not discussing his contract at this time. But we'll have another opportunity to sit down and try to get him under contract long term."(on Daniels' disappointment that there are no imminent talks) " Well, I understand that. He and I had a long conversation last night, and I expressed our feelings to him and he expressed his feelings to us. We walked out of that meeting with an understanding about where we each sit. I will say again that he is a vital part of our football team, and our future, and we certainly intend to keep him around here for a long time."(on whether he'll revisit Daniels contract situation during the year) "I'm not putting a timetable on it. At this point, what's important for me and this football team is that we get ready for the season. It's time to play football, it's not time to talk about contracts. That's our approach, and that's what we've communicated to them, and we've also communicated that he's important and that we will try to get him under contract long term."(on LB DeMeco Ryans comments that it sends a bad message when team leaders don't have firm deals) "Well, it's a complicated process. It's an ongoing process, and I think that in a lot of respects, you can look at situations that when things don't happen the way you want them to happen, a lot of times you might interpret that as something that's bad but I think that you have a lot of examples in your own life I'm sure that you can look back on something that you thought would be a bad deal but turned out to be good. And I believe that we have a philosophy here that we're following. These deals are complicated at times, but we're going to be fair to our players. We're going to be good deals, and we're going to build this football team with guys that are important. And all the guys that we talked to this offseason are important. That's the reason we sat down to discuss long term contracts. Now we weren't able to get some of those deals done. We were able to get some of those done, and we'll keep moving."(on the effect of the economy on contract negotiations) "We are not immune. You've heard a lot of people in our league say that we're not immune to the economy, and it absolutely is an impact. That's one of the factors that's involved. We've got some unrest with our collective bargaining agreement, that's another factor. There are any number of other factors. Each individual's case in terms of where he is with respect to his contract status is a factor, so there are an infinite number of factors that go into how you value those deals, and frankly that's what makes it so complicated sometimes."(on whether Ryans' comments bother him) "No, it's not water off a duck's back. It's not bothersome. I understand it. It's my job to try to see all sides, and try to figure out how to represent our club and take care of our players, so I understand how he feels and I understand that perspective, but we've got our perspective and we're going to try to work together to get these deals done."(on Ryans' contract renegotiations) "Again, I'm not going to put a timetable on any of these deals. Right now, we're ready to focus on football in the 2009 season, and that's what we're doing."(on status of secondary depth) "I certainly hope so. I don't have a crystal ball. I like the group of guys we have, I like our coaching staff, the way that they're attacking. I like their approach. It's the first day of training camp. I let my eyes tell me what I believe and I know from the standpoint of the group of guys we put together, I feel good about the group and we'll see how they jell.(on keeping negotiations away from the personal sphere) "That's not real difficult. I think the thing that's missing a lot of the time is that when we don't get deals done, it's a disappointment from our perspective because we don't sit down to negotiate a contract or sit down to extend a guy with the intent of not accomplishing the goal, so you've got to keep everything in perspective, I'm big about that. We try to do that and try to articulate our position and be as logical and thoughtful and fair as possible, and believe in what we're doing. We certainly do, and I know we'll be able to continue to build this football team."(on growth of head coach Gary Kubiak since taking over as head coach) "It's been impressive. Even the first year, I think I talked about the fact that what I thought he had really demonstrated was an ability to really have a feel for the football team, to know when to pull away and when to push and those types of things. He's been more comfortable, obviously. Experience helps, and I think he's a very good head coach."

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Frank Bush has earned my respect. As Jake posted here , it is believed our Houston Texans will be running an aggressive 4-3 Under D. In my mind, this is the best defense for our current personnel to not only improve, but to be successful and consistently create turnovers and a pass rush. When you look at the defense, it will make our defensive holes obvious, but will also clarify a few offseason moves as well.

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First, what are the advantages of the 4-3 Under? First and foremost, it allows you to place your playmakers in position to make plays. It produces a lot of one-on-one pass rushing matchups by alignment, and uses your DEs and SAM as primary contain. You can run cover 1, very easily, with your safety over the top having relatively simple reads. Your FS can walk down to man up on any slot receivers and not have to make any drastic changes. This defense favors run-stopping safeties, as they have to be able to play the alley should anyone break contain. Our corners will see a lot of 1-on-1 matchups playing bump and run. If they maintain good inside leverage, they will always have help over the top and should be able to pounce on bad throws forced by the pass rush. The MLB gets to force runs, playing 2 gaps and smashing the FB at the point of attack. Your WLB should be your fastest LB, being able to avoid most linemen as all 3 offensive linemen in front of him have a defensive lineman on them.

This is a typical 4-3 under lined up against a typical I formation. While we talk in more detail about the scheme, we will also examine the type of players necessary to facilitate good D.

4-3 Under is essentially running the weak side of the defensive line to the strong side, and walking down your SAM LB over the TE. It is a primarily run-stopping defense, with the added benefit of being (in my opinion) the best 4-3 defense to rush the passer with. In the diagram above, you see that the RDE and 3-technique tackle are both to the weak side. The NT is lined up in the 1-gap to the strong side, with the LDE in 5-gap, and the SAM on the outside edge of the TE, called the 9-technique. You have your Mike 'backer playing over the strong side 3-gap, and the WLB in the backside 1.

Typically, the 2 best players on your 4-3 under need to be your weak side DE and your SAM linebacker. Conveniently, we have Mario Williams as our uncovered DE and have newly selected Brian Cushing to play SAM. The uncovered DE in the 4-3 under needs to be an absolute beast, being able to take advantage of 1-on-1 matchups in all pass rushing situations while also being the primary contain on outside runs to the weak side. We have a DE who had double digit sacks while being triple teamed - now he is going to see 1-on-1 a lot unless teams are willing to run 2 TE sets all the time. That makes me very happy.

The number one reason why more teams don't run a 4-3 Under is the difficulty in finding a player good enough to play the SAM. He needs to be big, strong, fast, and able to cover or rush the passer at any given time. He lines up on the outside edge of the TE at all times, and harasses him off the line, never allowing a free release, staying underneath on routes because you have your safety over the top. He also gets one-on-one matchups on the outside to pass rush. I'll take Brian Cushing versus Dallas Clark, Bo Scaife, or Marcedes Lewis any day of the weak. He needs to be a great run defender as well, because he CANNOT be reached, or there is a huge running lane to the strong side.

When you have two great rushers on the outside like that, you force the defense to decide to either chip Mario or Cushing with a RB, leaving Mario 1-on-1 with a tackle, or Cushing 1-on-1 with a TE - either way, it's win for the Texans.

Inside the SAM, you need to have a powerful run-stopping LDE. Not coincidentally, we happened to acquire Antonio Smith, certified awesome-run stopping DE. He needs to be able to always occupy the strong side offensive tackle and not be reached or washed out by the strong side guard, who is left uncovered. He is going to catch a lot of single blocks from the RT, or trey blocks from the T and TE, with the FB trying to spill the SAM to open up the inside run. Adding Antonio Smith absolutely solidifies that position, frees up Cushing to wreck havoc, and makes running to the strong side an undesirable option.

Your weak side DT needs to be a premier pass rusher. Being positioned on the backside 3-gap with a DE right outside him makes it very difficult for the offense to double team him. A center-guard double team would require the guard to cross his face and leave the 1 technique in open space, while a guard-tackle double team would leave Mario Williams free. Both unfavorable. We happen to have Amobi Okoye manning the 3 technique spot in our D. A speedy pass rusher, Amobi's talents were completely wasted in a read-and-react defense. In this scheme, Amobi will not only be allowed, but be required, to beat the backside guard one-on-one to rush the passer and break up the run plays. Another great fit.

The 1 technique is vital to the success of this defense. We happen to not have any fully qualified 1 technique DT. In this scheme, the strong side DT needs to be very big and powerful, able to withstand constant double teams, as he is essentially occupying the center and strong side guard to keep the others free. Heard of anyone like that on the Texans' roster? Me neither. I think the coaching solution is to throw as many fresh bodies at that spot as possible. A 3 or 4 play rotation of TJ, Deljuan, and Okam might be the best solution, since we do not have a premier talent to occupy that space. It will be interesting to see how it is dealt with this season, but as of now is the primary weakness in our front 7.

Moving back to the Linebackers (SAM doesn't really count, as he plays on the line the vast majority of the time) we have our Middle Linebacker and Weakside Linebacker. The MLB primarily lines up 3-4 yards deep over the play side 3 technique, and his job is to shed that guard and make plays, crush FB isos, and scrape over the top to the play if its outside. In cover one, he will usually be manned up with the first back out to the TE side. DeMeco Ryans at this position is great, as it allows him to attack the line of scrimmage on run plays. His first step is always downhill, looking to blow someone up. If the back he is supposed to cover stays into block, he has the option of blitzing or of setting into a little mid-hook zone, to help deter drags, slants, and curls.

You weakside linebacker in the 4-3 under needs to be your fastest and best coverage linebacker, as he is protected by the defensive lineman in front of him and therefore must be able to get anywhere on the field pretty darn quick. He has control of the backside A (1) gap, and will either shoot the gap on inside runs or scrape over on outside runs. If the play is to his side, he is the primary pursuit to the outside as well. On coverage situations, he generally plays short middle and helps out where he needs to be. Adibi, due to his speed and coverage skills, is a great WLB for the 4-3 Under. He will be allowed to make more plays because he will be harassed significantly less by offensive lineman.

The secondary in the 4-3 Under is usually pretty simple. Coverage is almost always Cover 1 or Cover 3, with Cover 1 meaning man underneath except for the WLB and the strong side safety, and Cover 3 being deep thirds zone, split between the CBs and the strong side safety. Safeties in this defense usually need to be able to adjust pretty well to changing situations, and having safeties that can both play the run and provide solid zone coverage are invaluable. I have questions about our safeties' abilities to provide quality, consistent over-the-top support, or to feel comfortable in playing middle deep third alone, but time will tell. One thing to note is safeties usually play sides of the field and interchange responsibilities freely. However, I personally feel that it would be to our benefit to keep Eugene Wilson over the top, and to walk down Barber or Ferguson into the box. Again, we will see.

Corner play also tends to be simplified in the 4-3 Under. It tends to have simple reads and the base D tends to be Cover 1, Cover 3, or Cover 2 man under. Man coverage schemes tend to be preferred to take advantage of the pass rush. I feel Reeves and Bennett would both do well in a primarily man scheme, especially if the pass rush does its job.

Well folks, that is your introduction to the 4-3 Under. If time permits, I will examine some specific schemes and how the 4-3 Under reacts to different formations in the upcoming weeks. All you defensive gurus out there, read, and comment appropriately.

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Texans sign first-round pick Cushing

Outside linebacker Brian Cushing, the Texans' first-round draft choice, has agreed to a contract.

Cushing, the 15th pick in the first round, is in Los Angeles and hoping to join the Texans at training camp today.

Cushing, 6-3, 262, was inserted as a starter on the strong side the first time he stepped on the field at the organized team activities.

Cushing is the last of the team's eight draft choices to sign. He missed only one day of training camp.

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FrostBite said:

Pretty good endorsement for Adibi. Sounds like he's a lock for WLB in this system (or at least his job to lose at this point).Did Houston run a 3-4 last year?

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FrostBite said:

Pretty good endorsement for Adibi. Sounds like he's a lock for WLB in this system (or at least his job to lose at this point).Did Houston run a 3-4 last year?

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GregR said:

FrostBite said:

Pretty good endorsement for Adibi. Sounds like he's a lock for WLB in this system (or at least his job to lose at this point).Did Houston run a 3-4 last year?

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I'd love to watch some games again to pay special attention to both players, but I thought Diles looked better than Adibi last year. Diles was leading the team and was a top 10 linebacker in tackles when he got injured. It seemed like he was always around the ball. Adibi never seemed to stand out to me how Diles had.

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Gil Brandt, who I consider the Yoda of the NFL, came to practice today with Vic Carucci, the editor of NFL.com. Carucci and Brandt do a talk show on Sirius Radio. They're touring NFL camps.

Brandt, who was the Cowboys' personnel director from 1960 through 1989 and has worked for the NFL since he was fired by Jerry Jones, made two predictions that stunned me.

First, he said he believes the Texans will win the AFC South. After I picked myself up off the grass, I asked for another prediction. He said he loves linebacker Brian Cushing and defensive end Connor Barwin but believes cornerback Glover Quin, a fourth-round pick, will be one of the league's biggest surprises this season.

Quin is running first team nickel cornerback behind Jacques Reeves and Fred Bennett

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GregR said:

Couple of interesting comments in McClain's camp round up from talks he had with Gil Brandt who was in town to see camp.

Gil Brandt, who I consider the Yoda of the NFL, came to practice today with Vic Carucci, the editor of NFL.com. Carucci and Brandt do a talk show on Sirius Radio. They're touring NFL camps.

Brandt, who was the Cowboys' personnel director from 1960 through 1989 and has worked for the NFL since he was fired by Jerry Jones, made two predictions that stunned me.

First, he said he believes the Texans will win the AFC South. After I picked myself up off the grass, I asked for another prediction. He said he loves linebacker Brian Cushing and defensive end Connor Barwin but believes cornerback Glover Quin, a fourth-round pick, will be one of the league's biggest surprises this season.

Quin is running first team nickel cornerback behind Jacques Reeves and Fred Bennett

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I hope he's right about the AFC South but I wouldn't put money on it. More hoping that he's right, especially about Quin. This is the first I've really heard anything special about him, and Lord knows that cornerback is a spot we could use an upgrade. Though during the draft I think there was some discussion he could be converted to safety.

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(on CB Glover Quin) "Well, he's made some plays out here the first couple of days. He's gotten his hands on the ball a couple of times. We're playing him at nickel, also; (defensive backs coach) David (Gibbs) tells me he's very sharp in the meeting room. He can return some, too. So there's plenty of reps to go around, especially with Dunta (Robinson) not being here. It's moved all those guys up as far as reps go, so he's taking advantage of it."

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(on the interceptions CB Glover Quin is getting) "He took last week off. He had three his first week, he didn't get any last week. I think he slept through all three days and got one today. But the other two rookies are doing good, too—(CB Brice) McCain and…I can't remember my other guy's name right now. But he's doing good, so we'll see what happens."

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Brooke Bentley: A big surprise was cornerback Glover Quin. He made some picks and had around three interceptions in the first three weeks. Did he exceed your expectations?

Rick Smith: It's interesting because as we came out of the draft, a lot of people said he didn't have skills to play on the edge and play corner. A lot of people had projected him at safety. We felt comfortable with his skill set and thought he could play on the edge, and sure enough he came in and did a nice job. We put him inside at the Nickel position. He did a nice job of learning. That's a very complicated position to play because you have to learn run fits as well as pass, underneath zone coverage – he did a nice job with that. You're right, though, he made plays on the football more than anybody I have seen in a long time coming in as a rookie.

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GregR said:

I'm planning to go to the Monday morning 8:30 am camp session. Anyone from FBG going and want to meet up?Also, has there been any difficulty in getting in without a ticket? In the past they always had a stack of them at the gate and you could just pick one up and go in, but I know they are in more demand this year.

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jamil said:

GregR said:

I'm planning to go to the Monday morning 8:30 am camp session. Anyone from FBG going and want to meet up?Also, has there been any difficulty in getting in without a ticket? In the past they always had a stack of them at the gate and you could just pick one up and go in, but I know they are in more demand this year.

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tried to go to a local wingstop.. no luck. i'd love to go monday but i have school. going to the thursday night one?

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JAA said:

your initial thread links are broken

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GregR said:

Attended the August 3rd morning Texans practice. They didn't even require tickets at the gate to get in. However, they are opening up two additional practices they are having with the Saints which will require tickets, August 19 and 20 from 8:30-10:45. To get tickets, go to HoustonTexans.com to download them.

Players were in shoulderpads and shorts, so not full contact.

1st string offense

Nothing too unexpected, Schaub at QB, AJ and Walter at WR and Owen Daniels at TE. Dreesen was in on 2 TE sets, and David Anderson was the 3rd WR, normally in the slot though at least one formation AJ went in the slot and Anderson went outside. Slaton and Chris Brown took most all of the snaps with the first string. Leech was the only FB I recall.

2nd string offense

Orlovsky at QB, Andre Davis and Jacoby Jones at WR. Moats and Arian Foster at RB. WR Darnell Jenkins played the slot. Didn't note the TEs.



3rd string offense

Grossman at QB. Mike Jones, Glenn Martinez, Mark Simmons at WR, couldn't tell you who were the starters and who was the slot. Jeremiah Johnson was in at RB some, though I think Moats and Foster may have taken snaps there too.

1st string defense

Connor Barwin seemed to alternate between 1st and 2nd string on defense. I didn't really note who was at DT, though Cody was in at one point with the 1st string. LBs were Adibi, Ryans and Cushing. Reeves and Fred Bennett at CB, with Ferguson and Wilson at safety. Glover Quin was out with an injury (more later) and Brice McCain took his spot as nickel CB. I believe Okoye is out with an injury.

Punt return: Jacoby Jones, Andre Davis, David Anderson, and WR Darnell Jenkins were the only ones to return punts. Jacoby and A. Davis both had nice returns. Anderson and Jenkins let too many balls hit the turf, and Anderson was doing a poor job reacting and getting to the ball if the kick was a little short.

Injury: CB Glover Quin had 3 interceptions in camp already going into today. He was in the first activity but then was injured. I didn't see what happened, but he was over on the trainers table with what looked like a cold pack around his knee and/or upper shin. He walked around with it on but was visibly limping, then later was standing on the sidelines without it but didn't go back in. Disappointing, he was one of the guys I really wanted to watch closely after hearing Gil Brandt said he would be one of the league's biggest surprises this year.

Wildcat: I don't know if this was a real package they will use, or if it was done to test the defense, or was just for the fans or so word will get out the Texans are doing it and teams will maybe plan for it, but they ran one wildcat play with WR David Anderson at QB. It was a handoff to Moats who took it about 20-25 yards for a TD.

Running backs: Slaton was impressive. He had an outside run in 9/9 run drills that would have gone for a TD. Made a lot of nice cuts and was finding the hole well.

Chris Brown had an up and down day. He had some nice runs and ran tough, including some TDs in the red zone drills. He also fumbled. He had a nice blitz pick up on a strong safety blitz.

Ryan Moats had a pretty solid practice. There were a couple of runs where he was swallowed up, mainly the O-line's fault, but in general he was finding holes and moving the ball.

Arian Foster looked very good to me. I can see where the Eddie George comparisons come in. He has a very similar style. Good size and speed, and I thought he was doing a very good job of one cut and go. I'll hedge this by first saying that I'm a Foster dynasty owner so was cheering for him, but I could see him ending up the backup to Slaton, especially if/when Chris Brown gets his season ending injury. I did not really get to see him in any blitz pick up though. The times I tried to watch for it he released into a receiving route. I wouldn't draft him in a redraft, but I'd keep an eye on him as camp and the season progress.

Jeremiah Johnson I really didn't see much that caused me to make a note about him. I was hoping to see some of the Slaton-like shiftiness he's said to have, but didn't see it.

All of the RBs in general caught pretty well out of the backfield. There were a few miscues but not many... Foster had one he didn't catch though he had a guy draped on him so I don't know that it's fair to call it a drop. Slaton and Schaub were on a different page at one time and Schaub threw it about 5 feet behind him.

During 11 on 11 scrimmage at the end, there were quite a few plays with the RBs split out wide.



QBs: Schaub didn't look all that great to me today. He was under a fair amount of pressure. Not necessarily sacks, but he didn't have a lot of room to step up as the D was pushing the O-line back in his face, and he almost always had either Mario or Barwin behind him already to where he didn't have much room to scramble. He did ok in general, but a lot of check downs and sometimes I thought he held the ball a little long. It wasn't a bad day, but I'd have been happy if he'd looked better.

Orlovsky looked ok though he threw a deep interception. He and Andre Davis in particular were hooking up well. I hadn't realized he was so tall. 6'5", he seemed to be able to see the field pretty well over the line.

Grossman also looked decent though nothing special. I will say this for him though... every time I've gone to a Texans training camp the last few years, it's been very noticeable the huge difference between the 1st string and the 3rd string QBs like Alex Brink. This year, all three of the QBs looked capable.

Receivers: AJ had a slow start but during the 11 on 11 scrimmage he had a lot of catches, with many of them coming in traffic or when he was tightly covered.

Kevin Walter may have had a catch today but if so I don't remember it (or I confused him with Owen Daniels).

Daniels had quite a few catches, many of them after Schaub didn't find anyone open in his progression.

Dreesen had a great deep catch for a TD if he got his feet in, diving and being hit while he caught it.

I didn't really note James Casey at this practice, so can't tell you how he did.

Andre Davis had a very good practice. A lot of catches, including one juggling catch going to the ground as he was hit, and he nearly pulled in a deep leaping catch with good coverage.

Jacoby Jones had a few catches but was less impressive, and I think one of the coaches was getting on him for at one point, maybe for his route.

David Anderson seemed like he was always running a curl or otherwise sitting down in a spot in the zone. He had a few catches and did ok.

The 3rd string WRs didn't really stand out much. I recall Martinez had a nice catch.

D-line It seemed like they were getting a decent push, though not a lot of plays I felt would have been obvious sacks if it was a real game. Mario and Barwin were switching sides a fair amount. Mario sniffed out and shut down a screen play to Slaton. There was a play against the 2nd string where I thought Barwin probably would have had a sack if he didn't have to protect the QB. I didn't really note a lot of the DT's play.

Linebackers: Cushing had an interception on a deep pass by Orlovsky. I was watching the line play so didn't see if it was underthrown or a bad read, or just a good play by him. There was one play where Slaton lined up at wideout with Cushing in coverage. Unfortunately Schaub threw it pretty quick to the other side of the field... Slaton was on a go route and I would have liked to have seen how long Cushing could have stayed with him. I thought Slaton was just starting to get a step on him when he pulled up as the ball was already thrown to the other side.

I didn't really note much special from the linebackers in general. Cushing was playing up on the line a fair amount, and I recall him blitzing one play but getting picked up. I had meant to try to pay some attention to both Adibi and Diles, but didn't end up watching them closely enough.

Secondary: The 1st string secondary did a better job than I expected. The offense was completing passes, but there was tighter than coverage than I'm used to seeing at a Texans practice. Normally Andre Johnson looks like no one is even on him, but most of his catches were made with someone right on him and were more a case of Schaub having the confidence he could throw it to him anyway, than because AJ was wide open.

Rookie Brice McCain who was filling in at nickel had a couple of nice plays, including good coverage on Andre Davis on a deep route (that was the one Davis almost made a circus catch despite the coverage), and also good coverage on Andre Johnson one time when he kept position in front of AJ on a deep pass so McCain was the only one who had a chance at the ball and had a shot at a pick though he didn't bring it in.

I didn't really note a lot in particular from the safeties. Saw some safety blitzes and playing up near the line, but no one stood out to me in particular.

General impressions: I think the defense looked improved, especially in the passing game. Better coverage in general and better pressure on the QB. However, I think the offense was outplaying the defense in the running game. The top 4 RBs all had a pretty good day in general. Now granted it wasn't full contact and so what might have been a tackle at the line might end up looking like a nice gain when the defender can't actually tackle the RB, but still, I thought the RBs were doing very well at finding holes and doing a cut and then heading upfield hard. The offense turned the ball over 3 times (2 fumbles, one by Chris Brown, don't recall the other, and an INT by Orlovsky) and had to run laps after practice as a result.

Listened to an interview with Andre Johnson on the drive home. He confirmed my impression that the secondary is playing better, said in the past it wasn't as much work for him to get open as it is now.

I'll end this with my normal caveat. This one was one practice out of a whole training camp. It could have just been a good day or bad day for any given player that might be at odds with how he normally does. So take from this what you will, but remember it's a very, very tiny snapshot of what the coaches get to see over the long term.

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coolnerd said:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...nt/6558685.html

Quin has an injury

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GregR said:

I just came across a blog at examiner.com where a guy named Alan Burge is doing daily write ups on training camp. Apparently he's written for the Texans website before. It's worth a read if you want an update on what is happening during each practice. Same sort of stuff I put in mine but more detail. Very well done.

http://www.examiner.com/x-778-Houston-Texans-Examiner

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jamil said:

any word on what cushings haircut looks like?

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jamil said:

any word on what cushings haircut looks like?

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Texans cornerback Jacques Reeves suffered a fractured fibula in his leg during the morning practice Tuesday and is going to be out for six to eight weeks.

Reeves was covering receiver Andre Davis in the end zone. Davis made a leaping catch and came down with the ball. Both players fell. Reeves didn’t get up.

Reeves won’t require surgery. He was replaced in practice by rookie Brice McCain, the sixth-round pick from Utah. Glover Quin, the fourth-round pick from New Mexico, would have replaced Reeves, but he’s sidelined because of a bruise on the outside of his knee.

Quin should return to practice soon.

Dunta Robinson, the franchise player who hasn’t reported, could help the problem if he would sign his one-year tender and join his teammates. Robinson isn’t expected to return before the opening game against the New York Jets when players start earning their game checks over 17 weeks.

Center Chris Myers suffered a high ankle sprain in the morning practice. He’s going to be out an undetermined time. He’s being replaced by veteran Chris White. Rookie Antoine Caldwell, the third-round pick from Alabama, will continue to back up at center and right guard.

Rookie tight end Anthony Hill, a fourth-round pick from North Carolina State, was on crutches because of a foot injury

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Because they are shorthanded at defensive back, the Texans are bringing in veteran cornerbacks Deltha O’Neal and Jason Webster for tryouts Thursday.

With Dunta Robinson missing camp because of a contract dispute and Jacques Reeves and Anwaun Molden sidelined because of injuries, the Texans are in the market for a veteran corner.

O’Neal, 32, may have the inside track. He was Denver’s first-round draft choice in 2000 when general manager Rick Smith and coach Gary Kubiak worked for the Broncos. O’Neal, who is entering his 10th season, played his first four seasons with the Broncos, the next four with Cincinnati and last year with New England.

O’Neal, 5-11, 194, started 10 games for the Patriots in 2008 and intercepted three passes.

Webster, who played at Texas A&M, also played for the Patriots last season. He came off the bench. Webster, 31, is entering his 10th season. He was drafted by San Francisco in 2000.

Webster left the 49ers after the 2003 season and signed with Atlanta, where he played for three seasons. He spent the 2007 season with Buffalo.

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JBIZZLE said:

Anyone think they'll figure out Dunta's contract soon???

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massraider said:

Didn't I read a Tweet about the Texans looking at Andre Hall and another guy at RB?As I am following it, Chris Brown is RB2, having a good camp. Is Foster RB3?

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massraider said:

Didn't I read a Tweet about the Texans looking at Andre Hall and another guy at RB?As I am following it, Chris Brown is RB2, having a good camp. Is Foster RB3?

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coolnerd said:

massraider said:

Didn't I read a Tweet about the Texans looking at Andre Hall and another guy at RB?As I am following it, Chris Brown is RB2, having a good camp. Is Foster RB3?

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I have not seen anything on the Texans bringing anyone in that not an old CB from my normal sources (public and backroom), so the tweet could be ahead of the game or misinformation, but I have nothing either way. That said, the Brown, Foster, Moats order is correct from everything i gathered thus far.

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GregR said:

coolnerd said:

massraider said:

Didn't I read a Tweet about the Texans looking at Andre Hall and another guy at RB?As I am following it, Chris Brown is RB2, having a good camp. Is Foster RB3?

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I have not seen anything on the Texans bringing anyone in that not an old CB from my normal sources (public and backroom), so the tweet could be ahead of the game or misinformation, but I have nothing either way. That said, the Brown, Foster, Moats order is correct from everything i gathered thus far.

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Where did you hear that Foster was ahead of Moats? As a Foster owner I'd love it if he is, but I thought Moats was #3.

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GregR said:

coolnerd said:

massraider said:

Didn't I read a Tweet about the Texans looking at Andre Hall and another guy at RB?As I am following it, Chris Brown is RB2, having a good camp. Is Foster RB3?

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I have not seen anything on the Texans bringing anyone in that not an old CB from my normal sources (public and backroom), so the tweet could be ahead of the game or misinformation, but I have nothing either way. That said, the Brown, Foster, Moats order is correct from everything i gathered thus far.

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Where did you hear that Foster was ahead of Moats? As a Foster owner I'd love it if he is, but I thought Moats was #3.

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coolnerd said:

GregR said:

coolnerd said:

massraider said:

Didn't I read a Tweet about the Texans looking at Andre Hall and another guy at RB?As I am following it, Chris Brown is RB2, having a good camp. Is Foster RB3?

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I have not seen anything on the Texans bringing anyone in that not an old CB from my normal sources (public and backroom), so the tweet could be ahead of the game or misinformation, but I have nothing either way. That said, the Brown, Foster, Moats order is correct from everything i gathered thus far.

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Where did you hear that Foster was ahead of Moats? As a Foster owner I'd love it if he is, but I thought Moats was #3.

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You maybe correct and since you are going to practice, you will have a first hand account. My understanding (through friend of friend type stuff) is that Foster is more impressive as a runner, but the roster spot may come down to the other stuff like blocking and special teams play. Foster may wind up on the practice squad if need be but, if it came down to it would be some foster/Moats committee. All of this is written in light pencil until we get through training camp and the pre-season, so don't be surprised if the story changes 8 times before season starts.

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GregR said:

coolnerd said:

GregR said:

coolnerd said:

massraider said:

Didn't I read a Tweet about the Texans looking at Andre Hall and another guy at RB?As I am following it, Chris Brown is RB2, having a good camp. Is Foster RB3?

Click to expand...

I have not seen anything on the Texans bringing anyone in that not an old CB from my normal sources (public and backroom), so the tweet could be ahead of the game or misinformation, but I have nothing either way. That said, the Brown, Foster, Moats order is correct from everything i gathered thus far.

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Where did you hear that Foster was ahead of Moats? As a Foster owner I'd love it if he is, but I thought Moats was #3.

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You maybe correct and since you are going to practice, you will have a first hand account. My understanding (through friend of friend type stuff) is that Foster is more impressive as a runner, but the roster spot may come down to the other stuff like blocking and special teams play. Foster may wind up on the practice squad if need be but, if it came down to it would be some foster/Moats committee. All of this is written in light pencil until we get through training camp and the pre-season, so don't be surprised if the story changes 8 times before season starts.

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I certainly agree that Foster is more impressive as a runner. He really reminds you of Eddie George when you see him. And at least the practice I saw, he looked really comfortable in the one-cut-and-go style. I agree that things like blitz pick may be what makes the difference though. With as much time as Schaub has missed, I think they'll want someone back there they trust to not let him get clobbered.But IIRC, Moats was the first guy to get his opportunities with the 2nd string. I'll try to remember to make some notes tomorrow evening on that point.

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The Texans have signed two veterans in cornerback Deltha O’Neal and running back Andre Hall. To make room on the roster, defensive tackle Jake Visser was waived, and rookie running back Jeremiah Johnson has been placed on the injured reserve and will undergo shoulder surgery.

The Texans tried out three veteran cornerbacks on Thursday – O’Neal, Mike Mackenzie and Jason Webster. Besides Hall, they also tried out running back Brad Lester.

The Texans were looking for a veteran cornerback after Jacques Reeves suffered a fractured fibula in practice this week. Reeves is out 6-8 weeks. Antwaun Molden, a second-year cornerback isn’t expected to come off PUP for two weeks.

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GregR said:

Notes from the Houston Texans August 6th evening training camp session. Shoulder pads and shorts. Almost no contact at all, even less than normal. This wasn't a very intense practice. It being the only evening practice that was open to the public, it had a huge turn out from the fans and they seemed to design the practice to be entertaining as much as it was about practice. At the opening you could tell the defense was intentionally giving up some long touchdown passes for the fans to cheer about.



Signings and injury news:

Newly signed CB Deltha O'Neal and RB Andre Hall participated in practice.

CB Glover Quin (knee bruise) practiced though I don't think he took a full number of reps.

RB Arian Foster is out until probably Monday with a tweaked hamstring.

RB Jeremiah Johnson is going on IR with a shoulder injury.

LB Zac Diles was on the sidelines but I didn't see him participate.



Kickoff return

Started out with Kris Brown working on kickoffs. Andre Davis, Jacoby Jones, Brice McCain, Glover Quin, Darnel Jenkins all took turns receiving kickoffs.

Next they did some 11 on 11 but this was when they were just showing off for the fans, so I don't have much to report from that drill. 1st string D was Mario, A. Smith, Okoye and Deljuan Robinson on the line. Cushing, Adibi and Ryans at LB. Bennet and McCain were at CB and Ferguson and Wilson at safety, no surprises. 2nd string D had Barwin and Bulman at DE, Okam and Zgnonina at DT, LBs were Chaun Thompson, Cato June and Kevin Bentley, with AJ Davis and Glover Quin at DB, Barber at safety and I didn't note the other safety. Offense was unchanged except for the RB injuries. Moats and Andre Hall ran with the 2nd and 3rd strings.

11-on-11 from midfield

They finally started normal practice then with more 11 on 11. Though the formations were mixed at first, by the end they were running most of it out of single WR I-formations. AJ was getting open pretty easily against McCain. Bennet had good coverage on Andre Davis on a deep pass. Barwin was continuing to get in the backfield and get pressure. Moats didn't have a great day in general I didn't think, he got swallowed up a few times on running plays. Not a lot to note. Slaton looked very good, but no one else really stood out in the running game other than him. Andre Hall didn't look all that great, but it was his first day under contract. Brown got a few carries but didn't stand out in my mind as having any big plays.



Goal line drills

They ran a bunch of plays from the 2. Here were the plays and the personnel if I had time to record them:

1st string O (Schaub QB):

2 WR, FB, TE, RB: Slaton caught a swing pass for a TD

1 WR, 3 TE, RB: Pass to TE James Casey, knocked away on a nice play by the D, didn't see who the defender was.

3 WR (Anderson 3rd WR), RB, TE: Slaton right tackle for a TD

2 TE, RB (Moats), 2 WR (AJ, Walter): Fade to AJ broken up nicely by Fred Bennet

2nd string O (Orlovsky QB):

RB (Moats), 2 WR (AD, Jacoby), 2 TE (Dreesen, Casey): TD Jacoby Jones on a slant

RB, I think 3 WR, 1 TE: Incomplete pass, Moats missed blitz pickup, likely a sack

1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR: TD Jacoby Jones

2 WR, 2 TE, think RB was split wide: Orlovsky QB draw for a TD

3rd string O (Grossman QB):

Normal I-formation: Andre Hall stopped short of goal line

1 WR I-formation: Quick pass to Glenn Martinez for TD.

3 WR, 1 RB, 1 TE: Grossman nearly picked off, didn't see who he was throwing to

Not sure personnel: Grossman threw a TD but would have probably been sacked before he released it if it was full contact



11-on-11 from 50 yard line:

1st string O

Kevin Walter 20 yard completion GREAT pass protection on the play. Schaub would have had to run a few yards just to reach a defender.

Swing pass to Slaton in the flat, read very well by Antonio Smith who just missed dropping him for a five yard loss. Slaton probably picked up a net yard or two before going out of bounds.

C. Brown off tackle for a few yards

Bootleg, Schaub throwing on run to open David Anderson but led him too much.

2nd string O

Owen Daniels in with 2nd string, 25 yd completion

Jacoby Jones 35 yard great catch while well covered

Moats swallowed up on run, don't think he had a hole anywhere he could go.

Orlov overthrew someone deep who was only somewhat open.

11-on-11 2 minute drill starting on own 30

1st string O vs 2nd string D

Dump to Slaton for about 5 yards

AJ reception to 47, getting open at will against CB AJ Davis

AJ reception to opponents 30.

Incompletion, didn't see what happened

David Anderson reception to the 7.

Pass to Walter at the 2 broken up by hit by DB

Owen Daniels misses acrobatic one-handed catch in corner.

Incompletion to Daniels at the 2, good coverage by D.

4th down, Incompletion to Daniels, ball turned over on downs.

2nd string O vs 1st string D with Okam in at DT

Jacoby Jones 20 yard reception to 50, got out of bounds

Andre Davis 14 yard reception to 36, clock rolling

WR Darnell Jenkins 6 yard gain to 30, clock rolling

WR Darnell Jenkins 14 yard catch to 16 yard line, out of bounds.

Sack by pressure up the middle, probably Frank Okam.

Sack, Okoye and Mario

Pass to TE Joel Dreesen broken up by Demeco Ryans.

All out blitz by defense, Orlovsky had to throw it fast... either a sack if full contact, or incompletion if he could still get it away. Turn over on downs.

Other notes:

I only noted the 1st string defense personnel on one nickel play and it was Demeco Ryans and Brian Cushing as the LBs.

In base 4-3, they were playing the 4-3 Under maybe around 50% of the time, with Cushing up on the line on the Tight End like a 5th lineman. Mario seemed to be moved to whichever side the TE wasn't on.

Andre Hall got a fair amount of touches in the early drills and he didn't look that great, though in his defense he probably just signed today. I did watch Antonio Smith in the earlier drills and he didn't really do much that was very impressive early on. He totally bit into a run-fake bootleg that left Schaub completely alone to survey the field. Didn't manage to get a lot of penetration. But later he had the nice read on the swing pass he almost stopped for a loss. I watched Cushing specifically on a few plays as well, though all but one went to the other side of the field, and the other he wasn't able to fight through Owen Daniels on a running play (sweep or off tackle that bounced outside).

General impressions:

Jacoby Jones had a really nice day. The Texans were really throwing the ball around today... part of that might have been it was the biggest fan experience open practice session and they were definitely playing to the crowd some as well as practicing. 1st string defense was getting a lot of pressure on the QB near the end (against 2nd string O).

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Zac attack back on trackRecovered from last season’s broken leg, LB Zac Diles is adjusting from the strong side to the weak sideBy JORDAN GODWIN Copyright 2009 Houston ChronicleAug. 6, 2009, 9:50PMAs they walked off the field after a rough day of training camp, veteran linebacker Cato June approached a long-faced Zac Diles.“Keep your head up, man. Don't get too discouraged,” June told Diles. “I know what you're feeling right now, and there's going to be some pain. But you just have to fight through it and show everybody what you can do.”The words seemed to encourage Diles, a 2007 seventh-round draft pick out of Kansas State. Diles, an Abilene native, had a tough break last season.Campaign cut in halfAt last year's training camp, he fought to prove himself as a versatile linebacker who could play wherever there was a spot open. He earned the strongside linebacker job and, as the starter, led the team in tackles for the first half of the season.But after Week 8, in a special-teams practice, Diles suffered a broken leg while running down the field. The freak injury sidelined him for the rest of the season, but Diles managed to finish second on the team with 66 total tackles.“It was tough,” said Diles (6-2, 237 pounds). “I felt like I was having a pretty good year except for a few plays here and there. It was unfortunate, but it's something you have to deal with and come back and get stronger.”To make matters worse for the recovering Diles, the Texans used their first-round draft pick on Brian Cushing, a talented strongside linebacker from Southern Cal.“That was my position, and when your team drafts a guy in the first round, you know what time it is,” Diles said. “They let me know pretty quick that they wanted me in the weakside spot, and I was fine with that and ready to work for it.”Never discouraged, Diles immediately began preparing himself for changing positions. Knowing he would have to be faster in the weakside slot, Diles lost 5 pounds and improved his athleticism.This training camp, Diles, 24, has regained his reputation as an excellent tackler. Defensive coordinator Frank Bush said Diles has made a strong recovery, and he is competing with Xavier Adibi for the starting weakside linebacker job.“Zac came back kind of out of it physically and mentally because of that injury,” Bush said. “But he's fighting — he's a thumper. He can run, he can hit, and that's what we like about him.”Bush said Diles has made the changes necessary in order to compete with Adibi for the weakside job.“We're looking for a guy that's fast, who can cover backs, as well as looking at his blitzing abilities,” Bush said. “But most of all, we're looking for a playmaker, a guy that will scrape and run to the football and, when he gets there, arrive with an attitude and try to create fumbles.”Competing with a friendDiles said he's close friends with Adibi, but the competition has encouraged him to work hard every day. There's no chip on Diles' shoulder.“When we first put the pads on, Zac showed up big,” Bush said. “It's a different position than strongside, but he's getting there. We like the competition between him and Adibi, and it's making us better.“We're giving them both ample opportunities. Right now the competition is stiff, so we'll just have to wait and see.”

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Catch as catch can for TexansWR Davis hopes spectacular receptions, returns keep him on fieldBy DALE ROBERTSON Copyright 2009 Houston ChronicleAug. 6, 2009, 10:57PMMention “Andre” and “Texans” in the same sentence and 999 out of 1,000 people are going to think of Andre Johnson, the NFL's big dog receiver for 2008 after he fielded more balls for more yards than anybody.So, to distinguish himself, André Davis knows he has to do special things. The accent over the “e” is a start. But the best way for Davis to escape his teammate Johnson's shadow is to do what he has done during training camp, and that's to catch everything in his vicinity.On several occasions, he has gone high in the air and made several spectacular leaping grabs.All he'll say by way of explanation is that “the focus I've had this year has been just a little bit different. I want to be more aggressive, to have more confidence in my hands. I know I can make some crazy catches.”Davis (6-1, 194 pounds) has been hotter than the weather as he works to secure his turf as the Texans' “third starter.” That's how receivers coach Larry Kirksey refers to him, although David Anderson posted better numbers in 2008 with Davis battling a broken finger.“André's made some fine catches, definitely, but he hasn't surprised me,” Kirksey said. “I know what kind of hands he has, and he's got such a great attitude every day.”Still, last season tested Davis' demeanor. His reception count dropped from 33 the year before to 13 and he failed to score a touchdown as a receiver or kick returner after getting six in his first Texans season“Watching Andre and Kevin Walter and seeing how they're snagging the ball out of the air,” Davis said, “that's pushing me. I've got two great guys playing in front of me. My job right now is to continue to push them and push myself. If I continue to do that, the team's going to get better. We've got to have that from all our backups, pushing the starters. If they see guys behind them making plays, they know they can't mess up.”Friendly rivalryAsked about his relationship with Anderson, his main competitor for that third spot in the slot, he laughed.“Some of my family members may think it's a big rivalry,” Davis, 30, said, “but it's really a big friendly rivalry. I love Dave with everything in me. I really enjoy seeing what he can do. We all have different attributes.”Davis' forte is his ability to break the big play. Pre-Texans, he fielded passes of 99 and 60 yards for touchdowns for Cleveland and New England. He added a 53-yard reception for six points as a Texan in 2007, when he also became the first player in modern NFL history to return kickoffs for touchdowns on back-to-back touches, finishing the first half of the Jacksonville game Dec. 30 with a 97-yarder, then taking the third-quarter kickoff back 104.After such a closing flourish, which helped win him a four-year contract that included a guaranteed $8 million, 2008 turned into a downer personally, if not collectively. Davis says his camp start is driven in large part by the high expectations everyone has for the 2009 Texans.“We truly believe we're a good team,” he said, “but we have to prove it every day, and that starts here in camp. We want to make it a make-or-break season.”Settle in with TexansDavis has been in the NFL as long as the Texans, becoming Cleveland's second-round pick in 2002 out of Virginia Tech. He spent three seasons there before going to New England for a single year, followed by an equally short stay in Buffalo. He hoped he had found a home in Houston.“I had a period there where every year I was changing quarterbacks,” Davis said. “Having things solidified helps me a lot.”After seven NFL seasons, you might think he'd be tired of the risks involved in returning kicks. He's not. He hopes that high-wire job continues.“I'm out here working my tail off on offense,” he said, “but I'll be there for Joe (special-teams coach Marciano) on teams wherever he needs me. Punts, kickoffs, any types of returns – I'm always available. And any time you can get your hands on the ball it's a welcome thing.”Any time Davis gets his hands on the ball during these dog days of summer it's also a sure thing. Maybe he should trade in that accent for an exclamation point.

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GregR said:

Looks like the Chron is doing articles on all the players I think should be on the field more. Andre Davis now. Nothing major in terms of info, but I hope he gets worked into the game plan more this year. He can do a lot better for the team than 13 catches.

Catch as catch can for TexansWR Davis hopes spectacular receptions, returns keep him on fieldBy DALE ROBERTSON Copyright 2009 Houston ChronicleAug. 6, 2009, 10:57PMMention “Andre” and “Texans” in the same sentence and 999 out of 1,000 people are going to think of Andre Johnson, the NFL's big dog receiver for 2008 after he fielded more balls for more yards than anybody.So, to distinguish himself, André Davis knows he has to do special things. The accent over the “e” is a start. But the best way for Davis to escape his teammate Johnson's shadow is to do what he has done during training camp, and that's to catch everything in his vicinity.On several occasions, he has gone high in the air and made several spectacular leaping grabs.All he'll say by way of explanation is that “the focus I've had this year has been just a little bit different. I want to be more aggressive, to have more confidence in my hands. I know I can make some crazy catches.”Davis (6-1, 194 pounds) has been hotter than the weather as he works to secure his turf as the Texans' “third starter.” That's how receivers coach Larry Kirksey refers to him, although David Anderson posted better numbers in 2008 with Davis battling a broken finger.“André's made some fine catches, definitely, but he hasn't surprised me,” Kirksey said. “I know what kind of hands he has, and he's got such a great attitude every day.”Still, last season tested Davis' demeanor. His reception count dropped from 33 the year before to 13 and he failed to score a touchdown as a receiver or kick returner after getting six in his first Texans season“Watching Andre and Kevin Walter and seeing how they're snagging the ball out of the air,” Davis said, “that's pushing me. I've got two great guys playing in front of me. My job right now is to continue to push them and push myself. If I continue to do that, the team's going to get better. We've got to have that from all our backups, pushing the starters. If they see guys behind them making plays, they know they can't mess up.”Friendly rivalryAsked about his relationship with Anderson, his main competitor for that third spot in the slot, he laughed.“Some of my family members may think it's a big rivalry,” Davis, 30, said, “but it's really a big friendly rivalry. I love Dave with everything in me. I really enjoy seeing what he can do. We all have different attributes.”Davis' forte is his ability to break the big play. Pre-Texans, he fielded passes of 99 and 60 yards for touchdowns for Cleveland and New England. He added a 53-yard reception for six points as a Texan in 2007, when he also became the first player in modern NFL history to return kickoffs for touchdowns on back-to-back touches, finishing the first half of the Jacksonville game Dec. 30 with a 97-yarder, then taking the third-quarter kickoff back 104.After such a closing flourish, which helped win him a four-year contract that included a guaranteed $8 million, 2008 turned into a downer personally, if not collectively. Davis says his camp start is driven in large part by the high expectations everyone has for the 2009 Texans.“We truly believe we're a good team,” he said, “but we have to prove it every day, and that starts here in camp. We want to make it a make-or-break season.”Settle in with TexansDavis has been in the NFL as long as the Texans, becoming Cleveland's second-round pick in 2002 out of Virginia Tech. He spent three seasons there before going to New England for a single year, followed by an equally short stay in Buffalo. He hoped he had found a home in Houston.“I had a period there where every year I was changing quarterbacks,” Davis said. “Having things solidified helps me a lot.”After seven NFL seasons, you might think he'd be tired of the risks involved in returning kicks. He's not. He hopes that high-wire job continues.“I'm out here working my tail off on offense,” he said, “but I'll be there for Joe (special-teams coach Marciano) on teams wherever he needs me. Punts, kickoffs, any types of returns – I'm always available. And any time you can get your hands on the ball it's a welcome thing.”Any time Davis gets his hands on the ball during these dog days of summer it's also a sure thing. Maybe he should trade in that accent for an exclamation point.

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